“. . . therefore I quote” Hansel, Swindoll, James & Ford

I read, therefore I quote.

I’m going to “set up” today’s quote with a little video. My sister-in-law sent me this back in July of 2007. You may have seen it already. But what a powerful reminder that we CAN.

I don’t know about you, but I won’t be whining about ANYTHING today. Or tomorrow. And if I whine the day after that, I’m watching this video again.

Today’s quote comes from “Eating Problems for Breakfast: A Simple, Creative Approach to Solving Any Problem” by Tim Hansel:

“As Chuck Swindoll said so eloquently, ‘We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.’

Some experts believer that 90 percent of all problem solving revolves around one’s attitude. By definition, attitude refers to:

one’s mental posture toward a problem or a situation;

one’s feelings or emotions toward the problem;

the angle or position of one’s frame of reference.

It’s not so much what happens to us, as what happens in us that counts, or what we think has happened to us.

. . . Life is a process: a complex ever-continuing, ever-change set of problems. The choice is not if you’ll accept problems, but How! Your attitude determines whether or not you will succeed. William James said, “Perhaps the greatest discovery of this century is that if you can change your attitude, you can change your life.”

. . . Henry Ford once said, “That who say they can and those who say that they can’t are usually both right.”

. . . One of the most liberating discoveries of my life was that problems have positive and redemptive purposes: they can be potential blessings. They can be a means for growth . . .

. . . I believe that our greatest problem is our self-limitation. In having a more sane estimate of our abilities, we need to realize the incredible things that God can do in us and through us. When we do that, we become much less intimidated by problems because we know that God is not only for us but in us. Therefore, I am not afraid to fail.

. . . Perhaps you are like me and struggle to keep an appropriate attitude toward problems. One recommendation is to read books on problem solving, motivation and attitude. Although I have read countless books on these subjects in the last twenty years, one book was the most helpful. It far outweighs any other book I have ever read on the subject. It not only has better ideas to suggest but actually offers facts to help you with your attitude . . . It’s a guaranteed life changer. It’s the Bible. I highly recommend it. Someone said of the Bible:

Know it – in your head;
Stow it – in your heart;
Sow it – in the world;
Show it – in your life.

. . . I recently saw a tremendous formula for success. It consists of these ten points:

1. Pray
2. Work
3. Pray
4. Work
5. Pray
6. Work
7. Pray
8. Work
9. Pray
10. Work

. . . If you want to improve your problem-solving abilities, follow all ten suggestions. But in the process of developing our problem-solving skills, we’ve got to be careful of the trap of perfectionism. Someone once said that, “perfectionism leads to procrastination, and procrastination leads in turn leads to paralysis.”

. . . Yes, pay attention to detail. Yes, pursue excellence. But avoid that nagging tendency to strive for perfection, especially on the first attempt.”

“. . . therefore I quote” Thursday: If you have a quote to share from something you’ve read recently, feel free to comment and/or include a link to your own “quote” post.

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