Emotional Maturity

This is a Criteria of Emotional Maturity that came out a number of years ago by William C. Menninger, MD. It still holds up. Gives you something to shoot for and a sense of how you are progressing.

The Criteria of Emotional Maturity

• The ability to deal constructively with reality


• The capacity to adapt to change


• A relative freedom from symptoms that are produced by tensions and anxieties


• The capacity to find more satisfaction in giving than receiving


• The capacity to relate to other people in a consistent manner with mutual satisfaction and helpfulness


• The capacity to sublimate, to redirect one's instinctive hostile energy into creative and constructive outlets


• The capacity to love
  

Pretty amazing list. Worth thinking about and meditating on.

Jesus said:

"Be peferfect, therefore, as your Father is perfect". - Matthew 5:48

He wasn't necessarily refering to being a 'perfect' person in the way we may define perfection. In other words, He wasn't referring to being 'flaweless". He was refering to being 'mature and complete' as the Father is mature and complete. One of the draws of Jesus (and still is) is His emotional maturity and wholeness and His willingness to accept you as you are, recognizing your flaws, while helping you to continue to improve and grow on your journey of life. He is "Mr. EQ", if you will. He came that you: "...may have and enjoy life and have it in abundance, to the full - till it overflows". (John 10:10)

There is a beauty and joy that comes with growth and maturity, even though it's a process. You may have to 'get up one more time' and 'go to the well one more time' and 'keep on keeping on' - but it's worth the effort.

Remember, the glory isn't in the falling, it's in the rising. :) Be a Micah 7:8 person:

"Though I have fallen, I will rise". - Micah 7:8

If you fall down, get back up and keep moving forward in faith. Your victory is ahead of you, not behind you.

Enjoy the journey of growth and maturity and becoming a "true" adult.

"...He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." - Philippians 1:6

There truly is a "pearl of great price" within you that is waiting to be revealed.

You are the best.

Power of Written Goals

“In my practice as a psychiatrist, I have found that helping people develop personal goals has proved to be the most effective way to help them to cope with problems.”

- Ari Kiev, MD, author of “A Strategy for Daily Living.”

This is a neat link about the power of written goals:

http://www.thinkarete.com/wisdom/works/notes/1434/

The thinkarete.com sight is also pretty cool. I've always enjoyed philosophical-type people, with a bent toward action. I read a book recently by John C. Maxwell called "Thinking For A Change". He said "Think like a man of action" and "act like a man of thought". In other words, "think it through and then follow through." I thought that was great advice. Be a "thinking man's action hero". And that applies to both men and women.

Writing Goals: A Big Key To Sucess
Writing your goals down is a huge key to success. Writing your goals downs helps to clarify and develop your vision, as well as unleash commitment. It also helps to keep you focused on the path you have CHOSEN.

The word CHOSEN is a big word, because to many people spend there lives "reacting" rather then being pro-active. Ultimately, the path to living a life of destiny, if you will, is to live an "intentional" pro-active life based on your choices. When you begin to establish goals, it forces you to think out what you want in life. When you begin to determine "what you want" for your life and the person you truly want to become and then begin taking steps in that direction, things begin to happen. You're life begins to have a "life of it's own" and the manifestation of the dream has the potential to be bigger then the dream itself.

Becoming A Person Of Fulfilled Destiny
If you don't have established goals for your life (and established plans), you could end up living out somebody else's goals, as nothing happens in a vacuum. There is nothing wrong with helping other to achieve there goals, but you need to also establish your own goals and be determined to fulfill your God-given destiny and live your dreams.

When you begin to put down your dreams on paper and then develop plans, you have taken a huge step in the direction of being a person of fulfilled destiny and vision.

A Few Ideas
Here are a few areas you can establish goals this coming year:

1) Spiritual
2) Family
3) Health
4) Relationship
5) Academic
6) Career/Business
7) Financial
8) Investing
9) Fun & Recreational

Some examples of goals could be as wide and varied as:

* taking a continuing education course
* set up a savings account or a retirement account
* learning a new computer application
* buying some land or real estate
* be debt-free
* lose 10 pounds
* keeping in a greater contact with family
* turning a hobby into a side-business
* spending more time in prayer
* listen to leadership tapes
* take a trip to Hawaii
* read a chapter a day in the bible
* etc....

There More You Put Into It, The More You Get Out Of It
Whether your goals are big or small, the key is to start. As it says in the scriptures: “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you–and even more." (Mark 4) Another way of putting it, is the more you put into something, the more you'll get out of it...and more will be added to you. That's a picture of the exponential curve. You'll find as you're faithful to but your vision down on paper and start moving in the direction of your dreams, more will be added to you and a wonderful thing called "momentum" will kick into operation. Like the development of a muscle, your vision and goals will expand and increase over time and you're life will have greater focus and impact.

God bless you as you pursue your God-given dreams and vision. You are the best...