The Heavy Hand of Persistence; Success Redefined

I am the most ordinary person the most unlikely success story. I fail to meet any criterion for success except I am relentless. I believe most people struggle with their purpose, identity, relationships,  work, and what's more fail to acknowledge completely and embrace fully the transformation as it does happen.

I have never thought it easier (or realistic) to think  there is some emotional "White-Out" like pixi dust available to put distance between me and my moments of defeat or sin. I know that despite what our culture is telling our children there are real and wholly personal consequences to serious errors in judgement or lapse in self disiplyn.  I have found nothing to the contrary  in my ordinary life.

It is true that condemnation and loathing almost always come at our own hand. We must understand that indiscretion places unnecessary strain on our most valued relationships moving us further from our intended purpose. Regret is a necessary part of growth it demonstrates understanding, insight and humility.  Memory eternal is not relegated to only slivers of personhood.
Interrupting patterns of defeat and destitution, the loneliness and isolation,  personal neglect and dereliction, comes only when you insert (initially what is a artificial) a new pattern of behavior and thought process into daily living. Over time through the heavy hand of persistence and consistency this new outlook and mindset will fertilize the good in you.

Speaking for myself I up the ante with my prayer through running. By engaging my body it demands that attention of my mind and frees the soul to pray. This is my kind of success. Running will not make me rich but it does teach me a lot about myself; not in a hocus pocus kind of way but it does shape me in ways I never imagined and at times it will feels like the only life line to my time with God. Choose your challenging activity. Use what you learn to expand your time with God to move through live more honestly more authentically. 

Living Unitelligently: Malformed

 Life is too short to live it unintelligently, to accept circumstances as absolute and unchangeable, and to fall short of fulfilling our talents and abilities. It is also our responsibility as a human, to become truly human, to open our hearts to the good uses and the full range of human emotion. A person "scattered" is also malformed, blocked as it were, from their own best self.

Getting from where we are now, to where we really want to be always requires change. There is one absolute, change is painful. But also absolute is the fact that failure to grow is spiritual atrophy and emotional paralysis, the stunting of development, how we become malformed. Failure to change is the abandonment of our own humanity, and our potential as a human being. Such people merely mark time till death, unable to find meaning in even the most meaningful things life has to offer.

Therapeutic Paradigm: Defeatist Ideologies Hold No Place *

I affirm that although one has to learn "the reality of the thing" that is "things as they are" one is never to assume that the status quo is the only possibility. I'm not shy about setting what some might call "super goals"; how else is real change ever possible? In my therapeutic paradigm, unwarranted self doubt and defeatist ideologies hold no place.

Challenge: Without challenge there can be little meaningful and intelligent change. I  lovingly challenge you to embark on a journey to a more creative life, to a personhood that is centered, introspective and strength-based (truth based). I believe and have seen demonstrated in the lives of those who choose so, the curative nature of faith and the healing path of commitment. All journeys begin with a single step; the ancient sage knew full well. So this journeyman's therapeutic methodology is first, common sense, that is, knowing the healing power of taking the first simple and practical steps to appreciate and understand ones own humanity, ones own personhood, ones place and possibilities in the living of this life.

Orthodox Worldview: Trust the Message and Commit

How believers actually relate to God and gather with one another is reflected in an Orthodox Worldview. This is the process in which we derive our true purpose. As a result we find true peace and joy despite misfortune, trauma or disappointment. Despite modern psychology or claims made by Maslow we do not self-actualization rather we reach our potential only in relation to our partnership to God. Getting starting can be awkward filled with more questions and uncertainty then assurity of anything. First we must acknowledge that apart from God we can do nothing. In our weakness Christ is made strong. We must commit to doing what we can. A prayer rule even a small one is better then no prayer rule. If we don't commit to one then the enemy will be happy to provide us one from his playbook.

Marginalizing simple acts of devotion is generally indicative of individuals who don't want healing but choose rather secondary gains from being stuck. Let's shake off slothfulness (laziness), our despondency (despair) and idle chatter to rouse from our slumbering; from the comatose state to find our authentic self.  Like the paralytic we must decide if we want to be healed. We must accept without our choosing and apart from God we are powerless. We must trust the message and commit in good faith to the journey. Lay down your fear your doubt and get up and walk. The Lord is calling us home, like Noah the animals to the safety of Ark. Equipped with the awareness that we have deviated from our intended path we can rectify course. Challenge your disbelief and choose something which engages your mind, body and spirit.

Stepping Stones, Actualization and Your Journey Inward to God *

Living holistically requires a basic understanding of how we journey inward to find God. What are the fundamentals which develop a character which commutes to God?  We will labor to arouse our true intended self by striving to awaken our Trinitarian personhood which slumbers. When we are alert and well integrated our real life begins.

When we stretch beyond our former limits we establish new thresholds new horizons and create a more complete reality for ourselves. Our ability to mitigate strife and difficulty improves as we are strengthened, elongated and extended. These future successes often are the very stepping stones which were once stumbling blocks. They influence our thinking, feeling and belief. Our self image and sense of spiritual wellness exponentially increased.

Correct living (Orthopraxis), in this context is a pragmatic extension of the forging ahead on your quest despite weakness or shortcoming.