by Clarence E. Stowers | May 20, 2015 | Decisions, Encouragement, Motivation, Self-Leadership, Success
According to the Phobia List, there are OVER 2000 “CONFIRMED” fears.
Phobias are emotional and physical reactions to feared objects or situations. Symptoms of a phobia include the following: Feelings of panic, dread, horror, or terror. Recognition that the fear goes beyond normal boundaries and the actual threat of danger.
Fears are mostly learned behaviors and this process can often start in a mother’s womb. Unborn children pick up on their mother’s responses to situations. This is known as innate learning and can become naturally inborn fears.
It appears there are only TWO fears we are born with:
- The fear of LOUD NOISES – (We question how sound affects and impacts a growing baby, after all we can make judgment, see, hear and sense sound. A baby has little insight of this)
- The fear of FALLING – (Giving birth is about gravity, and often baby’s can spend a long amount of time upside down, no wonder this is classed as a fear we are born with)
Therefore, if we can learn them, we can unlearn them.
[shareable]Fears are mostly learned behaviors and this process can often start in a mother’s womb. [/shareable] (more…)
by Clarence E. Stowers | May 13, 2015 | Communication, Mars Hill Baptist Church, Motivation, Servant Leadership, Teamwork
I’ll admit, as a leader it’s quite easy to get caught up with a vision.
It’s natural because as leader’s we’re encouraged to look out for opportunities and then take the lead in making things happen. But sometimes we find ourselves alone out front and wonder what happened to the people we’re leading? Why aren’t they with us?
Do You Like To Fish?
Take a scenario of a group of people going fishing on a lake. Typical leaders get the vision, jump in the boat and are off to fish straight away. But the rest of the group may take a different approach. As the leaders look back, they find that half the people are still on the river bank.
Some are still prepping their fishing gear. Some are just starting to launch their boats. Others are on the water but are heading in the opposite direction. Some are going in circles, and still others haven’t yet even decided if they feel like fishing after all. That’s when you realize that only leading from the front doesn’t always help facilitate the transition.
We have a choice to change or remain the same.
John Maxwell in his book Winning with People admits that patience is not one his strengths. He says:
When I was younger I constantly cast vision for the people in my organization and then left them behind – not a good thing for a leader.
In the past sixteen years, Mars Hill experienced many changes. But as exciting as that vision of building was, we know now that during the process we left some people behind. There were parts of the process whereas leaders we simply dropped the ball. Here are three humbling lessons learned: (more…)
by Clarence E. Stowers | May 6, 2015 | Empowerment, Encouragement, Leadership, Self-Leadership, Success
Someone once said, “time flies when your having fun.” I’d like to suggest that time flies whether you’re having fun or not. In fact, time never stops.
It seems that everyone’s busy these days. And life shows no sign of slowing down. There are an endless number of apps, books, planners, and software all designed to help us manage our time more effectively. Since life has no intention of slowing down, are your efforts effective? Or do you sometimes feel like you’re spinning your wheels?
“Time flies whether you’re having fun or not.” -CE Stowers
[shareable cite=”CE Stowers”]Time waits for no one. It flies whether you’re having fun or not.[/shareable]
Now more than ever, we seem to have more work than time to do it. Everyone has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day. So since we can’t increase the amount of time we have, we need to learn how to control our use of it.
Here are my five favorite blog posts to help you grow in the area of time management.
Why You Can’t Seem to Manage Your Time – Brandon Cox
Time management. Of all the people I know who ever focus on this concept, only a small handful are confident that they’re doing it well.
Source: Why You Can’t Seem to Manage Your Time
Time Management System – Ron Edmondson
If you aren’t doing so already, I want to encourage you to plan your week for efficiency. Every Monday (or Sunday night if you prefer), as the first thing you do, consider the week ahead.
Source: Time Management System – Ron Edmondson
3 Essentials for Time Management – Artie Davis
As you grow as a leader, your time becomes the most valued gift you can invest in others.
Source: 3 Essentials for Time Management
Top 10 Ways Leaders Waste Time – Carey Nieuwhof
When was the last time you complained about not having enough to do and more than enough time to do it in? Exactly. Almost every leader I know struggles with finding the time to get it all done. I do too. So what helps? And what hurts?
Source: Top 10 Ways Leaders Waste Time (And 10 Time Hacks to Help You) – Carey Nieuwhof
14 Tips for Time Management – Chuck Lawless
I make no claim to an expert at time management. What I am is a seminary dean, education consultant, church consultant, and local church pastor who has been forced to learn how to budget time. Here are some time management tips that have worked for me:
Source: 14 Tips for Time Management – ThomRainer.com
[shareable cite=”CE Stowers”]Everyone has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day.[/shareable]
Heartsill Wilson said,
God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it – or use it for good, but what I do today is important, because I am exchanging a day of my life for it!
When you open your eyes tomorrow morning, remind yourself that it holds incredible possibilities. You can allow that day to slip away from you, or you can use it to make things happen. The choice is yours.
What other time management techniques have worked for you?
by Clarence E. Stowers | Apr 29, 2015 | Accountability, Decisions, Empowerment, Encouragement, Self-Leadership, Success
Here’s something you don’t hear at most conferences and seminars: Behind every opportunity are obstacles.
In 1999, I was installed as pastor of the Mars Hill Baptist Church of Chicago. However, as is so often the case, this opportunity came disguised as a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. I succeeded my father, Dr. Clarence E. Stowers, Sr. as pastor. I inherited a traditional baptist church that had plateaued.
Based on almost every metric available, I knew I had to do something fast or else our attendance would decline. The optimistic side of me was determined to turn our church around. Therefore, in 2000, I attended the Purpose Driven Church Conference and worked hard to formulate and cast a new vision for the Mars Hill Baptist Church of Chicago.
I restructured our church, hired staff, and with fresh enthusiasm, we were off to a great start. I anticipated smooth sailing ahead. What I didn’t anticipate is that everyone wants change until it affects them personally. Why? Growth is uncomfortable and requires change.
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by Clarence E. Stowers | Apr 22, 2015 | Decisions, Empowerment, Encouragement, Motivation, Self-Leadership, Success, Vision
Let’s face it – winning is fun. I know some believe that “winning isn’t everything,” but why play the game if you’re not playing to win? That’s why I love Scripture, especially The Book of Hebrews.
Hebrews 11 is about winners. It’s God’s Hall of Fame. These were ordinary people who accomplished extra ordinary achievements. They weren’t perfect. They often failed. But they all reached their goals. One of my favorite winners listed in this book of winners is Moses.
In my humble opinion, Moses was one of the greatest men in the Old Testament. He received the Ten Commandments from God, wrote the first five books of the Bible, and led the children of Israel out of captivity and slavery into the land of Egypt. Why was God able to use Moses so effectively? He understood that being yourself is one of the secrets to living an effective life.
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