Avoid the mistake of "Doing Nothing" - Heritage Hope and Love

Grandma wrote about those “old time country sayings” but she would more often give “pearls of wisdom”. These thoughts at the end of her columns would leave readers encouraged to do and be better persons.

“Doing nothing to avoid making mistakes is probably the worst one you can make.” – Medina 1976

Good Bye Summer – Hello Labor Day

This is the time of year everyone starts gearing back up with their routines. Students of all ages are heading back to school. Churches are beginning their Bible studies and youth programs. And summer trips and vacations are coming to an end. In fact, Labor Day is just around the corner, where the nation celebrates the work force and allows every working citizen the opportunity to celebrate one last long weekend and enjoy the beautiful summer season.

The wheel of routine

I have to admit I hate to see the warm summer days coming to a close. I enjoy fall and I know every season has its benefits, but with the end of summer I know I have to begin to discipline myself to being in routine again. There is certainly a satisfaction that comes with routine and discipline. Quite frankly, without it, most of us would have very little to aspire to and accomplish. As I write this, I am beginning to talk myself into the benefits of this time a year.

What’s your calling?

Let your dream be bigger than your fears!

Now is a great time to encourage you to stop putting opportunity off. I want to encourage you to do some soul searching and thinking. I want you to pause and really reflect on the question…”What have you felt called to do or start and you have been putting it off?” You continue to tell yourself, there just isn’t time right now. Or I’m not sure I’ll be successful, or what if it flops, what if everyone sees my mistake, what if I am made fun of…what if I fail?

“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” -Winston Churchill

Life with no regrets

I am a firm believer in choices. Life, for the most part, is comprised of the choices we make or do not make. I often think of the end of life and ask myself, what will I wish I could have done differently or what will I regret not trying? Most people never regret leaving the ordinary to try the extraordinary.

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” – Robert F. Kennedy

Guess what? Failure happens to everyone

I know some circumstances are out of our control. I know ultimately God will decide successes and failures, but keep in mind that God cannot help you to accomplish a goal if you do not try. Well, you might say, “What if I fail?” I’ll let you in on a secret, shh… you will fail! It will happen, nobody is perfect and nobody always knows exactly what to do, but because of those failures, eventually you will succeed. “I would rather try and fail, than not try and succeed.” Everyone who is successful has failed at some point. They will usually tell you, it was the mistakes I made that helped me to better succeed.

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas A. Edison
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” – Henry Ford
“Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.” – C.S. Lewis

These previous great men of history failed, but knew the importance of continuing to try. Almost every successful person has failed many times before they finally succeeded. It is true that failure is a part of success. You also have to remember that most of the “nay sayers” are the ones who are afraid to try and they make themselves feel better putting you down.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…

Yes, it takes courage, effort, inspiration, perseverance and much more. It will be hard and it will take some sacrifice, but if you feel it is God’s will, you will never regret trying and in fact, it will bring peace to your life. Let me remind you of the children’s story, “The Little Engine that Could” by Watty Piper. The little train was so loaded down it did not think it could make it up the hill. But with a little encouragement and a lot of determination of believing in itself, it struggled up the hill but finally made it.

“You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.” – Johnny Cash

Pray about everything

Now let me caution you, I need to remind you to weigh the cost, discuss thoughts with family and loved ones and of course pray about timing and peace.

“Great moments are born from great opportunity.”
– Herb Brooks, 1980 Olympic Hockey Coach

The hardest step is the first one, but it is necessary. A good friend once told me, “If you are thinking about selling your house and you’re wondering if God wants you to move, you have to put a “For Sale” sign in the front yard”. We have to do our part, we have to take a step and start.

Remember I opened this blog with a challenge to do some soul searching and deep thought. I am not telling you to jump in immediately, that would be foolish. But I do want to nudge you to get started, pray for wisdom, start gaining and seeking information and making plans. Take a step and see if the Lord opens some doors, but remember patience, patience, patience, timing, timing, timing, perseverance, perseverance, and perseverance!