It happens almost daily. You routinely scroll through your
Facebook, Twitter or Instagram feed, while having breakfast, in transit, or
even while taking a restroom break. That’s when you see status updates, photos
and videos of others doing things – doing great stuffs. They are sitting in
business class lounges on their way out of the country, starting a MBA course
in a top-class University, eating in expensive restaurants, showing off their
new hairstyles, shoes, clothes and expensive wrist watches, celebrating love
with their spouses - and all with perfectly filtered photographic evidences to
show for it. You then start to ask yourself “Why not me”? “Why am I not doing
these things”? “Why do I seem to be behind on my dreams compared to my friends
and contemporaries”?
Do you wonder then that your personal (and perhaps social)
life is not as robust as theirs? Do you think about how to achieve a seemingly
elusive balance of living a Godly yet productive life, while remaining sane? I
bet you do, and that’s why I am writing this piece.
The outcome of this can be serious – people overwork their bodies, overspend their monies, overdraw their credits, overload their emotions, overcrowd their days, and overvalue the opinion of others!
You see, my friend, we all face these “tough scenarios” almost
on a daily basis. The issue is how we react or respond to them. Most folks will
not like to be left out, and they keep trying their best to keep up with the
Joneses. The outcome of this can be serious – people overwork their bodies,
overspend their monies, overdraw their credits, overload their emotions,
overcrowd their days, and overvalue the opinion of others! As a result, they
become overstressed, overanxious and overwhelmed. That is not a good place to
be!
In the midst of our fast-paced life and the desire to keep
up, how do you maintain your sanity? How do you live life in the overflow? How
do you ensure that you are not overwhelmed, overstressed or overanxious? Let me
offer a few tips/ advise that have been of tremendous help to me over the
years, and especially in the last few months.
Stay Connected to Jesus, everyday
A cluster of grapes will eventually die once it is
disconnected from the vine – no questions asked. It is just a matter of time.
If you try to go through life on your own power, you are going to be
overwhelmed. A vacuum cleaner (for example), cannot fulfil its purpose unless
it is connected to a power source. In the same way, you cannot really fulfill
your purpose without a constant connection with God. And you need to do this
frequently and consistently to leverage its power. This involves spending time
in God’s presence everyday – praying, worshiping and hearing from God (reading
the scriptures) and obeying His leading.
A vacuum cleaner (for example), cannot fulfil its purpose unless it is connected to a power source. In the same way, you cannot really fulfill your purpose without a constant connection with God.
Gratitude is the healthiest emotion. An attitude of
gratitude positions you to enjoy life in the overflow and get rid of worry and
anxiety. It releases the “feel good” hormones in the body. One study shows that
making a list of 10 things you are grateful for makes you feel much better than
before the exercise. I have since formed the habit of consistently writing a
list of 10 things I am grateful for and discussing it with my wife and children.
Just last night, at the dinner table, each of us talked about 2 things we are
grateful for. We are grateful for health and for salvation. We are grateful for
the gift of friends and family. We are grateful for provisions and for comfort.
We are grateful for peace and tranquility in our home, and a lot more. What are
you grateful for? May I challenge you to write your own list of 10 things that
you are grateful for, and do it frequently? Better still, read it aloud to
yourself. It is therapeutic.
Stop Comparing and Start Being Content
It is foolishness to compare yourself with others. I didn’t
say this. The Bible did (2 Cor 10:12). Comparison really gets you in trouble.
Many people have turned comparison into an indoor sport – we compare our shoes,
we compare our degrees, we compare our cars, we compare our children, we
compare our looks, we compare our careers, and even how green the lawn is.
Comparison results in either of 2 outcomes. You find someone in life who seems
to do doing a better job than you – and you get discouraged. You will find
people who you seem to be better than – and you get full of pride. Heads or
tail, you lose! Don’t do it. There is no other time in the history of the world
where comparison is as big an issue as now. The social media drives this a lot.
Everyone wants to share something, and others are checking themselves out
versus this. Someone posts photos of her wedding, and others are grappling to
follow and do much better! I encourage you to STOP this unhealthy habit. Learn
to be grateful for all you’ve got, rather than concentrating on a few things
that you don’t have…. yet.
Stop Being Stingy and Start Being Generous
Stinginess is evidence of a shortage mentality – “I only
have enough, and if I give it away, it will never be enough again!”. That is
not the way the universe is wired. God is very generous and he wants us all to
be like him. The more generous you are (with your time, with your money, with
your compliments etc.), the more God is going to bless you. Do you know that the
little gift of yours might be a major breakthrough for someone else? Listen,
your heart grows bigger each time you give to someone else. There are too many
people in our world holding on tightly to what they’ve got! That’s why they are
overwhelmed – as all they think of is getting, and getting and getting a little
more. How far can one go with that?
If you form a daily habit of doing these things, I guarantee
that you will live life in the overflow, and enjoy abundant life.
Well-done sir, quite apt and reassuring that chasing after God creates that much needed balance required to wade through life's waters.
ReplyDelete👍🏽Thank you PTea
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