This Daily Habit Will Strengthen Your Mind

A Broken Cord

As I was reading Philippians this morning, I was reminded of God’s encouragement to be content and joyful in abundance and in need. When I asked myself if I am someone who knows how to be grateful in prosperity as well as in poverty, I thought about the laptop charger for my Acer Chromebook. There has been a crack in the cord for a few weeks now. It doesn’t charge anything anymore without innovative assistance. Could I easily get on Amazon and buy a new one that would arrive in the next few days? Yes, it would be simple (problem solved!), but sometimes I delay my gratification on purpose. I want to teach myself how to be content with what I have. It’s constructive to learn how to be resourceful. How do you prop up a broken charging cord with a book or a wallet or the battery pack to get your laptop to charge? Are you able to think on your feet and use what you have available or do you complain and mope about how you don’t have what you “need” (usually a “want”)?

Being content, being grateful, and being resourceful are all skills and habits that enrich the relationships in our lives. What do you do when you get fired and have to decrease your budget? Do you panic or have you practiced being resourceful and know how to make a dime stretch into a dollar? When your wife gets sick and the kids need to eat, how will you shift and adapt to make a meal (no matter how basic it may be), or call someone who can come over or walk you through the steps over the phone? Sure, you could order takeout (your children may through a parade in your honor!) or you could see the situation as an opportunity to sharpen the skill of flexibility and resourcefulness.

Delay your gratification in some way once a day. Life is not about always getting what you want when you want it. It is learning how to thrive in any circumstance. And if you have matured to choose joy in these temporary discomforts, you are miles ahead of most men and women!