Here's What's Holding You Back From Your Blessings.

Most of the time, it's things we can control.

I've had to learn, sometimes the hard way, that either you're already blessed and are not making an effort to see the blessings you possess, or blessings are coming, but you need to get out of your way and have faith in the process.

These three attributes will allow you to see the blessings you already have or keep you moving forward so you can receive future blessings.

Patience.

It does not come easy, especially when we feel we've been working hard to achieve a goal but aren't seeing the results we hoped for.

Waiting to see the fruits of our labor is often frustrating. Waiting for anything longer than what we expect is frustrating, period.

Circumstances and events not going according to plan are frustrating, but this is all part of the process that, ironically, is what teaches us to be patient.

We need to trust this process and keep moving forward to see the fruits of our labor/blessings in the future.

Many times we end up self-sabotaging because we become impatient.

We rush things, thinking it will speed up the process. We make impulsive decisions that usually get in the way of receiving our blessings.

Patience is learning to get comfortable in what feels like limbo — with the unknown — waiting without knowing when or how blessings will come.

I've shared on other blogs how I encountered one of my biggest challenges yet, and had to be very patient for one of the biggest blessings I've received — the opportunity to become independent.

That blessing only came when I was ready to receive it — I was in a process of personal growth and change.

Many of us ask to receive our blessings when we're not ready to accept them or ask for the wrong things, but that's for another blog.

This is why patience is a requirement.

The process of waiting helps mold and grow you into someone who can accept those blessings when the time is right.

Perspective.

A hopeful perspective lets you see what you are already blessed with and keeps you moving forward.

The truth is, no matter how hard things may get, something good is always happening if we choose to look for it.

When going through multiple friendship break-ups, I was frustrated with how my life seemed to be 'falling apart.'

Thanks to my emotional growth, I was able to sit with those feelings of frustration and, with time, calmly analyze what was happening.

The truth was, I changed. My previous friends were unhappy about it and couldn’t accept that change.

I realized the time had come for me to go my separate way and begin building my life according to my beliefs.

Without being able to give myself perspective, I would still be chasing those friends down, begging for their acceptance instead of taking responsibility for myself and my future.

Perspective allowed me to see that change is not a bad thing.

We often resent change because it doesn’t happen how or when we want it.

Because of my faith (I'm Christian), I've learned that God has a much better plan than I could ever imagine, and sometimes when changes appear to be negative, I need to take a step back and remind myself that He knows better.

Just because we don't like something at first glance doesn't mean it's terrible.

I didn't like how or when I was losing my friends. I thought it was a bad thing, but after some time, I realized that this change, although difficult, was a good one because my friends were not trying to change themselves and their lives for the better.

Perspective allowed me to see that my friends weren't the best influence, and if I wanted to take my life to the next level, I needed to surround myself with people who were moving forward like I was.

Faith.

I would not be able to do the two above if I didn't have my faith.

In my experience, people who don't believe in something tend to be miserable. They lack hope that things can change and improve, especially amid difficult circumstances.

One of the most important lessons I've learned about God is that He will turn around any bad situation for my betterment.

And he has.

The example I gave about my friendship break-ups is one of the most difficult experiences I've had in a while, emotionally speaking.

If I didn't have faith that God knew why He was separating me from this group of people, I would have fought against this change and thrown away the opportunity and blessing that lay in that separation.

That blessing was finally deciding to move out and become independent — something I've wanted to do since high school.

Faith also helped me with the stress, frustration, anger, sadness, etc., that overwhelmed me then. Without faith, I would not have kept fighting and moving forward.

My faith helped me believe there was a reason for these difficult changes.

Faith will keep you on the right path. Faith will help you keep fighting and moving toward the amazing life God has planned for you.

If you don't work and fight and keep moving forward, how will you achieve anything? You can't.

Patience, perspective, and faith are necessary for us to see the blessings we already have and to keep moving forward so more blessings can come in the future.