Rules and Boundaries

We give specific rules and boundaries because if we don't, all things are relative.

Scheduled vs. Spontaneous

People who are ambitious often come across as overbearing to those who are not. Often something scheduled feels manipulative.

If you're ambitous, and desire to bring about change, and you're working with somone who is not as ambitious as you are, you may have to be more spontaneous in your effort.

Don't think and plan for hours ahead of time and then schedule a meeting to discuss your fully organized ideas. Just sit down and discuss. Be more interested in their ideas and involvement. Brainstorm with them, don't do it all before and then lay out your grand plans and expect them to add an exclamation point!

Procrastination

Whenever we postpone our basic duties, we miss out on advanced opportunities.

Exactness

You have 3 choices to consider when striving to fulfill your plans:

1. Stick to them with exactness.
2. Make changes whenever things arise.
Or
3. Stick to them with exactness, make changes only when things arise that are strictly expedient, and trust in the Lord to cover for us after we have given it our very best.

There are times that call for exactness in punctuality and times for exactness in flexibility.

Alignment

What do you do if your body and spirit feel unaligned? Get in alignment with the strait and narrow path.

Dreams and Creations

To create the ideal outcome you must ideally perform your duties.

In other words, all the planning and thinking and dreaming and trying and hoping and desiring and worrying won't accomplish anything close to what you are dreaming of.

Perfectly perform what you have power over and watch to see the results you desire come to life!

Success...

Success is fragile. Handle with care.

Mistakes

Much better to make mistakes while doing your duty than to make the mistake of not doing your duty.

Sleep

Sleep is deceptive. Sleep is a drug. Often when we think we need more of it, we wake up feeling groggy and tired. Be aware not to be deceived and taken for a fool by sleep.

Inspiration

We shouldn't mistake a lightbulb moment to be the sunrise. Often many such moments must come before a new day begins.

Gift of Charity

We give what we ourselves want.

Whether it be service, or gifts, or kind words, etc. The secret is to receive such gifts with graciousness and "return to sender" with charity.

In other words, take notice of what others give to you - this is what they would most like to receive. Now you know the truest gift you can give to them.

Following through and giving to them the same gift, in the same spirit they gave to you...Would this not be charity, even perfect love, in deed?

True Principles

This is often what I need to say to myself when it comes to a true principle: I've thought it, I've taught it, and I've fought it, now it's time to live it.

The Secret to Success

The secret of any success is to do what you know you should do when you don't want to.

That simple rule of consistency is the most simple and the most difficult rule of success. But it is the difference maker:

Doing what you should do when you don't want to.

Visual Learning

Most people understand best when something is illustrated. In other words: we draw it out in order to draw them in.

The Grind

The grind is to find.

Do Something

When it comes to effort don't say: "give it all or nothing", but "all or something." When we are stuck in inaction, doing a small something is many times better than a big, fat nothing.

Life

Life offers us a series of ironies. The wise and happy among us compose them into a series a harmonies.

To Sow & To Reap

God gives us commandments to sow and commandments to reap. The majority of His directions are to sow. These we have 100% control over accomplishing. Commandments to reap however are impossible to accomplish on our own. In order to accomplish these we must learn to trust Him through faith, by doing our very best, then He will make up the difference.

Mastery

"Just because I realized it today, doesn't mean I'll be perfect at it today."

Realization rarely, if ever, equals immediate mastery.

The Comeback!

Jesus Christ is the chief Architect of "the comeback". This is redemption.

Goals

Make goals high enough that you cannot reach them on your own. If you only make goals you know you can reach, you'll feel no need to look heavenward for help beyond your own.

Efficiency

Your spontaneous efforts for efficiency will often cause those around you to feel put out.

Efficiency usually cuts corners, so be sure you create alternate routes. Otherwise others you value will be caught off guard with unexpected "road closed" signs.

An Idealistic Realist

I'm not a realist. I'm an idealist, sufficiently experienced in reality.

This means that I always see the glass as half full, while understanding that sometimes the glass is filled with dirty water.

Even then, a realist would complain about the color of the water and slacken his efforts while an idealistic realist would be grateful for the water, recognize the contamination, and then become engaged in effort to filter and improve the water with a vision and faith that it can, and will be through his efforts, pure again.

Organization

Organization is often made up of 90% strategic procrastination.

Persuasion

The most persuasive evidence you can ever present is what you truly believe. If you don't believe it, people will know it, and won't buy it.

People

There are 4 types of people:

Those who will listen.
And those who are rude.
Those who won't listen.
And those who will act...although they be few.

Resolve

It's not how many mistakes you've made, but how many you'll continue to make.

Words

Remember the power of your first words. The first statement you make while conversing with another, is the most impactful. Make sure you make the impact you desire.

The Best

Don't try to be the best. Just be your best. Then you'll often be the best.