To Your Success Part 4 "Loneliness"

Inspirational quote for today is: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" ~ Philippians 4:13. A life that produces the fruit of the Holy Spirit is attractive. “The fruit of spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” ~ Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB). You see when we implement these and similar attitudes it cause others to want to be with us. On the other hand, a judgmental attitude drives others away. I believe love is probably the cure for any emotional problem, including loneliness. In the book of Ephesians, the apostle Paul prayed, “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God” ~ Ephesians 3:17-19 (NASB). I believe when we receive the love God imparts it’s not only an outstanding cure for loneliness, but giving love can also be a cure for loneliness. As Solomon recorded, “The generous man will be prosperous, and he waters himself be watered” ~ Proverbs 11:25 (NASB). Furthermore, when we have the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives not only does it produce a positive attitude in you and the ability to love others, but it also produces peace and joy. As God’s children, we can definitely be secured our relationship with him. For example, in order for a baby to grow up without loneliness and mental health, research shows that the child must feel that his/her parents will never forsake him/her and that he/she will always belong to them. You see we as God’s children need to continually remind ourselves of the security of belonging to him. Christ stated: “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also”~ John 14:1-3 (NASB). In closing, we will belong to God for an eternity-never to be lonely again. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. This is the beginning of a journey that never ends. I will present Part 5 at a later time. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Success Part 3 "Loneliness"

Inspirational quote for today is: "Always remember this, fear is a habit; so is self-pity, defeat, anxiety, despair, discouragement, and resignation. You can eliminate all of these negative habits by saying I can and I will". ~ Gary R. Johnson Focus on these Three Spiritual Principles- Here is the three key spiritual principles to a meaningful and complete life: 1.) Always walk close with God. The reason is because it gives life meaning, 2.) Also, a life that produces the fruit of the Holy Spirit is attractive, and 3.) Furthermore, as God’s children, we can definitely be secured in our relationship with him. You see a close walk with God gives our life meaning. This is a very important key to the answer to loneliness. As it states, in First Samuel 30 tells the story of David returning home from war to find out the women and children had been taken captive by the enemy. In addition, David found himself in a lonely position because all of his soldiers turned against him. “Moreover, David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God” ~ 1 Samuel 30:6 (NASB). In John 16:32 (NASB) it explains how Christ found comfort in his Father’s presence: “Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave me alone; and yet I am not alone because the father is with me”. I recall a friend of mine sister who had committed suicide and who not known her father. My friend found comfort in this verse, which illustrates this point well: “Though my mother and father forsake me, the Lord will receive me” ~ Psalm 27:10 (NIV). I believe truly the most basic step in overcoming loneliness is a close walk with God through our daily time spent with Christ. Always remember God loves us and longs to walk with us during our lonely times. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. This is the beginning of a journey that never ends. I will present Part 4 at a later time. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Success Part 2 "Loneliness"

Inspirational quote for today is: "No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you". ~ Joshua 1:5 Becomes more Active- You see when we become more physically, mentally, and spiritually active this may help you overcome loneliness. In addition, loneliness at times can come from internal issues, and this principle may seem superficial at times, however, it’s certainly a good starting point because when we initiate specific behaviors this may help us to begin altering lonely feelings. Since some feelings which we have (little immediate control over) may follow specific behavior in which (we have maximum control over), one thing that helped me along this journey and it was focusing on a new behavior. I use to ask myself all the time what will I do today to feel less lonely. Once I started to understand this concept I started to repeat a specific behavior everyday. Furthermore, this suggestion may seem inadequate by it self but it’s a beginning for finding your way out of loneliness. Try to be more involved with Other People- There are so many places you can turn to today for support. I’m not necessarily recommending these, since I don’t know many of them personally, however, this list may be generally helpful. Here are a few examples: 1.) your local church and its support groups, 3.) Conferences, 4.) Discipleship ministries and 5.) Conflict resolution. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. This is the beginning of a journey that never ends. I will present Part 3 at a later time. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Success Part 1 "Loneliness"

Inspirational quote for today is: “You weren't an accident. You weren't mass produced. You aren't an assembly-line product. You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted, and lovingly positioned on the earth by the Master Craftsman.” ~ Max Lucado In this series of the Mind, Body, and Soul I’m going to talk about loneliness. Did you know there are many symptoms of loneliness? Some symptoms of loneliness are obvious, and some are more disguised. You see loneliness can be described as a state of not feeling accepted in a group or of not belonging. Also, loneliness may involve emotional pain, an empty feeling on the inside, or restlessness. In addition, loneliness is a very common experience for millions of Americans. This is also the reason for single bars, encounter groups, drug experiences, free sex, and certain Eastern religions that are so popular today in which so many have turned to overcome their loneliness. You see loneliness is also a problem with the elderly, who often escape their loneliness through suicide. However, loneliness strikes everyone from all ages and all classes. Even the great king and leader of God’s people David felt lonely. As David wrote in the book of Psalm “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. Look upon my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins”. ~ Psalm 25:16-18 (NASB). In my own personal experiences in dealing with loneliness I had to learn in order to overcome this problem I had to admit that it was a real problem for me. Second, I had to learn how to make choices that can enable me to truly overcome it. Here are a few steps to help you overcome loneliness. Oh by the way, these are steps I’ve used personally to help me with this problem. Overcoming Loneliness Determine why you’re feeling loneliness- There are many causes on why we have lonely feelings, and experiences that make one person lonely, however, may not affect another in the same way. Here are some reasons for loneliness: Being rejected by other people- You may have experienced this type of loneliness because you have been rejected by others-for example, a spouse, friend, business associate, or others. Often this type of rejection is totally unfair. As a result, it hurts and leaves a feeling of loneliness. Lack of affection while we were growing up- In our culture today, people divorce; parents are busy, especially fathers; and children are left lonely. You see children have tremendous dependency needs. If these needs are not met in their youth years, an emotional vacuum is created and may be very difficult to fill. I remember a couple years ago when I was coaching pop Warner football and one of my players was thinking about committing suicide. As I talked with him more about God and giving him the unconditional he needed, he seemed so happy to have my attention, even for a brief period of time. I asked him why he felt so lonely. He told me he had been very lonely because his father was seldom at home. Rejecting others yourself- In some cases people are lonely because they have rejected others. The reason is because fear of rejection, shyness, an inferiority complex, and many other reasons why a person would choose to be lonely rather than reaching out to develop friendships. As a result, an individual may decide to reject others before others have the opportunity to reject them. Isolating ourselves from God- There is definitely a God vacuum in each of us. We may deny it, we may try to fight it, but we can’t fill the lonely void that only Jesus Christ can fill. You see Christians can to some degree experience this isolation from God as a result of breaking fellowship with him through sin. Even people like Adam and Eve, and David experienced that loneliness. Some Christians experience this loneliness as a result of a break in their fellowship with God. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. This is the beginning of a journey that never ends. I will present Part 2 at a later time. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Success Part 6 "Mind, Body, and Soul"

