I’m noticing a disturbing trend on my Facebook timeline. It’s filled with negativity, sexually suggested dancing, fistfights, & bizarre/demonic criminal behavior. It appears people are in despair & perhaps have lost hope. Facebook and other social media outlets are the places people gather to mingle and converse. They are today’s wells….the gathering place for people to catch up on what’s happening. If Jesus were here today, he’d log on to Facebook.
Life has a way of rearranging your schedule without your permission.
If you had a chance to go back and time redo life, would you? Everyone has made poor choices or done something in their past that could possibly be labeled as regrettable. But, think about it. The fact that you are now able to look back and realize that a mistake or mis-step occurred means you have learned a valuable lesson.
Some of my choices may have landed me in unpleasant circumstances, but experiencing these things certainly built my current character. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for those character-building situations.
Mistakes are stepping stones to an evolving life.
If I had to live my life over again, here’s what I’d do:
I’d take more risks. Why?
Risk taking gives us experience which, in turn, makes us wiser.
I’m not referring to death defying risks, but more willingness to take a chance without being fearful of an unknown outcome. By staying within our self-generated comfort zones, how much are we missing?
If you had to live your life over again what would you “do over?”
Oh, today I don’t feel like doing anything. I just want to lay in my bed.
Let’s face it – some days it’s harder than others to drag ourselves out of bed & jumpstart our day. I call it winning “World War Me.” It’s the ongoing battle of the will within us to overcome that internal naysayer that says “just forget about it and stay in bed.”
What motivates you? What makes you wake up every day, rush to work irrespective of various problems, challenges, and setbacks?
It’s MOTIVTION!
Intrinsic Motivation
People are motivated either internally (Intrinsic Motivation) or externally (Extrinsic Motivation). People who are motivitated internally have internal desire which fuels their passion. For them, play is work and work is play. Ask someone who’s motivated internally “why do you do what you do,” they’ll tell you “it’s because I love what I do.”
Extrinsic Motivation
Just as some are motivated internally, some are motivated by external factors. Every four years the world watches the very best athletes compete for a gold medal while representing their respective countries. That’s why atheltes work hard and push their bodies to the limits hoping to win a World Series, NBA Champtionship, or the Super Bowl. The idea that he or she is the best in the world, and has the endorsements – and bling in the form of rings and medals to show for it – is the reward that comes at the end of a hard-won battle.
Are you looking to get (and stay) motivated? To get you on the right track, consider Lifehack’s following tips: (more…)
Quick! What do the following statements have in common?
“Spare the rod, spoil the child”
“This too shall pass”
“God helps those who help themselves”
Give up? They cannot be found anywhere in the Bible. If you don’t believe me, go ahead and find the verse that corresponds to the aforementioned statements. Trust me, you can’t.
God Helps Those Who Help Themselves…Really?
Although it sounds great, it’s not in the Bible. No matter how good it sounds, if we demonstrate some effort to improve, God will give us a little push in that direction. So we decide to make it by sheer willpower and discipline. The problem is, we run out of steam.
This year, millions will make and break resolutions because they’re trying to solve a spiritual problem through earthly means. The challenge we all face is that we want to be transformed. However, we tend to look within ourselves for the solution. The solution resides outside of ourselves. The solution is God.
Transformation is a problem that we cannot solve. That’s why God sent Jesus! Apart from him, we can do absolutely nothing! In Galatians 3:3, Paul reminds the Galatians that God has given them His Spirit and with this – combined with their faith, they can make it.
Who Does God Help?
God doesn’t help those with themselves. God helps those who abide with Him and those who walk with Him in faith (John 15:1-5). Our efforts were never the impetus for God’s transforming grace. Nor will they be the impetus for our changed hearts.
The Bible says that we are justified by faith. We don’t need willpower or self-effort as much as we need faith that God will accomplish in us and for us what we can’t do ourselves. He is the source of what we long for and need. Willpower and self-effort can only take us so far in our desire to change.
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to read David Allen’s book, Getting Things Done. Above all, his book taught how yesterday’s methods just don’t work. We now live in an information society and are constantly bombarded with new information.
In order to be more effective in 2013, we must work smarter… not harder. Allen’s premise is simple:
Our productivity is directly proportional to our ability to relax. Only when our minds are clear and all thoughts are organized can we achieve effective productivity and unleash our creative potential.
Although I read the book a few years ago, I ran across this video and it gave me a refresher on how to be more productive in 2013.
Thank you TEDx for providing this talk about “Stress-Free Productivity.”
An encouraging word has the power to move mountains, yet harsh words can just as quickly kill ideas, motivation and inspiration. In The Message Bible puts it aptly: “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or truth – you choose” (Proverbs 18:21). Encouraging your team is an integral part of being an effective leader.
You need to be conscious of your words and constantly check to see if you are giving criticism in an encouraging way. Remember that part of a leader’s mandate is to build up the people that they lead. Some people are natural encouragers. Others have to work at developing skills of encouragement. The important thing is that you are conscious of the importance of encouraging the people you lead.
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