Better Lives Wisdom The keys for making better choices
Faith
A guide for improving lives through combining wisdom and faith in order to make better choices
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Better Lives Mission Statement Our mission in Better Lives is to improve the lives of individuals looking for guidance, direction and purpose. Our goal is to remove confusion and replace it with enlightenment, hope and vision. Our desire is to alert individuals to the spiritual signs and guidance given to them in everyday life. Our intentions in Better Lives are to help people become more aware of each and every choice they make, especially the major ones.
Although it may be wise to believe in God, not all believers in God are wise.
Better Lives 2014
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Introduction Have you ever asked God for answers or guidance in a matter, only to find yourself even more confused and having no clue as to which way to go? Well, regardless of our spiritual beliefs and faith, sometimes finding direction for our life simply isn’t easy. Even when we do everything our religion tells us to do in order to find answers, it may seem as though God simply isn’t listening. So what’s the problem? Why is it so difficult sometimes to get guidance and direction for our lives? Although there are several reasons and excuses for not finding direction, the most obvious is the lack of wisdom, knowledge and understanding of how things work. There are those individuals that live their lives wrapped in religion and church yet miss almost every sign of guidance sent their way. And yet there are many nonbelievers that are very observant and are able to notice even the most minuet signs of direction surrounding them. Making the right choice or following a sign can have very little to do with our spiritual beliefs sometimes. Although faith may be needed, with wisdom you may avoid getting into many tough situations in the first place. A good example is spending your money on something you want instead of paying the bill that you know you should pay. The result is, you find yourself praying for the money you need in order to pay the bill you already had the money to pay. 3
Tough times happen to us all and answers are needed and required some times. Yet, waiting for obvious answers and guidance can get old fast, especially when it takes years or when we need help right away. We can find ourselves praying about the same thing over and over again begging God for answers as though he didn’t hear us the first time. The end result is, we wonder why help hasn’t arrived and find ourselves either in a mess or confused and depressed. Then we ask ourselves, what now?
Because of the confused world we live in and the hustle bustle of life, people are often times forced to decide things quickly without giving matters much thought. Other times we simply can’t think straight and so we make less than the wisest of choices. For this reason The Better Lives group has been created. We hope to cause our members to slow down, think twice, and then decide. 4
Our group is made up of people looking to improve their lives by learning how to make better choices. We will look at the many ways that signs and signals are sent our way and how to notice them. Anything from spiritual beliefs to attitudes and personalities will be discussed. The idea is for us to share our own experiences as well as learning lessons by hearing the accomplishment and failure of others in our group. Sharing advice and wisdom will hopefully enlighten us and cause a positive change in our thought process. The desire for a better life is what will bring us together. We all make mistakes and we all have bad things happen to us from time to time that are beyond our control. Although making better choices is the focus of our group, we are also here to bring comfort to others by giving them encouragement. Sometimes the bad things that happen to us have little to do with wise choices. There are times we simply need strength and encouragement along with possible solutions to problems and issues. It’s for these reasons Better Lives has been created and developed. It will be a group that is one for all and all for one. As the weeks go by and our group comes together, hopefully our lives will begin to improve and take shape. Our group is not for everyone. If you’re someone looking for supernatural or divine answers or intervention for every issue of your life, then this group is not for you. Although our spiritual beliefs and faith are important, this group is about combining faith and wisdom, not just using faith alone. There may be times that it seems as though you’re not moving forward or seeing a difference in your life as a result of being in our Better Lives group! However, Patience, Prayer and Perseverance, “along with faithfulness to our group” are important and necessary if you want to improve your life. If you’ve spent 40 years messing up and ignoring the signs, don’t expect to fix everything overnight.
So let’s come together, get wiser, and hopefully learn something.
