How comfortable would you be if the metal in your dream home was only strong enough to support the house during fair weather? You’d be uncomfortable and consider that house with the unreliable metal structure a poor investment of your time and money. You’d also find it unsafe during inclimate times and impractical for everyday use because of its unpredictability. When you ignore, depress or suppress your mettle you lose the ability to be reliable and structurally sound to yourself and to others. In other words, during those “hanging in there” moments when situations rock you, you don’t have the intestinal fortitude and wherewithal to push through and past them. Your structure is weak and unpredictable. Mettle builds character all-year round, in both good and bad times.

Given all that you’ve suffered through this year, you deserve an extreme home makeover; one that involves construction on the interior, exterior and landscaping of your physiological house – your spirit, soul and mind. As 2009 draws to a close, leave that old house with its cracks, creaks and leaks. A new dawn breaks just over the 2010 horizon. It’s time to start feeling good again because God’s got some great things in store for you. Get ready to move into your newly expanded home.

“Getting in your own way” is, in essence, like traveling down a road and finding it blocked. You consult your maps and analyze the GPS for alternative routes, but considering the roadblock in front of you (its ominous size and weight compared to your stature), you determine the risks of travel too great and the reward of reaching your intended goal no longer significant. Instead of negotiating around the roadblock, you decide to turn away thus allowing the roadblock to determine your movement and wane your current and perhaps future intentions for forward travel. You can be so much more than what you are – and can travel further than you ever thought possible – if you remember to have faith in God, in yourself and in your talents, skills and abilities…and if you, get out of our own way.

Recognize what is best for you. Forget about the negative things others say to and about you. Stop associating yourself with those who don’t have your best interest at heart and/or who will tear you down to make themselves look and feel good. They are cowards. They don’t have the courage or ability to stand out, to be amazing or to be extraordinary. Don’t allow your talents, skills and abilities to be restricted by their opinions. What do they know anyway?

Challenges come to test your mettle. Brutal and scorching, they force you to be strong so that you can bear fruit. You can’t wallow in self pity and aggrandize about the emotional strain you feel. You haven’t time. The orange seed has timeframe for which it must grow into an orange tree and a season in which it must produce fruit. You, too, have a timeframe for which you must grow and develop and a season in which you must bear fruit.