10 Ways to Motivate Yourself & My 10 Confessions

1.        Motivate others

He who refreshes other will he himself be refreshed ~ Proverbs 11:25  

As water cannot pass through a hosepipe without wetting the hosepipe, motivation cannot pass through me without motivating me.

Confession:  I am writing to motivate myself as much as, or probably more than, you.  

2.        Hang out with motivated people

Whoever walks with wise people will be wise, but whoever associates with fools will suffer. ~ Proverbs 13:20

We become like those with whom we associate with. Their attitudes rub off onto us. Really motivated people are motivating.

Confession:  I hang out with motivated people a lot so that their motivation rubs off on me.

3.        Make your passion the first thing on your to-do list

Doing something that you are passionate about is always easy, fulfilling and uplifting. It also give you energy for the things that you are less passionate about.

Confession: The first thing on my to-do list is something that I am passionate about.

Watch out for more ways to motivate yourself and confessions in my next post.

Stay motivated.

It is not everyday that I read a book written for WOMEN but....

It is not everyday that I read a book written for WOMEN but that is exactly what I have been doing since Sunday evening and I am not ashamed to tell you this.

There are dozens of audio books that I have loaded onto my laptop and one of them is titled "CAPTIVATING".  I have never read this book before, nor have I ever head anybody talking about it, but I just stumbled upon it as I was looking for something to listen to as I lay in bed on Sunday evening.  I fell asleep while it was still playing so replayed it yesterday morning as I was preparing for work.

CAPTIVATING is a captivating book on the beauty of the woman.  It's an excellent book on the desire of the woman to be "CAPTIVATING".  It clearly explains the root of this desire and how it is sometimes extinguished by a person's life experiences. The book also reassures women that they are beautiful and capable of being captivating regardless of what life throws at them.

For women, this book is a must read. It will liberate you and change your world.

I also recommend this book to the men. It will help you liberate the women that are around you and give you helpful insights on their psychology.  It will also teaching you a thing or two on parenting your daughters and liberating your wives.

This is a good book for everyone. Do not just hear it from me.  Go out and get your copy today.

Nobody Should Stop You

Getting things done is hard for a lot of people. While this is frequently attributed to indiscipline, I believe that the people around you have a big part in this and this has often been overlooked.

The people around you either motivate or discourage you from getting things done. The people that motivate you to get things done praise you, affirm your capabilities and offer you a hand when you have something that needs to be done. The people that discourage you from getting things done belittle you, question your capabilities and disrupt you when you have something that needs to be done.  Invariably, these people make it hard for you to get things done.

Someone once said, "People who say it can't be done shouldn't stand in the way of the person who is doing it." In my analysis, they were right. You should never allow someone who is pessimistic to disrupt you from what you are doing.

Not everyone is optimistic. Some people are pessimistic and that is just how they are. I have no problem with this so long they do not interfere with other people's efforts to get things done. So should you!

Persevere in these things

1.        In righteousness (doing good)
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." – Galatians 6:9
"To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life." – Romans 2:7

2.        In pursuit of God
"Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always." – 1 Chronicles 16:11

3.        In showing love
"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." – 1 Corinthians 13:6-7

4.        In sound doctrine
"Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." – 1 Timothy 4:16
"We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away." – Hebrews 2:1

5.        In pursuit of purpose
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." – Hebrews 12:1

6.        In the hope of the resurrection
"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." – Hebrews 10:23

7.        In prayer
"Pray without ceasing." – 1 Thessalonians 5:17
   

God equips us for ministry way ahead of time

"All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose"
- Romans 8:28, New King James

God equips us for ministry way ahead of time.  Part of the things we learn and go through up to the time we get to know and follow the call of God upon our lives is part of the training that we need in order to be able to fulfill this call. This truth is revealed in the bible time and again:

n        As a religious enthusiast Paul acquired extensive knowledge in the Law, including Jewish customs and traditions, which he used to build a case for Christ throughout his ministry.  

n        As he looked after his father's sheep, David developed a shepherd's heart, which made him a leader with great compassion for his followers.  

n        Being knowledgeable in the royal etiquettes of Egypt, Moses was the best person to send to Pharaoh when it was time for God to deliver the house of Israel out of many years of Egyptian bondage.

n        Joseph used the administrative skills that he had acquired in Potiphar's house to run the largest food distribution scheme in Egypt.

Each of the bible characters that I have mentioned above acquired the knowledge and experience that they needed for ministry way ahead of time. Part of the things you are learning and going through right now is part of the training that you need in order to be able to fulfill the call of God that is upon your life. Are you aware of this?

Victorious Christians move from Suffering to Hope…

… is what Paul says!

In Romans 5:3-4, Paul writes:

"…we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."

Victorious Christians progressively move from suffering to hope, Paul says.  When victorious Christians bear pain, loss, distress, injury or grief, they persevere.

According to Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, perseverance is:

"a steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, excetera, especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement."

Through perseverance, the victorious Christian's character is formed.  

In everyday language, the term character is used to mean a number of things; in this instance, however, it refers to strength of mind or resolution.  The resultant strength of mind or resolution is a determination or strong will to see the suffering end.  

Being more than an attitude of the mind, character drives the victorious Christian to decisive action towards bringing his sufferings to an end and in due process give him or her hope.

According to Webster's Dictionary, hope is:

(1) a desire of some good, accompanied with an expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable

(2) an expectation of something which is thought to be desirable

(3) confidence

(4) pleasing expectancy.

Suffering weighs most people down, but some individuals have become better persons from the pain, loss, distress, injury or grief of suffering.  Paul says that victorious Christians progressively move from suffering to hope.  Are you a victorious Christian?  Can you move from suffering to hope?

Harness the Power Within You – of Vision and Faith

What is a vision?  What is faith?  How much inner strength can you derive from your vision and faith?

• Vision

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” – Proverbs 29:18

A vision is a clear picture of the future.  A great vision will give you the strength to persevere in and through every situation and reassure you that there are brighter days ahead.

• Faith

"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." – Hebrews 11:1

Faith is activated when you look at things as you believe they ought to be, not as they are, and act in line with that.  Faith reassures you that you are in charge, not the situation. 

There is so much strength that each of us can derive from within ourselves.  Two of the ways we can do this is by creating a clear vision and activating our faith.  Spend some time on your vision and faith this week.