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Volume 17, # 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . January, 2002 |
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Volume 17, # 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . January, 2002 |
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Hope for the Moment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ardis Whitman"Hope for the moment. There are times when it is hard to believe in the future, when we are temporarily just not brave enough. When this happens, concentrate on the present…Sink roots into the present until the strength grows to think about tomorrow."
Greatness is Found . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Travel Industry Assoc
"Greatness is found when American character and American courage can overcome America’s challenges."
Life Long Struggle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Henry Ward Beecher
"It is not what we read, but what we remember that makes us learned. It is not what we intend, but what we do that makes us useful. It is not a few faint wishes, but a life long struggle that makes us valiant."
Personal Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Rohn,
www.jimrohn.com"You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of. You don’t have charge of the constellations, but you do have charge of whether you read, develop new skills, and take new classes."
The Aladdin Factor
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Canfield & Mark V. Hansen"Five Barriers To Asking Questions:
- Ignorance: Many of us don’t know what to ask for. Either we don’t know what is available to us because we have never been exposed to it, or we are so out of touch with ourselves that we no longer are able to perceive our real needs and wants.…We no longer know what we really want
Most of us don’t know how to ask…Many of us don’t know whom to ask and when to ask. We have not learned how to identify likely prospects who can deliver what we ask for whether it be a hug, sage advice or an order for something we are selling."
New Year’s Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Communications Briefings, Vol. XX, # 1, p. 3
"Every once in a while, get off the merry-go-round and ask yourself these four questions:
What are you doing?
What should you be doing?
What should you be doing next?
What should you not be doing?"
Teamwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anonymous
"Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishment toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. Simply stated it is less me and more we."
Pseudo-Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M. Scott Peck, A World Waiting To Be Born, p. 311
"In pseudo-community, the group members pretend that they have no issues, no differences. They avoid conflict and skirt tensions. Conformity is the order of the day. Consequently, when pseudo-communities make unanimous decisions, they usually do so by pseudo-consensus. It looks as if they had reached agreement. It appears that they have dealt with the issues when, in reality, the issues and tensions have been stuffed."
Lincoln on Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Donald T. Phillips, p. 3Abraham Lincoln "grew up in poverty and had a binding link to the common people. He was innovative at a time when the age of discoveries and inventions was just beginning. He was compassionate and caring yet, when necessary, could put his foot down firmly and be decisive beyond question. He was patient, persistent, consistent, and persuasive rather than dictatorial. But, without a doubt, the foundation of Abraham Lincoln’s leadership style was an unshakeable commitment to the rights of the individual."
Today is Unique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charles Swindoll,
The Quest for Character, p. 191
"Today is unique! It has never occurred before and it will never be repeated. At midnight it will end, quietly, suddenly, totally. Forever. But the hours between now and then are opportunities with eternal possibilities."
Measure of Greatness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lou Holtz
"Adversity is another way to measure the greatness of individuals. I never had a crisis that didn’t make me stronger."
A Dream Sparks… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Elizabeth-Anne Stewart, Living Faith, July 30, 2000
"Our imaginations are too often limited by logic. As soon as a dream sparks into our consciousness, we tend to find cogent reasons for not pursuing it—not enough time, not enough money, not enough security, God presents an opportunity, and our response, more often than not, is to see insufficiency. Instead of committing ourselves to a dream, we settle for what seems more practical. The star that beckons is too far, the mountain waiting to be climbed is too high, the hungers of the world are too many."
Powerful Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Konosuke Matsushita, founder of Panasonic
"A person who sins neither in thought nor deed, and is fair and just, gains enormous courage and strength. As a leader, you need courage born of integrity in order to be capable of powerful leadership. To achieve this courage, you must search your heart, and make sure that your conscience is clear and your behavior is beyond reproach."
Laughter is a Leap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.K. Chesterton
"It is really a natural trend to lapse into taking oneself too seriously because it’s the easiest thing to do. Solemnity and seriousness flow out of us naturally. But laughter is a leap into the light. It is easy to be heavy, hard to be light. And never forget that Satan fell by force of gravity."
What Have you To Live For? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J.M. Drescher
Psychologist William Marston asked three thousand people, "What Have You To Live For?" He was shocked to discover that 94% were simply enduring the present while they waited for the future…waited for something to happen…waited for the children to grow up and leave home…waited for next year …waited for retirement…waited for a better time…waited for someone to die…waited for tomorrow, unable to see that all anyone has is today—this day—because yesterday is gone and tomorrow exists only in hope.
Shake It Off–Stomp It Down–Step Up . . . . . . . . . . .Bill Denton, Pulpit Helps, Aug. 1992, p. 19
A parable is told of a farmer whose mule fell into an abandoned well. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to get the mule out of the well, the farmer decided it was a hopeless situation. With sadness, the farmer figured that the only humane thing to do would be to haul truckloads of dirt to bury the old mule, while filling in the dangerous well, at the same time.
He backed up the truck, and began to shovel in the dirt. The old mule, however, went berserk when the first load of dirt hit its back. That old mule started shaking off the dirt, stomping it down and stepping up a bit. Shovel full after shovel full caused the mule to shake off the dirt and firmly stomp it down. Truckload after truckload, the old mule repeated the same process. It shook off the dirt, stomped it down and stepped up a bit. Little by little, that mule was lifting itself out of the hole.
No matter how distressing the situation seemed, the old mule fought off panic when it realized that no matter how much was dumped on its back all it had to do was shake it off, stomp it down and step up. And, guess what? It wasn’t too long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, triumphantly stepped out of the well.
Have you ever noticed that there are different ways people have of dealing with the problems life dumps on them? If we respond to our problems positively, and refuse to panic, or fall further into bitterness and despair, the adversities that come along to bury us usually contain within them the potential to benefit and bless us! Rather than burying us, the adversities and criticisms can make us better, lifting us up, bit by bit.
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