Did you know that seeing is reality?  Simply put, what you and I are able to see affects our perspective on life.  And how we act is based on how we perceive. How do you see your life?

Getting off the Train

Yesterday, I took the train into Grand Central Station and proceeded on my usual walk to catch the subway.  There’s a long tunnel that everyone has to walk through to get to the shuttle to Times Square/42nd St.  There’s usually various advertisements for different television shows on the wall.  But, this time there were only different versions of advertisements for the same show:  HEROES. 

You know the show that seems to be taking the world by storm.  (I’ll admit, I watch it too.)  It was HEROES as far as the eyes could see. The entire tunnel was plastered with gigantic posters of the characters - playing up the anticipated conflict between good and evil.  Each poster also had a reminder that the new season starts on September 22.

So what do you think will happen on September 22?  If this ad campaign is any indication, there’s going to be a large contingent of ‘Heroes’  watchers.

The Question About Growth?

This raises a question in my mind.  What do we surround ourselves with?  And what happens when we surround ourself with certain things? 

Answer: We are more likely to act on what we see/hear on a constant basis.

This is why advertisers spend millions researching our spending habits and inundating our world with ads that influence our spending habits.

They tend to use this to our detriment and their benefit.  However, advertisers weren’t the first to realize the power of surrounding a person with a constant message.

The Bible talks about this in several places.  Deuteronomy is one of them.

“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today.” 

(Here’s the message.  But how do you make it constant?  Read on.)

“Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again. Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”   (Deut. 6: 4-9)

So, here’s an example of God giving instructions for how the people could bring focus and transformation to their lives.  And this principle doesn’t just apply to spiritual matters, but to all matters of growth - supernatural and natural.

The Bottom Line

You are more likely to do the things that you surround yourself with.  Why?  Because you begin to open yourself up to them and they begin to become a part of you.  If you surround yourself with negative things, then prepare to be negative, pessimistic and evil.  Be prepared to run the serious risk of having your very soul corrupted. 

But if you surround yourself with the things of God, your life will be empowered for growth and change for the better. 

Do you want to overcome mediocrity, laziness and procrastination?  Do you want to overcome pessimism, hatred and low self-esteem?  Change what (and who) you surround yourself with.

What happens when you surround yourself with things? Eventually, you take on their influences and tend to act out of that context.  Remember, how we act is based on how we perceive.

So, surround yourself with the God-given dreams and goals that live within you. Write them down.  Draw them out.  Put photos on your wall of where you want to be. And as you look at these goals and possibilities everyday, you will be increasingly motivated to begin taking the necessary steps to walk towards them.  And after some time, they won’t be possibilities anymore… but they will be reality.

What do you see?

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Filed under: Articles • Self-Help • Spirituality

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