FOUR (of 10) struggles good students have in college life (Josiah Smith, therapist / personal coach)

"Suck it up and Go on!" Can be the worst advice (Hamlet Smith, director / therapist)

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Can you believe that it's November already? Kermit the Frog once said that "time is fun when you're having flies." Hopefully, this issue of the Success Planner will be an encouragement to you as you seek to give the most important things in your life the priority of your time.

- Josiah

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FOUR (of 10) struggles good students have in college life

by Josiah Smith

I can still hear Michael W. Smith belting out the chorus of an early hit "Looking for a reason, roaming through the night to find my place in this world, my place in this world.” Not that I ever listen to M.W.S.?? College is a place where life purpose can be discovered, but too often it’s never found at all. Good students often struggle, because they’ve never really identified their purpose in life. By the way… purpose in life is far more important than a major in college.

"Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained." - Prov. 29:18

If you’re at the center of your worldview, everything you do in life will be an attempt to please yourself. When the only person's perspective you can see is your own - YIKES! That’s really scary. Developing a Biblical and God-centered worldview will dramatically change the way you see life and the way you view yourself. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m wired to please others… wait, just kidding, myself. We all come by it naturally. In fact, I’ll go as far as to say that we’re all born selfish and developing a God-centered world view takes effort. It takes the effort of yielding... yielding to God rather than doing things your way.

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." - Luke 9:23

It’s been said that “if you’re trying to follow Christ, you shouldn’t choose a best friend who is running from Him.” This point seems elementary, but really it’s very collegiate. Making wise “best friend” choices can make or break a student.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17

Remember the movie “What about Bob?” Leo (Richard Dreyfuss) gives Bob (Bill Murray) this book called "Baby Steps" to help him take baby steps in his life...baby steps to get to the door, baby steps to go outside, etc. Well, when a student walks out the door headed for college, they still need support and accountability - they need to take some baby steps like Bob (even full grown adults need this). What was God’s design for encouragement, accountability, and ministry - to one another as well as to the community? Bingo…. the church.

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:25

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"Suck it up and go on!" Can be the worst advice.

by Hamlet Smith

At Life Strategies Counseling Services, we are committed to helping people identify these conflicts and providing guidance in moving toward solutions. We firmly believe that there are answers to life’s problems, but we can’t even look for them if we…”just suck it up and go on.”

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