16-Jan-2021_dragging the oar slows you down
More from the “Seeds of David”: Daring and undaunted 

Spending time thinking about “you” is a waste of time. It’s like dragging an oar in the water off a little boat. It slows you down and turns you around. So whenever you get down about “you”, you are dragging the oar—your thoughts—that were meant to be used to pull yourself forward. 
Time to pick up speed and think about where you are heading, and put all your effort into forward movement; all your thoughts to the work at hand, and to gaining speed in spiritual warfare. Learn to fight quickly, powerfully, and move on, giving no place to the enemy. Lingering in thoughts about how this or that was hard for you, mope, mope, whine and you crumple into a heap. No, darling. Whack and run, and keep running. Don’t linger there where the foul air is bringing you down. 
Remember that scene in “Man of La Mancha” where they surround Don Quixote with mirrors and all he can do is see himself, and that’s how they brought him down? Getting him to look at himself and hearing words of discouragement made his spirit crumble. 
Get on fighting for the good of the lost and the sheep, and don’t spend a whole lot of time “mirror gazing”. The only time that is allowed is when you are reading the Word and are talking to the King about His thoughts to do with you. Otherwise, the rest of the time, you face the battle and focus on the needs of others.
And don’t be deceived that you aren’t thinking about yourself if you are thinking about your opinions of others. When you are criticising others, that is the same as comparing. And what or who are you comparing them with and saying that they aren’t as good as, or are doing things differently than? –You, of course. So that’s still all about you, and your thoughts, and what you would have done if you were in their shoes, etc.
It’s pretty hard to find a mind on earth that has truly pure thoughts that are really, primarily about others. That’s why it’s good to switch to prayer mode, and just keep turning every thought into a prayer. A praise is a prayer. Listening to the Lord is a prayer. And whacking away with the keys, left, right and center, is a prayer. 
Make your thoughts, the oars of your little boat, move you forward--not cost you time. Let’s go!