Thoughts of Sassafras: How You and I Can Do ANYTHING

Sometimes, I feel powerless over change for the better in my life. There are things in life that pretty much everyone wants to improve.

Most people want to manage their finances better.

Most people want to lose weight, or just get healthy.

Most people want to have a clean house all the time.

Most people want to generally be on top of things and be able to juggle their schedules.

The problem is, most people don't even know where to start on most of these things. We're always offered ways to accomplish these things easier, like diets and weekly planners. We go on Pinterest, scouring well-composed photos for easy freezer recipes and savings plans that work. For every life management task, there is a tool to help you do it. The problem with tools, is that you have to use them effectively. However, something that I have come to realize is that ultimately the effectiveness of these tools really comes down to one thing:

ourselves.

That's right, when the chips are down, and something needs to change, we are the only ones who can do it. It sounds obvious, but I often forget that it's up to me. One time I downloaded a financial management app thinking my money would suddenly all fall into place, that this would allow me to finally take control and improve my finances.

I was very wrong on that one.

While I took the time to download the app populate it with all my accounts so I knew what was going on with my money, it didn't do anything to control my spending. Finally, I realized that I was the only one who could put myself on the path to improvement. It was me who would ultimately slide the debit card. It was up to me whether I decided I needed to make a Taco Bell run at midnight instead of just going to bed. Although the app was telling me where my money was, it was ultimately my actions that told it where to go. It was up me, and only me.

I can think of countless other situations where I've relied on other things to keep myself on track. Planners, lists, diet plans, workout plans, and every other thing I've done to help me achieve my goals has only been a start. The follow-through was all up to me, and for the longest time I just didn't know how to make myself act when self improvement got tough. When getting out of bed to go workout was like pushing a rock uphill, when I just had to have that frozen mocha frappe thing, when I simply lacked the willpower to do what I knew I was supposed to, I simply gave in to temptation, only to end up right back at the start.

Until discovered this.

*Disclaimer: There's some Jesus coming your way.*

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Philipians 4:13-

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

I used to think that this was directed towards those who I would deem are have a really hard time: those who have recently lost loved ones, fallen on financial troubles, or have otherwise experienced out of the ordinary trauma. However, it finally dawned on me that there are two key words in that verse: all things.

That includes all the big stuff, but it also includes the little things, like not letting yourself buy the frozen frappe, or skipping the day trip you were going to take so that you don't have to use the credit card for gas AGAIN. It could be that many slightly difficult little things are compiling, and even though you're sitting in a cushy office chair, you just don't feel like you'll make it through the day. Heck, it could be that you just don't want to get up this morning, but your workout is calling. At the time, those molehills can seem like mountains.

So here's my secret-

If there's something you're struggling with, try replacing "all things" with what you're trying to do.

For example:

I can

make dinner tonight even though I'm bone tired and really cranky