A recent study from University of Scranton's Journal of Clinical Psychology revealed that 92% of Americans who make New Year's resolutions are unsuccessful at achieving them. Further, those reporting having "infrequent success" was 49%, while 24% say they fail every year. Wow! I thought those numbers would be high, but not that high. Are you in the boat of those who participate in the resolution ritual year after year and then fail to live up to the annual goals that you set? Well apparently according to that study you're not alone. The real issue is not about will power. You don't need any more will power to keep your resolutions. Instead you need a personal revolution - encompassing your mind, body, and spirit - to help you reach your peak potential where God created you to thrive. I created this inspiring video a few years ago, but the message is still very relevant today. Enjoy! Also read my previous blog, Instead of Making Resolutions, Dream, which advocates dreaming as a more productive alternative to resolutions.
In what ways are you dismissing New Year's resolutions in favor of a personal revolutions? Leave your comments below... "For a dream comes through a multitude of business..." ~ Ecclesiastes 5:3 Are you frustrated with of your lack of financial fruitfulness? Are you tired of your job that doesn't value your purpose and talents? Are you ready to be break the mental and financial shackles off your life so you can get to your financial promise land? One big reason for this is because you have not yet learned how to turn your ideas into income. Inc. My Dream! is the career transition program you need to maximize your financial potential and change your lifestyle. This self-study business planning system provides Biblical insights, practical instructions, and inspirational energy to help you get your business dream out of your head and into business. Your business system planning kit includes:
The dynamic audio and written materials jam packed in this kit will provide at least these three major benefits:
The online release date for this kit is next Monday, December 17, so for only one week we are offering this incredible collection of invaluable resources at a pre-release 50% discount! This will be a great Christmas gift for yourself or someone you know who needs a spiritual and professional boost. Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, died today. Among all the things that have been and could be said about him, it's easy to see that he was a pioneer.
Now you many never do something as grand as walking on the moon, but that doesn't mean the steps you are taking should be any less significant. You have a legacy to build and lives to impact. You have a mark to leave on history. If you believe it's possible, you have an opportunity to do something that has never been done before. You too can be a pioneer in your circle of influence. What steps are you taking toward your destiny that will create greater opportunities for those who follow you? What are you pioneering that will create a path for someone else's destiny? The pace of life and business seems to be steadily increasing. With this increased pace, making positive decisions becomes more challenging, because there is less time to process critical information needed to make those decisions. Fortunately, God foresaw this, creating within our bodies an intricate rapid response system that we utilize to make quick decisions on the fly.
Our bodies are equipped with a mechanism called adrenal glands, which control our “fight or flight” reactions when we encounter threatening situations. Most times these decisions are made in fractions of a second. In his book, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Malcolm Gladwell provides an interesting perspective on our ability and propensity to make split second decisions. His premise is that we constantly make instantaneous decisions based on a two second first impression of a situation. He explains that this ability to make quick decisions works to our advantage in some situations, and to our disadvantage in others. While our adrenal glands are quite effective in helping us determine instantaneously whether to fight or flee, they are not quite as useful when it comes to situations when we are given a space of time to make a decision. The negative impact of this is that people have a tendency to make more “flight” decisions when immediacy is not required. It seems that the more time that people have to ponder their situations, the more time they spend focusing on the downside risks rather than the upside potential. The reality is that running a business or simply living life is all about effectively managing risks. An essential part of managing risks is taking them when necessary. However, if you are unwilling to take any risks, your business or your life will not flourish like it could. There is one main culprit that can be blamed for people’s aversion to risk and assertive decision making. FEAR. Fear paralyzes people and constrains their decision making process considerably. Fear can even keep people from taking low impact risks. Whether it be fear of failure, fear of success, fear of other people’s opinions, or fear of the unknown, this is a powerful emotion that can sap the courage out of the strongest people. Regardless, fear can be conquered no matter how intimidating a situation may be. People who achieve great things in life and business have learned how to conquer their fears. You must learn how to do the same if you are going to have significant accomplishments. Here are some practical steps that you can engage during those situations when you are tempted to give in to your fears. Continually practicing these steps will also help you to make better decisions in shorter amounts of time. Focus on your vision:
Evaluate the obstacle(s):
Attack the enemy that’s “in-a-me”:
Respond to the challenge:
Pursue your dreams with persistence, patience, perseverance, and passion. Face your fears confidently and assertively. Don’t let anyone or anything, especially fear, stop you from accomplishing all that God has prepared for you. Bishop T.D. Jakes preaches about the power of one thought or one idea away to take your life to the next level. Powerful stuff! I wrote this post a few years ago on my Passion in Action blog. So in honor of Valentine's Day I decided to dust it off and repost it here. Enjoy! One of my favorite sports in high school was flirting. Yes, you read correctly - flirting. I say this, because it was all a big game that everybody played. Fortunately, it was fun, mostly harmless, puppy love child's play. While that kind of behavior was ok back then, once I got older I realized it was time to put away childish things. What was innocent flirting in high school took on a whole different tone and meaning once I became an adult. Flirting now had greater expectations and consequences attached to it. I had to be much more careful and flirt "at my own risk." How does this relate to your dreams? Some people are content to only flirt with their dreams because they are unwilling to make the physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual investments that are necessary to pursue and accomplish big dreams. What does flirting with a dream look like?
