Hello, dear one!
I’m not talking about a job firing here, but rather, I hope to encourage you to fire the negative people in your life.
In my case, it’s always been my inner critic.
Many years ago, I was in a transaction purchasing a rental property.
After paying all the inspection reports and securing my mortgage loan, the seller experienced a sudden selling remorse 10 days before we closed the deal.
Not only did he decide not to sell, but he also refused to reimburse the cost I endured to purchase his property.
I was beyond disappointed and went into self-loathing mode.
Why did I have to deal with this jerk? How was I so unfortunate to pick this property? Maybe I deserved a hapless outcome?
Both realtors discouraged me from pursuing arbitration and mediation, so reluctantly, I relinquished the fight and rescinded the purchase agreement.
Weeks later, while I was still immersed in my unjust story and hating myself for not putting up a tougher fight, I read a story that transformed my attitude.
George Muller, the world-renowned faith leader, opened his first Ashley Town Orphanage in Bristol, England in 1849.
The Orphan house cared for 300 children.
One day, Mueller’s assistant panicked. It was close to dinner time, and there was no food delivery.
Muller assured his assistant, “Fear not. There will be food.”
“But there is no trucking coming.” The assistant kept going back to Muller’s office.
Finally, Muller got up from his chair and walked to the classrooms, “Children, after the class is over, come to the dining room for dinner as usual.”
As the children were saying grace and giving thanks to God’s provision in the dining hall, they heard the food truck clunking on the hill.
Muller immediately fired his assistant for lack of faith. He couldn’t afford a negative influence in a place where love and hope were most needed.
This story hit me like tons of bricks as I had little faith in myself.
Whenever outcomes didn’t turn out to be expected, I would criticize myself for not planning more, researching more, or choosing more judiciously.
I had developed a habit of blaming myself for any challenge that surfaced in my health, career, or relationships. I had become my worst enemy.
Muller’s story guided me to a self-revelation:
“How can I ever be successful in anything if I’m constantly beating myself? I’m that assistant pushing myself in the wrong direction!”
Didn’t the Bible teach me that faith was not for later, but for NOW?
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).”
Have you noticed the word “NOW” is in front of the word “faith”?
What if my rejection was part of the Divine plan for something better? What if I was taught to experience the misfortune so that I could learn to accept and love myself unconditionally?
That new attitude repositioned me. As I let go of my inner critic and began walking in faith, the way appeared.
Months later, I visited an open home in my neighborhood.
The asking price was out of my reach, but the real estate broker who represented the seller mentioned that the owner had a small fixer in another town.
I was terrified when I first saw this fixer. The condition screamed for major hassles.
However, the seller was so motivated to sell that he offered to carry the mortgage for me. That would instantly save me thousands of dollars from obtaining a new loan.
Since the fixer never went on the market, and with seller financing, I benefitted with no buyer competition and tons of savings.
After the remodeling was done, I had another challenge. But this time, I was challenged to pick the right renter from multiple qualified applicants.
This fixer has remained the best cash-flow property I’ve ever purchased.
Looking back, the Infinite Wisdom was always working behind the scenes in my best interests, without my awareness.
The location of the first property was much further, and the mortgage rate at the time would have been higher. The first seller did me a favor by turning me down!
God or your higher self is working for you incessantly 24/7.
When you allow your inner critic to speak over you, you’re getting in your way of obtaining your goals.
Do you know people who’ve talked about a dream for years and are still stuck on the someday island? Their timeline is always in the future, the someday.
The inner critic has paralyzed them from taking the first step, so they continue to condemn their circumstances.
Not having what you want at the moment, the feel-good body, the fulfilling career, or the home-coming partner, maybe the purpose to direct you to what you truly deserve, which is always healthier, richer, or more loving.
I’ve been writing about self-assurance or self-confidence because every success requires ultimate self-trust, which is faith in yourself.
You’ve heard things like, “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.”
What about firing your inner critic so that you can be your best friend, attract more positive people to expand you, and repel the negative ones who stagnate you?
For your next level of growth, who will you FIRE today?