Goal Setting and Challenges

The moment you set a goal, obstacles will begin to appear to stand in your way.

The bigger the goal, the bigger the obstacles.

Most people let these challenges rob them of victory.

The key here is PERSISTENCE.

Persist and you will succeed!

~Florent Flora

Brainstorming

The basic rules of brainstorming have been around since Alex Osborne coined the phrase in 1939, as part of his method for creative problem solving.

It’s amazing that many organizations attempt to engage in brainstorming without following the rules and end up killing some of the best ideas because of it.

True brainstorming should be always be a negativity-free process that encourages people to throw out their wildest ideas without fear of them being quickly shot down or ridiculed. Some of the craziest ideas could morph into something amazingly useful.

There are lots of variations of the brainstorming rules on the web, here are the ones that the Walt Disney World “Imagineers” use:

Rule 1 - There is no such thing as a bad idea. We never know how one idea (however far-fetched) might lead into another one that is exactly right.

Rule 2 - We don’t talk yet about why not. There will be plenty of time for realities later, so we don’t want them to get in the way of the good ideas now.

Rule 3 - Nothing should stifle the flow of ideas. Not buts or can’ts or other “stopping” words. We want to hear words such as “and,” “or,” and “what if?”

Rule 4 -  There is no such thing as a bad idea. (We take that one very seriously.)

As Osborne has said, it is easier to tone down a wild idea than to come up with a bright idea. 

So here’s to brainstorming and to changing the world.  Keep those wild ideas coming.

THE BOSS PLEDGES

1. Today I begin a new life by replacing my bad habits with good ones, for for I now know I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me.


2. I have begun my new life by greeting each day with love in my heart, because I am now transformed by the renewing of my mind.


3. I will persist until I Succeed at my new life's growth, for I know that if I ask often enough it will be given me, if I seek diligently, I will find, if I knock with persistence, all doors will be opened unto me.


4. I will reach my goals in life because I am God's greatest miracle and greater is Jesus Christ that is in me than the evil that is in the world.


5. Therefore, boldly I will live this day as if it were my last with the confidence that all things work together for my good because I love God and I'm called according to His purpose.


6. I will stay mindful that success requires that I must be a master of my emotions and this will be accomplished through my remembering that I am more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ who loves me.


7. Armed with my new life in Christ, the weapon of love, the force of persistence, the confidence of being God's miracle, the freedom of living each day as if it were my last and the discipline of being master of my emotions, I will laugh at the world for I now know that if I submit myself unto God and resist the devil he will flee from me.


8. No longer will I be a slave to fear, pride and doubt, but I will multiply my value one hundredfold and be a leader of men, I will stay mindful to acknowledge God and He will direct my path.


9. Acknowledging God puts my faith into action and I will act now for I know that "faith without works is dead."


10. To be a true success is a gift from God, therefore I will remember to seek His guidance, and I will trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not unto my own understanding.

I AM a Winner, I AM Succeeding!

Self Talk...

I adhere to my schedule

I exceed all my targets

I am committed

I own my job and my performance

I am accountable for all that i do

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The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and he that is sweet in words shall attain to greater things. (Proverbs 16:21)

Practice... Thoroughness... Discipline

Practice makes permanent.

Thoroughness leads to excellence.

Discipline leads to success.

-Ariel Driz

On Eagle's Wings

        The eagle perches majestically on the evergreen branches, its sharp eyes surveying the landscape.  The wind starts to blow.  Without warning, the evergreen branch shakes.  The eagle spreads its wings, launches into the air and glides silently towards the mountain in the distance.  Just when it seems the eagle would crash into the mountain cliff wall, it moves its wings ever so slightly and begins to spiral upward, catching the updraft from the wind until it has gone up beyond the ridge.

        Beyond the mountain and into the plains, the eagle glides towards the dark clouds.  Under those clouds is a thermal - a column of air that rises upwards as it gets heated by the ground.  With outstretched wings, the eagle floats on the updraft and spirals upward to higher and higher heights until it is but a speck in the sky. Finally satisfied with its altitude, the eagle heads northward, its white head and tail feathers catching the sunlight as it sails out of view.

        The eagle flew with such grace and elegance with hardly any effort at all. (Eagles can fly up to 10,000 feet with barely a flap of their wings.)

        Soaring -- Eagles soar, most birds do not. 

        I can be an eagle! 

        Instead of profusely flapping my wings like a sparrow valiantly using up my energy so as not to fall back to earth, I can simply learn to stretch out my wings, relax, let go, and rest upon His strength to take me higher to where He wants me to go.

        This eagle will never become exhausted or weak from soaring.  I can be God's little eagle, waiting on Him, spreading my wings and soaring on His wind current to take me higher and higher to new spiritual heights.

