Happy Friday Friends!
I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as the beautiful new day, St. Patrick's Day, begins to dawn!
I am currently reading a book my Beautiful Bride gave me for our Anniversary, Chase the Lion: If Your Dream Doesn't Scare You, It's Too Small by Mark Batterson. This morning I want to share a couple of excerpts and then a couple thoughts.
No conflict. No story.
We accept that fact when it comes to movies. Epic movies demand epic conflict. That's what makes them epic. And what's true of great movies is true of great lives. Great conflict cultivates great character. Of course, it's easier to watch on the screen than it is to walk through it.
If you want to live an epic life, you have to overcome epic challenges. You have to take some epic risks, make some epic sacrifices.
In every storyline there are defining moments. The technical term, in terms of plot structure, is "inciting incidents." It's a turning point, a tipping point. It's a point of no return.
Inciting incidents come in two basic varieties: things that happen to you that you cannot control and things that happen that you can control. Of course, even if something is out of your control, you still control your reaction. You might not be responsible, but you are response-able. And it's the ability to choose your response that will likely determine your destiny.
Some inciting incidents are perceived as positive, like a college scholarship or a job promotion. Others are perceived as negative, like a pink slip or a positive diagnosis. But don't be too quick to judge a blessing or a curse by its cover. What we perceive as positive sometimes turns out to have negative side effects, and what we perceive as negative often turns out to be the best thing that ever happened to us.
Mismanaged success is the leading cause of failure.
Well-managed failure is the leading cause of success.
...unless the Lord builds the house, we labor in vain. Of course, the flip side is true too. If God builds it, nothing can hinder it.
A whole bunch of Godly words of wisdom in those excerpts! :)
I simply want to come alongside you this morning Friend and offer a couple words of encouragement.
First, perhaps a perspective shift for you as it was for me, this morning. If you find yourself this morning in the midst of some deep conflict please look at it as the opportunity/possibility for you to fulfill your destiny as opposed to the end of your story. Instead of viewing the conflict as an obstacle, or worse, a cliff, view it as a the initial path to all God created & called you to be. Let's remind ourselves over and over again Friends, "No conflict. No story."
Second, I want to encourage you to go out today and live your life to the fullest. The key is all the things we talk about week after week in Happy Friday - Who defines us, where we go to get our wells filled, how we perceive ourselves & others, how we treat ourselves & others, etc. The concept is not hard to understand however just like it is easier to watch an epic movie than to live an epic life, it is much easier to understand it than to actually live it. My hope, my prayer, my wish and my challenge for each one of us is that we would actually live it!
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.
Kev
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