They had only been aloft a few minutes when the elderly lady complained to the stewardess that her ears were popping.

The girl smiled and gave the older woman some chewing gum, assuring her that many people experienced the same discomfort. When they landed in New York, Grandma thanked the stewardess.

“The chewing gum worked fine,” she said, “but tell me, how do I get it out of my ears?”

Well obviously, grandma was not thinking.

Everything starts with the mind and we have to be mindful with our thinking.

There are subconscious thoughts that you can’t control, but the things that you really think about, your beliefs, your ideals, etc. are concepts you have chosen to accept and believe in.

Here is an old familiar cliché. The reason why they are old and they are familiar is simply because they are more than often true.

Everything begins with an idea, a thought. Then thought develops into words. Words develop into an action. An action develops into a habit. Habit becomes a character and of course character becomes one’s destiny. Some people allow their mouths to talk endlessly while their minds are parked in the parking lot. Maybe this is out of habit or maybe this is out of laziness. But the outcome always makes you ridiculous if you don’t control what you think before saying out loud your thoughts.

This beauty queen was vying for the Ms. USA title and she was asked this question during the competition (real story).

Question: If you could live forever, would you and why??

Her Answer: I would not live forever, because we should not live forever because, if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever. Well obviously, she wasn’t thinking. Maybe she’s nervous. Maybe she’s disoriented but one thing for sure is she wasn’t thinking.

Sometimes beauty contestants get all the flak but the truth is that most of us are caught with our foot in our mouth. And when you study the lives of successful people, they are usually the same people who take the time to think and they really make it a point to control their thoughts.

Fill your mind with negative stuffs. Think about the offenses your friends and loved ones heaped upon you and I guarantee you the life you now live will turn out to be uninspiring, unpleasant and unexciting. Your life will be miserable and you become a bore and you bore others too. Misery loves company. Most of us can do more than we think we can, But we usually do less than we think we do.

An unknown author penned the following words:

If you think you’re beaten, you are.

If you think you dare not, you don’t.

If you like to win but think you can’t.

It’s almost certain that you won’t.

Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger woman or man,

But sooner or later, those who win are those can.

Here’s what we should do:

Think possibilities. Never take NO for an answer until you have explored all means.

Don’t watch too many soap operas. Stay away from superstitions and horoscopes.

To some people a bright idea is beginner’s luck.

Mix in with the positive thinking crowd and nurture your thinking process.

Benjamin Disraeli says: “Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think!”

There are two kinds of people those who stop to think and those who stop thinking.

When you look at Scriptures, you will be amazed at the volume of verses that deal with the mind and the thinking process. Even one translation of The Bible says: “Whatsoever a man thinks…so he is…”

Think positively, think creatively not destructively. Think giving instead of taking. Thins serving instead of entitlement and think of others instead of yourself.

Now think about what I just said.

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You know what it means. Borrowing heavily on Max Lucado’s works, the word almost refers to a lot of things:

Almost. The one that got away. The sale that nearly closed. The gamble that almost paid off. Almost.

How many people do you know whose claim to fame is an almost?

• “Did I ever tell you about the time I almost was selected as the employee of the year?
• “They say he almost made the big leagues.”
• “I caught a catfish that was taller than me! Well…almost.”

As long as there have been people, there have been almosts. People who almost won the battle, who almost climbed the mountain, who almost found the treasure. I’ve met so many of them. Business people who come to me with their own individual tales of “almost’s.” “I almost cornered the market.” “I almost hit the jackpot.” And in a crazy gambling culture this country is slowly developing into, “I almost got the grand prize in the national Lotto.”

So many almost’s but none as tragic as a famous one found in the Bible. One of the most famous “almost’s” is found in the Bible. Pontius Pilate. Yet, what he missed was far more significant than a grand jackpot prize or an award. Lucado says: “He could have heard other voices. But he didn’t. He almost did. But he didn’t. Satan’s voices prevailed.

By the way, his voice often does prevail. Have you heard his sales talks?

• “Come on now. One time won’t hurt.”
• “She’ll never know.”
• “Other people do much worse things.”
• “At least you’re not being hypocritical.”

The enemy’s rhetoric of rationalization never ends. He lies, croons and woos like a traveling peddler, promising the moon and delivering disaster. “Step right up. Taste my brew of pleasure and sing my song of sensuality. After all, who knows about tomorrow?”

Truth need not scream. He stands permanently, quietly pleading, ever present. No tricks, no side shows, no temptations, just open proof.

People’s reactions vary. Some flow immediately to the peddler of poison. Others turn quickly to the Prince of Peace.

Remember Pilate. Washing your hands a thousand times won’t free you from the guilt of an opportunity ignored. It’s one thing to forgive yourself for something you did. It is something that you might have done, but didn’t.

Almost. The tragic word in the English vocabulary.

“I’ve been attending Bible studies but somehow I stopped because my interest disappeared. I wanted to be a follower of Christ but… but… but… Well, at least almost.”

I used to attend church but somehow there were many more important things that came. Well, I almost became a regular.”

“I used to read the bible and I almost understood it but I never had the time for it.”

Almost. What a tragic word.

“I almost told her I love her but I just did not and now she’s dead…”

“I almost told my kids they mean so much to me but I didn’t.”

“I almost told my dad “I love you,” but I just didn’t get around to doing it.”

Almost. It doesn’t mean it’s all of the most it simply means you never did it. And so you had none of everything. That’s what almost is all about.

A waste of time. A squander of opportunity. But nothing more tragic than almost accepting Christ. And not getting around to it.

No such thing as almost saved. Only mostly lost.

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If you think you already arrived, you aren’t going anywhere.
-Gloria Copeland

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