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Whenever you set goals, the manifestation of the best goals-your goals for the ultimate restoration of your life-are achieved through a very common process: writing it out!

I recently mentioned to a friend about a common denominator that I came across while studying the success stories of people whose lives had endured complete collapse financially, physically, and career-wise. The recovery or life restoration of every person I have studied, both in the secular and religious worlds, resulted from a commitment to writing out a clear list of life goals. It sounds so simple. In many ways, it is. Yet it is absolutely vital to seeing the manifestation of your restoration. Whether the purpose of your goal setting is the complete restoration of a collapsed life, the reaching of some childhood dreams, or accomplishing your destiny, a clearly written list is still an absolute necessity.

This practical illustration reveals why the manifestation of your goals must go beyond just visualization.

Many people have probably seen the photos of the beach communities in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. The devastation looked must like that of an earthquake. Nothing could be seen for miles except complete rubble. Among those people who lost their homes, there was bound to be at least one architect or contractor.

An expert home builder may know all that there is to build himself a new home, but he will never begin the rebuilding without “writing it out,” without a blueprint. An expert builder who lost his home in that disaster may be able to see the image in his mind of the new home for the rebuilding, but he will not rebuild without Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

As you solidify your vision for the New Year, improve life by including the concept of simplicity!

With the New Year comes new hopes, new visions for reaching goals and dreams with regard to health, family, career, finances, spiritual life, and self-improvement.  As mentioned a few weeks ago, even vacation can be a goal in the New Year for the self-employed business person.  As I have begun pondering my own goals for the New Year, a recurring theme has surfaced from a variety of sources, that of greater joy through simplicity.

Here are 7 ways to improve your life and joy in the New Year by implementing simplicity:

1.  When considering goals, purchases, acquisition, consider the level of ongoing maintenance.

Before you set your sights on any additions to your life in the New Year, consider the level of responsibility involved.  Pretty much everything in life takes maintenance and maintenance takes both money and time.  If you desire to add any possession to your household, do you actually want to deduct from other areas of your life the additional finances and time it will take to maintain it?  For example, if you wanted a swimming pool for the family or a boat for recreation, it takes both time and funds to maintain it.  Consider, would you actually be happier putting the maintenance time into family time or personal time?  Would you be happier having the money used to maintain the item to be available for smaller joys all year through?  The example is of a larger acquisition, but the same principle applies to Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

There were several questions submitted by readers which have helpful replies and discussion already made to you in previous posts.

Today we’re going to go through 7 Reader Submitted Questions and give you the links to the articles provided to  bring healing to those life issues.

1. How to Forgive Yourself
   Healing by Forgiving Yourself
   Hold on to Forgiveness Instead of Failure
   
2. How to Deal with Emotional Pain from Betrayal
   Hope for the Betrayed Heart
   Not Allowing Hurt to Stay Central Focus
   
3. Recognizing Love or When a Person Truly Loves You
   Recognizing Real Love Part 1
   Recognizing Real Love Part 2
   Defining Harmful Behavior
   A Love that Isn’t Earned
   
4. How to Follow Through on Goals
   Break Out of the Rut
   Make Room for Restoration
   
5. How to Overcoming Fear and Negative Thoughts
   Practical Ideas for Overcoming Fear
   Relinquishing Fear Video
   Take Charge of Your Thoughts, Take Charge of Your Life
   Better Thoughts for a Better Life
   Making Real Change to Thought, Feelings, or Behavior
   The Necessity of Strength and Courage
   Enforcing Hope in Your Thought Life
   
6. How to Deal with Emotionally Destructive Relationships
   Healing through Overcoming Family Past
   Defining Harmful Behavior
   Responding to Abusive Relationships
   
7. How do You Release Guilt
   Forgetting What God Forgets
   Why Guilt is Unnecessary
   2 Simple Steps to Releasing Guilt
   Healing by Forgiving Yourself Video

Please note that since these are past posts, the Listen Now feature that appears for you to listen on your laptop/desktop or download these archived articles to your iPod or MP3 will not be available as the company only offers it for 1 month after posting.

You can gain greater satisfaction by freeing your life of areas that are a drain on your energy and unprofitable to your overall wellness.

We all have areas in our lives where, in the past, we began investing great time and energy. We stuck with that particular thing through the years out of habit or routine. The investment of energy became just a part of life. It is a good thing, every year, to evaluate what things from the past you are still pouring energy into that never became fruitful or beneficial as you planned. The time or energy invested is truly no longer worth the value you are getting from it.

What types of things can now be unprofitable investments for your life energies?

