The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
I finished reading this book October 15, 2016. This book took just under two weeks to read. By far one of my top two or three favorite books of all time. It really spoke to me and my journey in life and with God. I often wonder why so many times I end up in the circumstances I find myself, and although intrinsically I know the answer, this book helps make it clear that our choices, and specifically our direction, determine our destination. If you're anything like me, and often find yourself knowing what the wise thing do is, but still fighting it and often times making bad decisions, this book is for you, and will help point you back in the right direction.
"What you put into something impacts what you can expect to get out of it. Neglect your marriage or your health and the outcome is predictable. You experienced this principle at work throughout your time in school. What you put in determined what you got out. This principle operated in the background of your life whether you were aware of it or not. And if someone had brought it to your attention and you refused to accept it as true, it really would not have mattered. You were going to reap what you sowed anyway. That's just how principles work."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"Perhaps you've heard someone make the argument that experience is the best teacher. That may be true, but that's only half the truth. Experience is often a brutal teacher. Experience eats up your most valuable commodity: time. Learning from experience can eat up years. It can steal an entire stage of life. Experience can leave scars, inescapable memories, and regret. Sure, we all live and learn. But living and learning doesn't erase regret. And regret is more than memory. It is more than cerebral. It's emotional. Regret has the potential to create powerful emotions — emotions with the potential to drive a person right back to the behavior that created the regret to begin with. If regret can be avoided, it should be. And the principle of the path will empower you to do just that."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"There is no fix for being lost. To get from where we don't want to be to where we do want to be requires two things: time and a change of direction. There isn't a quick fix."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"Direction — not intentions, hopes, dreams, prayers, beliefs, intellect, or education — determines destination. I know it's tempting to believe that our good intentions, aspirations, and dreams somehow have the ability to do an end run around the decisions that we make on a daily basis. But at the end of the day, the principle of the path determines the outcome. Simply put, you and I will win or lose in life by the paths we choose."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"We are quick to ask for forgiveness but slow to actually repent and walk away from our sin."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"In light of my past experience, and my future hopes and dreams, what's the wise thing to do?"
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"The primary difference between the prudent and the simple is not what they see but how they respond to what they see."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"Forgiveness and consequences are two different things. One does not override the other."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"At the end of the day, direction, not intentions, determines destination. You can't pray your way out of that. You can't talk your way out of that. And you can't repent your way out of that. It is the way God designed the world to work."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"Current conditions are not a trustworthy indicator of what lies ahead."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"When the pregnancy test reads positive, that's not the time to start reevaluating the soundness of your moral compass or whether he's really the right guy for you."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"If there is going to be change, you must take refuge. You've got to do something. Seeing it, feeling it, agreeing with it is not enough."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"The destination isn't always clear. But when we are given an early warning sign, that's our cue to act. To do something. To take refuge. And there will be awkward moments. There will be decisions that even those closest to you will never fully understand. But in the end there will be relief. In the end you will have avoided unnecessary regret."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"Life is short. The seasons of life pass quickly. And each season is connected to the one that follows. Today's decisions create tomorrow's experiences."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"My greatest regrets are all my fault. Every one of 'em."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"When happiness points in one direction while wisdom, truth, integrity, and common sense point in another, that's when really smart people start doing really stupid things."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"We listen to our hearts, and then we assign our heads the responsibility of building a case to support our hearts' decisions."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"Self-deception is easy when emotions run high. And nothin' runs 'em higher than love."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"Our problem is rarely lack of information or insight. It's not that we fail to see trouble brewing on the horizon. It's lack of honesty. We have a hard time leveling with ourselves. We deceive ourselves about why we choose the things we choose. And then we spin a web of excuses to protect ourselves, excuses that over time we come to believe."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"As long as we are lying to ourselves, it is impossible to get to where we want to be. Here's why. You will never get to where you want to be if you don't know where you are to begin with."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"To find the path that will take you to where you want to go, you must break the cycle of self-deception. As long as you hide behind reasons that aren't the real reasons for your behavior, you will never have the clarity or strength you need to turn around and move in a new direction."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"
― Jeremiah 17:9
"If our hearts are deceitful by nature, then it is no wonder we are so prone to deceive ourselves. It comes naturally. Perhaps that's why we are so convinced and at times are so convincing. It's coming right out of our hearts. We aren't merely lying to ourselves; we are genuinely deceived."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"Once you settle on the fact that your heart can't be trusted, it becomes easier to pause and evaluate before charging down whatever path your heart urges you to follow."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"The truth is, your heart can't always be trusted. The truth is, there are better decision-making strategies than simply following your heart. The truth is, if you let it, your heart will direct you down a path that leads to the very spot you most want to avoid."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"When you are willing to come clean with yourself about the uncomfortable truth behind your choices, you're on the verge of freedom. We can never be free as long as we're in the habit of lying to ourselves about the reasons behind the choices we make and the paths we take. Telling yourself the truth will free you to move from where you are to where you want and need to be."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"... our failure to trust or submit to our heavenly Father will lead to unintended destinations..."