Wise Up

   Hello Friends! I recently had a discussion with my 11 year old.  Spoiler alert, 11 year old boys are not rational people.  He was claiming he wanted a solution to some difficulties he was facing.  However, he did not want my advice.  I offered him a few books written by experts on the subject, and he said he did not believe what they had to say. I referred him to specialists whom he also did not want to listen to.  Finally, in desperation I asked him what he thought the solution was.  "Well,"  he said, "If I had a phone and had access to TikTok."  (Insert a firm "No." and uproarious meltdown here.)  

  The sad thing is though, it's not just pre-teens who aren't rational people. We are a lot like this too.  Our culture has conditioned us that the answer to our problems is another item, pill, quick fix; the newest designer "it" is all we need to have the life of our dreams.  But the truth is, that's all a marketing lie.  

  The book of Proverbs, however, offers a different solution to our problems.  "Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.  Though it cost you all you have, get understanding." (Proverbs 4:7) And with regard to wisdom, it also says this, "Whoever finds me finds life." (Proverbs 8:35a) When was the last time we truly sought wisdom and understanding?  

  We live in a fast paced world, and we often expect all our problems to be fixed instantly.  The truth is though, true change requires work, and more than that, lasting results require wisdom.  When was the last time you sat down and read a book, sought expert advice, or attended a conference to gain wisdom and insight?  Are you truly seeking answers or are you just seeking products? 

  This week, don't be sucked into the lie that just buying one more miracle product will make your life all you desire it to be.  Choose wisdom.  Do the hard work.  Seek out truth.  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.L.W. 

Shut Up

   Good Morning, Friends! This week I was struck by a quote I heard while listening to a podcast, and it has gripped me. I have been ruminating on it all week and allowing it to guide me and motivate me. 

   We spend so much time talking about and thinking about things we want to do or be, but we don't take action.  We talk about getting healthy, but we don't ever lace up our tennis shoes.  I am the queen of making elaborate plans while avoiding taking the simple first step.  It's as if, somehow we think that by talking about it and preparing for it, we can negate the hard work of just doing it.  

  In this podcast, (the link is below for reference), writer Natalie Goldberg states, "You wanna write?  Shut up and write." This is such a simple statement but so powerful.  It's like the well known Nike slogan, "Just do it."  How many times have we heard this and yet not let it sink in?  We make things so complicated, when in reality it's as simple as taking the walk, saving the money, eating the salad, just doing that small action step day in and day out.  But we avoid this because it's mundane, simple, not as glamorous as talking and planning and imagining.  In truth, the path to the life we want is not lined with gold, it's paved with hard work. 

  Who or what is it that you want to be, that you talk about, plan for, but haven't done?  A healthy person, a great lover, a college grad, a debt free person?  You can say it all you want, but maybe like Natalie says, you need to shut up and do it.   

  What is the life you've been dreaming of? Are you living it?  Are you practicing it?  This is your one life. Don't waste it.  Stop talking.  Start doing.  Start being.  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K. L. W. 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elephant-journal-walk-the-talk-show-with-waylon-lewis/id1454710052?i=1000512729746 

Right Now

   Good Morning Friends!  Today I am thinking about "If and When" mentality.  You may not have heard that exact term before, but I am sure you know what I'm talking about.  "If I get that job I'll be happy."  "When I retire I'll have time for my family."  "If my spouse would help more I wouldn't be so grumpy."  You know what I'm talking about.  "If and when" mentality is the mindset that something is missing from our lives, and until we get that something we can never be happy, satisfied, content, etc.  But the problem with this thought process is, it is like a black hole.  It just keeps sucking us in, and it is never filled.  When we get the promotion we spend more money, and then we need more.  We get the bigger house, but have more work to do so we miss out on the people that are important to us, and we still aren't happy.  It's a never ending cycle of want.  So how do we break free of this mindset and start to just live our lives here and now?  

  I believe breaking out of the "If and When" mindset requires us to ask ourselves one simple question.  "What can I do now to enjoy my life as if I already had the result I want?"  You see, the "If and when" mindset teaches us we need something or someone else in order to be happy or at peace. And our consumer culture is constantly reinforcing this with ads for more and bigger and better all the time. But when we begin to find happiness right where we are, we retrain our brains to stop basing happiness on some future payout and start looking for it in the present moment.  

