Not One More Day
🛑 This stops now
[🧠 Paid subscribers: be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for this week’s training video]
Hey friend,
It’s time to stop.
Just stop.
Stop looking at your life and wishing you WEREN’T this way our that way, or you wish you WERE this way or that way, or that you were LESS this or MORE that.
“Wait, Doc,” you might be saying, “Aren’t you always giving me tools to change? To grow out of bad habits, to be transformed by the renewing of my mind? Why are you saying now that I need to STOP wishing to be different?”
Yes, I am. And today I’m going to take that to a whole new level with a very short lesson that will change everything for you if you learn it.
Here’s the problem:
Most of us get caught in a downward spiral of beating ourselves up over some aspect of our personality or performance, and we decide that the thing that’s holding us back is “just how I am.” This decision then leads to a series of decisions that produce increasing inertia to change, and progressive hopelessness.
We think, for example, something like, “I’m such a sucker. Everyone takes advantage of me.” This thought then leads us to becoming more protective, less willing to extend ourselves to others, and afraid to trust people.
But what if we’ve got it all wrong? What if instead of allowing these aspects of our personalities to become identity, we use them instead to gain insight into how God made us, and learn to operate our lives so as to benefit from those characteristics instead of being frustrated by them?
In other words, imagine how helpful it would be if we realized that:
💡 If there’s a process, there’s a purpose for it
🧠 Neuroscience Nugget
God gave you baseline traits on purpose, and your brain expresses them as neural processes.
Those traits are not your identity, and they are not flaws. They are raw material. When we resist or resent how we were made, the brain locks those processes into defensive patterns. But when we submit them to God’s direction, the mind can train the brain to refine and redirect the same wiring toward growth, wisdom, and love.
You’re not called to stay “just the way you are.”
You’re called to be transformed, using what God gave you for His purposes.
(That’s exactly why I wrote the 7th commandment of Self-Brain Surgery in my new book that launches in 9 days! Make sure you pre-order to get your bonuses before February 3)
✞ Faith Fact
The Bible doesn’t tell us to complain about how God made us, but to use it to his glory.
That’s what Paul was getting at when he wrote this:
But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Romans 9:20 NIV
⚠️ Note: This idea must be used in conjunction with a careful reading of God’s word and some wisdom to discern between things God gave us and what the Bible calls deceitful desires in Ephesians 4:22. Renewing our minds doesn’t mean to run with everything we feel; it means letting God define who we are and deciding to trust him more than we trust our brains.
Understanding that if there’s a process, there’s a purpose for it will keep us out of BOTH of these limiting ditches:
❌ “Just accept yourself and never change”
❌ “Something is wrong with how God made you”
℞ This Week’s Prescription
For the next seven days, notice one trait you usually criticize or resent about yourself.
Instead of fighting it, ask this question once a day:
“How might God want to refine and use this, rather than remove it?”
Then choose one small, intentional action that directs that trait toward wisdom, love, or service.
You’re not trying to fix yourself; you’re practicing submission and redirection.
Not one more day spent fighting how God made you.
🧠 Paid Subscribers: Click here for this week’s video self-brain surgery training
I’ve got so much more for you when my new book comes out next month! You’ll be a master self-brain surgeon in no time.
Hit reply and let us know how self-brain surgery is helping you make the changes you need to make.
Be sure to check out the archive of previous posts if you missed last week’s letter.
Dum spiro spero (While I breathe, I hope),
Lee
II Timothy 1:7, “For you were not given a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind.”
From the banks of the North Platte river on Moon River Ranch in Nebraska, USA
Disclaimer: This letter is for informational purposes only. It contains general information, drawn from my experience, research, and best practices. It is not health care advice, and is not intended to replace the counsel of your health care provider. Consult your provider before starting any new treatments or making changes to your health routine. This message does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship between us.
