You have to outgrow them!
Carl Jung has been attributed with this wonderful quote, “You never solve your problems, you have to out grow them.” I love it! You and I have to grow and grow and grow. And as we do, the problems and challenges that once caused us so much grief will shrink into little disturbances that we can easily handle.
What an empowering thought! You can outgrow all of your problems! It makes perfect sense. Let me illustrate with swimming. If you were to take a man, who cannot swim, and drop him 10 meters off shore, he would have a big problem. But you have outgrown that problem and could swim to shore, no problem. Well, what if we took you out 500 meters from shore? Many of you would have a very hard time getting back to shore alive. Can you outgrow that problem? Of course! I have competed in several short-distance triathlons and so I could swim in from around a mile out, but beyond that, I would have a problem. Have others outgrown that problem? Of course! An IronMan triathlete could easily swim in from 2.5 miles out, and count it as a work out. You see, it’s all about our personal development, our growth rings. How big are your growth rings?
Orison Swett Marden wrote, “Obstacles and challenges will seem big or small to you according to whether you are big or small.” So our obstacles are actually opportunities to see where we are in our growth, and to do something about it!
A great and painful lesson
I vividly remember competing in a tough (for me) triathlon in Costa Rica. I was not aware that the triathlon was going to take place until about a week before the race. I had slacked in my training because, as I wrongly assumed, I didn’t have anything to train for. Well, when the time to perform has arrived, the time to prepare has passed! And I was not prepared. That triathlon kicked my backside! I had not outgrown it through discipline, preparation and training. And so it was bigger than me. That morning before the race, one of the competitors, who is an IronMan racer, rode his bike about 50 miles BEFORE the race “for a warm up.” He was definitely bigger than that race.
How do we get bigger?
So we ask ourselves, “How can we increase our growth?” The answer: the Law of the Harvest. You and I will reap what we sow, and in exact proportion as well.
Life is like a garden. We have to get good nutrients, not only in the body, but in the mind and spirit as well. We’ve got to pull weeds, mix in fertilizer and get plenty of sun shine….light and truth! How can we do all this?
The Daily Routine
Failure is fertilizer. Try new things. Get out of your comfort zone. Discomfort is one of the best indications of growth. Do not stay and vegetate in your little corner of the earth. Get Out And Live! And learn and grow from your mistakes and failures.
Input Determines Output. Feed your mind and spirit with great content. Study from the scriptures and the best books everyday. Miss a meal, but don’t miss your daily dose of great truths. Study the lives of great men and women who have really developed themselves, and model the manner in which they outgrew their challenges.
Pull the weeds. Get rid of the negative people and input in your life. Throw away your television and your video games. Do whatever it takes to keep the porn, the violence and the filth out of your home and out of your life!
We’ve also got to pull the toxic weeds of tobacco, alcohol, drugs and obesity. They are destroying so many lives everyday.
Exercise and eat well everyday. Be consistent and vigorous and you will quickly get the results you are longing for. Discipline yourself to do it. Don’t let up. No excuses or “special occasions.”
And most importantly, invite the Light into your life by drawing closer to God. Seek His help and guidance, spend time with Him and DO what He asks.
If you will work on these habits everyday, I promise that you will experience tremendous growth in your life that will bring you those wonderful rewards that have been reserved for those who are willing to pay the price. Then, you will really begin to be bigger than your problems.
Please share with us a time when this principle has been true in your life.
Father gave us the gift of His Only Begotten Son. Christ willingly gave His life for each of us. We can give something back; something that will really please them.
