22. January 2010 by admin.

My friend was fifty nine years old when he died. Now is the time to live. We should begin with the end in mind.

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15. January 2010 by admin.

One of my favorite movies is ‘Akeelah and the Bee.’ It’s about a young girl from inner city Los Angeles who wins a National Spelling Bee competition. Here is a great quote from the movie. Akeelah’s mentor (played by Lawrence Fishburne) tells her to read it when they first meet to train for the bee:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask outselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you NOT to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other opeople won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
 

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6. January 2010 by admin.

Every January, I think about my goals for the new year. However, I realized that before I could set any goals, I needed to first determine my values. So I looked up lists of virtues in the hopes of finding my true values to no avail. The light bulb went off for me over the weekend when I listened to a CD which stated that all human beings demonstrate their true values under pressure. That hit me right between the eyes. I can recall a number of ways I’ve behaved under pressure and, to be honest, it hasn’t always been virtuous. So should I just forget about the whole value thing? No.

I just have to set my personal bar higher.

I read that Benjamin Franklin wrote a list of 13 virtues when he was in his twenties. He kept this list in a notebook which he carried around with him. He would then work on one virtue each week for the rest of his life, tracking his failures and successes in the notebook.

Self awareness is very important. Reading about Ben Franklin’s discipline showed me that I should become more self aware. So each evening, I write a short journal entry and note what worked, what didn’t worked, and how to improve next time. I do the same thing at the end of every week, month, and year.

Coming into this new year, I identified five values which I can work on over the next several years. From these values, I can set more specific goals which relate to the value. This is so important. Stephen Covey said: “Be sure that when you’re climbing the ladder of success, your ladder is leaning against the right wall.”  So here is what my ”wall” consists of at this point in my life:

1) Wholesome speech: I speak words that align with the Word of God. I don’t disrespect myself or others through my speech.

2) Time Management: I make the most of every minute of every day. I don’t waste my time on idle activity.

3) Perseverence: I finish what I start. I keep the end goal before me at all times.

4) Self Discipline: I regulate my spending, food, and media consumption.

5) Learning: I take the time to carefully read intellectually challenging books.

These values represent areas of my life where I have flailed under pressure. Now when I set a goal, I ask myself ‘why?’ That answer should trace back to one of my values.

What are your values?

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