This week's challenge blogs are from this last spring. These blogs are devoted to topics such as forgiveness, passion, procrastination, relationships, depression, looking inward, the Lord's Prayer, and studying the Word. As we read through the challenges, we need to check our progress on each topic. The more we read and study each topic, the more we will grow in personal development and succeed in life.
Forgiveness Blog
We've all heard people say that they will never forgive someone else for the pain they have caused. This is so tragic, because it only hurts the person more that is carrying around the unforgiveness. Many times, the person who hurt us has gone on with their life and free from any recollection of the offense. For our own sakes, we need to forgive and renew our memories. It does not make us weak to forgive. Actually, it shows great strength on our part to forgive all offenses. What comes after forgiveness is peace, and that is worth letting go of any bitterness no matter how big or small.
This week, we need to challenge ourselves to forgive all offenses. Take a look at your memories and find the ones that hold the most hurt. Find the lesson and good out of the situation and forgive. Every time the memory tries to come back with a negative emotion tied to it, forgive the person or situation again. Forgiveness is a habit, and we get better at forgiving as we practice. At first, forgiving may seem hard and awkward, but remember that it gets easier with time.
And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32
Passion Blog
My challenge to all of us this week is to find our passion. We need to write down our dreams, prepare ourselves for success, get back up and dust ourselves off when we fail, find a motivational support team, and practice until we are experts. If we will take these steps, we will become more and more passionate about our dreams. This passion has the capability of speeding up the process of success. When we are more passionate, we are more likely to focus on our dreams and work harder.
"Therefore I always exercise and discipline myself [mortifying my body, deadening my carnal affections, bodily appetites, and worldly desires, endeavoring in all respects] to have a clear (unshaken, blameless) conscience, void of offense toward God and toward men."
Acts 24:16
Procrastination Blog
This week's challenge is to take the step necessary to stop procrastination. Remember, the benefits of diligently working on a project are higher than quitting because a project gets too hard. The confidence and satisfaction of a tough project completed is worth the difficult moments. Conquering fear and completing projects is the most important step to success, so I promise to never give into procrastination and make completing difficult projects a habit in my life.
"Putting off an easy thing makes it hard; putting off a hard thing makes it impossible."
George Claude Lorimer
Relationships Blog
There are times where we have to deal with relationships that are with people we don't necessarily like. This is a situation that can be hard to deal with, but it is not impossible. It is important to find the good in everyone and treat them with respect. If we respect them, then they could turn into our friend. They may not be close friends, but anything is better than dealing with an enemy.
Our challenge this week is to build and maintain healthy relationships. If we use these relationship ingredients, we can become fulfilled in our relationships. We are relational people, so it is necessary for us to work on learning about relationships. Most of us aren't born understanding how to relate to others, but, as we grow and mature, we learn how relationships work.
"You are My friends if you keep on doing the things which I command you to do."
John 15:14
Depression Blog
Depression is hard to go through, but it is not impossible. God has a plan for my life. It is important for me to understand that I can succeed, even in the midst of depression. This week's challenge is to take the necessary steps to deal with depression. Success is my goal, and depression is just a speed bump. If I can use these techniques to get through my depression, I will be able to take giant steps closer to success and teach others to be successful, too.
"Reading makes a full man, meditation makes a profound man, discourse a clear man."
Benjamin Franklin
Looking Inward Blog
The point of this blog is to teach us the importance of working on us and not looking at everyone else's faults. This can be done by learning the fruits of the Spirit, which need to replace the fruits of the flesh. Although we were born sinners, we are now free to work on personal development that will help us through this life and into eternity.
This week's challenge is to identify the fruits of the flesh, learn the fruits of the Spirit, and work on increasing the fruits of the Spirit and decreasing the fruits of the flesh. This will cause the greatest success of all. Not only will we be able to succeed at our relationships, careers, and personal life, but we will be able to develop a relationship with God that will be an example to everyone around us.
"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Lord's Prayer Blog
9 "In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into
Temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom and the
power and the glory forever.
Amen.
The challenge this week is to follow Christ's example of prayer. It is also important to set up a regular time for prayer. Some may want to pray in the morning. There are others that do better when they pray in the afternoon or evening. Whenever we set up a devotion time, we just need to consistently pray at that time. Of course, things will come up and try to steal that time from us, but we need to work as hard as we can to protect our prayer time. This is the most important time of our day.
Studying the Word Blog
Our challenge this week is to study the Word and other informational books and articles. After we have studied everything we can, we need to teach others what we have learned. Think of all this as an adventure and not just boring material that we have to learn. When we view God's Word as one exciting adventure after another, we are more likely to read and study it more than just an old book that has no relevance. Instead of reading our romance and spy novels, we need to read the Bible. The Bible is full of fighting, journeys to foreign lands, and, of course, romance.
"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
Benjamin Franklin
The Challenge Week
This week we need to look back at all the spring blogs. We need to work on forgiveness, passion, procrastination, relationships, depression, looking inward, the Lord's Prayer, and studying the Word. When we work on these personal developments, we grow and are more successful in every part of our lives.
Lately, I have thought about how I teach my children. A lot of times, we teach children or deal with our own problems one dimensionally, but this is not as effective in the end. We need to develop ourselves and children physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. This is why I write my blogs. Each blog deals with one of the topics.
To read the complete original blogs posted in the spring click on the links below:
Forgiveness Blog
http://mymondaymaptosuccess.typepad.com/my-monday-map-to-success/2012/02/forgiveness.html
Passion Blog
http://mymondaymaptosuccess.typepad.com/my-monday-map-to-success/2012/02/passion.html
Procrastination Blog
http://mymondaymaptosuccess.typepad.com/my-monday-map-to-success/2012/03/procrastination.html
Relationships Blog
http://mymondaymaptosuccess.typepad.com/my-monday-map-to-success/2012/03/relationships.html
Depression Blog
http://mymondaymaptosuccess.typepad.com/my-monday-map-to-success/2012/03/depression.html
Looking Inward Blog
http://mymondaymaptosuccess.typepad.com/my-monday-map-to-success/2012/03/looking-inward.html
The Lord's Prayer Blog
http://mymondaymaptosuccess.typepad.com/my-monday-map-to-success/2012/04/the-lords-prayer.html
Studying the Word Blog
http://mymondaymaptosuccess.typepad.com/my-monday-map-to-success/2012/04/studying-the-word.html
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