Being a recovering drug addict and someone who has helped others with the disease of addiction, I know it is not the drugs and/or alcohol that eventually kills the user, it is denial.

Denial damn near killed me as I would not admit drugs and alcohol had whipped my butt.

Today I know denial of the truth or denial of even wanting to know the truth is a common denominator among those who very seldom experience success.

A great way to stay out of denial is by surrounding yourself with wise mentors who want you to succeed more than you do…which means they are willing to discuss your mistakes with you.

P.E.A.C.E.

Jay@EagleLaunch

Proverbs 3:13-14, “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she (wisdom) is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.”  (NIV)

Today is Super Sunday as the most watched sporting event of the year takes place.  To be honest with you, I enjoy watching the game but even more enjoyable for me is reading the real life stories written about the athletes during the week prior to the big day.

One of my favorite sports columnists from The Dayton Daily News, Tom Archdecon wrote a great story about Greenville native and future hall of famer, Matt Light and the charitable work he does off the field.  I’ve always felt a connection to Matt as Greenville is but 12 miles from my home.  From the article it was easy for me to conclude Matt Light is an amazing human being; someone wise beyond his years.

Another article that caught my eye during “Super Week” was an article about Chad Ochocinco (aka, Chad Johnson).  Chad is the former Cincinnati Bengal turned New England Patriot.

I am a die hard Cincinnati Bengals fan…I know; the beginning of wisdom is coming to grips with one’s own stupidity.   But hey, we made it to the playoffs this year!

In Archdecon’s article about Chad I could see where the once flamboyant, self-promoter, self-focused, often disruptive to the team individual, had become quiet, soft spoken and focused on supporting his team, the New England Patriots, in hopes of becoming the world champions of professional football.

Although Chad was a disruptive force to the Bengals, I was a huge fan of his.  He was so talented and a master at self-marketing.  What Chad didn’t realize during his tenure with the Bengals is self-promotion is not in the formula for winning a Super Bowl Championship or any type of championship for that matter.

From Archdecon’s article it was easy to glean Chad had a peace about him I had never observed before.  He had a focus as well as a purpose.  It seemed as though Chad had grown, he seemed wiser from a football standpoint.  My take is he came to grips with his own stupidity and is now in line to win a Super Bowl Championship…during what has become his personal (from a statistics standpoint) worst season of his career!

How many “Super Life Experiences” have you missed out on because of your own stupidity?  How many times has your need for your own self importance gotten in the way of experiencing “Super Life Experiences?”  Do you have great personal statistics, but no “Life Championships” to be proud of?

If you want to begin experiencing a “Super Life” you will need to get over “stupid,” by covering yourself with “wise.”

It starts with prayer.  Ask God, the maker of the universe as well as the maker of your brain (where stupidity lives) to help you do what you need to do in order to become wise.  It continues with reading (the book of Proverbs is a great place to start) and it grows by hanging around others who are living “Super Lives.”  (By the way, Chad’s team, the New England Patriots are going after their 4th Super Bowl Championship in the last 10 years.  Champions breed Champions.)

It is pretty easy to detect “Super Livers.”  They are at peace with themselves and others and have nothing to prove.  Their wisdom shines most when they are able to admit their own stupidity.  They are always trying to learn and become wiser.  Their “we” mentality clearly outshines their “me” mentality (we all have selfish tendencies and at the root of selfishness is fear…see last Sunday’s blog).  They build and don’t destroy, they lift and try not to lean.

Most importantly they win championships whether it be in life or in a stupid game like football regardless of their personal statistics.

Choose to be a “Super Liver.”  Choose wisdom over stupidity!

.Go get ‘em Chad!

P.E.A.C.E.

Jay@EagleLaunch

Proverbs 4:5, “Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them.”

I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer but when I need to, I can work with the best of them and many times over the years I have “worked” my way through fear, worry and anxiety.

…probably why I used to shoot 200 hundred free throws a day during my basketball career (it is frightening standing on that free throw line all alone) and why I went to over 700 AA meetings during my first two years of sobriety (I was very afraid I was going to relapse).

You may recall my blog from last Sunday.  I shared the keys to overcoming fear and they were prayer and surrounding yourself with positive people, places and things.  Add “stay busy by working” to the list.

P.E.A.C.E.

Jay@EagleLaunch

Isaiah 41:10, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.  Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you.  I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”  (NLT)

Often there is no better antidote to worry than a good plan to focus your mind and energy toward.

…in fact in most cases worry is nothing more than the by-product of having nothing better to do.

Plan + Effort + Attitude + Community + Energy = P.E.A.C.E.

