Believe in YOU

It seems that our society is filled with people that do not believe in themselves. Whether it is that they've been teased, are overweight, have a blemish-filled face, not part of the in-crowd, not a sports' star, are told they are 'no good' at home (from parents, spouse, siblings, etc.), and the list can go on, they do not have belief in themself.

As I've grown up I've learned that those who are in the opposite side of these categories generally have difficulty in believing in themselves, also. It is hard if you in one of the categories above to believe that someone who is a model or a sports' star could have any difficulty believing in themself, but they do.

I've gone through times in my life, sometimes feeling like eons, where I didn't believe in myself. I had a few of the categories in common. Life appeared to be h-e-double-hockey-sticks. Have you been there??? However, once you move past different situations, life really wasn't that bad.

When does one's life tend to turn around...that brings us to this week's quote...

Every achiever that I have ever met says, "My life turned around when I began to
believe in me." ~Dr. Robert Schuller

I cringe when I hear of people committing suicide! They tend to have stopped believing in themself. In my line of work I've had people tell me they've thought about suicide. They need to know that they are unique and God cares about them, even if they feel the opposite. I've been there for people who have tried to do suicide. Neither is something I look forward to.

You are not only unique and that God cares for you, but you mean so much to many people - be it a friend, parent, sibling, child, or a relative. People don't want you to 'go'. People care about you!

Believing in yourself takes effort. I had to do an exercise when I was in college to think of ten things you liked about yourself. I don't remember if it was overly difficult, but it was an exercise I've used on other people. Maybe you need to do it yourself. Sometimes we need a reminder of how many good things we have about ourself so that we can keep going in life.

Believe in yourself. You are able to do things when you put your mind to it. Get up, turn your life around and see yourself in a totally different light. Believe in yourself!

Starting Fresh in the Fall

A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of attending the Colby High School's "Freshman Retreat". I participated in helping the Regional Prevention Center do their Jeopardy-like game to educate kids on drugs and alcohol. It was very enjoyable to see the kids come through before they begin another venture along life's path.

The very first thing on the agenda was a "welcome". Colby High's principal, Don Krebs, was one of the ones giving an introduction. His was also met with a charge to these new students. One of the things that he said stuck out. It was something that mayl come across logical and, possibly, kind of elementary. He said that the word freshman was a good name, because it meant that you get to have a fresh start as you begin this next chapter in your life.

High school is memorable for almost everyone. Something significant happens to almost everyone in those four years. I could write many stories on my ventures in high school. Some of these significant events are highs, where others are lows.

Though January is a time when resolutions are made (and dropped), this time of year is also good time to give yourself a fresh start. There is something psychological about the fall. It marks going back to school, fall sports, people getting together, and the temperatures start to cool down.

For a lot of students going back to school is a time they anticipate. They've had fun in the summer, but now they are ready to see their friends, get their new clothes, get their new school supplies, meet their teachers, and just get back into the swing of things. Each student begins the year with straight A's, regardless of how they finished out last year.

Whether or not last year's seasons were successful, this year's can be. A new start for every sports program out there. This is a good time of the year to start 'fresh'!

What about you? What are some things that have been dragging you down? What has been stressing you, lately? How can you use the fall to 'start fresh' again?

You may not be able to erase any situations, but this 'starting fresh' could be as simple as getting a new attitude about something or giving it another chance.

September is National Back to Church month. Have you been away for awhile? Maybe the reason you quit going was one of several. Everyone has their reasons why they may stop attending. Maybe it is because religious people are just 'hypocrites'. Maybe it is because you took a job. Maybe it is because you no longer believe in God. Maybe it is because there were not enough kids for yours to be around. Maybe it is because the preacher, or someone else, offended you by something they did or did not say. The list could go on and on.

Why not use the fall to make a fresh start? Not only are kids returning back to school, but maybe this is the time to return back to church.

It may not only be good for you, spiritually, but it may be a good idea to return to church from a physical standpoint, too. According to WebMD website that I checked out last week Harold G. Koenig, M.D., of Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, did a study consisting of 4,000 64-101 year olds and found that even after dissecting the group down in age, race, current illnesses and other health and social factors, "there was still a 28 percent reduction in mortality." (http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/spirituality-may-help-people-live-longer)

Which means that part of one being totally healthy, you not only need to exercise and eat right, but another factor is to be apart of a church!

So who's with me? Let's go to church and get a fresh start in the fall!!!