CHAPTER 1
Believe in Almighty God
The first principle is to believe in Almighty God.
Know that God loves you and will always love you, despite your shortcomings. You cannot do or say anything to make him angry. He is there for you right now despite any evil thoughts you might have. He has never left you. He is with you just where you are. You do not have to go anywhere to meet him.
What you are experiencing is the harshness of living in a real world with real people. Stop! God can help you. Encourage yourself, comfort yourself, and empower yourself to be the best that you can be at this very moment. It is all written in the Holy Bible. Whatever God promises will happen; just ask, and trust him to deliver.
Always give to the Lord, as stated in the Word, one-tenth of all your earnings. Bless others with that special gift you possess—whether it is a bright smile, a caring word, sound advice, an act of kindness, monetary assistance or a forgiving heart. Share your gift with someone, and remember, God is a giving God. Therefore, as you give, he will give back to you in abundance. You will not lose.
You may feel that my request is without merit. But I insist that we take care of the poor, children, the elderly, and all who are underprivileged and sick. This is key to achieving the precious satisfied life that has been set aside for all of us. At fifty, I became acutely aware that our days are short-lived. Even now I look around and see young, middle-aged, and old men and women being taken away from among us. Gone!
We must live in the present, and take one day at a time. Every time we pursue little deeds of kindness and speak little words of love, we are contributing to our own self-awareness and the lives of others in a positive way. This will greatly affect our self-motivation and respect. It also boosts self-esteem.
Many of my close friends and relatives who are around my age plan their futures as if they were twenty-five years old. I find myself doing likewise. Planning and change takes continuous effort. It's not too late to discover a purposeful life on this planet called Earth. I finally got it. "Better late than never," I say, but I worry about the folk who will never get it. They live for a drink of alcohol or abuse drugs every single day and say, "Tomorrow I will change." When will it hit them that a positive life is meant to be lived today and not tomorrow?
Many people are stuck in middle and old age, looking and longing for good companionship, attention, or lady luck. Remember, you can feel lonely if you are misguided and frustrated with yourself and those close to you and around you. How much would it cost you to be comfortable for the rest of your life? That is all you need. Can you guarantee that if you put aside more, others will spend it in a fair and trustworthy manner after your demise? You can live the good life here and now without feeling guilty. Look past the darkness of your yesterdays and aim toward the light in your future. It is right there, right here, right now. If you can see it, you can reach it. Keep trying. You must keep going. Don't stop. You can do this. When you believe in Almighty God, he will give you the ability to rise above hurts in life. You can have a forgiving heart. Pray constantly for wisdom and guidance. Do not ask for this gift for yourself alone, but also for close and extended family relations, friends, and everyone in the entire universe. Use the words of spiritual songs and poems as prayers, and remember that you were taught to pray by the Lord himself. The Lord's Prayer is an excellent daily prayer for all times (Matthew 6:9–13).
Our Father who art in heaven
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
forever.
Amen.
There was a dark time in my life when I could not pray at all. I remember just lying in bed with the covers pulled over my head. The covers felt too heavy to throw off; I was trapped. My husband sometimes came home from work during the day and found me still in bed.
At the time, I did not recognize that I had depression, or maybe I was in denial. I had left my job at a prominent medical center and tried to open a business, but it went belly-up after four years, and I was lost. At home with no job, I became despondent and was drying up inside. I'd drop off the children at school, then return to my haven of self-pity under the covers. I had a live-in maid who helped me with the children and did the housework; she even cooked. My husband paid all the bills, and I felt useless. I stayed in my room all day and night. He was at work during the day and late into the night, so I had plenty of time to wallow in self-pity.
Then one day I dragged myself out from under the covers and went into the living room. Our maid was watching a Christian channel. It came in loud and clear. A reverend was talking about how he had overcome to get an education from a university in Texas. Miracles happened for him; for example, his tuition was paid although he didn't know who had paid it. He took himself from being lost to becoming a successful preacher.
I picked up my Bible and prayed the Lord's Prayer. This prayer remains a special part of my life, and I reflect on its meaning every time I say it. I realized that I had to see what really mattered in my life. I was not giving my family the respect and attention they needed, because I felt like a failure. I was living in doubt and had to confess to God and myself that what I was doing was wrong before I could move past it.
