It's All In The Mind

Whether you have the mentality of a failure or a victor, the mentality started in your mind. You thought it, you continued to think it, then allowed your actions to support your thoughts. Think of the many things you have told yourself. Positive or negative, you developed a thought and everyday you have watered that thought, giving it life.

I am here to tell you today, that you losing or winning in life, is up to you. It starts in your willingness to see yourself as a winner or loser. What we feed the most, will live the most. If we constantly think negative thoughts, we will speak negative and our actions will be negative. However, if we choose to change perspectives, we can think positive, speak positive and thusly produce positively.

There comes a point in life that one should determine positivity and winning is the goal, and there is no other option. Have you ever heard or said, “Losing is not an option”? This mindset will encourage you to do things you have not done, go when you don’t want to, do things when your feelings are not conducive. It takes a positive and winning mindset to push past limits we have placed on ourselves. It will cause us to push past any obstacle that we face. Determination mixed with discipline will cause us to win, every single time. I hear you saying, that is easier said than done, but all it takes is a made up mind. We have to conquer ourselves, our minds daily. Truth is, we all experience days that life happens and causes us to not “feel like it”, but the purpose and the goal has to bigger than our feelings. I wish I could say as I type this blog, that I have it all together and I am winning in every area of my life, but the truth is, just as I am encouraging and challenging you, I too am being encouraged and challenged. We wake up each day to another opportunity to conquer ourselves and the world. We get to do better than the day before. What a blessing that is. I get to evaluate my yesterday and do something different to ensure I don’t repeat the mistake of yesterday, just by changing my mind.

We have all heard and said “ a mind is a terrible thing to waste”. Our minds send messages to our ears, mouth and bodies, and they follow what the mind tells it. Therefore, we have to take control of our minds, so that we are producing what is going to add value to our lives. If we continue being conquered by the negative thoughts of the mind, then we will never complete our assignments in the earth. Self-check, positive self-talk and an attitude of winning are your challenge today. I dare you to take on this mindset. Confess “I AM A WINNER”.

When you find yourself thinking negative thoughts, I want you to take control in that moment. Tell yourself, “No, I will not entertain this negativity”. Begin to speak positive, which will be the opposite of whatever you are telling yourself in the moment. Your situation does not have to determine your outcome. You can change your thoughts, change your mind, thusly change your outcome. There are billions of people experiencing negative situations and circumstances, but I guarantee there are a small percentage of those billions who have determined that no matter what, I will win. Decide today to be a part of the small percentage. Be apart of the few that have made up in their mind that there is nothing that will prevent us from being all that we were created to be and we will finish strong, the life that has been set before us, so that others may see that they too can WIN. Be the example. Be the vessel.

The Last Time

How many times have you allowed a negative situation or circumstance in your life, to control your emotions? Due to this control, you reacted in a way that was more harmful to an already negative situation. I believe it is safe to say, most of us are driven by our emotions.

It is true that our emotions are a natural part of our being. Emotions are a natural part of our being because though we are supernatural beings, we are housed in a natural body. Our emotions are a part of our soul nature. Because of this, we have feelings. Those feelings cause us to act, or react in a certain manner, depending on the emotion. Actions and reactions are different for everyone. It is okay to admit that we feel a certain emotion. It is okay to express whatever the emotion is. What is not okay is allowing a negative emotion to reside. Allowing a negative emotion to reside, will only cause negative reactions to those emotions.

Feel however you need to feel, but never lose control of your emotions. We should always remain in control. Acknowledge the emotion. Admit the feeling because of the emotion, then make the choice to respond and not react. Response means one has made a conscious decision to do a particular thing about what they experienced. Reaction means because of the emotion, a person was driven to act in a certain way, conducive to the emotion.

Think about this, life is full of unexpected occurrences. Some occurrences are positive and some negative. Sure, the occurrences may be different and may even be somewhat worse than a previous occurrence, yet it is not the first occurrence. My question for you to ponder is, what did you do the last time you had a situation or circumstance to occur? Will you acknowledge that no matter the difficulty of that situation, you made it through? I know you did because here you are, reading this blog entry and that situation is now a part of your yesterday.

Now, think back to all of the major occurrences you’ve overcome. I imagine while in them you sometimes felt you weren’t going to make it. You may have asked when, why and how. The biggest one is “Why Me”? Yet, you made it.

I am here to remind you that as long as we live, we will continue to experience the trials of life. It is inevitable and no one is exempt. My challenge for you today is, I want you to choose to respond and not react. Be reminded when trials manifest, of the previous trials. Be reminded how you dealt with the last one. What was the outcome, according to how you handled the situation? Most of all, I want you to reminder “You Made It”.