  Here's an example from my own life to help you understand this concept.  I love going to the beach.  And I would like to live there someday.  But right now, I live in Pennsylvania where it is cold.  But someone once asked me the question, "What parts of beach life could you incorporate into your life right now?"  As I began to think about that question, I realized part of what I love about the beach is the ocean and warm weather.  I cannot change that.  But the other things I love about the beach are slower days, taking time for family, walks outside, reading a book, etc.  All of these are things I can incorporate here and now. I don't have to wait until I move to the beach for those.  

  We don't have to keep relegating our happiness and well-being to some far off land of "If and When." Ecclesiastes 8:10b says, "Nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad.  Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun."  We were created to enjoy the life we've been given right here and now.  Stop basing your happiness on some future event or acquisition, and instead begin to ask yourself how you can incorporate what you care about into your day right here and now.  You just might find out you need a whole lot less than you thought to be happy. Live for today, and stop waiting for "If and When." I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.L.W.  

  

Voices

  

 Hello Friends, this week I have been thinking about the voices that speak into our lives. In life, it's easy to become pulled one way or another by all the voices and influences surrounding us.  Friends, family, our own internal dialog, even strangers on the internet seem to have a say in what we do or don't do, think or don't think these days.  So how do we decide what's important and who to listen to?  

  I believe knowing who you will allow to speak into your life and your decisions starts with knowing your identity.  Who are you?  What is your purpose here on earth?  For me, I find my identity in Jesus Christ and his love for me.  I know I have worth and value because he says I do, enough that he was willing to give his life for me, and the same goes for you.  When I know that I am deeply loved by an infinite God, and that everyone on this earth was made in his image and thus has value, it changes the way I think and behave, both towards myself and towards others.  When someone tries to put me down or diminish my value, I know I can reject those voices because they aren't truth.  

  Secondly, determining the right voices is easier when you know where you are headed. I have found my purpose, my "Why," the reason I am on this earth.  When you find your true north, it's easy to differentiate which voices are worth listening to and which aren't.  Simply ask yourself if that voice lines up with your purpose and calling.  If not, it may be a distracting voice, a detrimental voice, or simply a jealous voice.  Don't let those voices become road blocks and detours on your path.  Instead, listen to the voices that lead you forward, point the way, or encourage you on your journey.  

  Lastly, even our own voice can sometimes lead us astray, and this can be the most tricky one.  Sometimes we rationalize things to ourselves.  We are very good at believing our own lies.  So how do you sort out the voices in our own head?  I believe this also comes from knowing our source.  For me, that means going back to the source of my identity, God and His Word.  When we have a relationship with God, his spirit resides in us. Often when we make time to quiet our mind, we can start to hear that still small voice inside, the voice of the spirit guiding us on to the next step.  

  Take some time today to evaluate what voices have been wringing in your ears.  Have you been being distracted, mislead, or discouraged by listening to the wrong people?  Realign your identity, purpose, and spirit.  Stop allowing those wrong voices to guide you, and instead listen to those who are in line with who you are and where you are going.  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K. L. W. 

Blooming

   Good Morning Friends!  I am thinking today about dandelions.  You know those yellow flowers that take over your yard and most people consider weeds. It's spring time right now, and everything is lush and green, blossoming, and filled with life.  But yesterday, when I looked out my front window, I was struck by a group of dandelions at the base of a tree.  They were white and fluffy, dead, completely opposite of the budding world around them.  As I looked around I began to notice that all the dandelions in my yard were this way.  They were covered in those white seeds, or had already lost them and were just a dead blackened head on the stalk. 

  But here's the thing we all know about dandelions.  Those dandelions aren't really dead and gone.  No, quite the opposite.  All those white fluffy seeds that drop off will grow more and more dandelions.  In fact, I would not be surprised if in about a week my yard is covered over in yellow flowers.  (We don't mow as often as we should, in case you were wondering.)  So how does this apply to us?

  Sometimes in life, we feel like we are in a dead zone.  We feel as if things are falling apart.  We look around and see everyone else seemingly doing great, and here we are, stuck.  But the truth is, what often looks like a wasteland is setting us up for our oasis.  If you are willing to stick with your habits, be faithful to your goals, and hold on in faith when things look empty and gone around you, you will find that pretty soon, all those things which you thought were dead and gone, are actually sprouting up into an overflow.  

