Chasing the truth, diagnosing a mental health issue or… a mechanical failure on your car, will require the use of some tools… and the deeper we go… the more tools we will need.
Depending on the issue we are dealing with in our lives, will determine what tools we will have to employ; depending on our issue we may need the use of a 1/2 inch breaker bar with pipe extension; a 2 ton jack; or a better understanding of what EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE is.
I’ve put together a “starter kit” for you, of the fundamental tools we need to tackle our personal demons, for you to use, as you continue on your journey.
The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.
Luke 8:14
What tools does a man need… that will help him in his attempt… to disarm his personal demons?
Awareness; discernment; perception; all relate to the tool of RECOGNITION.
Do you recognize that there is a problem?
Good thing a personal demon… and a bad wheel bearing… both growl!
Friend: “You ok?”
You/Me: “Yeah, I’m fine.”
We hide our real feelings all the time.
But internally… if they could hear the growling going on like we do… they’d freak out.
The use of the tool… RECOGNITION… is developed over time, after you have an altercation with the same demon throughout your life… over and over again.
You know it’s coming, I know it’s coming… we recognize that… but we haven’t learned how to recognize a solution when one is presented us.
We feel powerless to stop what’s going to happen next.
You may hear a “growl”… I hear “a bad wheel bearing”… that’s two different things… it may “look” fine to you… but I know what’s really going on inside there.
All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.
Philipians 3:15
Maybe the growl is such that you ask a friend; co-worker; Facebook… “What do you think it could be?”
Out of all of those responses, you may get one or two, correct-ish, responses.
“Correct – ish” because they have some experience with one… one time… but they are still just guessing… they didn’t look at it; or drive it.
The rest… I don’t know about the rest… they’re as lost as you are.
RECOGNITION… recognize the pattern? The pattern of “Uh oh, here it comes. Oh great now my anxiety is kicking in.”
You know there’s a problem… the same problem… and you know you need a professionals input.
But you absolutely refuse to go to the shop.
“They’re just gonna rip me off!”
So you keep driving it; you keep rolling it around in your mind/head… literally, and figuratively, grinding your gears.
Do you RECOGNIZE your ANXIETY level? The number one “check engine light” for anxiety is… sleepless nights… mental diagnostic code 101… you go to bed, hit the pillow, and BLINK, eye’s wide open and a mind off to the races! How good is your sleep pattern?
Anxiety arises because you know… you know… that growl will be there… TOMORROW!
That’s anxiety. We worry. But worrying is not action. We believe it is, but the truth is… it is not.
Like a stubborn axle nut… our anxiety locks us down tight… what tool can we learn to use to break that nut loose?
Either a 36 inch pipe; or… COURAGE.
Courage isn’t talked about much today, it feels like an Old School concept… but what else do you call it when you stand up to something or someone who “seems” bigger than you are capable of handling?
We RECOGNIZE we have a problem (tool 1), Tool 2… having the COURAGE to admit it.
And to admit… that we don’t have the next set of skills or tools to fix it.
To me COURAGE happens at the moment you choose “to stand up” and face the problem… and being BRAVE happens… when you decide to reach your hand out for a boost up… to reach for the information; schooling; therapy; knowledge; i.e HELP, that you need to garner your next tool.
That’s being brave.
Which in turn, helps you become PROFICIENT in handling your problem… this is where, Positivity w/ Work Gloves… has to take the gloves off and get dirty… by using these tools and information over and over.
But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Hebrews 5:14
I have a saying when training folks… “You have to become proficient before you can become efficient.”
That means practice, that means repetitions, that means dealing with the same personal demon, or wheel bearing, more than once… but learning each time.
You have to do the work; the personal introspective… and hard… work of facing your most dangerous enemy; the enemy that knows you like the back of your hand…
“I have met the enemy… and he is me.” ~ Pogo the Possum
You are in your own way; you are afraid to call the shop… or therapist.
Because you know… as professionals… you won’t be able to hide that personal growl behind a charming smile.
They have the experience; and the know how; to make a true assessment of the situation that you have been doing your level best to ignore… but have been failing at actually ignoring it.
But then something happens…
Either the growl gets too loud to ignore; the wheel stops turning; or you have a mental breakdown when you burn the toast at breakfast… something happens.
And you DETERMINE to be brave.
On PURPOSE.
You grab on tight to the tools you do have… and you start fighting that locked up nut!
Then the inevitable happens… because strain of strength alone doesn’t win the day… you slip!
This is where you really need the tool of RECOGNITION!
Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:4
Like a good pair of binoculars RECOGNITION has the ability to be dialed in for a clearer picture.
When you slip… because you will… don’t look at FAILURE the way you used to… dial in and recognize the truth… that you just learned a new lesson; garnered more valuable insight; and learned how to use the tools at your disposal in a more expert manner.
To be able to ask, in a truth seeking, and sincere, mindset… “WHY did that happen?”
Without losing your temper, asking “why?” is a sign you are starting to grasp the best tool of all…
MATURITY.
“Just a wheel bearing”, I can say that now.
But when I started out… there were so many questions.
It wasn’t until I had to work on… more than one… did I gain, and procure… and learn how to use all the tools necessary to identify, tackle, and tame the job of “just changing a wheel bearing”.
The “actual” tools used are only a handful.
Just like the tools for handling a personal demon.
Sure you may need the whole toolbox… AT SOME POINT… but each individual demon or wheel bearing will ONLY need the specific tools to do that job… get good at handling those.
The Emerging Man offering Positivity w/ Work Gloves…
Writing to ENCOURAGE, EQUIP & ENGAGE… with you, my reader(s)…
Requires a MATURE approach; RECOGNIZING what the problem is; and having the COURAGE to put myself out there… in hopes something in my life will resonant within yours… and that by me offering “a hand”… will give you the boost you need to make your stand.
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Add to your mental strength tool box… RECOGNITION; COURAGE; Be BRAVE; PROFICIENT use; DETERMINATION; On PURPOSE; Ask WHY; and MATURITY.
These are the fundamental tools at our disposal.
We need to learn how to use them as we rebuild ourselves into the lions we are meant to be.
theemergingman.com 