You've heard the saying, 'nothing is going to go 100% right 100% of the time'. Life. It happens. Things go wrong. You get off track. Move in the wrong direction. See a patch of grass that you think looks like Open Doors and Opportunity and cross the fence to the other side - then realize that what you had was way better and preferable.
Everyone gets on fire (in a bad way) from time to time.
I was sailing along and things were going great. Then I got fired. Then nothing went right and I lost everything.
The saying is true, you go broke slowly and then all at once. I went broke all at once and lost everything as a result.
In case of an emergency like that, here are the 5 steps I took and you need to take to go from pocket lint back to pocket change:
I SURRENDERED
I admitted to myself and others I had lost it all. I just surrendered to the facts as they were, not as my mind wanted them to be.
Surrendering is saying to the world, "okay, you got me!". It's stopping whatever you're doing or planning to do and just being.
Once I surrendered to the facts and stopped the struggle, that's when things started to turn around. I started to find Open Doors and Opportunity.
I had to first fully let go. Fully accept what was happening. Fully agree that it was what it was.
I PRAYED
I do a lot of praying. That's me. Paul the pray-er. I pray in good times, in bad times, in loud and in quiet times. I often wake up in the middle of a prayer.
Prayer is saying, "there is someone larger than myself and if I can't handle this situation, then possibly He will."
Prayer is not a negative thing - so much as people want to make it seem as though it's a sign of weakness.
If you are weak it's best to pray. And if you've lost everything, you are weak. However, praying isn't weakness at all.
It's an oxymoron but there is strength in a weak person praying. It means they have surrendered and are now strong enough to admit they can't do it on their own.
I ASKED FOR HELP
I didn't whine to people about all my problems, but I did tell everyone I knew I needed help.
I asked for help from everyone.
Can you get me a job? Can you refer me to a friend? Can you tell someone about my abilities? Can I stay on your couch?
I needed people to help me - and some actually did.
And I did everything I could to help others if I could. Did they need a reference, I was their guy. Did they want to meet someone - I'd do the hookup.
I still do this today. I ask people for help all the time. And I try and be the help for others.
I WORKED OUT
I have always believed that all you need for a good workout is a jump rope, a heavy punching bag, a mat, and some 15lb dumbbells.
I've never once in fact seen an overly out of shape boxer.
So you run, you jump rope, do sit ups, do push ups, curl the dumbbells a few sets and hit the heavy bag for 30 minutes to an hour.
This gets the blood flowing to your head. It clears your mind. It gets you thinking about other things than the situation you find yourself in.
And that's important because the one thing you can't do when things go wrong is dwell on the circumstances all the time.
I KEPT MY DAILY SCHEDULE
I live on a schedule. At 9 this. 10 that. 11 the other. I kept that schedule religiously. And still do.
A schedule is a reason to get out of bed in the morning - especially in times of great stress.
When you've lost your job, lost your possessions, and are losing your mind, the best thing you can do is know that what you're going to do tomorrow will be no different than what you're doing today.
Create a schedule. Maintain the schedule. And don't break the schedule. Do it.
I lived one day at a time. I still live one day at a time.
Nothing is guaranteed even the rest of the day. Live in the moment. Live in the now. Know what your schedule is tomorrow, but live for today.
Without a schedule there's no reason to get out of bed. You have to have one. But live for today knowing that at any moment, things could change for the better.
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If you do these 5 things - surrender, pray, ask for help, work out, and keep a daily schedule, you will make it through any problem you face. It won't be easy, but when life has closed doors in your life, these 5 steps will let you release some tension and find a little peace - and you'll see things start to turn around.
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