That is exactly what I did. I fell to my knees right there in my living room and asked God to forgive me for being an unfaithful steward of our children and the time that had been allotted to me. Then I had to forgive myself by changing the way I perceived my life, and I also had to ask forgiveness from my family. Now, every day I pray and believe Almighty God will make each day the best day for me, my husband and two sons, and everyone connected and unconnected to me. And if I or others do not approve of how things were going, it is still okay. My power of positive perception is greater than the negative vibes or situations I encounter. I believe in Almighty God. Do you?
CHAPTER 2
Know Yourself
This second principle is of utmost importance: know that you are uniquely the best. A psalm of David clearly defines who we are. It is an empowering tool. It simply says, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your workmanship, O God, is marvelous" (Psalm 139:14 NLT).
In my struggle to overcome depression, and after the negative season was over, something sent me into a relapse. On my way to my new job one morning, I was late for a meeting and started to stress. At the juncture of the road, I hit the paperboy. He came out of nowhere and landed on the hood of my car. I thought I had killed him. The children were in the car, and they screamed, "Mummy, you killed the paperboy!"
I am a registered nurse, so I jumped out of the car. "Can you hear me?" I shouted. After what seemed like an eternity, but was only seconds, he sat up and said, "I'm okay."
I responded, "No, you are not! Get in my car. I have to take you to the emergency room." Then the strangest thing happened. He jumped to his feet and ran away down the street.
"I ain't going to no hospital," he shouted over his shoulder. I was devastated and got into my car, intending to follow him.
My son said, "Mummy, I have to get to school. Look for him afterward. At least he is not dead."
This accident bothered me so much, I felt I was losing my mind. I drove to the police station and reported the incident; then I went to the hospital and told the psychiatrist that I was out of control and needed help. After I'd wailed for what seem like an eternity, she finally said to me, "I am giving you a few days off and a tablet that will help you." She prescribed an antidepressant which helped me for a few days but made me feel as if I were operating in another person's body. I did not feel like myself at all. I was not prepared for that effect. My diagnosis of myself told me that I was headed to a dangerous place. I knew the characteristics of depressive behavior, and I had to make an intervention in my own life to save myself. I was able to live a normal lifestyle, but felt I had to take the drug every single day or I would lose my mind. The battle raged on in my head. The drug was controlling my thoughts.
I can't remember how long this went on, but I came to myself one day and made a conscious decision that I would taper myself off this drug. I knew I could not stop it cold turkey, but I decreased the times I took it. I don't remember when I stopped it completely. One day I realized that I was back in control of myself again. I am still thankful to God for the wisdom to overcome this experience. I use this intervention along with referrals to Specialist Physicians, to assist others who seek to get off habit-forming medicines.
Today, I strive to give my best to myself, my family, the workplace, and others. Please do not let situations of the past, circumstances of the present, and demands from others adversely affect you. I allowed stress to have a negative impact on me in the past. Do not let stress make you feel inferior or less than you really are. Say out loud, "I am a special gifted person, with a special place in this universe." You have been placed exactly where you are for a special reason. I challenge you to seek your purpose through prayer and life lessons. Discover it, and walk in it!
Another of my Aunt Nouty's stories is about a discouraged bird:
There once was a bird that flew freely and beautifully through the forest trees. He was a happy bird, without a care in the world. Then one day two children living in a cottage nearby caught him in a net, locked him away in a cage, and placed it on the outside porch. Every day the children fed the bird, but they always kept the cage secure. At first the bird flew furiously, trying feverishly to get free, but every time it banged against the bars of the cage. Finally, he gave up. One day, the children's father convinced them to leave the cage door open, so the bird could fly away and find its natural habitat. But week after week the bird remained in the cage even though the door was open.
He had lost his will to free himself, or maybe he was afraid to try one more time. Maybe he was afraid and discouraged by the pain he'd experienced after his earlier efforts to escape. Maybe he was injured. Eventually, the bird died right there in the cage. The children found him dead one morning when they got up to feed him.