P.E.A.C.E.

Jay@EagleLaunch

We all have fear, it is an emotion/feeling all human beings have.

How we handle our fear is the difference maker.

P.E.A.C.E.

Jay@Eaglelaunch

Proverbs 4:6, “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” (NLT)

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change (other people, places and things), the courage to change the things I can (me, my attitude and my effort) and the wisdom to know the difference…wisdom “happens” once we effectively learn to accept what we can’t change and change what we can.

…the difference between having serenity or anxiety in your life is a choice only you can make.

Which handle are you clinging to today?

P.E.A.C.E.

Jay@EagleLaunch

Deuteronomy 31:6; “So be strong and courageous!  Do not be afraid and do not panic before them.  For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you.  He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (NLT)

Worry is of the devil.  Peace is of God.  Therefore PEACE is a complete efficient thought revolving around a pivot point of God.

God beats the devil every time…if we call upon him in prayer…some days I am praying a whole lot more than I would like to think I need to…

If you pray why worry, if you worry why pray?

P.E.A.C.E.

Jay@EagleLaunch

John 16:33, “I have told you all this so you may have peace in me.  Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  But take heart because I have overcome the world.” (NLT)

There is no bigger waste of time than worry.  Worry, a by-product of fear, is the devil’s playground.

If the devil, through worry, stands between us and our ability to chase our dreams; who is standing closer to our dreams?

Ask God to always help you learn from yesterday, focus on today and keep an eye on the future and you will have no time to worry.

P.E.A.C.E.

Jay@Eaglelaunch

Proverbs 4:6, “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”  (NLT)

Let’s say you believe in God and you believe God is good, God is peace, and God is all about love and God means it when He says through Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.  “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Now let’s say you believe in God and you believe God is good and God is all about love and God is all about peace and you are certain he means what he says in Jeremiah 29:11, but no matter how you “appear” to be on the outside, you are often miserable on the inside, quarreling with yourself and others, defensive and easily offended, and often worrying about things that don’t exist; simply a disaster (see Jeremiah above) waiting to happen?

If you can relate you are most likely being driven by fear, or should I say being driven by False Evidence Appearing Real, or better yet, the devil.  For years I have battled a “board of directors in my head.”  And the devil is always trying to be the chairman of this board by making false evidence appearing real.

The fear I am talking about is what I refer to as the Devil’s playground.  Fear that serves as a roadblock in our goal of achieving excellence with our lives.  Fear that gets in the way of our relationship with God, and with others.  Fear that prevents us from loving or being loved.  Fear that prevents us from experiencing peace in our lives.  Fear that makes us believe we have no “future and hope.”

A couple of keys to keeping the devil out of the chairman’s position on your mental board of directors is first to surround yourself with people, places and things that will generate good in your life.  People, places and things that facilitate your efforts in having a great future and hope as God promises in Jeremiah.  The devil works through other people to try to bring you down.  The devil works through the news and other forms of media to take you off course.  Try your best to nourish yourself with Godly people, places and things (e.g. church, the Bible etc…).

Secondly, too many people only read verse 11 from the 29th chapter of Jeremiah.  It important to read and meditate upon verses 12, 13 and 14 also.  “In those days when you pray, I will listen.  If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.  I will be found by you,” says the Lord.  “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes.”  Jeremiah 29:12-14 (NLT) 

God trumps the devil every day of the week, if we ask him (i.e. prayer).  People governed by fear which turns into anxiety, worry, sub-par performance, procrastination and unstable relationships are simply allowing the devil to serve as their chairman of the board of directors in their heads.

When you replace fear with prayer you begin experiencing peace no matter the person, place or thing you are struggling with or worrying about.  Sometimes its an hourly or minute by minute process but if you begin praying (i.e. “by the blood of Jesus, devil be gone”) every time fear rears its ugly head you will slowly “fire” the devil as the chairman of your board and replace him with the chairman of mankind; your Father in heaven, who has good plans for you.

Once you begin surrounding yourself with Godly people, places and things and once God becomes your permanent chairman you will begin understanding more than you need to be understood, giving more than you need to receive, loving more than you need to be loved, anticipating great things more than you worry about little things, having peace no matter the circumstance.  I write from experience.

Make a decision to name God as your chairman of your board today and you will be driven by a future and a hope instead of being paralyzed in today by fear, worry and anxiety.

P.E.A.C.E.

Jay@EagleLaunch

Winners are forward thinkers and losers are backward thinkers.

In what direction are your thoughts focused?

P.E.A.C.E.

Jay@EagleLaunch

Proverbs 24:16; “The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.”  (NLT)