A little inverse motivation

Sometimes all you need is for someone to tell you no. I call it inverse motivation because the word "no" backwards spells "on." Basically, under the correct circumstances, the word no can stimulate one's mind to turn on the power of freewill and become devoted to excellence and success in the task at hand.

Granted, no means no unless the person telling you "no" has no power or authority over the project. The lesson to be learned is this: consider the weight of one's opinion before adding it into your suitcase. You do not want to lug around a suitcase filled with someone else's stuff. Only carry what you need and leave the rest behind. Find the motivation, from the good or the bad to accomplish whatever you have set your mind to. Most importantly, take it all to God in prayer. Allow him to have the final word.

Isn't it strange that the first person to speak always seems correct until another person speaks up and puts him or her to shame. Maybe you recognize this one: the last shall be first and the first shall be last. Of course, that was in reference to the end times. Perhaps it is time put the foolishness to end. Flip the script on em'!

Take this word of wisdom and find a little inverse motivation in the destructive comments of your naysayers.

Turn on the power of freewill and live free in God's will.

Additional Words of Wisdom

Remember that one door closes so another may open. Rejection from one person opens you an opportunity to be accepted by another person. Sometimes you may be the person saying no. It can be spiritually healthy to practice discernment on a regular basis. "No" does not equal bad. You just don't want to be accepted by someone who doesn't strongly believe in you or what you do.

Interesting Read About Free Will - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

The Power of No -  Self Growth

Dealing with Rejection -  Professional Counseling

Ready for a miracle.

Have you ever been in a position where you were praying for a miracle? Maybe you were actively communicating your wishes to God in prayer, or maybe you were passively suggesting the idea in your thoughts. Either way, it may have been one of the many moments in your life when you believed that it would be impossible for you to accomplish a certain task. Maybe you are in the process of praying for a miracle right now.

I hope not to disappoint the reader, but I do not have any tips or secrets to help you stumble upon a miracle. The reason I am writing this post is because I have personally experienced a couple of miracles recently and it inspired me to write out about it. Not specifically the miracle itself, but the lessons that I learned from the experience.

It is important that we define what a miracle is so that we can understand the need for one. Dictionary.com defines a miracle as "such an effect or event manifesting or considered as a work of God." Quite simply, I define a miracle as something that was exactly what one needed, but totally unexpected and without reason. For example, I had a 1700 page paper to write for one of my classes, but I was sick in bed for two days. With less than 24 hours to write the paper I was in need of a miracle. I was prepared to stay up all night writing this paper; however, my professor unexpectedly had to go out of town and decided to delay the due date by four days. I considered this a miracle because it was exactly what I needed.

Second, we must understand that God is greater than any problem we may face, and God will not put more on us than we can bear. This means that we must always understand the conditions under which we work. If God is for us than who or what can be against us? If you ever feel like you are facing an impossible task, than it is most likely that you are dealing with an undisclosed miracle, but you must have faith to see it come to manifestation. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. (Do you know where to find those sentences in the Bible?)

Third, you cannot complain. What good is it to ask for a miracle if you are going to mumble despicable things under your breath. God is only interested in messengers who will deliver his words as they are. He does not want us to change his word or alter their meanings. For example, I experienced a miracle one week where God gave me more time to do what I had to do. The next week I experienced a second miracle where God gave me unexpected strength to work through the night on another essay and wake up early for work without any feelings of exhaustion. Miracles can come any way that God pleases so we must be ready and willing to take it as it comes.

The final thing that we must ask ourselves before committing to a prayer for a miracle is, "Am I ready for a miracle?" Am I prepared to face an impossible task? If the answer is yes, than you should keep on keeping on my friend. Remember, if the task is impossible but necessary you are most likely being set-up by God for a miracle. Open your heart and mind, and be ready to receive it.

The Burden of Greatness

People say that they want to be the best. I guess there's nothing wrong with that but I wonder if it's emotionally healthy to desire to always be in a position where you are the benchmark for success. Furthermore, I truly believe that people who actually are the best did not gain that position from mere desire to be labeled as the best at what they do. I'm pretty sure that some people were born into tough situations that required them to be the best at what they do or else they face the consequence of not being the best.

Isn't this the definition of the term best: better than everything else in comparison? This means that to be the best you have to be better than everyone you are comparable to. It's a title of great accomplishment. I can only imagine what thoughts the man who is the best sniper in the world has in his mind. He might say something like, "I am the best because otherwise I would be dead and so would many other friends of mine. This is not something that I desire to be the best at but it is a requirment in order to sustain life in my community."

I'm sure that most people are a little more realistic and want to be the best singer or the best cook or even the best driver. I wonder what motivates a person to be the best at anything and on what scope would you consider a person to be the best. Are they the best in their town or the best in the world? No matter the details I'm sure it requires a high level of dedication, passion and focus. To be the best at anything must require something extra besides just the wont of a title.

Once again, I would argue that the best are born and raised into the title as a mode of survival. Maybe the best singer in the world is the best singer because as a child she sang songs to hide all of the pain and hurt of a broken household of lies, drugs and sex. And so now she continues to sing on a global level because people need something as beautiful as her voice to console them in the midst of crisis and poverty. Maybe she would prefer to be just an everyday joe with a normal voice who sings songs to pass the time of day; but she was not born into mediocrity.

The best are by no means mediocre. They are not allowed to be mediocre. The best are bound to terms of greatness and any less would cause them to be suffocated in pity. To them, greatness is a responsibility, a burden that not all may carry. I am sure that God has called all of us to be great in some aspect of our lives. My greatness shines through my smile and demeanor. Where does your greatness exist?