It can be encouraging, uplifting and simply a joy to recall those wonderful experiences in our lives, or even the more difficult ones as we recall the victories that followed.

We also considered ways in which a positive memory could turn negative. This can happen especially if you are going through a more barren phase of live right now and so you end up wishing for the good old days.

Memories are not for wishing:
This day dreaming and wishing is certainly not an encouraging state of mind. In fact it could easily lead to despondency and depression. Don’t do that, it is not worth it.

Besides your present situation is designed to lead to you a GREATER victory than you have ever experienced before, and so lift you up to a higher plane in life!

So if this is where you are today, keep your eyes on your goals and your faith strong.

Look at the example of Jesus Himself, as we find in Hebrews 12:2

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Note that Jesus did not look behind or even at the present difficulties. His eyes were firmly fixed on his main goals, the reason for what He was going through now.

Now what about those negative memories? You know, the ones you really don’t want to think about.

I know you don’t want to hear this, but you yet you do because you want to be free! The reason those memories are still so painful is that you have not yet forgiven the person or people involved.

That’s right, if the pain is still there, you have not completely forgiven those involved. And remember, you were involved in some way too. So often it is easier to forgive others than to forgive ourselves right?

Top three facts about lack of forgiveness:

Lack of forgiveness can be a very heavy burden in your life. It is an unseen burden, but it is very heavy.

Lack of forgiveness is also a poison. It will affect all of your present relationships sooner or later.

Why? Because when you have not completely forgiven, your mind is open to the trap of falling into the dramas of resentment and vengeance. You know, those dramas that involve what you would like to do (if it were legal) to that person to get even.

There is also a confusion between forgiveness and trust. Many folk are afraid to forgive because they are afraid to trust that person again.

Well here’s some good news. Forgiveness has nothing to do with trust.

• Trust is earned.
• Forgiveness is a decision. To forgive is to release!

Yes that is right, when you decide to forgive a person you release them from your mind. No more negative dramas in your mind that keep dragging you into negative land, depression and resentment. You are free!

The past relationship you had with that person will never be the same.
Now you are free to think clearly and positively. You are also free to decide to rebuild (if the other person of course decides they want to re-earn your trust, and proves it) and to what level.

If the other person is a negative leech, of course you are not going to spend time listening to them, let alone building a relationship with them.

Surround yourself with positive, faith filled people who’s lives will always be challenging you to climb higher and achieve more in life.

Above all, these people will inspire you to run your race of life as a champion who’s goal is to win!

Photo Credit

The other day when I saw one of these little Mini Coupers parked near a mall area I was visiting, I could not help but remember my Grandfather.

No, he did not own a Mini Couper, but he did consider it. The only problem was Grandad was over 6ft tall and rather broad boned. He got into a brand new Mini to test drive it and got stuck!

Of course we all laughed when we found out about it.

And of course, every time I see a Mini (which is not all that often here in Texas) it brings back a happy memory to my mind.

Yes, that is how our brain works.

The recall button
An image, a smell, a tune, a person who looks or acts strangely similar to someone in our past and complete past scene comes up quicker than any computer can respond to a keyword search!

Now of course when the past memory that comes into the present is a good one, all is well. It may even make your day. You begin to smile, laugh again or simply enjoy the image and even the movie that replays in your mind.

This is all good, with one exception:

Don’t ever compare that memory with your present experience and end up in a spiral of wishing to be back in those “good old days”.

If you allow that to happen, then the positive memory will become negative and can actually hinder your present.

However a good past memory CAN serve as a shake up if you are not where you should be today, and consequently “yesterday was better”. Perhaps you are not even where you were in your stage of growth in life, “back then”. (You should not be there, but much further ahead).

If you discover one of these two possibilities to be true, then the first thing to do is wake up!

• Do not condemn yourself! Spending time in condemning yourself would only waste more time. As you know, life is short and time wasted can never be recovered.

• Do take this wake up call seriously and act on it! Make a change in the direction of your life, NOW.

How can you make that change?

• The first step of course is to recognize that you need to change.

  Now remember, if you have made some mistakes God is with you, and NOT to condemn you. Remember the parable of the prodigal son? (You can find it in the Gospel of Luke 15:11-32) Did the father condemn his son when he returned to his sense? Not at all, he was waiting for him with open arms. That well describes your Heavenly Father!

• The second step is to DECIDE you want to and WILL change.
• Make a plan of action. What steps do you need to take to get to be where you know you should be?
• Act on your plan!

The recipe for real changes is: Think, plan and ACT!

The idea behind this is you “cannot even mention anything negative because you attract it”. No, no.

Real faith is bold enough and has the courage to face facts square on and still be able to say “but God”. In other words, real faith can say “I don’t care how big the problem, God is bigger!”

Remember David? Did he for a moment minimize the strength, power and size of Goliath? Not at all! He knew that he David was no match for Goliath.

