A Time To Make Things Happen

“There is a time to let things happen and a time to make things happen…”
— Hugh Prather

Life offers two options: you can either be driven by circumstances, situations and those around you while you sit in the back seat watching as the vehicle you have chosen to ride in, reacts to every curve, road block, and dead end, or you can take the initiative by driving your own vehicle on a path of your own choosing, and in doing so, design your own future by not waiting for what the economy can or cannot bring to you. Life is truly what you make of it.

On the other hand, if you let others take control; if you leave the direction of your life to anyone other than yourself, you will not travel on a road of your own choosing. To support this I quote one of the greatest business and success philosophers, Jim Rohn, who once said, “The choice is yours, for you can either make a living or design a life.” How right he is for the choice is yours. Seeing as how the choice is yours, do you want to be reactionary to what is happening in the economy, or would you rather respond by using the power of what is happening to propel you to the next level of success; the next level of challenges?

If you have lived any time at all, the realization that life can be a real challenge has become a reality. If you haven’t already, you need to also realize these challenges did not start with your generation. To illustrate this point I am reminded of something written by James Allen over a hundred years ago.

He said in his book, All Things Added (1903), in the Chapter called, The Competitive Laws and the Laws of Love: “Looking out upon the world, we behold it as an arena of strife in which individuals, communities, and nations are constantly engaged in struggle, striving with each other for the superiority, and for the largest share of the worldly possessions. We see also, that the weaker fall out defeated while the strong – those who are equipped to pursue the combat with undiminished ardor – obtain the victory entering into possession. And along with this struggle we see the suffering, which is inevitably connected with it – men and women, broken down with the weight of their responsibilities, failing in their efforts and losing all; families and communities broken up, and nations subdued and subordinated. We see seas of tears, telling of unspeakable anguish and grief; we see painful partings and early and unnatural deaths; and we know that this life of strife, when stripped of its surface appearances, is largely a life of sorrow.

Such briefly sketched, are the phenomena connected with that aspect of human life with which we are now dealing; such are the effects as we see them; and they have one common cause, which is found in the human heart itself. As all the multiform varieties of plant life have one common soil from which to draw their sustenance, and by virtue of which they live and thrive, so all the varied activities of human life are rooted in and draw their vitality from one common source – the human heart. The cause of all suffering AND of all happiness resides, not in the outer activities of human life, but in the inner activities of the heart and mind; and every external agency is sustained by the life, which it derives from human conduct…”

In your heart is where the source of all, bad or good, can be found. In your heart is also the strength to conquer that which is before you. From what we read above, it is clear James Allen saw over a hundred years ago that life was not only a struggle, but that it could be horribly difficult. He also saw if one’s life energy was improperly channeled this would lead only to defeat and heartache.

To the contrary, those who are successful make things happen. They do not sit back whining about how bad it is, or how bad it is going to get. These people take the bull by the horns in a concerted effort to do something about their own future. Believe me, no one else is as interested in your future as you, nor will they be. Of course as a child your parents were interested in your future, but now as a grownup it is time to get on with your own plans; face your own fears and overcome your own doubts. It is time to believe in yourself – to believe in your dreams by stepping out of the boat into the water of life and begin to walk on faith.

You can do as much as you think you can But you’ll never accomplish more If you’re afraid of yourself young man There’s little for you in store For future comes from the INSIDE first It’s there if we only knew it And you can win though you face the worst If you feel that you’re going to DO IT Edgar A Guest

It matters not how strait the gate How charged with punishment the scroll I am the Master of My Fate I am the Captain of My Soul Henly

Perhaps your life is not what you wish it to be; if not then it is time to take a serious look with the intention of recognizing that YOU are the only one that can change it. It is time to look into the mirror of life and speak to the one reflecting back and say, “You alone have the power to brighten your tomorrows so go do something about it and do it now.” One of the ways of doing this is to recognize as well as accept that God has already provided IN ALL OF US everything necessary for a thrilling and fulfilling life. Each and every living soul has within, the ability to bring forth all of the thrills and fulfillment, which can be had in life; but to do so one must bring out what lay hidden within. Real thrill and true fulfillment is not found in money or status, but in working hard to become all you were meant to be, that is to say, in the same manner of the seed.

I would not be doing you any favors if I did not tell you that once you decide to take your life into your own hands, and move toward a change for the better, life will more than likely get tougher. Making a decision to start driving your own vehicle will not exempt you from bad things happening or remove you from turmoil and trauma. You might even find your life to have more turmoil and trauma, more hardship, more disappointment after committing to taking control of your destiny.

For some, this often becomes the deal breaker as they think by the very fact they wanted to get better and do better that things should line up for them; in other words things should be easier. Most often this is not the case. The fact remains that whether bad or good things happen, it is your response to that which happens that will make the difference. Learning to respond properly to what happens to you is one of the key elements of living a successful life; for when you don’t respond properly, your reaction will cause an equal and opposite reaction from what you wanted leaving you with the possibility of being angry and bitter.

However, with a correct and proper response you will learn these turmoil’s, traumas, and hardships can be used as stepping stones. You will no longer view them as obstacles having since learned to look at life through different glasses. It is only then will you find these hard times can be used to propel you upward toward a greater happiness; toward a life full of thrilling achievement. You will no longer live as you did previously allowing circumstances to beat you down in anguishing defeat, for you will be driving on a road of your own choosing. You will be making things happen the way you want them too.

Remember, life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent your response.

Best of LUCK as you
Labor Under Correct Knowledge…

Respectfully,

Rick Cox