        Thousands of years ago when ornithology wasn't even in the human vocabulary and when scientists still have to discover the mechanics of wind thermals and updrafts, Isaiah already knew the answer: "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles." (Isaiah 40:31)

        Amazing, isn't it?  :-)

~florent flora

Ten Guidelines From God

Here's a very interesting piece I received in my e-mail inbox:

Effective Immediately, please be aware that there are changes YOU need to make in YOUR life. These changes need to be completed in order that I may fulfill My promises to you to grant you peace, joy and happiness in this life. I apologize for any inconvenience, but after all that I am doing, this seems very little to ask of you. Please, follow these 10 guidelines

1. QUIT WORRYING

Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit and worry. Have you forgotten that I am here to take all your burdens and carry them for you? Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little thing that comes your way?

2. PUT IT ON THE LIST

Something needs to be done or taken cared of. Put it on the list. No, not YOUR list. Put it on MY to-do-list. Let ME be the one to take care of the problem. I can't help you until you turn it over to Me. And although My to-do-list is long, I am after all... God. I can take care of anything you put into My hands. In fact, if the truth were ever really known, I take care of a lot of things for you that you never even realize.

3. TRUST ME

Once you've given your burdens to Me, quit trying to take them back. Trust in Me. Have the faith that I will take care of all your needs, your problems and your trials. Problems with the kids? Put them on My list. Problem with finances? Put it on My list. Problems with your emotional roller coaster? For My sake, put it on My list. I want to help you. All you have to do is ask.

4. LEAVE IT ALONE

Don't wake up one morning and say, "Well, I'm feeling much stronger now, I think I can handle it from here." Why do you think you are feeling stronger now? It's simple. You gave Me your burdens and I'm taking care of them. I also renew your strength and cover you in my peace. Don't you know that if I give you these problems back, you will be right back where you started? Leave them with Me and forget about them. Just let Me do my job.

5. TALK TO ME

I want you to forget a lot of things. Forget what was making you crazy. Forget the worry and the fretting because you know I'm in control. But there's one thing I pray you never forget. Please, don't forget to talk to Me - OFTEN! I love YOU! I want to hear your voice. I want you to include Me in on the things going on in your life. I want to hear you talk about your friends and family. Prayer is simply you having a conversation with Me. I want to be your dearest friend.

6. HAVE FAITH

I see a lot of things from up here that you can't see from where you are. Have faith in Me that I know what I'm doing. Trust Me; you wouldn't want the view from My eyes. I will continue to care for you, watch over you, and meet your needs. You only have to trust Me. Although I have a much bigger task than you, it seems as if you have so much trouble just doing your simple part. How hard can trust be?

7. SHARE

You were taught to share when you were only two years old. When did you forget? That rule still applies. Share with those who are less fortunate than you. Share your joy with those who need encouragement. Share your laughter with those who haven't heard any in such a long time. Share your tears with those who have forgotten how to cry. Share your faith with those who have none.

8. BE PATIENT

I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime you could have so many diverse experiences. You grow from a child to an adult, have children, change jobs many times, learn many trades, travel to so many places, meet thousands of people, and experience so much. How can you be so impatient then when it takes Me a little longer than you expect to handle something on My to-do-list? Trust in My timing, for My timing is perfect. Just because I created the entire universe in only six days, everyone thinks I should always rush, rush, rush.

9. BE KIND

Be kind to others, for I love them just as much as I love you. They may not dress like you, or talk like you, or live the same way you do, but I still love you all. Please try to get along, for My sake. I created each of you different in some way. It would be too boring if you were all identical. Please, know I love each of your differences.

10. LOVE YOURSELF

As much as I love you, how can you not love yourself? You were created by me for one reason only -- to be loved, and to love in return. I am a God of Love. Love Me. Love your neighbors. But also love yourself. It makes My heart ache when I see you so angry with yourself when things go wrong. You are very precious to me.

 

Don't ever forget......

Touch someone with your love.
Rather than focus upon the thorns of life,
smell the roses and count your blessings!   

All Things Good

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." -- Romans 8:28

Peaceful Certainty

"God wants us to live through each day with a quiet heart and a peaceful certainty that our lives are in His hands, trusting in His plans and purposes."

Instructions for Life

        I'm sure many people have received this list in one form or another already...  but here it is anyway:

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.


2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.


3. Follow the three R’s: Respect for Self, Respect for Others, and Responsibility for all your actions.


4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.


5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.


6. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.


7. Spend some time alone every day.


8. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.


9. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.


10. Live a good, honorable life, then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it second time.


11. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.


12. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.


13. Be gentle with the Earth.


14. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.


15. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.


16. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.


17. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

        These quips of wisdom are claimed to have come from the Dalai Lama, but it seems hard to believe that he is the one telling us to "approach love and cooking with reckless abandon."

        It's actually an urban legend and it is believed that the "Instructions for Life" are a shorter version of a much longer list that circulated around the Internet in 1999 as the "Nepalese Good Luck Tantra Modem."  This longer list is also believed to be a truncation of a much larger work, "Life's Little Instruction Book" by Jackson Brown and H. Jackson Brown, Jr. 

