Living without Limits

The quest for happiness through what we have is always limiting. When Henry Ford was asked, “How much money does it take to satisfy a man?” he profoundly answered, “Just a little bit more!” The itch to have more is rarely ever scratched!
So what choices allow us limitless life?
I choose faith over fear!
Some years ago, a couple I had worked with in marriage counseling brought me a small gift. It was a framed plaque that read, “Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. No one was there.” Fear locks us in place and keeps the key to freedom. Healthy change only comes through faith in the possibility of change. Soren Kierkegaard, the Swiss psychiatrist defined anxiety as “the alarming possibility of being able.” Like the Biblical brave boy, David, all of us face giants in our world and in our inner thoughts. To overcome them we need to exercise our faith through the skills we have already developed. A small stone in a practiced sling shot brought down an enemy that terrorized a whole army of soldiers.
All of us have faith; some use it more effectively than others. Living in the prison of fear restricts our imagination and our choices. Faith is the key that unlocks the prison cell. I choose the positive over the negative! I want to look forward not backward.
Some years ago, I met Norman Vincent Peale, the author of the book, The Power of Positive Thinking. He was then in his seventies, but his mind was clear, even though he lacked some of the energy he had demonstrated earlier in life. As we talked I was aware that he was planning the next year of his life. He wasn’t looking back on what he had accomplished but looking forward to what was next in the coming year. Positive people are expectant people. It was exhilarating to be around him.
Life without limits is enhanced by our view of what lies ahead. As Satchel Paige, the aging Atlanta Braves pitcher was fond of saying, “Don’t look back; they may be catching up to you.”
Whatever life may have brought you in the past, it is now only a memory. The joy of what lies ahead is what calls you to a life without limits!
Finally, be pulled by your dreams instead of being pushed by your problems!