Get Out of Your Way!

We hear a lot these days about accepting responsibility for our actions and it is about time we did. Time is out for casting blame and pointing righteous fingers at others to cover up for our own shortcomings and acting out behaviors. We have got to "nip it, nip it, nip it in the bud" if for no other reason than our own mental health.

So, let's begin by acknowledging that our thoughts trigger our emotions or feelings; our emotions stir up our desires; and then our desires produce our actions. So if we could catch our negative thoughts when they first occur, we could halt the whole chain reaction before it even begins and be successful in preventing things from getting out of hand.

Now, since negative thoughts are the culprit, to get out of the way of yourself, you need to take a good, long, hard look at your negative, growth stunting, crippling, self-defeating thoughts.

Getting out of the way of yourself is not simply changing your thoughts, but actually deleting all old, negative thoughts and replacing them with new positive ones. As the Apostle Paul asserted, you must "renew your mind." You must be willing to sacrifice your own self-centered thinking. Hal Lindsey points out that "to renew" means to exchange one thing for another. In other words, when we delete and replace, we're exchanging our thoughts. If we're not willing to yield, set aside and relinquish our habitual way of thinking, then our thinking process will remain negative, our lives un-transformed, and our behavior undisciplined and enslaved to whimsical thoughts.

There are many reasons why "mind renewal" is critical. It is within our power to discern everything that happens to us from a spiritual vantage point and not get bogged down and buried by our own negative thoughts and feelings or by what we can "see" going on around us. If we can see with spiritual eyes, then we'll be able to "soar" above our circumstances, our problems, and our trials and not get buried under them.

From a realistic and practical perspective, it takes constant discipline to not give in to the negative thoughts and emotions that are trying to crush and drown us. Often, it seems like it would just be easier to give in and let our own feelings rule. But, you know what happens if we do that? Negativity is spawned and we become negatively toxic. And, like any toxin, if not immediately treated can have devastating long term effects.

Mind renewal is what it takes to get out of your own way. Don't forget this important truth: How we choose to think affects how we feel; how we feel have significant influences on our desires; and our desires finally produce our actions.

Let use the example of a woman who excuses her adultery on the grounds that her husband was not "there" for her.

At the front end of the cognitive process were the negative thoughts floating around in her head about her husband not being "there" for her. Her negative self talk led her to feel negatively towards her husband and she desired to punish him in some way which eventuated is her committing adultery (action).

Therefore, if you keep thinking negatively, you will keep yourself confused, hostile, discouraged, vengeful, depressed and so forth. You will be at war against yourself on hostile ground, your own mind. Always realize that the battle is mental. Decide right now to develop a zero tolerance for chronic negativity.

No matter how you may want to look at it, getting out of your own way is an "inside" job. It is of paramount importance that you develop a stance that is willing to set aside your own "justified" feelings, your own petty rights, your own frustrations, offenses, and anything that is not spiritually or emotionally edifying. This is something that is done on the "inside." This internal denying of ourselves is often much harder to do than denying ourselves of external things, because it affects who we really are. It is our personhood, our soul and spirit, our essence. Getting out of our own way is a painful undertaking. However, the old adage is as true today as it ever was and that it; no pain, no gain.

How does one get out of their own way? The Apostle Paul provides the answer. He said, "Do this by the renewing of your mind." That's where the battle is.

Final word: Get out of your way!

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. http://www.clergyservices4u.org. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: A Grief Healing Workbook, will be available soon.

disinfecting cleaning services Winnetka ..

In The News:

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

Get Out of Your Way!

Positive Attitude Tips