        Actually, much of the Dalai Lama's actual work can be found here.  His real quotes can also be found here.

        Alrighty then... time to approach love and cooking with reckless abandon ;-)

Scaling New Heights

"We all have our own private Mt. Everest to climb." -- I talked about this quote in my "A View from the Top" and in my "How to be creative #9" blogposts.

Here are some more things learned about teamwork (and climbing my own private Mt. Everest) during a Leader's Convention I attended last Sept. 10, 2005 at the PICC:

• "Climbing a mountain is an expedition. it is not a one-off thing that you can do alone."

• "Never climb a mountain alone."

• "Mountaineers never climb a mountain alone. They link each menber of the team with a rope, never leaving the last person behind."

• "Pace and acclimatize yourself while climbing the mountain. Don't rush."

(excerpts from various speakers)

Plant and Harvest

From another mentor, the late Connie Manuel:

"The planting season is different from the harvest season."

Just like in farming, life is much the same. You start with planting seeds first, nurturing them and taking care of them. Rains will come, storms will come, droughts will come... weather them all. When harvest time comes, celebrate and enjoy.

And then start another season of planting and harvesting.

Life

from Le Chu:

“ L I F E ”
It’s not easy
This thing called Life
With its broken dreams
And lonely nights
That don’t work out right
It would be easier
If it came with a script
Of who we were to meet
And the right things to say
And nothing but sunshine
Filling each day
Yes, it would be easier
But it wouldn’t be Life

Patience

"Never think that God's delays are God's denials. Hold on; hold fast; hold out. Patience is genius. Patient waiting is often the highest way of doing God's will."

I've Learned...

Taken from a very looooooong list... I'm writing the ones that are relevant:

I've learned...

• That life is tough, but I'm tougher. 

• That just one person saying to me, "You've made my day!" makes my day.  ("Thank you" will do nicely, too)

• That being kind is more important than being right.

• That when you're in love, it shows.  (ehe... pimples???)

• That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.

• That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

• That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.  (not a heart to hold and a hand to understand)

• That simple walks with my father around the park when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

• That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

• That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.  (but He gives us something better)

• That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

• That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.  (I should know... I have a "hard" shell, too, hehehe)

• That the Lord didn't do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?  (and He also rested after 6 days of work)

• That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

• That love, not time, heals all wounds. 

• That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss. (I'm waiting...)

• That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

• That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.  (and they really don't taste as sweet)

• That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. (Smiling is contagious, too!)

• That I can't choose how I feel, but I can choose what I do about it.

• That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.  (like climbing my Mt. Everest)

• That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.  (but not really cramming)

• That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.  (and if you're my friend, you're definitely smarter than I am)

• That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them. (ahhhh...)

• That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.  (Right! Just look at my main pic)

 

After all... that's LIFE!  :)

Jacky Chan's Success Secret

Quotes from Jacky Chan:

When I face failure, I always tell myself "I'M NOT FAILING. I JUST HAVEN'T SUCCEEDED YET."

I always want to prove that I can. I never want to face failure; I'll persevere until I make it

The key to success is learning from your mistakes.

The Double G.A.M.E. Strategy

From the "Sharpening the Saw" session, 21 August 2005

What do you need to do succeed? You need to "Double G.A.M.E."...

Guts - Have enough guts to sustain your drive to achieve your goal
Goal - Have a Goal. Write your goals down.
Action - Take action. 99% of failures result from having a goal but failing to take action.
Attitude - A positive attitude will bring you far.
Monitoring - Monitor your progress regularly and re-map out plans and strategies.
Momentum - Build momentum by taking action daily. With momentun, obstacles do not matter.
Excitement - Be excited with what you do at all times.
Expectancy - Always expect positive results.

Self talk: "I've got a goal! Grrrr!" (Repeat 3x)

Quotable Quotes:

"When you set a goal, all kinds of challenges will confront you."

However, "The whole world conspires to help people who help themselves."

Always "Have the guts... Follow through... Expect things to happen... Set your goal again."

The Pencil

Let me share with you a beautiful allegory...

The pencilmaker told the pencils FIVE important lessons:

1st, Everything you do will always leave a mark.
2nd, You can always correct the mistakes you make.
3rd, What is important is what is inside you.
4th, In life you will undergo painful sharpenings which will make you a better pencil.

And themost important lesson of all:

5th, To be the best pencil you can be, you must allow yourself to be held and guided by the Hand that hold you.

LET'S BE THE BEST PENCIL WE CAN BE!

Hardships

"Hardships are one way of proving one's strength. So, if your problem is extra big, be extra flattered bcoz that's how much the Lord believes in you!"

More on Success

Another thing learned today from mentor Titus Manuel:

"A successful person never cheats himself of every chance to become successful."