We become what we think about. This truth, what Earl Nightingale called “the strangest secret of life” in the 1950s, has become the cornerstone of my personal transformation. Nightingale understood that whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will inevitably become our reality. My journey stands as a living testimony to this profound principle.
The Misaligned Path
There was a season when my heart burned with a singular ambition—to become an NFL coach. Each morning, I woke with this dream coursing through my veins. Each night, I fell asleep mapping strategies to make it happen. This consuming passion drove me to make daily, incremental progress toward that cherished goal.
But something was quietly breaking in the shadows of my ambition.
The relationships with those I loved most began to fracture under the weight of my singular focus. The path I believed would fulfill my purpose and give meaning to my existence was, in reality, not aligned with my heavenly Father’s design for my life. My compass was pointing toward a destination that appeared golden on the horizon but would have led me away from my truest calling.
I was misaligned because my delight was misplaced. The desires of my heart needed divine recalibration.
The Pain of Transformation
This recalibration process was painful—deeply, searingly painful. The dismantling of cherished dreams never comes easily. Yet standing on the other side of that valley, I can say with absolute certainty that I am grateful for every moment of refinement.
Through the crucible of redirection, the lenses through which I now see life have gained remarkable clarity. My mind and resolve have been tempered and strengthened. Most significantly, my heart has found its true home, aligned with my heavenly Father’s heart, because I’ve learned to delight myself in Him.
Lessons From the Journey
The wisdom gleaned from this spiritual reorientation has forever changed me:
- I stopped fixating on what I think I want
- I discovered that my only true need is pursuing an authentic relationship with Him
- This pursuit has become my chief joy, my main delight
- As I delight in Him, my desires naturally transform to reflect His perfect will
- He fills me with righteous desires and then satisfies them in His perfect timing and manner—I need only be patient
- I’ve learned to trust Him as my Good Shepherd so completely that I follow Him with joy wherever He leads
Walking in New Paths
Today, I am trusting Him to guide me where I once feared to tread. And something beautiful has emerged—as I follow Him with wholehearted abandon, others have begun to follow me. The specific race marked out for me has come into focus, and I run it with patience, calmness, and unwavering resolve.
Have I reached the finish line? No. Am I perfected? Far from it. But I continue running this sacred race, pressing forward to obtain the prize that awaits.
The Ripple Effect of Right Relationship
Perhaps the most beautiful byproduct of delighting myself in relationship with God has been the transformation of every other relationship in my life—family, friends, colleagues, and even those who might consider themselves my enemies. I’ve discovered the freedom to do good without the burden of expectation, to extend kindness even to the ungrateful and difficult.
At home, I’ve become a more present and intentional father, better equipped to nurture and shape my children’s hearts. My foundation is stronger, more secure. As they witness my delight in God, they’ve begun to find delight in their relationship with me. They follow more willingly, trusting that I truly have their best interests at heart.
In my professional life and local community, I aspire to become a leader whom others genuinely love to follow. I firmly believe that when the leader grows, everyone around them is elevated. This belief has led me to embrace seven core leadership principles:
- Thou shall not wait for permission to make things better
- Thou shall not be afraid to make aggressive mistakes
- Thou shall create movement, not coast
- Thou cares, therefore thou shall persist
- Thou has an edge because thou cares
- Thou shall be scrappy
- Thou shall demonstrate grit
An Invitation to Your Own Journey
My friends, we truly become what we think about. I invite you to join me in seeking delight in developing a deep, authentic relationship with God. Plant this pursuit in your mind and nourish it faithfully with repetition and heartfelt emotion.
I promise you this: one day, it will become your reality, and you will receive the true desires of your heart—desires that have been divinely aligned with your Creator’s perfect plan. From this centered place of spiritual alignment, all your other relationships will naturally find their proper order and depth.
The journey begins with a simple yet profound shift in what you choose to think about most.
This post was originally published on December 30, 2018, and is republished today with significant updates and meaningful enhancements.
MindWolves 