Let Me Be What I Can Be
Success On Your Own Terms
by
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After a half century of ministering to people with all kinds of needs, and fighting for the cause of human justice wherever injustice was found, I have come to believe that my whole life was destined to be devoted to the ministry and in advocacy for the poor and less fortunate.
In practicing this form of ministry I have met people with every possible problem, concern and issue. However, the most discouraging experiences that I have had were not with people who had lost a loved one, or who were caring for their terminally ill spouse or relative, or those who did not know where the next meal was coming from, or even those dying from AIDS. All of these calamities gave me reason for pause but, more than that, they sent me to my knees searching for something that would help them.
I came upon the answer while on a private spiritual retreat. I was fasting and praying for wisdom and guidance from the Lord for a message that I could give to the next person whom I encountered and found to be in a depressed state. I wanted something more than a verse or scripture or a passage from the Bible. I wanted something more than what money could buy or even that which could be provided by simple prayer. Then, like a bolt of lightning, it struck me. What these people needed, and what I needed, was a healthy and positive attitude that would not sway or be tossed and scuttled in the storms of life.
I decided at that moment that the
only way that one could be guaranteed to sustain a positive attitude would be
by learning how to define success and excellence on one’s own terms. This would
mean that people would no longer allow themselves be judged by others or seek
to live up to the standards set by others.
Instead of being in competition with others, they would be in competition
with themselves. The secret was for them
to seek to become the kind of person that God wanted them to become when He
first imagined their creation. In short,
a person who needed to say to the world, Let Me Be What I Can Be.
The acceptance and application of this philosophy at every stage in their lives would ensure that they would always be successful, on their own terms, with positivity, contentment and peace natural emanations.
This book has been written to encourage every reader to adopt this philosophy and to share it with others because I know that it works.
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About the Book
Modern life is clamorous and its demands are many and various, rarely allowing us any time for quiet self-reflection. So, indulge me for a moment and sculpt a block of ten to fifteen minutes for some uninterrupted, quiet introspection from your no doubt hectic schedule. We need to set the stage, as it were, in order to reap the maximum benefits that this book has to offer you. My suggestion is that you:
Find a tranquil spot where you can be assured of some measure of privacy.
Turn off all distractions over which you have control and block out all others: turn off the television set, mute the incessant inner litany of duties and obligations that so often diverts us from contemplation.
Now, let’s take a moment to undertake an honest, objective assessment. Remember to ponder each question listed below and jot down your responses for future reference. Better yet, put them aside until you have completed this book and then compare what you wrote at the start with how you would answer the questions after having read it.
I can assure you that your answers will be different and far more satisfying. In fact, you may not be able to reply to some of these questions now but you certainly will have sufficient answers after you have read this book.
Reality Testing
1. Are you happy with your life?
2. Would you describe yourself as fulfilled?
3. Do you feel that you have lived up to your God-given potential?
4. Are you satisfied with what you have accomplished thus far?
5. Is it possible for you to enjoy the present successes and blessings in your life, or do you constantly find yourself striving for more?
6. Does guilt, regret, or self-pity burden you and bar you from experiencing contentment in your life?
7. How do you define excellence?
8. By either your reckoning or the standards of society, have you achieved excellence?
If you are like most of the thousands of people I have counseled through the years, the honest answers to these questions are likely to be disappointing. As has already been mentioned many, if not most, people are plagued with a troubling sense of lingering self-doubt and a persistent belief that they have not made the most of their potential. In my conversations with people throughout the world, these issues have arisen with surprising consistency time and time again.
This book is a prescription for dealing with these and other important questions in a conclusive way.
About the Author
The life of Dr. Joseph O. Bass is
one that has been marked by both unimaginable adversity and unsurpassed
achievement. The adversity included the
unexplained death of his well-to-do father at the age of 36 when Joseph was
only 3 years old. However, this great
loss was offset by the unwavering faith of his mother, who subsequently had to
labor tirelessly in the cotton fields on
Dr. Bass overcame ethnic and
social barriers to become a great pastor, a national religious leader, an
industrial missionary to
In addition to other not for profit businesses in the complex, Dr. Bass has also established the Alpha Community Outreach Program which operates a Christian Child Care Center and kindergarten, the Alpha International Academy of Excellence, the Alpha Ethical Society of Burlington County, the Alpha New Journal, a heritage newspaper, and the Alpha Baptist Church of Christ Nurturing Center which he led as Pastor and CEO for 25 years.
The life experiences of Dr. Bass
are described in vivid detail in his powerful and moving biographical work, Without Vengeance published in 2000, and
reprinted in 2002 and 2003. Other works
scheduled for publication release later this year include, Christian Ethics and From
Victim to Victory to Uncertainty.