  Don't grow weary and discouraged in doing good.  (Galatians 6:9) Sometimes you have to hold on in faith, knowing that while things don't look like they can grow again, God is in the habit of creating something out of nothing. (Romans 4:17)  Things may not look alive right now, but we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) 

  If things in your life look dead right now, stay in faith, keep taking action, and give it time.  Pretty soon, you will look up and see things are beginning to blossom.  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K. L.W. 

One Size Fits All

   Hi There!  This week I was listening to a podcast in which Jim Collins was talking about the idea that books, movies, brands, etc which claim they are "for everyone" are destined to fail.  I thought that was an interesting concept, because after all, it would seem that if you can connect with everyone, you will cast a wider net and have more fans, readers, customers, etc.  But the truth is, nothing is truly "for everyone." And the sooner we realize and capitalize on our niche markets, the better we can grow. 

  You may be thinking, "Ok great. But I don't own a company, book, movie, or brand."  Well that's ok, because this blog is actually about you.  Have you ever tried to be "for everyone?"  Have you tried to make everyone your friend, fit in, play your part, and not rock the boat?  Many people are so afraid of upsetting someone or of not being friends with everyone that they are willing to compromise their beliefs, values, or unique preferences just to fit in.  But just like brands are never really "one size fits all," so people who "stand for nothing will fall for everything."  

  Now, I am not advocating that you be rude, unloving, or argumentative.  We have enough of that going on in the world.  But what I am suggesting is that you get to know your unique brand and then work on developing that.  Maybe you are passionate about helping the homeless, but you think it would just kill your best friend if you told her you wanted to volunteer at the shelter on Saturdays instead of your weekly shopping trip.  Or perhaps you work in the nursery at church because sweet Aunt Mary said you would be good there, but what you really want to do is help with the floral displays up front each week.  It's time to stop worrying so much about what other people think and start stepping into what you are best at.  And who knows, there maybe someone else who is wonderful with babies and was just waiting for a spot to open up.  

  Sometimes we get so caught up in just playing the part we've been assigned, that we forget to ask ourselves what part we were designed to play.  We each have talents and gifts that are unique to us, but when we try to operate to please everyone, we often miss what we are best at and where we could be most beneficial.  

  This week, do some soul searching.  Find out what your brand is, and lean into it.  Don't be afraid to break a few molds or capsize a few boats.  The sooner you start living into your niche, the greater impact you can make for good on the world and the people around you.  You may not be "for everyone."  But you can make a lasting impact when you discover who or what you are supposed to focus your time, energy and talents on.  Step into your zone this week.  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K. L. W. 

Productivity

   

Hello Friends!  Have you ever spent your day rushing around, only to lay down in bed at night and wonder if you got anything at all done?  I know I have, and if you are like most of us, you've probably done this more often than you want to admit.  We live in a society that wears busyness like a badge of honor.  But are we really helping ourselves with all this craziness?  Or are we just making ourselves stressed out and tired but no farther ahead?  We continually spend so much time rushing from one thing to the next, and we never stop to ask ourselves if what we are doing is actually productive.  It seems the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and whatever yells the loudest in our lives gets the attention.  But what if we changed our mindset, stopped being continually busy, slowed down, and accomplished more by doing less?  Is this possible? Yes.  But it will take a little bit of work and effort on your part.  Here are three strategies I learned from experts which have helped me take my life to another level of productivity. 

  The first key to getting our lives out of the rat race and into the state of productivity is to determine what it is we are actually trying to accomplish.  Once you know your goals you can center you activities around them.  But how do you know if you're progressing toward your goals? Jack Canfield says in The Success Principles, "Keep score on the five things that would advance your personal and professional objectives the most." So ask yourself, what five activities are the markers of my top objectives?  Then make it your aim to prioritize those each day.  This will allow you to go to bed knowing you have accomplished the most important things and moved yourself one step closer to your goals.  

  Once you know your top priorities, you still need to make them happen within the framework of your day, and this can be difficult to do without a schedule.  You may have great intentions at the beginning of your day, but if you don't have a plan, it's likely you will get pulled away into doing other things and either forget or run out of time for what's important.  There are so many tools and strategies for scheduling your life, and you need to find one that works for you.  However, the one I have found most beneficial for me is something called Time Mapping which I learned from Terri Savelle Foy.  You can get the free download which she uses (and I do too) to schedule your week and prioritize your goals each day in the link provided. Time Map - Terri Savelle Foy Ministries | www.terri.com You know the saying.  "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." 

