Why We Need To Reprogram Our Minds

Have you ever spent the day with someone who is negative? When we are around negativity constantly, then it has a way of sneaking into our minds as well. I once worked at a facility where the majority of my coworkers complained and were often in a bad mood. Every time I opened the door and walked inside I could feel my mood changing. Their negativity brought me down. Going to work made me feel bad. It was then and there that I decided to become the kind of person who lifts others up, instead of tearing them down. Needless to say, I didn’t stay there for long. 

Now I am cautious of who I allow into my life. I want to surround myself with positive, encouraging people. If we don’t have those types of people in our lives, then we can read encouraging books. Every day we need to do something to fill up our cups. We can’t drink from an empty cup. When we give away our time, our love, and our energy without replenishing it in some way, then we will find ourselves overwhelmed and drained. 

Limiting beliefs have a way of sneaking into our minds. If we are not careful then we will start believing that our lives have limitations. After my surgery, when the pain in my hand was hard to deal with, I listened to encouraging words and hummed hymns. Because I knew that I was in a vulnerable state, I listened to the same inspirational video about overcoming every day until I believed the message in my heart.

 When I start my day by praying and reading my Bible, then I am replacing my thoughts with God’s word. The world is filled with heartache and pain, but God’s word is filled with peace and love. It reminds me to not let my heart be troubled or afraid. God has grace for our every need. We have nothing to fear. 

One of the things that I have learned to do is to examine my thoughts. Then I decide whether or not the thought is the truth or a lie. While I might feel like no one loves me at times, it is not the truth. In an effort to counteract the lie, I might make a list of all the people I know that truly love me. This helps me to reprogram my mind with the truth. Sometimes we just need to remind ourselves of the good in our lives. The world will constantly give us a hard time. 

Gratitude is one of the best ways to change our lives immediately. When we pause and feel gratitude for all of our blessings each day, then it turns what we have into enough. God loves hearing from us. It pleases Him when we pause to thank Him for our gifts—especially when we feel it in our soul. When I realized that I was going to have surgery to get a thumb, my heart was overjoyed. Randomly I would burst into tears and praise Him for the thumb I was going to get.

photo credit unsplash

When we constantly feed our minds God’s word, think about gratitude, and live in the present moment, then we are able to break free from the negativity. I’ve learned, it’s harder for me to have a conversation with the devil when I’m talking with the Lord. 

Philippians 4:8King James Version (KJV)

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Despite Your Circumstances

Regardless of what we do or don’t do, we will have to go through trials and tribulations. It’s part of life. While we don’t get to choose our hardships, we do get to decide how we are going to go through the trials. Are we going to give up at the first sign of trouble or are we going to keep getting up—despite how many times we get knocked down? 

In my experience of hardships, there are three steps to overcome any hardships. First, we must know why we want to overcome it. What is at stake for us if we don’t overcome it? When I was very sick and told that I was disabled, I realized that I had a choice. I could accept the doctor’s prognosis and believe that I would never get better or I could do everything in my power to get better. Thankfully, I chose the latter. 

This was my why when I was fighting to get better….

I want to live my life and plan my days based on what I want to do, rather than how I feel. I want to enjoy each day and be able to spend time with my kids doing fun things. Never again do I want a doctor to pat me on the shoulder and say, “ I’m sorry. There is nothing else we can do for you. We will keep you comfortable with pain meds.” Nor do I want to be told to sign up for disability to be able to feed my family because I am unable to work. Lying in the bed for months, I discovered the value of my health—and let me tell you, it is priceless. 

Next, in order for me to make the necessary changes, my pain of remaining in that state had to be greater than the pain it caused me to change. Once I raised my necessity to change, then I started looking for a plan to help me. It required me to work on my mindset, my physical body, and my spiritual relationship with God. 

Finally, once we know what we should be doing, then we must take consistent action. I went on a strict diet, adapted an exercise routine, starting reading self-help books, and spending more time praying and seeking God’s guidance. 

During the first few months, I had to constantly remind myself why I wanted to change. It was so hard. Not only is it difficult to change something about our lives, but the enemy always shows up to make it harder on us. He can’t make us quit, so he tries to persuade us to quit. 

With God’s help, however, we can overcome the trial as well as the enemy. When we decide to work on the person underneath it all, then we will develop the necessary skills to be able to overcome it. I believe the trials come into our lives to teach us things. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord. 

