So, last week as I was driving in my car, I said to God, “let’s go on a journey…a brand new adventurous journey.” I’ve reached a place in my life where I want ALL THINGS NEW…REALLY! EVERYTHING. I’m so tired of going through the same old stuff. Most of all, I’m tired of myself. Someone once told me once you change your mindset/attitude, EVERYTHING else around you will change. As Joyce Meyer always says, where the mind goes, the man follows.

Last week’s blog focused on the question that we all wonder and ask from time to time, ESPECIALLY regarding hardship- WHY?! Personally, I’ve been wondering and asking God WHY I’ve worked so hard through so many years, sacrificing so much to follow Him, just to remain in a place of struggle- no job, no income, no opportunities but consistent disappointment and frustration as I try to advance. Like really, what in the world has been holding up my blessings and prosperity??? God gave me the answer PLAIN and SIMPLE- I need to be transformed by the entire renewal of my mind as stated in Romans 12:2. Upon this revelation, I really began to look back over the past few years of my life, analyzing the decisions that brought me to my current situation. I can be honest and admit that my mindset and attitude haven’t always been all that great. I’ve allowed frustration and impatience to taint my logic, which in turn has lead to VERY poor decisions. Oh if  I only learned earlier in life to abstain from emotional impulsivity and walk by faith.

In January 2015, I reached a place of ULTIMATE frustration and unhappiness on the job where I worked for over 6 years. These feelings started brewing about 2-3 years earlier. I absolutely ADORED my bosses but there was no room for growth or promotion. Anyone who really knows me knows that I detest stagnation. On top of that, the pay was low. Long story short, God didn’t move fast enough to bless me with something better as I had been praying for. I decided to take matters into my own hands. So I quit the job and settled for something that wasn’t at all stable and here I am now- WITH NOTHING. One of the DUMBEST decisions I’ve ever made all because of impatience and a poor mindset. A year and a half later I’m still suffering from this mistake. Yup, I’ve learned my lesson.

Looking in retrospect,  a bad attitude/mindset has jacked me up and set me back in multiple areas of my life. It’s so amazing how powerful our minds are. Seriously. Every action begins with a thought. So, negative thinking is likely to generate negative behavior and decision making that are destructive. Contrarily, positive thinking is likely to generate positive behavior and decision making that are advantageous to us.

God’s word instructs us to not conform to the world. I always thought this scripture mainly referred to “sin-sin” but it goes much deeper. I realize that I’ve been conforming to the patterns of this world by relying on my logic and my own strength rather than relying on God (that’s a BIG no-no). I’ve allowed myself to grow weary and frustrated by constantly magnifying and focusing on my problems rather than magnifying and focusing on the problem solver (God). So, I decided to shift my focus by spending more time in God’s word, worship, and prayer. I’m building my faith and retraining my mind to meditate on positivity. I’m CONSTANTLY casting down the wrong thoughts. It’s definitely quite a challenge. Indeed, the mind is a battlefield but Jesus already won the battle for me on the cross so all I have to do is stay anchored in Him and I’ll be able to soar FAR ABOVE my circumstances. I’m determined to maintain my joy even through these tough times. It’s not easy, but it is doable with the right mindset.