Causes and Cures for Failure

How can we identify and eliminate the most common causes of failure?

Learn what they are and how to overcome them by clicking here

Will to Fail or Succeed?

Do you have the will to fail or the will to succeed?

Are you ready to shed your unproductive “busyness” starting today?

Make sure you are creating a life instead of just making a living.

Found out how HERE

What are the 5 essential secrets of success?

There are certain constant factors to be found in true success. There are essential factors, independent of wealth or achievement, poverty or asceticism. They can be found HERE.

Self-Assessment

by Steve Pavlina

One of the best ways to bring more truth into your life is to conduct a quick self-assessment. Assign a numerical rating to each area of your life using a simple 1–10 scale. A 1 means this part of your life is terrible and could hardly get worse; a 10 means this area is absolutely perfect and you can scarcely imagine it getting better. Please take a minute to do this now. Here are the areas to rate:

Area of Your Life and Your Rating (1–10)
Habits & daily routine ___________
Career & work ___________
Money & finances ___________
Health & fitness ___________
Mental development & education ___________
Social life & relationships ___________
Home & family ___________
Emotions ___________
Character & integrity ___________
Life purpose & contribution ___________
Spiritual development ___________

Your answers should provide a nice snapshot of how you’re doing. Usually you’ll find that some areas lag behind the others, sometimes far behind. Interestingly, it’s in our weakest spots that we most often succumb to falsehood and denial, since those are the most difficult areas to face. But those areas can’t improve until you face and accept the truth.

Tips for a Better Life...Part 2

Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.

Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured or packaged in factories.

Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

Try to make at least three people smile each day.

Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let the cleanliness bring new energy and motivation into your life.

Tips for a Better Life...Part 1

Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

Go to bed earlier and get more sleep.

When you wake up in the morning complete the following: "Today, my primary purpose is to __________."

Play more games and read more books than you did last year.

Make time to practice meditation, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

Things to Think About...Part 3

By Fred Smith

7. Enjoy the challenge of change – Every situation is either a challenge or a threat. To the confident it is a challenge; to the fearful it is a threat. The situation is the same, but the reaction is different. Would you like to change from threat to challenge? View every new potentially threatening experience as an experiment. Be objective like a reporter and become interested in watching yourself go through the experience. Gain understanding as you step outside yourself.

8. New Age is old stuff – It is like the late night advertisement for wallets made out of “genuine synthetic leather.” Its promises have no guarantor. The Bible promises are the promissory notes given and guaranteed by God. New Age gives claims to a promised land they do not own…they are spiritual squatters.

9. The beauty of balance – All things in moderation – fanatical about nothing – everything getting its due – and everything in its season. A time for everything, even winning and losing.

10. We are promised ultimate victory – There is no sudden success. Ours is ultimate joy even while going through hardship and struggle. We look forward in hope , but we do not hope in hope. Our hope is in the promises of God and in the life of Christ.

Things to consider this week: 1) Which of the ten stretched me most? 2) How can I apply one of them this week to help others? 3) When do I do my best thinking?

10 Things to Think About...Part 2

By Fred Smith

5. The power of bonding – Experts tell us the greatest benefit of gang membership for kids is bonding – the sense of family and someone to stand with them in trouble. The church should be our bonding fellowship. We should share sufferings and provide acceptance for good. We should all be bonded as fellow members of the body of Christ --- that is the true bond.

6. The power of light – We dread the dark, but it has no power. It can’t put out the smallest candle, or even a flicker of light. There is no darkness so deep that a tiny light cannot penetrate it. Christ is the eternal lamplighter and He will re-light your lamp, no matter how small or how unused it has become. Darkness never owns the light; light always overcomes the dark.

To read more writings of Fred Smith go to Breakfast With Fred

10 Things to Think About...Part 1

by Fred Smith

1. Hurt opens the heart – Often the best and maybe the only time a person will open up to help is when the hurt is too great to bear alone.

2. Gratitude cures depression – There is no stronger medicine for depression than genuine gratitude. If we find ourselves saying, “Yes, but,” we are not fully grateful. The truly grateful say, “Yes! Yes!” The Bible says, “In all things be grateful.” When it says, all – it means all.

3. Sit loose to things – Oswald Chambers is not against having things, nor enjoying them. But he is against getting so stuck to them that if they go, they take you with them. So long as you own them and not vice versa, everything is in right perspective. Develop the “sit loose to things” reflex.

4. Beware the spirit of fear – There is a great difference in being perpetually afraid, and having specific fears. It is alright to have particular fears, but not the spirit of fear. Our general disposition is not to be one of constant fear. “I have not given you the spirit of fear, but of love and of a sound mind.” Is your first reaction to every situation fear? It doesn’t have to be. You have a Promise to shield you.

To read more writings of Fred Smith go to Breakfast With Fred

The Blueprint for Happiness

Do you want to be a happy person? Live God's way. Do you want to be an unhappy person? Live your own way.
Read the full article here

Notes from Lesson 9 of Og Mandino's University of Success

Main thoughts from reading lesson 9:

• Make the most of your abilities

• Ask "What talents or abilities do I have?"