Are you like that bird, afraid to try one more time to live your life in a positive way? How many times should you keep trying to achieve that dream? When life happens, rise to the occasion. Think bigger and better. Look past what is facing you to the positive side of the situation. Please do not give up. The ninety-ninth time might be the very time your destiny is changed forever, the time you achieve greatness. Don't wait for someone else to lift you from your imprisonment of negative thoughts. Find a way to fight your way out. Positive perception will give you a second wind. It will draw positive energy toward you and lift you above the weight that is keeping you down. The graveyards of the world are filled with people who lost their will or desire to make a positive impact in their lives and the lives of others. Kick away the many obstacles that you and others have put in your own path. If I had not moved away from the wet blanket of depression, I too would have been one of their number. Do not become a statistic. Know yourself, and then you will discover your abilities as an empowered individual with great potential.
Yes, I continue to make a conscious effort every day to practice the positive perception of loving the unlovable many times over until eventually the burden is lifted. I struggle daily to change my attitude toward them. I replace my harsh responses with words of encouragement and goodwill and my negative actions with deeds of kindness. In the midst of adversity, I have become a possibility thinker.
I am now able to move to the next level in my life, that is, knowing who I am and being comfortable with who I am. Make a conscious decision right now to stop the adversity in your life. It's all in your thoughts. Feel the power of positive perception as you identify the negatives and replace them with this proven concept: practice makes perfect. Yes, practice this way of thinking so that you too can move to the next level in your life. Work every day to ensure you are the best you can be in the space allotted to you—whatever environment opens up to you or wherever you find yourself.
When my little business closed in 1997, I became keenly aware of negative comments made by people around me, especially close family members. I was also aware of my own negative mind, which did not speak words of wisdom when I really needed them. I was afraid that I'd made the wrong decision when I left my full-time job to go into business for myself. Maybe I should have remained there. I was in a field of doubt. I did not want to go out in the public. The bed quilt was my friend, and I wanted to stay under it forever. I did not want anyone to talk to me about anything. The phone would ring, and all the companies to which I owed money would ask for payment. I kept promising a date but knew I had no plans or resources to pay, except for my husband's salary, and he did not take too kindly at that time to paying off the bills from the wholesalers who did business with me. People had become my public enemy number one.
Now I say, "Do not allow others to make you into a monster of their choosing." People will make you accept the negative you over the positive you, if you let them. And never look back at a negative situation that you've chosen to leave behind. I know now that I have the power to overcome any negative experience with God's help. I could not do it on my own. I had to pray for this power of wisdom, which is called "positive perception." No one will make me into someone who does not resemble the positive me that God created. No one!
You have all the answers within you. You have been called to complete a special assignment. Do not compare yourself with anyone else, and do not be overly concerned about what the special task is. Pray about it, and in time, God himself will reveal it to you in some form or fashion. You will see and hear the positive signs crossing your path; listen to them. It might be calling you toward your God-given talent. Do not waste time doing nothing, as I did, when there is so much work to be done. Do not complain as I did. Many are depending on your gift of purpose, to discover or rediscover their own purposes and achieve their goals. You have been empowered to perform a task that no one else can do.
Know yourself, and know that no one can stop you from completing your noble assignment. Nothing should hold you back, so if you have not done so already, get on with living.
Know yourself, and you will have no problem being you. There is no one like you. You were born for this time. Take charge of your future with God's help. Bearing this in mind, plan your goals carefully, and research how you can accomplish them. Remember, time is not on your side, so make the most of what you have left.
Action must follow the planning of your life's goals. You may have the greatest dream, but unless it is implemented, worked, or made workable for others, it will be null and void. Such a dream is useless and empty.
Procrastination will hinder you. Distractions will stunt your progress. Just as your body must have food to survive, your quest for success should be nourished on a day-to-day basis. When you linger or pause, you will feel fear; therefore you must constantly and consistently press on without dwelling on circumstances that might be beyond your control. Take the action that will eliminate fear despite disappointments and setbacks. Fear will paralyze you. Overcome it by saying no to the negative thoughts in your mind that fuel it. Replace it with positive declarations over your life and every contrary thought and situation. Overcome it with acts of determination to succeed. Challenge yourself to become a possibility thinker, and act now. You can avoid failure, but you must be strong enough and determined to fight and believe that you will accomplish your purpose.
