Think Differently by Bob Hamp (guest post)
Posted on 08. Jun, 2010 by Angie Wyatt in Blog
(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
Loading ...My spiritual mentor, Bob Hamp, recently released his first book, Think Differently Live Differently: Keys to a Life of Freedom. Religious leaders from China to Israel, from Argentina and around the globe seek Bob’s guidance and expertise in inner healing. I highly recommend his book to anyone seeking freedom in every aspect of life. Now you have the chance to win an autographed copy of his book! To participate, just read on.
The following is an excerpt from the new book by Bob Hamp. To learn more, or to purchase this book, click here.
Solutions or Problems? by Bob Hamp
Our appetite for freedom motivates our momentary responses, but it also shapes a lifelong quest. It is so deep in us that it often pushes us before we even realize it. When this appetite drives us, the very actions we take to obtain freedom can actually push real freedom out of reach. It is like a child learning to use his hands for the first time. He reaches for his pacifier but, instead, pushes it off the high chair. It is a common experience for many that despite how fervently they pursue their dreams, the life they are reaching for moves further away, instead of closer.
One of the most consistent lessons I learned in my counseling practice was that, in many cases, the “solutions” people apply to their lives can create greater obstacles to freedom than their problems. In other words, they begin with a problem and set out to apply a solution, but this solution, inaccurately conceived and fervently applied, eventually leads them to seek more counseling than the original problem would have required. Let me illustrate.
When I was sixteen, I received a call for help from my aunt. Her car had a flat tire on a cold winter day. I jumped in my parents’ car and went to help her. The flat tire was the problem. I was supposed to be the solution, so I began to equip myself to solve her simple problem. Reaching into the trunk of her car, I discovered a secondary problem: she had no lug wrench. Now remember, I was sixteen, therefore, I did not recognize the lack of the lug wrench as a significant problem for me. I found a perfectly functioning lug wrench in the back of my parents’ Volkswagen and I walked over to my aunt’s Chevy and went to work. I quickly discovered what some might have considered another problem: my German lug wrench was just a fraction too big for my aunt’s American lug-nuts. Again, being a sixteen-year-old male – not a problem! I simply decided to use the tools at hand and try again. It was no time at all before the massive strength of my sixteen-year-old muscles had stripped those lug nuts of any meaningful shape. I whittled them down to smooth round protrusions, unable to be gripped by any lug wrench at all, much less the ill-fitted one in my hand.
My faulty solution left us in a far worse condition than the original problem. At this point, we had to call in professionals with power tools and have the car towed. Notice, the solution did not fail for lack of effort or even for lack of forcefulness; the solution failed because of the forceful, fervent application of the wrong tool. If you’ve been working really hard and the problem is getting worse, not better, then consider the possibility that you have been using the wrong tools. The good news is that the same effort, using the right tools, can change everything.
To purchase a copy of Bob’s book, click here. You can also win an autographed copy by leaving a response to this question: What does the above excerpt mean to you? The best comment wins. Contest ends Tuesday, June 8th.
UPDATE: The winner of this contest is Katherine. You can view Katherine’s comments at Angiewyatt.com
Anonymous
13. Jul, 2010
Sometimes, the best solutions are the simple ones.
“A power tool”–Might ‘get it errrr done’…Lol
Anonymous
13. Jul, 2010
Thanks for posting an excerpt from your new book, ‘Think Differently Live Differently’.
The title quite rightly recognizes that most of us (I) certainly would like to change some of our (my) too quick reactions and ironically, even that I would want to do so instantly; when a problem arises, we (I) want to “fix whatever right away”!
To some extent those qualities can, at some times be good; self-confidence as with the baby reaching for a pacifier and also like a young Bob Hemp willing to drop everything to first help out his Aunt. It is human nature, as the story portrays, to get things done immediately and our busy world teaches instant solutions! (Want a movie now! Run to the video shop or just down-load the movie on-line.
Have a problem, I can fix it)….but
it can lead to disaster if we have not thought through all the aspects to the problem, as in the case of the car tire to be changed and not having the correct tools!
