Try Prayer Instead of "Self-Help" Tapes
Every morning I say certain prayers. They turn my mind to God right away. At least that's the idea.
Before I developed the habit of morning prayer, I would frequently mentally jump either into some silly exercise I learned from some "self-development" book or tape. It would usually be stuff like thinking about my goals, or imagining myself being successful. Maybe you've been sucked into this sort of stuff too. If not, count your blessings. If you have been or are, I definitely understand what you're doing and why.
Self-development books, CDs, etc., are ubiquitous in the business world. I know very successful people who use them and believe in the "techniques" they recommend you use to be more successful, as well as not-so-successful types who think that by using them they'll get themselves on the road to success. I was usually in the latter camp: someone not so successful trying to improve his lot in life. For a long time, I figured these "tools" would help me become more successful. Certain employers for whom I worked even provided self-development/success materials, encouraging us to use them. Salesmen are especially prone to use this stuff, from my experience. Employers love to goose their bottom line by "psyching up" the sales force and so they'll provide anything that they think will get the sales force to push harder.
Now I'm not saying all this stuff is evil. I'm not even saying that you might not use such material to help you develop your skills and improve your performance at work. But there is always the danger with all this that you'll wind up so focused on becoming more successful that in the end you're always focused on yourself. And that's not good. Why? Because you become more and more "self-centered." It's just common sense, when you think about it.
Of course, I do understand how and why the pressures of earning a living seem to conflict with our call to be holy: we don't have enough time or energy for God when all our internal resources are sucked dry by our struggle to earn a living. I've been in that position at times. I've been up against money pressures (or really lack-of-money pressures) and felt like any spare moments I had must be spent trying to earn more money. It's a tough spot to be in. All I can tell you is that it's worth making time for God, time to ask for His help, time to tell Him that you trust in Him, even when the help you ask for isn't coming fast enough.
On the other hand, you should also ask yourself whether it's really true that you have to exhaust your every last bit of strength on your work in order to survive or whether you're doing that in order to be more successful. If the latter, then do yourself a favor and take a deep breath, step back and think about why you're chasing "success" so earnestly, especially if it's turning your mind and heart away from God. Be honest with yourself. It very well may be that you're doing that to the great detriment of your soul.
When I began to become aware of all this - due in no small part to the help of good confessor - I came up with a prayer that I started saying each morning as part of my morning routine. It's not like it was some sort of "magic" thing that straightened me out right away. But I must say it did help - and continues to help - to set my thinking straight first thing each day.
Just so you understand the prayer, it refers to the story of the Pharisee and the publican in St Luke's Gospel, chapter 18. I begin the prayer by genuflecting and saying (silently) the Latin word "Serviam" which means "I will serve." Then I say:
I typically say this each morning while I'm making coffee. Since I'm usually up first in our home - and I do like to have a cup of coffee right away - that's one of the first things I do after rising. So it goes like this: Wake up, say the Morning offering, head for the coffee maker, say this prayer as I make the coffee.
What's most important here, I think, is to remember that we're not called to be successful; we're called to be holy. More on this next time...
Before I developed the habit of morning prayer, I would frequently mentally jump either into some silly exercise I learned from some "self-development" book or tape. It would usually be stuff like thinking about my goals, or imagining myself being successful. Maybe you've been sucked into this sort of stuff too. If not, count your blessings. If you have been or are, I definitely understand what you're doing and why.
Self-development books, CDs, etc., are ubiquitous in the business world. I know very successful people who use them and believe in the "techniques" they recommend you use to be more successful, as well as not-so-successful types who think that by using them they'll get themselves on the road to success. I was usually in the latter camp: someone not so successful trying to improve his lot in life. For a long time, I figured these "tools" would help me become more successful. Certain employers for whom I worked even provided self-development/success materials, encouraging us to use them. Salesmen are especially prone to use this stuff, from my experience. Employers love to goose their bottom line by "psyching up" the sales force and so they'll provide anything that they think will get the sales force to push harder.
Now I'm not saying all this stuff is evil. I'm not even saying that you might not use such material to help you develop your skills and improve your performance at work. But there is always the danger with all this that you'll wind up so focused on becoming more successful that in the end you're always focused on yourself. And that's not good. Why? Because you become more and more "self-centered." It's just common sense, when you think about it.
Of course, I do understand how and why the pressures of earning a living seem to conflict with our call to be holy: we don't have enough time or energy for God when all our internal resources are sucked dry by our struggle to earn a living. I've been in that position at times. I've been up against money pressures (or really lack-of-money pressures) and felt like any spare moments I had must be spent trying to earn more money. It's a tough spot to be in. All I can tell you is that it's worth making time for God, time to ask for His help, time to tell Him that you trust in Him, even when the help you ask for isn't coming fast enough.
On the other hand, you should also ask yourself whether it's really true that you have to exhaust your every last bit of strength on your work in order to survive or whether you're doing that in order to be more successful. If the latter, then do yourself a favor and take a deep breath, step back and think about why you're chasing "success" so earnestly, especially if it's turning your mind and heart away from God. Be honest with yourself. It very well may be that you're doing that to the great detriment of your soul.
When I began to become aware of all this - due in no small part to the help of good confessor - I came up with a prayer that I started saying each morning as part of my morning routine. It's not like it was some sort of "magic" thing that straightened me out right away. But I must say it did help - and continues to help - to set my thinking straight first thing each day.
Just so you understand the prayer, it refers to the story of the Pharisee and the publican in St Luke's Gospel, chapter 18. I begin the prayer by genuflecting and saying (silently) the Latin word "Serviam" which means "I will serve." Then I say:
O Lord, I genuflect before Thee humbly begging your mercy and forgiveness
For like the Publican I am a sinner
Grant me this day the understanding to know your will
The wisdom to accept it
And the fortitude to do it.
I typically say this each morning while I'm making coffee. Since I'm usually up first in our home - and I do like to have a cup of coffee right away - that's one of the first things I do after rising. So it goes like this: Wake up, say the Morning offering, head for the coffee maker, say this prayer as I make the coffee.
What's most important here, I think, is to remember that we're not called to be successful; we're called to be holy. More on this next time...
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