Here’s a fact: Those who are comfortable with the status quo do not grow!
This is because remaining in a comfort zone encourages people to do the BARE MINIMUM. Thus, their only goal is to keep things the same way they’ve always been. To become successful (according to your predetermined standards of success) you must be willing to push yourself outside your safety zone over and over again. In other words, you must plan to escape from the “Prison of Comfort.”
Realize that your comfort zone is holding you back – then step outside of it!
Pushing your limits is like stretching your body. You will know it’s working when you start to feel uncomfortable. When you feel that twinge, be assured that you are inching your way closer to your ultimate goal. Let this be the year you decide to break free from the “Prison of Comfort.” I know you may be afraid, but, I’m encouraging you to be bold and courageous. I once heard someone say, “Courage is not the absence of fear; It’s moving ahead in spite of your fears.”
What would you do if you knew for sure that you would not fail?
My late father, Dr. Clarence E. Stowers Sr., would always tell me, “Son, find a story and tell it well.” I didn’t quite understand then, but I do today! To steal one of the ancient slogans in advertising, “your brand is the truth about you, well told.” This year many resolved to make lasting changes and become the best version of themselves. I call it Version 2.0 – The me God wants me to be. In order to upgrade to Version 2.0, I encourage you to spend time pondering the following questions:
People all over the country are choosing to move their money out of bigger banks and into smaller, community-oriented financial institutions that generally avoided the reckless investments and schemes that helped cause the financial crisis.
Fueled by the personal initiatives of thousands, it’s a grassroots effort that has the potential to shift power in the financial system away from Wall Street and to Our Street. Keith Olbermann of MSNBC got behind the Move Your Money campaign on his show. He believes: “It’s time to make those Too Big To Fail banks just a little bit smaller by moving your money to a local credit union or community bank.”
Stephanie Frost decided that she had been mistreated at her big bank for too long and enough is enough — she’s switching to a small financial institution. She filmed herself going to close her account and posted the video to YouTube:
Dr. Reynaldo Anderson, my fraternity brother posed this question on Facebook: What would happen if churches got behind this movement? As I pondered that question, I estimate church goers give BILLIONS to their churches each year.
Additionally, I’m sure most of it is deposited into bailed-out banks – the same banks that refuse to lend to our members & their small businesses. Imagine what would happen if Protestants, Catholics (net worth estimated @ $1 trillion or more), & all other religions were to band together and MOVE OUR MONEY! I guarantee they’ll call us in for a congressional hearing.
The week between Christmas and the New Year has been officially declared as the most “unproductive” times of the year. While surfing the web, I ran across Michael Hyatt’s excellent blog, which inspired me to think long and hard about what I want to accomplish in 2010.
In order to make my resolutions stick, I decided to employ Michael Hyatt’s four strategies found here. Therefore, let it be resolved:
That I will read through the entire Bible by December 31, 2010 using YouVersion’s Chronological plan as my guide (started Day 1 yesterday).
That I will lose fifteen pounds (current weight: 217) by exercising a minimum of 3 days per week with a minimum of 20 minutes of cardio during each exercise session. I will accomplish this by July 30, 2010
That I will continue to resist the lure, draw, and undeniable seductiveness of late night unhealthy snacks like candy, soda, cookies, & other fattening foods and replace them with fruit.
That I will finish the first draft of my new book by June 30, 2010.
That I will write at least three posts per week on my personal blog, where I share my thoughts/ideas on leadership from an urban perspective and some general life musings.
So let it be noted. So let it be done. And please give me a swift kick in the rear end if you see me getting off track.
What are your goals & have you gone public with them?
I love reading books, and like many of you, I read a lot of books in the last 10 years. Half of the decade I spent in graduate school (finishing up my Doctor of Ministry degree) so there were a lot of books to be read and I just really enjoy reading anyways. I read about 500 books this last decade and there were a lot of great ones….some good ones….and some not so good ones. But there were definitely some books that stood out and really changed my life.
There are many books that I consider to have greatly been a part of spiritually transforming my life. When I chose my books there were some basic criteria that I considered:
I didn’t list the bible, because I’m hoping you assume that that is the book that has spiritually transformed me the most.
They were memorable (some books are just forgettable, and these were not)
They didn’t have to be written this decade
They are ones that I recommend to everyone
They are leading works in their field
They are ones that I have read multiple times, or are back on the reading rotation to read again
They needed to have fundamentally shifted some area of my thinking–paradigm shifting influence
They transformed me spiritually (my theology, my ministry, my prayer life, my leadership, my preaching, my counseling, my pastoring, my understanding of humanity, my relationship with God, etc.)
Additionally, since I have so many recommendations, I’ve decided to break them down into the following categories: Church Growth, Theology, Christian Living, Leadership, Self-Improvement, Business, Sociology, and African-American Studies. I will devote blog space to cover each category in subsequent posts.
Fraternity is commonly defined by Webster as the state of being Brothers, a brotherly relationship within a student organization formed chiefly to promote friendship and welfare among the members.
The opening of the school year, 1905-1906, found at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, a group of students distributed in the various colleges of the University, who were desirous of maintaining more intimate contacts with one another than their classroom study permitted. They often met in groups during the Autumn of 1905 and talked of the possibilities of closer contacts among themselves. Different ones among them took the lead in calling these meetings, which were informal in ever detail.
After several meetings, on December 4, 1906 those in attendance decided to become a fraternity and Alpha Phi Alpha was born. It came as an evolution through trial and struggle. It was not spontaneous, but gradual in its growth. Alpha Phi Alpha has not always been the great fraternity that it is today. Its founders, however, were always great men with keen vision, undaunted courage, indomitable fortitude, and unparalleled tenacity.
There were seven men who founded Alpha Phi Alpha in 1906. Each of these men were destined to play a highly significant role in the formative years of our great fraternity. The members of Alpha Phi Alpha have decreed that the Founders be designated as JEWELS of the Fraternity. The Founders (Jewels) of Alpha Phi Alpha are as follows:
The original seven who remained steadfast to the idea of a Greek-letter Fraternity, during the months of uncertainty, did not waiver in their effforts to bring about the realization of their vision. Therefore, I salute all the men who’ve crossed the burning sands and proudly call themselves “Alphas.” Happy Birthday dear brothers & always remember:
Manly deeds, scholarship, & love for all mankind…
Onward & Upward – ’06
Brother Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.
Jackson State University
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Delta Phi Chapter – Spring 1987
“The Naughty 9”
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Best regards,
Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.