–Sometimes there are daily or weekly habits that were a part of goals from the past that are no longer worth your energies. Why? You change in your desires and maturity as you age. Certain things that were goals are no longer of importance to you. Is there anything like that in your life? Free up that time and energy for new goals that fit with the person you are now.

–There are often projects in which we have been investing time, energy, and finances which are no longer Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Why settle for good when life could be great? Ten simple ideas can make a major difference in your life!

We had recently listened to a few podcasts by Chip Ingram on iTunes. He posts the outlines for them on his website. We had not listened to this series yet, but we came across one about going from good to great. Without even hearing the podcast yet, the titles alone are insightful and motivational enough for anyone to use to make major progress in their lives to go from good to great.

I challenge you to take a look at Chip’s points, meditate on them, and begin to implement them in your life. Again, why settle for the mundane, the ordinary, when things can be extraordinary?

Set your sight on a better life by visualizing how you can implement these 10 steps to go from good to great! 

See the links below to Chip Ingram’s website with podcasts and outlines. For more details, you can listen to the podcasts through iTunes or take a look at his outlines:

Think Great Thoughts

Read Great Books

Pursue Great People

Dream Great Dreams Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Most of us have been taught that you should never ask if you can do something yourself. Is “asking” always wrong or is there an art to an essential form of “asking?”

I recently came across an article by a fellow SelfGrowth.com expert and motivational speaker, Judy Davis of TheDirectionDiva.com called, “Go Ahead and Ask For It.” Judy very aptly discusses what I call “the art of asking,” explaining why asking is an essential art for personal growth, and when it is right and when it is not. See the footnote below for Judy’s full article and websites.

Judy admits that most people were raised that it is, at the very least, impolite, or even wrong to ask for something, whether it is help, support, or direction; many people have been led to believe that asking gives the impression that they are incapable of doing something for themselves.  These are concepts that Judy says are necessary to outgrow. An important opening quote from Judy’s article challenges us,

How can you generate anything new if you don’t ask questions?  Is it possible to create opportunities without asking for more information?  If you look at any successful person, they have developed the skill of asking for what they want. (1)

Here are paraphrases of Judy’s comments on asking the right way and for the right purposes:

-Find resources/people that can connect you to opportunities you cannot access on your own.
-Request help in a strategic, well thought-out way.
-Request help in a way that is mutually beneficial. Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

How fulfilling do you feel your life has been up to this point in 2010?

At the beginning of the year, I challenged you to make a clear cut “life plan” to achieve your own goals of fulfillment in the various aspects of your life, instead of just maintaining in the face of all life’s responsibilities. A visible plan is needed to help you keep in focus the daily creation of the environment essential to live out your desired life of fulfillment.  (See the post Planning for Life)

As we are drawing closer to the last quarter of the year, be sure to be intentional that any revisions of your year’s goals include time for fulfillment.

Since September usually sees life coming back to a more typical schedule than during seasonal summertime activities, I have been re-checking and fine tuning my life goals.  Part of this process has been making sure that I have time for all the things that bring fulfillment to life — not just career or personal goals — but time for friends, hobbies, and other things that bring lasting memories.  As we were reminded Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

If you are disappointed with the progress in the spiritual side of your life, could it be that you are short-changing yourself in setting/receiving goals in that area?

I came across a tweet of the following verse on Twitter a few months back and it has become very meaningful to me.  It is from the story of a blind man who heard that Jesus was walking through the road of his town.  He began calling out repeatedly to Jesus for mercy.  Jesus came to him and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”  The blind man said, Lord, I want to see! (Lk.18:41) The man was instantly healed of blindness.

We have discussed before that Jesus is the visual representation to us of the heart of Father God.  A main purpose of Jesus’ life was to reveal to us God’s character, heart, nature.  I want to challenge you today to use the question that Jesus’ asked the blind man as a spring board for you to set new spiritual goals for your life.  Scripture does say that we need to ask to receive.  However, in this instance, Jesus asked the question.  Now visualize yourself with Jesus asking you this question about your life today, and put your name in the blank, “What do you want Me to do for you, _____?”  It is a great challenge!

Make use of the list I made for my own life to spur your spiritual imagination as to how you can answer Jesus’ question.

I took the Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

How clear cut is your goal?  Is it clear enough to see in your mind’s eye?

A vital part of goal setting is to be able to literally visualize your goal.  You need to see yourself there.  Once you see yourself there, you will become much more successful at staying in a state of mental alertness; this state of alertness enables you to then see the goal-related paths and opportunities as well as make decisions which help, and not hinder, your goals.

