Life is full of a variety of temptations...
Some start at that fork in a conversation when you can respond in the right way or lash out at your spouse. Others are sparked by a glance at the nice house you don’t have or the lifestyle that’s out of your reach. And still others wage a constant battle against being faithful to integrity instead of choosing sin when you think no one is looking.
Shaun McCloskey here, and I know that voices of temptation bombard us on a daily basis.
The less time we spend truly thinking about and making the right choices, the more temptation can snake its way in.
And what happens when we make the wrong choice?
What happens when we give in to what we want in spite of what’s right?
Well, I’ve got 5 things you can do right now to help you make those good choices and invest in your future.
5 Ways to Invest in You
1. Confess
Sin operates best in the dark. Exposing it eliminates that power.
You need an accountability partner. Someone you’re comfortable with to share your inner thoughts, concerns and ideas. Allow them to help you work through issues, brainstorm – maybe even guide you to the right path.
2. Turn
Feeling negative? Maybe you foresee spiraling down a rabbit hole?
Make a full U-turn from where you were headed deeper into sin and go back the opposite direction. Use that accountability partner for help if needed.
3. Be Accountable
Own your mess, beyond the excuses, beyond the blame. It is yours alone. Analyze it so you avoid repeating it in the future.
And once you recognize that the power of your decisions and choices is yours – both good and bad – and you hold yourself accountable, you can begin moving yourself in the right direction.
4. Guard
It is crucial that you invest in “guard rails” against future temptation. Learn from your mistakes. Surround yourself with positive people who will help you avoid those temptations.
Perhaps you’ve already tried to beat the negativity on your own and you’ve seen how unsuccessful that was…
Don’t think you’re strong enough to put yourself in a position where you have the chance to fall. No one is. We’re human.
5. Commit
We must become so discontent with the cycle of falling followed by remorse that we commit wholeheartedly to doing the right thing daily.
No matter what you’re going through right now, commit to a plan for your success.
Doing these 5 things can certainly create a more positive, productive self…
But can you be perfect? Should you be? Does perfection exist?
Attaining Perfection
We are always told that “no one is perfect.” I’ve said it many times myself. I’ve taught that perfection, while not attainable, should be what we strive for.
But suddenly, it hit me. I’m completely WRONG.
We absolutely, positively can be PERFECT! 100% perfection is attainable.
It all boils down to what we are measuring...
No, I’m not suggesting that we lower the bar. I’m actually suggesting that we raise the bar and still be 100% perfect.
Don’t worry, I can explain…
When we talk about perfection, we are focusing on the results, the outcome of our efforts. When we have already come to the conclusion that we cannot have a perfect outcome or perfect results, we will never give 100% of our effort.
Our effort will never be perfect.
We can’t always control the outcome, but we can always control our effort.
At the end of each day, we may not be able to say that the results of our efforts were perfect – but, we should be able to look at ourselves in the mirror and know that we were perfect in the effort we gave to our day.
If we can say that each and every day we have given our best, the results will far exceed what they would have if we had given anything less than our best. If we can commit (there’s that word again) to giving a perfect effort, just today, we will be better for tomorrow.
And for your future.
At the end of our days, we will only be disappointed with the result and the outcome if we gave anything less than our best. But, no matter what the outcome, if we look back and know that we gave the best we have, we can hold our heads high because we lived a perfect life.
Share Below
Who’s your accountability partner? How do you stay on the up and up? What do you do to make sure you’re making the right choices? Share in the comments section below.
Hold yourself accountable for your actions.
Get an accountability partner who’ll be honest with you and who can help brainstorm, be a sounding board and get you back on track if needed.
Commit to putting 100% effort in everything you do.
Make right, just, honest choices.
Shaun McCloskey
is considered to be a very successful real estate investor, author and real estate coach by world standards, but he realized that he was working far too much and was too consumed by his real estate investing business. By implementing Lifeonaire life coaching into his own personal life and business, this is now a thing of the past. He currently teaches others to do the same.