3 Opportunities of a Lifetime

Never pass up an opportunity to FEEL, LIVE, or LOVE life.

 

Life is an amazing adventure with many ups & downs and highs & lows.  I try to enjoy every moment of life because you never know where it will take you.  We have heard many times, “Life is short.”  No matter how short or long life may be, don’t miss The 3 Opportunities Of A Lifetime.

1. Feel Life

 

We were created to feel our way through life.  We shouldn’t try to justify any negative actions of our own because I’m a big proponent of personal accountability.  However, we are human.  And humans make mistakes.  We are expected to take risk and fail.  God knew when he created us that we wouldn’t get it right all the time.  It’s part of life.  We feel our way through life.  To feel life is to make a connection with life.  No matter what happens we are connected and in tune with life.  Read Tune Up to Get In Tune (click link) to discover the most important part of tuning up your life.

Every victory and defeat is an opportunity of a lifetime.  It’s another opportunity to grow, plant a seed, develop your mind, or to help someone else.  I am big on enjoying the moment.  If you know anything about me, you know I love “people watching.”  I like to soak up any information that could possibly teach and inspire my life’s journey.  So I can sit in one spot for hours and watch the various relationships between associates, friends, work colleagues, siblings, children, spouses, etc.  It’s part of experiencing life and learning from any stimuli.  Don’t get so caught up in your Daily To Do’s or Weekly Obligations that you forget to experience life.  Win, lose, or draw; just remember, we were created to make connections to the things we see, hear, and feel.  So stop and look around.  You have beautiful things within your reach.  It may be your children.  It may be the beauty of God’s nature.  Whatever it may be, stop and connect.  Feel Life.

2. Live Life

 

Experiencing life is great, but I think we must take it a step further and Live Life.  Most of us love people who are the “life of the party.”  We love being around them because we see them having fun and always enjoying the moment.  We all know someone like this.  Why do we like being around these people?  Several reasons, but primarily because theses people don’t sit back and watch the show.  Not only do they feel life, but they get involved and leave a long lasting impression.  These people are able to bring extraordinary energy to any situation.

They don’t care about how many people are at an event.  It could be 10,000 people or just 10 people.  They don’t worry about walking into less desirable situations.  Their primary objectives are to show up, get settle in, and make the best out of whatever situation it may be.  These people are always present and accounted for where there are successful events.

3. Love Life

 

Lastly, you must discover a love for life.  To love life means to have a profound passion for it.  When you love life you don’t wake up with any negative thoughts about your day.  You know everyday is a privilege and that living is much better than dying.

People who love life find that Monday’s are just as great as Friday’s.  It may sound crazy, but if you love life that means you love everything about life whether it be good or bad.  Love the people in your space.  Try to work your problems out, but love your problems.  Love your accomplishments.  Love the small and large victories.  Love your defeats.  Love your friends and your enemies.  Love Life.

 

I will end like I started, “Never pass up an opportunity to FEEL, LIVE, or LOVE life.”

Are you making the most of your opportunities of a lifetime? (Please help someone else by sharing your thoughts / comments below.)

Bryant

MTN Universal

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The Start – Stop Effect

Don’t start anything you aren’t willing to finish.

 

The Start - Stop Effect is a simple principle.  In life nothing can stop you from achieving your goals and dreams, but you.  So the Start - Stop Effect describes just that, which is no one can stop your plans in life but you.  If you started it, you have the power to keep it going or stop it.

Think about how many times you decided to stop a dream, goal, or an aspiration because we thought it was going to be too hard, too tough, or too difficult.  There are so many experts and people giving advice in our world.

Some people will tell you how foolish you are for chasing your goals and dreams, but do they really understand you and your plans.  More importantly, do they know the God you serve makes the impossible POSSIBLE!

The Start - Stop Effect can apply to anything within any circle of your personal, spiritual, and professional life.  Only you hold the key to starting that special thing and finishing it.

Would you like to be a better spouse?  Would you like for your spouse to be better?  Would you like to be a better parent?  Would you like to be a better sibling?  Would you like to be a better child?  How would you like to be a better employee?  Would you like to make more money?  Would you like to own your own business?  Would you like to go back to school?  Would you like to be more faithful in a church?  Would you like to be closer to God?  Would you like to develop a better relationship with your friends?  Would you like to be married?  Would you like a home or a better home?  What do you want out of life?

If you know what you want out of life, WHAT’S STOPPING YOU?

What’s Stopping You?

 

Many times we say what we want out of life, but sometimes we find ourselves coming up short.  Why?  I believe this happens for two reasons.

Reason #1 - We Never Start

The first reason for us coming up short with our goals and dreams is we never start due to FEAR.  I’m not sure what type of fear stops us, but there are many types of fears.  It could be a fear of greater responsibility, fear of unpredictability, fear of failing, etc.  These fears may have different intensities, but they are real fears that stop you from starting.

Reason #2 - We Stop Early

The second reason is because we stop too early.  We all have done this at some point in our life.  We count ourselves out only to find out that we were the best people for the job.

Regardless of the your reason, the commonality between these previously mentioned reasons is they don’t even give you a fighting chance to be successful with either irrational thought or action.  What would it hurt to try?  Why wouldn’t you try?  How will you feel later when you end up having regrets because you never started or stopped too early?

Stop making excuses and start coming up with creative ways of making your goals and dreams happen.

What’s stopping you? (Please help someone else by sharing your thoughts / comments below.)

 

Bryant

MTN Universal

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What’s Your Daily Five?

Remind yourself everyday of those things in which you are grateful.

 

I believe it is so important to start everyday with the right attitude.

What are your first thoughts when you wake up?  What are your first actions in the morning?  Are you a talkative person?  Or do you need to warm up before you speak to people?

You are starting your day a specific way whether you think about how you are starting your day or not.  Today’s blog is to help with starting your day the right way.

My family does something called “What’s Your Daily Five?”  My wife and I have 3 precious boys, but we understand that we have a grave responsibility to nurture these young men into men.  We have several ways of doing this, but one is what’s you daily five?

What’s Your Daily Five? Defined

 

What’s your daily five is a question we ask each other every morning.  The response should be 5 things that make you grateful.

