I started my growth journey by reading books from John Maxwell. I thought I’d become a better leader. I didn’t realize that first I had to become a better me. I read books about changing my behavior and my mindset, but when I came to some chapters about reflection and looking in my past to evaluate things I was wrecked.
The truth: I grew up in a loving family who cares about each other and is passionate about helping other people be great.
The truth: Our family has suffered through many types of abuse and addiction and none of us escaped without scars.
Both of these are true. The problem was that I wasn’t acknowledging the second truth. I passed off some very extreme circumstances as normal (I’m not ready to share these to the WWW yet.) I had some severe pain and very low self esteem that stemmed from that abuse.
To avoid assumptions, my parents were not abusive. They were loving and supportive. They did an amazing job of raising us coming from where they were and in a time that we were in. I am proud of them and thankful for their love and support.
Once I started to reflect on the things that happened to me that shouldn’t have, I had to reflect on the things I did that I shouldn’t have. I still had a very bad self esteem. The problem was that I was justifying my bad behavior by what happened to me, which meant I wasn’t able to truly celebrate wins and accomplishments because I justified or blamed everything through the lens of my past. I didn’t take responsibility for my behavior so I couldn’t take credit for my wins. It was a very hard place to live for so long.
SO I HAD TO BE HONEST!!!!
Once I was honest to myself I realized that My Response is My Responsibility. My response to my past sin and people I’ve hurt was my responsibility. I couldn’t blame my past since I was the one who made the choices. I had to stop looking at a Photoshopped history of Jason. Once I did I was able to accept responsibility for my present and make some changes.
BLACK LIVES MATTER
We in America tend to view life and our history through a Photoshopped set up pictures.
Truth: America is a great nation that has done so much for our world and is full of people who care and want to see people live in peace and freedom and happiness.
Truth: America has historically been racist and has not always given the rights of America to every person living here, and we have been systemically unfair and unjust in our treatment of minorities.
Both are true, but if we look in the mirror and only see or acknowledge one of them we are not able to truly admit our shortfalls or to celebrate what’s great about our country.
We have turned our eyes away from the painful areas of our past and our present. If we continue to do that we will have these same issues in our future. Yes we can celebrate the past and our American heroes, but if we only concentrate on the Photoshopped view we can’t truly and honestly grow to become what we are intended to become.
It’s time for us to Grow!!! If we want to Make America Great Again then we need to use a mirror, admit our faults, take responsibility for our past, and move forward into a healthy tomorrow.
WE MUST BE AUTHENTIC TO GROW
Well states Pastor Jason!
I posted this personally a couple weeks ago, if we want to stop the protests and riots, then we need to Make Inner Cities Great Again.
If those protesting had quality jobs, access to quality healthcare, access to good education, access to good childcare, and lived in communities that values them as people and didn’t try to push them down, or kill them, routinely, then they wouldn’t have anything to protest about.
The simple fact that they are protesting is showing how disenfranchised from the “American Dream” they are. The sooner be bring them along with us on the journey as full passengers, the sooner all this stops and we start truly growing as a country and as a people.
I agree. We are partnering with a program called Power of Dad. It instills 22 life lessons into students that will help them make better choices and have skills that every dad should teach. The creator of the program has agreed to help us reach 100,000 students and do it for 1/2 price if we can raise the funding. I can’t wait to make this happen.