Inspirational quote for today is: "The life of inner peace, being harmonious and without stress, is the easiest type of existence." ~Norman Vincent Peale Overcoming Stress Here are a few steps to help you overcome stress. Oh by the way, these are methods I used personally to help me overcome stress. Here are some examples: 1.)Changing Your Perception through Scriptures- Throughout, my journey in dealing with stress I learned perception is everything when it comes to stress. However, the scriptures were written to alter our perception. Although, it’s possible to be under stress and not yet distressed. “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” ~ 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NASB) Here are a couple of common perceptions versus the reality of the Scriptures. 1.) Common Perception: There is no hope for me in the situation I’m in. Reality of the Scriptures: “Behold, I am the lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for me?” ~ Jeremiah 32:27 (NASB), “The lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his sovereignty rules over all.” ~ Psalm 103:19 (NASB) 2.) Common Perception: These stressors will never go away. Reality of the Scriptures: “Be gracious to me, O God; be gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge in you; and in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by. ~ Psalm 57:1 (NASB). 2.) You must Develop a Fighting Spirit- Throughout my weight loss journey I had to learn how to develop a fighting spirit or the attitude of “I will beat this thing.” By doing so, I was able to survive the physical and emotional stress. I remember a couple of years ago, one my elders at church to me to always pray to God but make sure I row to shore. In other words, God will help you, but we must do our part and keep fighting. As it states, in the book of Nehemiah “But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night.” When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people: “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses”. ~ Nehemiah 4:9, and 14 (NASB) Indeed, we must continue to keep fighting. You see God wants us to have a fighting spirit so we are able to combat the effect of the stressors in our life. How much fighting spirit you think you can muster with God’s help? 3.) Learn how to Alter Your Lifestyle- I remember when I use to live a high-stress lifestyle. One thing I learned along the way to changing this lifestyle; and that was altering my lifestyle. By doing so, it helped me alleviate some of my stress. Here are some things you can do to help you alter your lifestyle. 1.) Get a different job, 2.) Go on a vacation, 3.) Move to the country, 4.) Avoid certain individuals, and 5.) Bring an end to some other ongoing stressor. Furthermore, it’s definitely worth making changes in your lifestyle if they mean you will have less stress. Conclusion- You see the world is filled many stressful people and events that can make you feel devastated. Furthermore, stress does not have to defeat you. There are several ways to gain insight to why you are having stress, memorize the scriptures, developing a fighting spirit, and altering your lifestyle. Most importantly, trust Christ to help you relieve a stressful life. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. This is the beginning of a journey that never ends. Stay tuned! I will be presenting a new series about "loneliness" . Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson

To Your Success Part 5 "Mind, Body, and Soul"

Inspirational quote for today is:“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”~ Nelson Mandela Emotional Effects When we deal with stress mentally, most of us develop defense mechanisms. These defense mechanisms can be either good or bad, just like the physical effects of stress can be good or bad. Here are few examples of these defense mechanisms that may be unhealthy. Unhealthy defense mechanisms Denial- This is when an individual refuses to believe that the stressors they’re undergoing are affecting them, even though to others you are depressed, anxious, worried, and having other mental or physical signs of stress. Passive/aggressive- In this defense mechanism you respond to stress in a passive way. For instance, you arrive late for appointments or through other behaviors act passively rather than straightforward. Controlling- You see individuals under stress may deal with it and the insecurity it fosters by becoming controlling to others. Even though, the others may have nothing to do with the immediate stress. Healthy defense mechanisms Anticipation- This is when we look forward to future, happy events, and is a simple healthy defense in times of stress. Laughter- I believe this is a wonderful defense because it releases as much tension as crying and is whole lot more fun. In addition, when women are asked what they enjoy most about a man, good sense of humor is usually very high on the list. You see having good humor releases those endorphins and enkephalins, which are our natural antidepressants. Forgiveness- Did you know bitterness can defile many? I didn’t know this myself until I read the book of Hebrews “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to causes trouble and defile many”. ~ Hebrews 12:15 (NIV) I also learned over the years, through forgiveness we can relieve a tremendous amount of stress. You see apparently we can control whether or not we let go of anger and forgive. As it states in Ephesians, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you”. ~ Ephesians 4:31-32 (NIV) Furthermore, I believe forgiveness may be one of the greatest defenses against stress. Faith- This defense mechanism of course, is more than a defense; it probably relieves stress better than anything else. The reason is because having faith in Christ, having faith in what he can do, having faith in the veracity of the Scriptures, having faith in God’s promises, and having faith for a wonderful future. Most importantly, faith is what brought us to Christ and faith is what allows us to live a Christian life, even if it is filled with stressors. Confession- One thing I’ve learned about confession; and that is guilt causes unbelievable stress. As it states, in the book of first John “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. ~ 1 John: 9 (NASB) by doing so, it offers relief from any guilt the Christian may be facing. In addition, Christians are also encouraged to confess their sins with one another; this will help promote healing. In the book of James it talks about this information. >“Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much”. ` James 5:16 (NASB) Spiritual Effects Stress can also affect our spiritual life. Most importantly, it may cause us to lose a sense of the Lord’s presence and caring. For example, Elijah was an extremely godly man; however, under extreme stress Elijah lost his perspective and wanted to die. The reason is because he thought he was the only one left who loved the lord. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. This is the beginning of a journey that never ends. I will present Part 6 at a later time. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson

To Your Success Part 4 "Mind, Body, and Soul"

Inspirational quote for today is: “Fear is only as deep as the mind allows.” ~ Japanese Proverb One thing I learned over the years about stress, and that is stress can be either good or bad. However, I also learned a little stress sounds an alarm we need to rise to meet a challenge. Also, in the scriptures it seems that stress can be good when there’s a realistic concern -“For I have no one else of kindred spirit who genuinely be concerned for your welfare”. ~ Philippians 2:20, and “Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches”. ~ 2 Corinthians 11:28 (NASB), however, it’s not good when it causes unproductive worry and fretting (Philippians 4:6, Luke 8:14, and 1 Peter 5:7) (NASB). You see with a little stress your work productivity goes up, but too much stress can bring it down. It can also put demands on the body or mind- from emotional arousal, humiliation, pain, fatigue, success, failure, fear, and etc. Most importantly, these levels of stress relates to the environment and the person’s interpretation, evaluation, appraisal of meaning, and appraisal of his/her coping ability. There are also three effects of stress we face on a regular basis. They are as follows: 1.) emotional, 2.) physical, and 3.) Spiritual. Physical Effects When stress develops it can affect almost any organ of the body and is a factor in numerous diseases. In my own personal experience in dealing with stress I learned stress can altar our neurotransmitters of the brain with profound influences on the emotions and body. You see when we develop stress the body is either “fight or flight”. As a result, this reaction causes chemical changes that may have implications. In addition, when we encounter stress, we may develop corresponding behavioral changes, such as anger, exercising, drinking, smoking, binge eating, and etc. Furthermore, the nervous system balance is altered and the blood pressure increases (which, for some individuals, may trigger a heart attack), along with other physiological reactions. Moreover, after a stressful occurrence, the blood pressure may not go back down and may result in hypertension and acceleration of atherosclerosis. Also, because stress may alter the hippocampus (which controls our memory), continuation of stress may result in an inability to access information needed to decide that a situation maybe no longer a threat. Finally, stress can alter the neurotransmitters of the brain that controls our mood, logic, sleep, weight, attention, and pain perception. Under the physical implications of stress, there are other, secondary, conditions that people may experience: depression, eating issues, mood swings, obsessive worry, sleep problems, sexual issues, phobias, asthma attacks, high blood pressure, hair loss, outbreaks of skin problems, menstrual disorders, appearing older than age, and etc. Furthermore, these effects of stress vary, depending on what stage is the stress. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. This is the beginning of a journey that never ends. I will present Part 5 at a later time. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Success Part 3 "MInd, Body, and Soul"

