LEAD April 2024 | Page 46

Get Motivated in Thirty Seconds
I ’ ll never forget one morning in 2004 when I woke up discouraged . For whatever reason , my mind was focused more on the bad memories of my past than on my dreams for the future . I went through my morning routine , drove to work , and walked into my office still not fully encouraged . As I was sitting at my desk going through the motions , a coworker walked in and asked if I wanted to view the new opening segment for the TV broadcast we were launching . Since I led the media department , it was part of my job to approve or disapprove programming changes .
I walked into the editing room , he pushed Play , and this is what I heard shouting across the screen and through the speakers :
“ Don ’ t you ever say again that you can ’ t take any more ! You can take anything the enemy dishes out ! You ’ re a child of the Most High God ! You ’ re not a victim . You ’ re a victor ! The blood of Jesus flows through your veins . You ’ re a champion . Hallelujah !” 3
In less than thirty seconds my mindset changed . Listening to that powerful , highenergy , motivational clip , I left the editing room with a completely different outlook on my life . I was able to get control over my mood , my emotions , and my negative thinking and shift my thoughts in a positive direction — in less than one minute ! That ’ s the power of listening and retraining your mind by hearing God ’ s truths .
Whatever you ’ re feeling most compelled to study right now , that ’ s where you need to focus your time , money , resources , and attention . Where do you need to spend the most time gaining knowledge ? Become a serious student in that area .
Set yourself up for success by researching the resources you need . Be ready tomorrow morning when you head off for your normal commute . Whether it ’ s downloading an audiobook or a podcast or ordering resources online , get it ready to go .
One study reported that the average person commutes thirty minutes to and from work each day . Over a five-year period , that ’ s 1,250 hours behind the wheel of your car ( and additional time to learn ). 4 Can you believe that ?
ABC News published an article titled “ Here ’ s How Much Time Americans Waste in Traffic ” by Erin Dooley . It ’ s all in how you view time : it ’ s wasting time to moan about the traffic ; instead you can seize that time to learn everything you can . The article shared startling statistics of how many hours Americans spend stuck in traffic jams each year , with the average being forty-two hours . That ’ s not including the commute time — that ’ s just hours spent at a standstill on the road . 5
The most congested city in the United States is currently Chicago , showing their annual average is 155 hours of delay with nothing to do — but grow ! I see that as optimal time to get ahead , accelerate your knowledge , and grow by leaps and bounds . Think of how much those in Boston ( the second-most congested
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