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Attitude/Positive Thinking – It is an absolute fact about life: people who are successful understand the power of positive thinking. They know that things aren’t always going to be perfect; they just choose to focus on the positive. The key word here is “choose.” Study after study reveals that people who choose to focus on the positive instead of complaining about all the bad things going on around them are healthier and happier. The benefits of positive thinking are tremendous. That is why a couple of thousand years ago, the Apostle Paul wrote the following to the Philippians:
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Choices/Direction – If you want great direction for your life, it can be found in God’s word. Whether you need insight into money matters or problems you are experiencing with a friend or family member the Bible has the answers. If you aren’t too familiar about what God’s word says, then ask a Christian friend for advice. Another great way to get direction for life is to go to God in prayer. All you have to do is let God know that you need help. He will answer you in the quiet of your mind. That phrase from years ago - “Let your conscience be your guide” - is great advice when you are tuned in to God through prayer (see section on prayer). You don’t need to worry about not having all the answers for your life…God has you covered!
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Comfort/Death/Grief – God never promised us that we wouldn’t go through difficult situations. As a matter of fact, he said that bad things could and would happen to us. There is a great book called Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? The book explains that God doesn’t go around causing bad things to happen, but He is there to help us get through the bad times when they do happen. God also promises that our problems will never be too much for us to bear. His great reminder to us in difficult times is that whatever we are going through, it will soon pass. It is sometimes difficult for us to see past our present situation and to realize that things will get better. Another comforting fact that God reminds us of during difficult times is that our physical lives are only temporary. We are all just passing through. The time we spend on Earth is nothing compared to the time that we will spend with God in eternity. So don’t worry when difficult times arrive. Just remember God’s promise to us that we are all just passing through this world, on our way to a beautiful spiritual existence with Him - an existence filled with joy and love beyond anything that we can imagine. Also remember the following about the comfort which God gives us; He wants us to pass it on:
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Contentment – If you want to be happy in life, you must be content with what you have. Some people think that being rich and famous can make you happy. If that were the case, then why are there more plastic surgeons and psychiatrists per person in Beverly Hills/Hollywood than anywhere else? If celebrities have such a great life, how come so many of them get divorced? Count your blessings. Appreciate what you have. No matter where you are on life’s journey, you will always find those who are better off than you and those who are worse off than you. So appreciate where you are right now; your happiness depends on it. This is what God’s word says about being content:
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Criticism – None of us likes to be criticized/corrected when we do something wrong; but it is crucial towards our personal and professional development. No one is perfect. When you are criticized, even if the other person isn’t completely correct, just realize that we all have room for improvement. Also, if you are the one who needs to correct someone else, remember to treat that person with respect. God encourages us to rebuke in love. Don’t humiliate the individual by correcting him or her in public, but instead take the individual aside and explain what he or she is doing wrong and how to do it correctly. The bottom line is to correct the person exactly as you would like to be corrected. This is what the Bible says about being corrected:
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Confidence/Strength – Life can be tough. However, as Christians though, we don’t need to worry about what comes our way. We might be limited in what we can do but take heart – our God can do anything! We can walk with confidence knowing the following:
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Depression – Some people are embarrassed to talk about depression, but it affects people from all walks of life. Severe cases of depression should be handled by a professional (i.e. counselor, physician, etc.). But, there are many people who experience temporary bouts of depression. As mentioned in the section on comfort and grief, there is no getting away from bad situations. We all experience good times and bad times. When you are depressed, know that you are loved and that what you are going through will pass. God put us here to do the best we can with the circumstances we are given. So take heart - more peaceful days are ahead. Jesus said:
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Encouragement – When you first open your eyes each morning, say the verse listed below. It is a great way for you to begin your day because it will provide you with tremendous encouragement. You don’t have to be constrained by your abilities. What is impossible for men is possible through God. If it is for the right reason and if it is God’s will -- anything is possible. If you are confronted with a situation which seems impossible for you to overcome, remember this verse:
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Fear – We all experience times when we are afraid. It may be fear of losing a loved one or concern that you won’t have the money you need to pay an important bill. We get scared because we feel like we have no control over the situation. Take comfort in knowing that you are not alone. God is always with you and He will get you through difficult situations.
