In The Key Of Positive

For some people, no matter how good they have it, they never seem to develop the ability to observe the overabundance of good that exists in their lives. That's unfortunate because many times they end up losing out on good things and people due to discontentment or the inability to be appreciative. Some of us have good wives or husbands, a great income, an above average job, a thriving business, exceptional health, healthy children, a loving family, a top of the line vehicle, a higher education, and a beautiful home and still have the audacity to take it all for granted. Unfortunately, many suffer from a woe is me, or victim mentality, and act like the world is totally against them, when it clearly isn't. While it is true that we'll all face hardships at times, if we look for the good even in the midst of our less appealing seasons or situations, we'll find that a measure of goodness still always exists.

Today, I want to encourage you to learn to be satisfied with what you have. To never be satisfied equates to never being happy and life is too short, and overall too good, for such a tormentous existence. While there's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting more, if you're not happy with what you have presently, no matter what you do or gain, happiness will remain elusive.

Be blessed and stay encouraged. I love you.

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Don't let your big mad get you in big trouble. At all times, it is imperative to keep your peace and have your emotions remain in check. Unfortunately, if you don't, there's a great possibility that you could end up doing something that you will regret and can't take back. Even worse, it could lead to a setback that won't be easily overcome. Don't do that to yourself.

I know someone right now who recklessly lashed out in a moment of rage at work for literally no reason other than to be mean. They obviously had been getting away with the behavior for a very long time. But this time there would be consequences and repercussions. Their hot-headed actions are being investigated and could affect their employment. And who has a job that they can afford to get fired from right now? Noone.

Today, I want to encourage you to avoid being big mad. Don't ever put yourself in a position where your emotions can cause you to act out in a negative way. Practice being in control of yourself so that you can avoid having to dig yourself out of big trouble. Your time would be much better spent doing anything else other than that.

Be blessed and stay encouraged. I love you.

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Last year, I enrolled in an online course to get current on a certification that is necessary in my field of work. I had taken the course online years ago and remembered that the amount of work required was excessive and took forever to complete. Because I thought that I knew what was required to complete the course based on my prior experience, I delayed taking the course. As a result, to get an extension to do the certification course this year, I paid an additional $150.

Since I've had more time than usual lately, I decided to go ahead and begin the course. To my surprise, it was nothing like it was before. It had been drastically simplified. I was able to complete the coursework in a day, which was mainly viewing videos that contained information I already knew from my formal education and years of experience. But the icing on the cake was that the stringent 100 question tests after each of the almost thirty chapters was eliminated. There was simply one final review exam with only 30 questions, that I passed on the first attempt. Now, I just have to schedule a proctored exam, which I will do this coming week. And by the end of the week, I will have completed a goal that has been on my to-do list for way too long.

Today, I want to encourage you to go ahead and revisit that thing that you fear will be too difficult and take up too much of your time. Stop putting it off. Since time has passed, it's quite possible that you have gained more knowledge and experience to make accomplishing the task easier. Also, things could have changed from what they once were to make it less overwhelming. Therefore, you could be wasting precious time thinking it's a big undertaking when it's not. It's just a matter of doing it. You're ready.

Be blessed and stay encouraged. I love you.

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For the past few weeks I have been doing some serious preparing and praying on how to go about executing some things in the next phase of my life. God has clearly put some things in my heart to do, but I felt like I needed more clarity on what to do first, second and so on. I was concerned about which pathways would be most effective and most successful in this new coronavirus era. And of course, which things needed to be abandoned.

Out of the blue, over the last couple of weeks, I have had four phone conversations with people I know well, but don't speak to often, as well as three conversations with new found friends and acquaintances. Ironically, all of them, while having a general conversation, confirmed a very specific aspect of what God had placed in my heart to do, without even knowing any of my plans. Needless to say, my confidence skyocketed as I gained an even stronger sense of clarity. All of the unsolicited confirmation let me know that I was on the right track.

Today. I want to encourage you that your confirmation will come. It may come through other people, road signs, television, books, dreams, or various other ways. Therefore, don't limit the method of delivery. Honestly, there's really no limit to the method. Whether you're seeking confirmation concerning work, relationships, finances, health decisions, etc., whatever it is, the clarity will come. Sometimes it will lead us to press full speed ahead with our pre-existing plans or thoughts, while other times we may be lead to cease and desist. Regardless of the direction in which we're steered, again, fret not. Your confirmation will come.

Be blessed and stay encouraged. I love you.

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When it comes to you, you are the only person who is an expert on you. Everyone else just has bits and pieces of your story, and bases their conclusions of who they think you are on information that may be from the past and currently obsolete, incomplete, or altogether biased based on their personal perspectives. By all means, people can tell a tree by its fruit, but noone can see everything that the tree is composed of or what it has been through with the naked eye. Therefore, it's impossible to know more about the tree than the tree would know about itself from the outside looking in.

With that being said, the next time somebody tries to tell you about yourself or tell others about you, and they're incorrect or providing information that is irrelevant to who you are today, don't worry about it. They're obviously not an authority on you, just like you're not an authority on them and don't know all of the details that have gone into making them think and behave in all of the ways that they do. However, for those of us who can't just let it slide and have to say something, just tell them that you are the only expert on you and keep it moving. Don't waste your time trying to filter through the details of your being with someone who doesn't even have all of the details.