Inspirational quote for today is:"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change". ~ Wayne Dyer In this part of the Mind, Body, and Soul series I’m going to talk about stress. As you already know, this is one of biggest battlefields of the mind. I have a question for you. What is stress? You see stress is a close cousin to worry and anxiety. In addition, worry and anxiety are used to describe the internal fretting, whereas stress is the external factors causing the worry and anxiety. Overall, stress is a state of physical, mental, or emotional tension caused by these external conditions. I believe these top three stressors we all face in our lives. They are follows: 1.) relationship issues, 2.) financial, job, career issues, and 3.) loss issues. One thing I learned about in our response to stress and that is the way we interpret an event determines how we will respond psychologically, physiologically, behaviorally, and spiritually. For example, what may cause stress for me may not be stressful to another person because of how we use the interpretation or the cognitive appraisal of the events. For me personally when stress occurs I try to remember God’s word. “The lord is for me; I will not fear; what can man do for me? ` Psalm 118:6 (NASB); “He shall say to them, hear o Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them, for the lord your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies to save you.” ~ Deuteronomy 20:3-4 (NASB). In addition, when I read these verses not only do they strengthen me it helps my stress diminished. When my stress seemed out of control, Psalm 91:9-11 (NASB) had a very strong influence on my perception and resulting response: ”For you have made the lord, my refuge, even the most high, your dwelling place. No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent. For he will give his angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways”. Furthermore, Psalm 23:4 (NASB) helped me fight the most potentially fearful event with a great perceptive “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.” Moreover, what is stressful to one (such as possibly approaching death) may not be as stressful to another. The reason is because interpretation makes all of the difference. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. This is the beginning of a journey that never ends. I will present Part 4 at a later time. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Success Part 2 "Mind, Body, and Soul"

Inspirational quote for today is: “When you do what you fear most, then you can do anything.” ~ Stephen Richards In my own journey dealing with anxiety; I learned that anxiety and worry were both attacks on my mind intended to distract me from the serving the Lord. You see I use to allow the enemy to use these torments to press my faith down, so it couldn’t rise up and help me live in victory. This was a huge mistake. In addition, we allow ourselves to have such a problem with worry it can lead to an addiction to worrying. Unfortunately, there are some people who tend to worry so much that if they have something of their own to worry about, they will worry over someone else’s problem. I remember when I was battling these issues that I could never enjoy the peace Jesus died for me to have. One thing I did learn in overcoming these issues and that it’s impossible to worry and live in peace at the same time. The reason is because I had to learn peace isn’t something that was put on me; it is a fruit of the spirit. As it states in Galatians 5:22 “but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and this fruit is the result of abiding Jesus. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me”. ~ John 15:4 (NASB) the word “abiding” relates to entering the “rest of God” and this information was spoken about in Chapter 4 of Hebrews as well as other places in the word of God. For example, Jesus gave us his peace in the book of John, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. ~ John 14:27 (NASB) In other words, I had to learn even though peace is present in us; I had to make sure it was chosen over what our fleshly mind thinks. You see we can choose to be peaceful by choosing to think on things that bring peace rather than things that bring on worry and anxiety. I believe the causes of anxiety and worry is many. The reason is because these are attacks from Satan upon the mind. In addition, there certain things we as believers are instructed to do with our minds, and the enemy wants to make sure that they are never done. As a result, the enemy attempts to keep our minds busy enough with wrongful thinking so that the mind never gets around to being used for the purpose which God designed it. In other words, anxiety is a fear of looking at the truth about our own thoughts, feelings, and motives. The Holy Spirit usually pushes the truth up. However, our deprived minds push the truth back down. Moreover, our tensions between the Holy Spirit and our deprived minds are true anxiety. One thing I learned through battling with anxiety is that it can come from a variety of ways. For example, it can come from the following: 1.) Internal, 2.) Behavioral, 3.) Spiritual, 4.) Genetic, 5.) Biological, and 6.) Medical. Here are few steps I’ve used to help me overcome anxiety. 1.) Read the Bible- Here are some scriptures to help you calm your soul: John14:27, Psalm 56:3, Psalm 34:4, Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 27:1, 14, Matthew 6:25-34, and Philipians4:6-8 (NASB) I would suggest for you to memorize these scriptures and prey these verses back to God each day for about a week. When I started doing these things it helped me become strong again. “I have written to you, fathers, because you know him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one”. ~ 1 John2:14 (NASB) 2.) Listen to some relaxing music- I would suggest listen to some music that warms your mind, body, and soul. Most people listens to music such as: Christian, jazz, R&B, and etc. Why not these words and melodies soothe away those anxious feelings you may have? 3.) Get Enough Adequate Sleep- This step was one of my biggest challenges for me because I wasn’t getting enough hours of sleep. I’m sure you can relate to this. I never understood how much anxiety may dissipate with adequate rest. When I started to sleep 7-8 hrs a day it made huge difference for me. As it states in the book of Job “When I lie down I say, ‘When shall I arise? But the night continues. And I am continually tossing until dawn”. ~ Job7:4 (NASB) and “when you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet”. ~ Proverbs3:24 (NASB) As a result, whenever I started to feel anxious I will get a good night’s sleep. 4.) Make time for Exercise and Recreation- This step helped me the most. The reason is because not only did it release the chemicals that helped me decrease my anxiety it changed my whole life. As a result, I’m 205 lbs. lighter than I was about 2.5 years ago my whole life began to improve. 5.) Living One Day at a Time- The best advice given for anxiety: Matthew 6:25-34 (NASB) I always have to remind myself to follow this advice and continue to work at living one day at a time, because I don’t know the future. No one does. I just stay focus on dealing with what has to be done today and try not to think about tomorrow. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. This is the beginning of a journey that never ends. I will present Part 3 at a later time. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Succes Part1 "Mind, Body, and Soul