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Forgiveness – Someone will say or do something that is going to hurt you -- it is inevitable. When this does happen, what is our responsibility as Christians? Jesus said that we are to forgive other people. This is very difficult for most people. When someone does something that hurts or upsets us, the last thing we like to do is let go of the anger but as Christians it is something we must do. Keep in mind that God also gave us a brain to use. If someone continues to hurt you in one way or another, it is okay to forgive the person for not being the Christian person that he or she should be, but that doesn’t mean you should stay in a situation where you’ll be hurt again. It is best to avoid people who consistently show they have no respect for you or your feelings. But, if someone is sincere about requesting your forgiveness, you should grant it. It wouldn’t be right to ask God for forgiveness of your sins and then turn around and not forgive someone who has wronged you. One of the best parts about forgiving someone is that it is actually good for you. Medical research has confirmed that there are health benefits to not holding on to anger. People who don’t hold on to anger are healthier and happier than those that do. This is what the Bible tells us to do:
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Gossip – God is extremely clear when it comes to gossip -- don’t do it! As Christians, one of our primary goals is to lift up others. Negative tallk about other people does not build up; it destroys. If gossiping was good and helpful, God would be all for it. That old saying “If you don’t have something good to say about someone, don’t say anything at all,” is great advice. This is what the Bible has to say about gossiping:
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Greed/Materialism – It is a natural desire in us all to want to do better for ourselves; the bottom line is that it should not consume us. If the pursuit of money compromises us in any way (i.e. having to cheat to get ahead, neglecting our friends and family, etc.), then we have crossed the line from “want” to “greed”. Money and fame are not the answers to happiness (see the section on contentment). The Bible is very clear when it comes to the pursuit of money:
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Hope – No matter what the situation, you should never give up hope. Everything will work out in the end according to God’s purpose for your life. So never give up and remember what God’s word has to say:
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Integrity – There is a great country song with the lyrics “You have got to stand for something or you will fall for anything.” Very wise words. Just as the section on reputation discusses, our word has to matter. If we can’t be trusted because we don’t always do what we say we are going to do, then what good are we? Our integrity or lack thereof will make or break our personal and professional relationships. Just like a ship has to have watertight integrity in order to stay afloat, our lives will sink if we do not have strong integrity. Don’t ruin your reputation. Be known as a person who can be counted on to do whatever you say you will do. Not only is it the right way to live your life in order to have great relationships with others, even more importantly, it glorifies God!
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Jealousy – Jealousy negatively affects your health and happiness. Countless medical studies have shown that negative stress hormones are released when people are jealous and angry, making them more susceptible to physical illness. Another problem with jealousy is that it negatively affects your relationships with other people. You can’t have a successful relationship with someone you are jealous of. Maybe you are jealous of a friend’s career or of his or her home. Unless you can let the jealousy go and be happy for your friend, your relationship will never work. It doesn’t matter if it is a friend, spouse, etc., jealousy can ruin your relationships. This is what God’s word has to say about wanting what others have:
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Loneliness – You don’t have to be alone to feel lonely. When you really think about what loneliness is, it boils down to feeling like no one cares about you and that your life doesn’t matter. No matter what your situation is in life, there is never any need to feel alone. God loves you and He is always there for you.
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Love – Being in love and being loved are the greatest needs of every human being. But what is love all about? If someone asked you to define love, how would you do it? The Apostle Paul provided one of the greatest definitions of love ever written. As you read his words, please consider your own relationships with friends and family:
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Lust – There is a difference between looking at someone and thinking the person is beautiful versus lusting after someone and wishing you could be with this person. It is especially sinful if you are married because your heart and loyalty belong to your spouse. There is an old saying that it is okay to look, just don’t touch! The problem with a habit of proactively looking at the opposite sex is that it doesn’t help your marriage. The bottom line is that lusting after the opposite sex has no useful purpose and it can only lead to problems in your personal and/or professional life.
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Lying – People lie for a variety of reasons (ex. to get something, to avoid getting in trouble, etc.). You don’t have to tell a lie to be deceitful. For example, have you ever kept silent, allowing the other person to think something was true when it really wasn’t? The bottom line is that God does not like for us to mislead other people due to selfish reasons.
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Motives – The why behind what we do is extremely important. Doing something to help someone else is good but ask yourself why you helped this person. If you did it with no strings attached, then you did a good deed. If you helped someone in order to get something in return, then that it is not a good deed, but a transaction where expected something in return. God knows our heart. He knows when we do things with good intentions and when we don’t, regardless of what other people may believe about our motives.
