“Your past doesn’t have to determine your future.” ~ Les Brown.
“To Err is human; to forgive Divine.” ~ Alexander Pope
I just need to restate a line from the classic hit by Frank Sinatra,
Regrets I’ve had a few
But then again too many to mention
I did what I wanted to do
And paid the price without exemption!
The truth is, I have had more failures than successes! The thing is, though, I always seem to get back up, and venture out again. This doesn’t mean that the failures haven’t impacted me; they have. I am always conscious of those failures. However, I work hard to remind myself that I am not bound to the past, I am O.F.F. to a new future.
Join me on the journey to the future.
O. – Own your failures. When you mess up, make a mistake, fail to keep a commitment, don’t make excuses. Own you mistakes!
Too many times we look around for others or circumstances that we can blame! Hey, no one and no thing makes you decide what you will do. You are created a person of free will. You decide what you do and don’t do – regardless of the pressure you feel to choose certain options. YOU DECIDE! Own your choices. Remember what Benjamin Franklin said, “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”
You will never mover forward until you admit the failure, accept responsibility for the failure, and adjust your thinking for the future. Take ownership of your life and your choices. George Washington Carver once said that “Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.”
F. Forgive yourself. Yes, you may need to ask forgiveness from others, too. Know this, it doesn’t matter how many others forgive you, unless you forgive yourself, you will never be free to move forward. As a Christian, I know that Jesus gave his life to pay for my sins. I believe that. BUT, until I am willing to accept that forgiveness, and forgive myself, my future is held hostage to my past. This is regardless to how large we believe the failure is. In truth, it really doesn’t matter. Lying, selfishness, gossiping, slander, greediness, adultery – they all are wrong and limit our being the person God created us to be! If you don’t deal with it and ask and receive for forgiveness, it will never release you!
F. Fix the problem! Making a mistake, failing at a responsibility, etc., is very natural for all of us. But, fix it. To keep doing the same things, will continue to bring you down. You can never rise when you are chained down!
“You can’t go back and begin again, but you can start today and make a brand new end!” Rick Warren
So, there is your assignment for this week. Be O.F.F. to a new start.
Make your’s a great day and a great week, and remember: No Excuses!
Danny
P.S. Sorry that I’ve had to send this out twice. The first post, as you may have seen, had a technical glitch. Hopefully, that has now been corrected.