Hey Little Buddy, That Cut Me Deep

My son’s preschool did a great job of teaching him the importance of having us read the bible to him EVERY night. Last night, after a particularly late night of grocery shopping, we got home and finished the night routine about an hour and a half later than normal. In a rush, I kissed the kids goodnight and started to walk out of the room. My son said, “Daddy, aren’t you going to read us the bible tonight?” I said, “Not tonight buddy, it’s late and we need to get some sleep.” He quickly, and very seriously said, “Daddy, do you love your sleep more than Jesus?” OUCH!

His question kind of hurt because it exposed my true values at that moment. I try to be consistent and authentic in the way I live, but leave it to a small child to point out any discrepancy, regardless of how small or infrequent. What about when we are actually aware of the difference in who we are and who we want to be?

When we perceive a difference, most people will just get down. We start saying things like “Why do I even bother? It’s never going to change.” And if that is the message you constantly tell yourself, then you are right! But what about those that realize that they are not who they want to be or haven’t achieved the things they want to, and use that to fuel real change? A lot of depressed people are victims of their own inability to realize that they are in control of their lives. They have the same ability to make choices that will either keep them in their current state, or move them beyond the obstacles and closer to the person they want to be.

If there is a situation that you believe is holding you back, then the greatest step you can take to change it is to realize that you simply need to make a choice to change it. No whining or complaining that you don’t have the time, money, or resources. I can almost guarantee that you have at least two of the three. Use those two to help you get the third. So if you don’t have the money to do what you need/want, then use your time and resources (talents, connections, etc) to help you get the money. If you have the money and resources, use them to buy you time (hire a housekeeper, bookkeeper, life coach, etc).

“Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.” William Jennings Bryan

Quit being a victim! Somewhere out there are many people with worse situations and less talent that are doing what you want to do. The difference is they chose to work toward who they wanted to become or a goal they wanted to achieve. The choice is yours too! Write it out, tape it to your mirror, and read it every morning. Start to replace your victim mentality with ideas that fuel your change.