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"Choosing the right path begins with submission, not information. Not even direction. Submission. Specifically, submission to the One who knows where each path leads, as well as where it doesn't lead. Submission to the One who knows what's best for you better than you know what's best for you."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"When the way we view things conflicts with the way God views things, we are to lean in his direction rather than our own."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"If we trust with all our hearts, refuse to lean into our limited understanding, and submit every aspect of our lives to him, the best path will become unmistakably clear. Divine direction begins with unconditional submission. Not information."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"As you read either testament, you come away with the distinct impression that God's primary interest is not that we always make the right decisions. “Happily ever after” is not his goal. He wants more. He desires a personal connection. A relationship. And through Christ he has gone to great lengths to make that possible."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"In order to make the best decisions now, we need much more than information, common sense, or conventional wisdom. We need God. We need to live with a posture of dependency. We need to acknowledge him in all our ways."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"Every path has a destination. Direction, not intention, determines destination. Divine direction begins with submission. Information is not enough. Insight is not enough. We need God."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"All of life, you see, is filled with decision-making situations that occur in emotionally charged environments. Put another way, your decision-making environments are not emotionally neutral. More often than not, the circumstances we face are saturated with powerful emotions. Those emotions easily turn into misguided passions. In the end, passion clouds the ability to accurately evaluate the circumstance in order to choose the right path."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"One never accomplishes the will of God by breaking the law of God, violating the principles of God, or ignoring the wisdom of God."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"God's will for your life will always line up with his law, his principles, and his wisdom."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"Successful people aren't successful because they knew everything they needed to know. They are successful because they were willing to apply the lessons they learned from others."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"The wise are always listening. That's how they became wise. That's how they remain wise."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"It is next to impossible to hear the voice of wisdom if we are not really listening for it to begin with. The best counsel in the world is wasted counsel if our minds are already made up."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"Every decision we make that hurts us also hurts the people who love us most. And those who depend on us most will be hurt the most."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"If direction determines destination, we would be wise to take some direction before choosing one."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"You will never reach your full potential without tapping into the wisdom of others."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"Direction determines destination. Find somebody who knows the way — and heed his advice. Asking doesn't mean you lack wisdom — it's evidence of wisdom. Because successful people know what they don't know, and they are quick to go to people who do."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"The things we give our attention to in life influence the direction of our lives."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"What captures our attention influences our direction. Attention, direction, destination. That's the principle of the path in three words. And as your attention goes, so goes your life."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"There are people and activities that have the potential to lure us away from the things to which we should be paying attention. And if we are honest, the cost of disentangling ourselves from unhealthy relationships and activities seems too high a price to pay. And at the same time, the benefits associated with paying attention to the right things seem so distant that they don't whet our appetite for change. And so we continue to live our lives captive to the things that have captured our attention."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"If you are like me, the problem is not lack of understanding as much as it is a lack of application."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"Spiritual development operates like the principle of the harvest. You sow early and reap later."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"The relationship between attention and direction will impact your life, regardless of whether or not you accept or act on it."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"Whatever or whoever it is that has captured your attention is at this very moment influencing the direction of your life — for good or not so good. And whatever or whoever it is that you have chosen to give your attention to is influencing the direction of your life as well."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"Now you are in a position to choose your destination rather than discovering it once you arrive. But choosing will require change. And change does not come easy, especially when it requires us to redirect our attention away from people and things that have a strong emotional grip on us."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"When we resist God's will for our lives, we are in essence resisting God. When we resist the priorities he has established for us through Scripture, we resit him. When we resist taking full responsibility for the people he has entrusted to our care, we resist him. When we are poor stewards with the financial resources he has entrusted to use, we resist him."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"If these were easy changes to make, you would have already made them. So perhaps now is the time to lay down any resistance you've had to God's will in your life and invite his help. And if you do, you will discover that in shifting your attention to the things that please your heavenly Father, you will actually be shifting your attention toward your heavenly Father. Something wonderful happens with the resistance is gone. Something relational happens when the resistance is gone. And in the end, that is what your heavenly Father desires above all else."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"Scripture stands as a reminder that regardless of what we've experienced, we are not the first. Regardless of what we feel, someone else has navigated through that fog before us. And more important, someone has faced what we've faced, felt what we've felt, and his or her faith has survived."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"There comes a time in each of our lives when we are forced to turn our backs on something we hoped for, prayed for, dreamed about, and perhaps planned for."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"What do you do when you realize a destination is out of reach? That a dream won't come true? You pray, “Not my will, but yours be done.” And then you rest in the fact that you have done all you can... and all you should."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
"Knowing doesn't make the difference. Doing does. The decisions you make will determine the direction and the destination of your life. Choose wisely."
― Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
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