“We have all forgot more than we remember.” – Thomas Fuller
I have three books (besides the Bible) that I make sure I read at least once a year: Out of the Ordinary; A Burden Shared, both by David Roper (one of my favorite writers) and Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders. All three books are made up of small chapters so I use them in my morning devotions. Why do I have to read them over and over again? Well, I discovered something about how the human brain was made: it leaks!
REPETITION IS THE KEY
Success-Minded People understand that there are principles we must follow in life. There are success principles and there are life principles, all of which are keys to good living. To learn these principles through reading, hearing or following some exercise is not enough to keep them in our head or in our actions. We must refresh our memory and repeat our actions over and over again. As Tony Robbins always says “Repetition is the mother of excellence.”
RE-LEARNING
Success-Minded People are learners by nature. We love to learn and grow on a daily basis. Some of the things we learn are new to us, fresh ideas that we have not gotten before, but the majority of things we learn are really re-learning what we know. We remind our self of the principles that will lead us to success in life. Only a foolish person thinks that they only need to learn something once and then go on.
BE PREPARED
Have you ever learned how to respond to a situation and think you have it down only to be faced with the situation and not respond properly? Are you neglectful or forgetful? No, you were just not prepared. Being prepared is not a case of learning something and storing it away in case you need it. Being prepared means you not only learn but you practice it. You repeat it over and over so that when the time comes you need that knowledge you will respond correctly. Pastor Jack Hyles said “Character comes by repetition of right until right is done subconsciously.”
HOW TO REMEMBER
There are many ways we can help our self remember the things we need for successful living: writing down and reading our goals on regular bases, having a clearly written statement of purpose, reading quotes and affirmations, reading prayers that help us focus on areas we wish to develop. Throughout Scripture you see God instructing His people to have memorials to remind them of what God had done. Pastor and author Michael Youssef said “God wants to see prayers that are filled with genuine praise and thanksgiving for what He has done in the past. He wants our hearts to be filled with awe and gratitude for His blessings. He wants us to set up memorials in our hearts testifying to the provisions He has given us.”
Remember that the road to success and to godliness is one of deliberate actions. It does not just happen to us. The only way we can successfully live out the principles is to constantly remind ourselves what they are. Read daily, have reminders, listen to the truths of life over and over again. You will never be done learning till God calls you home. Accept it and enjoy it for you will be a student for a long time to come.
© 2011 John Patrick Hickey
