“A person only begins to become the person he wants to be when he ceases to whine and revile, and commences to search for the hidden justice which regulates his life.” — As A Man Thinketh

I had to look up the meaning of the word revile because I’ve never seen it used. It means to condemn, despise, berate. I didn’t have to look up the meaning of the word whine – in fact I’m sure some of my friends have sometimes wanted to ask me if I “wanted some cheese with that whine?”

When we whine and revile we give power to that which we revile and whine about. We cease to be in charge of our life. I love the way that Wayne Dyer describes it in You’ll See It When You Believe It. He says, “I no longer view the world in terms of unfortunate accidents or misfortunes. I know in my being that I influence it all, and now find myself considering why I created a situation, rather than saying, “why me?” This heightened awareness directs me to look inside of myself for answers. I take responsibility for all of it, and the interesting puzzle becomes a fascinating challenge when I decide to influence areas of my life in which I previously believed I was not in control. I now feel that I control it all.”

One of my favorite quotes on this subject is from George Bernard Shaw. “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in the world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them.”

So how do we develop the necessary character to make our circumstances instead of allowing our circumstances to make us. Emmet Fox tells us that “you can build any quality into your mentality by meditating upon that quality every day. If you seem to yourself to be lacking in certain necessary qualities, if your character seems to lack strength, ask God to give you what you need – and He will.”

And that’s worth thinking about.