R.A.D.I.C.A.L. Thoughts

"1. Develop an Appreciation for the Truth"
John C. Maxwell in his book Thinking for a Change

Early on, I didn't want to face the truth about my divorce. I didn't want to be divorced. I couldn't believe my then husband wanted someone else. I just could not believe my 33-year marriage was ending in divorce. But the truth was, it did. No matter how much I fought against it, I finally had to face the reality that I was divorced. In his book subtitled, 11 ways highly successful people approach life and work, John Maxwell says successful people have to be realistic thinkers. Here are five suggestions: 1. Develop an appreciation for the truth. 2. Do Your Homework. 3. Think Through the Pros and Cons. 4. Picture the Worst-Case Scenario. And 5. Align your thinking with your resources. That all sounds very cut and dry, but his chapter on Realistic Thinking is intriguing and was very helpful to me. Face your situation head on. Consider what is the worst thing that could happen. Take stock of your resources. Make the most honest decision you can and then stick to it. There will be hard decisions to make. Not everyone will like you. You will make mistakes. But this kind of realistic thinking and realistic living will set you on the road to real solutions and real victories in the end.

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
John 8:32 (NIV)