Category: motivation

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motivation

Faith Involves Risk

Faith Involves Risk

We don’t like to hear that. We would like to think that all we have to do is dream something and it will come to pass. If only that were true!

  • We could imagine a million dollars and poof! It would appear
  • Everyone could pool their thoughts for a better world and it would just happen
  • A person could see the perfect path for their life and everything would just fall into place without lifting a finger

If only that were so! But faith takes action. After all, faith without works is dead. Believing something will happen is only part of the equation. We must take action by faith to bring something to pass.

Faith involves risk. Faith also involves change. If we imagine a good possibility that doesn’t yet exist, we can expect that something will have to change in order to make it happen.

It can be a tall order. But faith can make the impossible possible. Who ever said that was going to be easy?

Categories
accountability motivation

Anything Goes… Until it Doesn’t

Quote by John Maxwell: a life in which anything goes will ultimately be a life in which nothing goes well. Maxwell, John C.. Developing the Leader Within You 2.0 (Developing the Leader Series) (p. 34). HarperCollins Leadership. Kindle Edition.

“A life in which anything goes will ultimately be a life in which nothing goes well.”

Maxwell, John C. Developing the Leader Within You 2.0 (Developing the Leader Series)(p. 34). HarperCollins Leadership. Kindle Edition.

We all have at least some autonomy to do whatever we want. We can…

  • Spend work goofing off because the boss is out today
  • Eat that full bag of chips… along with an entire pizza
  • Cheat on those financials because only you know the data
  • Lie about what happen since you were the only witness

Yes, we have the freedom to do what we want. And in an anything-goes-world, there is much more beyond my imagination that any of us could do.

But sooner or later, we will suffer the consequences of bad decisions.

  • The latest employee evaluation criticizes your lack of productivity
  • You suffer a health crisis because on your eating habits
  • The auditors are demanding the data because something is definately off
  • There is evidence that proves you lied

Anything goes is a poor strategy for going forward. We all need boundaries. We are accountable for our actions. John Maxwell had this quote concerning planning our daily-to-do list. It’s a reminder to me that even the decisions that may not appear to have large consequences can come back to affect us.

Categories
accountability motivation

Stop wasting your life!

How much time do we spend doing wasteful things? We all have time-wasting bad habits that can burn up our time in creative ways. Do any of these sound familiar?

  • Did that one episode turn into a binge-watching bonanza that lasted through the night?
  • Do you find yourself munching down on the Halloween candy that was meant for the trick-or-treaters?
  • How about that one Twitter thread that was a train wreck of ideas, but you just couldn’t stop scrolling?

I won’t say which ones are my bad habits. But lets face it, we all know how to wast time.  An article from Inc. Magazine got my attention. My big takeaway is to consider how much time per hour that bad habit is costing you. Could you be doing something more productive instead of that bad habit? Is it costing you more than you thought?

For the most part, that advice holds up. Unfortunately, I can scarf down candy like it is going out of style. Wait, did I just confess one of my bad habits?

We all need a few moments of diversion and we can’t be productive twenty-four seven. However, the tip from the article reminds me that time is precious and we need to consider what choices affect us in the long run.

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Bible motivation

Ecclesiastes 3:1

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV)

On my run the other day, I listened to the song, Glory Days, by Bruce Springsteen. As the years go by, it becomes more ironic. It was on the album, Born in the USA. The song came out in 1985 when I was twenty years old. At the time, it felt like a fool’s errand to reminisce about the past at the expense of the present. Thirty-six years later, I can understand a little better where the song was coming from!

Yet, the wisdom of this verse still stands true. There is a season and a time for every purpose. I had a great college experience. But it would be unfortunate to stay there. It’s great to visit for homecoming. But who wants an old guy staying around campus because he just can’t get the courage to leave?

I loved being a dad to two little kids. But today I have two great adult children. I would be foolish to wish they were younger and treat them as little kids. The early days were great. The present is even better, though it looks different.

It’s foolish to live in the past. It is equally foolish to live only in the future. Yes, the last eighteen months have been brutal for everyone. We have all heard people pining for the future when everything will be back to normal. But what if the present has the opportunities that make your future possible? What if normal never was ideal? We are never guaranteed a future. We just have today.

There were good things about the past. And I believe the future also has promise. But we just have today. Whatever season you are in, live in the moment. It may be a challenging time. You may have problems I can’t imagine. Or you may find a few years from now, today is the day you will remember as the best of times. Say, that reminds me of another rock song!

Categories
Leadership motivation

The Power of Multiplication

I recently wrote an article for Church of God news on a California pastor’s effectiveness at developing leaders. It is good when someone takes a leadership role. It is even better when a person mentors others to be leaders as well.

Hispanic Pastor Discovers the Power of Multiplication

This has got me thinking about how I can be more effective as a leader.

  • Who am I affecting?
  • Who am I training?
  • Does it need to be more formal and intentional?
  • Do I consider the impact of multiplication versus addition when it comes to leadership?

This pastor is making an impact in his community. I got a lot of great lessons from his example.