Hi there. Wouldn’t you love to have a simple ‘formula’ that can help get rid of all hindrances to your success? In this post I am going to show how you can refuse to give up but rather find power and confidence to overcome very subtle and dangerous ‘enemies’ – internal and external conflicts, lurking around with a mission to stop you right in your tracks from ever succeeding at anything you desire in life.
You may have read books, watched videos, attended seminars and workshops, listened to podcasts and sermons – all filled with ideas on how to become successful. Such ideas may be feasible, yet using them profitably isn’t always straightforward because of the lurking enemies. You see, it is easy, for instance, to ask someone to forgive, to love one’s enemies, to love Jesus and fear God, to be tolerant, to give generously, and so on. But one question that needs urgent answers is: how does one deal with the internal or external conflicts that ultimately determine your being able or not, to do what you want to do?
Inner conflicts
Negative thoughts are invasive and not easy to control. You know that you want to forgive, but there is another voice telling you that your anger is justified; and truly, it may be so. But can you overcome that ‘other’ voice and forgive, nevertheless? Don’t forget that refusing to forgive damages you, not the other person you are angry with.
Self-doubt tells, for example, a gifted singer not to dare join that worship team because they aren’t good enough to sing in a mega church. Then, the gifted singer gives up and allows their gift to lie dormant. Although self-doubt could be a signal within you that you are not good enough and need to grow, it could also just be a negative emotion that wants to keep you from exercising your God-given gifts.
Past pains have a way of making you feel sorry for yourself. Monitor your thoughts, so that you do not push away loved ones and be left alone (usually to meditate on your past pains). How do you overcome such negative energy?
The list is long and includes: feelings of inferiority, feelings of worthlessness, saying to yourself I-am-not-good-enough; fear of the unknown, of messing up, that what you want to try might not work out, of getting hurt…afraid to take that necessary step; procrastination, anxiety, discouragement, and stress, to name a few. What are your internal conflicts? Identify and get ready to do away with them from your life for good.
Outer conflicts
These include but are not limited to:
- negative friends who feel you are becoming ‘something else’. You no more hang out till late or get drunk because you wanna focus on your dreams;
- negative family members who rather than support you, tell you that you are a disgrace to the family; colleagues who think you are stupid trying to do what you want to do;
- a bad economy in the country characterized by scarcity of money; rising costs of goods, lack of resources to carry out projects you may have conceived;
- mean teachers/lecturers who told you that you are stupid and will amount to nothing; negative comments from people who insult you in a joking manner while covering it up with a fake smile;
- the absence of role models; they could hold your hand and show you how to go about doing what you need to do; or the fact that you just easily get distracted by the multiple voices all around you.
Get ready to do away with external conflicts, for good!
Vital questions
The questions you need to answer right now so that your life can start moving forward have some of the above-listed conflicts and more at their very core. And I believe that until you deal with these questions, no books, sermons, videos, podcasts, workshops etc. may be of any real benefit to you. These will fill your head with knowledge but your life will have no results to show.
What conflicts are you facing right now? How are you letting them influence you? How do you intend to overcome? What dominant thoughts are in control of your life? Are you a person of faith? Are you that person who tolerates procrastination and keep for later what you could do now? How much space have you created in your heart to love others, showing sympathy and willingness to help, expecting nothing in return?
Take a moment to think about what could be keeping you from achieving your dreams, be they relationship dreams, financial dreams, career dreams, academic dreams etc.
How do you overcome?
Answer: Change your mindset. Simple! If you are able to grasp the significance of this phrase, your problems will vanish before your very eyes. In Romans 12:2 (KJV) it is written: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” A changed mindset will inevitably lead to a change of habits (that which has become your lifestyle, which you hate, yet you can’t help yourself). A change of habits, surely, will transform you to a brand new person! And a brand new person is one who has overcome the internal and external conflicts; who is more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37) and is doing things differently and of course, getting brand new results and excelling at using their God-given gifts!
In summary, changing your mindset is one guaranteed formula to overcome any hindrance, attain your desired dreams, and turn your life around.
How do you intend to use this ‘formula’ to overcome the internal and external conflicts that have held you bound for all these years? Share your thoughts with us in a comment below.
***Additional resource: watch Lewis Howes and Brendon Burchard at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBmvC_bqojw
My books (a course on self-discovery and self-development for career success) Do Yourself a Favor. Get Up! and Move! and its Study Guide are available on Amazon.com. Click here.
Visit: https://rolandrayk.com for more resources.