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Some of the topics we will be discussing Decisions – Small and Large The Power of Words Developing Relationships Faith vs Wisdom Education-Worldly and Spiritual
Members Because we are an open group I welcome other topics and ideas for future discussion. Although I will be leading and directing the meetings, it doesn’t mean that I have all the answers. In fact, I am more than willing to let others have a crack at directing one of our meetings from time to time. Finding solutions to problems and receiving guidance and direction is something we’re all out to obtain. Together we will share our opinions and ideas in order to help each other improve our lives Leon Titus
Better Lives 2014 6
Decisions - Small and Large Sometimes we all have to make quick decisions. When this happens, hopefully wisdom is close at hand. It’s so easy to make a bad choice when under pressure or when we are given bad advice. The consequences can often times last for a long time. It is believed that when choosing, we have access to three minds in which we make decisions from. There is our carnal/brain mind, our subconscious/soul mind, and our universal/God mind. Although they’re all connected and effect and influence each other, they all serve a separate purpose. The carnal/brain mind is our everyday thinking mind. We use it to figure out what we’re going to fix for supper and what bills to pay. Our subconscious/soul mind is our spiritual mind and our connection to God and all other soul minds. Our universal/God mind is also called the mind of Christ. It is the all-knowing higher mind that is Omni present. The objective is to connect to the universal/God mind so that you will make the best choices you can possibly make. However, it does have its drawbacks. It is in opposition with your carnal/brain mind and will often times cause your flesh to suffer. The flesh may want to push aside or ignore a situation where as the soul is in search of guidance and direction concerning the matter, and the higher mind is just waiting with answers. If and when the three minds cooperate with each other or get in-sync, we obtain peace and harmony in our soul. When deciding major issues the soul mind always looks for the highest choice. However, often times the carnal mind wins over and only temporary happiness is obtained. We are in a constant spiritual battle. We need to control the flesh instead of it controlling us. Which mind will you choose when deciding?
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Our 3 Minds Universal Mind Heavenly/Higher/Christ Mind
Subconscious Mind Soul/Spiritual Mind
Conscious Mind Carnal/Flesh
The Universal Mind is our all-knowing/highest thought mind. Also called the super conscious or super natural mind, it is believed to be the Mind of Christ or God mind.
The Subconscious Mind is our spiritual mind. It is our souls mind and the connection between our Conscious mind and the Universal mind.
The Conscious Mind is the brain or fleshly mind. It is the mind we use for making every day earthly decisions.
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Deciding
Small everyday decisions __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________
Important yearly decisions __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________
Life changing decisions __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________
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The Power of Words Knowing when to speak and when to shut up is an art in itself, but choosing the right words to say is also important. Wise people listen more than they talk. They usually plan what they’re going to say or keep themselves in check at all times. It only takes a few words to start a war, and every time you open your mouth to speak, power flows from your lips. Other times it’s not so much what is said, but the way it’s said that makes the difference. Words have the power to heal or hurt. The more words we speak, greater are the chances of saying something wrong. Although most of our conversations are about the weather or nothing really important, there are those times in which we need to monitor our words a little closer. It is written that a man that can control his words has his whole body under control. Balance is the key when it comes to talking. Too much talking causes people to not listen, and being too quiet will also keep people away. A balance in how much you talk along with what you talk about will help to improve your relationships. While some people love talking about their own physical issues, others really like to gossip. A religious individual may choose to constantly bring up their beliefs, while another man can’t even get through one sentence without a swear word in it. Even the tone of your voice will make a difference in the words you actually speak, and the volume of your voice can also make a difference when delivering a message. Anything from body language to timing can affect and influence the power of our words when we speak; but most of all, THINKING before we speak is the safest thing we can do.
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Our Words
The words we speak __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________
The amount of words spoken __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________
When not to speak __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________
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It’s easy to talk for an hour without saying anything important.