Inspirational quote for today is: "More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope" ~ Romans 5:3-4. In this series of my blog I’m going to share with you how to overcome anxiety, fear, and stress to help your mind, body, and soul. Most importantly, this information will help you have peace with yourself and Christ. My first question I have for you is how well do you deal with anxiety? What I’m about to share with you are ways to deal with anxiety and overcome it. Oh by the way, these are from my own personal experiences dealing with anxiety. I came across something in the book of Luke ”The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity”. ~ Luke 8:14(NASB) when I read this scripture I started to realize these are three obstacles that choke individuals when they hear the word of God. Two out of the three most of us heard when we were growing up (the riches and pleasures of this life) and the third one is (care or anxieties). I believe this is true anxieties choke many people. You see all of us have some anxiety at times. Also, anxiety often accompanies depression. I believe this in an emotion which is characterized by feelings of uneasiness, tension, restlessness, and worry. Throughout, my own experience dealing with anxiety I implemented certain symptoms such as: headaches, high blood pressure, and “butterflies” in my stomach. I also learned that anxiety is not only the underlying cause of most psychiatric problems. It also can be the real underlying problem in people who think they have committed an unforgivable sin. In addition, both psychology and scriptures indicate that anxiety can be either normal or abnormal. Research also shows that individuals are more efficient and productive when they have some anxiety. I believe if the anxiety becomes intense, their efficiency will begin to decrease accordingly. You see the scriptures indicate that some anxiety seen in verses such as <b>Corithians1 12:25 “so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another”, 2 Corinthians 11: 28 “Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches”, and Philippians 2:20 “For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. (NASB) is healthy. However, the scriptures also indicate intense anxiety are seen in verses such as Luke 8:14 “The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard , and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity, “ Philippians 4:6 “ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God”, 1 Peter 5:7 “casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you”.(NASB) is not healthy. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. This is the beginning of a journey that never ends. I will present Part 2 at a later time. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Success part 7 "Inspiration"

Inspirational quote for today is: “The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you.” ~ Stephanie Perkins 5.) Keep everything in perspective- One of the most important things I had to remember was in order to succeed at being myself, I had to keep everything in perspective. Also, I had to learn not to focus on imperfections. “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal”. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV) in order for any of us to ever feeling insecure about ourselves, we must learn to keep everything into perspective. This was my biggest challenge for me on this journey because I was never satisfied with how I use to look. “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, Why did make me like this?” ~ Romans 9:20 (NIV) One mistake I use to make and that is allow the enemy to put foolish thoughts into my mind. Once I started to understand what was going on I use to ask myself who decides what a perfect body should look like. I understand now that Christ created all of us. In the book of Ephesians it states “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”. ~ Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) Therefore, to please Christ we don’t have to look like a supermodel or bodybuilder. You see we all need to come to a place in our lives where we are satisfied with how we look. I don’t mean to stop exercising or perhaps lose some weight. I’m not also talking about failing to make an effort to be fit and healthy. I’m talking about not making the same mistake I did by allowing yourself to get caught up in all those foolish things, so often we can’t change about ourselves. I was able to overcome insecurity in my life by keeping everything into perspective. Conclusion- By following these steps it helped weight loss journey become successful. As a result, I’ve lost 205 lbs so far in the past 2 and ½ years. I also help people all time with weight loss goals, as well as, have a few people that I’m their accountability partner. I’m also now a big health and wellness advocate. It’s been a true blessing to see how many people I helped with their weight loss problem. I want to close this chapter out by saying this. When you begin your success in life it’s so important to have a positive sense of self-esteem, self-value, and self worth. Also, you need to be securing with who you are in Christ, to truly like yourself. We learn how to do these things by understanding how much Christ loves us. Furthermore, once we become grounded in Christ’s love, we can come to terms of peace with ourselves. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. This is the beginning of a journey that never ends. Stay tuned! I will be starting a series about affirmation. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Success part 6 "Inspiration"

Inspirational quote for today is: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” ~ Oscar Wilde 4.) Determine what you’re worth- Always determine what you’re worth- don’t allow other people to do so. You see we all need affirmation. “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” ~ Mark 1:11 (NIV). You see children needs affirmation from his/her parents. It is the parent’s job to teach their children they are loved despite of what the circumstances are. In some cases, some parents don’t know how to give this affirmation. The reason is because when they were growing up they never receive affirmation themselves. I believe we do need certain things from loved ones, but if they can’t do it, Christ does it for us. In the very beginning of this Chapter about I discussed doing this journey on my own without having support from anyone. I did have support from Christ. The Lord built things inside of me that no one else is able to give me. I also had to learn how to take responsibility for my own actions. You see as you begin your journey to success you will make mistakes. Just make sure you don’t blame other people for these mistakes. “So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God”. ~ Romans 14:12 (NIV) you see so often people who have these problems never want to take responsibility for these problems. Instead they look for a scapegoat. In other words, they put the blame on someone else. Part of what you worth is based on the blood. “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth”. ~ Revelation 1:5 (NIV) One thing I had to learn and that was I needed to come to a place where I was secure enough in Christ that will not allow my sense of worth be based on the opinions of others. Also, I had to learn don’t try to find out much I’m worth in how I look, in what I do, and how other people treated me. I came to realize that I was worth something because Christ shed his blood for me. We all have many faults; there are many things about us that need to be changed. That’s why I ways tell people Christ isn’t through with me yet. Remember this don’t ever let anyone dump his/her problems on you. Don’t ever let anyone make you feel worthless, just because he/she doesn’t know how to treat you right and love you as deserved to be loved as a blood- bought child of Christ. Most importantly, don’t spend all your time trying to please other people in order to receive acceptance or approval. Remember this that you have already been accepted and approved by Christ. So make sure your affirmation, self-validation, your sense comes from Christ. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. This is the beginning of a journey that never ends. I will present step 5 at a later time. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Success Part 5 "Inspiration"

