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The Power of Clarity

by

Vicki Hinze

We know the power in clarity, and that its absence is confusion and chaos.  What, then, can we do to create more clarity and less havoc in our lives?

We need to start from an honest place.  No delusions or rose-colored glasses, no illusions or putting on happy faces.  Instead, let’s strip the veneer and see what’s really there.  Then we’ll best know what we really can do and what we must accept.

The facts are that times are tough and, from appearances, they’re about to get tougher.  But here’s the thing: Times have always been tough.  At no time in recorded history has life been a cake-walk for anyone anywhere. Everyone has challenges and they either rise to meet them or they don’t.  It’s, simply put, a choice.  And we have to make it.

Whether you’re talking about situations on the governmental front or the situations front-and-center in your personal life, there will be challenges.  Believe it.  Know it.  Accept it.  The key to navigating your way through those challenges is in knowing they exist for everyone (as opposed just to you) and that how you respond to them will determine whether you’ll be drowned or successfully navigate them.  We choose.  The benefit of us making wise choices is apparent.  For that, we need clarity.

To get clear, it’s important to keep our challenges in perspective. To stay calm and clearheaded, because the absence of calm is anxiety and no one gains clarity when anxious.  So that’s counter-productive.

Anxious and confused isn’t the best frame of mind or state of being for making wise choices or good decisions, and both are required of us to rise and meet our challenges constructively.

So what can we do to minimize being anxious and maximize clarity?

1. Take a deep breath.  Knee-jerk reactions often create situations where we have to backtrack, regroup, and then step forward again.  So before taking any action, or expressing any reaction, step back, take a couple deep breaths, and absorb the challenge and its tentacles before you allow yourself to react.  An emotional, knee-jerk reaction isn’t in your best interest, so pause and just breathe.

2.Identify the problem.  Not what you’re told it is, or what you think it might be, but the actual problem, which often can be very different from the perception—your perception and that of others.   Explore and get accurately informed.  Once you have, then stop giving the problem your attention.  Don’t fall into the destructive path of pointing fingers and assigning blame.  Instead, be pro-active and constructive.  How?

3. Focus on the solution.  Hammering on a problem doesn’t do a thing to correct the problem.  It doesn’t contribute to a “fix.”  So once you’ve gotten the grasp on the challenge, shift your entire focus to potential solutions.  Explore the possibilities with an open mind.  There are likely several alternatives, several different methods and choices that you can make to meet the challenge.  In order to select the one that offers the greatest positive results, you’ve got to be willing to look at all possible fixes.  So do that.  If you do this, then this happens, or is likely to happen.  Choose the solution that offers the greatest benefits to your objectives.

Approach situations with calm steadiness, identify the problem, focus on the solution and do so knowing that we all face challenges and how we respond to them is a choice we make and our choices impact the outcome.  Do this, and you’ll see the power of clarity and enjoy the absence of confusion.❖

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Vicki Hinze is the award-winning, bestselling author of nearly thirty novels in a variety of genres including, suspense, mystery, thriller, and romantic or faith-affirming thrillers. Her latest releases are: Duplicity (military romantic thriller,)Torn Loyalties (inspirational romantic suspense), Legend of the Mist (time-travel romantic suspense), One Way to Write a Novel (nonfiction). She holds a MFA in Creative Writing and a Ph.D. in Philosophy, Theocentric Business and Ethics. Hinze’s online community: Facebook. Books. Twitter. Contact. www.vickihinze.com.