If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

 If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

Confront those whom you believe are part of the problem and who may be able to influence change. Come to them with solutions, not complaints or criticism.

If they don’t listen or even begin to understand, repeat this process until you have exhausted every means possible to solicit change.

If after this process no changes are being made, you need to make a decision to stay or leave.

Don’t give up easily; anything of value is worth working for, some say fighting for, and nothing comes easy. Never give up or give in!

Believe in yourself!

If you decide to stay in what you perceive to be a difficult situation, attempt through your actions to be a positive influence for change.

Don’t grumble, argue, complain, or speak negatively of your superiors or those in authority.

If you decide to leave, do so without fanfare.

Do not speak ill of any of those you are leaving behind. Never, ever burn a bridge.

In life, our choices may appear to be limited and controlled; however, we still have a choice of how we react, behave, think, and feel.

We make that choice; NO ONE makes that choice for us.

NO ONE forces us to think or feel a certain way.

Our attitude about anything is ours; we need to take personal ownership of our feelings and our attitude about life.

WE CHOOSE our feelings; they are not CHOSEN FOR US! No one is holding a gun to your head and telling you to feel a certain way.

If you don't like something, do something about that which you don’t like; make a difference, make a change. Even if it is a change in your outlook – your attitude.

It is better to be an instrument of change than a tool of destruction. It is better to be positive than negative, optimistic versus pessimistic.

Be careful never to hurt another human being's feelings intentionally.

Remember all those around you have feelings too.

Do not use words to inflame an already heated situation.

Hold your tongue; do not fall into the trap or temptation of speaking before you have carefully weighed the consequences of your words.

Life is too short to battle over things or events that are temporary, here today – gone tomorrow!

Don’t let others bait you into a needless debate over nothing or over things you have no control over – such as a sports team, sporting event, the government as a whole, our tax laws, our laws in general.

Don’t get all worked up over things you can’t change or don’t have any influence or control over.

Ignore these moments in life and move on.

Count your blessings and always give thanks to the Lord for every situation or circumstance you find yourself in.

Flee from temptation or sin; don’t put yourself in compromising situations.

Pray to the Lord for discernment and help to recognize situations that are not positive and good.

Always defend your love for the Lord.

Anything you believe is of no one else’s business unless you make it their business.

If you don’t want to fuel controversy, keep your thoughts, opinions, and beliefs to yourself.

Every time you open your mouth, you are opening yourself up to judgment or debate.

Judgment leads to debate, debate leads to controversy, controversy leads to arguments, arguments lead to fights, fights lead to war, and war leads to death.

All of this happens because people have varying opinions, beliefs, values, thoughts, and understanding about life. People also live in survivor mode and desire to carry out their own agenda.

Conflict and contention are the result of dissimilar thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and opinions.

The Lord has told us to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Allow others the freedom to express themselves without you judging them.

If you want to avoid contention, be careful of what you say and around whom you say it. Be careful not to offend others by purposely taking a varying opinion just to cause an argument or debate. This will only lead to hurt feelings. Don’t presume you know how another person thinks or feels; this too will only lead to misunderstandings. Don’t believe that everyone has to think the way you do.

Allow others to think and feel however they would like.

It is better to remain silent than to open your mouth and start a battle.

Silence is golden!

Marriage is certainly an exception in most cases. You should be able to express yourself without reprisal, judgment, or fear. Two people who are married should be able to express themselves openly, honestly, truthfully without fear that they are being offensive.

Remember with time, opinions, beliefs, and ideas about certain things change.

Don’t get caught up in needless discussion about things or events that happened in the past.

Remember, one act is worth thousands of words.

Let your actions do the talking, not your mouth.

If you want to change something, start acting as though the change has already taken place and see how quickly that change will actually be implemented.

Remember life is never fair; there will always be people who will be acting out of selfish desires, greed, self-centeredness, narcissism, and their own agenda. They typically don’t even know that you exist; you have rights and feelings too, and they typically don’t care. They are caught up in their own little world, and you are simply a means to their end. If they no longer need you, they will discard you faster than a used napkin.

There will always be people who are not acting or behaving fairly; avoid them if the situation gets uncomfortable.

Some people are users. They will use you to get what they want. When they are done getting what they want from you or no longer need you, they will exit the situation.

This is what the Lord shared with me today as I was walking. I just start out walking and praying, and as I am praying, I ask the Lord for inspiration and guidance. Sometimes I get nothing, and my mind wanders on a variety of topics. Other times he gives me a clear picture of what he would like me to write about.

The important thing to remember is that I am only a man, a sinner no less. I am not perfect, and my writing is not an absolute direct revelation from the Lord. It is filled with my own personal experiences.

I love you, Lord, and I thank you for this bit of inspiration. I do appreciate you working through the Holy Spirit to guide me in my thoughts. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, I give you the glory, honor, and praise. I humble myself before you.

Amen.