TommyNewberry.com | Best-selling Author Tommy Newberry

We must become more intentional with our inputs–the things we allow into our lives.  Toward that end, I want to share five simple principles that are true about ourselves and the environment in which we place ourselves.

–We are heavily influenced by our physical surroundings, especially the things we read, watch, and listen to, as well as the words and images that consistently capture our attention.

–We will gradually take on the habits, attitudes, convictions, worldview, and sometimes even the body language and mannerisms of the people we habitually spend time with.

–When we invest time with the right people, we are protected from spending time with the wrong people.  When we say yes to the right inputs, we are by default saying no to the wrong inputs.

–All inputs contribute to who we become.  Nothing is neutral.  Every exposure either overtly or discreetly influences our personality, character, and the choices we make during the day, even though we are consciously unaware of most of them.

–Over time, we will draw into our life the conditions, events, people, and possibilities that correspond with our thinking.  Our visible life on the outside is a mirror- image reflection of our invisible thought life, most of which has been shaped by our consistent inputs.

With these principles in mind, establish ground rules for what you will allow into your heart and mind.  Become intentional in this area.  This will help you decide in advance what you are going to fill your life with on an ongoing basis.

If we don’t make this decision ahead of time, it is very easy to be swept along by cultural mores and conformed to what is current, trendy, and convenient, rather than being transformed by the renewing of our mind.