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"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." – Maya Angelou

Slaying Your Giant

Slaying Your Giant

8 lessons learned from a rosy-cheeked boy with a slingshot

It can’t be done—slay a giant.


How often don’t we hear these words or say them ourselves? Don’t be silly—it’s impossible. You’re unrealistic. It has never been done before.


Words that justify, but also paralyzes.


Our problems (in real life) are often enormous—of gigantic proportions. Insurmountable. For example:
    • Losing your job at age fifty-five. (At any age it’s hard.)
    • Your marriage is heading for the rocks.
    • Your business is not getting off the ground—you don’t even break even.
    • Your published books don’t sell.
    • Your email list’s growth is stunted.
    • You don’t seem to get your health back. The illnesses keep adding up.


It’s no use. Giants can’t be slain. It only happens in Fairy Tales.


Perhaps not.


Let’s refresh the story of David and Goliath. (I Samuel 16 & 17)
    • Samuel, the prophet, visits Jesse from Bethlehem, a father with eight sons
    • To everyone’s surprise, David, the youngest, the one tending the sheep, (the one with the rosy cheeks), gets chosen and anointed as king
    • Young David (anointed as king) gets sent back to the sheep!
    • David was also a musician – he acts as musical therapist, playing his harp to calm the depressed king Saul and help lift his dark moods
    • David is fit, strong and brave (he has killed a lion and a bear in the process of tending to sheep—with a club, a spear, and a slingshot)
    • David is instructed by his father to take provisions to his older brothers who are in camp, at war with the Philistines.
    • Even at this point, David was not deemed worthy to be a soldier
    • Before David leaves his sheep behind, he ensures they are taken care of
    • David commits to the task at hand—he delivers the provisions to his brothers
    • David has learned situational awareness—While speaking to his brothers. Goliath, a giant of almost ten feet from the Philistine camp, goes on his daily rant and taunting session of the Israelites—mocking them.
    • David notices how the Israeli soldiers cower in fear
    • David does his research—finds out what’s the deal with the giant.
    • David’s brothers berate him for speaking to the soldiers and inquiring about Goliath. Upset, the brothers instruct David to go home.
    • David refuses to listen to naysayers
    • David refuses to give up
    • He speaks up.
    • King Saul is curious: he sends for the young rosy-cheeked boy who won’t back off
    • He informs King Saul he, David, will go fight the giant
    • The king disapproves: tells David he’s too young and inexperienced to fight
    • David shares how he had single-handedly killed a lion and a bear.
    • He confesses his faith that the same God who helped him slay the animals will help him slay the giant
    • The king gives David a set of shining armor to wear
    • David shrugs out of the unfamiliar armor—he sticks to what he knows
    • David takes his shepherd staff and chooses five stones for his slingshot
    • The giant taunts and belittles David as he keeps progressing
    • David, undeterred, fell Goliath with one well-placed stone from his slingshot and kills the giant with his own sword.


8 lessons learned from David, the Shepherd Boy:
    1. David prepared for years.
      • He learned to be observant—tending sheep for years
      • He trained. He practiced
      • He prepared emotionally—killed a lion. Killed a bear
      • He developed his other talents—the harp
    2. He learned humility
      • Tending sheep.
      • Returned to the sheep, even after being anointed, king.
      • As anointed king, he still took provisions to his brothers.
      • He did not make a scene when not allowed to be a soldier
    3. He faced disapproval
    4. He did the work—Was always ready to learn.
    5. He spoke up.
      • He proclaimed his faith—in his own ability
      • Faith in his God
    6. He remained open to new things
      • He tried on the king’s amour
    7. He stuck to what worked
      • He acknowledged the importance of others to help him
      • He had learned through trial & error
    8. He faced his fears/ his doubts.
      • He faced the giant
      • He did not turn and run—
      • Slung his slingshot (Took action.)
      • Then slay the giant. (Took further action.)


You don’t need to be doomed to ill health. You can regain so much good health back. Let’s start with sugar. For example, Renee Tarantowski’s article, What is Sweet, Simple and Complex, is a remarkable eye-opener about how sugar is harming us—killing us. Her actionable steps, including Jason Wrobel’s video, is a worthwhile the time investment!


You can organically grow your email list. For example, according to bestselling author, Alinka Rutkowska, and the author of, How I Sold 80,000 Books, one effective way of growing your email list is by having giveaways.


    • But, instead of giving away a Kindle or an eReader
    • Make the giveaway consist of BOOKS—similar to your own genre
    • Include your own books in the giveaway
    • You want to keep those readers who read your type of books
    • These readers can become dedicated fans!


It can be done—slaying giants. It starts by facing your fears.

Conquering your giant(s) will not be easy. It requires grit. It requires preparation. It requires the help of other people. But it requires you to face your fear and take the first step, and the next . . .


Then again, life has never been about what is easy. It’s about what can be done and how to do it. You are not alone. Follow the eight steps.


Call To Action: You can slay that giant! What is the first step you can take?

References:

    1. Renee Tarantowski. What is Sweet, Simple and Complex? (wetalkhealthy.com)
    2. Alinka Rutkowska. How I Sold 80,000 Books.
    3. Rick Warren. The Giants Between You and Your Dream. Daily Hope. February 20, 2018.
    4. The Message. Eugene Peterson.
    5. The Bible. New International Version.


© 2016 DanieBotha.com. All rights reserved.

Image by Daniel Cheung on unsplash.com


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