“Bitterness is captivity.”

― Lailah Gifty Akita

The most compelling thoughts that are conveyed with minimal verbiage, create a telling and lasting impact.   

Like this one from Ms. Akita..  

A subject to which I can speak. 

Bitterness is akin to a never healing sore.  A fixture residing  on and within your soul that invites fixation, picking and obsession.  A nemesis that works to maintain your hostage status.  Guiding one to reject  self forgiveness. 

Bitterness is captivity.  

But only so long as you choose to accept a role of prisoner.  

Now choices take time.  Not so much to make them.  But more so to fully embrace the commitment and make it “you.”

And yet, if you confront that sore, the fixture and see the nemesis  for what they are, then little by little, you can begin to transition them to the bin that is meant to  hold all of those  generators of bitterness.  

Therein lay the challenge.  Removing the lid, saying “goodbye” then closing it back up. 

Never to be reopened.  Because you finally allowed yourself to.

The bins have been laid out.  All that remains is to fully embrace the commitment so I can make it “me”.  

And practice some much needed self-forgiveness. 

Bitterness is captivity.  

Forgiving oneself? 

Now that is freedom.

“We are our choices.”

― Jean-Paul Sartre

Choice not chance determines your destiny. That is, you can choose to hear your calling and fulfill your purpose, not lay in wait for fate.

Since excellence is never an accident, it cannot be consigned to chance, circumstance or happenstance.  And to convince yourself of these falsehoods is to fully believe that “it wasn’t meant to be”, or “my timing was off”, and “I didn’t want this anyway.”  Responses that are embodied in some form of luck, as it were.

Choices actually serve to create the chance to be your best.  Choices guide your decisions in situations when unforeseen circumstances raise their head.  Choices ultimately dominate happenstance and coincidence, transforming them into opportunity. Another way of considering how the impact of your chosen response, to an event, produces an outcome.  

You can choose to believe it wasn’t meant to be – or – you can make it be.  If the timing seems off, maybe your choices made it so.  And if you didn’t want it anyways – you never really did.  You simply chose to be dishonest with yourself. 

Chance serves as an excuse that enables one to validate failures, blame others, engage in self-pity  and defend disengagement. 

Choice is the engine that drives you to become all you were meant to be. 

And what you are.

In one of Bishop Barron’s frequently inspiring gospel reflections, he implores us to wait, to watch and to keep steadfast vigil. 

Actions dependent and contingent on our ability to believe in what could not yet be seen.  

Faith.  

Resolutely sticking to it, with an unfettered resolve, while letting go at the same time.  

Perseverance. 

All because we believe in what we know, but have  yet seen.

Faith  and perseverance exist in a perfect symbiotic union with one another. The active act of patience – waiting for what you know to be true  – so that you can feed the energy of persistence.  The sustenance which  enables you to make the journey.  Leading all to discover the life we fully intend to live.  

As James once said, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance…”

All so that you may mature, become complete and not lack anything needed for this level of a divine life.

To realize the product of your spiritual endeavor. 

And experience a level of grace that feeds one’s soul. 

With pure joy.

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so shall he be”

― James Allen, As a Man Thinketh

There is this amazing source of energy generated by character. One that can only be accessed through your choices. 

Character is a catalyst, helping you unleash your potential. But it also doubles as a guide, creating for you an internal pathway. A trail that can lead you ever closer to the best version of “you.” 

Your character can act to shepherd you towards many opportunities for growth, achievement and success. And one such opportunity stands out among all the rest: the call to leadership. 

Every choice, every decision you make is an opportunity to affirm the strength of your character. So if you stay true to yourself, then the choices you make will always parallel your character. And decisions made on this basis become the deeds that reveal the core, fundamental truths about “you”. A genuine, unmistakable and lasting image of the very best part of you. 

This mass – “who you are” – begins to work in concert with the leader that resides within. There is power in that collaboration. 

Your character becomes an irresistible force. Spreading ever outward, casting an indelible impression on the people and the world about you. 

A leadership solely begotten of character. 

Each morning before I rise, I get a gospel reflection via email from Bishop Barron.  In today’s, this part struck me: 

“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.”

It made me think about how “we wise and learned” are not fully present.

We know of all the templates.  

KPI’s.

How to drill down to move the needle.  

Shift the paradigm. 

Employ and expand core competencies. 

 Jump the shark.  

Build “culture”.  

But we just are not “here”. 

Somehow, we wise and learned get caught up and captured by the jargon.  Buzzwords that create a desired appearance but are largely absent of substance.  Choosing  to live but losing sight of our true sense, being  and nature. 

The childlike.  

For it is only when we can fully embrace this aspect of “self” that we can truly be present. 

By feeling  the immeasurable comfort only found in a hug. 

Knowing the joy of laughter.

Finding the peace that accompanies every smile given or gotten.

Embracing the solace meant to be found  in silence.  

Acknowledging a  continuous affirmation flowing  from above – no matter what.

Understanding love in its truest form. 

On the surface, we all think we are wise and learned.  

How ‘bout we shift the paradigm,  drill down and find our way back to being how we were made. 

Childlike.