Thoughts, Emotions, Anchors

If you were in a desperate place, where would your turn for relief?

If all of the usual answers, choices, behaviors no longer worked what would you do?

Men, too many of us don’t do anything different, yet, we expect a different outcome from those same answers, choices, and behaviors we apply to our situations. Take a guess at what this is called? Insanity.

The image above is a Birthday card from my extraordinary wife Carrie! The principles, honest, steadfast, and true are a good place to start if you find yourself in a desperate place; if you find yourself in an indifferent place; or if you find yourself in a demanding place.

The development of a steadfast spirit is crucial to transforming our thoughts and emotions; so that we can operate with a healthier outlook. Steadfastness looks like; showing up available emotionally and mentally to your obligations: work, relationships, and activities. How do you do this when the pain of “showing up” feels greater than your will to “show up”? If you can find a way to see a basic sequence of actions (and act on them) that will get you to the person or place you need to “show up” to. if you can do this you have demonstrated dedication. Sometimes we have to crawl through the pain before we can walk into the promotion. Steadfastness developed; creates trust, loyalty and devotion. (The building blocks for any rich relationship).

In the Bible; James 1: 2-4 gives incredible encouragement:

Count it all joy, my brothers,[a] when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Desperate, indifferent, demanding and painful seasons can be overcome by practicing the basics of steadfastness. When you get to a point of “counting it all joy” you are becoming a source (generative force) for yourself.

With the active spirit of steadfastness comes honest and true behavior. One begets the next. There is a certain purity that comes with honesty and truth. Honesty is the quality that reveals integrity, substance and strength. We all know it can be much easier to be dishonest than practice the humbling of our pride so we can draw near to ourselves and others. True represents the culmination of a sustained period of steadfastness that creates substance, strength and purpose led satisfaction.

The substance of our lives are the experiences, people, mountain tops, valleys, values and character that become the anchors with which we operate from. It doesn’t matter if you are a CEO or you wait tables at Applebee’s; the anchors you operate from lead you to purpose led satisfaction, or they don’t. If your anchors are not creating the satisfaction you desire; it is time to change those anchors. If your anchors are creating purpose led satisfaction; it is time to be a source (generative force) for somebody else.

Honest. Steadfast. True. These are the anchors that help me grow in being a source (generative force) which gives me strength and substance in my presence like an Oak Tree.