Highly Effective Families
Habit 1.
When a woman's family life is less than satisfactory there are principals that she can learn to help overcome barriers that are very helpful tools. Stephan Covey's book holds great secrets for her!
The first principal listed is to Be Proactive. – this is the ability to act based on principles and values rather than reacting based on emotion or circumstance. The ability to do that comes from the development and use of four unique human gifts that animals do not have.
A woman's four God-given gifts are…….
Self-awareness - the ability to observe or become aware of one’s own behavior and tendencies. She has the ability to analyze her own behavior and change it.
Conscious - one’s moral or ethical ‘inner voice’
Imagination - the ability to envision a better response that brings lasting results.
Independent will - the power to take action.
These 4 gifts lies silently in the space between stimuli and response.
Psalms 51:6 says....
Behold thou desirest truth and the hidden things of thy wisdom thou hast made known to me.
The overwhelming gift most neglected in a woman is self-awareness. Until the gift of self awareness is cultivated the use of conscience, imagination and will power will always be’ within the box ‘ (or within one’s own life experience or ones’ present way of thinking or paradigm) Becoming self aware makes her conscious of her self, inside and out.
The Circle of Influence: The reactive tendency is for her to focus on the circle of concern. Things that she is worried about, but has no control over. But this only causes the circle of influence (areas of life she does have control over) to be diminished. The nature of energy focus on the outer circle of concern is negative (you cannot change it) And when you combine that negative energy with neglect of the circle of Influence inevitably the circle influence gets smaller. Thus making frustrations mount higher, and the feelings of helplessness to occur. And she moves from being proactive - to reactive to her surroundings, usually with negative results.
Focusing upon the circle of influence takes one's mind off of those things which cannot be changed and puts it in the encouraging format of bringing real change to one's own heart. Learn to focus your mind on those things that you DO HAVE control over, and watch how God brings solutions along the way for the things you don't have control over. Become Proactive. A great habit to practice.
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written by Stephen Covey
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