Breakthrough week 2

We have journeyed to a new week.  I am believing we all have done our homework.  So, we have a vision board finished or at least mostly done.  We should have affirmations we are using daily.  We also should have a list of goals that are long-term and short-term.  I hope we are writing these daily to instill within us our vision.

We move on this week with a subject that I believe is critical in our lives.  Forgiveness and loving others.

Let me lay this out a little like this:

In business and life people will hurt us and may offend us in ways we only understand subconsciously.  We all have had those people who are in our face.  These people we know have hurt us or harmed us in some way.  Many people think of forgiveness as have I apologized to them or tried to reconcile in some way.  Well this often allows us to forgive others on the surface.  Does it help us with the deeper issues?

There are times in life that we must search our hearts and humble ourselves and take a good look where it is we are in life.  Who we are, be careful this is not who we feel we are.  It is who we are at this moment honestly. 

I remember when I was younger my Dad was not there to teach me things.  Our parents divorced when I was about 8.  I spent a long time going to see my dad but wow did he have some issues.  I moved away when I was 13 and my dad was in a nursing home by then.  I never knew what it was like to have a dad give me advice, but I did have a relationship with Jesus.  I looked to God as a father figure in multiple ways.  I went through some dark times in childhood and as I grew up.  I never have forgotten though what I would say, my dad never taught me anything!

I had to revise that some years ago.  My father died before he could have me visit with my first child.  He died at the hospital as we watched him take his last breath.  It was a hard day and I remember us carrying the casket.  I loved my dad even though I never really got to know him.  There were times as the years passed I would just breakdown crying wishing I could know my father. Hoping he could see my kids. 

I revised my saying serval years later.  I now say my dad taught me so much….  Yes, he sure did! There are things as a father that I knew never to do because of my dad.  I knew I would never leave my kids.  I never did even though at times it was tough, as I became a single father of 4 small children.  I grew stronger but I also soon realized some lessons.  I want to share some of them with you today.

Most people have failures, pains, disappointments, hurt, shame, blame, confusion, suffering loss, and so much more we experience as we grow up.  All of this leaves behind baggage that can have a major effect on our lives today.

1. I have learnt to ask God to search my heart. We need our hearts to be searched for things that we push aside or hide from the past.  I have struggled to fulfill the plan God has for me as a leader at times because I will see success, then back away feeling like I do not deserve it, or I am not good enough to have it.  The reality is I am because I was created to have these things.  The problem then lies the fact I need to reprogram my thinking correctly about our lives and who we are.  I need to also deal with the past, understand it, and move forward. How do you see yourself? Wait stop, let me ask again.  Honestly, take a moment, how do you see yourself? Are you courageous, selfish, loving, strong, weak, tired, wise, not smart, and we can add others.  How do we really see ourselves?  Do we pass up opportunities because we feel we cannot do it, we might fail, we are worried what others think?

P.S.  Understand if you are doing wrong things on purpose you will get negative consequences.

2. We unfortunately are not programed for success in life. Most of us can remember certain sayings in our homes. Money doesn’t grow on trees.  We cannot afford it.  Get a job, get a home, get a car, work is hard, you do not have to like what you do but you need to do it anyway, and many other things.  The truth is most of us are programed generation after generation to not reach our full potential.  We are not taught to step out in faith.  We are not actually told or make to understand that people who own businesses make the most money. We often are taught people who are rich or wealthy are not good.  Money is not evil it is a tool but people’s hearts can be evil.  When we love money and it consumes us we have problems.

We in fact need to reprogram our thinking so this week I have some things I will write about to help us to being to think properly. 

Homework:

Take and continue what we are doing in week one finish it.  Continue to write down goals and affirmations.  Also begin the process of really searching our hearts honestly.  What things or saying are programmed in my mind?  I am not here to blame our parents or anyone else.  I am here to take responsibility my own actions and say what needs to be reprogrammed in my life. Write down a few of the ideas and things that come to you and let’s begin this week on the journey of forgiveness and a life of truly loving.