If YOU are going to make it,
YOU are going to make it happen.

The chance YOU will.

As a matter of perspective, YOU are the worse thing that ever happened to YOU. YOU are the problem that YOU cannot seem to solve. YOU are the itching annoyance that keeps aggravating YOU to the point of extreme discomfort. YOU are the issue. YOU are the trouble. YOU are the reason that YOU are where YOU are right now. YOU are the reason that YOU are not whatever it is YOU know or believe YOU should be, or could be, or would be. YOU are the limitation, the obstacle, and the thing that YOU are physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, or psychologically inept to get through. And It is all YOUR fault.

Yes, YOUR fault. But YOU know how and who can fix it…

So, I have an exercise for YOU to do:

1. Get 2 sheets of white paper, no lines, to write on.
2. Make sure YOU that have a pen or pencil.
3. Take the first sheet & draw a small circle in the middle of the page. (In terms of the size of this circle, draw it about the size of a dime.)
4. (With a bullseye image in mind) Draw at least 9 more outer rings outward from the initial circle.
5. In the middle of the first circle, write the number (1).
6. Accordingly, in each outer ring (In succession) write the numbers 2 thru 10.
7. Now if YOU have the room, for more effect I would like YOU to be able to write the next part in these same circles or YOU could use the 2nd sheet.
8. If YOU use the second sheet, number the second page from 1-10 and in order, from YOUR perspective of importance, write the ten (10) most important things to YOU with the bullseye (center) being most important. (Example: Kids, Family, Church, Job, Friends, Cars, Hobbies, Charity, etc., WHATEVER YOU determine these ten (10) things to be and include YOURSELF in the diagram. For “YOU”, use the word “Me”) If YOU used only the 1 sheet, write these things in the rings. Now put down the pencil/pen.

Now before we continue, I want YOU to look at this “chart”. This is YOUR life. And just for the sake of the assignment I don’t want YOU to adjust anything right now. Let’s just go with this being it. And YOU have prioritized it as YOU have.

9. Pick up the pencil or pen. (This pencil now represents what and how life just “happens”.)
10. From the outer circles, from number 10, start crossing out the items on the list. This crossing out represents life, represents tragedy, represents bankruptcy, represents loss, represents trouble, hurt, harm, and danger. This is the random and spontaneous nature of life so this also represents death and destruction and disappointment.

Okay, I didn’t put example charts or images here because I didn’t want YOU reading ahead and not getting the effect of this exercise.

Normally, when I use this exercise for my audiences, around 90% of the people have charts that are pretty much this:

1. God
2. Kids
3. Job/Career
4. Me
5. Church
6. Friends
7. Giving/Charity
8. Hobbies
9. Material Possessions
10. Traveling

There are all kinds of variations and different items but the general consensus is usually like the above.

Using the 10 items that are on this list, I will explain the point of this exercise…

So there is this tragedy, this storm and it takes away #10. And then sometime after that there’s this thing that happened and well it took away the ability or access to #8 or #8 and #9. And there was this season of YOUR life and it caused great pain, or chaos, or tragedy and well it destroyed #7. And #6 was lost somewhere along the way. #5 YOU outgrew it or it outgrew YOU. And #4 was destroyed in a fire. #3 got to a point where it no longer made sense and was no longer feasible and/or YOU lost it. And…

Wait…

How did we get to a #3 if #4 was “destroyed in a fire”? If YOU died how did the things most important to YOU survive? The things that rely on YOU? The things that need YOU to survive?

Now I know there is someone that will say that these things could survive after YOU. Yes that is true. But what if #4 wasn’t destroyed in a fire, what if #3 was or #2 was or #1 was? What would YOU do then?

I hope that YOU understand this.

Here is a version of my “list”…

1. Me
2. My child/children
3. My faith
4. My purpose
5. My job
6. My family
7. My friends
8. My reputation
9. My dreams/goals
10. My “fun”

This is an actual list that I did a few years ago. I had been using the “priority” circle in my speaking engagements off and on but I hadn’t normally done one for myself. So at one event, in North Carolina, I made my own and that’s what I wrote.

Now, using ME as an example…

So tragedy strikes and takes away my #10. And then sometime after that there’s this thing that happened and well it took away MY ability or access to #8 or #8 and #9. And there was this season of MY life and it caused great pain, or chaos, or tragedy and well it destroyed #7. And #6 was lost somewhere along the way. #5 I outgrew it or it outgrew ME. And #4 was destroyed in a fire. #3 got to a point where it no longer made sense and was no longer feasible and/or I lost it. And …

Well my list gets to keep going. And if everything for some or a multitude of unfortunate reasons or happenings, does go or leave or get taken away, at the center is me and guess what, I GET TO START OVER! I get to fight on! Because the truth is that I am here and I have to live. Things are going to happen. Things will be lost and suffered, yet I still have to live.

If YOU are going to make it,
YOU are going to make it happen.

YOU have to live…

Many people have taken offense to my theory based on their belief or trust in God. Their argument has been that God must be the center and so on. I fully understand the concept of that thinking. Yes, I get it. In the context of civilization and creation, God is definitely the center of the bullseye but I never asked anyone to fill out “God’s” chart. The chart I requested was YOURS. And no matter how YOU want to disagree or debate, in order to make God the “head” of YOUR life, YOU have to make that decision. That decision making power is YOURS. That makes YOU the one in control of that decision. In effect, this would be what “free will” is. So yes, YOU get to make GOD the most important thing to YOU. But understand the order, YOU did that. YOU have the power to make that choice. So, YOU should be the most important thing to YOU in order for YOU to make anyone or anything important to YOU. This isn’t selfish, it’s self-image. YOU have to be conscious and aware of who YOU are and that YOU are and that YOU are here (alive, created by God, because YOU are important). God made Himself the most important thing (center) in his circle so that YOU could be the most important thing (center) in YOURS! (I’ll let YOU marinate on that)

So the most important person in YOUR life, the one responsible for YOU, the one who is charged with YOUR well being, the one that is sure to satisfy YOUR search for Safety, Security, and Significance is… YOU!

YOU will become because of YOU. YOU will succeed because of YOU. YOU will find peace because of YOU. YOU will experience, have, do, go, be, make, find, live, explore, and everything else, BECAUSE OF YOU. YOU will get help because YOU needed it or asked for it or were in the place or position to be helped. YOU matter, YOU mean something, and because of that YOU are relevant and can and will be involved and participate in life and thus YOU get to benefit from the abundance of life that there is. YOU get to make whatever YOU feel passionate for or concern for or care about or feelings for, important. And YOU get to try. Again and again and again, because YOUR death is the only thing that can stop YOUR life!

And there is a great chance that YOU will…

YOU will most of YOUR experiences and energies into YOUR life by YOUR thoughts, feelings, words, and actions. As the proverb says, “Life and death are in the power of the tongue…” Although the happenstance or circumstance of YOUR environment, community, culture, family, and surroundings are definitely subject and suspect to the nature of order that happens, life, the truth is that YOU have a say. In whatever YOUR current position is, YOU have a say, and an action that YOU can take to better the moment for YOU. To more effectively and efficiently honor and respect YOUR God and YOUR children and YOUR family. To better appreciate YOUR “things” and YOUR abilities and YOUR truth. Because YOU honor and respect and love and trust and communicate and forgive and believe, YOU, YOU will be able to recognize and receive what any and every thing outside of YOURSELF means to YOU.

And YOU will make it happen. Whatever it is. Because of chance. Because YOU “will” the chance. Because YOU take the chance. Because of YOU!

-see

©2014 Cornelious “See” Flowers
-@seethepoet