David knew his God! He knew his God was bigger than Goliath and he KNEW his God (THE God) would be with him. He had courage and FAITH.

Daniel made a very bold declaration:

But the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. (Daniel 11:32)

Daniel certainly knew what he was talking about! When he was thrown into the lions den, he did not overcome them by talking himself into thinking they were mere cats! No, he KNEW they were lions and they were dangerous and he faced them!

But Daniel did not face the lions alone. He faced them with FAITH and confidence, not in his power but in the power of his God.

Faith and fear cannot live together:
I have been around people who are so fearful of even mentioning their problem or difficult situation for fear that they are making a “negative confession”. (Yes, there are even Christians with this attitude, and they say they are walking in faith!).

Faith is not fearful. Real faith is well able to face the FACTS and say BUT GOD. Why? because real faith always looks higher than the problem, difficulty or challenge.

So one negative statement is not the issue (and yes I agree, idle words are not good!) The REAL issue is focus!

What are you FOCUSING on? What is the mediation of your heart?

• Are you focusing on and meditating on the problem or on solutions?
• Are you focusing on the negative “what ifs” as an outcome to a situation or are you focusing on victory?

Today’s question:
Are you REALLY walking in faith or could there be some fear in your life still?

Today’s challenge:
Let’s cast aside ALL fear and walk in REAL faith. Faith that is courageous and well able to face facts but know that there is a higher fact. God’s fact!

Real faith looks the present facts in the face and say: I see you, BUT God is greater! Real faith faces the present facts and then looks higher!

Photo Credit

Yes competition may have it’s place in our lives, but it is best left with sports.

It may be easy to fall into “competition mode” when life (and the people around you) put the pressure on you, but this focus is not healthy.

What kind of pressure could trip you into becoming competitive? The expectations of others is a strong example.

However if your main focus in your life, your business or your ministry is competition this can really hurt you.

Why?

1. YOU are unique:
In Psalm 139:14 the Psalmist declares:
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

When you are trying to be better than (or even as good as) someone else, you can easily lose sight of yourself and YOUR uniqueness.

Yes, YOU are unique! What does that mean? There is no one else in this world like YOU.

2. YOUR PURPOSE in life is unique.
When you are intent on trying to be better than another person, another company, another ministry or another organization you can easily lose sight of YOUR purpose.

Why? Because your focus is on that other person, company, ministry or organization.

You will design your strategies to compete with them instead of planning strategies to fulfill YOUR unique purpose.

God has not called you to be a clone of another person, business or ministry. He called you to be YOU and to fill YOUR space, fulfilling YOUR purpose.

Don’t leave that space vacant because you are too busy trying to be better than someone else!

3. You, your business, your ministry and/or your organization are called to fulfill one basic purpose.

What is this purpose? To make a difference in the lives of others.

If you spend your time and energy focusing on being better than others it will be easy to lose sight of this basic and valuable purpose.

Are you spending your time and energy competing against others?

or

Are you spending your time and energies:

• Making a difference in the lives of others?
• Developing the uniqueness that is YOU?
• Training, planning and working your plan to fulfill YOUR unique purpose in this life?

Don’t fall into the competition trap.

Remember you cannot fill anyone else’s shoes and no one else can fill your shoes.

Just be YOU and you will find greater fulfillment in life and many others will be blessed by your life also.

Photo Credit

Sir Edmund Hillary was from Auckland, New Zealand

Sir Edmund was a great man with great achievements.

But he did not achieve his success at the first attempt. Success did not come easily.

I have a question for you:
How many times do you set out to achieve a goal only to find that everything seems to go wrong and you soon give up?

The proof of just how serious you are about your goals and dreams is found in how you react when things go wrong.

Do you have the determination to push through and push on until you achieve your goals? Or do you give up after just a few failures and discouragements?

Will you persist and refuse to give up it is because you REALLY have a vision.

BUT:
When you cannot find just how to achieve your goals and you seem to continually be hitting a brick wall with every attempt, you are faced with a temptation.

Will you give up saying: “well I guess it just is not God’s will for me to be successful”

If this is you, could it be that you goals and dreams were just day dreams? You had not turned them into SERIOUS goals and dreams.

Let’s consider something that Edmund Hillary said when faced with yet another failed attempt at climbing Mt Everest. He stood at the bottom of the mountain looking up and said:

“I WILL conquer you because you cannot get any bigger than you already are, but I continue to grow each day”

Now THAT is determination right? Not long after that he achieved his goal. Mt Everest was conquered.

So today I have a challenge for you!
Just how serious are you about your goals and dreams in life?

Are you prepared to pursue them at all costs?

Photo:
The photo was taken in Christchurch New Zealand inside a tram. This is a plaque that is a memorial to Sir Edmund Hillary.