In his article Never let Failures Determine Your Future, Dan Black says,
”Maintaining a positive attitude is so important when it comes to moving past failure successfully. The key is to make sure your attitude and behavior is positive. The way we react to failure greatly determines the outcome of what happens after the failure”
Most of us desire to leave a mark in this world. We want to leave a legacy, something that says ” (insert your name) was here”.
But the truth is we will never live such a life without getting intentional about how we live our lives.
Intentionality shows in the way we talk, the way we think, the way we conduct our lives.
It also shows in the way we handle change – the process of it.
It’s not enough to want to change or make adjustment to your life.
It’s not even enough to take that first step.
The biggest deal is your commitment: in other words, your commitment to your commitment is what counts the most.
Insights into making changes that last
1. Thoughts
I did not always consider myself a thinker, not the ‘deep’ kind of thinking anyway. Actually, I took pride in being able to make quick decisions without thinking too much (most type A personalities revel in this kind of ‘intuitiveness’)
You may be laughing at me but you will be surprised at how many of us go through life with our brains shut. We think that we are thinking, but in reality, we are not.
We equate having an opinion, fleeting thought or feelings about something to depth of thought. In the real sense, all we have is a reaction, not a response.
Thinking deeply includes taking time weigh out situations, praying, meditating, researching – doing all you know to do to understand the situation before you.
Frankly, am still not the best thinker there is but I know that when I skim through the surface of things, it usually means something.
I am either afraid to check what’s underneath the surface or lazy or out out time.
All these rob me of a deeper life, a deeper process. I end up making shallow decisions, hence living a shallow life.
You will only stay committed to a process that was weighed-out first.
Hasty beginnings tend to have even hastier ends.
2. Action
Change goes beyond mental persuasions though. It needs to show in the kind of actions you take and the kind of commitments you make.
Preparation should begin in the mind but it ends up being seen in the actions and commitments you make.
As that inner man changes, the outer person and life need to follow.
Many people get frozen at the thinking stage. They are paralyzed by fear or just procrastinate. Others are afraid of change or failure. Others just worry too much about what other people will think.
There is one basic truth that we should all remember – you are the only one that can live your life. Nobody else can do that. If you don’t attempt it, no one else will (and if they do, it will be their glory, not yours).
You need to ask yourself, ‘what is the worst thing that can happen to me if i make this commitment or if i change my life in this area?”
If the worst that can happen is ‘fail’, understand that it’s not really failure – you have just discovered one way that doesn’t work and gathered insight for your next attempt.
3. Letting go.
It’s very important to learn how to ‘live loosely’.
To understand that while we must work on dreams and do all that pertains to intentional living, we really aren’t the Author of our lives.
There are things which you can’t see yet and while your plans are good, they may need adjustmentments along the way.
Sometimes, the most crucial thing is your destination, not the process.
When you hold on to the process too tightly, you can miss out important turns, feel frustrated; in general get some serious life burns.
Flexibility, collaboration or compromise are key when it comes to living intentionally. Somethings in life are not set on stone.
Some of us hold the process too tightly because our ‘who‘ is tangled up in our ‘do‘. We have unhealthy attachments to work, relationships, choices e.t.c.
But when you know who you are, you will not be afraid to live with an open hand.
Question – Have your ever struggled with staying committed? Please share your thoughts in Comments
Image by – Angela Highfield
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