Shake It Off

In many cartoons I watched as a child, they would illustrate two inner voices we have in our heads with a little angel on one shoulder, encouraging us to do good, and a little red, bad devil on the other – both whispering thoughts on how to handle different situations the animated character is dealing with. They use these two images to illustrate our inner voices or self–talk. We have a constant conversation going on in our heads 24/7… but which voice do we listen to the most?

I believe that staying confident, faithful and positive is a key to being successful in every situation as well as to our calling for our lives (Our purpose). Yet it seems that this confident ‘good’ voice is a lot softer in many situations we face. It is at the very moment we start trying to achieve something, that we hear the voice – “I can’t do it; nothing ever works out for me; who would love me; I am not special; I don’t have a purpose for my life because I am not special; I always mess everything up; I have no idea what I am doing - I am such a fake; no one wants to be around me; I am meant to be lonely.” – This voice’s main purpose is to break your confidence. This voice tries to keep you in a negative mindset, in a state of discouragement and often self-pity and worthlessness. - I believe to give you an excuse to never try succeeding or rising above the expectation you have of yourself.

An inspiring story about a farmer’s donkey that fell into a dry well, the animal cried pitifully for hours while the farmer tried to figure out what to do for this poor old donkey. Finally, the farmer concluded that the well is too deep; it needed to be covered up anyway. The donkey was really old and, well it would be a big mission to get him out anyway. So he gathered the other farmers and together they grabbed their shovels and started filling the well with sand. The donkey immediately realised what was happening and began to bray in distress. Similar to a response we would have, like the donkey, crying out and moaning would be our normal response to any difficult situation.

But then, the donkey got really quiet! A few more shovels of dirt and then the farmer looked down into the well and was astonished at what he saw. The donkey would shake off every heap of dirt that hit his back and take a step up above the dirt. As the farmers continued to shovel the dirt on top of the animal he continued to step up. Pretty soon the donkey shook of the last bit of dirt and stepped right out of the well. 
We can learn from this donkey - he had two choices. The donkey could’ve said to himself, “I am old; no one needs me; I deserve this for falling into the well in the first place; I will never get out of this; its over - I give up!”. Listening to that voice the donkey would have buried himself in the dirt and achieved nothing more. But he chose not to - he rose above the situation, shook off the ‘dirt’ and trampled it beneath him. He chose to try and succeed.

You have the same two choices. One, you can listen to the negative voices and they will define your choices. It is likely then that you will never rise above your situation or allow yourself to believe that you have a purpose. Or, two, you can choose that every time a negative thought (a shovel of dirt) gets thrown your way or comes into your head you will shake it off, stomp it into the ground, and replace it with a positive affirmation, rise above it and succeed! 
A wise quote “Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude”.

‘ For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.’ Jeremiah 29:11