Gregory Dickow - The Power to Change Today: Simple Secrets to the Satisfied Life

Scriptures are primarily taken from the King James Version as well as the New American Standard Bible.

The New American Standard Bible.

Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Scriptures were taken from the New International Version.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

Scriptures were taken from the New Living Translation Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.

Scriptures were taken from the New King James Version.

Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Copyright 2009 Gregory Dickow

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

FaithWords

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First eBook Edition: April 2009

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ISBN: 978-0-446-55071-0

W e all want to be happy.

And in our vision of happiness, most of us want to feel loved, secure, and fulfilled. We want to have gratifying relationships, good health, financial security, and, most of all, a reason to get up in the morningthe end result being the satisfied life that God has always intended for us.

But how many of us go through our days feeling dissatisfied?

Perhaps money, time, or love seem to be in short supply. Maybe we dont have the body wed like, the job of our dreams, the ideal mate, or the perfect circle of friends.

Or perhaps were facing a serious health challenge, a family crisis, or battling demons of the past.

Sometimes were so consumed by all this that our days are filled with worry, stress, frustration, or even despair.

The telling words of Mick Jagger echo the feelings of countless people: I cant get no satisfactionthough I try, and I try, and I try

This book is all about ending that dissatisfaction, once and for alland creating the life you truly deserve. And it isnt going to take forever. Our title has a promise built into it: you have the power to change todaynot next month, not in two years, and not after twenty years of counseling!

Remember, everything you see in this world was created in six days. Clearly, God is in the business of getting things done, and getting them done fast! So we can expect His help today.

After nearly two decades of pastoring and counseling people with every imaginable challenge, Ive discovered that there are certain key principles that unlock the doors to inward contentment. These are the sixteen secrets that youre going to read about in the pages that follow, keys to creating an invincible spirit and a satisfied life.

What do I mean by invincible? This is our ability to overcome and to conquer. And at its heart, this book is all about conquering negativity and achieving breakthroughs toward gratifying relationships, vibrant health, creative purpose, and a deep connection with God.

I dont personally believe that the obstacle to a satisfied life lies in external conditions. Still, many people insist that if only they had the perfect job or spouse, or enough money, then theyd be happy. Yet, in a study of lottery winners, the overwhelming majority was no happier than before. (Just ask Hugo from the TV show Lost!) The right promotion, marriage, or bank account will not guarantee a satisfied life.

The only pathway to true contentment is from the inside outnot from the outside in. I can tell you that our success or failure in life will be determined by how we thinknot by what we have. And so, the real battle we face has little to do with outside conditions. Its the battle raging between our ears! As youll see in the chapters ahead, what you think and the way you think will determine the quality of your life.

So as we begin this journey together, were going to go on a fast. (Dont worry, you can still eat what you want.) This kind of fast is all about abstaining from wrong ways of thinking. Youre going to read about how to eliminate what I call the mentalities of failure and replace them with mentalities of success.

As youll see, each of the sixteen secrets ahead provides a crucial blueprint for living the satisfied life. First youre going learn about the power of being loved and believingand about how your world can change when youre expectant. Youll find true comfort in the chapters on being healed and being still.

Next youll learn the value of knowing and loving yourself, and youll discover the freedom in forgiveness and falling out of love with feelings that no longer serve you. Youre also going to receive the secret to unlocking the greatness in youand youll be inspired by others who have done the same.

Then youre going to see the transformative powers of planting a seed: how every action has a reaction and that sowing wisely brings the harvest you want. Youll see the connection between conquering your greatest challenge and finding your true calling, and the value of living on the giving side, which when tapped into will be like putting Miracle-Gro on the garden of your life.

Finally youre going to learn how to smile at the future by no longer being afraid of the dark and by learning how to live in the moment, rather than the future or the past. And not least important, youll see the wisdom of leaving the country of your previous limitations.

In each of these chapters, Im going to give you a specific recipethe ingredients, and the instructions, so to speakthat will allow you to get the results God wants you to have.

I compare it to making a cake. If I held up a Duncan Hines chocolate-cake box, youd admire the mouthwatering picture on the front. However, no matter how long you feasted your eyes, you would never get to taste the cake if you didnt open the box, gather the ingredients, and follow the simple instructions on the back.

Folks, we all know that there are many inspirational self-help books that are good at showing you the picture on the front of the box. What makes this book different is that its about actually making and enjoying the cake, not just admiring it. As youll see, in each chapter there are specific steps that are going to help you to master the theme at hand.

So lets fire up the oven, mix up these powerful ingredients, and begin. As we set off on this journey together, I can promise you that youre going to be liberated from the old way of thinkingand discover a brand-new way of living that will make you both invincible and truly satisfied.

Gregory Dickow

April 2009

A lbert Einstein once said, You dont really understand something unless you can communicate it in a simple way. Yet, the feelings and beliefs in our hearts are often deep and complex. For me, to get them out of my heart and onto the written pages of this book could not have been accomplished without the incredible people that joined me on this journey. Each of them helped me to draw out these secret treasures and present them with profound meaning and substance in a simple way. They have given me a gift and helped to reinforce the guiding principles of my life.