The Tribune

By MICHELLE MILLER

The many excuses that some folks give as the reason why they are not maximising their potential, or not living an empowered life, are vast and varied, colourful even.

For the most part, it’s not their fault. They are a victim of the blame game. Somebody did or didn’t do something that resulted in their current station in life.

Indeed, the blame game never seems to get old for some. And while all of our lives will have their share of ups and downs, you are the driver of your life. Whether you choose to drive it to your desired outcome or just become a passenger in your life, it is entirely up to you.

Plain and simple, it’s nobody’s fault. You are responsible for what you do you’re yourself, with your life. You can choose to look back with fear or look forward with faith. It’s your call. Faith or fear – which do you choose?

Truth be told, most people will choose fear, simply because they live and breathe fear-based oxygen. This means that they are inhaling fearful information through various mediums most of their waking hours. Let it be understood that you cannot sit all day enjoying a buffet of fear and expect to live a faith-filled life. It is impossible.

Faith is not a joke. You are either in or out. Those who live and breathe faith live a faithful life.

Whether you know it or not, your everyday conversations have a powerful influence on the train you get on. Conversations change lives, be it positively or negatively. If you think it’s a small thing to spend the bulk of your time listening to unsavory, negative conversations, you are sadly mistaken.

Words have unlimited power. They are the surgical tools with which we sculpt your mind and cement your behaviours.

If you want to know whether faith or fear is the driving force, take a listen to what you are listening to; what you are feeding your mind.

Ultimately, you stand where they sit. If you spend much of your valuable time sitting in a cesspool of blaming and complaining, this becomes the foundation and driving force of your life.

Language is the gateway to knowledge, wisdom and understanding. It literally shapes your life, builds your character, and develops your future. The power of language influences your mind. You are the gate keeper. You must stand guard at the gate of your mind.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Fear, on the other hand, is more a belief in the absence of the substance. When you surrender to fear, you buy into the delusion that there is not enough. You fall prey to lack and limitation.

Fear as a driving force causes anxiety, anger and aggression to prevail. Over time, you stay stuck in problem mode, never finding a solution. Sad thing is, the solution lies within the problem but fear blinds you from seeing it. The fact of the matter is, you have the power to master your life. You can choose how you live and what moves you to move.

Faith is a muscle it needs exercise to be developed. There is no meaningful living, without meaningful faith. Faith is a personal quality. You must believe and develop your faith for yourself if you wish to live faithfully. Let go of the idea that you can somehow live on other people’s faith. Many believe this, thinking they can just go through motion of doing the group but never building their own faith. Faith is a quiet power. It does not require any shouting, hollering or group approval. Faith has nothing to prove. It just is.

Leader to leader, make up your mind and get to work building your faith. Be willing to divorce yourself from fear, as fear by its very nature is an emotion which you can change. Living by faith instead of fear is a decision you must make. It requires a firm foundation of courage and confidence.

Be mindful of what you are listening to and how you invest your time. Remember, garbage in – garbage out. When you commit to building your faith, you start that solid foundation for living an empowered life. Yes, you definitely can do it.

What do you think? Please send your comments to coaching242@yahoo.com or call 429-6770.

• Michelle M Miller is a certified life coach, communication and leadership expert. Visit www.talktomichellemiller.com or call 1-888-620-7894; mail can be sent to PO Box CB-13060.