Skip to main content

Reluctantly crouched at the starting line...

What about overconfidence? Do I spend too much time thinking about what could be and not enough time evaluating what is? Is that why have feelings of insufficiency and self-doubt? It's worth considering. This morning I thought through all the areas that I expect to excel: relationships, my work and leadership, management and support of my household. And I even consider myself excelling in all of these areas; I'm at least above average, right? But what if I wasn't? What if I was below average? What if my impediment (my reluctance to embrace what is right now) is the thing that is keeping me from more health and wellness? From shalom

When I was depressed in my 20s, out of work, feeling absolutely insufficient and worthless and living in degeneracy, I had a revelation about how to proceed. It wasn't a spectacular revelation that changed my life in the blink of an eye. It was a gritty revelation. One that required a grind (love you Memphis). I had to choose to do the things that I was supposed to. At least the bare minimums. Get up, get dressed. Get a job. Go to work everyday. Find a wife. Build a career. Build a family. It was one foot in front of the other on the path of Divine Providence. 

And maybe now this is the same thing. Coming to clarity on my "reluctance" is the first step. The next being a choice of embracing what is. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Distance_(Cake_song)

https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/10-signs-of-confidence-and-overconfidence/story-M3wLuLvQv3l6ddXIRomNfJ.html 

Excerpts:

Whenever I ask people to accept themselves unconditionally and be proud of who they are, the invariable response is, “But won’t that make me over-confident and arrogant?”

Genuine confidence has nothing to do with pride and arrogance. It is just an honest acknowledgment of our innate capabilities.

1 Really confident people do not try to prove anything to anyone.

Now let’s come to over-confidence. It stems from deep feelings of inadequacy and an inability to cope with life. It is a compensatory mechanism to mask self-doubt. Arrogance is one way in which over-confidence raises its ugly head.

5 They do not feel fully satisfied with life and usually remain unhappy.

6 People display overconfidence because they do not feel good about themselves.

How to be confident

6 The only thing wrong with you is the thought that something is wrong with you. Instead of trying to fix yourself, confidently reveal yourself.

10 Remember that you have a free will to change, grow, evolve, transform, blossom and bloom. The power of choice always remains with you.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Meditation as Rightly Concentrated Consideration | Contemplation as The Course of Right Action

Let us begin by saying that the basic difference between meditation and contemplation is that meditation is a human mode of prayer whereas contemplation is divinely infused prayer. This morning I consider, consideration. It's a term often used in the Bible, I believe in both the old and new testament. While you are going about your life, have you considered this... It's the entryway to the contemplative life. I use contemplation there, as a culminating thing, intentionally. Before I read a little bit, I might have considered using the word meditation instead, but that reveals my persuasion and error; also my inexperience. Meditation is man-initiated deep-thought. It's hope is to reach God. Contemplation, as exposed in the article below, is Spirit-breathed prayer inside of us, guiding us to right and holy actions. As I was searching consideration "vs" the other 2 terms, concentration came up. Presently, I see that as the course from consideration to meditation....

Abide.

March 8th And now abide these three, faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Cor 13:13 John 15. Jesus is at his most concise and articulate. John remembers. Time is short. Jesus has to summarize how they are to live after He is gone and, because it may get hard, why . His guidance weaves into and out of God; it abides and commands. For love and joy. It makes friends. And something else. Jesus didn't have to come. He could have let this place alone. And that's probably why those who hated Him really hated Him. He told them they were wrong. He messed up their flow and their designs. They had a pretty good handle on things, managing the masses, and He was disruptive... for what reason?!  But He did come. And He did call a spade a spade. And He did come with a double edged sword. He made clear what the choice was. And the benefits on one hand, the dangers on the other. 

A Quantitative Approach to Quality

Jess and I have been going through the struggles of middle-aged-ness. I've gotten heavier. I'm searching for renewed meaning in the face of the consistent sameness I experience on the day to day. Our sex life is lacking something. For Jess, I think the same things could be said. At the same time, there is a lot to be excited about! We're moving out of home ownership into a "lighter" way of living, considering job prospects and next options, and wondering about school for Sadie. I come to find that no matter the age, there is always a lot going on. But each age has its characteristic struggles. As I come on my 40s, I have a lot to think about regarding the way I do life. It's a pivotal age in considering how long I want to do life. Given my family's age, how well I want to do life. And given my own disposition, how much do I want out of life? These considerations really began at sex. I was thinking about quality vs quantity, and how the God way of ...