AT the age of 30, I applied for a marketing position.
Nothing strange about that, except the newspaper advertisement stated that unless you were over 40 you would not have the maturity for the job and that therefore anyone under 40 need not bother to apply.
As on many other occasions in my life, my wife Pattie encouraged me to go ahead to submit an application.
With nothing to lose by trying I went ahead and I got the job.
It was a turning point in our lives.
Successful people don’t drift to the top.
It takes focused action, personal discipline and lots of energy every day to make things happen.
Confidence is built on the foundation of learning as much as you can about what you’re trying to do, and by believing in yourself and your abilities.
Confidence comes when you take pride in yourself and what you do.
Jesus tells us “unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:3).
The key to success is knowing what you have to know. Get really good at what you do.
Become as knowledgeable as you can, develop the skills and competencies of your job.
Focus on your strengths, the things you are naturally good at. Don’t waste time on unproductive activities.
Don’t major in minor things.
Change your self-image and you change your personality and your behaviour.
Expand your self-image and you expand the area of the possible.
Nothing will change until you do. Believe in yourself because God does.
Now, that might seem like a tough ask and, indeed it is!
You won’t achieve it by yourself. That’s why you need to remember that you have been crafted by God, the Creator who is with you all day, every day.
When you call on God he responds.
You just have to make sure that you are listening for that response and that you take action.
Know that you will stumble along the way but that comes with the territory.
Just place yourself in God’s guiding hands and you will soon be back on track.
We are God’s work of art, created in Christ Jesus for the good works which God has already designated to make up our way of life. (Ephesians 2:10)
God gives us certain talents and expects us to use them for His greater glory. “Fan into a flame the gift of God that you possess … God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:6-7)
In other words, start producing.
After all is said and done, more is said than done.
Positive thinking is not enough. You need to combine it with positive action. Build your life and yourself around your strong qualities.
What massive action can you take today to help God bring about changes in your life?
Think about it, determine what it is and write it down.
Then just do it.
God gives us this day, the gifts, blessings, love, the work we do – that keeps us busy and gives us opportunities to serve God by serving others.
Without God we are nothing.
So, while it all begins with you, you can feel secure in the knowledge that there is never a single thing in your life that you have done alone, for God is with you always, God is your partner.
You have never been alone – ever.
God has been with you always. God is with you always.
As an action, make a daily offering of yourself to God today.
Offer all that you are, all that you have. And give thanks to God for this day.
By Terry Lees
Terry Lees is a member of the Mt Isa Catholic Parish.
