SOLUTIONS

"When we look at our problems we believe they are crushing us to an end and we feel the pain--GREAT or small. Know in your heart and head there is a solution to every problem and feel hope and happiness with the same intensity.
Jeff Johnson--March 2008.


Things in our life, professional and personal will go wrong. Murphy's law says, "If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong. Corollary: If there is a worse time for something to go wrong, it will happen then." Our lives are filled with stories that fit into a Murphy law category. The reality is we do not have to stay broken.

Everyone must believe in something--so why not believe that what is going on now 'sucks'--and also believe it can be fixed. We do have a choice here. When problems attack us, they come when we least expect it, when we can least afford it, and at a time when we feel it is impossible to deal with it. How much time do we spend looking for success stories that resemble our predicament? How much do we believe there is a solution out there for us, a predicament someone else faced that was this bad and ended up good? If we believe our situation is so bad, then we must believe there is a solution of equal value. Remember, everyone must believe in something--choose well. Make your sustained choice a positive choice.

I believe in you--because YOU ARE WORTH IT,
Jeff

COURAGE

“In the Wizard of Oz, the Lion wanted it, in life we desire more of it, but in reality, we are like the lion—we have it, we just need the ‘courage’ to learn how to exercise it more frequently.” Jeff Johnson May 2008

“Courage! What makes a King out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk, in the misty mist or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage! What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder? Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the "ape" in apricot? What have they got that I ain't got? Courage!”
The Wizard of Oz (1939) “Courage”

Courage is the inner strength and will to meet the demands facing us. The moral standard to meet challenges face up and head strong, but most importantly, to look ourselves in the mirror each day and say, “I was able to sustain the good fight today and if not victory today then tomorrow.” Courage gives us a firmness of mind and will in the face of danger or extreme difficulty when it is us versus _______. With this core value, we utilize our mental and moral strength to resist opposition, danger, or hardship without hesitation. We are taking a leadership role towards the task at hand with the mindset of charging towards victory.

Courage is an action looking to not cave in when things become difficult. Many times it is raising the standard of performance during the crisis showing a firm and resilient determination to achieve our goals and overcome adversity. This is not an attempt to admit defeat but to never give up. You are a FORWARD STEPPER by accepting the challenges each day with an “I will face my adversity and will overcome my opposition no matter what in a never give up attitude.” We all have courage, the Lion in the Wizard was wrong when he asked—“ What have they got that I ain't got?” Well we all have it—Courage. Stand true to yourself.

I believe in you because YOU ARE WORTH IT,
Jeff

WELCOME BACK

"Welcome Back! What a greeting. When we hear this we smile, wait to feel a pat on the back, a hand shake, and maybe a hug—we are welcome—we are accepted. " Jeff Johnson June 2008

It is to often when we can not accept ourselves for something we did in the past, something we are doing now, or even thinking we do not have hope to succeed in life issues being planned out now. What if we looked in the mirror every day and said, Welcome back you work horse you, or Welcome back you__________, and fill in the blank. Maybe the door to our pathway would appear more inviting than the one we prepare now.

BE A FORWARD STEPPER and make the welcome mat to victory more acceptable to us instead of something we steer clear. Pave a way to victory, plant the seed to succeed, and march forward to a smile from victory lane.

I believe in you because YOU ARE WORTH IT,
Jeff

SAFETY NET

“Understanding there is a safety net to protect us should end some fears right away”

Jeff Johnson April 2008

IN STICKING WITH MY PROMISE TO GOD, SUNDAY’S BLOG IS DEDICATED TO HONOR HIM AND WORSHIP HIM WHO CREATED ME.

When the lights go off at night some children become afraid; when we pray for career choice decisions in school or job changes we have a fear. When we do new things for the first time or adjust to new changes, and even become sick, we have fear. So, how can we manage our fears? Many of us have an inner strength we call GOD that comforts us. Many of us have an inner strength we call GOD and do not believe HIM enough to understand what HE wants us to do with our fear. Gaps on this point need a bridge, so how does it work if there is belief and yet fear still exists? The answer starts by observing that we are raised in fear e.g. “The ‘ole’ saying, “wait until your_______gets home,” or perhaps, “the new job will include these NEW duties and skill sets,” —so why expect anything else when our life events become more complicated? We must now change our views to look at how GOD challenges fears in our life.

GOD can heal everything without exception—even today in 2008. I find it very interesting that HE has not ‘removed’ fear, but he pointed us—again—to HIM through rescue from the life event. In Exodus 3:11 Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"12 And God said, "I will be with you.” GOD is providing this relief of fear through RESCUE. Look at the prophet Jeremiah 1:6 "Ah, Sovereign LORD, I do not know how to speak; I am only a child." 8 GOD said, “Do not be afraid …, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD. In Isaiah 41:10 we read, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you.” In each one of these instances, a designed plan was presented to Moses, Jeremiah, and Isaiah, as each one expressed in a kind way—REMOVE THE FEAR! However, GOD responded by saying I will rescue you by: supporting you, strengthening your weaknesses, and helping you—ALL forms of rescue.