Today, I encourage you to adopt the mindset of an overcomer. Regardless of this trial, you can overcome it. When we go through the hard times with the Lord, we get to see another degree of His love for us. I have faced many trials with my Lord, and He has never let me down. It might not always work out like I wanted it to, but it’s always for the best. 

Love and blessings, 

Candida

P.S. If you haven’t already, please check out my latest book by clicking here. Despite Your Circumstances shows us the power of the mind as it embraces a positive and thankful attitude, and demonstrates how to build a rich life filled with meaning and joy. The author uses seemingly impossible situations in her life to prove that you can be an overcomer despite your circumstances.

Are We Standing in Our Own Way?

We are often our own worst enemy. How many times have we prevented ourselves from taking a chance? From doing that thing we have always wanted to do? How many times do we feel stuck, and believe that there is honestly no other way?

Our negative voice can be loud and convincing. It screams and shouts at us constantly through out our day. Regardless of our situation, it always navigates toward the worst possible scenario. Not only does our mind usually paint us a picture of the worst thing that could happen, but it tries to convince us that the lies are in fact true. 

If we listen to the negative voice, we will soon believe that we are incapable of doing anything. In this state, we start thinking that we are not good enough. And that type of mind-set is what stands in our way of achieving our goals and living the life that we want to live.

Once I was sitting in my high chair as a baby, feeding myself. I was struggling, but persistent. As I continued to struggle, but eventually overcome, someone watching me spoke to my mom. She asked my mom how I was able to feed myself, with the condition of my hands. My mom replied, “No one has told her that she can’t do it. Therefore, she doesn’t realize that she’s not supposed to be able to do it.”

Wow! How true is that statement? So often we believe that we can’t do something based on our perspective. Therefore, if we believe ourselves unable to do something, then why should we even try? And the not trying is the reason why we can’t do it. Not because it was impossible. 

Words that we need to remove from our vocabulary immediately:

1. Can’t

2. Impossible

3. Unattainable

Anything that limits our beliefs needs to be removed from our lives. When we believe that we can’t do something, then we will have guaranteed failure. Because we end up sabotaging ourselves by not trying. 

If we believe that we can’t lose weight or become healthier because of a health condition that we have, and, as a result, we allow ourselves to eat whatever we want, then it is not the condition that prevents us from losing weight. It is our behavior. The same holds true for any situation. Anytime that we persist through an obstacle then we will eventually be able to overcome it. But if we quit or give up without any effort, then we have chosen failure. 

We are all capable of so much more than we believe. In order to reach our potential, however, we have to stop spending time with our enemy. Whenever, we are faced with a difficult situation we need to stop and ask ourselves a few questions. 

1. Is my God in control?
2. Can He handle my situation and show me how to overcome it? 
3. How will this trial help me?

Once we realize that God is in control, and we stop putting limitations on Him, then we will see our life begin to change. With God all things are possible.

Happy Monday!

Candida

Are You a Worrier?

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, worry means to think about problems or fears: to feel or show fear and concern because you think that something bad has happened or could happen. 

Does this sound familiar? It is something I have to work on. 

We have all experienced some type of worry as an adult or as a child. Anxiety used to rule my life. I used to worry about everything and my mind was a constant state of uneasiness. I dwelled on my problems, the problems I might have one day, and the problems I had already experienced. This constant state of stress took a toll on my body and stole my peace. 

Until one day, I became so tired of always being fearful, and I asked God to help me. I knew that it would take more than the desire to change. In order to create lasting change, I knew that I needed a new mind-set. 

The Bible is filled with examples of faith. Since the beginning of time, God has taken care of His people. His love for Noah, Moses, Abraham, Daniel, etc. is no greater than His love for us. When we read their stories in the Bible, then we can see how God delivered them out of their troubles. He will do the same for us.  We need to seek Him and allow Him to guide us. 

Faith and worry cannot coexist. We have to believe that God will do what is best for us in all situations. While we may not like what we have to endure, God has a reason, and it is always for our own good. When we can develop this complete faith in Him, then our lives will be filled with peace. And we will be able to praise Him through the storms. 

Sometimes it is so hard. We don’t always like or understand what happens to us or our loved ones. But we have to trust God. In order to live a peaceful life, we need His love, guidance, and peace. In difficult times, we need to take our problems, fears, faults, and failures to our Lord. We need to seek His guidance and strength. We need to train our mind to look for the best in everything and everyone. 

