Your Wonderful Life
No Matter the Past, Life always holds Wonder, Joy and Meaning
by
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The Past Did Not Get You Here – You Did
The past, when viewed through the eyes of faith, teaches us. It does not condemn us. It does not hinder us. It does not destroy us. It holds no power over us whatsoever. It exists only as a series of lessons learned that become fertilizer for our current and future lives.
It’s interesting to note that the majority of people who admit to having a reasonably happy past usually give credit to their parents or other influential people in their lives for their current life situation.
The converse is true of those who admit to having an unhappy past: They sometimes blame people but rather often blame the past in a generic sense for their current life situation.
The difference in the two sets of people described above is that happy people generally tend to have proper perspective with regards to the past. They know that although they may have had good influences and opportunity in life it was their own dedication, value system and work ethic that got them to their current situation in life.
Those who admit to being in an unhappy current situation have a perception of the past that tends to blame others (or the generic past) for their current woes in life. They believe that they were denied opportunity and others are to blame for this. They usually don’t take responsibility for their participation in decisions, mistakes and situations that have brought them to their current situation in life.
Remember that the past, when viewed through the eyes of faith, teaches us. It is not, by itself, responsible for our current life predicaments. We alone are responsible for getting ourselves to our current state of affairs – whether they are pleasant or not.
Be clear on this: Blaming the mistakes or people in your past for your current life’s situation is the same as saying that a mystical puppet master has been guiding your every move and decision. You alone are responsible for your current life predicament. You must own this truth before you can begin to conquer the past.
Mistakes
No one is as bad as the worst thing they’ve done.
As you look into the past you must believe this. It may be that you have done terrible things in your life. You’re not as bad as any of them. This is not to say that the “bad things” are not harmful, automatically pardoned or forgotten. Atonement takes care of that. Mistakes are a part of our human nature – allow for them.
So we go forward and we look at some of the most terrible mistakes people make. Things like adultery, lying, cheating, falsifying expense reports, fraud and stealing.
What about murder, manslaughter, drinking while driving, slander, false accusation?
One of the most wonderful things you will discover is that no one who commits any of these mistakes is as bad as the mistake itself. And God never stops loving them.
How is it possible that a murderer is not as bad as the murder itself? Because the murder is an action and the murderer is a person. The act has no life. The person does. Where there is life, there is Divine presence, hope, purpose and meaning – even if the person has fallen.
No life, no matter what the person has done, is ever void of the Divine spark, or dignity. Conversion happens precisely because of this.
Justice should be rendered. Imprisonment is necessary and justified. But if a murderer comes before God with pure intentions of improving, sincere desires for atonement and honestly seeks forgiveness and reconciliation, God will offer it to him just as Jesus offered a place in Paradise to the thief hanging next to Him on the cross.
Chapter Seven
Trial, Tribulation and Adversity
Being Grateful for Trial, Tribulation and Adversity
“… Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit and has been given to us.”
– St. Paul (Romans 5:3-6)
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About the Book
Beginning with the definition of the purpose of human life, this book teaches how to gain perspective on the events in life so as to overcome past mistakes, trials and adversity. It details how to examine mistakes of the past and use them as life-lessons that provide fertilizer for your present and future life.
This book will help you build and maintain better relationships in your personal life and in your career. It will teach you how to reflect, meditate and contemplate about the events in your life that will lead you to right-relationship with God and others. It reaffirms that God is the Creator and as one of his creations, you are no mistake. It will put in plain words why the past holds no power over you. It will explain why no one is as bad as the worst thing they’ve done.
Your Wonderful Life is an instruction manual for living life to the fullest. It teaches you how to pray, how to forgive and how to overcome adversity. It mentors you in the ability to recognize miracles and blessings. It defines atonement and tells how to accomplish it. It shows you how to pursue and identify the Divine presence in your life. It identifies, defines and discusses the virtues of integrity, truth, sincerity, fidelity, mercy, grace, faith and hope.
This book is a resource that you will read and re-read because it puts in simple terms the answers to life's most profound issues and it will guide you to the source of wonder, joy and meaning.
About the Author
Doug Billings is a native of
He is a columnist for The Examiner and a motivational/inspirational speaker focusing on career & personal development and Down syndrome advocacy.
He has faced and overcome some of life's most severe adversities: The loss of integrity, lost careers, the sudden death of his father, a son born with Down syndrome, divorce, lost relationships, bankruptcy, legal issues, the victim of a drunk driver, and a battle with cancer.
He overcame all of these and reclaimed wonder, joy and meaning in life with belief in four principles:
1) God created you and He does not make mistakes
2) No one is as bad as the worst thing they've done
3) No matter one's past, life always holds potential
4) Unless we can forgive, we will never fully experience love.
Reminding us of the importance of virtues such as integrity, truth, sincerity, faith, mercy, fidelity, love and forgiveness, Doug defines the purpose of life and teaches that the past holds no power over us.
Join him as he provides uncomplicated and straightforward guidance that will lead you to the promise of life’s wonder, the realization of life’s joy and the fulfillment of life’s meaning.