Inspirational quote for today is: "The characteristic of a genuine heroism is its persistency. All men have wandering impulses, fits and starts of generosity. But when you have resolved to be great, abide by yourself, and do not weakly try to reconcile yourself with the world. The heroic cannot be the common, nor the common the heroic." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson 3.) Learn how to deal with being Criticized- Throughout my weight loss journey I was always criticized for something. People would ask me things like why are you doing trying lose this weight, are you doing it so you can have all the women you want, you think you’re going to be successful now , and etc. Unfortunately, there are some insecure people who say things about you that can be discouraging. That’s why so important to be led by the Holy Spirit. “As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit-just as it taught you, remain in him”. ~ 1 John 2:27 (NIV) I’m very fortunate to be strong minded and a self –validated kind of person. In other words, I take action by guidance of the Holy Ghost, doing what I believe Christ is telling me to do. However, there are some people who needs outside validation. These are the kind of people who needs someone to tell them what there doing is okay. Also, remember to make your own decisions. One mistake I see people make including myself and that is when Christ sends us a message we tend to look for someone to tell us if were doing the right thing. You see we must not allow ourselves to be influenced by others simply because were afraid to make our own decisions. I had to realize in order for me to become self-validating, I had to learn how to deal with criticism. Also, make sure you’re secure enough to know how to deal with criticism without feeling there is something wrong with you. Most importantly, make sure you have enough confidence in which you are in Christ so you have the ability to listen to others and be open to change without feeling you have to agree with everything they say. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. This is the beginning of a journey that never ends. I will present step 4 at a later time. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Success Part 4- "Inspiration"

Inspirational quote for today is: “Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently.” ~ Maya Angelou Here are a few steps that will help inspire you getting there. These are steps I personally used to help my weight loss journey become a success. 1). Locate where your Gifts are- In other words, find something you like to do and do it well, then repeat it over and over. The reason is because you will succeed at doing something you are naturally gifted to do. As a result, you will gain confidence about yourself knowing that you won’t be constantly failing. One way to locate your gifts is by reading the book of Romans “if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” ~ Romans 12:7-8 (NIV) once you locate these gifts don’t spend your time trying to do something you can’t do. Instead let Christ show you the way. By doing so, the things you are good at are the things you are going to enjoy the most. So I would like for you to find something you’re good at and go for it. You will be amazed at how much better you will feel about yourself. 2.) Be Courageous- You see one thing that helped me along way was I needed to have the courage to be different. As you already know, each of us is different; however, we still try to be like each other. If you’re going to be successful at being who you really are then you’re going to have to take the risk of not being like everyone else. You see once we stop trying to please other people and focus more on pleasing Christ then we become much stronger as followers. In addition, when you tend to focus on trying please others you no longer do the things you want to do. As a result, you then become what are called “men-pleasers”. Also, don’t let other people manipulate you. As it states in 1 Corinthians 4: 2-3 “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself”. I will admit I don’t like it when people are upset with me. However, I also understand that I cannot allow people to manipulate me with their demands. You see as being followers of Christ, we are led by the Holy Spirit, not controlled by other people. At the same, we shouldn’t try to control other people, but allow them to be led by the Holy Spirit also. Another thing to remember as you begin your journey to success and that is learn how to become an innovator. In other words, don’t be afraid to step out of the mold and be different like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jeremiah, Timothy, Paul, and John the Baptist did. Furthermore, make sure you avoid being ruled and controlled by what everyone thinks you should be. That’s why it’s so important to have the strength and courage to be different. The reason is because not only will it change your life, Christ will exalt you in the process. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. This is the beginning of a journey that never ends. I will present step 3 at a later time. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Success Part 3 - "Inspiration"

Inspirational quote for today is: "Never forget the three powerful resources you always have available to you: love, prayer, and forgiveness". ~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr. One thing I had to learn in the beginning of this weight loss journey and that is not allow insecurity to take control of me. Unfortunately, there are some people who have allowed insecurity to control them. As a result, they try to step out on their own without Christ leading, and fell flat on their face. You see in the beginning I had to do one thing that was very important, and that was I had to become more humble. As Peter states “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” ~ Peter1 5:6. (NIV) You see I believe Christ really does things in our lives when he knows we are truly ready to accept our promotion. I encourage you to set high goals, but make sure your focus be on doing the very best you can where you are right now in your life , knowing that if and when Christ wants to promote you , he certainly will be able to do so. I believe this is so true. Albert Einstein says it best: “Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.” As I mentioned earlier in the book one of the keys to your success is focusing on your maximum potential. You see we all have gifts and talents that are distributed by the Holy Spirit according to the grace that is on each of us to handle them. As it states in the book of Corinthians “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines”. ~ 1 Corinthians 12:11 (NIV) always remember this: “If you’re going to like yourself, if you’re going to be successful at being who you are, you must focus on your potential, and most importantly what Christ created you to be- not on your limitations.” I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. This is the beginning of a journey that never ends. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Success Part 2 "Inspiration"

Inspirational quote for today is: "Faith is the confidence that we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation". Hebrews 11:1-2 Throughout, this process the most important thing for me was overcoming insecurity. The reason is because if I allow insecurity to take over my life then I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on my potential. You see once I started to understand that my gifts and talents are dispersed from the Holy Spirit it allows to me develop the one gift I do have. In the beginning of my weight loss journey the first thing I had to do was leave it in Christ hands. As it states in the book of Ephesians – “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” ~ Ephesians 6:13. (NIV) In other words, when Christ calls you to do something; do your part and stand firm. Once you have done all you can do, leave whatever the situation is in Christ’s hands and move on. In addition, you must believe in yourself. Most importantly, please make sure that it is Christ will for you and not your own desire. Once I started to implement these things I started to see changes right away. The first thing I noticed was I actually started to like exercising. As a result, I found out that Christ has called me to get my health back. One thing I can tell you and that is when Christ calls you to do something; you will find yourself loving it despite any adversity that comes along. The reason is because when Christ calls you to something, he enables you to make it happen. I have a question for you. Did you know that Christ gives promotions? I didn’t know this myself until I was reading the book of Psalm and across this scripture “No one from east or the west or from the desert can exalt themselves. It is Christ who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.” ~ Psalm 75 6-7. (NIV) There is an old saying: “Christ doesn’t make mistakes. You are where you supposed to be right now”. In other words, it’s okay to believe Christ for a better position or responsibility; however, it is also acceptable to remain where we are if that is where Christ wants us to be for right now. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. This is the beginning of a journey that never ends. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Success Part 1 "inspiration"