In my life I have had my share of ups and downs like most people but at some point I learned that not reacting too quickly in most problems will change the initial “adrenalin rush” to a solution and those better thought-out solutions have mostly been the right course to have taken…..but not always taken alone, I learned!
Later in life I added talking to God throughout the day; in seeing wonderful blue skies or thanking Him for the rain to make the flowers grow and that led to…
when someone or I had a problem, I immediately thought to quietly pray or talk to God that He might be part of helping solve the problem through Faith that He would guide us (me) if I trusted Him.
If we (I) stay connected to Him, it becomes the first place to go in whatever I need or want to do, before I do anything. It is calming and then I see the right direction to follow in replacing a problem with a Blessing.
In the end, a Blessing will make everyone happier, if not eliminating the initial problem.
So your stories led me to think of patience and confidence, Faith and Love! And above all Trust in HIM who is always with us!
Thanks again for getting me thinking with your book excerpt and thanks for sharing with us here on Angie’s Blog.
He is Blessing all
Jan-Michael
Anonymous
13. Jul, 2010
I have experienced this by using the world’s answer for a problem only to find the problem grew much bigger and became overwhelming. Then I went to God to ask for His way. I am learning to ask God first and find it makes life and problems seem so simple.
crisadill
13. Jul, 2010
All through our lives we go through different stages of how to fix our problems. My parents believed in the Lord. So I went to church and Sunday school and so on. But I found my teenage years were when I went more independant and knew it all.
so my way was not always the right way or I had not solved the problem completly. Soon I learned about patience and to have confidence to give my problems to the Lord. Patience played a big part in learning to have faith and trust. As we know the Lord does not always answer right away or how we think we would like it to be answered. When he answers different then what we think he should. Down the road trust comes along and shows why he did it a different way. So we need the faith to wait and learn . And soon we see it was better his way and in the meantime you have proberly showed some friends . How the Lord works And why we love him so much. And he makes our hearts so much lighter when the heart is full of Love for our Lord.
God Bless Everyone.
Cysradill
Katherine
13. Jul, 2010
Sometimes the answer to fixing a problem is to first determine what the REAL problem is. I recently lost my house due to the mortgage meltdown and the downsizing or my employer that resulted in the outsourcing of my job. Finding myself unemployed, unable to make my house payment, I tried everything I could to hang onto my home, until one day I had no choice – the house was gone and I had to move. I had prayed to keep my home rather than praying for God’s guidance. It never occurred to me that He might want me to move out of a house I was not all that attached to, not particularly happy living in. Once I put myself into His hands and totally let go, I found the perfect place to live, a home where I am much closer to my adult children and grandchild, and where I am very happy and much more at ease than I ever was in the home I lost. That taught me not to pray for a solution to the problem but first for clarification of the problem. Once one has this clear understanding of what the REAL problem is, the right tools can be applied, the right prayer requests can be made. The best thing we can do in any situation is to recognize that God is the One who sees the big picture, and it’s God, through us or through someone who helps us, Who is actually the One in control. Seek Him first in everything and you will understand what the problem is and what tools are needed for the solution. To lean on our own understanding is to invite greater problems.
Rose
13. Jul, 2010
To discuss, I take the titel of this book Angie and tell you my own thoughts. It means for me think positive even when something goes wrong. Live different means to me not to get in rage so quickly, beeing patient not forgetting that others have values as well and treat them with compassion and love. Love is the greatest thing on earth. Blessings, Swiss Rose
Bob Hamp
13. Jul, 2010
Dead on Katherine…define the problem correctly before applying solutions…this will save you a number of ruined lugnuts, and a lot of pain.
Angie
13. Jul, 2010
AND THE WINNER IS… Katherine.
Katherine, please send your shipping information to my email, angieschullerwyatt@gmail.com
Thank you all for your fun and engaging participation!
Blessings, Angie
Angie
13. Jul, 2010
AND THE WINNER IS… Katherine.
Thank you all for your fun and engaging participation!
Blessings, Angie
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