mindXposed Quote of the Week

"If you start to think the problem is 'out there,' stop yourself. That thought is the problem." - Stephen R. Covey in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

I haven't read too many self-improvement books, but The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is my favorite so far, and this quote is exactly why.

When you reflect on your life and start to wonder why people treat you some type of way, why bad things seem to happen to you more than other people, or why what you want is not coming to fruition...don't go pointing fingers and blaming your shortcomings and issues on others.

You are the controller of your life, second to God. Think of yourself as the co-pilot to the higher being you believe has your fate predetermined.

The problem lies in your thinking. The problem is not "out there" because nobody else can determine how your life plan is executed. If you want something done, you gotta do it yourself. It's okay to ask for assistance, but it's another thing to completely rely on others to get what you need. You need a Plan B, an alternative, anything to bounce you back in a moment of failure, or when someone you depended on dropped the ball because they might've put you second to their own needs.

Sometimes we blame the teacher when we fail a quiz. We're upset when we don't get the job we were hoping for. We beat ourselves up over things we can control.

Sometimes it isn't the problem itself that we have to analyze, it's our reaction and thinking that we have to examine. When we fail, when things aren't coming our way, maybe it's not because others didn't follow through when we expected them to. Maybe it's because rather than being hopeful, we have self doubt. And instead of facing our inner demons, we place blame on external factors. The only hands that could lift us up are our own. Others may reach down to help, but ultimately it is our choice to grab hold.

Take a good look at your thoughts when you wake up in the morning and when you go to bed at night. Are you thinking about what you can do to turn your life around, or to have a better chance of getting what you want or need in your life?

When you reach an obstacle, rather than pointing fingers, think about the best way you know to overcome the problem. You and God are in control of your life. So why complicate that by thinking everything and everyone out there isn't in line with your life plan and your goals?

Honestly, this was a little difficult to explain and I'm all over the place, but hopefully my point came across all right.

Happy Weekend!