When trials present in my life, I make it an appoint to reflect on “The Last Time”. The last time I thought I was in the worst possible situation. The last time I could not see a way out of my situation. The last time I thought nothing worse could ever happen. The last time! Then I remember God manifested for me, and guess what? He is the same God. The only thing that may have changed is my situation. Therefore, I learned to respond with trust. I learned to confess “this too shall pass”. I respond with positive affirmations and self-talk. I respond with faith builders. Do you have positive affirmations? Do you talk positive to yourself, encourage yourself? Do you say things to yourself that will build your faith instead of causing you to lose faith? Positive affirmations and self-talk will cause you to expect the best possible outcome, despite what you may be facing in the moment. Do not put more faith in the situation than in your ability to overcome.

The next time you experience a negative situation, remember the “Last Time”. I can guarantee, you will be encouraged and empowered and from that moment forward, you will be reminded to respond and not react. As you walk away from this entry, close this browser, I want you to remember this, You Are More Than A Conqueror. No situation can control the outcome of your life, only your willingness to yield to its negativity. Decide today, I will remember!

Cancel Your Excuse Subscription

Have you ever been full of excuses? Most likely the answer is YES. Most of us have been in seasons or situations in life that we have been full of excuses. Excuse not to do something, or not to show up in a way that we should. An excuse to prevent something maybe we don’t want to do. If you are like me, then you have also been at a point that you were tired of yourself, making all of those excuses.

Life has a way of dishing us plenty of excuses and reasons why we could continue making them. Reality is, this is the perfect way to stay comfortable and stuck. Think of all of the excuses you have made over the years, all of the things you did not accomplish because you constantly made an excuse. Would you not be in a better place, had you gone ahead and accomplished some of those things? Maybe you would even feel better about yourself, had you trusted what you originally wanted to do. The excuses possibly prevented you from discovering your best self. In that same space, I am sure you blamed someone or something else, instead of admitting it was you who self -sabotaged, because of the excuses. We have all experienced disappointment in life, trauma, rejection, betrayal, hurt, just to name a few things, yet it all boils down to us making the decision to manifest what we desire despite life’s trials.

There will always be obstacles. There will always be reasons why we would, could or should give up, but there must be a conqueror in us that is willing to press past even ourselves, to see an expected end. Remember this, excuses will always be available, but opportunities may not. Yes, sometimes an opportunity may come back around, but it is not obligated to, if we miss it. Sometimes an opportunity is missed and all that is left, is regret.

As a new month and year have approached, decide this year will not be a repeat year of excuses. Speak to yourself and tell yourself “Stop The Excuses”. I heard a very wise man say once, “you have all great excuses, you just have too many”. Your excuses may be valid, but there are times when we have to push past the excuses and conquer.

What is it in your life that you need to conquer? What have you constantly made excuses for not doing, or accomplishing? What opportunity for yourself or someone else, is held up, unpresented because of your excuses? The moment you decide “No More Excuses” will be the moment you begin to see things shift in your life, for the better. My father in Ministry, Pastor Kenneth N. Reid Sr. defined an excuse by stating, “An excuse is a demonic explanation, offered by the uncommitted to release themselves from a job, task or responsibility”. Wow, that has stuck with me for about 20 years, since I heard him say it. So, the next time you are continuing to accept the excuses you are making, I hope you remember this statement.

Choose today, to commit. Commit to your dreams. Commit to executing a plan of action. Commit to being the best person, to yourself and others. Commit to daily habits that bring value into your life and are beneficial for your life. Commit to demolishing all excuses from your vocabulary, being willing to check yourself when you begin to make them. Your willingness to create and fully walk in your purpose, allows someone else to become. As I always say, someone else’s purpose and destiny is tied to you being who you were created. I do not believe any of us want to be responsible for someone not becoming their best self, because we were making an excuse not to be our best self.

Each blog that is written, is to me first. Life happens to us all and life can deal some blows that can give us every reason to complain and make excuses, ultimately refusing to show up whole and effective in our journey. But, we have to decide that no matter what, Purpose Shall Prevail.

Today, cancel your subscription to “Excuses”. I decree that today marks a new beginning for your life and intentionality. I decree you will walk into every door opened to you. You will be the catalyst of someone else’s opened door, blessing, miracle or breakthrough. You will yield to tell yourself the truth about where you are, and where you need to be. You will make the necessary adjustments to become exactly who you are purposed to be. You will walk fully into purpose and out of the valley of excuses. I declare and decree this over your life. Now, are you in agreement, and will you decree it to be so? Allow new life to begin my canceling all of your excuses.