The Failure Mechanism: How to Make it Work for You Instead of Against You- Part 1

The Failure Mechanism: How to Make it Work for You Instead of Against You- Part 1 The human body has its own “red light” signals and “danger signs” which doctors refers to as symptoms or syndromes. The failure-type personality also has its symptoms. No one is immune to these negative feelings and attitudes. Understanding Brings Cure No one sits down and deliberately, with malice aforethought, decides to develop these negative traits just to be perverse. (Gen. 2:7 Deut. 11:13 Mt. 10:28 Ezek. 18:4 Prov. 19:2 Isa. 55:3) May your spirit, soul, and body be preserved entire without blame. 1 Thessalonians 5:23b The word soul in several of the verses above seems to stand for the whole of man’s immaterial existence. The soul and spirit are plainly distinguished. The body allies man to the animal creation; the soul, to the intellectual, and the spirit, to the moral. The soul appears to be the connecting link between the spirit and body, and Spirit and spirit. The wreckage, done in the fall to the spirit and soul, resulted in the abnormal self-hood, or a being whose original power were diverted from God, and the centered in self; thus constituting him a self-serving, self-interested and selfish being. Frustration Frustration is an emotion which develops whenever some important goal cannot be realized or when some strong desire is thwarted. As we grow older we should learn that all desires cannot be satisfied immediately Chronic frustration usually means that the goals we have set for ourselves are unrealistic, or the image we have of ourselves is inadequate, or both. Practical Goals vs. Perfectionistic Goals Hitting the infinitesimal speck is great but if you don’t you can still be practical and have good success. His Self-Fulfilling Prophecy His self-image was that of an unworthy, incompetent, inferior person who had no right to succeed, or to enjoy the better things in life, and unwittingly he tried to be true to that role. Frustration as a Way of Solving Problems Does not Work It does not work in adult life. Yet many of us continue to try it, by feeling discontented and expressing our grievances against life, apparently in the hop that life itself will take pity --rush in and solve our problems for us—if only we feel badly enough. Aggressiveness Excessive and misdirected aggressiveness follows frustration as night follows day. Aggressiveness, and emotional steam, are very necessary in reaching a goal. We must grapple with problems aggressively. Don’t Lash Out Blindly—Concentrate Your Fire The failure-type personality does not direct his aggressiveness toward the accomplishment of a worthwhile goal. Instead it is used in such self-destructive channels as ulcers, high-blood pressure, worry, excessive smoking, compulsive overwork, or it may be turned upon other persons in the form of irritability, rudeness, gossip, nagging, fault-finding. Knowledge Gives you Power Misdirected aggression is an attempt to hit one target (the original goal) by lashing out at any target. It doesn’t work. Safety-Values for Emotional Steam All types of physical exercise are excellent for draining off aggression. Insecurity The feeling of insecurity is based upon a concept or belief of inner inadequacy. The insecure person feels that he should be good-period. Some Words of Wisdom to Feed Your Soul: Prov. 29:11; Prov. 29:9; Prov. 27:2; Prov. 24:3; Prov. 24:6; Prov. 24:7; Prov. 21:11; Prov. 20:18; Prov. 19:4; Prov. 14:20; Prov. 19:8; Prov. 18:12; Prov. 16:22; Prov. 16:24; Isa. 11:2; Habakkuk 2:2; Prov. 29:18; Isa. 28:5-12, (v.6)