Foolish Words Will Keep You Stuck
Thoughts, Emotions, Beliefs
EXAMINE YOUR EMOTIONS TO LEARN WHERE YOUR THOUGHTS ARE COMING FROM.
Fear, anxiety, anger, disappointment, discouragement, grief, sadness, hope, excitement, pride, joy, desire, anticipation – powerful emotions like these push us down a certain train of thought, stirring up deep emotions that fuel our life.
Emotions Point to Underlying Beliefs, Shape Our Thoughts & Guide How We Live
“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8
THINK About These Things. That’s a Strong Statement
Change How YOU Think. Why? Paul knew that giving IN to our negative, sinful thoughts is dishonorable: unjust, impure, ugly, disgraceful, and detestable beliefs must be confronted and replaced with the “whatever is” out of Philippians 4:8
When struggling with distracting, unbelievable thoughts and emotions, God tells us that we are not victims to simply endure the miserable ride. Seize the controls he’s given us! Switch tracks, and move in a faithful, joyful direction. Wrong thoughts and emotions come from false promises and beliefs.
Paul’s Not Offering Counsel; He’s Commanding Us To Obey
It is for joy, freedom and love that God calls us to fight with all our might “upon these things.”
Once we uncover the false and trust the true, we can see the truth that sets us free to find peace and joy, even if nothing has changed around us. It’s the fight of faith we engage in daily! Difficult doesn’t mean impossible, for “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). Learning to overcome thoughts and emotions requires discipline – not in the denial of pleasure, but in the pursuit of pleasure (Hebrews 12:10–11).
Words can bring life, joy, encouragement, hope and healing when spoken in the right tone and at the right time. They can also bring down, humiliate and destroy if we don’t carefully monitor and control their use. At times, they captivate our attention for a moment, but leave no lasting impression or benefit to anyone. There’s simply no way to exaggerate the life-giving and life-taking power of words.
One example of the importance of words, speech, or casual comments are in the grand scheme of things in Matthew 12:33-37.
Jesus Confronts Religious Leaders of His Day!
A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit
“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.The good person brings forth good out of his good treasure, and the evil person brings forth evil out of his evil treasure. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word spoken, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:33-37).
Words, what we say and how we say it, is so perfectly a reflection of what’s in our hearts that, according to Jesus, there won’t even be a need to evaluate your words on the day of judgment.
Words can lead to our personal downfall and destruction. The fool is so rash and reckless with his words that he invites his own punishment and rebuke. Careless speech will almost always boomerang on the speaker and bring devastation.
“The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly” (Prov. 15:2)
So, before you open your mouth and release words, whether they’re true, accurate or necessary, pause for a moment and ask yourself: is what I’m about to say encouraging or tearing down? Does it promote goodness or justify sinful choices? Does it build trust or serve to alienate and divide? We read all over Proverbs about the virtues of calm, gentle, and pleasant speech.
You will make far more progress in persuading an opponent and experience far greater success in making your viewpoint known and accepted when you speak softly and gently. Harsh words rarely succeed in overcoming stubborn opposition.
John Calvin once wrote, “When a man is running short on evidence, he raises his voice. Shouting is wrongly thought to compensate for lack of substance. But the person who is confident of the truth is calm and gentle.”
“The wise lay up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near” (Prov. 10:14).
Laying up knowledge means someone who restrains and makes no show of what he/she has learned. They speak with due intention instead of a tongue governed by pride! The fool, on the other hand, takes no thought of when or what he speaks. He blurts out statements that do more harm than good.
“When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent” (Prov. 10:19).
“If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame” (Prov. 18:13).
When we speak is as important as what we say. The most priceless truths fall dead to the ground when spoken in haste or with a harsh tone.