    The last way to be more productive and less busy may actually surprise you because it seems like the opposite of getting things done.  But this one tip which I learned from Joyce Meyer can make a world of difference in your day.  Schedule yourself margins.  What does that mean?  Give yourself more time than you think you need, and provide buffers of ten to fifteen minutes between activities.  Too often when we find ourselves rushing around it's because we crammed too many things into the day, and we can't get them all done.  This causes us to be stressed, overwhelmed, and to make careless mistakes in our haste.  Give yourself more time than you need, and you will be able to flow through your day peacefully.  This will also prevent you from being in a hurry and snapping at others who may slow you down.  If you've built extra time in, you won't be thrown into a panic when your coworker asks for help on a project or your child needs last minute art supplies from the store.  Build margins into your schedule and you will thank yourself later. 

  We live in a world that is always pushing us to do more. Don't let your life keep rushing by in a blur. Ask yourself what your most important priorities are, and be willing to let the less important things slide.  Make a plan to keep yourself on track, and be sure to give yourself some wiggle room within your day.  It's time to stop rushing and start accomplishing.  Let go of busy and become productive.  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.L.W. 

The Downward Spiral

  

 Hi Friends! Today, I want to address something extremely prevalent in our culture right now.  The mindset I want to address is one of negativity and fear.  And these two things go hand in hand.  Lately I have been hearing a lot of statements like this, "It's all just so bad right now."  "I don't see how we can ever get out of this." "This division is impossible to overcome." 

  When I hear statements like this, it makes me cringe.  And here is why.  These negative statements and beliefs are based in fear, and they are becoming more entrenched each day as people dwell on them and reiterate them in their words.  Our thoughts and words have great power in our lives, and the more we think on something, the more we speak about it, and the more we speak about it, the more we begin to look for examples of that in our lives to reaffirm our belief.  It is a downward spiral that can very quickly poison our outlook and our lives. 

  The truth is, there may be bad things happening right now.  But there has always been bad things happening in the world since way back when Adam and Eve made that first wrong decision.  Since that day there has been division, strife, and evil in our world.  But the presence of these things does not negate the power and goodness of our God.  So we have a choice.  We can dwell on how bad it all is and how much worse it could get.  Or, we can begin the upward cycle to free ourselves from living in fear and negativity.  The downward spiral can be reversed, and I think it's important we begin this work sooner rather than later.  

  Here's how you change directions.  

  One, stop feeding the negative cyclone in your mind.  Stop listening to others who are negative.  Stop turning on the news.  Stop reading those articles.  Stop engaging with it on social media.  Is that hard?  Maybe.  Is it worth it for your peace of mind and well being?  Definitely.  

  Secondly, choose your thoughts purposefully.  When you find yourself wondering how we are ever going to fix the economy, or politics, or whatever you might be worrying about today, stop yourself and purposefully think positive and gratitude filled thoughts.  When you start to dwell on what you are grateful for, you find more and more to be thankful for. Like breeds like.  Let's start with gratitude for health, friends, family, food, homes, a warm blanket, a cup of coffee, spring time.  The list goes on and on.  We don't have to drown in the fear and negativity.  We have the free will to choose our thoughts.  Do so wisely.  

  Lastly, reinforce your positive thoughts by speaking and listening to positive things.  Instead of complaining, "The weather is terrible." "I can't believe what that politician did."  "I'm just so afraid of where this is all headed."  Try only speaking positive.  "Wow!  We really needed this rain.  This will make the flowers look so beautiful."  "Did you hear about that teenager who saved a mother and her children from a burning car?  There are so many amazing people in the world."  "This is going to be a great day!" Begin to catch yourself when you are complaining and spreading negativity.  It might be happening more often than you think. 

  As you start to speak positive out of your mouth, you also need to guard carefully what you allow to come in.  For example, choose specific shows or podcasts that you know will be uplifting.  For myself, I do not watch the news, and when I watch TV, I always choose something funny.  On my Instagram, I only follow positive uplifting people, so I am never bombarded by the fear mongering, negative voices in society.  You can set boundaries around what you let into your life.  Choose positive.  