There are many reasons to be grateful.  So we have no reason why we should start our days with any negativity.  We should be clear-headed and full of positive energy first thing in the morning.  And if we start to get low on positive energy throughout the day, reflect back on your daily five to refuel you.

I am fascinated about how many things in life are all about attitude.  About 99.99% of the situations in our lives are all determined by the way we think and behave.

Discover your daily five.  It can be a new five everyday, but know you have something to be grateful about and continue to refer to those things throughout your day.

What’s My Daily Five?

 

I am grateful for so many things, but I will share with you my daily five this morning:

1. Divine Inspiration (God, Jesus, Holy Spirit)

2. Faith

3. My Family (wife and three boys)

4. Health

5. Any and every relationship I have experienced

What’s Your Daily Five? (Please help someone else by sharing your thoughts / comments below.)

 

Bryant

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3 Things You Can Learn From Your Mistakes

Mistakes are the greatest teachers in life.

 

The best lessons learned in life are from the bad decisions we make.  No one likes making mistakes, but mistakes can be the greatest teacher in life.  I want to share 3 reasons why mistakes are the greatest teachers in life.

1. Don’t Press The Issue

 

Usually those who press the issue are the ones who make mistakes.  Why?  Those who press the issue usually try to hard.  We tend to rush things when we try to hard, which causes us to act out of character.  Some decisions require a quick resolve, but not all decisions.

Experience and time will share with you learning opportunities when you press the issue.  Survey you decision-making and see how many great decisions you make when you make quick decisions.  You will learn the percentage of success with your quick decisions.

2. Discover Your Boundaries

 

Your mistakes will teach you your limits.  I am not telling you to accept your limitations.  But once you discover your limitations, you will discover what areas you need to work on to spread your boundaries.

Anyone that has done anything great understands we all have limitations.  Instead of being defined by limitations rather grow from your limitations.  The greatest CEO’s and organizations discover their limitations and set up great teams around them to help push pass their limitations.  You may not own a business, but you can do something to offset your personal limitations.  Surround yourself with people that help you push pass your limitations.

3. Delight In The Present

 

Our mistakes will teach us to live in the present.  We will stop focusing on the past or looking to the future because we will start making the best out the present.  You have heard many people using should’ve, would’ve, and could’ve.  Get pass your past and enjoy the present of today.  Live in the moment and appreciate life.

 

Turn your mistakes into opportunities to learn and grow.  What is it that you want to do?  What goals do you have?  Whatever it is, just remember that our mistakes are our greatest teachers.  Live and learn from your mistakes.

 

What can you start learning from your mistakes? (Please help someone else by sharing your thoughts / comments below.)

Bryant

MTN Universal

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How to Speak Life Into Your Dream

We have the power to make our dreams come to life.

 

We all have somewhat fallen in love with the various smart devices in our world.  Most of these devices use something call Speech Recognition.  We all are familiar with this computer science/electrical engineering on our phones.  However, speech recognition is also present in cars, medical documentation, high-performance fighter aircrafts, helicopters, training air traffic controllers, etc.  Speech recognition is nothing new because it has been around since the start of its research back in the 60’s, but it has improved and become more popular since the 90’s.

What can we learn from the improvements with speech recognition?

Just as we speak to our electronic devices and expect a specific result; the same is the case for our dreams.

We must speak to our dreams, but we need to do more than just speak to our dreams.  We must speak life into our dreams.  So, where do we start?

1. Start Speaking

 

If you aren’t speaking to your dreams, you shouldn’t expect any results.  I know it sounds crazy, but who else will speak to your dream if you don’t.  The only person that can give life to your dream is you.  So start speaking.

2. Speak Life, Not Death

 

Okay.  So you have started speaking to your dream, but what do you say?

There isn’t a magical word like “Abracadabra” that will work.  You must speak encouraging, but relevant words to your dream.  What does that mean?

Yes, you want to speak positive, but relevant information when it comes to your dream.  All the information you speak concerning your dream should be positive or encouraging, but that doesn’t mean all the information will necessarily make you feel happy on the inside.  It will take some constructive criticism with some objectivity to measure your progress with your dream.  It will be hard to hear what you aren’t doing right and what you don’t need to do, but keep in mind the final goal is to give your dream life.

It should go without saying that speaking any negativity will kill your dream.  The quickest way to stop your dream before it even starts is speaking death to your dream. Speaking death to your dream includes words or phrases such as “I Can’t,” “There’s No Point,” or “There’s No Use.”

3. Consistently Speak Life

 

It’s great to speak positive things, but you will need to speak life to your dream more than once to give your dream life.

How consistent should you speak to your dreams?

Your consistency with your dream will depend on where you are with giving life to your dream.  If your dream is brand new, then you will need to speak several times a day to remind you of what needs to be done to make it a reality.  If your dream is close to being a reality, you may not have to speak as often.  But remember, no one will speak life into your dream if you aren’t doing it.

 

What is your dream?  What words are you using to speak life into your dream? (Please help someone else by sharing your thoughts / comments below.)

 

Bryant

MTN Universal

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3 Reasons Why You Should Slow Down and Enjoy Life

Good things take time; GREAT things take longer!

 

Let’s face it; we are living in a dog-eat-dog world.  Many people are speeding through life jockeying for position trying to reach the next level of achievement.  People are trying to get to work, taking children to school, paying bills, going to school, building businesses, and trying to get to the next level in life.

Two words of advice - SLOW DOWN!

SLOW DOWN!

 

We all are guilty of rushing through life at some point.  Everyone wants to be first.  Everyday, we see people jockeying for position.   Next time you step foot in your car, watch how many people will get in front of you whether they are going faster than you or not.   In many organizations, people are stepping on others to get noticed or impress their employer.   If you are a business owner, your everyday challenge is to keep your business as a relevant organization in your market.  Even if you are just grabbing a bite to eat at a fast food restaurant, people and fast food organizations are doing anything to shorten the customer wait time.  Politics, making A’s in school, finding our favorite church seat, keeping a count of wrongs/rights in a marriage, or even competing/battling with your children are all ways of jockeying for position throughout the day.  And there are plenty other ways.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with doing your best and trying to lead in various areas of our lives.  However, we must do it the right way.  The wrong way is to hurt others as we are leading.  Don’t forget that we were placed on this earth to help and serve others.