“IT’S BETTER TO KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT & LET THEM THINK YOU’RE A FOOL
THAN OPEN YOUR MOUTH & REMOVE ALL DOUBT.” (Ephesians 4:29)
“Let no corrupt talk come out of your mouth, but only what is good for building up,
that it may give grace to those who hear” – Abraham Lincoln
I absolutely NEEDED to hear this today, and will also need to re-read it again and again. Am making a new board on my Pinterest right now for inspiring blogs like this one, so I can easily find them again. Thank you so much :)
Kath Hope recently posted…Why Not To Use Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline) With CPAP, BiPAP + Ventilator Masks
Hope you’re okay with the fact that those things don’t exactly happen overnight, Norma! To really stick, all those changes have to be part of an organic process … but, boy-oh-boy, when they stick, watch out! ;-)
Sharon O’Day recently posted…Financial Independence: A Quick and Dirty Path to Freedom
Loved the tips Norma, and here is one of my favorites: Rid Yourself of the Limiting Beliefs, One Thought at a Time. We have a lot of ideas, but not every one of them we can follow, we need to select one or some, and work in that one, after we will have time to follow the others!
Meire Weishaupt recently posted…Let’s Talk About Skills To Master To Be Likeable [Slideshare]
This is such an awesome post, Norma! I love the opening slide share and then your key points are so spot on! “Parking your Butt on Rocky Soil… and Pull the Weeds Before they Grow…” As you write, “we like to hold on. But – insanity is doing the same things over and over then expecting different results.” You’ve given us great suggestions for getting out of our own way and a fun read!
Lisa Frederiksen – BreakingTheCycles.com recently posted…Ditching Denial, Befriending Change
Great article, Norma! The quote by Zig Ziglar is one of my favorites. I love how you phrase, “Fertilize What You Want to Grow In Your Life.” Well said! Thank you for the encouragement and advice.
Robin Strohmaier recently posted…The Best Blogging Tips for Anyone Beginning to Blog
I love this article Norma – you’ve got some great tips here. We do create our own reality and it’s important to allow ourselves to get to our destiny one step at a time as we clear our own path. Thanks for sharing!
Moira Hutchison recently posted…Are You Stuck in a Rut?
Great article Norma! I love your graphics too!!!
I love the sentence/thought, “See all the blessings in your life instead of the few things you don’t have.”
Keeping it positive!
Natalie recently posted…All About The After Sun Care
Beautiful post Norma. It is so important what you are talking about. I always say that we are the creator of our life. Namaste.
Carele Belanger recently posted…Interview with Meire Weishaupt
Loved this article and the most powerful statement? “:The successful people have learned how to go around the big brick. The proof is in the walk, not the talk. At the end of the day, it’s about your ability to see TRUTH. Deal with the negative, dis-empowering beliefs and filter them out before they take a toll on you. Address them. NOW…” Thanks Norma for helping us stop those limiting beliefs…right between our own two ears!
Carla J Gardiner recently posted…Personal – A Peek Into Who The Fiery Grandma Really Is
“You can only help those who want to be helped. How can you know the difference? Listen to what they say. Are they always talking about the problem OR are they honestly looking for a solution? Then… are they taking the steps needed to bring change? If you don’t see this, you cannot help them. Move on.” It is interesting in talking to people about their health, how many really do not want to be helped. It is very obvious to me that they could stand to make improvements in their habits and lifestyle but they are in denial. It is hard for me to let them go about their way but you are right, I need to move on. Great article. ..Thanks.
Pat Moon recently posted…Health & Nutrition Blogging–There had to be a Way, It Just Hadn’t Been Invented Yet
I love this one. I like how you say to “pull the weeds out of the garden.” Negativity really can hold you back and people don’t realize what a toll it can take on your personally and professionally! I love this article:) Thank you!
Great post, Norma. This is all so true and a great reminder that WE are responsible for our own happiness, our own success and our own peace in life. what we focus on is what we get.
Marie Leslie recently posted…Blog Comments: How to Tell a Spam Comment from a Real Comment
I love it Norma! It’s so important to fertilize what we want to grow! I use affirmations to help train my mind to focus on the positive. A lot of times we don’t even think about what we are thinking about and it can affect us so deeply! Great article!
