The seasons have changed again, and Summer is finally here! Christian Books – Donna Louis – The Half-Way Point
It is July and we have all reached the halfway point of the year. We have gone through the first six months of the year. No doubt we have all had many ups and downs. We have encountered many trials as well as many moments of euphoria.
At the beginning of the year, we had a lot of hopes and dreams that this would be the breakthrough year in many areas of our lives. We made a list of goals that we intended to accomplish no matter what. However here we are starting the second part of the year and we have not accomplished anything near what we had planned. There are some of us that may not have even checked off one of the goals on our list. So where do we go from here? Christian Books – Donna Louis – The Half-Way Point. Check out my website
We do like the classic Frank Sinatra song says, “Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again.” We must remember the old saying, “if at first, you don’t succeed try, try, again.”
We all have become a set of people that want instant gratification. That is very evident with all the fast food places to eat. Let’s not forget drive-through where we don’t even have to get out of the car!
Whether it is getting out of debt, losing weight, quitting smoking, etc, etc., we must go back to the grassroots method. Nothing happens overnight but if we keep at it and pursue it with our whole heart eventually we will reach the finish line and have success. – Christian Books – Donna Louis – The Half-Way Point.
I am sure that some of you when you were a kid had jigsaw puzzles you would put together. You would start off strong and could match the right pieces where they belonged easily. However, as you went along almost always when you picked up a piece to interlock into the puzzle it was the wrong piece. After a while what you thought you would have had completed in a brief period was taking hours. Through the euphoria, frustration, and timing eventually, you finally completed the puzzle and you were so happy once it was done. You smiled a big smile and stuck out your chest and proclaimed victory. Christian Books – Donna Louis – The Half-Way Point.
This is the way it is in adult life as well as we tackle our goals. Things don’t always shape up the way we want but that doesn’t mean we give up! Try reassessing your goals. Maybe some of them were unrealistic from the beginning.
If you are looking to get out of debt don’t expect it to happen overnight. You didn’t get yourself into debt in an abbreviated period of time so don’t expect it to go away in a fleeting moment. Sure, you can engage with a debt consolidation firm and tie all the debt into one payment, or you can file bankruptcy. Even with debt consolidation, you will still have a bill to pay over an extended period. If you go with bankruptcy sure all the debt is gone but you will have 10 years to wait for it to drop off your credit report. Christian Books – Donna Louis – The Half-Way Point.
If you are looking to lose weight that also will not happen overnight. You didn’t gain the extra 30, 50, 70, 100, or more lbs. overnight. They say the natural and safe way to lose weight is to lose about 10lbs. per month which amounts to 2.5 lbs. per week. Set a realistic weight loss amount and then remember to give yourself wiggle room. Try using the 80/20 rule. Eat right 80% of the time and allow yourself the 20% for the times for when you just must have the big bucket of popcorn loaded with butter at the movies or, your favorite flavor ice-cream or, whatever it is that you enjoy that you just must have sometimes. Christian Books – Donna Louis – The Half-Way Point.
If you are looking to quit smoking and you have been smoking for over 10 or 20 years don’t expect to just quit in one week. Now don’t get me wrong there are miracles that take place in our lives now and then. This one I can say for myself was a miracle. My husband and I both smoked for over 20 years. One day back in the year 2001 my husband decided he was just going to quit smoking cold turkey because he refused to pay $4.00 a pack for cigarettes. He told me you can keep smoking if you want but I quit. Well, I decided I would try it as well. I was never a heavy daily smoker only ½ a pack a day or on stressful days maybe ¾’s of a pack. However, I tried it along with him and honestly, God took the cravings from us both almost immediately. I had some temptations in the first week but never gave in and after that, we never picked up cigarettes again. This has been over 19 years now. I don’t recommend this method for everyone but please don’t be harsh on yourself if you are not able to quit for 3 months and then you have a lapse. Don’t think to yourself I will never be able to quit, this is just my life. I will always be a smoker. No, don’t put that branding on your life. Remember what the bible says, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. – Philippians 4:13. We all have goals and things we want to conquer including me.
So, enjoy your summer, live life to the fullest, thank God for life because the next day is not promised to any of us, and be grateful you made it to the halfway point because there are so many who did not. Reassess your goals and grab the bull by the horns and roar into The Halfway Point! Christian Books – Donna Louis – The Half-Way Point. Check out my website