So stop rushing through life and enjoy life.  Let me share with you 3 Reasons Why You Should Slow Down and Enjoy Life.

3 Reasons Why You Should Slow Down and Enjoy Life

 

1. Yesterday Is Gone

Don’t worry about the past.  It’s hard to enjoy the here and now if you are caught up in your past mistakes and / or achievements.  Whatever happened yesterday, just know that it is old news.  All we can do now from the past is learn from it.  Whether the past was good or bad, know your present can be better if you focus on it.  So slow down and enjoy life.

2. Tomorrow Is Not Promised

The past is gone, but the future is not here yet.  Why worry about something that hasn’t happened?  The future will take care of itself if you are truly living in the here and now.

3. Today Is Waiting

You may have aspirations of being further along with your schooling, current job position, career, marriage, financial situation, etc.  Just remember what I said to start our blog: “Good things take time; GREAT things take longer.”

Although life seems like a sprint because of the chaotic nature of our days; it’s a marathon.  From our time deadlines to the many responsibilities we face; it can seem like a sprint sometimes.  If we start sprinting during life’s marathon, eventually we are tire out and fall behind in the overall race.

I say all that to say this, PACE YOURSELF!  Sometimes it takes a little longer for great things to happen.  Focus on the concerns of today and everything else will take care of itself.  Should you have goals?  YES!  However today’s blog is to help you accomplish your daily goals to get things done in the present, so you can live an AMAZING future.  So be patient and enjoy life because your time is coming.  Wherever you are in life; slow down, live with grace, and enjoy life.

  

How can you slow down and enjoy life? (Please help someone else by sharing your thoughts / comments below.)

 

Bryant

MTN Universal

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CHANGE: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Look to the future, live in the present, and learn from the past!

 

I overheard a senior citizen woman excited about buying a new music album.  She went to one of the mass merchant retailers in the US.  When she arrived to the store and young salesgirl assisted her in finding her music album.  Here is how the conversation went…

Salesgirl: How can I help you?

Senior Citizen Woman: I am looking for your records.

Salesgirl: For records, you can go to our customer service department.  They will be able to help you.

Senior Citizen Woman: No, I am looking for your tapes.

Salesgirl: Tape is located in our hardware department.

Senior Citizen Woman: All right, let’s play charades.  (Along with her words, she starts using her hands) I am looking for a round thing you put in your radio, which then plays music.

Salesgirl: OK.  You’re looking for a CD!

Senior Citizen Woman: Yes.

She ended her conversation I overheard with the phrase, “How times have changed.”

First I thought the conversation was quite funny.  Then it made me think about our blog topic, CHANGE: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

The Good

 

There have been so many advancements in every aspect of our world.  Our cellphones are smarter.  The Internet is faster.  We are now able to do things that we thought never would have been possible years ago.  New cures have been discovered for what we thought were incurable diseases.  Many good things have happened to positively change our world.

The Bad

 

The Good Old Days!  We have heard this cliché used many times.  But were the Good Old Days as good as we thought they were?

Regardless of whether you thought the good old days were better or not, there is something missing from the Good Old Days.  I’m not one to focus on the past, but I do believe the past holds priceless information that can add value to our future.

We are living in an age that prefers fast-food over cooking, texting over talking, cyber-dating over meeting the individual in person, and phone conferences over meeting face to face to make business deals.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with anything I mentioned above, except maybe cyber-dating.  I met my wife the old-fashion way and I would have it no other way.  I saw her beauty up close and in person.

In my practice as a physical therapist, I have seen some interesting things.  I was working with a teenager a few years ago and asked the teenager to perform an exercise with clockwise and counter-clockwise movements.  The teenager stared at me with a look of bewilderment and said “Huh?”

In addition, I have seen some young people use texting abbreviations in official school essays.  Also, some school systems have discontinued teaching cursive writing.

The Ugly

 

There is a lot of ugliness in our world, which I describe a few things in A Beautiful Heart (click link) under the Shaped Heart tab.  I don’t know if it is having more access to more remote areas in our world, but it seems as if criminal activity is at an all-time high.

Whatever it may be, we need to embrace positive change by realizing that our world is made up of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.  I’m not talking about looks, but I’m talking about negative influences when I speak of the bad and the ugly.  At some point, we need to look to the future, live in the present, and learn from the past to make these days we are living in like the Good Old Days!

 

What changes have you noticed in world? (Please help someone else by sharing your thoughts / comments below.)

 

Bryant

MTN Universal

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34 Inspirational Quotes

Words can be powerful and life-changing.

 

Be careful of the words you give permission to enter your life.  We will become whatever we allow to infiltrate our minds.

Today’s blog will consist of 34 wise quotes from those who came before us that will help us shape a successful future.  These quotes aren't ranked or in any specific order.

 

Quote #1

“For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  - John 3:16

Quote #2

“Actions speak louder than words.”  - Abraham Lincoln

Quote #3

“Do not be like the cat who wanted a fish but was afraid to get his paws wet.”  - William Shakespeare

 

Quote #4

“Before healing others, heal yourself.”  - Gambian Proverb

Quote #5

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”  - Proverbs 3:5,6

Quote #6

“Kindness is more persuasive than force.”  - Aesop

Quote #7

“Every adversity carries with it the seed of equal or greater benefit.”  - Napolean Hill

Quote #8

“It is better to give than to receive.”  - Jesus

Quote #9

“Having two ears and one tongue, we should listen twice as much as we speak.”  - Turkish Proverb

Quote #10

“Out of adversity comes opportunity.”  - Ben Franklin

Quote #11

“A clear conscience is more valuable than wealth.”  - Tagalog Proverb

Quote #12

“Eat to live, not live to eat.”  - Socrates

Quote #13

“A house divided cannot stand.”  - Matthew 12:25

Quote #14

“From the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks.”  - Jesus Christ

