"Whenever I'm depressed, I stop being depressed and I be awesome instead."
--Barney Stintson
For the past couple of weeks I've been listening intently to people while they're talking to see what sort of patterns erupt. People have a lot of insight to offer if you're willing to sit through some of the same sorts of stuff over and over with different people. What's more; I've been making it a point to meet at least one new person a day, preferably more.
It's pretty cool to look out across a crowd of people and see a couple hundred individuals each with their own sets of experiences and all of them just as smart as I am about their own respective fancies. Just to-day I sat on the back of the bus with a bunch of dudes from all walks of life: a cowboy hatted man, a tattooed man, a juggalo (whatever THAT is), a college student who's into martial arts... all kinds of men and they were all talking heatedly about how to pick up chicks. It was incredible.
On the dark side of things, I also noticed this peculiar phenomenon and for awhile I couldn't quite name it. At first it seemed like a form of categorization: "it's what I do," and "that's just the kind of guy I am." That seemed nice enough, until it started to show it's other side: "that's not the kind of guy I am," and "I can't do that."
"It's my only vice."
"Oh, that's just part of my personality."
"I'm that way."
It hurts to say just as much to hear, because I'm guilty of it myself. But once I named this phenomenon "excuse," I started to see some clarity in reasoning. We've all got behaviors we don't really want to display, little quarks or habits we want to change about ourselves; and it's not that it's become such an interwoven part of us. I assert that if these things were part of who you really were, you wouldn't want to get rid of them. This is true of morally objectable behaviors as well.
It's really tough to stop behaving the way you do, whether it's because it's wrong or simply undesirable. It seems to create a hole. You try your best, but it seems to get the better of you. We've all been there.
Well, check THIS out! Right out of Ephesians 4:
"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."
Right here is that secret trick for relieving yourselves of unwanted behaviors and quirks: replacement. Notice, every time the author talks about getting rid of some unwanted behavior, he replaces it with something wanted; usually the opposite.
1.) Replace falsehood with truth
2.) Replace stealing with work and sharing
3.) Replace unwholesome talk with building each other up
Etcetera.
Honestly, I can't even improve upon this passage, except to draw attention to it and assert its relevance. Replacement is the key to change, and change is the key to hope, and hope is the key to faith, and faith is the key to understanding, opportunity, chance, happiness and UNLIMITED INFINITE POSSIBILITY.
The best thing I can recommend is that you PAY ATTENTION. It's then that you can see opportunities and take advantage of them. It's then that you can name a problem and transcend it. For no man can solve a problem on the same level it was created; he has to rise above it. And the level of control you actually have in this lifetime is strikingly more limited than we care to realize. Our freewill is hinged entirely on the direction of attention and that's where the magic happens. Pay attention to your attention.
And when you give a demon an eviction notice, remember to replace this tenant with an angel. Someone has to pay the rent.
Until next time, kids!
--J.M. Gatewood
Probability Significator
--Barney Stintson
For the past couple of weeks I've been listening intently to people while they're talking to see what sort of patterns erupt. People have a lot of insight to offer if you're willing to sit through some of the same sorts of stuff over and over with different people. What's more; I've been making it a point to meet at least one new person a day, preferably more.
It's pretty cool to look out across a crowd of people and see a couple hundred individuals each with their own sets of experiences and all of them just as smart as I am about their own respective fancies. Just to-day I sat on the back of the bus with a bunch of dudes from all walks of life: a cowboy hatted man, a tattooed man, a juggalo (whatever THAT is), a college student who's into martial arts... all kinds of men and they were all talking heatedly about how to pick up chicks. It was incredible.
On the dark side of things, I also noticed this peculiar phenomenon and for awhile I couldn't quite name it. At first it seemed like a form of categorization: "it's what I do," and "that's just the kind of guy I am." That seemed nice enough, until it started to show it's other side: "that's not the kind of guy I am," and "I can't do that."
"It's my only vice."
"Oh, that's just part of my personality."
"I'm that way."
It hurts to say just as much to hear, because I'm guilty of it myself. But once I named this phenomenon "excuse," I started to see some clarity in reasoning. We've all got behaviors we don't really want to display, little quarks or habits we want to change about ourselves; and it's not that it's become such an interwoven part of us. I assert that if these things were part of who you really were, you wouldn't want to get rid of them. This is true of morally objectable behaviors as well.
It's really tough to stop behaving the way you do, whether it's because it's wrong or simply undesirable. It seems to create a hole. You try your best, but it seems to get the better of you. We've all been there.
Well, check THIS out! Right out of Ephesians 4:
"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."
Right here is that secret trick for relieving yourselves of unwanted behaviors and quirks: replacement. Notice, every time the author talks about getting rid of some unwanted behavior, he replaces it with something wanted; usually the opposite.
1.) Replace falsehood with truth
2.) Replace stealing with work and sharing
3.) Replace unwholesome talk with building each other up
Etcetera.
Honestly, I can't even improve upon this passage, except to draw attention to it and assert its relevance. Replacement is the key to change, and change is the key to hope, and hope is the key to faith, and faith is the key to understanding, opportunity, chance, happiness and UNLIMITED INFINITE POSSIBILITY.
The best thing I can recommend is that you PAY ATTENTION. It's then that you can see opportunities and take advantage of them. It's then that you can name a problem and transcend it. For no man can solve a problem on the same level it was created; he has to rise above it. And the level of control you actually have in this lifetime is strikingly more limited than we care to realize. Our freewill is hinged entirely on the direction of attention and that's where the magic happens. Pay attention to your attention.
And when you give a demon an eviction notice, remember to replace this tenant with an angel. Someone has to pay the rent.
Until next time, kids!
--J.M. Gatewood
Probability Significator
good one...shared with my sister.
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