Daily Wisdom: Get Ahead of Yourself

Our business in life is not to get ahead of other people, but to get ahead of ourselves. To break our own record, to outstrip our yesterdays by todays, to bear our trials more beautifully than we ever dreamed we could, to whip the tempter inside and out as we never whipped him before, to give as we never have given, to do our work with more force and a finer finish than ever,—this is the true idea,—to get ahead of ourselves.

 To beat someone else in a game, or to be beaten, may mean much or little. But to beat our own game means a great deal, whether we win or not, we are playing better than we ever did before, and that’s the point after all—to play a better game of life.

Live your greatest life!

Daily Wisdom: Fill Your Own Place

We often think that if we had that person’s means or that person’s ability or that man’s opportunity, we could do something worth doing; but, as we are, there is no possibility of us doing anything great.

Yet God does not want us to fill any other man’s place, or to do any other man’s work. God wants us to improve our own opportunity with the possessions and the powers that He has given us. It is very important if you must truly live, to do the best you can with what you have, where you are.

You are not expected to do more than this, nor do you have the right to do any less. One of the costliest mistakes people make is to think that success is as a result of genius or some special talent, or magic – something or talent they don’t possess in them. That is wrong thinking that you must purge out from your mind.

Success in anything in life is generally due to holding one, persistently trying hard until you succeed. Your success today begins with you making a decision, to do something, anything and working on it long enough. But it starts with a decision from you. The decision that nothing can overrule, the grip that nothing can detach, will bring success.

Live your greatest life!

Daily Wisdom: Today Determines What Tomorrow Becomes

Part of today belongs to tomorrow, as the seed belongs to the shoot, as the foundation belongs to the building. So today owes its best to tomorrow, if you fail to do right today you may ruin tomorrow. But the reverse is not true.

Tomorrow cannot ruin today. Time’s wheel does not run backward. Banish, then, every thought or tendency to procrastinate, and fill today with faithful work, with kindness and courage and hope; and so you will keep tomorrow from being a bad one, and make it a good, honest today when it comes.

Live your greatest life!

Daily Wisdom: Today Is An Opportunity

Opportunities do not come with their values stamped upon them. Everyone must be challenged. Today comes to you just like the other days; in it is a single hour, like this one you are in now, it looks no different from the hours you have spent; but in this day and in this hour the chance of a lifetime faces you.

To face every opportunity of life thoughtfully and ask its meaning bravely and earnestly, is the only way to meet the supreme opportunities when they come, whether open faced or disguised.

Live your greatest life!

How Not to Make Money

Why have we become so hypocritical on the subject of money? Most people (especially religious ones) have formed the habit of pretending publicly to despise or not be concerned about money, while actually they are working their heads off, taking double shifts, combining their jobs with side businesses, or running two, three enterprises, just to get more of it.

I read blogs, and listen to speeches where people advise others especially the young or those under them to shun the pursuit of money and seek the higher good, yet the very blog, and the speech they give is a money making opportunity for them.

The other day, I was with an older person who wanted a service from me, and after telling him my fees, he went ahead to say, “must it be all about the money?” I felt saddened by the hypocrisy of this man. Yes I believe that everything isn’t and shouldn’t be about the money, in fact I go out to genuinely help people, it is even one of the reasons why I don’t bill churches each time I am invited to give talks.

But folks, aren’t we all out to make money? Or is there anything bad about being paid for your services? In a developing nation like Nigeria where I live, the importance of having money is felt daily. As you will need to have a lot of money in order for you to be just comfortable.

There is nothing evil about money, what the bible warned against was the love of money; the extend which we go in getting the money. What we should be weary of is the price we are paying to get the money we so need.

Daily Wisdom: Lack Doesn’t Make You Poor

A person isn’t someone who has little but a person who wants lots of things they don’t have and feel bad about that fact. Most people think about security in terms of what they have; their house, job, investments, savings, family etc.

But true security comes from God. When you realize you can lose everything, and still have that inner joy, then you have the ultimate sense of security, peace and freedom. When your security is on the money or things you have, your security is lost the moments those things are gone. Cant you see how many people get depressed, take their own lives when the financial markets tumble, or when their other treasures get lost.

Today put your security in God. When you do, all illusions and fears leave you, you become blissful and totally free!

Live your greatest life!

Daily Wisdom: Happiness Is Not In What You Seek

What do you want in life? Most people want the same things. Financial security; health; a lover; feeling fulfilled, safe, secure; etc. When you really think about all the things you want and then ask why you want them…you will end up with wanting joy, happiness, peace, contentment and a feeling of deep love, appreciation, and being totally 100% accepted.

The truth is we all want positive emotions and to feel good/blissful/happy all the time, and so we think that having some things or conditions will give us these feelings/emotions we so deeply seek. They do not. So, how do you get all the things in life you want and the positive feelings/emotions that are the root of all our desires?

While many books, teachings and courses, seem to offer formulas and secrets to happiness on earth, whatever they offer isn’t lasting. You too may have had the experience of investing some money into a program and book only to realize the old feelings of frustration and emptiness found their way back after a while.

Daily Wisdom: Your Trials Have a Purpose

Lots of people complain about the difficulties in their lives and they wonder how they will handle them, or why they can’t have a trouble/challenge free life. If you find yourself among this group of people, I want you to consider this;

A mighty wind blew night and day. It stole the oak tree’s leaves away. Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark, until the oak was tired and stark. But still the oak tree held its ground, while other trees fell all around. The weary wind gave up and spoke, “How can you still be standing, Mister Oak?”

The oak tree said, “I know that you can break each branch of mine in two, carry every leaf away, shake my limbs, and make me sway. But I have roots stretched in the earth, growing stronger and stronger since my birth. You’ll never touch them, for you see, they are the very deepest part of me. Until today, I was not sure, of just how much I could endure. But now I’ve found, with thanks to you, I’m so much stronger than I ever knew!”

Be thankful for everything in your life, and know that you all win in the end, because God’s word says “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”

Daily Wisdom: Practice The Golden Rule

Photo Credit: flickr.com

The Golden Rule says Do unto others, as you want them to do unto you. The word DO actually means more than do, it also means think about, wish for etc. So think about others, wish for others and do to and for others what you want them to think about you, wish for you and do for or to you!

Whatever you think about, wish for and do to others you will in time receive yourself! Many times we forget this when we treat others poorly and because the results of our thoughts and actions don’t come back to us instantly, we often blame the devil and fate or bad luck for all the negative things happening in our lives, when actually it is the golden rule at play.

Let the golden rule guide your thoughts, wishes and actions toward others. So love your enemies. Praise your enemies. Ask God to bless your enemies with all the things you want God to bless you with.

Jesus said, what you do unto the least of my brethren; that you do unto me. Think about that. Life can be easy. Feel joy everyday no matter what and without exception. Feel unconditional love, appreciation, understanding, acceptance and compassion for everyone without exception.