Year of Breakthrough

“Stay away from…

“Stay away from anger.. It hurts ..Only You!
If you are right then there is no need to get angry,
And if you are wrong then you don’t have any right to get angry.

Patience with family is love,
Patience with others is respect,
Patience with self is confidence and,
Patience with GOD is faith.

Never think hard about the PAST, it brings tears…
Don’t think more about the FUTURE, it brings fear…
Live this moment with a smile,
It brings Cheer.

Every test in our lives make us bitter or better,
Every problem comes to make us or break us,
The choice is ours whether we become victims or victorious.

Search for a beautiful heart not a beautiful face.
Beautiful things are not always good but good things are always beautiful.

Happiness keeps you sweet,
Trials keep you strong,
Sorrows keep you human,
Failures keep you humble,
Success keeps you glowing,
But only God keeps you going!”

-Unknown

 

Fear of Greatness and the Unknown

English: First hurdle overcome! Next part of the beach, looking away from Durdle Pier, below YOI. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear
is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness,
that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?
Actually who are we not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people
won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine as children do.
We were born to make manifest
the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.
And when we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

– Marianne Williamson

Have you ever felt that you’re born for a particular purpose, that you’re destined for greatness? Do you have a calling that you have tried to deny for a long time, fearing that you are not good enough or that it’s impossible?

A few months from now, in October to be exact, I will be facing one of the biggest giants in my life; a test that will separate the boys from the men; a test that will decide a future filled with responsibilities. A storm is raging within me, confused, fearful yet excited; I know I wanted to excel in this field, to achieve something beyond what the average person deems possible. But then again, there is this inner fear that seems to drag me down, wrecking havoc on my calm disposition; a denial that has led me to thinking of the “what ifs” of living a simple life, of less responsibilities, something less. One thing is for sure, I want to succeed and pursue greatness, to live the life written for me long before I was born.

Abraham Maslow called this the Jonah Complex. According to him, it is “The evasion of one’s own growth, the setting of low levels of aspiration, the fear of doing what one is capable of doing, voluntary self-crippling, pseudo-stupidity, mock humility.” The Wikipedia says that this originated from Maslow’s friend Professor Frank Manuel. According to the Wikipedia: “The Jonah Complex is the fear of success which prevents self-actualization, or the realization of one’s potential. It is the fear of one’s own greatness, the evasion of one’s destiny, or the avoidance of exercising one’s talents.” The description is from Maslow’s “The Farther Reaches of Human Nature“. The theory is from the story of Jonah, a character in the bible called to preach in Nineveh but chose to run away thinking he’s not good enough but God has his way of saying otherwise, and bringing into completion what Jonah was called for.

Fear of failure is bad enough, and fear of success cripples us. Fear hinders our growth, it suppresses our potential.

The bible encourages courage and determination, it says: “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34

Embrace the calling, follow the path to greatness.  🙂

Blank

Dandelion clock (Taraxacum officinale) For more translations SEE BELOW (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The clock ticks, the paper remains empty, not a single word, not a single thought; ideas seem to be evasive, hibernating within the deepest recesses of the mind.

Have you ever experienced that? Perhaps.

But what if the scenario is that you are supposed to prepare for your major exams, read books and reviewers, listen to lectures but you find yourself drifting, losing focus and becoming sleepy? You know it’s a necessary step in order to pass those tests, to help you achieve your dream, to get you through that make or break situation but it is as if you are not in the moment, you are physically present but you are “not really there”. What do you do about it?

1. Pray

Seek the grace of God in everything that you do. As American football quarterback Tim Tebow said, “Regardless of what happens, I still honor my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, because at the end of the day, that’s what’s important, win or lose.”

2. Write down your goals

When you see your goals in print, it seems to come to life. It also helps you to be reminded of what you are working hard for.

3. Be clear about your purpose – it will fuel your drive to succeed.

Remind yourself why you want to achieve your goal. The “WHY” plays a very important role in achieving what you have set for yourself, your purpose motivates you to succeed.

4. Learn from successful individuals.

Prior to the achievement of  Roger Bannister, the first person to break four-minute mile in 1952, people thought it impossible to achieve such speed but that myth was proven wrong, and after that others followed. Take inspiration from people who succeed because they will not belittle your dreams or tell you it is impossible.

5. Set a time table and stick to it.

Most people work well when they have a deadline while others become rattled by it, observe yourself and know what’s best for you. It won’t hurt to set a time table to track your progress.

6. Don’t exhaust yourself. Take breaks.

Learn to listen to your body, it will not do you any good if you overexert yourself, instead of being productive it will only hinder your progress when you get sick, so allow yourself to take a break.

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Be inspired by the following quotes:

Something in human nature causes us to start slacking off at our moment of greatest accomplishment.  As you become successful, you will need a great deal of self-discipline not to lose your sense of balance, humility, and commitment.  ~Ross Perot

Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it won’t taste good.  ~Joe Paterno

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.’ We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. ~Marianne Williamson

Try to discover
The road to success
And you’ll seek but never find,
But blaze your own path
And the road to success
Will trail right behind.
~Robert Brault