"Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness." Corrie Ten Boom Are you able to forgive others freely? Forgiving others who have wronged you is about cleaning your own heart. It is not about a person accepting your forgiveness. Failure to forgive others and to offer grace and mercy usually leads to bitterness which is not attractive and is very harmfu

"Mistakes and failures are simply opportunities for growth." - MB Being able to bounce back after making a mistake is one of the keys to being successful in life. Not allowing failure to resonate in your head is critical to having a winning attitude even when things aren't going your way. Remember, we all make mistakes and fail at some things in our life, BUT this does NOT make us a failure. We are to apply the learnings from our mistakes in order to improve future outcomes.

"Alone we can do little; together we can do so much." - Helen Keller We all know there is no 'I' in team, but team dynamics go much deeper than this. Are you so focused on the differences with those around you instead of what you have in common that you are contributing to the disfunction of the team or a relationship? If so, it is time to make a course correction! Be a better listener and ask yourself a couple questions then ask the same questions to those around you: Do I

"Live in the moment. Don't be anxious about the future as you don't really have absolute control anyway. Don't hold onto to past mistakes as they can't be changed. Be present where you are making the most of it" - MB. Some people spend their time wishing they were somewhere else or somebody else. Stop the maddness! Know yourself. Trust God...He has you where you are for a reason. Therefore, be content. Immerse yourself in your surroundings and celebrate the moment. You may ne

"When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love."— Marcus Aurelius. Being grateful for the little things every morning when you awaken and every evening when you lie down to go to sleep will bring you tremendous peace. Being grateful and living a grateful existence will make you a light that shines in the darkness. Be grateful not only for the blessings bestowed upon you, but also the challenges you have or are facing.

"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for."— Epicurus. Contentment is directly porportional to gratitude. Contentment isn't settling for less; it is the discipline of being thankful for what you already have. Being discontented robs you of your joy. The house you live in, the family you carry, the faith you walk in, the ground you stand on—much of what you take for granted today was

"Always seek out the seed of triumph in every adversity" - Og Mandino Don't allow an unexpected issue to distract you from your mission today. Adversity can bring out the best in you when you remain calm not allowing your emotions to override your thinking. James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be per

"The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible" - Arther C. Clarke. Are you hesistant to push the envelope? Do you play it safe too often? Is fear holding you back from experiencing breakthroughs? Remember, FEAR is a liar, per last week's Thought For The Week post. Accomplished entrepreneurs, artists, scientists, and educators don't simply accept the status quo.They seek to break the barrier of impossibility In fact, they are dr

"What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside you" Ralph Waldo Emerson. The dark side of our world wants you to focus on your failures and shortcomings. The mission of the dark side of our world is to make you feel like a failure so that you will begin to doubt yourself. The dark side of our world wants to kill your motivatiion, creativity, initiative, and joy. The truth is the dark side of our world is a LIAR! Fear is a Liar!!

"The quality of your life is in direct proportion to the quality of your relationships."— Anthony Robbins...Who are the people with whom you associate? Are they persons of character and integrity? Are they a positive influence on your life and the lives of others? A Pastor I know said, "Show me your friends and I'll show you your future." In other words, you are who you run with. Seek to be a leader within your friend groups by demonstrating compassion towards people who may

"We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons."— Jim Rohn... Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but one who hates correction is foolish. Pain is non-negotiable in this life; the only choice you have is which kind you will endure. The pain of discipline is active, intentional, and temporary. It is the daily decision to deny self, wake up early, guard your ton

"Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel." — Ralph Waldo Emerson... Most people speak carelessly, treating their words like exhaust fumes rather than weapon systems. They speak their fears, narrate their anxieties, and broadcast their bitterness, completely unaware that they are actively poisoning their own soil. But if you are a Steward called to occupy territory and lead human affairs, you must recognize the absolute power of the tongue. Your words ha

"Weariness isn't simply being physically or mentally tired, it is being exhausted in your soul" - Mark Pettus COTH...So many people are run down and worn out due to the challenges of their every days lives. The pressure of passing a class in school or making 'the team' or meeting the 'right' person and building a long-term relationship or conceiving a child or figuring out how to pay all the bills especially the unplanned ones or coming to grips with the diagnosis received fr

"Freedom lies in being bold." — Robert Frost... Most people think freedom means the absence of restriction. They think it means having no boundaries, no master, and no obligations. But that isn't freedom—that is just lawlessness, and it always leads to captivity. True freedom is found in the capacity to be bold. When you live in fear—fear of man, fear of failure, fear of rejection—you are a prisoner. You are constantly looking over your shoulder, editing your convictions, and

"Choices Have Consequences...some good and some bad with long-term impact...so choose wisely.” - MB We make hundreds of choices each day with most being autonomic. But then there a few choices requiring our brains to kick in. Unfortunately, there are also some choices which invoke our feelings and emotions to weigh in. You know the choices I'm referring to like throwing a co-worker under the bus to hide your shortcomings OR not telling your spouse or significant other the tru

"Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” Tim Tebow Are you living up to your potential or simply cutting corners to meet deadlines and expectations? Taking the easy road is appealing, but anything worth having or achieving requires hard work, dedication, and commitment. Don’t sell yourself short. Use your talent AND work hard, then expect the best result even when things may not fall your way. Colossians 3:23. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your hear

"Being grateful first thing when you wake up, throughout your day, and last thing when you close your eyes at night will truly change your life" - MB. Being grateful for where you are in life in the face of dealling with challenges or celebrating successes will absolutely give you a saturating peace. Your countenance and demeanor will be peaceful allowing you to be other-centered instead of self-focused. Try it..you'll like it. Being humble is attractive. 1 Thes 5: 16-18 Re

"It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer." — Albert Einstein. Genius and talent are highly overrated in the marketplace. The world is full of brilliant people who started fast but quit the moment the trench got muddy or the "creditors" started shouting. The ultimate differentiator is simply the refusal to give up the ground. Fortitude is the capacity to stay in the pocket with a problem long after the initial adrenaline has evaporated. It is the

You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of." — Jim R. Do you find yourself blaming others or some entity for the consequences of YOUR choices and decisions? It is an easy place to turn to when things don't go 'your' way or aren't 'fair'. This action may give you a momentary 'feeling' of relief or even power, but unwarranted finger pointing will not like

"To bear trials with a calm mind robs misfortune of its strength and burden." ​Misfortune is not an objective force; its weight is determined by your response to it. If you meet those trials with a frantic mind, you multiply their strength. You hand the enemy the lever he needs to break your momentum. But when you meet adversity with a "holy calm," you effectively disarm it. You rob the burden of its gravity. ​ Perfect peace is the ultimate competitive advantage in the trench