We've been looking at intellectual growth this week during my series, Confident in God's Hands. Today, I'd like to address the importance of perfecting the skills we have learned.
Don't waste your time on education.
We often get excited about learning something new, so we sign up for a class. For the first days or weeks, we are highly motivated, and we try our best to understand all that is new. This is because learning a new skill gives us a rush, as would a new relationship, a new adventure, or a new addiction.
Then, the newness wears off, and our interest begins to fade. We discover that it's hard to learn, and many of us give up shortly after our high-energy beginnings. We quickly come to regret the time and money we've expended on our dream. When we quickly give up, we've wasted our our time on education.
Dedicate yourself to success.
Learning requires discpline, perseverance, and the ability to keep our eyes focused on the end goal. If we want to learn to play the piano, for example, we must start by imagining ourselves successfully playing. Then, we have to sign up for lessons and practice, practice, practice.
I began taking piano lessons when I was four years old. It was my mother's idea, so my motivation to practice was not very strong. For a number of years, I took lessons, but I rarely touched the keys when my teacher wasn't around. Others told me that my goal should be to memorize a piece to play in a recital. I really preferred playing outside to practicing. Their dream was not mine.
And then something changed. I discovered a type of music known as boogie-woogie, and my level of interest shot upward. There was something about the syncopated rhythms and bouncy melodies that motivated me to get it right. I began practicing without worrying about how much time I spent at he keyboard. Suddenly, I had a dream. I wanted to play this music for others, so that they could feel the joy that I did through the tunes.
After a number of years, I discovered that I was spending all of my free time at the piano. At one point, I was playing four hours a day. I began signing up for competitions and easily won a number of prizes and medals. When we devote that much time to any one pursuit, it stands to reason that we'll improve.
Find a mentor to achieve a break-through.
Eventually, we'll hit a plateau in our learning. We'll reach a point where further growth can only come with new input. For me, it meant finding a professor at a local university who taught me how to play jazz improvization.
The early years of studying boring piano theory, practicing scales, and pulling out my hair over the classics finally paid off. I had the basic knowledge to understand how to write and play my own music. Suddenly, I achieved a break-through. I found myself jamming with a group of jazz musicians, shifting with ease from one chord progression to the next.
I was no longer anxious about the curve of my fingers on the keys, the phrasing, or hitting a wrong note in a well-recognized tune. Jazz improv was freeing, and I felt as if my soul, the music, and the other musicians were all one being. Nothing boosts our confidence like achieving more than we have dreamed was possible.
God wants us to dream and take action.
When God puts a dream in our hearts, he wants us to focus on it and see it through his eyes. Philippians 4:8 (NIV) reminds us, Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
When we imagine outcomes that are excellent, we've taken the first step in achieving our dreams. But our dreams must be accompanied by actions if we want to achieve success and build confidence.
While I could imagine myself playing in a recital, I was never going to see it become a reality unless I applied myself to learning how to play the piano. It took teachers, lessons, grueling hours of practice, listening to music, reaching out to other musicians, and the ability to think outside the box to truly excel.
James 1:12 (NIV) tells about the importance of sticking with something to the very end: Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. James was talking about persevering in holding fast to our faith so that we can find our way to heaven, even when others try to tell us that we're wrong, crazy, or stupid.
But James' words can also be applied to any dream that God puts in our hearts. We must believe in our dreams, believe in the God who placed them in our souls, and believe in our ability to succeed. Adding sustained action to our dreams will inevitably help us to achieve what we want. And increased confidence inevitably follows on the heels of success.
Today's Challenge
Do you have a dream that you've never fulfilled? Did you give up when your interest waned or when the road became too difficult for you? Perhaps you gave up, because you realized the dream was not a part of God's plan for you. It's okay to let go when you've understood that you went the wrong way. Look back over your life and try to see where you have succeeded because you persevered. Can you apply that same persistence to learn something difficult and fulfill your God-driven dreams?
Showing posts with label perseverance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label perseverance. Show all posts
Friday, July 22, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Start Now and Just Do It!
Jack Canfield's Success Principle #63
We have only two days left in our lessons from Jack Canfield's book, The Success Principles. Beginning January 31, we will begin a new series on forgiveness.
Don't let your fears hold you back.
So many survivors of abuse and trauma let their fears hold them back, and they never even try to achieve their dreams. Oliver Wendell Holmes, former U.S. Supreme Court justice, wrote:
Many people die with their music still in them. Why is this so? Too often, it is because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it, time runs out.
If we allow the fear that our abusers instilled in us or memories of traumatic events to hold us back, we may die without ever getting the chance to bless the world with our God-given gifts.
At this point, I have four books that are nearly complete. For a number of years, I have been editing them so that they will be ready for publication. The truth is, I've been over-working them, because I'm afraid to send them out there. I hate the rejection letters, and it's safer to just keep working on them than to admit that I'm afraid.
