Osteen - Next level thinking: 10 powerful thoughts for a successful and abundant life

S o often we let our environment, how we were raised, and other peoples expectations of us set the limits for our life. We adapt to whats around us. If you take an oak tree seed and plant it in a two-foot pot, that oak tree will never become what it was created to be if you leave it in the potnot because theres something wrong with the seed, but because of the environment that its in. Its so easy to just fit in, to go with the crowd, to be like everyone else. But God didnt create you to be average. He created you to stand out, to go beyond the norm, to leave your mark on this generation. You have seeds of greatness on the inside. Youre supposed to go further than the people who raised you. Youre supposed to live better, be more successful, and set a new standard. You may be in an environment where people have addictions, low self-esteem, depression, and poverty. You cant stop that. But heres the key: Dont let that become normal in your thinking. If you accept that as who you are, it will keep you from your destiny.

The Scripture speaks of how we are in the world, but we are not of the world. You may be in a limited environment, but you dont have to be of it. Dont let that environment get in you. If you see struggle, lack, and poverty long enough, your mind can become conditioned to thinking, This is who I am. Ill always struggle. Ill never have enough. No, thats where you are, thats not who you are. That may be whats been normal. The good news is, youre a barrier breaker. You have the power, the favor, the talent, and the ability to break out and go further. God breathed His life into you. He calls you the head and not the tail. Dont let your mind become conditioned for mediocrity. Dont let that change who you really are.

Sometimes people will try to put us in a box. Theyll tell us such things as, You cant start that business. You dont have the resources. Youll never afford a nice place to live, never get well, never meet the right person. Because their thinking is limited, theyll try to put their limitations on you. You have to put your foot down and say, I refuse to be mediocre because people around me are mediocre. I refuse to be addicted, depressed, and have low expectations. I know that Im a barrier breaker. Im going to set a new standard.

It starts in your thinking. Nothing will change until you make up your mind that you are not going to accept mediocrity. Why dont you take the limitations off yourself? You have so much potential. Break out of that box and try something new. The enemy would love to keep that potential from ever coming out. Hell use bad breaks, negative comments, people, and circumstances to try to keep you from believing in yourself, from believing that you can rise to the next level. Many people have let their mind become conditioned to thinking theyve reached their limits, theyre just average, theyll never do anything great. Whats happened? Instead of breaking out, theyve adapted to their environment.

Nothing will change until you make up your mind that you are not going to accept mediocrity.

I saw a study that was done with fleas. Researchers put fleas in a container and then put a lid on the top. The fleas immediately tried to jump out, but they hit the lid again and again. Before long they realized they were stuck. At one point the researchers removed the lid, but, much to their surprise, the fleas didnt try to jump out anymore. They had hit that lid so many times that they had become conditioned to thinking they couldnt get out. Even though the lid was off, they didnt even try.

Sometimes, as with these fleas, because of the environment were in, the times weve tried and failed, and what people have told us, weve become conditioned to thinking, I cant do anything great. Ill never accomplish my dream. Ill never get back in shape. It might not have happened in the past, you might have tried and hit that lid a few times, but can I tell you the lid is coming off? Its time to try again. You were not created to live contained, to get stuck. Recondition your mind.