Change the Reel
Today I am working from a coffee shop out of necessity, but I have to say that there are worse environments for me to type. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and hot waffles is a strangely productive environment. Two walls feature stocked bookshelves, one wall has a giant clock decoration, but one wall is a bizarre distraction. It shows a looping video of Cafe Benne locations across the country.
My problem with the video is that it repeats the same images that, at first, seem fun and energetic. After glancing at the screen for the tenth time, the images seem trite and ridiculous. Why loop images that will lose their appeal after each viewing? Why would the management purposefully show the same smiling, cutting-edge and alternative-looking people? The answer: Branding! Cafe Benne is seeking to stamp their image of a fun coffee shop onto our collective brains. Advertising success is a fickle mistress, and Cafe Benne would do well to change the video soon.
Do you need to change your video reel? Have you stamped something into your thought life that has become a negative? Perhaps it is a harsh comment made by someone that you trusted. Maybe past failures haunt your thoughts and dreams, preventing you from enjoying the here and now. Or, just maybe the video playing is of ancient successes that used to be a source of motivation, but now only serve as an excuse for not pursuing success today. Ouch! What was once fun and exciting is now anything but.
Admit the negativity to the Lord and replace the old footage with something that will carry you forward. Specifically, take those old thoughts captive to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:1-6), and give room for the Lord to build His victories into your journey. Dwelling on past failures is almost as dangerous as obsessing over past victories. A beautiful face will eventually begin to look ugly if it never moves. Change the images and move forward with Christ!
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