• Discipline your abilities for maximum use

• Set a sense of purpose for yourself

• Put your talents to work

• Use your imagination

• Have enthusiasm for your work

• Persevere in the use of talents

Remember the 3 bones: the wishbone for dreaming, the jawbone for asking, and the backbone for working

Notes from Chapter 5 of How to Win Friends and Influence People

Some notes from Chapter 5 of HTWFIP, How to make a good first impression:

• Facial expression is important

• Sincere smile

• Success comes when you have fun doing the work required for success

• Everyone is seeking happiness, it can be had by controlling your thoughts

• One word / one action: smile

Notes from Lesson 8 of Og Mandino's University of Success

Lesson 8 focused on how to develop your strengths. Main thoughts include:

• You create opportunity by your feelings and determination

• You must support yourself instead of undermining yourself

• Be creative and imaginative instead of worrying

• Live in the present. The past is gone. The future is unknown.

• Set constructive goals and move yourself toward today’s opportunities

The Bookends of Success by Dr. John C. Maxwell

NASCAR drivers know the importance of starting in the right place. Before a race even begins, they compete with one another in the hopes of earning the best starting position. At qualifying runs, held the week prior to the official race, each driver speeds around the racetrack in a timed performance. The driver with the fastest time earns pole position - or the right to begin the race in front of the other cars. A driver in pole position doesn't have to be concerned about passing anyone in order to win the race. All he or she must do is hold their position in order to win.

Conversely, a driver who does poorly in the trial run must begin the race in the worst possible position - at the very back of the pack. Stuck behind the other race cars, the disadvantaged driver has virtually no chance of winning. To finish first, he or she would have to pass every other car on the track during the course of the race.

In addition to starting strong, a NASCAR driver understands that his or her performance depends on finishing well. In a 500-mile race, leading for 499 miles is meaningless if a driver isn't in front at the checkered flag. Regardless of a driver's skill maneuvering the car early in the race, if he or she crashes or loses focus toward the end, the driver will forfeit the lead and lose the race. Nobody wins points for their position in the middle of the race; rather, each driver is assigned a place based on how he or she finishes.

THE BOOKENDS OF SUCCESS

Great leaders understand the two bookends of success: starting and finishing. We generally think about them in terms of doing a task or project. However, what's true in our approach to projects is also true in our approach to each day. How we spend our mornings and evenings has a tremendous bearing on the course of our leadership.

I use my morning to set up a game plan for the day. During this time, I allow no interruptions. I never schedule breakfast meetings, and I isolate myself from distractions. I do not permit myself to strategize years down the road or to project my thoughts months into the future. Rather, I narrow my focus to the upcoming 24 hours. I ask myself: "Just for today, how can I be a success?" Viewing life in 24-hour increments, I place a premium on each day. I try to make each one a masterpiece.

During the evening, I reflect on my day. By reflecting, I translate my day's experiences into learning opportunities. This process solidifies in my mind the lessons I've discovered or bits of knowledge I've uncovered. Reflecting also gives me the space to assess my progress on the goals I made during the morning.

Relaxation is another important part of my evening routine. I make a point to put my leisure time into activities that replenish me by refueling my energy. For me, such activities include spending quality time with my wife, reading a book, or studying Scriptures. Relaxation puts me in a good emotional state, lifts my spirits, and reminds me of the joys of life.

When I neglect to carve out time in the morning to plan my day, I notice adverse effects. First, I don't live my day on purpose. Instead of choosing where to invest my time, I cede control of my schedule to whatever circumstances happen to arise. Second, I squander my energy. Since I don't outline clear goals for my day, I float from one activity to another without getting anything done. Finally, when I skip my morning planning time, I feel overwhelmed. Since I'm ambitious, I have a propensity to bite off more than I can chew. If I don't focus my attention, the weight of my numerous involvements begins to drag me down.

When I am not intentional about setting aside evening time for relaxation, I encounter negative symptoms, too. First, I get uptight. My times of reflection and relaxation act like valves that release stress from my life. If I don't guard those times, I get tense, my thoughts are more negative, and my health suffers. Second, I lose passion. My leisure times fuel me. If I am not intentional about putting time into my favorite activities, then life loses its luster. Third, I miss chances to grow. When I don't reflect on the meaningful moments from each day, I rob myself of the benefits of experience.

SUMMARY

Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow is out of reach. That's why today matters. Leaders who value each day know the importance of starting well and finishing strong. In the mornings, they focus their energies on key tasks, and in the evenings, they replenish themselves. By mastering the bookends of success, leaders position themselves to make an impact every day.

"This article is used by permission from Dr. John C. Maxwell's free monthly e-newsletter, "Leadership Wired," available at www.injoy.com."

Lesson 7 of Og Mandino's University of Success

Some bullet points from lesson 7 of Og Mandino's University of Success:

• I can versus I can’t

• No area of life is immune to faith (believing) and effort (work)

• Quit talking about it and do it!

