As a teenager, I was deeply insecure. In addition to a bad case of acne, I was skinny and not very athletic. My interests were different from many of the other kids at school. I was more often than not outside the “cool” crowd. And from about sixth grade through ninth grade, I was the class reject and wimp! It was a miserable time in my life.
Then came high school, and things (slowly) began to improve, but I carried my deep insecurity with me, well into college. When I began to seriously date a girl (my first real girlfriend), I was so insecure that I couldn’t handle her complimenting other guys. And when her mother showed support for me, I felt compelled to “air my dirty laundry” and tell the mother how flawed I was. Shocked, my girlfriend’s mother did something for me that I’ll never forget!
I’ll call my girlfriend’s mother “Mrs. L.” Well, Mrs. L refused to see my weak points. She refused to let me define myself according to my faults and shortcomings. Instead, she gave me two books that changed my life. They were The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale and Tough Times Never Last, but Tough People Do by Robert Schuller.
I devoured both books, and was hooked! I became a self-help addict. 
But in a good way. In the course of my time in college and then in my twenties, I slowly came to realize that my self-esteem shouldn’t be based on how I think others think about me, but rather on the value God gave me when He made me and the value I can then add to others!
My pastor at the time shared with me some concerns about Dr. Peale’s theology and how the self-help movement had, in his view, damaged the true purpose of Christianity. I eventually came to see many of my pastor’s points, and (as a pastor myself now) believe that we should never compromise biblical truth or the primacy of God in order to simply give ourselves ‘warm fuzzies.’ True self-worth and personal success must be based on truth, not fantasy.
Having said that, I believe that folks like the late Norman Vincent Peale, Robert Schuller, and now Joel Osteen have done a great deal of good in people’s lives. Do I agree with everything they say and write? No, especially not when it comes to their theology. But…I do believe they’ve helped a lot of people, just as they’ve helped me.
I hope that this blog will help YOU! I’ve been where some of you have been! I’ve been too afraid to assert myself — at school (as a teenager), at college, at work, and even early in my marriage. Too insecure to handle competition. Too jealous to deal with situations. Too awkward to handle communication with other people. Too confused to understand how to succeed and grow professionally. I’ve been there.
In fact, I’m still growing in some areas. I wouldn’t say I’m perfect today, by any means. But I’ve definitely come a long way! And I want to help you do the same.
I hope you’ll bookmark this blog, and let me help you achieve personal success and spiritual fulfillment.
