“A man’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord” (Prov 19:3).
The story is told about a dog that was sitting on its master’s porch one day. The dog was moaning and groaning, and occasionally he broke out into a loud whine.
All the while the dog’s owner quietly rocked nearby, seemingly unconcerned. A man walking by the house asked why the dog was acting that way.
The dog’s owner said, “Because he’s lying on a nail.” The man asked, “Well, why doesn’t he get off it?” The owner said, “Because it’s not hurting bad enough.”
We’ve all encountered people who are like that dog. They moan and groan about their jobs, their circumstances, their situations, but they never seem to have enough energy to do something about any of it.
They aren’t yet sick and tired of being sick and tired.
Enough Already!
Each of us is born with the power to change our attitude, and very often, change the circumstances that we don’t like. We do not have to be victims of the words “but,” “would,” “could,” and “should.”
Authors John Roger and Peter McWilliams were wise when they wrote: “‘But’ is a crutch; it is an excuse for procrastinators…. It allows us to validate our inaction. When hard times hit…look for reasons to move forward, not for reasons to idle through life.”
Excerpt permission granted by Honor Books, Inc.
Van Crouch is widely regarded as one of the best and more versatile speakers in America. As the founder and president of Van Crouch Communications, Van challenges individuals to achieve excellence in their lives. After ranking as a consistent sales leader with the American Express Company, Van went on to receive many awards for outstanding performance in the insurance industry and has been a qualifying member of the Million Dollar Round Table.
Van is the author of several bestselling books including Stay in the Game, Dare to Succeed, Take It Back, Winning 101, The C.E.O's Little Instruction Book and Storehouse Principle. Van is in demand for his thought-provoking seminars and keynote engagements to Fortune 500 companies, government organizations, professional and collegiate sports teams, churches and para-church organizations, and management and sales conventions worldwide.
When Van is at home he can be found at his home church, Living Word Christian Center, pastored by the internationally-known Dr. Bill Winston. Van is an active member of Dr. Winston's organization, Faith Ministries Alliance, where he participates regularly in training and encouraging other leaders.
Van Crouch has the ability to motivate people to raise their level of expectation. He will cause your attitude to become more positive, your problems smaller, your self-esteem and confidence will grow, and your self doubts disintegrate. He is sure to both inspire and challenge you. Van and his wife, Doni, reside in Wheaton, Illinois.