Ask Jonathots … February 11th, 2016

 Jonathots Daily Blog

(2841)

I have always been a pretty calm person–at least I thought so–but of late I find myself feeling angry by the end of almost every day. It just seems that things I used to ignore, like getting dissed at work, being cut off in traffic, having people in the grocery store deliberately block the aisle–now get on my nerves, to the point that when I get home to my husband and kids, I’m “pre-snappy.” It just seems like there’s no reprieve. What could be causing this? I literally can’t think of the last time I just had fun or felt pure joy. Should I get help? What do you think?

I think the simplest way to understand this experience we call human life is to realize that we are a bank–actually, better phrased, a personal bank account.

As you well know, having an account at a financial institution demands that you give and take. But it also requires that you refrain from getting dangerously low on funds, inviting fear of failure into your consciousness.

As a person of intelligence and integrity, you need deposits.

I think you understand the withdrawals. They come with trial, tribulation, unexpected difficulty, or as you put it, being “dissed” by others for no particular good reason. If the deposits are not in your soul, the withdrawals of inconvenience will lead to worrying and becoming aggressive to others because you don’t feel a sense of emotional solvency.

So since you understand the withdrawals much better, let me explain the areas of deposits, so that the withdrawals that come will not make you feel that you’re going to “go bust.” Here are some ways to build up your deposits:

1. Take the time to monitor your life.

Don’t let occasions of blessing, innovation and ingenious ideas escape you and slide away without acknowledging where you were able to use your talent and intuition to salvage a situation. Often we become despaired because we forget how we’ve encountered these scenarios before and succeeded in conquering them. Monitor your affairs and give yourself credit for being inspired.

2. Believe it or not, you learn to make deposits in yourself by giving deposits to others.

When you see people do extraordinary things or make effort, point it out. You will be pleasantly surprised at how appreciative they are–and also how they will often give you dividends based upon their assessment of your growth.

3. Don’t be afraid to ask.

If you’re going to wait around for people to compliment you or express their gratitude, you may fall victim to the human foible of forgetfulness.

Ask people if you are being helpful to them.

Ask how you can help more.

It not only expresses humility, but lets them know that you’re on a mission to be willing. This will make you worthy of their investment of time and praise.

4. And finally, nothing is a fluke.

We don’t “luck out.” Just as every accident can be traced back to some incompetence, every successful project has its roots in inspired effort.

Appreciate the small stuff and the big stuff starts working out for itself.

You will continue to be frustrated as long as you feel over-drafted, without sensing daily deposits in your heart and soul.

There’s nothing wrong with you that a good, emotional bank error in your favor won’t take care of.

 

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It Still Works … August 1, 2013

Jonathots Daily Blog

(1961)

Three hundred and sixty five days.

That’s a year, right? I mean, I know it’s a year, but sometimes you look at a number you’re totally acquainted with and it looks weird to you.

But anyway, it was one year ago that a friend of mine called me on the phone, distraught, disappointed, disgusted and feeling generally … dissed.

He had faithfully worked a job for three years, trying to improve the quality of his performance and expand as an individual, only to be struck down in an ego battle with a new employee who decided that my friend was in the way and needed to be disposed of quickly.

He was fired from his position.

He was hurt. He had never experienced such humiliation.

It is difficult, at that point, for anyone to believe that anything good will come out of the situation. Foolishness, self-righteousness and revenge seem to have great power when we’ve been laid waste by the selfishness of others.

It’s because we have all been taught a lesson or two about “might making right.” We all think the Marines should sweep in and punish the evil-doers. We succumb to the notion that if God really loved us, He would destroy our enemies.

So I was pleasantly surprised when my friend received my counsel. My advice was simple:

“Stupid that pretends to be smart always eventually gets exposed as stupid and then–ends up smarting.”

For instance, we see Haman in the Old Testament, plotting against Esther, to murder the competition by building a gallows where he hoped she would be hung for being a traitor. But move ahead a few months. Truth comes out, lies are exposed, plots are revealed … and Hamen is hanging from his own gallows.

Meanwhile, back to my friend: one year to the day after he was demoralized by the foolish avenger, he not only has grown, prospered and enricheded his sitruation, but the gentleman who decided to mark him for destruction–he, himself, is now gone to parts unknown.

The good news of the gospel WORKS.

Jesus never told us that wisdom is a fully grown plant. It is always a seed. It demands that we place it in the ground provided for us and then have a bit of patience to see goodness come to fruition.

The only other alternative is to indulge yourself in a bloody hand-to-hand combat with other human beings until you are eventually vanquished by someone stronger.

When my friend called yesterday, to tell me of the fate of his foe, I was relieved. I was not comforted because someone suffered the slings and arrows of his own device, but rather, I felt a sense of great wonder–that the gospel of Jesus, which is normally eyeballed as a philosophy of the weak and poor–had once again proven that it triumphs over the rich and the haughty.

It still works, my friends. Normally, it demands that you swallow a lump of pride and digest it out of your system in order to give God a chance to prove the point … and bless you.

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity

Please contact Jonathan’s agent, Jackie Barnett, at (615) 481-1474, for information about personal appearances or scheduling an event