Quote #15

“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”  - Asian Proverb

Quote #16

“A soft answer turneth away wrath.”  - Proverbs 15:1

Quote #17

“If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow.”  - Chinese Proverb

Quote #18

“Charity begins at home.”  - Tobias George Smollet

Quote #19

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”  - Ghandi

Quote #20

“When the heart is at ease, the body is healthy.”  - Chinese Proverb

Quote #21

“Knowledge is power.”  - Francis Bacon

Quote #22

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but rising every time we fall.”  - Nelson Mandela

Quote #23

“Know thyself.”  - Ancient Greek Proverb

Quote #24

“Our handicaps exist only in our minds.”  - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Quote #25

“If you fail to practice your art, it will soon disappear.”  - German Proverb

Quote #26

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and he’ll eat forever.”  - Chinese Proverb

Quote #27

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”  - Lao Tzu

Quote #28

“Where there’s life, there’s hope.”  - Theocritus

Quote #29

“Don’t pretend to be something you aren’t.”  - Aesop

Quote #30

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”  - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Quote #31

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up.”  - Thomas Edison

Quote #32

“A clever person turns great problems into little ones and little ones into none at all.”  - Chinese Proverb

Quotes #33

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”  - Nelson Mandela

Quote #34

“Home is where the heart is.”  - J.J. McCloskey

  

Do you have an inspirational quote that would help someone else?  If so, please share your quote(s). (Please help someone else by sharing your thoughts / comments below.)

Bryant

MTN Universal

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5 Tips To Keep Your Morale High

Confidence is everything!!!

 

Sometimes the difference between failure and success is confidence.  You must find a way to keep your confidence high.  One of the keys to living a successful life is having good morale.

Have you worked with a company or employee with poor morale?  Have you been to a church where there was poor morale?  I certainly hope your home has great morale, but there are some home situations with poor morale.

During difficult times it can be really easy to let your morale drop to an unhealthy level.  We all have times when we are demotivated or when we feel low in confidence.  So how can you keep your morale high?

I hope today’s blog will help you find a way to keep your morale high in all other areas of your life.  Here are 5 Tips to Keep Your Morale High.

1. Seek Out A Greater Source Of Inspiration

 

You probably already know where I am going with this point, but I will say it anyway.

PLEASE!  PLEASE!  PLEASE!  PLEASE!

Consult with someone greater than yourself.  For me, it will always be God first.  But after speaking with the Creator of all things, He helps me search out other people, books, etc. to help give me the inspiration I need to accomplish my short-term and long-term goals.  It makes no sense to go to someone who cannot give you more knowledge about whatever area you are lacking knowledge.   There are many people who make this mistake.

Seek out a greater source of inspiration.

2. View Challenging Times As An Opportunity

 

The beautiful thing about life is having a choice.  We make many choices in a day.

From when we first open our eyes in the morning to us closing our eyes at night, we face many choices.  Individually, we have to live with every choice we make.

There are some challenges that are greater than others.  However, regardless of the challenge, we have a choice.  We can choose to view our challenging times as an OPPORTUNITY or a threat.  Your choice will determine your response to your challenge.

Viewing your challenging times as an opportunity will allow you to focus on the positive versus the negative.  It gives you permission to be better versus thinking of how bad you are.

View your challenging times as an opportunity.

3. Focus On Living Life

 

How many times have you heard people criticizing the position of our world?  How many times have we heard discussions of what others aren’t doing right?

I believe sometimes we have the wrong focus.  Rather than focus on everyone else, instead focus on living your own life.  Your focus should be on what you can contribute to our world.  Your perspective should consist of ways you can gain better results with your life.

Focus on making your life better.  Focus on making your family better.  Focus on being a better employer.  Focus on being a better church member.  Focus on being a better parent.  Focus on being a better sibling.  Focus on being a better human being.

Focus on LIVING LIFE!

4. Don’t Lose Sight of Your Goals

 

It is very easy to lose sight of the long-term when you are so preoccupied with the short-term.  You cannot afford to neglect your short-term responsibilities, but you cannot forget about your long-term goals.

One of the reasons why you do what you do everyday is because of your long-term goals.  When facing your short-term challenges put a list or some form of reminder of your long-term goals in front of you to keep your morale high.  It will continue to remind you of the reasons why you are working so hard.

So face all the challenges you have to face, but don’t lose sight of your goals.

5. Balance Your Life

 

The three most important things in life are 1) God, 2) Health, and 3) Relationships.

We discussed seeking out God earlier, so let’s talk about health.  With good health, you will not be able to do anything you plan on doing in the future.

In my line of work as a physical therapist, I have seen many people take for granted their health.  Eventually that attitude led to further degeneration of something that could have been improved.

What about the relationships in your life?  Are they healthy?

One of my mottos in life is “LIFE IS ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS!”

Everything else should take a back seat to the balance you need in your life with your God, your health, and your relationships.

Balance your life.

At the end of the day, you want your morale to be high.  The higher your morale at the end of the day; the higher it will be at the start of the next.  Use the 5 tips to keep your morale high and watch your life progressively move in the right direction, which is forward despite the challenging times you may face.

 

What are thoughts about morale?  Are there any other ways of keeping your morale high? (Please help someone else by sharing your thoughts / comments below.)

 

Bryant

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Do Nice People Finish Last?

Effective leaders are nice people.

 

We have heard phrases such as…

“Nice guys finish last.”

“If you are not first, you are last.”

“Last in, first out”

“First out, last in”

Let’s admit it, no one wants to finish last.  But, do nice people finish last?

What Defines Nice?

 

There are many ways to define the word “nice.”  If I asked a hundred people to define what a nice person looks like, I could receive a hundred different answers.  Nice is basically a pleasant, delightful, or agreeable person.

Why Do Nice People Finish Last?

 

Many times, it seems as if good people finish last because the nice person will usually attempt to do the right thing.  Doing the right thing can sometimes be mistaken for weakness.

For example, the pleasant, delightful, or agreeable person will act with integrity, sympathy, compassion, warmth, kindness, and a cooperative spirit.  You would think these traits would be a positive, but in some instances it can be viewed as a negative.  There are some who believe a good leader is a tough and more disagreeable person.  Nothing could be further from the truth if a person has that perspective.

Why Nice People Finish First?