The more we walk with the Lord, the stronger our faith will become. We need to learn to recognize His presence and open our minds to His goodness. He takes care of us in some way, every single day, but so often we are so focused on the bad things happening around us that we fail to see His mighty protection covering us. 

Here is a few ways that I welcome more peace into my life every day:

1. Start the day with my Lord. Read my Bible and pray. 
2. Do not watch the news or open my social media accounts until I have spent some time with God. I want His peace to fill my soul.  
3. Think about all the ways that He takes care of me. Write down my blessings and express gratitude for all the things going great in my life. 

The next time you experience a hardship write about it. Write about your feelings, troubles, and fears. And then write about the outcome. Open your mind to how God works out your problems. 

We need to remember, when the devil is working in our lives and giving us a hard time, that our God spoke the world into existence. Since He is the Creator of all things, He knows how to help us always. Trust Him. Seek Him. And allow Him to guide you, through good times and bad. 

Have a wonderful day!

Candida  

How to Take the First Step Toward Your Goals

Some tasks just seem unattainable. The moment we think about them, we place them in the impossible category and assume that we could never do that. And when we declare something impossible, without even trying or giving a half-hearted effort, we cheat ourselves. 

We all have unlimited potential. If we truly gave our life a grand effort, we would astound ourselves. But we often believe our limiting beliefs and give up without a fight. 

Writing a book or even a blog seems overwhelming to me at times. The blank screen can be intimidating. Sometimes my thoughts are scattered and I wonder what I can possibly write that would be helpful to someone else. So often I assume that I don’t have any creative thoughts and never open my laptop to try. I often forget that the only way to write a book, or anything else for that matter, is one word at a time. When I break it down into words it becomes possible for me.

It’s the same way with exercising. Challenging workouts can be intimidating, so we declare ourselves unable to perform them. When we put forth an effort, regardless of how small, and work diligently every day toward our goals, we will achieve the desired results. When I first started running, one minute was challenging for me. But instead of focusing on my inability to run longer, I focused on my ability to run for one minute, and then, eventually added to it. 

We don’t start out the best. It takes practice and persistence to accomplish anything. The key is to start now. We have to start with what we can do, right now at this very minute, and add to it. How many times have we heard the saying, “A year from now you will be so happy you started today”? 

Here is my action plan for today. 

1. Take the first step—big or small— toward your goals. Today. You don’t have to have it all figured out. Just don’t put it off any longer. 
2. Change your story. Discard the negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. The enemy will always be screaming in your ear that you can’t do it. Believe that you can do it and you will.
3. Schedule time to work on you, every single day. Remember that small steps taken daily lead to big results. 

Are you ready to take the first step? The only thing holding you back is what you are telling yourself. 

If you need an accountability partner, send me an email: candidasullivan@yahoo.com.

Have a wonderful day!

Candida

Overcoming the Struggle

Some days I have great thoughts and I’m able to articulate them well. I have a plan and know exactly what I’m going to write about. Today, however, is not one of those days. My thoughts are all over the place, and a defeated feeling has settled into me. And I thought, as I sat down at my computer and looked at the blank screen, I can’t possibly blog today. But if I wait until the perfect moment, it may not come. 

This is real life. While it might not be pretty, it is honest. And God often uses our struggles to help others. So my friend, if you are struggling, please know that you are not alone. 

Every day feels like a battle anymore. It’s hard for me to get out of bed at 5 a.m. It’s hard to read my Bible, pray, write, exercise, and do the things that will ultimately move me toward my goal. It’s especially hard when I’m distracted and overwhelmed. The moment I get in the defeated and stressed mind-set, the enemy has power of me. And it all seems impossible. 

But when I pray, the devil has to flee. My enemy cannot withstand my tears. My tears are a direct link to God. And He understands them. He understands my temptations, my failures, my heartaches, and my efforts. God knows the very desires of my heart. And He loves me. Especially on the days when I’m struggling. He doesn’t put His foot on me and yell at me. God doesn’t say mean things to me. He opens His arms and beckons for me to come to Him. In His arms I find peace, love, and so much strength.

As I dry my eyes, there is a renewed strength in my soul. God is with me always. In my weakness, He is made strong. Sometimes we just need to be reminded that we need Him to fight our battles. We can’t fight the devil on our own. 

