I believe that clutching tightly to a person or thing, or forcing my will on any given situation eliminates the possibility of my Higher Power doing anything constructive about the situation, the person, or me. My controlling blocks God's power. It blocks other people's ability to grow. It stops events from happening naturally. It prevents me from enjoying people or events.

We can evaluate our behavior. We can make decisions about what we need and want. We can figure out what our problems are and what we need to do to solve them.

you guys are living life for yourselves. You're leaving God totally out of it, and as a result things can get pretty messed up.

You're down now, Jordan, but only for awhile. I think God is giving you a chance to really look at your life and decide just how you want to live it. That's right, said Kara. You can keep on living it for yourself or invite God to take over.

I had a mother who would never allow herself to be a victim no matter what happened… Never made excuses, and she never accepted an excuse from us. And if we ever came up with an excuse, she always said, Do you have a brain? And if the answer was yes, then she said, Then you could have thought your way out of it.

This is what we're going to do. I asked God for wisdom, and this is the answer I got.

When we have done our best, we also have to learn that we still need to rely on God. Our best — no matter how good — is incomplete if we leave God out of the picture.

Because if you don't accept excuses, pretty soon people stop giving them, and they start looking for solutions. And that is a critical issue when it comes to success.

To make the most out of life, all of us need to stop, think (and analyze), and use the talents God has given us.

I recognized others' abilities as well. But in any career, whether it's that of a TV repairman, a musician, a secretary—or a surgeon—an individual must believe in himself and in his abilities. To do his best, one needs a confidence that says, "I can do anything, and if I can't do it, I know how to get help.

Remaining a victim of circumstance is a state of being that we choose, a choice that — allows us to blame other people — lets us blame circumstances — permits us to avoid responsibility for our lives — encourages us to feel sorry for ourselves, and — guarantees that we will stay victims. No one has to be a victim!

As individuals, we can educate ourselves and our children, cultivate the art of compromise, pray for wisdom, and hold our representatives accountable. Each of us can positively affect our nation just by making ourselves (and those in our spheres of influence ) aware of the fact that we are being used as pawns by those who try to tell us what we should think as opposed to using our own common sense.