The problem with this habit is that I'm preventing my readers from receiving the blessings that God wants them to have through my writing. I've learned so much about thriving after life kicks us in the teeth; and by sitting on my work, I'm preventing someone else from achieving their dreams.
Satan uses fear to keep us from sharing the love of Christ with others. What fears are holding you back?
Take the first step.
An ancient Chinese proverb says,
A journey of 1,000 miles must begin with one step.
I didn't learn how to write overnight. It began with taking the first step of choosing a creative writing class in high school. To date, I have published hundreds of articles and several books. My success began with that first step.
Anyone can succeed at life, but they must take the first step. What are you waiting for?
Fail forward.
Sometimes, we need to take a class or attend a workshop to learn some new skills. But in reality, all of life is a classroom, where we are constantly learning how to do things better. Some of the most important things we need to know can't be learned in a classroom or perfected at seminars. We have to get out there and just try. When we fail, we can ask for feedback, go back, and try again.
Believe it or not, our abuse or trauma has probably taught us more than we have ever learned in school. We know how to comfort someone who is suffering, because we have experienced that same comfort through God's love when we were hurting. My favorite Bible verse comes from 2 Corinthians 1:3-5:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
Are you waiting to learn something new before you can achieve your dreams? Is it possible that you already have the skills to become successful? Are you willing to fail, get feedback, and try again?
Keep trying.
The apostle Paul wrote about the need for perseverance in our faith walk, and I believe this passage is an excellent one for those of us who are afraid to fail at life. He wrote,
Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with peseverance the race marked out for us. (Hebrews 12:1b)
God has marked out a race for each one of us by giving us a purpose. It's up to us to start running along that path. On the way, we'll bless others, and when we arrive at the end of our lives, we will reach a lovely new beginning.
What is keeping you from achieving God's plan for your life? If you know what it is, why aren't you running the race?
Unforeseen opportunities grow out of your forward motion.
Buckminster Fuller, a scientist and philosopher, wrote about something he calls precessional effects. They are the outcomes of our forward motion as we strive to serve humanity.
To better understand this concept, he explains that a honeybee's primary purpose in life is to gather nectar. As he flies from flower to flower, he is unwittingly involved in a much bigger plan: he is cross-pollinating all of the rooted botanicals that he touches.
As we move forward toward our goals, we create these same types of precessional effects. I never dreamed when I began writing that I would eventually become the editor of a pharmaceutical journal or the ghost-writer of an evangelst's biography. These effects simply occurred, because I saw myself as a writer and kept moving ahead.
Are you creating precessional effects? Or are you sitting still, paralyzed by fears that are preventing you from blessing others?
Today's Challenge
Many people have no clue about how to achieve their dreams. We have learned from one of the best success coaches in the world how to get from where we are today to where we want to be tomorrow. The key to overcoming our abusive or traumatic past is to put what we have learned about our life's purpose into action.
Start today by going back through my blog posts and working through each principle one at a time, in the order that they were presented. Of all the principles we've learned, I believe one of the most important is to create a goals book. It's exciting to review our goals and action plans daily and to see that we are actually making progress toward our dreams.
You can succeed, but you've got to get started. And you must keep on until you've reached your goals. Imagine the joy you will feel when you arrive at the end of your life, and Jesus says, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Now get out there and just do it!
Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com
We have only two days left in our lessons from Jack Canfield's book, The Success Principles. Beginning January 31, we will begin a new series on forgiveness.
Don't let your fears hold you back.
So many survivors of abuse and trauma let their fears hold them back, and they never even try to achieve their dreams. Oliver Wendell Holmes, former U.S. Supreme Court justice, wrote:
Many people die with their music still in them. Why is this so? Too often, it is because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it, time runs out.
If we allow the fear that our abusers instilled in us or memories of traumatic events to hold us back, we may die without ever getting the chance to bless the world with our God-given gifts.
At this point, I have four books that are nearly complete. For a number of years, I have been editing them so that they will be ready for publication. The truth is, I've been over-working them, because I'm afraid to send them out there. I hate the rejection letters, and it's safer to just keep working on them than to admit that I'm afraid.
The problem with this habit is that I'm preventing my readers from receiving the blessings that God wants them to have through my writing. I've learned so much about thriving after life kicks us in the teeth; and by sitting on my work, I'm preventing someone else from achieving their dreams.
Satan uses fear to keep us from sharing the love of Christ with others. What fears are holding you back?
Take the first step.
An ancient Chinese proverb says,
A journey of 1,000 miles must begin with one step.
I didn't learn how to write overnight. It began with taking the first step of choosing a creative writing class in high school. To date, I have published hundreds of articles and several books. My success began with that first step.
Anyone can succeed at life, but they must take the first step. What are you waiting for?
Fail forward.
Sometimes, we need to take a class or attend a workshop to learn some new skills. But in reality, all of life is a classroom, where we are constantly learning how to do things better. Some of the most important things we need to know can't be learned in a classroom or perfected at seminars. We have to get out there and just try. When we fail, we can ask for feedback, go back, and try again.
