Happy Saturday!

I spend a lot of time and energy looking for excuses. I have a couple of pretty good ones, and I’m actually pretty good at spinning them from thin air.

Then I encounter someone like Zach Lipson and I remember to stop whining and get on with it.

Enjoy the story. And then go and do something passionately.

Thanks to Clark Osborn for sharing this inspiring article. His family is on an amazing journey as well.

I suspect we’re all pretty good at feeling sorry for ourselves. Then we meet someone like this.

Go ahead–be inspired, smile, and cry a little. And then have a great day!

If you can’t see the video, click here.

… is most dangerous when you stare at it.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. [1 Peter 5:8]

How often to you consciously think about evil?

When I learned to drive I developed the dangerous habit of staring at approaching cars and discovered that you tend to steer toward your focal point. A number of animated reminders from my parents convinced me that it’s good to be aware of traffic but I needed to concentrate primarily on my own path.

By making them my focal point, I multiplied the threat posed by oncoming vehicles.

EVIL AND TRAFFIC

I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about spiritual warfare and the devil. I know it’s there. I absolutely believe we’re targets of a ruthless enemy who knows our weaknesses. He’ll do anything to destroy us.

But I also know about the psychological principle that whatever I focus on will become more powerful. Like an inexperienced driver, I gradually move toward my center of attention. The enemy knows this as well, and uses it to his advantage.

When I choose to dwell on the worst possible outcome in a given situation, I’m staring at oncoming traffic. I feed fear and anxiety. Apprehension diminishes my ability to respond effectively, making the situation worse. It’s a death spiral in which the enemy delights because it leads to despair and hopelessness.

That’s why a positive attitude is such a powerful ally. When I focus on opportunity and possibility I foster optimism and creativity. I’m more likely to discover and act toward a positive outcome. Confidence creates a different kind of spiral that leads to hope.

“The power of positive thinking” isn’t a magic bullet solution to every problem. That sort of simplistic approach seems dismissive to me. A good attitude will not instantly eliminate financial struggles, mend broken relationships, and heal significant illness or injury.

Like oncoming traffic, much of life is simply beyond my control. But regardless of external circumstances, I can always determine my attitude. And a big part of that involves choosing where I will focus my attention.

The enemy wants nothing so much as to keep me focused on anything other than Jesus. Everything he does seeks to direct my attention toward external circumstances. Whenever I look away from God, he wins.

MY RESPONSE …

… becomes pretty obvious.

“Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion …” [1 Peter 5:8]. The most important word in that passage: like.

The enemy isn’t really a roaring lion, he just acts like one. He makes a lot of scary noises, and since he operates in the shadows he can seem quite frightening. And he desperately wants my attention.

But it’s all noise. His only real power is what I give him.

I guess that why I consciously don’t put a lot of energy into dwelling on him. Obviously I must be vigilant. The Message says “Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping.” 

But “stay alert” isn’t a reminder to focus on the enemy’s scary roar. Instead, it calls us to attend to the open path ahead.

When I’m focused on Jesus, the enemy’s mighty roar becomes an insignificant purr.

What oncoming traffic is taking your focus away from your true path?

People of accomplishment rarely sit back and let things happen to them. They go out and happen to things.

Did you enjoy this article? I encourage you to leave a comment, visit my website, and/or send me an email at rich@richdixon.net.

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Oh, my friend, it’s not what they take away from you that counts.  It’s what you do with what you have left. Hubert Humphrey

Do you ever fear positive thinking? I do.

Of all the fears that might haunt us, why in the world would we fear a positive attitude?

Immediately following my accident, I wanted desperately to believe in the possibility of recovery. I knew that a good attitude would help me tackle the hard work ahead. But somehow I couldn’t find the courage to maintain a consistent positive approach.

I faced a difficult road with an uncertain destination and I consciously chose to imagine the worst, despite ample evidence that most of the “worst” never happens. I understood intellectually that the course of my recovery depended on my outlook, but I resisted the urge to look for possibilities in a difficult situation.

What’s the source of this irrational fear? What’s courageous about adopting a positive attitude?

WHAT WILL THEY THINK?

During my rehab I met men and women with completely severed spinal cords and illogical expectations of complete recovery. Families cheerfully affirmed their absolute conviction that God would provide a miracle and their loved one would certainly walk again. I thought these folks were whistling in the dark, pretending that nothing was wrong in the midst of disaster.

My injury actually offered more reason for realistic hope than many others, but I think I was afraid of appearing naïve. I tried to seem mature and pragmatic, but I really worried about what others might think. I feared being labeled as a Pollyanna; I didn’t want others to think I lived in denial, so instead I denied myself the power of optimism.

DISAPPOINTMENT

I think we choose pessimism as a defense against disappointment. By expecting failure, we remove the risk of shattered dreams. Fearful of uncertainty, I chose the false security of hopelessness and a death spiral of depression and darkness.

I’ve learned that hope doesn’t have to involve unrealistic wishes. “Hoping” for a new bike or a magic cure is more of a wish. True hope is expectation rooted in faith. When I learned to place my hope in Jesus’ consistent presence and God’s promise to always work for good in all things, I reversed the death spiral and entered a cycle of growth and optimism.

