Self-Improvement Archives - Page 39 of 48

Like Water off a Duck’s Back

July 14, 2015 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

Do you need a solution for anger or frustration? Watch ducks. That’s right; watch ducks.

Ducks often dive under water for food. When they come up, the water glides over their backs and returns to the pond or lake. Occasionally they shake their feathers to get rid of any extra water.

Ducks show no need to:

Watch the water.
Quack at the water.
Fight the water.

They’re too busy swimming and diving for something to eat.

When life upsets us, let the problem go. Treat it like water off a duck’s back. We don’t have to:

Focus on what upsets us.
Yell at what upsets us.
Fight what upsets us.

Getting upset tires us, so in a duck-like manner:

Ignore hateful comments.
Overlook insults.
When we must respond, do so clearly but kindly.
Then shake off any remaining negative feelings.

In the process, we gain freedom — freedom from the control of others and freedom to become our best selves.

We can also pray that those who upset us learn to act like ducks.

“A fool is quick-tempered; a wise man stays cool when insulted” (Proverbs 12:16 TLB).

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Light at the End of the Tunnel

July 7, 2015 Diana Derringer Comments 6 comments

Tunnels may get us through mountains, but the journey can be dark and scary. If we focus on light at the end of the tunnel, we find hope. That light promises an end to our dark and scary time.

Some tunnels seem to go on forever. They amaze me. How can anyone dig a hole through the middle of a mountain without getting crushed?

Yet they can.

The engineer in charge designs a plan. That plan creates a tunnel that will protect both the construction workers and the travelers. However, the design works only if everyone carefully follows the plan.

Like a tunnel, life sometimes seems dark and scary. We feel like we’re digging through a mountain of difficulties. We wonder how we will make it through without getting crushed.

God, who created us, is:

Life’s engineer, who created a perfect plan
Our source of light, who promises an end to any dark and scary time
Our hope, peace, and guidance through every difficulty

The question for each of us: Will we follow?

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

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Can’t Win for Losing

June 16, 2015 Diana Derringer Comments 3 comments

Do you know how it feels to lose over and over again?

No matter what you do or how hard you try, you fail. Success seems impossible. You simply can’t win for losing.

Don’t feel bad. Most of us have been there. Some of us have been there many times. A few of us think we have been there most of our lives.

Often we believe we are the only ones who fail.

But consider the following quotes from extremely successful people. They have been there too.

When you come to a roadblock, take a detour. —Mary Kay Ash
Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom. —George S. Patton
I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed. —Michael Jordan
It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure. —Bill Gates
I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. —Thomas A. Edison
If you learn from defeat, you haven’t really lost. —Zig Ziglar

When you feel like you can’t win for losing, don’t give up.

You are in good company. As Thomas Edison said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26 NIV).

Thanks to Becky Nash Rowe for the suggestion.

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Put Your House in Order

June 9, 2015 Diana Derringer Comments 0 Comment

It’s probably too late to put this old house in order. We see signs of decay all over it:

Weeds, trees, and vines growing near and on it
Cracks in the wood, windows, and door
Parts of it leaning, preparing to fall

To put your house in order, you try to return everything to good condition. You don’t usually mean a house. You may want to:

Get your finances in good shape.
Improve your behavior.
Prepare for death.

We see the last meaning in Isaiah 38:1 when Isaiah told King Hezekiah, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die.”

Sometimes when people criticize you, you might say, “Put your own house in order.” This tells them to solve their problems instead of criticizing you.

All of us have problems. We can prevent many of them. With houses, we can:

Keep weeds, trees, and vines cut.
Repair cracks as soon as they appear.
Keep the foundation and support strong.

With our lives, we can:

Avoid harmful activities.
Correct mistakes as soon as they occur.
Make God our foundation.
Help one another stay strong.

“The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matthew 7:25 NIV).

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Put Feet to Our Prayers

June 2, 2015 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

Many of us believe in the power of prayer.

We pray for one another.
We pray for our own concerns.
We share prayer requests.
We report answers to prayer.
We keep prayer lists.
We pray at meals.
We pray before we go to bed.
We pray at church.

We can pray anytime and anyplace. We can also pray from any position:

Hands together
Hands apart
Standing
Sitting
Lying down
Kneeling

However, we sometimes need to get off our knees (or whatever our position). We need to put feet to our prayers. When we put feet to our prayers, we exercise more than our feet.

Our ears listen for God’s direction.
Our eyes see problems around us.
Our minds decide what to do.
Our feet go where needs exist.
Our hands reach out to help.

We often think or say, “Somebody ought to do something.” Well, take a good look in the mirror. We are somebody. So let’s get out there and do something. Let’s put feet to our prayers.

“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” (1 John 3:17 NIV).

