Yup, They REALLY Said That!
Just A Few Of My Favorite Quotes At The Moment
"You can be a victim, or you can be a leader you just don't get to do both." -Robin Sharma I'll admit it, I used to play the victim role and I was pretty good at it if I do say so myself. These days I meet many guys in prison who are masters at shifting the blame to their circumstances, to other people, or to the judicial system for their incarceration. Unfortunately this is kind of the norm around here. Taking full responsibility for our poor choices in life can be difficult. Sharma explains that people who see themselves as victims are not leaders. Leaders step up to the plate when it's time to swing, they face the fire when things get hot, and they do the things that others don't want to do in order to find success. Until we decide to stop allowing our lives to be determined by "victim" stance we will never lead our lives, our families, or our communities in the most effective way. I want to be a leader, I'm a victim no more!
"We need to remember that circumstances don't make a person, they reveal a person." -Emma Jameson Nelson Mandela, the Apostle Paul, and even Jesus Christ all experienced incarceration and yet, they maintained their purpose, their power, and their vision. Their circumstances did not dictate who they were because our physical location, our current circumstances, never define who we are. The most difficult seasons of our lives reveal who we are and where we have placed our hope. If my circumstances are not revealing that I am a child of the Most High God and my faith is in Christ, I need to hit the reset button. What are your circumstances revealing about you today?
"Lifes most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing to help others? You judge a persons character, not by where they stand in times of comfort and convenience you judge their character by where they stand in times of challenge and controversy." -Martin Luther King, Jr. A pastor friend once told me that the most miserable people in the world are navel-gazers, those who go through life looking down at themselves and only seeing their own navel. In order to discover meaning and purpose in life we must look up and around at others. Serving others, helping others, and encouraging others allows us to get out of our heads and into others hearts. The first few years of my incarceration I wallowed in self pity and refused to see any value in my circumstances. I was being squeezed and no good thing was coming out of my life. God slapped me around a little, got my attention again, and helped me find meaning in the mess, hope in the hopelessness, and purpose in the pain. He did this by teaching me to love and to serve those around me.
It is my prayer today that you'll find purpose, meaning, and hope by helping someone who needs it! Declare today: I Choose Hope!
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