{"id":986,"date":"2018-10-26T15:21:07","date_gmt":"2018-10-26T15:21:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/?p=986"},"modified":"2018-10-26T15:21:07","modified_gmt":"2018-10-26T15:21:07","slug":"getting-out-of-your-own-way-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2018\/10\/getting-out-of-your-own-way-2.html","title":{"rendered":"Getting Out of Your Own Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"active-adult-animal-382420\"<\/a>So often in life, our circumstances are not what holds us back from success. Rather, we hold ourselves back.\u00a0 We make choices that aren\u2019t in our best interests.\u00a0 We choose to engage in negative or hopeless thinking.\u00a0 We self-sabotage and then wonder why our lives are a complete mess.<\/p>\n

If you have areas of your life that need improvement (who doesn\u2019t?), take a hard look at what is causing your problems. What is holding you back?\u00a0 Is it you, or is it your circumstances?\u00a0 You can\u2019t do much about your circumstances.\u00a0 You can\u2019t control other people, the economy or the weather.\u00a0 But you can take control of yourself.<\/p>\n

Below are some ways that you can get out of your own way and get on the path to having a successful and happy life.<\/p>\n

Choose A Healthy Lifestyle<\/strong>: There are many health issues over which we have no control.\u00a0 We can\u2019t control if we get cancer or other diseases.\u00a0 We can\u2019t control our genetic predisposition to be skinny, plump or somewhere in-between.\u00a0 But we can choose how we take care of our bodies on a day-to-day basis.\u00a0 Our self-care is entirely within our control.<\/p>\n

We can choose to eat healthy foods. I almost never eat fast food or pre-packaged foods.\u00a0 As a result, I\u2019ve don\u2019t have the taste for them.\u00a0 All the preservatives and other stuff the manufacturers put in them tastes funny to me.\u00a0 I\u2019m so used to freshly made food that I don\u2019t care for anything else.\u00a0 If you choose to eat healthy foods, you\u2019ll find that you lose your taste for the ones that aren\u2019t so good for you.<\/p>\n

We also can choose to exercise. Not everyone can join a fitness club or have a personal trainer.\u00a0 But no matter where you live, you presumably can take regular walks, which is the best exercise around.\u00a0 Moreover, walking can be good for your mental health as well.\u00a0 I take my dog on a long walk each day.\u00a0 Very often, I spend the walk trying to think of all the people I know, and I say a little prayer for each one.\u00a0 For some reason, walking and praying is a great combination for me.<\/p>\n

Eating healthy and exercising are choices<\/em> that we make each day.\u00a0 Choose to make healthy choices regarding what you eat and the amount of exercise that you give your body.\u00a0 Take good care of the body that God so graciously gave you.<\/p>\n

Choose to Think Positively<\/strong>: I will admit that training our minds to think positively is much harder than making behavioral changes, like choosing to exercise every day.\u00a0 Our brains have been molded by our parents, and then by our peers, over the course of many years.\u00a0 If you have spent those years being around some negative thinkers, you\u2019ll be prone to be a negative thinker too.\u00a0 I like to call it the \u201cChicken Little Syndrome.\u201d\u00a0 Some people swear that the sky is falling, no matter how small the problem.<\/p>\n

But our minds can be retrained out of negative thinking. Mental retraining begins with continually exposing yourself to positive thinkers.\u00a0 Every religious faith has their positive theologians, teachers or philosophers.\u00a0 Read their books.\u00a0 Listen to their sermons or speeches during your commute.\u00a0 Fill your mind with positive thinking.\u00a0 It will sink in.<\/p>\n

In addition, to the extent that you are able, surround yourself with positive people. We all have nervous, worried or depressed people in our lives.\u00a0 I\u2019m not suggesting that you abandon them.\u00a0 But for your own sanity and personal growth, limit your time with them.\u00a0 Otherwise, they will drag you down into their mire of negative thinking.<\/p>\n

Finally, live in a state of gratitude. Life, undoubtedly, can be hard.\u00a0 But try to focus on what is going well in your life.\u00a0 And as soon as you start to fret or feel frustration over what is going wrong, find ways to redirect your thinking so that you can refocus on what is good.\u00a0 Sometimes we can do that with prayer.\u00a0 Sometimes, we just have to ignore the bad stuff in life.\u00a0 Quite honestly, giving your full attention to what is going wrong in your life will only frustrate you, and it will not make the situation any better.<\/p>\n

Choose to Do Your Best<\/strong>: I am certainly not a Type A personality, nor am I a perfectionist.\u00a0 But I do strive to do my best in all things.\u00a0 That is largely because my life runs so much more smoothly when I do my best.\u00a0 Yes, I still have hiccups and bumps on the road, but all told, most of my bumps on the road are not self-created.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll notice that there are some people who always have problems. Something is always going wrong in their lives.\u00a0 That is because they don\u2019t strive to do their best in all things.\u00a0 They take shortcuts.\u00a0 The tell white lies.\u00a0 They always try to do the least amount of work possible.\u00a0 And that approach to life does not work.<\/p>\n

Doing your best is a lifestyle. It is about doing your best in all things, from the way you manage your home, to the way you feed your family, to the way you do your job.\u00a0 It means having a tidy house, making sure the beds are made every morning, and feeding your family wholesome meals.\u00a0 It means doing your job to the best of your ability and with a great attitude.<\/p>\n

Now doing your best doesn\u2019t mean doing everything perfectly. No one does anything perfectly except God. \u00a0If on a given day, you are feeling tired or are coming down with a cold, your best may be an OK effort.\u00a0 On other days, when you are feeling healthy and well-rested, your best may be really incredible.\u00a0 Regardless, committing to a lifestyle of high performance in all that you do will serve you well.<\/p>\n

Today, consider ways that you can start making better life choices. So much of the quality of our lives is in our control.\u00a0 Today, choose to get out of your own way, and have the great life that you love and deserve.<\/p>\n

(Photo Courtesy of Pexels)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So often in life, our circumstances are not what holds us back from success. Rather, we hold ourselves back.\u00a0 We make choices that aren\u2019t in our best interests.\u00a0 We choose to engage in negative or hopeless thinking.\u00a0 We self-sabotage and then wonder why our lives are a complete mess. 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Rather, we hold ourselves back.\u00a0 We make choices that aren\u2019t in our best interests.\u00a0 We choose to engage in negative or hopeless thinking.\u00a0 We self-sabotage and then wonder why our lives are a complete mess. 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