Inspirational quote for today is: “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” ~ John Wooden My question for you is: What inspires you to keep going when others don"t? In his blog about inspiration I'm going to share with you how I lost over 200lbs, and what inspires me to keep going. I remember it like it was yesterday. In the spring of 2010, I got laid off my first job ever. Not only was I disappointed, I was very discouraged and didn’t know what to do. I knew it would be very hard to find work at the time. So I decided to take some time off to try to clear my head and get myself mentally focused. I applied for plenty of jobs and ended up with nothing. As a result, I decided to go into business for myself. The reason why I was having these difficulties was because I had an obesity problem. You see during this time I was 488lbs. You see it took me some time to figure out that this was the problem. In the beginning, I didn’t start to realize this was the problem until I started to have been treated differently because of I how I use to look. I use to have people tell me all the time that I was ugly, I would never succeed in life, I would never be able to make any money, and etc. All of these things occurred because of how I use to look. I remember I use to go places all the time and the facial expressions people use to give me. I tried to ask so called friends and family for help and didn’t receive anything. The reality is people’s perception is when you have this problem they tend to think you don’t care about yourself, and why should they help. This is absolutely false. So I decided to start my success journey by getting my health back first. I believe this was the most important thing for me to do. As a result, I started my own 3 year weight-loss plan. One of my biggest challenges for me was doing this journey all by myself. You see I did this journey without no support from anyone friends, family, trainers, and etc. However, I had the best support system anyone can have that was Christ. Once I knew that Christ was going to help me get through this I started to believe in myself, and the ability that Christ has placed inside of me. You see I got tired of sitting on the sidelines and watch other people be used by Christ and receive blessings. One thing that inspired me was a quote that President Barack Obama said. It states “The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.” I believe this is so true when were trying to achieve success or anything we want out of life. Also, I had to learn to stop staring at those giants in my life. In other words, I needed to stare more at Christ just as the spies in Numbers 13 needed to do. “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” ~ Numbers13:31. (NIV) One thing I’ve learned so far and that is our spirits wants us to produce tremendous things in our lives. In addition, if you continue to keep that spirit man down by negative thoughts, attitudes, he will never rise up to bring you into the place Christ has in store for you, into the land he wants you to possess. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. This is the beginning of a journey that never ends. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Success Part 6 - "Worry"

Inspirational quote for today is: “Worry is a complete cycle of inefficient thought revolving about a pivot of fear.” ~Author Unknown In other words, when you put your fears to bed, worry gets evicted. That's what this conclusion about worry is all about. Conclusion- As you can see, there are many ideas in this series for dealing with worry and pursue calmness, however, for any of them to be effective you need to apply them. I would like for you to try one of these steps for the next 90 days. Furthermore, worrying is something we all do, but as we grow in Christ, we worry less because we learn that we can depend on him to handle all of our troubles. You see some people tend worry more than others because of genetic and/or environmental factors. For me personally the benefit has come through the memorization of Scriptures, which I recommend to you highly. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. I will be starting the next series about inspiration very shortly. Stay tuned! Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Succes Part 5 - "Worry"

Inspirational quote for today is: "That the birds of worry and care fly over your head, this you cannot change, but that they build nests in your hair, this you can prevent.” ~Chinese Proverb. In other words, if you give worry a comfortable seat he is not likely to get up and leave any time soon. In fact, he will probably invite his friends, doubt and despair, over for a feast. This is what steps 8& 9 talk about. 8. Do Not Worry- You see there are choices involved when it comes to worrying. I would recommend not worrying, for ourselves and for the cause of Christ, because worry will interfere with our effectiveness as witnesses to Christ’s faithfulness. “Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that will not grow weary and lose heart”. ~ Hebrews12:1-3. 9. Consider getting some Counseling- I talk with my counselor twice a day. I’m referring to best counselor money can buy and he is the Lord Jesus Christ. He taught me proverbs teach us that there is safety in counseling. Here are a few examples: “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisors”. ~ Proverbs11:14, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” ~ Proverbs15:22, “Plans are established by seeking advice; so if you wage war, obtain guidance”. ~ Proverbs20:18, and “Surely you need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisers”. ~ Proverbs24:6. His counseling can also offer you encouragement, insight, behavioral tools, education, support, and a chance to share a heavy burden. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. I will share the conclusion with you at a later time. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Success Part 4 - "Worry"

Inspirational quote for today is: “Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow.” ~Swedish Proverb In other words, it's better to spend your energy creating resolutions than to spend it nursing your worries. In steps 6&7 it explains this very thing. 6. Realize that God is still running the Show- I remember when I use to laugh at myself. I use to also hear myself say, well, there is nothing else for me to do; so I guess I have to pray. Then I think about the person whom I pray. I pray to God of the universe, the one who can do anything, who is the alpha omega, who is the hosanna, and who is the king of all kings. I pray to someone who is so powerful that he can erase a problem in one thousandth of a second. Why didn’t I make this my first thought to pray? “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete”. ~ John16:24. It helped me remind myself that God is still in control. He can take care of any of my problems. 7. Improve on your Possibilities- I use to worry about being overweight; then I decided that being overweight, for me, was a reality and that worrying over being this way would not change it. I knew what I could do was take action to prevent possible medical side effects of the disease. I decided to turn from worry to action, and that action worked for me. I’m now 200lbs lighter than I was over 2yrs ago, and I’m free of diabetes, no high blood pressure, cholesterol level is normal, and without side effects. I will tell you more about my story in full in the next chapter called “Inspiration”. In fact God used my obesity to help me develop discipline, which allowed me to help other with their weight loss struggles. Furthermore, quite often future events are not inevitable but just good possibilities. In some cases it may help not only to prepare to accept to what is possible but try to improve on it as well. You see good can come from the apparent bad. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have called according to his purpose”. ~ Romans8:28. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. I will present steps 8&9 at a later time. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Success Part 3- "Worry"

Inspirational quote for today is: “People become attached to their burdens sometimes more than the burdens are attached to them". ~ George Bernard Shaw In other words, constant worry is one of those unproductive habits that should be replaced with positive action. You see steps 4&5 will help you call for postive action. 4. A Plan of Action – One thing that helped me when I want to worry and that is formulate a plan of action to attack the problems that confront me. First, I write down the problems and many options to solve them. Second, I pick a few good options and start to implement these plans. By doing so, it allows me to get my mind off worrying and begins the process to something that may make a difference. I believe this one healthy approach to problem solving and overcoming worry. 5. Share with a close Friend- Throughout my personal experiences in dealing with worry I found out that sharing with others is one the most powerful techniques for dealing with worry. I would recommend building a few good friendships and, on a regular basis, sharing with those friends your worries. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity”. ~ Proverbs17: 17. I believe the best friend you can ever have is Christ. The reason is because he loves for us to come to share our worries with him. “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” ~ Proverbs18:24. You see he wants us to become less worry oriented and become more heaven oriented. By doing so, these days of worry will no longer exist. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. I will present steps 6&7 at later time. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Success Part 2 - "Worry"

Inspirational quote for today is: “We can easily manage if we will only take, each day, the burden appointed to it. But the load will be too heavy for us if we carry yesterday's burden over again today, and then add the burden of the morrow before we are required to bear it.” ~ John Newton. I chose this quote for this blog because Steps 2&3 talk about this in more depth. 2. Seeing the Big Picture- There are plenty of times we worry over issues, which are considered being the big picture, however, are really quite minor. I believe the big picture is really of life and death, and also a life to live for Christ. I want you to think about this for a moment. When we think about life and death what really matters? Furthermore, if we had one week to live, would we spend time worrying about things that matter the least? 3. Living One day at a Time- One of my biggest challenges use to be reminding myself to work at living one day at a time. I use to always tell myself, no one knows the future. I had to learn how to enjoy Christ in the present and focus on today. Bill Keane says it best: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.” You see people who worry extensively tends to live in the future, worrying about a tomorrow that never happens. When people become obsessive they tend to live in the worry of the past. God always holds tomorrow, and he forgives the past. Matthew 6:34 says it best: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will about it self. Each day has enough trouble of its own”. Always remember, the future is not here, and the past is gone forever. We can only live in the present. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. I will share steps 4&5 at a later time with you. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Success Part 1- "Worry"

