Circle of Trust

I’ve often found that I’m a bit of a defeatist to myself in life and I tend to limit my own expectations of myself in order to prevent feeling like I’ve failed at things. If things get tough at work, it’s the ‘culture’ or my leaders who are the problem, not me. Or if I’m falling behind one morning in the gloom, it’s because the other guys are more rested or just better at something, not that I’m not giving it my all. The easiest way for me to feel good about myself is to lower the bar.

Challenge is, I also feel like I’ve been put on this earth for a reason and with a clear purpose and anything less than living out that purpose to the fullest extent would be the ultimate failure and I can’t fathom trying to explain to the Lord at the end of my days on earth that I simply gave up because things got hard.

Throughout my work life (and in life in general), I’ve learned that a  little perspective can go a very long way in reshaping your outlook and providing the proper motivation to simply not give up, or give a little more than you thought you could. To help myself in that arena I’ve become a collector of quotes over the years and I’d like to share some of them with you men:

Nothing is impossible, the word itself says “I’m possible”! —Audrey Hepburn

Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right. —Henry Ford

Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. —Vince Lombardi

Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. —Charles Swindoll

Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent. —Eleanor Roosevelt

Believe you can and you’re halfway there. —Theodore Roosevelt

I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. —Jimmy Dean

Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. —Napoleon Hill

I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions. —Stephen Covey

Change your thoughts and you change your world. —Norman Vincent Peale

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. —Alice Walker

The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me. —Ayn Rand

If you hear a voice within you say “you cannot paint,” then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced. —Vincent Van Gogh

Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations, our possibilities become limitless. —Jamie Paolinetti

The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be. —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear. —George Addair

What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality. —Plutarch

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. – Maya Angelou

I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples. —Mother Teresa

Parting thoughts; Don’t defeat yourself in life. Maintain a positive outlook and dream big, knowing that while there will be setbacks along the way, nothing worthwhile ever came easy!

Prayers

We lifted up our brother Zima whose surgery is coming up, lifted up Mr. Myagi as be continues his battle with cancer, and all those spoken and unspoken prayers. We thanked the Lord for the opportunity to come out ITG with each other grow stronger physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. Amen.