“When you replace ‘why is this happening to me’ with ‘what is this trying to teach me’ everything shifts.”

Shifting your mindset from a victim to a learner is an important process for growth.  God doesn’t just put things in our way to make life tough, he gives is an opportunity for growth and development.  I encourage you to reframe the “tough” situations in your life. How can you leverage these to live out your purpose?

“Success is a series of small wins.”

Are you celebrating small victories or too focused on the wining the war to notice the achievements of your team?  Take time to celebrate a small victory today.

“Activity breeds productivity”

How active are you in life?  Do you find yourself waiting for the next step or actively pursuing it?  As a leader, it’s important that we remain in an active and growing state.  Movement doesn’t have to be fast, it just needs to be constant. 

“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” - Psalm 91:4

We aren’t promised a peaceful life, in fact there is story after story in the bible where Godly men and women were tempted… but those who remained faithful to the Lord were rewarded.  Our reward is there, we just have to trust in the peacemaker.

“He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him.” - Proverbs 2:8

Is there a snake in your path today?  I encourage you to look to God when you come upon one, he will protect your path and guide your steps.

“Stay in your lane.  Don’t look at what others are doing.  Those that look back in the race usually fall off.” - Oprah

Are you staying in your lane today or jumping from lane to lane in hopes of making it through the traffic?  Traffic is part of life and moving lanes isn’t going to make it go away. I encourage you to stay in your lane today, enjoy the ride and focus on the long term goals. 

“Therefore do not lose heart, though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” - 2 Corinthians 4:16 - 18

I’m not sure what you’re facing today, but I know we all have battles.  Don’t stand in awe at the bottom of the mountain and wonder how you are going to climb it… I encourage you to look toward the heavens, reach out to God, and start walking.

“Our greatest glory isn’t in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Confucius

Don’t let discouragement and self-pity consume you after a fall.  When, not if, but when you make a bad decision or sin, don’t allow it to consume you.  Pick yourself up and keep moving toward your goal.

“If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” – Zig Ziglar

What are you aiming at today?  Are you focusing on the goal or just going through the motions of the game?  I challenge you to take a moment today to reflect on your goal and evaluate if your actions are aimed in the right direction. 

“Don’t aspire to be a firework – be a star… fireworks burn out way too quickly.”

I hope you have a wonderful Independence Day and enjoy the fireworks and celebrations. Remember, we all have a light inside of us, a light that we can share with the world… its our choice how long and bright we allow this light to shine.