Lastly, be careful of the company that you keep. Some people don't want you to be more than what they think or say you are, and definitely not more than them. Sadly, it's more comfortable for some to condemn you rather than to accept your growth, especially if you've outgrown them. Unfortunately, that can apply to everyone, including friends and family. But know what you know and don't be bothered. You are the only expert on you.

Be blessed and stay encouraged. I love you.

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Every good goal has a deadline. However, some deadlines will be unable to be met. At that point, the deadline becomes a guideline that should be used to create a new deadline. You don't get to abandon what you've started just because it's taking longer than expected to get the job done. And don't beat yourself up if you need more time to accomplish a set goal. Instead, keep working at it relentlessly. I promise you, you're not the only person in the world that the clock has run out on before. Get over it and put some more time on your clock and continue to work hard until you succeed. Quitting is never an option.

Everyone doesn't earn a degree in two to four years. For some it will take five to ten years depending on the goal. Some may even take longer than that. Everyone doesn't jump up and run a four-minute mile. Some will take much longer than that. Everyone doesn't buy a new car at twenty and a new house at the age of thirty. Some will be forty, fifty, and sixty or older than that. Likewise, everyone doesn't have a successful business within one to five years. Some will take a little or a lot longer than that.

At the end of the day, it's totally up to you to run your best race. Everybody who runs the Peachtree Road Race gets a t-shirt once they cross the finish line. Some do it in less than thirty minutes, while others take hours. The point is to commit to taking as long as it takes to cross the finish line. In the end, either you did it to completion or you didn't.

Today, I want to be the first to congratulate you in advance for a race well run. I can see you crossing the finish line of your goals. Please don't stop until you do. And remember, it's okay for you to take as long as it takes.

Be blessed and stay encouraged. I love you.

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In the midst of much adversity, it is imperative to train your mind to seek out the positive in spite of the negative that seems to exist so prevalently. Otherwise, the world will be a cold, dark, place that gets colder and darker with every passing minute. Although things may not be optimal, you must optimize. Accentuate your strengths in spite of your weaknesses. See your blessings over your hardships. Know that all is well even when nothing looks well.

To do the above takes practice. Your eyes, ears, and feelings will disagree at times, and rightfully so. But with time and training, you can transform your mind to be strong and positive in spite of your circumstances. You have to exercise being mentally tough to survive the unpredictable blows that come simply as a result of living. Sometimes things happen and have nothing to do with you doing right or wrong. They just happen. But what doesn't have to be out of your control is how you respond. It's survival of the fittest mind out here. Winning or even just surviving in life always starts in the mind. If you lose the battle there, you've lost the war before it's even waged. Train your mind. It's not optional.

Be blessed and stay encouraged. I love you.

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I'll be the first to say that life is sometimes unfair. Sometimes you can give your all and fail or get nothing in return. But regardless of what has happened in the past, always be willing to try one more time. The next time could very well be the time that you experience a breakthrough and succeed. But how will you ever know if you don't try?

Be blessed and stay encouraged. I love you.

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Let It Come

6/14/2020

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When it comes to writing posts for this blog, I intentionally don't write them in advance. That's because I want to be open to letting whatever's supposed to come to my mind in the moment, come. It allows my senses to be keen and my eyes, ears and heart to be open to receive messages or signs from inconspicuous subjects that would probably otherwise go unnoticed. Truthfully, many times I only get clarity as to what I am to write when I place my fingers on the keyboard. Then, all of a sudden, everything's clear and it just pours out like water. Amazingly, things start to reveal themselves in ways that they haven't before. Then, like magic, my fingers start to paint a picture in words on the screen, making the end result the posts that you get.

I say all of that to say, don't worry if everything's not clear to you before you start doing something. For many things, if you position yourself to get started, the details as to how to execute will come to you, seemingly out of nowhere and be crystal clear. Please don't think that you have to have everything all figured out, because you don't. You just have to be seeking to be obedient to what's to come, and let it come. And to those of us who do feel that we already have it all figured out, sometimes it's necessary for us to relax our plans that we made outside of this time to allow for what's appointed for this time to manifest. Think about it.

Be blessed and stay encouraged. I love you.

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Waves Come And Go

6/13/2020

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As I looked at the opening scene in a movie I watched today, I noticed how the waves from the ocean hit the beach then retracted back into the ocean. It made me ponder on the thought that the point of the water going back was to assist in developing another wave, and not a finite end as it could easily be misinterpreted.

In life, sometimes we get to ride a wave that eventually comes to an end. But if we're strong enough to not be swept away by the undertow of the wave, it's not the end. Instead, it's the beginning of the next wave to come.

I know that in this season, a lot of people have seen their waves come to a seeming end. However, on today, I encourage you to not misinterpret what actually is the start of a new beginning.

Be blessed and stay encouraged. I love you.

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From the Author

Life is beautiful even when things aren't perfect, which they never are. Everyone will always have obstacles to overcome daily. However, the key to getting through them is to accentuate the positive. In The Key Of Positive does just that.

Join me daily for refreshing inspiration that is given as it comes. Be encouraged!

Happy Reading!!
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