• If you have a dream, thank God for it and do something about it

Lesson 6 of Og Mandino's University of Success

My notes from studying lesson 6 include the ideas that growth must be chosen and fear must be overcome. Some questions to answer include:

• What is your purpose?
• What are your talents?
• Is it wrong to be wealthy?
• What tools do you possess?
• What challenges need to be confronted?
• Who is in charge of your life?
• What are you avoiding by diversions?
• What will you become?

Remember that you must let the world know you are here, eager to do business, and offer value.

“I would rather try and fail, than to do nothing and succeed.”

Sexual Scenes and Sins

This week was pretty routine with work Monday through Friday, my Mastermind and Ultimate Success Program phone calls Monday evening, house church Wednesday evening, and family movie night Friday. We watched Pay It Forward about a young boy who starts a “movement” of paying good deeds forward to other people. Aside from some unnecessary language and sexual scenes it was a fairly good movie with a thought-provoking theme and surprise ending.

Here are some of my thoughts from reading in Leviticus and Mark this past week:

• There’s a regulation for dealing with mildew in a house in the Bible! (Leviticus 14)
• Sexual sins under the law are identified along with how to deal with them (Leviticus 20)
• How’s this for an interesting day? The disciples gathered around Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. Jesus got some rest and then fed a crowd of 5,000 plus. The disciples then picked up the remains of dinner. Jesus went off alone to pray and meanwhile the disciples headed across the lake and were straining against the wind. Jesus walked by them on the water and when the disciples saw Him they cried out, were amazed, and didn’t understand. (Mark 6B)
• Jesus opened the eyes of both the spiritually blind and the physically blind (Mark 8)
• Jesus sometimes wanted to be alone with his disciples to teach them. Sometimes the disciples didn’t understand what Jesus was teaching but were afraid to ask for clarification. (Mark 9)

Lesson 5 of Og Mandino's University of Success

My notes from reading lesson 5 of Og Mandino’s University of Success this week include 10 causes of failure and how to conquer them:

1. Blaming others - take responsibility for self
2. Excessive self blame - forgive yourself
3. No goals - set goals
4. Wrong goals - make sure you have the right goals
5. Taking short cuts - work hard
6. Taking the long road - enjoy today
7. Neglecting details - pay attention to details
8. Quitting too soon - have persistence
9. Burden of the past - adapt to the present
10. Illusion of success - continue the effort

Finishing Well

From now on I plan to post less words but post more often since I’ve learned how blogging is supposed to work :-)

This week I finished the books of Matthew and Exodus and started into the books of Mark and Leviticus for my Scripture reading:

• God chooses, fills with skill, ability and knowledge (Exodus 31)
• I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. (Psalm 32:8)
• All who are skilled are to contribute (Exodus 35) and the Lord is the one who gives skill and ability (Exodus 36)
• The most important event in all of history – Jesus died on a cross (Matthew 27) and rose from the dead! (Matthew 28)
• Make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey (Matthew 28)
• The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10)

Tuesday was a snow day for me. It started with an authorized delay due to the bad weather. My wife had a patient she needed to see so she went to work for a few hours. By the time she returned home I had decided it wouldn’t be worth going to the office. What a life!

House church Wednesday evening was at Tim Horton’s here in Xenia. We had planned to meet and then visit a brother and sister briefly for communion and prayer. Since they didn’t feel up to it, we just stayed at Tim Horton's. Our time of discussion was about the command to love one another and what that looks like. Most of the love languages came up (i.e. time, words, etc) along with "meeting a specific need" and "taking initiative to contact".

Friday evening our family finished watching the video series “Strategies for Success: Blueprint for Achievement” by Zig Ziglar. This final lesson was focused on setting goals in all areas of life and maintaining a balanced life.

My notes from reading lesson 4 in Og Mandino’s University of Success this week:

• The will to fail is disguised as purposeless activity or routine
• What are you best equipped to do?
• What is your personal contribution to the world?
• The intention to fail is filling life so full of secondary activity that there is no time left to perform your best work

Focus on Gratitude

The majority of this past week I was in Marietta Georgia at the contractor supported weapons system conference. This conference is the forum for discussing the various aspects involved in prime contractor (Boeing, Lockheed, Northrop, etc) support of Air Force systems (C-17, F-22, RQ-4, etc).

My time in Scripture this week brought the following thoughts:

• The Lord tests his people to see if they will follow his instructions (Exodus 16)
• Many are invited but few are chosen (Matthew 22:14)
• Delegation was taught to Moses by his father in law, Jethro (Exodus 18)
• The greatest command given is to love the Lord with all (Matthew 22)
• Man ruins what God puts in place (Exodus 18 and Matthew 23)
• Be prepared because you don’t know when Jesus is coming back (Matthew 25)

Additional thoughts from lesson 3 of Og Mandino’s University of Success book:

• Count your blessings, not your troubles
• Consider the less fortunate in order to regain perspective
• Take time to think about all you have, be grateful, and thank God for it
• Make a personal list of all you have to be grateful for

That’s it for this week, short and sweet!

My challenge to you is to focus on being grateful for all you have. What are you especially grateful for?