SELF-INFLICTED Hindrances

Stop blocking your own blessings…

Have you ever been lead to write, encourage or tell someone something and in the midst of being obedient feel as though God is playing a trick on you, because you find yourself talking to yourself?  Well it happens to me all the time.  A leader, preacher, teacher and/or public speaker does his or her best work, reaches the most people when there is a combination of experience with the words that they deliver.

While trouble lurks around every corner there are times when trouble is invited through your actions or lack of action.

• Inability to ask for help – a closed mouth doesn’t get feed! Do you know how many people would rather suffer in silence than to ask a question? From simple things like job hunting to the best hair products, people will learn through experimentation rather than ask someone for help or admitting that they need help. Ask, seek information it saves time and anguish.
• Inability to inquire about financial information – there is a difference in getting regular information but people really struggle with getting or receiving financial information. People would rather lie about their financial position than to be honest and obtain the information that can improve their finances.  You don’t have to tell all your business but be honest enough with the right people to get information.  Talking to friends that cannot help his or herself isn’t the right people!  People that have nothing to gain and yet have the knowledge are the right people.  These people you will know.  Those are the rooms where you feel intimidated and no one is discussing money but you know that they have it.  Get in the rooms and listen.
• Impressing rather than Learning – there is a time and a place for Everything! Impress a person going on a date, but when you walk into a room or work in a place full of people that are above your social-economic status, you listen and learn.  You’re not there to impress and definitely not to compete (not yet anyway).  Those situations are foundation for growing and building.  You have to recognize them and then respond appropriately.
• Tell the whole story. There are a few people that you don’t lie to:  1) Your Mommy, she always has your back, 2) your attorney and your 3) bookkeeper, tax preparer.  Giving false information makes them give you false solutions.  Never ask someone for help in any situation where you cannot or will not trust them with the truth.
• LYING – a lie told to yourself is deadly. Sometimes we pretend so much that we forget what is real and what’s not.  If you are true to yourself, you can be truthful with others. 1/2 the truth is a whole lie.
• Communications – Just because there was a conversation doesn’t mean there was communication. Those two are different.  Be clear about what’s being spoken to you and what you are saying to others.  Don’t rush important conversations, it is better to be slow to speak than answering quickly and incorrectly.  Miss-communication can and will ruin any and every type of relationship.  It’s better to be sure than to begin assumptions.
• Single view – yep you only see one way out of everything or understand one way to do things and only know one way to handle things. Guess what?  Your single view is killing you!  Maybe you see things too high, maybe you view yourself too low, but expand your knowledge, expand your mind so you will know other ways to do any and everything.  You cannot shut down life so you better learn to grow and adapt.

Too often we overlook the simple things we can do to improve our own success ratios.  It’s not the complex things but the simple things.  We know, have been told and taught through history that “there is nothing new under the sun.  There isn’t anything that hasn’t been thought said and done before!” Ecclesiastes 3:1

You aren’t the first person to need advice in any area, but if you keep quiet, you’ll never know that.

Stop blocking your blessings!