  Now, I know there is someone out there right now who thinks this way of living is a Polyanna mindset.  That by choosing to think positively I am just ignoring all the worlds problems and hoping they go away on their own.  On the contrary.  I know there are problems in the world, and I believe we are much more equipped to solve them when we come to them from a place of hopefulness and positivity than if we do so from fear and despair.  

  Ultimately, every part of your physical and mental health is affected by how you look at the world and what you choose to dwell on each day.  You can continue in fear and negativity.  But I highly encourage you to give the upward cycle a try.  Start to change your outlook, your thoughts, and your words, and you just might find in doing so, little by little, you begin to change your world as well. The rainbow and the storm are both there.  It's up to you which one you focus on. Choose positive today.  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.L.W. 

Fight

   Hi friends! Have you ever heard the expression “nothing good comes easy?” I think we’ve probably all heard it, but most of us don’t live as if we understand it. Most of us fall into the trap of thinking, “If this is meant to be it should be easy.”  Let me tell you friends, this is a powerful lie that our culture has sold us. When we believe everything should come easy, we set ourselves up for disappointment and failure. 

  This lie has hurt us far more than we realize. It’s why the newlyweds who hit a struggle in their relationship start thinking, “If we were really meant for each other this should be easy right? Maybe he (or she) just isn’t the one.” 

  Or how about the entrepreneur who started a business with excitement and hope, only to be thinking a few years later. “If I was really meant to succeed at this, wouldn’t it be easy? Maybe I should give it up and go back to my old job.”

  We’ve been conditioned to believe that if something is right for us, meant for us, our calling, our destiny, then it will somehow magically fall into place and be easy. But that’s just not the truth. Ask the couples who have been married 60 years. They’ve had to struggle to figure it out. Ask the business owners with thriving companies, and they will tell you about the years of struggle and lack. 

  Now, I’m not saying nothing ever comes easy, and if you succeed with no adversity, that’s great, but I highly doubt there is anyone who has accomplished their dreams and goals and stayed where they want to be with out some struggle to overcome. 

  The danger lies in thinking that if it’s not easy it’s not meant for us. If you start an endeavor, relationship, goal, etc with this mindset, the first time you hit a rough patch or come up against a wall, you will quit and go looking for something else. So many people have been kept from their destinies by this lie. 

  Let’s use an example from the Bible. God promised the Israelites the land of Canaan. It was their inheritance. But they still had to fight for it! They didn’t just wander in and settle down. They had to fight for what was theirs! 

  In the same way, we do not just wander into success, even if it is our calling. We must fight for our marriages, our families, our purpose and passions. But if you know this going in, the battle becomes a whole lot easier. You won’t throw in the towel the first time you hit a bump. You will learn how to overcome. 

  So the next time you’re faced with a challenge, don’t hang your head and say “I guess it wasn’t meant to be.” Put on your boxing gloves, take up your stance, and go after what you want. You have to fight for your dreams! I can’t wait to see you succeed!

~ K.L.W. 

What K.L.W.'s Dad's Thinking (Part 2)

   Hello Friends, once again this week, I have the privilege of sharing with you some thoughts which are not my own. If you've been a long time reader, you have probably heard from my dad before in What K.W.'s Dad's Thinking. This week, my dad shared with me some thoughts he had on our influence in the world, and I hope you will find them as profound, beautiful, and insightful as I did. I can't wait to see you succeed! ~ K.L.W. 

  The world is connected. Everything in it is connected. Every drop of the Ocean is connected to all the others all around the world.   No one drop has more or less significance, not the drops making up the wave that crashes on the shore and propels surfers and ships or the drops at the deepest depths that bring support to the surface.   Every drop serves its purpose and every drop is connected and therefore significant.   

  It is like that with us as humans as well.   We are all connected, the difference is we have free will and choice and we don't all see our connection.   

  Light is another amazing illustration.   It is all around us, and it is all connected.  In its purest form, however, it would be too intense to view and so we rely on a multitude of surfaces to reflect the light. They are all unique, from the clouds, to trees, and water, but each gives it a different contrast and that is where the beauty comes from.  

  

  Likewise, we are all created in the image of God. God in his glory is too magnificent to behold directly, so we are all made to reflect the image of God. Each unique, each in their own unique way demonstrating the beauty of the creator. "Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ…. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.  Now if the foot should say, because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body, it would not for that reason stop being part of the body….But in fact God has placed the parts of the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be."  1 Corinthians 12:12-18 (selected portions)  There may be parts that appear more significant, but every part down to the smallest cell is essential to the whole.   

