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.

expert residential cleaners Park Ridge ..

In The News:

The Omoway Omo X features a modular design, obstacle detection and emergency braking, and can drive itself to charging stations, signaling the future of smart urban mobility.

PillTrek, a tiny wireless smart capsule created by Caltech, provides real-time gut health data by detecting electrolytes, metabolites, glucose, hormones, pH levels and temperature.

Learn to spot fake bank text messages with five warning signs of Chase phishing scams, including suspicious links and urgent deadlines designed to steal your account information.

Robot coyotes built on motorized cars reaching 20 mph are being deployed at military airfields as an innovative solution to wildlife threats to aircraft safety.

Explore Google Drive's strengths and weaknesses as a backup solution, including its encryption security, privacy concerns and comparison to dedicated backup tools.

As environmental challenges grow, underwater habitats gain momentum with DEEP's Vanguard, supporting short missions and Sentinel designed for 28-day stays at depth.

The new Urban Eyes safety vest features dual cameras, reflective panels and a wireless remote to deter harassers and provide peace of mind for outdoor workouts.

The $200 billion data broker industry tracks your personal details across websites, posing privacy risks that can be mitigated through data removal services.

UCC Holding has teamed up with COBOD to create desert-inspired, 3D-printed schools in Qatar, featuring dune-like wavy walls impossible with conventional construction.

Darkling beetles equipped with microchip backpacks can be guided through disaster areas using electrical signals, offering a biological solution for search and rescue.

Scammers use number porting to take control of outdated landlines still connected to financial accounts, bypassing two-factor authentication to steal funds while avoiding detection.

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey developed Bitchat, a privacy-focused messaging app that works offline via Bluetooth without requiring email, phone numbers or personal data.

Google is making a push to ensure its AI, Gemini, is tightly integrated with Android systems by granting it access to core apps like WhatsApp, Messages, and Phone.

A new green energy system is set to change how we capture clean power, and it all starts with the ocean. French startup Seaturns has designed technology that taps into the natural motion of the sea.

Cybersecurity researchers are warning that hackers have started exploiting flaws in chatbots to carry out AI phishing attacks.

Google has just made it easier than ever to regain control of your inbox with Gmail's new Manage Subscriptions tool.

Despite the benefits, residential power saver programs come with several potential drawbacks and concerns that have been raised by both customers and experts.

The Blackdot AI tattoo machine is quiet. It's steady. And according to early users, it hurts a lot less.

Attackers have started to exploit the very signals that users assume will keep them safe when it comes to add-ons to improve productivity or entertainment.

Located on Cerro Pachón in Chile, the world's most powerful digital camera is set to transform how we see the universe.

The innovative DQ Tower stands 28 feet tall with 420 square feet of living space, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and premium amenities in a prefabricated design.

A new mmWave imaging system allows warehouse robots to scan and create 3D models of objects inside sealed containers, potentially revolutionizing shipping processes.

Family fraud endangers seniors when relatives exploit their trust, but removing personal data online and monitoring identity can prevent financial harm to aging parents.

A study analyzing 500,000 customer service interactions shows chatbots struggle with complex issues while human agents excel at matching customer communication styles.

Aigen's Element robot uses solar power and AI to provide farmers with a sustainable alternative to herbicides, working efficiently in cotton and soy fields.

Get Out of Your Way!

Positive Attitude Tips