REALISTIC OPTIMISM

In an article called Eight Keys To Confronting Adversity I talked about something I call realistic optimism. I don’t advocate following Pollyanna down the path of denying reality. I see little advantage in pretending that everything’s rosy and sunny when it’s not. Problems can’t be solved or obstacles overcome unless they’re first recognized.

But realism doesn’t equate with pessimism. Realistic optimism isn’t denial, it means becoming what Norman Vincent Peale called a “possibilitarian” when he said, “No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see possibilities – always see them, for they’re always there.”

Possibilitarians—realistic optimists—don’t ignore the darkness, but they also don’t fear seizing the opportunities that exist on even the most difficult path.

We all wander at times in a deep forest with no familiar landmarks. Some folks ignore the danger and skip blindly along, trusting that luck or God will somehow guide them away from surrounding peril. Some despair of ever escaping, so they sit in darkness and await inevitable calamity.

But some look up to a sky that stretches beyond the darkness and follow the light of hope and opportunity. They recognize and even fear the reality of their circumstances, but they’re not afraid to look beyond immediate danger to discover and anticipate possibilities.

I want to become a confirmed possibilitarian.

Why do you sometimes fear optimism? How do you replace your fear with “possibilitarianism”?

The sun shines and warms and lights us and we have no curiosity to know why this is so; but we ask the reason of all evil, of pain, and hunger, and mosquitoes and silly people. Ralph Waldo Emerson 

I hope you’ll take a look at my new e-book titled STICKS AND STONES: Finding Freedom In The Face Of Criticism. It’s a free PDF download. You can click the link in the sidebar or go to my resources page to download.

Did you enjoy this article? Please leave a comment, visit my website, and/or send me an email at rich@richdixon.net.

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Happy Saturday! If you’re new to THE CRAZY QUEST, you may wish to read about it here. Basically, I’m tracing my journey as I attempt to answer the question:

What would you do if you didn’t know you couldn’t do it?

This week of training: 107 miles (and some vacation/R&R)

DON’T STOP

Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever. Lance Armstrong

I’m not all that persistent when I’m cycling.

As long as the momentum is there and I’m cranking along, it’s easy to keep going. But as soon as I start to struggle, I immediately want to stop and rest. I’ve cycled more than twelve thousand miles, and I still want to stop when it gets difficult.

I battle this tendency even on easy terrain. I lose focus and slow down, and then it’s just too easy to coast to a stop instead of working to regain my tempo and speed.

I think this happens to me in many areas of life. When things are going well, it’s easy to keep a positive attitude and continue moving forward. But one small obstacle can destroy the momentum and leave me sitting motionless.

Things I still need to learn, in cycling and in life:

• Less energy is needed to keep moving than to start from a complete stop.
• Moving a little slower is better than stopping.
• When it’s hard to keep cranking, that’s when you get stronger.
• It helps to build up momentum before you reach a hill.
• Once you quit, it’s easier to quit the next time.
• Once you keep going through a tough spot, it’s easier to keep going through the next tough spot.
• Focus on the next few feet, over and over, and pretty soon you realize that you’ve covered a lot of ground.

I may not be the best. I may not ride fast or win or reach all of my goals.

I still don’t want to quit.

When are you most tempted to quit?

If you’re going through Hell, keep going. Winston Churchill

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Note: This article is a regular Friday feature that’s also posted at SetFreeToday.com

You are what you think about all day long. Dr. Robert Schuller

Do you see the sunrise or the clouds?

A rule of thumb for providing feedback maintains that ten affirmations are required to balance one criticism. I don’t know whether ten is exactly the right number, but we all know the principle. A lot of positive feedback is required to counterbalance a negative comment.

I think the same model applies to our thoughts. An entire day of exciting, energizing possibilities can be obscured by a single doubt. No matter how many signs encourage us to move forward with passion, one caution casts a shadow over an entire enterprise.

We cannot manage the words or actions of others. We’ll always encounter people who either intentionally or inadvertently rain on the parade. But we can control the direction of our thoughts and responses to circumstances and events.

SetFreeToday rests on God’s promise that we can choose a new beginning in Christ. God doesn’t want us to live in the mire of fear and regret, and He doesn’t want us enslaved by the chains of our own doubts.

I think our enemy understands this. He whispers constantly that we need to focus on problems. He tells us that life is tough and urges us to seek revenge and retribution. The enemy wants us to believe that we are responsible for others’ words and deeds. He desperately wants us to equate a positive attitude with an immature, “rose colored glasses” approach to life’s realities.

I’m not a Pollyanna. Difficulties are part of life. We can’t always simply ignore them, but they don’t have to become the center of our thoughts. We can choose to face challenges and then move on, refusing to allow them to dominate our attention.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4: 8-9)

Beauty and joy surround us. Generosity and good are abundant. We can contemplate the glory of a sunrise or we can turn our backs on splendor and worry about the clouds on the opposite horizon. One choice leads to anxiety about a future beyond our control. The other directs us to awareness of God’s majesty, to a sense of new beginning, to peace.

What’s a negative thought you’d like to move away from the center of your thoughts today?

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Please leave a comment, visit my website, and/or send me an email at rich@richdixon.net. 

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