Does any of this sound familiar to you as it relates to flirt-only, surface-level relationships? How about as it relates to pursuing and accomplishing one's dreams? This type of behavior is similar to relationships when people flirt with one another for long periods of time without eventually making a commitment, because they are unwilling to devote themselves to a meaningful, significant, and accountable partnership. Some of the reasons why people do this in relationships are the same as why they do it with their dreams:
This well-known quote by Alfred Lord Tennyson applies to relationships and dreams. "Perpetual Flirters" don't realize they will never be able to experience the joy and depth of love if they never take a risk of being with someone that could cause them a depth of pain. Likewise, you will never be able to experience the depth of joy and fulfillment from accomplishing your dreams if you never embrace the risk of experiencing deep disappointment and discouragement that may happen if you don't accomplish your dreams. Stop flirting with your dreams! Take the plunge. Jump in head over heels. Pursue it with all your heart and don't hold anything back. Commit to staying the course, especially when it gets hard - because it inevitably will. It will be well worth the risk no matter what happens! Most of the world knows by now that Whitney Houston passed away on Saturday. The outpouring of sympathy and sentiments has been what is expected for who may have been the greatest singer of all time. She was given a wonderful tribute last night at the Grammys. And in countless news stories, interviews, and programs people are expressing shock, dismay, sadness, and a multitude if other feelings. This is an extremely sad story of a wonderful talent who met with a tragic end to her life. However, the question has to be asked: Why do people seem to respond differently when a superstar dies unexpectedly than when a "regular" person dies unexpectedly? One reason I believe this mindset exists is because secretly in the hearts of "regular" people lives the same distorted perspective that lives in the heart of many superstars. It's the human tendency - and for many a conscious choice - to chase the dream vs. The Dream Giver (God). I can't say this is what happened to Whitney Houston, but this is what happens to a lot of people in our society. Actually this mindset is nothing new. It was actually addressed by God in Deuteronomy 8 when He admonished the nation of Israel before they entered their promise land. He told them that life was about to get really good. And when it did, they had better not forget the One who made it happen, or else it would cause them to lose everything. Why is it so important that you don't pursue your dream at the exclusion of the Dream Giver? When seasons of attention, fame, and stardom pass, and it seems like your dream is now fading from memory instead of flowing into your future, what will you have to hold on to? Whether you are in front of big crowds or not, when the Dream Giver is your focus, you will have the foundation, inspiration, and direction for the next adventure of your life. Transitions don't have to be tragic, they can be triumphant. In today's cult of celebrity, as exhibited by the Grammys and other award shows, people are worshipped for their talent and exploits as much as if not more than God. When that happens, celebrities are ascribed glory that should only be given to God. In Hebrew the word "glory" originally means "weight" or "heaviness." Humans were not created to carry the weight of God's glory, only to reflect it. When the weight and pressure of carrying the glory of man-made fame, i.e. having to keep pleasing people or shocking them so you stay relevant in their minds and wallets year after year, people eventually crack under the pressure. They end up doing things they felt was necessary to temporarily or permanently escape the pressure of their lives. No matter how we have idolized them, superstars - like all of us - are frail human beings who eventually will break down if enough pressure is applied. The list is staggering of those who "died too soon" over the last couple of years (or even the last 40 years) under tragic circumstances that involved drugs and/or alcohol:
James 1:17 tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of Lights. He loves to bless His children with amazing talent that blesses the world. What He doesn't love is when His children worship the talent - their own or someone else's - more than they worship Him. So let me ask you, are you chasing the dream or the Dream Giver? |
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