¶ Exposing the Blame Game
On this episode of the Inspiration Station , we're going to show you one area of your life where you can no longer blame the devil for being busy . This issue is not the devil , but this is your own mind that's holding you back .
We're going to expose one of the biggest lies we've ever been told and talk about why we still believe in it On the next episode of the Inspiration Station , which starts right now . Welcome back to the All Purpose Pod for an all-purpose life , wherever you are and how you're listening to . The call me Mr U and the Inspiration Station .
Thanks again for making us part of your week . We're excited to be back with you guys , and this topic is something we got to definitely get into . We ain't got time to mess around . We got to get into this right now .
I told you at the outset that there's an area of our life where we have been blaming the devil for being busy , blaming the devil for attacking us and trying to make our lives miserable . And the issue in this particular area , not even with the devil , it's with our own minds the way we think , what we believe . That is what's holding us back .
That's a tough pill to swallow , I get it , but it's what's going on with us . On top of that , we've even believed another lie that if we change our environment and change our circle that means moving to different geographical areas , changing our friendship base , finding different kinds of friends it's enough to help us win , it's enough to help us be successful .
That's also another big lie .
¶ Mindset Follows You Everywhere
I'm not saying moving away from another big lie . I'm not saying moving away from troublesome or toxic situations is not a good thing for us . Of course it is If you're in a place where , like Abraham was , his family was into idol worship .
When he left his family he went into a whole different place and away from the idol worship and it changed the entire trajectory of his life . So I get that part and the idol worship and it changed the entire trajectory of his life . So I get that part . It's not what we're talking about .
But when you take a certain mindset with you , even if the place that you're living is toxic , it is negative , it is unhealthy for you , when you take the same mindset you had there , that you functioned in , that was your normal , that was part of your daily process , the same mindset , it doesn't matter where you go , it's going to follow you the same habits ,
same behaviors and eventually the same outcomes are going to follow you . I share the story a lot of times on our podcast about the traveler . He went from one location where he lived for many years and ventured into a new area and he happened to see a farmer along the way turning to his field . He said that city over yonder , how are the people over there ?
And his response was well , how are the people where you come from ? And he said , well , they were very kind , loving , great neighbors , we took care of each other , had an outstanding community , et cetera , et cetera , all these good things . And the farmer said well , the people in that city are just like that .
Another sojourner left his city , happened to cross the same farmer no-transcript . And the farmer asked the same question . He asked the first sojourner how are people like where you come from
¶ The Traveler's Tale
? He said they were mean , they were nasty , rude to each other , they were still from each other and didn't regard each other as human beings and mistreated one another . And the farmer said people in that city are just like that . What's the moral of the story ?
The lowest common denominator , the common factor in all the situations that we deal with , is us , how we respond to it , what we bring to the table , how we react . Are we agents of change or do we assimilate into whatever situation is going on that we are crying out or complaining about ?
So many times and I'm hoping this is resonating with somebody that's listening today so many times we have complaints about our church , we have complaints about our community , we have complaints about somebody who's in authority over us in the workplace we got complaints about this , complaints about our city , complaints about this and that we never , ever stop to think .
What's our part in all this ? What do we bring to the table ? Did we repeat something that shouldn't be repeated , that would be considered gossip and help to make the environment as toxic as it was ? Did we bring a bad attitude to the table and expected something better than that ? But that's what we received . We bring something to the table . Here .
I heard a quote , and I love this quote because it kind of speaks to the mindset that we have to change . We can blame the devil all day long , and the devil is who he is and he does what he does . I'm not here to speak for the devil or try to advocate on his behalf . That's somebody else's job , not mine .
But the one thing we can't do as a people is blame him for everything that goes on in our life and not take personal responsibility for what we do , what we contribute , what we bring to the table , what we bring to the dance . That impacts us and generations
¶ Personal Responsibility in All Situations
after us . It impacts our community , the work that we're trying to do in organizations we bring to the workplaces , the commerce , the economy of our city , everything . We play a part in all of these things and if we don't recognize that , we'd be perpetually blaming somebody for everything that's going on , that's wrong in our life .
It ain't fair , it ain't right and , honestly , it's not even true . We play a part in the environment . You talk about changing the environment . You can join an advocacy group all you want to , but at some point there's something simple and mundane that you have to do to help change your environment . You are responsible for changing your circle .
