Let’s begin this week’s conclusion to my “12 Things That Make Men Rich” columns by saying, “You wanna be what you see!”
The ninth principle is about the importance of having an Open Mind on All Subjects. A closed-minded person could never see himself or herself doing something that may very well be needed in their dream field. We all know somebody we would say has a closed mind. You see traits in these people such as bias, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia and homophobia. When a person’s mind is made up, you can pretty much forget about it. Another example is religion, which can also be a form of closed-mindedness. Fundamentally, what closed-mindedness does is shut out the possibility of original thinking.
The 10th principle is having Self-Discipline. We have control over what we do. If all we do every day is sit around watching television, relaxing, not thinking, not studying ways to improve ourselves, how can we expect to get to the next level? Take your daily eating habits, for example. That one, my friend, requires self-discipline in every sense of the word. If you have Type 2 diabetes like millions of other people, then you must control yourself by adjusting to smaller servings. You must get yourself up to exercise. It requires you to get something done. Either you walk, jog, go to the gym, or you have a home routine. It’s your choice, but only you can make it happen.
The 11th principle is having the Capacity to Understand People. There was a class that I took at my church, All Nations Baptist Church, called “Temperament.” Who am I? What makes me do the things I do? You’ve asked these timeless questions as have philosophers and theologians for thousands of years. “Spirit-Controlled Temperament,” written by Tim LaHaye, was our textbook. This class provided answers to these questions, patterned after ancient models of human behavior and grounded in the Word of God.
Temperament is defined as something each of us are born with. We’re all born with distinct strengths, but we also have weaknesses that can hold us back. God wants to transform our natural weaknesses to make us a dynamic, effective Christian who lives above anger, fear, depression and selfishness; but there are steps we must take. Most of us never take these steps, because we believe we are who we are. In that class, it helped me to understand that when someone behaves in a particular manner, it is based on those traits you were born with. The class reminded us that each of us gets some of our ways from our two parents and four grandparents. Therefore, each of us will be different, based on traits we inherited from our parents or grandparents.
When we understand how someone behaves, and become aware that their behavior is simply that, and we’re not angry with them for lashing out at you. It has nothing at all to do with you or me, this behavior comes out often and with others. In our class, we learned how to control our temperament. We were required to look at our negative temperament traits, and to learn to recognize them as they arise. Then we had to come up with ways to change those negative traits. The key was the Holy Spirit. We have to pray to ask for guidance. The bottom line is that class taught us how we can exercise self-control, which would help us to understand the most difficult people in our lives.
Finally, the 12th and final principle is Economic Security. Once we incorporate all of these principles into our daily lives, we will learn to deal with the valleys, the hills will take care of themselves! We will begin to do everything to the best of our abilities or not at all! We will know that not one drop of our self-worth is based on what others think of us.
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, visit her website, www.lyndiagrant.com, email lyndiagrantshowdc@gmail.com or call 240-602-6295. Follow her on Twitter @LyndiaGrant and on Facebook.