We all have gifts to use for GOD’s glory and service. Many life circumstances cause us to fear. We fear moving forward, we fear rejection, we fear things that are new, and you can add your own fears here. GOD will rescue you by just turning to HIM. Rest in the loving arms that want to strengthen, comfort, heal, and yes---rescue you. Step up FORWARD STEPPERS into the life GOD has for you—by preparing to be rescued instead of stifled inside of fear.

I believe in you because YOU ARE WORTH IT,

Jeff

LOOKING AT CHALLENGES

“Many times we are defeated inside our own heads before we even get started.”

Jeff Johnson March 2008

The story is not original when we speak of the 90 pound weakling getting sand kicked in his face from the beach bully. The 90 pound weakling starts a super conditioning program (all without steroids of course) and becomes this super strong man. Then the showdown with the beach bully is immanent. The once picked on 90 pound weakling approaches the bully and draws a line in the sand daring him to cross it—a challenge is created.

Life brings us challenges. Not all challenges are bad, some are positive, but require us to push beyond reasonable limits. But to often we draw headlines—the same lines that are carved in the sand only mentally placed. Some common 'Headlines' are: "It is to hard," I am not __________(you fill in the blank i.e. tall enough, smart enough, pretty enough, just not enough etc.), and my favorite--I just can't do it." When we make the headlines our human nature shuts us down and we stop. In other words, the fight is over, the game reads 'tilt,' and we lose our quarter. Conversely, when things are going well or when we reach a major goal--we stop with, "I have gone as far as I can go." We create our own internal battle before the fight. Now we face the life challenge and our own challenge--two against one.

We are wired by millions of years of evolution in development to overcome challenges. In the face of death, in the heart of war, through the most perilous times imaginable---we are designed to OVERCOME! Looking at challenges causes us to place a value on our inner and outer strengths as WE perceive them in a given moment. However, The most significant factors in overcoming challenges are identifying the fear we have with the challenge, developing a sense of control over the feared environment mentally, and envisioning alternatives to the anticipated negative outcomes. Instead of looking at the challenge as a welcome mat to fear--why not look at the challenge as a doorway to a new hope, a new dream to obtain, a new path that may lead others to avoid, or to follow out of their fear in a similar situation, or to grow stronger. Instead of stopping at the top of a mountain--why not seek a bigger mountain to climb?

Life has presented us challenges in the past and we have defeated them. Our previous experiences with success are tools to use to sharpen the weapons we need now. STEP FORWARD FORWARD STEPPERS--sharpen your weapons necessary to defeat the present challenge---forgetting the headlines. Besides, headlines are just as soft as the lines in the sand--one small wave and it is just sand.

I believe in you because YOU ARE WORTH IT,

Jeff

DESIRE

"We see desire everyday as we watch the sun rise--desiring to have a good day, and every night when we watch the moon appear we desire to have a good nights rest. Each of us has a desire--something we long for, something we want, something we reach for in our hearts, our minds, and our dreams. All dreams start with desire--start yours today."
Jeff Johnson March 2008

Desire is that tug at your heart--the feeling in the middle of your chest when something is truly an intrinsic want--or maybe a need. The feeling of desire can be lustful in nature, cognitive by design, and ever present in time and space--without limits. Desires can be things that we once had and 'want again' or pursuits. Desires can create smiles, laughter, heartache and longings never to be realized or achieved--desires are the things dreams surround. But they must exist to move us forward. They must be identified and conceptualized to a point we can place them in a priority order so as to make sense of them when we search for them to become reality. I like to think of desires as possible realities 'In Vivo,' that which takes place inside a living organism. In science, 'in vivo' refers to experimentation done in a living tissue.

This is the exciting part--we must be alive to have desire--DUH! Not only outside, but inside: emotionally, cognitively, hopeful, dreaming, feeling, growing, reaching out mentally, letting our hearts feel again and again--communicating with our brains to our emotions. The power of desire lifts us up and controls the passions held captive by environment. How powerful is this desire? Nations have been built because of desires, homes and lives have been restored because of desires, communities have attained goals because of desires. Desire is where it all starts--desire allows us to live--to realize we are alive inside. To have desire means we are starting something passionately.Wen we have desire we can change the world. When we have desire we can change our life. When we have desire we can transform this into a hope, that develops into a reality. Yes, if you have just one desire that is enough. Desire starts the dream, dreams start the plan, plans start the......you fill in the rest. Maybe life has dealt the cards wrong THIS TIME, but nothing is forever if we have a desire to change it. Do you feel the desire tug, can you desire see the other picture--the way you want it? Look, feel, think about the desires you have---this is the power of new life. This is your power through desire. Enjoy the power of desire--it is LIFE because it comes within a life. Now step forward and appreciate something good in your life that has come true because it started with desire. You are a forward stepper.
Vita Abundans Semper--Life Abundant Always.

I believe in you because YOU ARE WORTH IT,
Jeff