God's Masterpiece
Oh my what a fool believes. I have to ask you this, why do you believe everything negative that you think you see or hear? Surely you have seen the TV show "Brain Games". It is one of those shows that makes you question everything. It seems so obvious that what you see or hear is totally true and accurate, or is it?
I share a quote often that goes like this "anger is like an acid, it does more harm to the vessel in which it is stored, than it does unto the one in which it is poured". Just this morning I had a friend contact me about a situation that she was a little perturbed about. She was assuming someone's feelings instead of given them the benefit of the doubt. We talked it through and she finally concluded that maybe things weren't as bad as she had made out. I wanted her to understand that a moment of patience in a moment of anger can save a lifetime of regret. Seldom are things as bad as initial feelings make them out to be. We must be careful though in how we share early emotions because it doesn't take long for others to jump on the band wagon and validate your victim mentality. That drives us down instead of lifting us up.
It is so true that things aren't always what the same. It reminds me of the acronym for FEAR (false evidence appearing real). At some point in our lives we all have those moments where we face bitter disappointment because someone didn't act as if we thought they should. Without gathering facts or seeing life through their eyes, we often conclude that our assessment of the truth is valid. The fact, if I can use such a word, is more elusive than the Loch Ness Monster. The truth is that there are seldom if ever facts to validate our negative feelings toward others. There are only myths of which we draw together to summarize how our mind has convinced us to feel. Negativity is trained reaction, start training your mind to see the good in everything.
In order for us to facilitate growth in our lives we absolutely must learn to believe in the goodness of others. You might decide to lash out right here and say something ridiculous like "Dale you have no idea what I have been through, I can't allow myself to trust anyone". When we question the trust of others it is usually because of some internal distrust or disappointment we have with ourselves. We tend to live our lives as a mirror, how we see ourselves is how we see others. Our arrogance however often makes the mirror even more blurred than it already is.
There is an old saying that says "to have a friend we must first be a friend". The depth of friendships determines the amount of trust you have in yourself more so than others. It is imperative that you never believe the things you tell yourself when you are in the midst of sadness, loneliness, disappointment, or anger. You will do everything in your power to build a wall so high you can't see the light of day much less the love in others. In scripture we are taught to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Honestly, I think we all do a pretty good job telling ourselves how bad we are. It is seldom you see people showing genuine expressions of unconditional love to others which in turn proves how little we love ourselves.
We are God's masterpiece, the worlds GREATEST MIRACLE. We were born to make a difference in the world and we should take every opportunity to do so. Life is more than a dream but only when you decide to see it for the true beauty it displays. You see, people are neither good or bad, they are what we see in them. Some can view a person as terrible, while someone else can view them as wonderful. Beauty, friendship, relationships are all in the eyes of the beholder. I must remind you at this juncture that you too fail in your quest to be true friend in the eyes of others. We live in an age of instant everything, even feelings. We are conditioned to believe only that which is bad to protect ourselves from that which is truly good. Yes that does sound backward and it is and we can thank ourselves for learning to believe only the bad.
None of us are perfect even when we try to convince ourselves otherwise. We all fail in our attempt to rise up to the expectations of others. With that being said, how awesome would the world be if we stopped having selfish expectations of others and just allowed wonderful friendships to bloom in beautiful and miraculous ways. It can't start with someone else, it has to start with you. Be aware that God created you in his likeness and image of love and to express that takes courage. Anything less than an expression of love reduces our strength and shows the weakness that belies who we have become.
As I conclude this wisdom reflection I urge you to rekindle a spirit of fire that ignites your love for one another and self. Build a bridge where you had once dug a ditch. It isn't up to someone else to reach out, it is up to you to reach up. This is your life and the only way to become the greatest version of yourself possible is to see the goodness in people God placed in them from birth. Los ve is natural, hate is learned. Let's bring the world back together, not with false evidence appearing real, but with real love that makes us stand out from the rest.
God Bless
Dale
I share a quote often that goes like this "anger is like an acid, it does more harm to the vessel in which it is stored, than it does unto the one in which it is poured". Just this morning I had a friend contact me about a situation that she was a little perturbed about. She was assuming someone's feelings instead of given them the benefit of the doubt. We talked it through and she finally concluded that maybe things weren't as bad as she had made out. I wanted her to understand that a moment of patience in a moment of anger can save a lifetime of regret. Seldom are things as bad as initial feelings make them out to be. We must be careful though in how we share early emotions because it doesn't take long for others to jump on the band wagon and validate your victim mentality. That drives us down instead of lifting us up.
It is so true that things aren't always what the same. It reminds me of the acronym for FEAR (false evidence appearing real). At some point in our lives we all have those moments where we face bitter disappointment because someone didn't act as if we thought they should. Without gathering facts or seeing life through their eyes, we often conclude that our assessment of the truth is valid. The fact, if I can use such a word, is more elusive than the Loch Ness Monster. The truth is that there are seldom if ever facts to validate our negative feelings toward others. There are only myths of which we draw together to summarize how our mind has convinced us to feel. Negativity is trained reaction, start training your mind to see the good in everything.
In order for us to facilitate growth in our lives we absolutely must learn to believe in the goodness of others. You might decide to lash out right here and say something ridiculous like "Dale you have no idea what I have been through, I can't allow myself to trust anyone". When we question the trust of others it is usually because of some internal distrust or disappointment we have with ourselves. We tend to live our lives as a mirror, how we see ourselves is how we see others. Our arrogance however often makes the mirror even more blurred than it already is.
There is an old saying that says "to have a friend we must first be a friend". The depth of friendships determines the amount of trust you have in yourself more so than others. It is imperative that you never believe the things you tell yourself when you are in the midst of sadness, loneliness, disappointment, or anger. You will do everything in your power to build a wall so high you can't see the light of day much less the love in others. In scripture we are taught to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Honestly, I think we all do a pretty good job telling ourselves how bad we are. It is seldom you see people showing genuine expressions of unconditional love to others which in turn proves how little we love ourselves.
We are God's masterpiece, the worlds GREATEST MIRACLE. We were born to make a difference in the world and we should take every opportunity to do so. Life is more than a dream but only when you decide to see it for the true beauty it displays. You see, people are neither good or bad, they are what we see in them. Some can view a person as terrible, while someone else can view them as wonderful. Beauty, friendship, relationships are all in the eyes of the beholder. I must remind you at this juncture that you too fail in your quest to be true friend in the eyes of others. We live in an age of instant everything, even feelings. We are conditioned to believe only that which is bad to protect ourselves from that which is truly good. Yes that does sound backward and it is and we can thank ourselves for learning to believe only the bad.
None of us are perfect even when we try to convince ourselves otherwise. We all fail in our attempt to rise up to the expectations of others. With that being said, how awesome would the world be if we stopped having selfish expectations of others and just allowed wonderful friendships to bloom in beautiful and miraculous ways. It can't start with someone else, it has to start with you. Be aware that God created you in his likeness and image of love and to express that takes courage. Anything less than an expression of love reduces our strength and shows the weakness that belies who we have become.
As I conclude this wisdom reflection I urge you to rekindle a spirit of fire that ignites your love for one another and self. Build a bridge where you had once dug a ditch. It isn't up to someone else to reach out, it is up to you to reach up. This is your life and the only way to become the greatest version of yourself possible is to see the goodness in people God placed in them from birth. Los ve is natural, hate is learned. Let's bring the world back together, not with false evidence appearing real, but with real love that makes us stand out from the rest.
God Bless
Dale
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