 

I believe the traits and qualities mentioned above makes for an exceptional leader.  The greatest example of a leader is Jesus Christ.  He had all those characteristics mentioned above and more.  Matter fact, Jesus was looking for nice men when he was in search for his disciples.  Jesus wasn’t searching for “perfect” men, but he was searching for nice men.  Sometimes we feel the need to be perfect.  Be nice and leave being perfect to Jesus.

What if Jesus was only in search for perfect men when selecting his disciples?  We wouldn’t have any disciples to read about, if that were the case.  On the other hand, could you imagine Jesus selecting men that weren’t nice?  Men with unpleasant, disagreeable, deceitful, apathetic, unkind, and uncooperative spirits.  If the disciples portrayed these characteristics, what could these men teach us?  And, would we listen?

So, Jesus selected nice men, not perfect men.  Jesus selected nice men with a heart to serve and help others in their time of need.  Jesus selected men who were willing to listen and behave honorably in spite of harsh mistreatment.  Jesus selected nice men.

My question to you is, “Are you nice?”

As for me, if you consider nice being last.  I accept being last because I know who is first.

I leave you with the words of the greatest leader of all-time…

“And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”  ~ Jesus (Matthew 23:12)

 

What are your thoughts? (Please help someone else by sharing your thoughts / comments below.)

 

Bryant

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Optimize Your Life With An Optimistic October

Life is all about living with an open mind.

 

Give Your Life Clarity

 

Morning commutes are challenging with the presence of heavy fog.  The fog makes it hard to make decisions due to the decreased visibility.  Likewise, it can be challenging to live life when you are surrounded with cloudiness.  Cloudiness from financial uncertainties, relationship problems, employment conflicts, parenting strains, health issues, etc.  What if we could bring clarity to some of these situations in our life?

We need clarity!  Clarity comes from optimism and optimism comes from God.  We discussed several ways to bring clarity to your life in the Getting out of Your Fog and into the F.O.G. (click link) blog.

What is Optimism?

 

Optimism is having the ability to “Open Your Mind.”  Just as it is difficult to clarity during life’s tough times, it can be a challenge to have optimism when there is a string of unfortunate events happening in your life.  However, the great thing about being a human is having the power to CHANGE!

There’s no better time to trust in our Creator, God.  God gave his only son to die for the sins of the world.  If that isn’t optimism, what is?

Sometimes we give up too early.  We quit before giving God a chance.  God desires to improve our lives.  God doesn’t need any of our help, but he does want to use our lives to bring glory to Him and His Son.  You don’t have to believe me or anyone else, but believe your Father in heaven.  He will not forsake you.  He wants to bless you.  But he wants you to have optimism.

Open Your Mind

 

Wait no longer!  “OPEN YOUR MIND and BELIEVE!”

Do you know that many blessings you are missing out on when you choose to close your mind?  I learned in my life, not to run from the blessings of God.  His blessings and promises are far better than anything else that I can receive in this life.

Optimism is just another word for belief.  So, BELIEVE!

-Believe in God’s endless capabilities,

-Believe in His creating power,

-Believe in His plans to prosper your life,

-Believe in His AMAZING love,

-Believe that He wants the very BEST for your life,

-Believe He will see you through,

-Believe He cares for you.

OPEN YOUR MIND and BELIEVE that ALL things are possible!!!

 

What are some things you can accomplish with an open mind? (Please help someone else by sharing your thoughts / comments below.)

 

Bryant

MTN Universal

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Life's Illusion

Don’t believe the illusions of life because the reality is nothing can hold you back.

 

Don’t Be Fooled

 

There are some people and things in our world that would have you focus more on the negative rather than the positive with phrases and words such as:

-Life’s hard,

-Why try?,

-There’s no hope,

-It’s impossible, and

-I can’t.

Sometimes it isn’t what people may say, but at times it’s the lack of support of those who you thought were with you.  It may be a family member, friend, co-worker, employer, employee, church member, or organization.  For whatever reason, these people aren’t supporting you.  It could be many reasons, but it is quite possible they aren’t supporting you because they are unhappy about where they are in life.  It could be that someone has doubted or spoke death to their goals and dreams.

No matter where the influence comes from, don’t believe any lies attempting to convince you of being worthless or being unable to turn your dreams into reality.

It’s all an ILLUSION!

The Truth

 

We all have dreams.  Dreams have been around since God created man.  One of the greatest dreamers to live was Joseph, Jacob’s son.  Joseph would dream it and it would happen.

When you dream does it happen?

If your dreams aren’t becoming a reality, it’s possible you believe the illusions in your life.  Instead of trusting in life’s illusions, trust in the truth.

The truth is GOD!  The truth is, “I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.” ~ Philippians 4:13

So, what dreams do you have?

Don’t be fooled by life’s illusions and trust in the truth!

 

What illusions are attempting to still your dreams reality? (Please help someone else by sharing your thoughts / comments below.)

 

Bryant

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All Things Beautiful

There is beauty in all things.

 

We will wrap up our BEAUTIFUL week with, All Things Beautiful.  In our last two blogs, You Are Beautiful (click link) and A Beautiful Heart (click link), we discussed the beauty in people.

Without doubt, you don’t have to look far to discover the beauty in a Friday.  However, in today’s blog, let’s look at some things that may be harder to categorize as beautiful, which I call weird beauties.

Nature’s Weird Beauty

 

There are many natural beauties that we see everyday, but what about nature’s weird beauties.  Weird beauties such as tornadoes, thunderstorms, earthquakes, tsunamis, lightening, snowstorms, sandstorms, floods, hailstorms, ice storms, tropical storms, hurricanes, etc.  Many people are quite fearful of these storms, but have you thought about the beauty of each storm.

If these storms can produce that much power and force, just think about the power and might that our God possesses.  For this reason, we should trust and believe in His amazing power even more.  God is the source of these weird beauties.

The Beauty in Chaos

 

Did you know that chaos possesses a weird beauty?

No one wants to live a life of chaos.  Matter fact, no one wants chaos in their life.  However, whether we want chaos in our life or not, it will find its way in our lives.

The weird beauty about chaos is that it teaches us great lessons, which causes us to be more responsible, accountable, proactive, prepared, observant, diligent, decisive, and content.  There is a weird beauty in the midst of unwanted chaos.

The Source of All Beauty

 

All beauty comes from God!

