Friday, March 6, 2015

Ezekiel, Chapter 11, Verse 8

You fear the sword—that sword I will bring upon you—oracle of the Lord GOD.

We tend to get what we focus on. 

Our thoughts create our reality, where we put our focus is the direction we tend to go--Peter McWilliams.

Did the Israel’s in this verse give in too much to victim mentality? Sometimes many of us do give in to a victim mentality.  We must if we are people of faith try to avoid this type of thinking.

Henrik Edberg recommends 7 tips to help us try to avoid a victim mentality.[1]

1. Know the benefits of a victim mentality which may be keeping us from breaking out of the cycle.

• Attention and validation.
• You don’t have to take risks.
• Don’t have to take the sometimes heavy responsibility.
• It makes you feel right and can make us feel justified in wrong actions we may take.

2. Be ok with not being the victim.

3. Take responsibility for your life.

4. Gratitude. Ask yourself:

 “Does someone have it worse on the planet?”

 “What is the hidden opportunity within this situation?”

5. Forgive. To forgive is the only way to release the anger and rage that haunts us.

One of the best reasons to forgive can be found in this quote by Catherine Ponder:

“When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.”

6. Turn your focus outward and help someone out.

7. Give yourself a break and return to an empowered headspace once again.

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[1] http://www.positivityblog.com/index.php/2009/10/09/how-to-break-out-of-a-victim-mentality-7-powerful-tips/