CHAPTER 16: THE PRINCIPLE OF EXCLUSION
“Let us lay aside every weight…”
----Hebrews.12:1
In this chapter, I’d like to deal with the principle of exclusion. In other words, the fact that we need to get rid of what you don‘t want to make room for what you do want. I‘m sure all the women would agree with me that when the closet gets full, you must get rid of old clothes to make room for new clothes. By the same token, spiritually speaking, we need to get rid of old attitudes to make room for new attitudes.
I have spoken in previous chapters about the value of positive thinking and the importance of setting goals. But if we have failed to deal properly with our old negative thinking patterns, they can catch us off guard and hinder us from any further progress. Thus, we must declare war on negative thinking. We must decide to eliminate everything negative from our life. If Pontius Pilate, as I picture him in my novel, Of Such Is The Kingdom,” could have forgotten about his past and what he considered his weaknesses, he could have been a stronger ruler. If Timotheus could have forgotten about his initial failures, perhaps he could have gotten further. But negative experiences tend to enforce negative attitudes. Negative people add to the mix. If it wasn't for Lucas always putting down Timotheus' ideas, perhaps he would have found the truth sooner. We must beware of negative associates and stay away from negative people. Don‘t spend time with people who complain all the time. Of course, if you have such a person as an associate or close friend, you could try for a while to help bring them out of it. But, be careful not to allow them to wallow in their self-pity. Then, if they insist in their negativism, try to spend less and less time with them. Instead, seek out people who are excited about living and befriend them.
We must also watch what we read, watch and listen to. The material we read, watch, or listen to that we do not want is a negative energy drain. Thus, we should read only positive literature. We should watch and listen to only those things which are positive and uplifting. (See quote #8 in the quote section below.) You have the control. The moment you see it‘s something you don‘t want, turn it off. Listen only to positive things which fortify a high self-image. Concentrate on your strengths and not your weaknesses.
Finally, once we get rid of the negative things which have accumulated over the years, we need to concentrate on putting in more positive things on purpose than the negative things which will still inevitably get in by accident.
Of course, in order to get rid of what we don‘t want, we must first determine for certain what it is that we do want and/or need. This may take some prayer and soul searching, but perhaps the following poem will help.
Cleaning House by Philip T. Deriggi
Last week I threw out WORRYING,
It was getting old and in the way.
It kept me from being me;
I couldn't do things my way.
I threw out those inhibitions;
They were just crowding me out.
Made room for my new growth,
Got rid of my old dreams and doubts.
I threw out a book on MY PAST
(Didn't have time to read it anyway).
Replaced it with NEW GOALS,
Started reading it today.
I threw out childhood toys
(Remember how I treasured them so)?
Got me A NEW PHILOSOPHY too,
Threw out the one from long ago.
Brought in some new books too,
Called I CAN, I WILL, and I MUST.
Threw out I might, I think and I ought.
WOW, you should've seen the dust.
I ran across an OLD FRIEND,
Haven't seen him in a while.
I remember his name is GOD,
Yes, I really like his style.
He helped me to do some cleaning
And added some thing's Himself.
Like PRAYER, HOPE and FAITH,
Yes, I placed them right on the shelf.
I picked up this special thing
And placed it at the front door.
I found it...its called PEACE.
Nothing gets me down anymore.
Yes, I've got my house looking nice.
Looks good around the place.
For things like worry and trouble
There just isn't any place.
It's good to do a little house cleaning,
Get rid of the old things on the shelf.
It sure makes things brighter;
Maybe you should try it yourself.
---Philip T. Deriggi
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QUOTABLE QUOTES:
1) ”I've learned that wealthy people are no happier than those of modest means.”
---unknown
2) "People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing."
---Dale Carnegie
3) "The minute you choose to do what you really want to do it's a different kind of life."
---Buckminster Fuller, inventor and philosopher
4) "The permanent temptation of life is to confuse dreams with reality. The permanent defeat of life comes when dreams are surrendered to reality."
---James A. Michener, author
5) "Above all be of single aim: have a legitimate and useful purpose and devote yourself unreservedly to it."
---James Allen, author
6) “I have a great interest in a number of things, perhaps too many. I admire people who seem to concentrate on only one fixed discipline to the exclusion of almost everything else.
---Tom Glazer
7) “So much of artistic creation is just exclusion. It's not creating things; it's just excluding things that really aren't going to be helpful.”
---Whit Stillman
8) ”put off the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. And...put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
---Paul (Ephesians 4:22-24)
9) ”Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that does so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”
---Paul (Hebrews 12:2)
10) ”Finally, my brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.”
---Paul (Philippians 4:8)