Everything has beauty in it because God created this entire world.  During the creation of our world, God created all things and called all things GOOD!

Of course, some things we have disrupted as humans, but I still believe we serve an awesome God.  With that said, it really doesn’t matter what you or I think, God is who he says he is.  GOD is GOOD!  God is BEAUTIFUL!  GOD is…

People, situations, jobs, weather, and many other things may change; but God never changes.  For this reason, He sent His Son.  And our Savior “is the same yesterday, today, and forever more.” ~ Hebrews 13:8

TRUST THE SOURCE OF ALL BEAUTY!

 

What weird beauties are in your life?  In addition, can you see God as the source of your beauty? (Please help someone else by sharing your thoughts / comments below.)

 

Bryant

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A Beautiful Heart

Beauty is deeper than physical appearance, it comes from the heart.

 

A beautiful heart may seem hard to find, but everyone has one.

Before you disagree or stop reading this blog, please allow me to explain myself.  In our last blog You Are Beautiful (click link), we discussed everyone possessing an inner beauty.

After posting that blog, I received a couple of email responses that were BEAUTIFUL.  First, I have to say that I’ve been encouraged and inspired by this wonderful blog community.  It started small, but has grown tremendously because of YOU!  Most of the people in our community have never met, but YOU have been a great source of support and encouragement to many others and me.  Thank you for showing your Beautiful Heart.

One question that came up was, “What about those who may not be so beautiful on the inside?”

I am a firm believer that everyone started out with a good heart and can discover the inner beauty we spoke about in our last blog.

Shaped Hearts

 

God created us all and I am a firm believer that God does not create junk.  So, everyone starts off with a pure heart.  However, the experiences of this life shape our hearts.  I wish every experience in our world was a positive experience, but we live in the real world.  In this real world, some hearts have been positively shaped and others have been poorly shaped.

For example, it is hard to believe that a man would think that it is okay to verbally or physically abuse a woman.  I believe women are the queens and princesses of our world.  It doesn’t matter your ethnic or cultural background, women and young women should be treated with the utmost respect.  My father taught me to never degrade a woman with abuse of any kind and to help other women who may be in troubled situations.  My father and mother taught me to, “dwell with women according to knowledge, giving honor and respect to the woman as the weaker vessel; as delicate partners together live the gracious gift of life.” ~ 1 Peter 3:7

We need to get back to graceful living.

Also, it is hard for me to believe that abuse of any kind to a child is okay.  This is not to say that spanking a child is wrong, but there has to be control, discipline, and positive intention if you choose to use this method of disciplining.  Over the last 10-20 years, we have seen more stories in the news of children killed by their own parents, molested by family members, or kidnapped by God know who.  Come on world, we can do better than that.  God likens children to the kingdom of God in Matthew 18:3, Matthew 19:14, Mark 10:15, Luke 18:16, and many other scriptures.

There Is Still Time, If You Are Alive

 

No matter who you are, you have a beauty in your heart that you need to let out.  Our experiences cause us to hide that beauty, in order to protect ourselves from past hurt.  From the criminal-to the consistent church goer.  From the poorest-to the richest person on Earth.  From the harsh, abusive husband-to the woman receiving the abuse.  From the bully at school-to the child being bullied.  We all are special and needed.

God created YOU!

Remember, God does not create junk.  So, what influenced your pure heart?  Stop hiding behind fear, anger, bitterness, sadness, loneliness, etc.  Live with the love God created you with.  It will be a struggle, but your heart is worth fighting for.  Don’t give in to negative shaping.  Fight it!  As children it can be hard to make choices for ourselves, but as adults we can choose to positively shape others and ourselves.  We all have a part to play.

Not only are those who have been poorly shaped responsible, but those who have discovered their positive shaping are responsible as well.  STAND UP AND SPEAK OUT WITH LOVE, not hate.  More hate will perpetuate poor shaping.

It can be hard to find the positive in the midst of the negative, which is why sometimes it is easy to believe that every heart does not possess beauty.  You may not see it or believe it, but everyone has a beautiful heart within them.  At the end of the day, it comes down to everyone accepting personal responsibility for his or her own actions and everyone holding each other accountable.  We don’t have to beat people over the head with a Bible, but please LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE because someone’s heart depends on it!

 

How has your beautiful heart been shaped? (Please help someone else by sharing your thoughts / comments below.)

 

Bryant

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You Are Beautiful

We were created to live in the beauty of God.

 

I love a variety of music.  One ageless classic I love to hear is “You Are So Beautiful.”  Bruce Fisher and Billy Preston wrote this soaring ballad.  Billy Preston first recorded this hit, but without question Joe Cocker made it popular by embracing the incredible, subtle grace of the song in the mid-‘70s.  Since then, we have heard countless renditions.  This ageless song has inspired movies, TV shows, and commercials all alike.  Today’s blog has been touched by the inspirational ingenuity of Bruce Fisher and Billy Preston.

Discover Your Beauty

 

I believe we all possess an amazing inner and outer beauty.  No one person was created alike.  In fact, God created each cell in our body vastly different.  This is why each of us carries a unique DNA.  Your DNA is your stamp of beauty.  There is no one like you on this Earth.  I am not familiar with all the research behind cloning, but even each of those cells will have a different personality.  This is one of the reasons why we are weird.

I’m quite sure, you haven’t heard weird and beautiful in the same sentence.  However, weird is defined by anything unnatural or supernatural.  In Psalm 139, the psalmist speaks of us being “fearfully and wonderfully made.”  God designed us with a weird beauty.  Luke 12:7 say, “The very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Beauty is hard to miss.  You experience this beauty every morning when you look in the mirror.  Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.

Underestimating Your Beauty

 

Why do people underestimate their beauty?  Do you feel beautiful?

You will be surprise how many people think they are ugly.  Many feel less than worthy of the title of beautiful.  In most cases, we have heard so many compliments with bad motives that it is hard to accept a compliment.  Even something simple as, You Are Beautiful.