Inspirational quote for today is:“Drag your thoughts away from your troubles... by the ears, by the heels, or any other way you can manage it.” ~Mark Twain. Here it is my new series about how to overcome worry and pursue calmness. One of the biggest obstacles in achieving success is overcoming worry and pursuing calmness. The reason is because when we worry we are troubled or we experience some type of mental uneasiness. It’s also a disturbance to our peace of mind. You see worry is one component of anxiety, with anxiety being used as a much broader term. This also plays a major role when it comes to stress. I believe stress is a close relative like a cousin to worry and anxiety. The reason is because worry and anxiety describes your internal fretting, and stress is considered the external factors causing the worry or anxiety you may have. Most importantly, stress is a state of physical, mental, or emotional tensions caused by these external conditions. No worries. You see every since I’ve been going to Christ I learned ten precious ways to deal with worry. 1.) You must have the desire to Overcome Worry- One thing I learned about worry and that is it’s not easily abated, however, for healthy living it’s definitely a must. You see when you worry about things too much it can play a factor in many medical conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, some cancers, and even physiological changes that results in depression and anxiety. Even though, the Lord forgives us for our sins, but our nervous system in our bodies never does. One thing I experienced was my doctor helping cure my body but not my mind; yet your body and mind are considered as being one and should not be treated separately. I believe Thessaloians1 5:23 says it best: “may God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”. Also, worry leads to early aging, and it also may be related to an infection that tends to the lymphocytes which fight off disease. Furthermore, when we tend to worry extremely it can trigger our nervous system, which can be a factor in the disease of many organs. Worry can also kill in another way. For example, the loss of a loved one, can lead to extreme stress and worry. If you’ve lost a first-degree relative, one’s chances of dying at any point in time within the next year is increased sevenfold. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. I will post Step 2 at a later time. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Success Part 6

Inspirational Quote for today is:"Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's that prevails"~ Proverbs19:21 I chose this one because I believe the final step which is number 9 says it all. 9.) Making sure you Dwell with Christ- I believe the key to reaching your maximum potential doesn’t lie within you. The reason is because Christ expects you to be responsible, but your potential dwells inside of him. The key to reaching your maximum potential is by letting Christ do it through you. It always has to be Christ. There’s no way on this earth we can compare with his power. You see we all have been victims of identity theft. The reason is because we all were told lies about who we are. For instance, lies about your purpose in life. Always remember nothing in your life is random. Everything has a purpose, indeed, a divine purpose. Second, lies about what defines you, that is, what gives your life meaning and significance, and therefore, what makes you a “happy” person. In addition, we’ve been told lies about our future. Of course, your past and present circumstances will stand between you and your future, your destiny. This is why having faith is so essential. Unbelief can’t forget the past and stares at all the problems we face in the present. You see having faith sees the future. Having faith sees God. Marie Stendhal says it best: “Almost all our misfortunes in life come from the wrong notions we have about the things that happen to us.” Once we find our true identity with Christ, it makes our relationship with him the most important part of our life. The more we become like him, the easier it is for him to use as his glory. As long as, God’s hand is with you, you will reach your maximum potential, for he will help you do it. Conclusion- It is definitely possible to overcome discouragement. There are several ways you can do it. For instance, you can try using some of the tools I’ve just shared with you and applying them for one week. You can also rate your discouragement on a scale between 1-10. Always remember you can overcome discouragement. You see often gold lies just beneath the grass. Most importantly, when you overcome these fears and discouragement not only there’s gold waiting you are on right the journey to success. I will be sarting a new series about worry at a later time. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Success Part 5

Inspirational quote for today is: "Learn to say 'no' to the good so you can say 'yes' to the best" ~ John C. Maxwell. My question for you is are you ready to Pay the cost to be the boss? Step 8 of my discouragement series discusses this very topic. In other words, are you ready to find the gold in your life. 8.) “Pay the cost to be the Boss”- I found an interesting verse hiding in the book of Luke. “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?” ~ Luke 14:28. Here’s a story about two miners who searching for gold in a cave. The tour guide escorted them to the where the gold was and he told one of them this is yours for mining if you want to do it. The first person response was he thought “the cost was too high”. Later on that day the tour guide brought the second person in and asked him do you think the cost is too high? The second person response was quite different from the first person. His response was he already counted the cost, and he believed there are nuggets galore. He also believed there are veins of gold, and was so determined to go beneath the surface to find the gold. I pray that you count the cost and then go for the gold in your life. In order to do this, you must understand that reaching the gold is worth the struggle. One way to receiving the gold may come from giving up some sin for peace with God. Also, the gold may come from giving up financial dishonesty for peace of mind. In addition, the gold may come from giving up an affair for a wonderful wife and children. Furthermore, reaching the gold is always worth the cost. I will post step 9 at a later time. I trust you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. Talk to you soon, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Succes Part 4

Inspirational Quote for today is: “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”~John Wooden. I chose this quote because my discussion today is going to be talking about this very thing. In other words, start telling yourself "you can do it" instaed of saying "I can't do it". One way is by focusing on your strengths instaed of weaknesses. The other way is by using step7 in my series of overcoming discouragement. 7. Overcoming the most common phrase “I Can’t Do it”- One of my biggest discouragements use to be I can’t do it. The reason is because of the way I use to look. I will tell you about this story later in the book. The one thing successful people all have in common and that is they believe “they can do it”. They always had positive energy and people always wanted to be around them. One thing that helped me with overcoming this discouragement was when I started to think I can through Christ. When I started to believe in him I started to realize my success is always through Christ. You see there are plenty who never reach their maximum potential because they think they are incapable of doing so. Here’s the reality we can do whatever Christ wants us to do. However, he doesn’t want everybody doing the same thing, but there is something distinctively relevant to each person’s gifts and talents that he or she can accomplish. Moreover, it’s very important to discover what our purpose is so we’re not pursuing an unrealistic goal. Always remember God will help us reach our potential and go from the “I can’t do it to I can do it through Christ”. Some of the common I can’t do it are as follows: 1.) “I can’t do it because I’m not smart enough”. They are plenty of people out there from all walks of life who have overcome this obstacle. You have people like Daniel Webster, Albert Einstein, Adam Clark, Thomas Edison, and etc. They achieve great success because they had a vision they were special and believed they could do what needed to be done. You see in any area of our lives there will be times of failure. You will hit home runs, win NBA championships, NASCAR races, PGA tours, and you will also fail at times. In addition, that doesn’t mean you can’t achieve your goals. Furthermore, you can achieve things through Christ. 2.) “I can’t do it because I’m too poor.” Throughout my life I’ve seen plenty of people who have achieved great success that when they were growing up including I that didn’t have anything, and were single mothers that were living in poverty. Even though they were in these circumstances they didn’t let that stop them from accomplishing great things. I believe the same principle applies to us all. Once I understood it’s not how rich we are in material things that matter. It’s really about how rich we are in Christ. By doing so, it allows him to supply all you need to accomplish all he wants you to do. Most importantly, make sure you use what he gives you. When I started to allow him to do this for me not only did I start achieving success I saw my whole life change right in front of my eyes. 3.) “I can’t do it because my parents told me I couldn’t”. We all heard this cliché plenty of times. I have heard plenty of times parents telling their children you can’t be a doctor, lawyer, teacher, athlete, and etc. To all of the parents out there please make sure you are aware of the powerful influence your prophecies concerning your children can have. In addition, children must remember the most influential person in their life is not their parents (good or bad) but Christ. The reason is because he often helps people do what seemed impossible. I trust you will enjoy reading this blog, and pray that helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. I will discuss Step 8 at a later time. Best wishes, Gary R. Johnson.