I am so thankful to be a child of the King! And to serve a God that is always there for me. My words fail in comparison to His greatness. 

May God bless you, 

Candida

Do You Need Daily Encouragement?

I have a confession to make. Fear has prevented me from promoting my new book the way I wanted to. 

Writing is hard. Writing personal stories from the very depths of the heart is even harder. But sharing those vulnerable moments is down right grueling. 

I hate the vulnerability of sharing my thoughts, heartaches, and trials with others. It makes me feel like the girl who shoved her hands in her pockets and was so afraid to be herself. And so I have allowed the fear to silence me. In doing that my heart breaks for the failure of not serving the Lord and allowing the devil to steal my dreams. 

So today I want to be brave. 

God gives me so many beautiful thoughts. He leads me and guides me and helps me to overcome every hardship that I encounter. Each time I go through a trial with my Lord, I come out of it a different person. Stronger, wiser, more compassionate, and I have more understanding of the person I want to become and how to better serve Him. 

And I realize it is so selfish of me to not share those moments. 

We all have struggles, fear, faults and failures. It is impossible to go through life without challenges, trials, and tests. But it is possible to overcome every hardships, and then use those experiences to help others.

That’s what Despite Your Circumstances is all about. My life was challenged. God pushed me to the very edge of my strength and ability and then showed me how to become stronger and develop a warrior mind-set. At one point my body was defeated, my spirit was broken, and my mind was challenged. I will never forget that feeling. I felt so alone and afraid. No one knew what was happening to me, and I feared the worst. All I wanted was for someone to tell me so badly that it would be okay. And then show me how to overcome my victim mind-set.

Once my mind-set transformed from victim to overcomer, I was able to fight back. During the most difficult time in my life, I realized I am far stronger than I ever imagined. Strength does not come from accomplishing what we believe possible, but rather from accomplishing that which we originally believed was impossible. 

God has blessed me so greatly, and I want to show my appreciation by sharing my knowledge with others. Since my theme word for 2015 is GIVE, I want to give you an entire month of encouragement. I have created an online Facebook event for this purpose. Each day I will post something encouraging in the event and I would truly love it if you would do the same. We can help each other. And develop the right mind-set to make 2016 our best year yet. 

Because I am stepping out in faith, I don’t have it all planned out, but I trust God to help me, so I can help you. 

Asking for help is one of the hardest things for me to do. But without your help, I can’t accomplish my dreams. 

Will you please buy my book and help me make this book successful? And consider buying one for a friend also? I wrote it with prayers, tears, and God’s guiding hand. I truly owe all the credit to Him. Please join me for my first ever online event (it’s free) and invite your family and friends to join us as well. Together we can learn how to live well—despite our circumstances. 

About Despite Your Circumstances

Despite Your Circumstances shows us the power of the mind as it embraces a positive and thankful attitude, and demonstrates how to build a rich life filled with meaning and joy. The author uses seemingly impossible situations in her life to prove that you can be an overcomer despite your circumstances.

A sample chapter and options to buy the book is available here. You can also buy an autographed copy by emailing me at candidasullivan@yahoo.com. 

What others had to say:

"With raw vulnerability, Candida brings us into her world of physical and psychological hardships.  She shows us how she, with the help and strong faith in God, transcends her limitations and goes for the possibilities.  Despite Your Circumstances shows us the power of the mind as it embraces an attitude of positivity and gratitude and shows us how we can build a rich life filled with meaning and joy beyond our challenging circumstances."

Harriet Cabelly, Social Worker & Life Coach at Rebuild Life Now

"Candida's book Despite Your Circumstances beautifully illustrates the human struggle to overcome circumstances beyond our control. The transformative power of God's love and radical acceptance leap off the pages."

Jason Kishpaugh, LPC-MHSP, Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor

"I love how this book encourages us all to defeat the negative thoughts and change them to positive, God thoughts.  This is a true lesson on how to transform your perspective on life circumstances."

Beth Stewart, founder of Triumphant Living radio ministry, CEO of Beth Stewart Ministries, and author of Dreams NEVER Expire

"This book will forever change your perspective by showing you how to shift your thinking to live a positive victorious life empowered by God. It will challenge you to rise above circumstances and remind you that as you think, so shall it be."

Terri Meredith, Terri Meredith Ministries

Hope to see you there, 

Candida Sullivan