Even if we have heard that we are beautiful with good intentions, we question whether we are or not because of the social acceptance of how beauty is defined.  One of the first thoughts that come to mind when we think of beauty is a person with great physical fitness, symmetrical facial features, slim waist, perfect hair, gorgeous skin color, etc.  In other words, many times we associate beauty with physical attractiveness.  I have nothing against anyone that has these physical attributes.  In fact, I work out to keep my mind and body in balance.

However, if only physical attributes defined beauty then most people in the world would fail to meet the requirements of being beautiful, if not all.  Even those who have many of the physical attributes previously mentioned still feel inadequate with feeling beautiful.

Why?  Simply, because beauty and feeling beautiful is only skin deep.  It is all right to have physical beauty, but having a beautiful character is more important than physical appearance.

So with good intentions, I say to you, You Are Beautiful.

From the single young lady with perfect fitness working out 3-4 times a day-to the mother with several kids attempting just to keep up with her kids everyday.  From the young man with muscles in places you never thought possible-to the obese man struggling with his eating habits.  I see the beauty within you.

You Are Beautiful.

Whether someone tells you or not, I hope you know it.

Why You Are Beautiful?

 

You may not believe me right now, but the fact still remains you are beautiful.  Clothes, makeup, hair, nails, or weight doesn’t make you beautiful.   In short, beauty has nothing to do with the external, but has everything to do with the inner.

You are beautiful because you are unique gift from God sent to our Earth.

Validate You Beauty

 

If you tell yourself that you are not beautiful, eventually you believe yourself.  Wake up every morning looking yourself in the eyes in the mirror and tell yourself YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!

 

What are some ways that you can embrace you beauty? (Please help someone else by sharing your thoughts / comments below.)

 

Bryant

MTN Universal

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Stand Tall

Life is not about how many times you fall, but how many times you can get up and stand tall.

 

I have seen my fair share of failures.  Moreover, I predict future failures in my life.  Of course, I have plans, goals, optimism, determination, drive, passion, persistence, etc.  But, who knows what the future holds?

We Fall Down

 

It’s hard to be sure of anything in life, other than life’s unpredictable nature.  However, the one thing we can be sure of in this life is failure.

Failure doesn’t make you a bad person.  It shouldn’t make you feel lesser of a person.  Failure is what it is, a learning experience.  You’ll be surprise how many people experienced many failures before getting even a little taste success.

No matter how you look at it, at some point we all will fall.

Get Back Up

 

You will fall, but it’s your choice whether you will get back up or not.  Before you can even think about standing tall, you just need to get back up.

Life isn’t about how many times you fall, but how many times you get back up.  If you fall 50 times, just make sure you get up 51 times.  It may not be an easy decision to make, but you have to make up in your mind to get back up.  No one else can make this decision for you.

The one difference between those who are successful and unsuccessful is getting back up.  The successful people in our world aren’t afraid to get back up.  Getting back up means you’re not afraid to give yourself a second chance.

Stand Tall

 

You have found the strength to get back up, now it’s time to stand tall.  Standing tall is discovering confidence within to take greater risk and accept various opportunities to progress your life.  If you want to set yourself apart from 80-90% of people, then you have to discover the ability to stand tall.

Standing tall means smiling when it is more convenient to frown.  It is being patient and waiting when you really are pushed for time.  Standing tall is taking a risk to Go The Extra Mile (click link).

 

What lessons have you learned from your failures? (Please help someone else by sharing your thoughts / comments below.)

 

Bryant

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5 Things You Need To Live A Purposeful Life

A purposeful life is a meaningful life.

 

One of the greatest responsibilities of being a parent is teaching our children how to live a relevant life.  No parent in their rightful mind wants their children to live a life without purpose.  On the contrary, we want our children to live better than ourselves.  We want them to understand their purpose and how they can positively contribute to this world.

My wife and I have 5 things we share with our beautiful boys to help them find their life’s purpose.  They may not know their purpose at such a young age, but these 5 things will assist them later in life with discovering their purpose.  Before you start thinking this blog is just for children; know that there have been many research studies revealing that a significant amount of adults are still in search for their purpose in life.

Nothing is more important than living a purposeful life.  So, I would like to share 5 Things You Need To Live A Purposeful Life.

1. Closed Mouth

 

One of the reasons we are unable to live a purposeful life is because sometimes we are too busy talking.  A closed mouth will allow for better performance of the other 4 things you will need to live a purposeful life.

2. Open Mind

 

An open mind is needed to conquer the impossible.  If we want to live a purposeful life, we must open our minds.  Why?  An open mind is a sign of a person who is willing to learn.  Whenever we feel we are done learning, that is the day when we have stopped living a purposeful life.  There are many lessons to learn, but it can only happen with an open mind.  Every day you should be learning something new.

3. Focused Eyes

 

Your eyes will need to be focused to live a purposeful life.  Focused eyes represent the vision you will need to bring organization and structure to your life.  One of the biggest things we all need these days is vision to see through the cloudiness of our world.

4. Listening Ears

 

It is great to have an open mind, but we must also have listening ears if we are going to properly retrieve the information that will assist us in living a purposeful life.  Many times we hear things, but are we actively listening?

There are several reasons why we should be actively listening.  Not only should we be actively listening to be positively inspired, but active listening will share with you negative experiences you should avoid.  Without listening ears, we may find ourselves repeating unfavorable situations that will compromise our living a purposeful life.

5. Obedient Heart

 

God will reveal His heart, but what will your heart do?  Your mouth has been closed, your mind has been open, eyes are intensely focused, and ears are attentively listening; now let your heart comply to the revelations you have experienced from the previous 4 things you need to live a purposeful life.  Whatever you do, don’t resist or fight God’s plans for your life.  He wants the very best for you!

 

What things have helped you with living a purposeful life?  (Please share your thoughts by leaving your comments below.)

 

Bryant

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Waiting On Your Season

Patience and perseverance are needed to live a successful life.

 

I love all four seasons because each season brings something different and unique.  This is one of the many reasons I love living in Tennessee.

We have enjoyed a fairly mild summer this year, but are now anticipating the transition from summer to fall.   Regardless of whether you enjoy fall or not, you have to admit the beauty it brings from its beautiful hues to many times ideal weather.

There’s usually a distinct smell of dead burning leaves in the crisp air with the hint of maple tree pumpkins.  You can feel the excitement surrounding the campfires while people are roasting wieners and eating s’mores.  It’s a great time to drink your favorite cup of cider, coffee, or hot chocolate while observing God’s beauty.