  Also, as any part improves, it helps to improve the whole. A flower in the forest is only one small part of the overall forest and its beauty; however, when that flower displays exceptional beauty, the beauty of the entire forest grows with it. There are no insignificant roles.   Each of us can by choice grow, and that growth and exceptionalism elevates the whole. 

  Recognizing our connections to one another, my personal vision is to grow daily.   In so doing, I will improve the whole.  Secondly, I want to help others grow.   In so doing, as a whole we will grow exponentially. 

- Written by Stephen Hoefler

Hindsight

   Hello Friends, have you ever heard the saying, "Hindsight is 20/20"?  We use it often to refer to the fact that it's usually easier to look back and see what we could have or should have done than to see and judge clearly in the moment.  I had one of these situations lately.  I had been dealing with a host of troubling physical issues, but mentally I hadn't connected them all.  I kept placing the blame for this symptom or that on one thing or another, never realizing they were all pointing to the same thing.  It wasn't until things got really bad that it occurred to me get my eyes checked.  Turns out, the problem was my eyes, and all the symptoms I had been blaming on other things were actually connected to the defect I was dealing with.  It was an easy fix, but because I had been ignoring the signs, or rather, not seeing them correctly, I hadn't been able to deal with the problem.  

  Oftentimes we face similar situations in our personal development.  Perhaps we have been seeing different signs or symptoms of an area we need to change, but we continue to ignore them, blame them on someone or something else, or push it off to deal with later.  But it's not until we begin to connect the dots and seek out treatment that we will realize the full extent of how much this has been affecting us. 

  Let me give an example of this which might illustrate what I am talking about.  We will call our fictitious character George.  George's main issue is that he has not chosen to grow and develop himself personally and improve his skillset as he knows he should.   However, George does not see this as the root issue.  Here is what he sees.  George sees he hasn't gotten the promotion he wants at work.  He blames it on his boss not liking him.  Instead of taking the time he should be to invest in developing himself, George has instead begun spending more and more time out at the bar with his friends in the evening telling them about his troubles at work.  There he eats unhealthy food and drinks extra calories and comes home later and later.  But George doesn't see how this is affecting him either.  What George sees is that he has started to gain weight, and he doesn't feel great about himself.  He blames it on stress from his job.  George's wife is also becoming frustrated that he spends less and less time with her because he is out every night, and she begins to be short tempered with him.  He notices this symptom too, but he assumes it is just stress from his wife's job causing her to feel negative towards him.  I could go on, but I think you get the picture.  George has a lot of symptoms in his life, but the root cause is his failure to develop himself by reading and learning.  He needs someone to help him connect the dots.

  Most of us, like George, have trouble seeing what the root cause of our symptoms is on our own.  Just as I had to go to an eye doctor and then a specialist to find out exactly what was wrong and how to fix it, we often need outside help to put together the symptoms in our personal lives.  If you have been dealing with some issues in your life but are struggling to determine the real problem on your own, here are two ways you can more easily see the signs in your own life.  

  The first way is to surround yourself with a few close friends or family members who know you well and can hold you accountable.  If you are seeing a lot of symptoms but aren't sure what the root cause is, maybe it's time to ask someone who can look at the whole picture from the outside.  We tend to live in denial about our own issues. But those closest to you may be able to give you insight. Just be sure to only take advice from the right people (people who have what you want, are who you want to become, or have done what you want to do), not just any person around you.  Everyone has an opinion.  Choose wisely whose you listen to. 

  The second thing is to continually grow yourself by reading and learning daily.  While the author of a book or the speaker of a podcast may not know you personally, they probably know people like you.  They may even have been like you at one point.  And as you listen to or read what they have to say, you may find that their wisdom and insight opens your eyes to some symptoms in your life and how to fix them.  

  Whatever issues you are dealing with in your life, don't keep ignoring the signs.  Instead, open your eyes, grab a friend who can help you see clearly, and seek out wisdom from experts who have been there.  Hindsight may be 20/20, but having clarity now is far more important. You may not be able to solve every frustration, but if you look at your symptoms, you can begin to treat your issues from the root cause and avoid many more problems down the road.  It's time to stop playing the blame game and start treating the real issue. I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.L.W.