More than 40 years ago, before I knew better, it was my belief that if I wanted to be successful or have a chance at a more quality life, my best hope would be to keep my fingers crossed and hope things would change. I did think that someday, maybe I might get that lucky break.
There are three things I discuss here that all of us must do: 1 — Force yourself to move toward your goal; 2 — Adjust/change when things change (be like the chameleon); and 3 — Work on your goal, even when you don’t feel like doing it.
What I did not know was “I must force myself to do those things that really matter. Nothing is going to change; therefore, we must realize that it is me (you and I) who must change! Become ready and willing to do things we don’t feel like doing, stop waiting to be ready. Learn to break the invisible habit of avoidance. There have been so many days that I did not feel like writing this column, nor did I feel like finding guests and interviewing them, and getting the show edited and sent to the station. It all takes discipline!
Opportunity mixed with difficulty isn’t going to change; it usually comes along in that fashion; opportunity will require that you make some sacrifices, do something differently, and go where you’ve never gone before. To be ready then, things will only change for you when you make that change to match up with the change that has come your way. Re-read that statement until you understand clearly what it is saying, otherwise you could get left behind!
Since life is like the seasons, learn to reap during the fall harvest without complaint. Take full responsibility regardless of how your crop turns out. It is not the seed, it is not the sunshine, nor is it the rainstorms to be criticized. It’s your responsibility; so take whatever comes with no complaint and with no apology if you’ve done well; and believe it or not, don’t even complain if you have not done well. The sun will shine, and rain will fall, so the earth has been here millions of years. It’s no different, but did you act like the seasons and do exactly what it is you must do during the fall of the year. Once you learn these lessons from the seasons, you will surely be successful.
Take care of yourself, and I mean your health, eat right and exercise! Scripture says treat your body like a temple, meaning something you take really good care of. The body your soul and spirit lives in now is the only place you’ve got to live at this time; therefore, nutrition is a key factor. How can you work 16-to-18-hour days if you don’t feel well, you won’t do well. You may not have the vitality, which is a requirement if you don’t take care of yourself.
Did you know that there are racehorse owners out there who feed their horses better than many of us eat? Some breeders or owners may be out of breath, yet they have a thoroughbred horse that can run like the wind. These breeders take care of their animals better than they take care of themselves.
Appearance is physical; you never have a second chance to make a first impression. God looks on the inside, but make no mistake, people look on the outside. Folks shouldn’t judge you by how you look, but they do! When those same folks get to know you, they will not only judge you by what they see, but they will begin to believe in you more because they already know you. You’ve proven yourself; they know that you know how to look and conduct yourself appropriately.
Spiritually, we are special creations, so study your values and virtues. Study and practice the Scriptures or whatever it is you believe.
Mentally, you must develop your mind; study, learn and change quickly. The wildebeest, for example, only has a few minutes to learn to walk and run once it is born. It must learn as soon as it’s born. The mother won’t let the newborn baby wildebeest nurse because the lions will get it; so the baby tries to nurse, but the mother is saying, “There’s not much time; you don’t have hours, not days, you only have minutes to learn, otherwise some wild animal will be happy to have your tender, fresh newborn body for supper tonight!” Humans not so much!
Lyndia Grant is a speaker/writer living in the D.C. area. Her radio show, “Think on These Things,” airs Fridays at 6 p.m. on 1340 AM (WYCB), a Radio One station. To reach Grant, go to her website, www.lyndiagrant.com, email lyndiagrantshowdc@gmail.com or call 240-602-6295. Follow her on X @LyndiaGrant and on Facebook.
