Positive outlook can lead to positive results
"For as he thinks in his heart so is he ..."
- Proverbs 23:7 (AMP)
"I'll never amount to anything. I am a nobody. Nobody likes me. I'm just born to be this way." We often hear thoughts like these roaming around in our head.
There are a collection of thoughts we have formed throughout our lives and have come to believe as true. They may have developed due to our environmental influences or circumstances that have happened to us.
Oftentimes, we allow other people to determine our self-worth by listening to negative words about us from friends, foes or family members. We buy into all these negative statements and start to believe we won't amount to anything. Then we begin to see the power of this belief manifest itself in our lives by our failure to fulfill our dreams.
Other times, we tend to focus on our flaws and inadequacies and forget to believe that God can do things in our lives above and beyond them. Many children don't go out for sports or achieve in school for this very reason.
When I was younger, I had an experience like this. I was sharing my plans to go to nursing school with a group of friends. One of them boldly said, "You have to be smart to do that."
I started to feel crushed by their reply. But a second thought showed me I knew myself better than this person knew me. I didn't allow that comment to quench the spirit leading me. It made me that much more determined to go forward.
After that, I avoided being around this person as much as possible and kept my focus on what I knew God was leading me to do.
And after years of intense study and hard work, I went on to become that nurse. Years later, due to health issues of my own, I retired from nursing. But in my heart I carried fond memories of people I helped, and the wisdom and knowledge I gained has proved helpful throughout the years.
The Bible explains that what a man thinks about himself can determine his outcome. Many Bible heroes and heroines prove this to be true. David was a shepherd boy, tending sheep in the fields. He was the youngest of several brothers. His older brothers didn't think he'd amount to anything, but David pushed the rejection aside and dared to believe God had a plan for him and eventually became a king.
Esther exchanged her life as a peasant girl to become queen. I'm sure she had to change the way she saw herself in order to rise above her previous life.
How we view ourselves will mold and shape our future for success or failure. Negative beliefs keep us from being all that God planned for us to be.
With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can use Bible verses to exchange our negative thoughts for ones of determination and truth.
A positive outlook is the key to successful living. By allowing God's truth to correct our attitudes, we can rise above negative limitations.
• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. She can be contacted at annetteebudzban@aol.com or (847) 543-8413.