Don't Give Up . . . .

This is a story that was forwarded to me by my cousin. Some of you may have heard it before, but it's a great one to remember in those trying days. Thanks, Cuz!

Don't give up.....

One day I decided to quit...
I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality... I wanted to quit my life.
I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.
"God", I asked, "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"
His answer surprised me...
"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"
"Yes", I replied.
"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them.
I gave them light.
I gave them water.
The fern quickly grew from the earth.
Its brilliant green covered the floor.
Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.
In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.
And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. He said.
"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.
But I would not quit.
In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would
not quit." He said.
"Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared
to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant...But just 6
months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.
It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.
I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."
He asked me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots".
"I would not quit on the bamboo.
I will never quit on you."
"Don't compare yourself to others."
He said.
"The bamboo had a different Purpose than the fern.
Yet they both make the forest beautiful."
"Your time will come", God said to me.
"You will rise high"
"How high should I rise?"
I asked.
"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.
"As high as it can?" I questioned.
"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."
I left the forest and brought back this story.
I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you.
Never, Never, Never Give up.
For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

Live To Dream Big!

James Jackson, III
www.attainlifestyle.com

You Are What You Eat

Although we like to poke fun at this statement, it is more true than what you may think. It's not about food, however. This old saying is stating whatever you are feeding your mind, body, and soul, so shall you become. So the question is, what are you eating?

Society is attracted by all the negative aspects of life. We thrive off of any negative news that comes our way. We love to gossip, hear and spread rumors, watch movies displaying of violence and sex, or play video games full of violence and sex. It seems TV shows are becoming more racy to attract a bigger audience. We are 'consuming an unhealthy diet,' and we wonder why life isn't working out the way we want it to. It's like complaining about your weight, but not going to the gym or change your eating habits. We do the same thing with our mind and soul as well. We complain, but we constantly feed ourselves the wrong philosophy. Have you ever wondered why is it that we have a negative nature instead of a positive one?

In the Bible, the book of Ephesians explains that we were born with an evil nature. However, just because we were born with it, doesn't mean we have to stick with it. Going back to the Bible again, Romans 12:2 says, "Do not be conformed by the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Just like any habit, change won't happen overnight, especially if you are surrounded by it everywhere you look. Temptation is a strong demon that haunts us all the time, and it's our development that makes him weaker and soon dies. So what is the process of change? How do we rid ourselves of our negative nature that is killing our dreams? Where do we look for a better 'diet?'

Statistics show that only 3% of the population own a library card. The average person after graduating from school, high school or college, reads one book throughout the rest of their life. Statistics also show that 90% of US income is earned by 3% of the population. Coincidence? I don't think so. All the successful people have built a library. And it's not full of romance novels or Reader's Digests either. Their library is full of books, tapes, CDs, MP3s, and now Podcasts of personal development. It's filled of 'food' that feeds positive philosophies that when digested, creates a desired living.

If a student is going to school to pursue a degree in engineering, it would be safe to assume that he/she is also looking for a career in engineering. And if they graduate, they most likely would land a job in engineering. They fed themselves engineering, and they became an engineer. We can apply that same philosophy in our everyday life. If we have a desire to become a millionaire, we should read books on what it takes to become a millionaire. And believe me, there are a ton of them; most of them good. Within a few years of applying the philosophies learned from those books, guess what? You become a millionaire! Sounds easy right? It is. The key is that word apply. Act on what you learn. The student just didn't read engineering books. There were classes and exams that he/she had to take to apply and test what they learned so that they can confirm and have the engineering philosophy built in inside of them. Normal life is going to apply the same way. There are going to be tests on how you will apply the philosophies you learned. It's great to learn a new philosophy on life, but what good is it if you don't apply what you read. And believe or not, the principles you learn to create a positive nature for a desired living are simple things that you just simply apply every day. But you won't know unless you pick up a book.

I wasn't much of a reader after I graduated college. I was on my way to being the average statistic, and living an average life. It wasn't until I became an entrepreneur a year later that I picked up a book again, and now I read every day. I usually only read about 10 pages a day, and listen to about 30 minutes of an audio a day in my car. If I do any more than that, I won't absorb everything. This is a gauge everyone can apply. It only takes me a half hour to read 10 pages in the morning. Are you willing to sacrifice a half-hour of sleep to move you in a more positive direction? In most cases, we stay up late for reasons unnecessary anyway. 30 minutes is less than an average commute to and from work these days? Can you sacrifice that Jay-Z & talk radio for some time with Jim Rohn? 1 hour a day out of your life is all your dreams are asking for. It may not seem like a lot right now, but add that up over a year's time. 10 pages for 365 days will amount to about 12 books. 30 minutes for 365 days amounts to about 182 hours or almost eight full days of learning great philosophies. How much wisdom do you think you have gained in a year? How much increase have you gained? I started my personal development 4 1/2 years ago, but I've been reading consistently everyday for about a 2 of those years, and my life has truly changed. I know what is available to everyone out there. My mindset is so much different than where it was before. I believe now that anything is possible.

Eat trash, become trash. Eat prosperity, become prosperous.

Here are some books to get you started on your way. I like going through Amazon. I never buy anything at full price, and they have great deals.

Think & Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill
The Slight Edge - Jeff Olson
The Secret - Rhonda Byrne
The Art of Exceptional Living - Jim Rohn
The Science of Getting Rich - Wallace Wattles

LIVE TO DREAM BIG!

James Jackson, III
www.attainlifestyle.com

Grand Central

Check this out. This is a new cool thing that Google is Beta-testing right now. So if you have any comments would like to discuss with me, you can now just click below & . . . . .


TRY IT AND GIVE ME A HOLLA!