By Effie Rolfe, Chicago Crusader
Do you remember…? What a great feeling of accomplishment it will be to one day reflect over your life and have memories of a life fulfilled. What amazing joy and sigh of relief to truly know that you have given your all and lived your best life possible. When I think of memories—there are two categories that come to mind—remembering what we did and what we failed to do. My hope is to look back on what was done, even if it was a mistake. I believe that it’s better to make a mistake doing something that turns outs to be wrong rather than looking back and wondering what might have been. It’s time to trade in your coulda’, shoulda’ and woulda’ mentality, which often leads to a life of regret. It’s time to change that tune to ‘I just did it!’
Life is full of good and bad memories—we can all stand some improvement. So why not work on improving your memories. You have got to give it all you’ve got for tomorrow isn’t promised. As we are graced to mature, for some, there are more memories behind us than before us. So be selective and make the rest of them count. Enjoy life. Remember that life is made of moments. Unfortunately, there are going to be bumps and potholes on your journey, but keep moving with a smile. In every breath you take and every move you make is a gift from God as well as a lesson to be learned.
When life is over—that’s it. “Whatever your hand finds to do—do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10) The message is unequivocally clear—whatever God has blessed you to do…do it now. Don’t wait. Tomorrow is not promised. Since you’re only here for a moment and then gone—it’s imperative that you begin to pay attention and listen to directions. The best way to do this is to stop—look and listen to the voice of God. He generally speaks through a gentle nudging—tugging which is a still small voice, commonly referred to as your intuition. It’s crucial to have quiet time and then focus and wait to hear your next cue. The scripture says to ‘be still and hear the salvation of the Lord.’ God’s desire for everyone is to have salvation, which means preservation, deliverance and protection. Thank God we don’t have to wait for anyone to give us a cue because it is as close as your next breath—within.
Although grateful for the memories, unfortunately, too many people are not aware that they are alive in the world. So our memory is vital and a true gift. Please take a minute to think about what you are thinking. The scripture is clear “as a man thinks in his heart so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) Your thoughts will produce your habits, your habits will produce actions and ultimately your actions will produce life’s experiences that will result in your desired or undesired memories. So I ask ‘how is your thinking? When you arrive at the end of your life’s journey, will your thoughts produce your desired memories?
In closing, as we mature, you really do play a major role on how your memories will impact or impede your life. If you don’t like the memories that you currently hold, it’s up to you to change them. Make some new and better deposits that fill your memory bank and pay you greater dividends. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8) Today is a good day—only you can make it better.
What are you doing to change your memories…?
© Effie Rolfe is an Author of “Supersize Your Thinking,” Media Personality and Motivational Speaker. You can contact her on twitter.com/effiedrolfe. Listen to her show daily on urbanpraiseradio.org (2015 Stellar Award Winner for Best Internet Radio Station)