You're responsible for affecting the environment with positivity and encouragement and grace and unconditional love . That's your responsibility . That's not somebody else's job . That's your job . Every person has an individual job . Strong families make strong communities . Strong communities make strong cities and states .
Strong cities and states make strong nations and makes a strong world . It starts with you Always has , always will . Now we're talking about the mindset that we bring to situations and , honestly , many of us are still walking around as if we are enslaved . It doesn't make any sense in my brain , but it's a real thing .
There's a quote that's been attributed to Harriet Tubman . I'm not sure she has to say it or not , but the quote is fantastic . It says she said allegedly she said I freed thousands of slaves and could have freed thousands more if only they knew they were slaves .
I'm going to say that again because you probably missed it , a quote attributed to Harriet Tubman , the leader and founder of the Underground Railroad . She said I freed thousands of slaves and could have freed thousands more if only they knew they were slaves . So their mindset held them back from receiving freedom and liberty .
It wasn't their environment , it wasn't what somebody was doing to them that was receiving freedom and liberty . It wasn't their environment . It wasn't what somebody was doing to them that was wrong and hurtful . It was their own mindset , because they didn't recognize the actual situation they were in . So , because they couldn't recognize it , you couldn't liberate them
¶ Modern Mental Slavery
or extricate them from that situation , because they didn't realize they were in something . I know so many folks and I grew up around them back in my hometown of New York .
I still see it now vicariously through social media , through hearing stories from old friends and just art and entertainment and life , and seeing these same patterns play out over and over again . We know that slavery was an awful situation . We can try to forget history and try to cover it up . That's not going to work .
But the reality is that we know it was a horrible situation . It was horrific . We know that God was not pleased with it . We know that slavery was evil . Watch any movie about the evils of slavery and you're going to always find two villains . I know that might blow your mind , but trust me , you're going to find two villains in these kind of movies .
Any movie about the evils of slavery . You're going to find two villains . The first one is the obvious one the slave owners . They were the ones that were oppressive , holding people back in . Any attempt to learn how to read or develop oneself was immediately halted because that was not good for their business . So the slave owners are their obvious villains .
There's a second villain , too , we don't talk about , excuse me . The second villain are the slaves that didn't know they were slaves , and we've seen it even on . I won't call the movie out , but there's a movie where someone who was a slave as well , but he had more standing than the other slaves .
He undermined his own people just to keep his own standing , to make sure that his spot in the house was maintained and he didn't lose his position . But they were villainous because they not only hated their own brethren , they also equally hated themselves . And to me , if that's not villainous , I don't know what is .
Because when you hate yourself or when you don't recognize the situation that you're in , it's so easy , it's almost instinctual , for you to undermine people who are trying to accomplish something in life .
How many times have you met somebody who maybe even in your own family , who never did nothing with their life , never accomplished anything of note , weren't successful in any endeavor , always going back and forth trying to find get rich quick schemes or trying to do some kind of fast-money venture ?
And as soon as you try to do something legitimate , you announce to the family this is my plan , this is what I'm going to do . Guess who's talking , who's speaking against you , who's saying that can't work because so-and-so-and-so , that's a villain in your personal movie . They don't recognize where they are . Perhaps they don't like themselves .
So now they don't like you because you want to try to accomplish something . That's what we call in these days haters . They hate themselves and they also hate you , which is a really sad situation .
Take away the plight in the cotton fields and physical chains and replace them with footwear , herring bones , diamond-crusted watches , fleet cars and binge-watching programs . It's slavery , just a different form of it . It was exchanged . Was it even eradicated ? Was slavery even eradicated at all ? Really , one form of it was , but now we just replaced it with a different
¶ The Mind Remains Bound
form . Now we got TV and clothes and status enslaving us . One form was abolished , the other is still enslaved , just in a different way . If your mind is still bound , you can hit the lottery or walk into an inheritance of a sizable amount and you're still going to mishandle it . You're going to mishandle what you have why ? Because you are still bound here .
You blow all the money , you lose the inheritance , you spend it all on things that are perishable and you won't have any savings . You won't have any savings , you won't have any interest , you won't have any ventures that produce passive income . You lose it all because you're still bound and enslaved here . That's the story . That's what we're talking about .
Drop in the comments what you think about this episode and the topic that we're talking about . Share your insights . I'd love to hear them . If , if you don't agree , love to hear that too . Please jump on our YouTube channel , hit us up in the comments section and let us know what you think . Have a fantastic day . Tough topic , but had to be said .
Thank you .
