Get a mind tuck

High in my non-negotiable priority list in life is to take care of my body, maintain a healthy lifestyle, continue to pursue knowledge, master my moods and emotions, maintain a network of people I trust and who trust me, and continue to strengthen my spiritual walk. In light of all these, I have set a couple of perspectives. Let me share those with you.

I’ve promised myself never to retire. I don’t want to coast my way into retirement. I still want to make a difference in this world.

But what God wants from me is totally different from what all the Hollywood, media and marketing messages are saying. God made me to be me; not some version of perfection now appearing at a theater near you. This is why I have a plan.

I have a plan for my health maintenance. I have a plan for my self-education and intellectual development. I have a plan on how to master my moods and emotions. I have a plan on how to maintain my network of close connections. Most important, I have a plan on how to keep my personal relationship with Christ intimate and vibrant through the years.

Without a plan I fail. If you fail to plan then you plan to fail, goes the adage.

Stop dragging your feet, procrastinating and putting off planning and execution. If you’re overweight and unhealthy, don’t wait for a tummy tuck; start with getting a mind tuck. The constant thought that “It’s so hard.” should be tucked away and replaced with the thought that “It will work wonders when I start now.” The habitual “bahala na” should be tucked away and replaced with “I will study and evaluate it before making a decision.” “But I just can’t control myself…” should be tucked away and replaced with “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!”

We may have put our faith in God, but that faith is useless unless we put it to work. Christian philosopher Dallas Willard said, “Grace is not opposed to effort. But grace is opposed to earning. Effort is action. Earning is attitude.” Grace is God’s action in you. Discipline is effort that brings us to a better condition.

The best things in life never come easy. The question you need to ask yourself is: “How much am I willing to give in order to get what I want?” Most people want to win, but they’re not doing the things required to win. How about you, what’s holding you back? What’s stopping you?

If you want something, go get it. Even if you don’t get it, you’ll still have a smile of satisfaction on your face knowing that you’ve tried your very best.

You have on an average of 28,000 days on this planet. How many of those days have you invested in winning, and how many of those days have you wasted? It’s time to live now.

Ask God to give you the strength and the determination to win, but pull yourself together and get going. A small choice today can have huge consequences… eventually. So just begin. Now.

(Spend two whole days with Francis Kong as he facilitates the well-acclaimed Dr. John C. Maxwell Program “Developing The Leader Within You” on June 18-19 at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel. For further inquiries, contact Inspire at 09158055910, or call 632-6310912 for details.)