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An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

May 26, 2015 Diana Derringer Comments 5 comments

All my life I heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. That sounds good to me. I’m for whatever we can do to prevent problems. Plus, I love apples.

We credit Benjamin Franklin with saying an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. His quote contains wisdom we all need.

We can either spend a little time preventing a problem or a lot of time curing it.

If we have the ability to prevent something bad, why not do it? If eating apples will keep us out of the doctor’s office, let’s eat apples!

Some people have revised Franklin’s quote to say an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. I tend to agree.

Consider our choices:

Exercise and eat well now or treat health problems later.
Save for emergencies now or deal with debt later.
Develop strong relationships now or have few friends later.
Work well now or find a new job later.

Do you see a pattern here?

Our choices today affect our lives tomorrow.

What kind of future do we want?

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:8 NIV).

Thank you to Karen Atwood for this suggestion.

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Photo courtesy of morgueFile.

Jump from the Frying Pan into the Fire

May 12, 2015 Diana Derringer Comments 0 Comment

If we touch a hot frying pan, we let go fast. We want to avoid the pain and scars. Holding on does not make good sense.

We suffer far worse if we touch the source of that heat. We definitely want to stay out of the fire. Therefore, we don’t touch:

• Hot stoves
• Bonfires
• Fireplaces
• Torches

Yet, how often do we try to solve one mistake by making another? In the process, we make our bad situation worse. We jump from the frying pan into the fire.

• We cover one lie with another.
• We hurt people and then avoid them.
• We do poor work but blame someone else.

We can do better:

• Admit our mistakes.
• Apologize and repair relationships.
• Do our best, and help others do their best.

Let go of the frying pan. Stay out of the fire.

“Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright” (Proverbs 14:9 NIV).

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Photo courtesy of morgueFile.

Hang On for Dear Life

April 28, 2015 Diana Derringer Comments 3 comments

An older cousin taught me to swim here. Her first lesson: how to kick.

She told me to find holes in the rocks to get a grip. I then raised my legs and kicked. If I let go, I went under the water. After falling and choking a few times, I learned to hold tightly – to hang on for dear life.

Occasionally my sister or another cousin yelled “snake.” Of course, I screamed and would hang on tighter then.

Eventually I finished my lessons. I still love to swim.

Sometimes our lives seem to fall apart at the seams. When that happens, we hang on for dear life to what matters most. Those hard times can teach us the most valuable lessons.

I now hang on to:

Family
Friends
Faith

I know if I lose the first two, I can survive with the third. The best part of placing my faith in Jesus: I don’t have to hang on for dear life. Jesus holds on to me and will never let go.

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand” John 10:28 NIV).

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Until the Cows Come Home

April 21, 2015 Diana Derringer Comments 0 Comment

We wait until the cows come home for a new job.

We wait until the cows come home for the love of our life to call.

We wait until the cows come home for a vacation.

Waiting is hard. Waiting a long time is very hard. Waiting until the cows come home … seems to take forever. What we wait for may happen, but who knows when?

If you watch cows move from one place to another, they usually take a long time.

They don’t rush.
They move their ears and tails to brush away flies.
They chew.
They often walk together in a single file down a well-worn path.

If you want to see slow, watch cows.

Some farmers move cows from one pasture to another so they have enough grass to eat. They often move the cows in early spring or summer. They return the cows in late autumn. That’s a long time until the cows come home.

Farmers who milk cows usually milk them early morning and late afternoon. That’s a long day in the field until the cows return to the barn at night.

Perhaps we need a little of a cow’s patience. When we tire of waiting, remember:

Don’t rush.
Get rid of unnecessary distractions.
Be satisfied with basic needs.
Follow the right path.

“Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains” (James 5:7 NIV).

Special thanks to Emily Akin for the suggestion and link to this and other cattle based idioms.

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Golden Years

April 14, 2015 Diana Derringer Comments 4 comments

My parents entered their golden years (retirement) several years ago. Free from work responsibilities, they enjoyed extra time for several interests:

Travel
Family
Gardening
A huge orchard
Woodworking
Church activities

Family and friends always gathered at their home. That continues today. Some people visit for fun. Others desire prayer and spiritual support.

Although their bodies have grown weaker, their faith has remained strong. They understand God has a purpose for them, and they continue to fulfill that purpose.

They are not perfect, but they come as close as anyone I know. By following God, who is love, they can love everyone better:

One another
Their children
Family and friends
Acquaintances and strangers

Their strong commitment to faith and family inspires those who know them to:

Share love with words and actions.
Take time for one another.
Work through problems as they arise.
Focus on the positives.
Help people in need.

What a great example they provide.

Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad! Keep enjoying your golden years.

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love” (1 John 4:16 NIV).

Thanks to Gail Gosser for help with the post and Robbie Childress for the photo.

Do you have special family memories? If so, please comment.

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