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Developing Relationships Some people have difficult times developing good relationships. A bad personality or past negative experiences can make it hard for some people to have friends. Whether it’s a casual friend, a close friend or mate, if you have trouble with relationships, it’s possible you could be the problem. Perhaps you have a personality defect that causes conflict, or maybe you simply choose the wrong kind of friends. Either way, it may be wise to take a good look at yourself if you have problems in your relationships. Developing good relationships isn’t easy for some people. We all have a past, and our past affects our future. From the things we’ve been taught to the experiences we’ve had throughout our life, it all contributes to our physical, mental and spiritual makeup and helps shape our personality. It isn’t always about having the best personality either; it’s about compatibility. How can two walk together unless they are agreed? If you’re a person that is kind of laidback and quiet, chances are you won’t want to hang out with someone that is kind of hipper and doesn’t stop talking. Birds of a feather flock together, and you are known by the kind of people you are friends with. If you want to be known as wise, hang out with wise people. If you want a balanced life, then hanging out with unbalanced people would not be in your best interest. Deciding the kind of relationships you need and want should be thought through and meditated on. When we are lonely, it is so easy to accept a mate or a friend that we’re not compatible with. It’s easy to find ourselves stuck in a bad relationship just because we feel desperate or have little self-esteem. We all need to wake up and realize that good relationships are of the utmost of importance. It’s not always about how many friends we have, but about the kind of relationships we have. One good friend is better than 3 bad ones.
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Relationships Casual friends and coworkers __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________
Close friends and family __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________
Mates & Dates __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________
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Building good strong relationships don’t happen overnight. Powerful forces often times move slow.
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Faith vs Wisdom Although it’s important to have a higher power to believe in, faith without wisdom can be misleading and disappointing. If you’re always doing dumb things yet expecting God to cover for you, confusion and depression will soon become your closest friends. Although God may sometimes intervene and assist us in our dilemmas, we are expected to do our part in order to avoid dilemmas. Faith without works is dead. We have an obligation as believers to study in order to show ourselves approved to God. Faith might get you into Heaven, but without wisdom you’ll go through Hell before you get there. Increasing your wisdom will help you to make fewer mistakes and give you a better life. Often time believers will use their faith as an excuse for ignoring responsibilities. It’s foolishness to think that God will fix everything you broke or have ignored just because you love and believe in him. A good, loving, wise father will help their child in their time of need, but will not continue to cover for their child every time the child gets into trouble. It isn’t that the father doesn’t care, it’s because he does care. Remember that old saying, you can take a man fishing and he gains a fish, but teach him how to fish and he’ll eat for the rest of his life? We must grow in wisdom as part of our spiritual walk. The wiser you get, the more time you will have to thank God for the many blessings in your life instead spending all your time asking God for help. Combing your faith with wisdom will not only give you more peace, but will also be a good witness to others. A stupid acting believer can be a bad example and a turn off to a nonbeliever. Whenever we represent anything in life we must look and act the part; otherwise we look foolish and false. Christ was the perfect example of faith and wisdom working together.
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Applying Both Faith and Wisdom
Faith __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________
Wisdom __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________
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Education-Worldly & Spiritual Are you one of those people that don’t watch the news because it’s either too depressing or you’re simply too busy? Are you a faithful Church goer that has never really investigated where your religion came from? Lots of people believe what they believe simply because it’s what they were taught, and some people are oblivious to what’s going on in the world because they don’t think it affects them. So why do we choose to be passive or ignore? Educating ourselves on what makes the world tick and why people believe what they believe is very important. Learning will inject you with knowledge and understanding; then after receiving knowledge of how things work you begin to understand why people do what they do. Then you become wiser and begin to observe and listen more, therefore gaining more knowledge and understanding. Sometimes people find it easier to simply go along with the wrong instead of thinking for themselves. After all, the preacher knows the Bible better than we do, so he must be right, right? That kind of thinking can leave you stuck or in neutral. What we choose to believe or not to believe as truth can limit us or propel us forward.
Spiritual
Worldly Investigate Study Observe
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Worldly & Spiritual Wisdom
Worldly wisdom and understanding __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________
Spiritual wisdom and beliefs __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________
Knowledge and Understanding Knowledge will help you to understand the Who, What and Whys of this world. You can’t fix something if you don’t understand how it works.
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Being observant and learning is part of evolving. It’s not about reading every day or watching only educational programs on TV; it’s about paying attention to the world around you. Being in-tune and intuitive will help you to make less mistakes and direct you in decision making.
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Better Lives is all about
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