To Your Success in Life Part 3

Inspirational Quote for today is: "Don't limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve." ~ Mary Kay Ash Here are steps 5&6 in overcoming discouragement. 5. You Are very Special- I made an amazing discovery. I’m the best in the world at what I do. I may not have 30 years or more experience like some of my counterparts, but as a whole package, however, in God’s eyes I’m the best- and you are too. You are God’s best in the whole world at what he has in store for you. You are very special. 6. Focus on Your Behavior- One of my biggest struggles as most of us is with certain behaviors we like to change and certain goals we like to achieve. I use to feel that it’s impossible to change and move into the direction I like to go, until I figured out there are steps I could follow. The first thing I did was change my behavior. You see I use to feel so bad just like some people that I felt like I couldn’t do anything. Moreover, I started to realize that I had no control over how I feel. However, I did realize I can control what I do, and so can you. You see we are in control of what we do. Second, I had to learn how to be creative. One thing that helped me was I started brainstorming. The reason is because it helped me identify my problems and come up with options to fix them. My suggestion would be list every option you can come up with using that creative mind of yours, no matter how eccentric it may seem. Also, make sure you are specific. One mistake I usually see people do is they don’t follow through on things because they’re not specific enough about what they want to do. I would suggest trying to be more specific and making detailed plans. In addition, when I first started these steps I started small. What I use to do is talk with someone I trusted once a week for encouragement. For example, a mentor, pastor, close friend, and etc. You should also use your time wisely. A big part of success is making sure you continue educate yourself. I believe if you can take about twenty minutes a day and read, then in ten years, you would be better educated than someone who went to Harvard and Yale. By taking advantage of these spare moments can reap great benefits. Twenty minutes a day can make huge difference with your journey to success. In addition, make sure you are committed. Don’t get discouraged if you fail. If you do fail, you can develop a new plan, set some smaller goals, and allow no excuses. Most importantly, start off with what you have. You see once I figured out I had Christ standing besides me and helping me overcome my negative behaviors and reaching my goals I knew I was on my way to success. I hope you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. I will present steps 7&8 at a later time. Talk with you soon, Gary R. Johnson

To Your Succes- Part 2

Inspirational Quote for today is: “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” ~ Maya Angelou I chose this quote for this blog because in steps 3 and 4 to overcoming discouragement it relates to this very thing. 3. Dream Your Own Dreams – One thing I had to learn throughout my life was learn how to envision what I can do for Christ, in order to make my dreams become reality in my life. By doing so, it allowed him to reveal the gold that was inside of me. You see once I understood this is what God wanted us to do. In other words, dream the dream for him and take advantage of the opportunities he provides to set a new course, or set a chart for the unknown. Also, remember it will take a lifetime of devotion to accomplish everything he wants us to do. Most importantly, once you have the determination of fulfilling your dream for Christ you are strengthen to fight the fight, scale the peaks, and overcome the enemy. “Therefore I run this: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.” Dream the dream, whether big or small, for Jesus Christ. ~ 1 Corinthians 9:26. 4. Don’t Let Negativity Defeat you- First and for most never let negative words other people say defeat you, realizing your maximum potential, and prevent you from finding your hidden treasure in your life through Christ. I use have people tell me all the time: “You’re a failure”, “You will never amount to anything”, “and You can’t succeed in life.” Even though these people are wrong for saying things, still, they were said. One thing I’ve learned from this and that is it’s really up to me to let them defeat me. I knew then all I had to be focus on what I knew was true. In other words, stay focus on what your purpose in life is, and reaching your maximum potential. Most importantly, continue to go on for Christ. I will present steps 5 and 6 at later time. Talk to you soon. Best wishes, Gary

To Your Success

Inspirational quote for today: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts”. ~ Winston Churchill Have you ever felt discouraged? I will admit life does have a way of discouraging most of us from time to time, and we begin to feel that we don’t have enough confidence to achieve success. The stresses in our lives can easily bring us down in to despair, and as a result, we are ready to give up. We’re not the only one who feel this way; there are many people like celebrities who at one time felt this way. The only difference between them and us is when discouragement struck them they tried just one more time, tried something new and they achieved success. Walter B. Knight says it best: “If you would have some worthwhile plans, you’ve got to watch your can’ts and can’s.” You see I believe when you make the right choices it can bring you the most treasured commodity in the world-happiness. You never know you may have buried treasure in your own backyard. By making the right choices can lead you to it. Here are a few steps to help you overcome discouragement: The first step to overcoming discouragement is: 1. Don’t Stop Short of the Treasure – You see so often in our own lives we give up the first time we see failure. In addition, we often stop too soon. The reason is because we get discouraged. You see I believe God is always searching: “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” ~ 2 Chronicles 16:9. God is definitely looking: “I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap” ~ Ezekiel 22:30. In other words, God is looking for men and women so he can find that hidden treasure in their lives through Christ. Don’t ever stop realizing your potential in Christ- and don’t stop short of the treasure that’s waiting for you. 2. Ride Out Your Storm in Life – You see there are many people who have not realized their potential because they are beaten by these storms of life. One thing helped me was my experiences with failure. The reason is because it helped realize the gold in my life. Also, I understand failure may seem like an enemy, however, if we respond to it with determination to perserve, it can be beneficial. I believe once we learn how to bear down these burdens and keep going we can help lift the burdens of others. In addition, our disappointments and failures in life may move us toward Christ and spur us on to do things for him. Here is a scripture the apostle Paul writes: But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. Here are the first two steps to overcome discouragement. I will be discussing steps 3 and 4 at later time. I hope you enjoy reading this blog, and I pray that it helps you as you begin to change your life and achieve great success. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Best wishes, Gary R. Johnson