Evaluate what percentage of your mental/emotional focus is on your goal.

Present situations can be a hindrance if you allow yourself to stay focused on them instead of your goal.  You will set yourself back if your focus is on where you are, and all the present circumstances you are unhappy with, instead of where you want to go or what you Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Do you live life hurried, fearful, and competitive because you feel it is necessary to achieve your goals?

Living life as if in a constant state of emergency in your attempt to reach your goals or be a superachiever is an enormous drain mentally and physically and is completely unnecessary.

Best-selling author Richard Carlson, in “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and It’s All Small Stuff (1),” challenges the commonly held belief—sometimes even unknowingly—that a hurried, frantic, and competitive mindset and lifestyle are necessary for success. 

Dr. Carlson eradicates the idea of living as a franctic superachiever: 

1. Put to rest the idea that, if you stopped being frantic and competitive, you would become lazy and apathetic. The opposite is true.
2. Fearful thinking actually drains your creativity and motivation. Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Unless dealt with, struggles with guilt can hold you back from your goals, dreams, daily positive social interaction, and even physical and spiritual health.

Facing your guilt issues will bring about new avenues of freedom in your life that have long back lacking.  What guilt are you holding on to now?  Guilt does not fill any positive purpose. 

–Holding on to guilt will keep you from pursuing open opportunities to reach your goals and dreams.

Usually you will either fear more failure or feel that you do not deserve the good opportunities.

–Guilt over the past keeps you from positive social interaction. 

It is the same principle as the Law of Attraction.  If you feel that people like you, that you deserve good, and that good will come to you, it subconsciously causes you to interact with people in positive ways; then, due to Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Reading Level: Leisurely

Unstoppable determination could be the missing key to achieving your goals.

How determined are you to reach your goals?  Are you so determined that nothing can make you quit?  Or, do seemingly unmovable obstacles cause you to lose heart and let up on your efforts?

A key factor in overcoming obstacles and reaching your goals is having the discipline and determination to not quit when you hit the wall.

A favorite illustration of mine is one I read about an athletic term called, “hitting the wall.”  In the book footnoted below, the author used the illustration to refer to one making good progress through life and then being hit by severe financial trouble, failure, or sickness.  You are stopped cold in your tracks. However,
when faced with seemingly unmovable obstacles, it is not the time
Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Evaluating your leadership skills is an important part of achieving effectiveness.

Unfortunately, good intentions are not enough for effective leadership.  We have worked with an organization that had a change in leadership.  The leadership has good heart, good intentions, but the organization has suffered decline under their guidance. 

Why good intentions are not enough? 

I recently came across a brief, but well-detailed article on leadership skills by Dr. John Maxwell called, “Momentum Breakers Vs. Momentum Makers.”  Links to the full online article are below.  While reading it, I was able to glean good insight for my own life and abilities as well as see more clearly why all the good intentions in the world are not Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

What area  in your life do you desire to see be completely revolutionized?  Your career?  Your family life?  Your health?  Your finances?

Recently I was doing a study on Ephesians 3:20, one of my favorite verses,

“Now to God Who, by consequence of the action of His power that is at work within you, is able to carry out His purpose and do superabundantly, far over and above all that you dares ask or think, infinitely beyond your highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams. (Amp)

The main phrase in the Greek is more accurately translated “superabundantly above the greatest abundance.”  Let your mind try to fully fathom that concept.  Whatever your need, whatever your desire Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

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When you look at your life, is your lifestyle one of true enjoyment, solely maintenance, or survivable chaos?

I mentioned recently about the need to “plan for life,” especially when life’s responsibilities appear to be squeezing your dreams out of the picture and life becomes a process solely of maintenance. However, I have been reminded how easy it is for people to believe their lifestyles are intended to be chaotic to be fulfilling.

My spouse has been doing business for the past year with a couple whose lives are in a constant state of chaos — by choice. The one person’s personality lends to feeling that this state of chaos is necessary for a fulfilling life. Both of them, being in a religious environment, either consciously or subconsciously believe that this state of “chaos” is a matter of religious sacrifice or higher calling. Working in religious fields, I’ve seen this concept too often in religious people, and unknowingly lived by that philosophy myself in my 20’s and 30’s. The effects of this barely tolerable lifestyle are already becoming visible in their business decisions, as time for restful meditation is lacking, and in their kids.

If your lifestyle is not one of true enjoyment, the mental perspective needs to be engrained that a healthy, restful way of life is intended by design and necessary for fulfillment. Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »