Soul Food Revolution

Our last principle that we are highlighting this week seems the most simplistic on the surface, but requires the most personal strength of all: persistence.

Knowing that I have already made changes in my life that will last forever, today I insert the final piece of the puzzle. I posses the greatest power ever bestowed upon mankind, the power of choice. Today, I choose to persist without exception. I know the outcome I desire. I hold fast to my dreams. I stay the course. I do not quit. I will persist without exception. I will continue despite exhaustion. I compare myself to my potential. I am not average. I see exhaustion as a precursor to victory. By persisting without exception, my outcome-my success- is assured. I will persist without exception. I focus on results. To achieve the results I desire, it is not even necessary that I enjoy the process. It is only important that I continue the process with my eyes on the outcome. An athlete does not enjoy the pain of training; an athlete enjoys the results of having trained. A young falcon is pushed from the nest, afraid and tumbling from the cliff. The pain of learning to fly cannot be an enjoyable experience, but the anguish of learning to fly is quickly forgotten as the falcon soars to the heavens. I will persist without exception. I am a person of great faith. In Jeremiah, my Creator declares, ‘For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ From this day forward, I will claim a faith in the certainty of my future. I have faith in my future. I do not look to the left or right. I look forward. I can only persist. For me, faith will always be a sounder guide than reason because reason can only go so far-faith has no limits. I will expect miracles in my life because faith produces them every day. I will believe in the future that I do not see. That is faith. And the reward of this faith is to see the future I believed. I will continue despite exhaustion. I focus on results. I am a person of great faith. I will persist without exception.

Excerpt taken from The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews. Also, follow Andy on Twitter.

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Next to last, but certainly not least is the principle of forgiveness: “I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit”

At this moment, my life has taken on new hope and assurance. I now understand that forgiveness has value only when it is given away. By the simple act of granting forgiveness, I release the demons of the past about which I can do nothing, and I create in myself a new heart, a new beginning. I will greet his day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive even those who do not ask for forgiveness. I will now and forevermore silently offer my forgiveness even to those who do not see that they need it. By the act of forgiving, I am not longer consumed by unproductive thoughts. I give up bitterness. I am content in my soul and effective again with my fellow man. I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive those who criticize me unjustly. I am not a slave. I have chosen my counsel. I know the difference between right and wrong. I know what is best for the future of my family, and neither misguided opinion nor unjust criticism will alter my course. I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive myself. For many years, my greatest enemy has been myself. I realize today that it is impossible to fight an enemy living in my head. By forgiving myself, I erase the doubts, fears, and frustration that have kept my past in the present. From this day forward, my history will cease to control my destiny. I have forgiven myself. My life has just begun. I will forgive even those who do not ask for forgiveness. I will forgive those who criticize me unjustly. I will forgive myself. I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit.

Excerpt taken from The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews. Also, follow Andy on Twitter.
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The fifth of the seven principles to success this week is “I will choose to be happy.”

Beginning this very moment, I am a happy person, for I now truly understand the concept of happiness. Happiness is a choice. Happiness is the end result of certain thoughts and activities, which actually bring about a chemical reaction in my body. This reaction results in a euphoria that, while elusive to some, is totally under my control. Today I will choose to be happy. I will greet each day with laughter. Within moments of awakening, I will laugh for seven seconds. Even after such a small period of time, excitement has begun to flow through my bloodstream. I feel different. I am different! I am enthusiastic about the day. I am alert to its possibilities. I am happy! Laughter is an outward expression of enthusiasm, and I know that enthusiasm is the fuel that moves the world. I laugh throughout the day. I laugh while I am alone, and I laugh in conversation with others. People are drawn to me because I have laughter in my heart. The world belongs to the enthusiastic, for people will follow them anywhere! Today I will choose to be happy. I smile at every person I meet. My smile has become my calling card. My smile has the strength to forge bonds, break ice, and calm storms. I will use my smile constantly. Because of my smile, the people with whom I come in contact on a daily basis will choose to further my causes and follow my leadership. I will always smile first. That particular display of a good attitude will tell others what I expect in return. My smile is the key to my emotional makeup. A wise man once said, ‘ I do not sing because I am happy; I am happy because I sing!’ When I choose to smile, I become the master of my emotions. The power of who I am is displayed when I smile. Today I will choose to be happy. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit. Just as the fresh breeze cleans smoke from the air, so a grateful spirit removes the cloud of despair. It is impossible for the seed of depression to take root in a thankful heart. My God has bestowed upon me many gifts, and for these I will remember to be grateful. I am grateful for sight and sound and breath. I will greet each day with laughter. I will smile at every person I meet. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit. Today I will choose to be happy.

Excerpt taken from The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews. Also, follow Andy on Twitter.
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The fourth principle in our series this week: “I have a decided heart”

A wise man once said, ‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’ Knowing this to be true, I am taking my first step today. The power to control direction belongs to me. Today I will begin to exercise that power. My course has been charted. My destiny is assured. I have a decided heart. I am passionate about my vision for the future. I will awaken every morning with an excitement about the new day and its opportunity for growth and change. My thoughts and actions will work in a forward motion. I will freely give my vision for the future to others, and as they see the belief in my eyes, they will follow me. I will lay my head on my pillow at night happily exhausted, knowing that I have done everything within my power to move the mountains in my path. As I sleep, the same dream that dominates my waking hours will be with me in the dark. Yes, I have a dream. It is a great dream, and I will never apologize for it. My hopes, my passions, my vision for the future are my very existence. I have a decided heart. I will not wait. I know that the purpose of analysis is to come to a conclusion. I have tested the angles. I have measured the probabilities. And now I have made a decision with my heart. I am not timid. I will move now and not look back. I do not procrastinate. All my problems become smaller when I confront them. If I touch a thistle with caution, it will prick me, but if I grasp it boldly, its spines crumble into dust. I will not wait. I am passionate about my vision for the future. My course has been charted. My destiny is assured. I have a decided heart.

Excerpt taken from The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews. Also, follow Andy on Twitter.

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Today’s principle, the third in our series highlighting author Andy Andrews is called “I am a person of action.”

Beginning today, I will create a new future by creating a new me. My future is immediate. I will grasp it in both hands and carry it with running feet. When I am faced with the choice of doing nothing or doing something, I will always choose to act! I seize the moment. I choose now. I am a person of action. I am energetic. I move quickly. I will create a habit of lively behavior. I will walk with a spring in my step and a smile on my face. The lifeblood rushing through my veins is urging me upward and forward into activity and accomplishment. Wealth and prosperity hide from the sluggard, but rich rewards come to the person who moves quickly. I am a person of action. I inspire others with my activity. I am a leader. Leading is doing. To lead, I must move forward. My activity will create a wave of success for the people who follow. My activity will be consistent. This will instill confidence in my leadership. As a leader, I have the ability to encourage and inspire others to greatness. It is true: an army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep. I am a person of action. I can make a decision. I can make it now. God has given me a healthy mind to gather and sort information and the courage to come to a conclusion. My constitution is strong and my pathway clear. Successful people make their decisions quickly and change their minds slowly. My decisions come quickly, they lead to victory. I am a person of action. I am daring. I am courageous. Fear no longer has a place in my life. I have exposed fear as a vapor, an impostor that never had any power over me in the first place. I do not fear failure, for in my life, failure is a myth. Failure exists only for the person who quits. I do not quit. I am courageous. I am a leader. I seize the moment. I choose now. I am a person of action.

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