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Patience – Being patient can be challenging at times (also see section on anger). We often find ourselves frustrated that things or people aren’t moving along as quickly as we would like. God is very clear about wanting us to be patient. Impatience is a sign of disrespect towards God and shows our lack of faith and trust in Him. To get results, we need to do what we humanly can in any situation and then allow God to handle the outcome according to His timeframe. When we try to control things over which we have no control, it causes us to lose patience and become frustrated. We need to remember that God is in control. Another reason God doesn’t want us to lose patience is because it negatively affects our relationships with others. When we are patient in dealing with other people we demonstrate respect and appreciation towards them. This is what the Bible has to say about patience:
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Planning – Planning is a necessary tool in achieving goals. There are many verses and stories in the Bible that emphasize the importance of making plans rather than going through life haphazardly, just hoping for good things to happen. But the Bible is very clear that to create a successful plan, we should seek wisdom and guidance from the Bible, from prayer, and from other strong Christians.
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Prayer – Jesus was the ultimate example of having a great prayer life. Even though he traveled with his twelve disciples and other followers he always made time to go to his Father in prayer and seek His wisdom and guidance. Jesus kept an open dialogue going with his Father. What a blessing it is that we too have the same opportunity to go to our Lord in prayer. Some people pray in the mornings, while others pray before bed. The best way to pray it is just like Jesus did -- talk to God throughout the day. Prayer should be an open dialogue; whenever something pops into our minds, we can talk about it with God. God doesn’t care about formality; He just wants to hear from us. The best part is you can talk to God about anything! It doesn’t matter whether you are excited about something good that is happening or 0afraid about something that might be headed your way, God is there for you. He not only listens, He answers prayers as well!
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Pride – There are a number of reasons why we shouldn’t be prideful. This isn’t about a mild case of being proud of your children it is about people who think they are better than others. People who take a lot of pride in themselves are less likely to be humble and dependent upon their Father in heaven. God wants us to depend on him. How would you feel if your children didn’t need you? We honor God when we ask for his help. One of our primary reasons for existing is to glorify and honor God. Pride negatively affects our relationships as well. People don’t like to be around arrogant people. One of our purposes in being on earth is to minister to others. It pleases God to see us help people in need. It also pleases Him to see us lift someone else’s spirits through positive talk. It is difficult to bond with other people and minister to them if they are turned off by our prideful spirit. This is what the Bible has to say about pride:
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Purpose – God wants us to glorify Him in everything we do by loving and respecting Him. The question is how do we do it? First of all, we show respect when we go to Him in prayer. Recognizing our shortcomings and inability to do everything on our own, we turn to Him for answers, and in that way we honor God. He wants to be needed just as every parent does. One of our primary purposes in being on this earth is to help people in need. We don’t have to go far to find people who need help. Even if it is just a word of encouragement at work or offering to mow an elderly lady’s yard, there is always something we can do to make a positive difference in other people’s lives. God also has a specific purpose for your life based upon the skills/talents that He has given you. You can find out what that purpose is through prayer. Ask God to very clearly let you know where He needs you and then be willing to follow. This is what the Bible says about our primary purpose in life:
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Relationships – Having successful relationships with others (ex. coworkers, family, friends, spouse, etc.) should be relatively easy, considering that God gave us very specific instructions for how to have great relationships. It is the golden rule, which has been around for thousands of years: “Do unto others what you would have them do unto you!” If you want to have good friends, then be a good friend. If you want to have a great spouse, then be a great spouse. If we would keep the golden rule in mind throughout our entire day, we would be much better off. It is that simple. If you want to have fantastic relationships in your life, remember what God’s word has to say:
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Reputation – Your reputation will
make or break so many critical areas in your life. People want to have
relationships (personal and professional) with people they can trust.
The character that we develop (of which our parents are a big part),
will provide the foundation for our success. So be careful. Protect your
reputation because it will directly affect your happiness and success.
The Bible has great words of wisdom when it comes to your reputation:
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Rest – Sometimes we get so busy with life that we forget to live. Even God rested on the seventh day, after He created the heavens and the earth. Having a healthy mind and body is a critical component in the formula for happiness and success. Most studies indicate that adults need about eight hours sleep each night. These studies also show that you can’t make up for lost sleep during the week by sleeping in on the weekends. So don’t wear your busy schedule like a badge of honor. Instead, realize that adequate rest is just as critical as the air we breathe. The Bible has this to say about where we can find rest:
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