Here recently, have you seen large cobweb formations in the trees in your area?

Every year during this time of the season, I am fascinated by these unique webbing structures in the trees.  So, I did a little research and it led me to today’s blog of Waiting On Your Season.  This unsightly webbing phenomenon has a unique meaning.  Many people have said that it means we are going to have a cold winter, but it is actually what several different insects do to hibernate until spring.  These insects make cocoons full of leaves for nutrition and it helps with their growth and development until it is time for them to naturally thrive.

These cocoons are anything but pretty; however, there is a significant purpose to this phenomenon.  The seasons of your life may not always be pretty or smooth, but it is important for preparation for future seasons of blessings and prosperity.

What Season Are You Currently Experiencing?

 

Our spiritual, personal, and professional lives aren’t much different from the changing of the seasons.  One similarity between changing of the seasons and the seasons of our lives is every season is different and unique in its own rite.  So, don’t bother comparing your life’s seasons to anyone else’s.  Matter of fact; don’t find yourself stuck in the past seasons of life because you may find yourself devaluing your present season of life.

Every season of your life is important, but do you know what season of life you are experiencing?

There are many contributing factors that will determine what season you are in and what seasons you are getting ready to experience.  Those things consuming your life during a certain time period defines your season of life.  You may not enjoy all your seasons of life, but remember that every season has its own unique purpose.

Your season may involve a significant other, your spouse, your children, being more active with your church, your job, a new business, a financial crisis, unemployment, health complications, schooling, etc.  Whatever your season, know God has prepared you for this season.

Making The Best Of Your Season

 

I believe God created us to enjoy the present.  All of our seasons will not be pleasant, but try to find “the silver lining” during all your seasons.

Earlier this year, I underwent a surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon.  The surgery was only a couple hours or less, but the season of recovery lasted much longer.  Instead of filling my mind with doubt, hopelessness, bitterness, impatience, or self-pity; I took that recovery time to deepen my focus and perspective with God.  It wasn’t always easy during this recovery period, but no one else was going to do it for me.

I don’t know what season you are currently experiencing, but I strongly encourage you to make the best of it.  It will be up to you to make the best of your season.  There will be naysayers and doubters, but don’t listen to any negativity.  Your optimism and positive energy during every season, whether good of bad, will prepare you for future blessings of prosperity.

When I speak of prosperity, I’m talking about moving forward in life.  One of your biggest goals in life should be to consistently move forward.  As long as you are moving forward, you will discover new opportunities of growth and development for your spiritual, personal, and professional life.

No matter what you do, Wait On Your Season!  Your season is coming...

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. ~ John Quincy Adams

 

If you had to share a few positive words of encouragement to someone going through a tough season, what would they be?  (Please share your thoughts by leaving your comments below.)

 

Bryant

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What's On Your Don't List?

Life is full of DO’s and DON’Ts; but there is an advantage to some DON’Ts.

 

Whether you physically write out a To Do List or not, we all have one.  But, What’s On Your DON’T List?  There’s no specific order with the list below, but here is a list of DON’TS that will benefit your life.

DON’T List

1. DON’T give up too early.

2. DON’T ever think life is all about you.

3. DON’T settle for less than your best.

4. DON’T think negative before considering the positive.

5. DON’T take without giving.

6. DON’T forsake love to hate.

7. DON’T forget those people and things that matter most.

8. DON’T text and drive; it will change your life forever, it can wait.

9. DON’T take for granted your family.

10. DON’T make excuses.

11. DON’T fear, be weird.

12. DON’T procrastinate.

 

What’s on your DON’T List? (Please share your thoughts by leaving your comments below.)

 

Bryant

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Does It Really Matter?

Where we place our focus is where we will spend most of our time.

 

Focus and perspective is everything in life.  In previous blogs such as F.O.C.U.S. (click link) and Give Your Life P.O.P. (click link), we discussed how to purposefully bring success into your life.

If you are anything like me, there are times when my focus and perspective needs restoring.  I’m constantly trying to discover better ways of being a server of my Creator, son, brother, husband, father, friend, and worker.  In our world, it is easy to come short of managing all these responsibilities.  In today’s blog, I want to discuss how manage the many daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly responsibilities you may have personally and professionally.

Asking The Right Question

 

When it comes to making your life successful, there are many appropriate and fitting questions you may ask yourself.  However, there is one question with high priority.

DOES IT REALLY MATTER?

Why is this one question so important?  Reflect back on how many times you have experienced defeat in an area of your life.  Once you look back, you will find most of your defeats stemmed from improper focus or perspective.

You need to ask yourself this question because you need good perspective and you need to set your priorities straight.  It is important to set priorities.  This is why setting priorities is part of just about every goal writing philosophy.  You may find yourself majoring on things of low priority if you are not intentionally differentiating between things of high and low priority in your life.

You will bring more focus and perspective to your life if you will only ask this one simple question, DOES IT REALLY MATTER?

Setting Our Priorities Straight

 

When you ask yourself DOES IT REALLY MATTER, you will discover that so many things we commit to DON’T REALLY MATTER!

We all have think, prioritize, and focus differently.  However, there are general ideas and thoughts that should matter to all of us such as God, family, and your health.  You may add a few more items to your high priority list, but for the most part our high priority list will be short.

Once you have made your short list of high priority items, then decide if your decision will negatively or positively affect each high priority item.  With this information, find a way to dedicate the majority of your time and efforts to improving those high priority items.

I’m not telling you to ignore everything else in your life.  However, if you don’t focus on high priority items, you may find it meaningless to even tackle the low priority items.  Focus on the high priority items will bring a sense of peace, satisfaction, success, and fulfillment that nothing else in this life will be able to give you.

In addition to your focus on the high priority items, you will discover yourself paying closer attention and improving with the low priority items.

Next time you have a decision or commitment to make, please ask the simple question of DOES IT REALLY MATTER?

I leave you with a quote from Stephen Covey,

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”

Please share one or two items on your high priority list. (Please share your thoughts by leaving your comments below.)

 

Bryant

MTN Universal

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