Wednesday, October 27, 2010

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. 

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