Angie M Jordan recently posted…How I Grew My Business From $0 – $100,000 (in a year) On a Blog And A Prayer
Your article is amazing. Our daily lives have so many toxins and I really avoid the negative Nancy’s that I come across because they really drag you down. I only give off positive energy and that makes my life much happier. I am leaving a legacy in my business for my grandchildren as well as my children. I want them to not have to worry and I love my job. Thank you for the wonderful article as my favorite saying run with the runners, walk with the walkers and wave to the people in the stands:)
A friend said to me “you sound like a broken record” & I gave up my limiting belief that I couldn’t do social media marketing. Since then I’ve tried many new tools & steps & get so excited when I can do something new. The hardest part of this is recognizing that we have limiting beliefs. Thanks for the post as I’m sure I have more to uncover.
This awesome!! There are way to many toxins in our lives that need to be rid of… All i want to do is grow and grow… the more fertilizer the better..
I love your comment about the proof being in the walk, not the talk. We do need to follow on from our positive affirmations with positive actions!
Man, man, man, that was such a good article. That baby was FULL of sooooooo much good advice and wisdom! Thanks for sharing this, we all need to be reminded of these things on a daily basis :)
Robin recently posted…The Quickest Way to Success (without losing your passion, joy & sanity)
Amen Amen and Amen my dear Norma. Those limiting beliefs are the ones that kills our joy, strangle our hope and devastate our dreams. Believe me, even after 20 years of understanding that one, when the hard times hit it is easy to hear that evil twin (as Kathy Robinson calls it) whispering in my ear, telling me all that I’ve screwed up and what I DON’T deserve. Now, more than ever, it is articles like this that keep me going. Thanks, as always, for you!
MamaRed recently posted…10 ways coaches can use use mind mapping to build their business
Nice post Norma about self limiting beliefs. I like the part about letting the sun shine in, because a little daylight always exposes the silly logic in your head.
I used to call those self limiting beliefs my evil twin. She used to sit on my shoulder and whisper in my ear. She’s mostly silent now thank goodness. I too loved that Zig Zigler quote. I’m going to copy it and put it where I’ll see it daily
Kathy Robinson recently posted…Keyword Stuffing Infomercials
“If you focus on your weaknesses they will make you weaker”.
Yes! This is so true and not enough people realize it.
Joanne recently posted…Cake x 4
Thank you for including the Zig Zigler quote. Loved the post.
Seun
Oluwaseun Babajide recently posted…My Ultimate Guide to Blogging
I love the gardening analogy! We limit what we can do in so many ways each and every day and without dedicated effort, the weeds will just overtake our lives so we are unproductive.
Lisa McMahon recently posted…Customize Your Facebook Page Web Address
Norma, you are talking about a subject close to my heart!! When we can let go of those limiting beliefs (and you are SO right…we can!), then everything in our life changes. It is amazing and miraculous. Choose to learn the lesson from the negative and grow”. Right on!
Sherie recently posted…Are You Done With Being Taken For Granted?
This is the perfect article to read first thing Monday morning, Norma. Thank you for the inspiration, encouragement and for setting the truth before us in a way that kick starts our actions. Pulling those weeds right now. My favorite line is “insanity is doing the same things over and over then expecting different results” I am not going to be labeled insane, I am working toward my goals this moment…love it.
Carla J Gardiner recently posted…Personal – A Peek Into Who The Fiery Grandma Really Is
Norma,
This is something I struggle with personally, I really found this engaging. I agree that “what we focus on magnifies,” very well put. I tend to think of the thoughts we have as the garden in our backyard: what we seed and water grows and blooms–and we do have a choice of positive or negative.
Roberta Wilson recently posted…17 Tweeting Strategies To Supercharge Your Engagement
Excellent, informative post as always, Norma. It’s so true, sometimes we are our own worst enemy! Love what you wrote: “Oh Yes! Let the Sunshine In. You always have 2 choices: to look at the bad things or the good things.” Thanks for the reminder!
Alexandra McAllister recently posted…Healthy Smoothie Recipes And More To Help You Feel Good
Excellent advice. Too bad they don’t make weed n feed for our brains..lol I agree that sometimes we are our own worst enemy when it comes to sabotaging our ideas.