Choose your words wisely

V I S I O N

Vision is the lifeblood of any organization.

It is what keeps it moving forward. It provides meaning to the day-to-day challenges and setbacks that  make up the rumble and tumble of real life.

In a down economy—particularly one that has taken most of us by surprise—things get very tactical. 

--We are just trying to survive--

---What worked yesterday does not necessarily work today.

What works today may not necessarily work tomorrow.
Decisions become pragmatic.

But after a while this wears on people. They don’t know why their efforts matter. They cannot connect their actions to a larger story. Their work becomes a matter of just going through the motions, living from weekend to weekend, paycheck to paycheck.

This is where great leadership makes all the difference. Leadership is more than influence. It is about reminding people of what it is we are trying to build—and why it matters.

It is about painting a picture of a better future.
It comes down to pointing the way and saying, “C’mon. We can do this!”

When times are tough, vision is the first causality.

Before conditions can improve, it is the first thing we must recover.

Michael Hyatt is the CEO of omas Nelson Publishers.

When you have a problem with EVERYone; everyone is NOT the problem.

John Maxwell, in his interesting book, Winning with People, shares a principle worth repeating here in Working on a Dream. 
He introduces us to a person he calls Bob.  

Bob actually has an entire chapter dedicated to him.
------The reason is because Bob has a problem with everyone.

Bob's problem is that he is a problem carrier.  Like a single chirping cricket that sits right outside your bedroom window, Bob loves to carry his problems around and use the world as his sounding board.  Sadly, Bob's troubles do not end here.

Bob is also a problem finder. 
You can find Bob criticizing people after events, because Bob never helps with them. Because of this, he reasons to himself that he is at liberty to mouth off; nitpicking what didn't work or what should have been.  Which translates into what Bob really likes; creating problems.  See Bob is a major tool.  He sits back, frozen in his fear and just watches.  Never getting into the game, he stammers on the sidelines of life all the while searching with his critical eye.

I have heard that we all carry two buckets in life. One filled with water and one filled with gasoline.  We can choose to either put out a fire with the water or douse gas on a situation and make it worse.

         -----Bob comes equipped with 5 gallons of gas in one hand and a lighter in the other.

Finally, Bob is a problem receiver.   Misery loves company; birds of a feather flock together and so on.  The bottom line is that the Bob's of the world attract other Bob's. 

Question:

Are you Bob? 

Seriously. 
Are you a problem Carrier?
A problem Finder?
A problem Creator?
or A problem Receiver?

--Take some time and reflect on your life. 
If you were to ask those closest to you, would they say that you fit the above description?  Start today and create a new pattern filled with positive memories! 

How to handle crabs.

A Story:

A crab fisherman once noticed something intriguing after a successful catch one day at sea.

As he hauled in the crabs, he divided them up in buckets almost filled to the brim. On his way back to shore, the fisherman glanced down and focused his attention on one of the buckets.

Here is what he noticed:

He watched as the crabs all tried to escape but to no avail. 

What was so intriguing to the fisherman was the fact that when one crab would reach the top of the bucket, just as it was about to get over the tipping point ... another crab would grab it and pull it back in. 

This was striking to the fisherman, so he decided to watch for a bit longer and he discovered that this was a pattern for the crabs.  

His discovery was that when one crab was about to hit freedom, it was immediately pulled back in the bucket by the other crabs.

Then, the fisherman tried something different. 

He put a single crab in a bucket and watched to see how it would react. 

In a few minutes, the crab hooked its way to the top and found its way home back to the sea.

There are several powerful lessons that the crabs can teach you and I. One is that life is filled with people that resist creative ideas. 

When you distinguish yourself from the crowd, it will ruffle the feathers of those around you. Envy is an ugly thing, so when you set out to accomplish something new, be prepared for the people around you to start grabbing at you with their claws, trying their best to keep you down with the rest of the body snatchers.  When you come in contact with other crabs, be ready for their claws that come in the form of negativity, downgrading comments, & the desire for you to stay in the "bucket" with the others.  There is a price to pay for staying in the bucket by the way: Death.

I love the fact that the Bible tells us that we are created in God's image.

Did you know that God is far more creative or imaginative than any of us could ever be?  This means that by being an image bearer, you were created to be creative!

This is why when you and I were little, all we did was imagine!  That is, until we grew up and people started pulling us back down into the bucket.

Advice: Don't let the other crabs pull you down.

It is time you crawled out of the bucket and into a sea.

Quiz:

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world. 2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.

These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten.

-------------------Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

                                 Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:



1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier? I thought so.
The Lesson:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.
One of my favorite sayings is, "People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care."

Make a difference in someone's day 

& you just might make a difference for an eternity in their heart....

*Adapted from Charles Shultz' philosophy 

The wooden bowl

A frail old man
went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson.

The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered.

The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and ailing sight made eating difficult.
Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor.

When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess.

'We must do something about father,' said the son.

'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.'

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.

There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.
Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a

wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone.

Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.
He asked the child sweetly, 'What are you making?' Just as sweetly, the boy responded,

'Oh, I am making a little bowl

--------------for you and Mama

to eat your food in when I grow up.'

"Honor your Father & your Mother" 

-Exodus 20:12

Idol Worship on 3 ... Break!