Believe it or not, our abuse or trauma has probably taught us more than we have ever learned in school. We know how to comfort someone who is suffering, because we have experienced that same comfort through God's love when we were hurting. My favorite Bible verse comes from 2 Corinthians 1:3-5:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
Are you waiting to learn something new before you can achieve your dreams? Is it possible that you already have the skills to become successful? Are you willing to fail, get feedback, and try again?
Keep trying.
The apostle Paul wrote about the need for perseverance in our faith walk, and I believe this passage is an excellent one for those of us who are afraid to fail at life. He wrote,
Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with peseverance the race marked out for us. (Hebrews 12:1b)
God has marked out a race for each one of us by giving us a purpose. It's up to us to start running along that path. On the way, we'll bless others, and when we arrive at the end of our lives, we will reach a lovely new beginning.
What is keeping you from achieving God's plan for your life? If you know what it is, why aren't you running the race?
Unforeseen opportunities grow out of your forward motion.
Buckminster Fuller, a scientist and philosopher, wrote about something he calls precessional effects. They are the outcomes of our forward motion as we strive to serve humanity.
To better understand this concept, he explains that a honeybee's primary purpose in life is to gather nectar. As he flies from flower to flower, he is unwittingly involved in a much bigger plan: he is cross-pollinating all of the rooted botanicals that he touches.
As we move forward toward our goals, we create these same types of precessional effects. I never dreamed when I began writing that I would eventually become the editor of a pharmaceutical journal or the ghost-writer of an evangelst's biography. These effects simply occurred, because I saw myself as a writer and kept moving ahead.
Are you creating precessional effects? Or are you sitting still, paralyzed by fears that are preventing you from blessing others?
Today's Challenge
Many people have no clue about how to achieve their dreams. We have learned from one of the best success coaches in the world how to get from where we are today to where we want to be tomorrow. The key to overcoming our abusive or traumatic past is to put what we have learned about our life's purpose into action.
Start today by going back through my blog posts and working through each principle one at a time, in the order that they were presented. Of all the principles we've learned, I believe one of the most important is to create a goals book. It's exciting to review our goals and action plans daily and to see that we are actually making progress toward our dreams.
You can succeed, but you've got to get started. And you must keep on until you've reached your goals. Imagine the joy you will feel when you arrive at the end of your life, and Jesus says, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Now get out there and just do it!
Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Practice Persistence
Jack Canfield's Success Principle #22
Jack points out in today's lesson that the longer we hang in there, the greater our odds are of success. The Bible reminds us of this same point: Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:4) If we stick with our goals, no matter what, God promises that we will not lack anything. That's worth it to me to keep pressing on.
As we work to achieve our goals, we need to think about the following things.
(1) Remember that it's not always going to be easy.
Jack tells the story of the man who started XM satellite radio. He experienced one setback after another, but he refused to give up. Today, millions of people subscribe to this service.
Any goal that is worth pursuing will not be easy. Like weight lifting, goal attainment takes effort. We may feel some pain, and we may want to quit. But if we remember that it will become difficult at some junctures, we can keep pushing ourselves through to success.
(2) Take just one more step.
Terry Fox was diagnosed with cancer and had to have his leg amputated. Refusing to give up his love of running, he set out to cross Canada, shuffling and hopping on an artificial leg. Every day, he ran 26 miles...the equivalent of a marathon. He continued for 143 days until the cancer returned and prevented him from going on. Today, Terry Fox marathons are held annually and have raised over $340 million for cancer research.
I haven't run any marathons, but I can say that I've used this technique to overcome some pretty significant obstacles. Seven years ago, I was busy running a drapery workroom, where I designed, sewed, and installed every job that I bid on. One day, I found myself completely paralyzed on the left side.
I was determined to get my life back, and my doctor told me it would take five to seven years to completely recover. I can remember moments when I had to push myself to simply bear weight on my left leg. Each day, I forced myself to take one more step than the day before. It was a big deal when I actually walked ten feet to the bathroom by myself.
This week, I hung 20 quilts in a display at one of the hospitals where Joe works. I realized that for the first time in seven years, I am once again capable of performing many of the tasks I did before I became ill. Taking one step at a time paid off.
(3) Never give up.
Jack tells the incredible story of Ross Perot, who wanted to send a Christmas gift to every single POW during the Vietnam War. The Vietnamese government said they refused to accept anything coming from the US. So, Perot flew a fleet of jets to Moscow and had workers hand mail all of those packages. Every one was safely delivered.
(4) Hang in there.
It may take us years on end to make our dreams come true. I have been writing for twenty years, and I have seen some small successes. But I genuinely believe that this coming year is going to bring about big changes. I'm anticipating success and looking for opportunities at every turn.
Today, I met a banker who offered to take me with her to a networking group so that I could talk about my books and upcoming seminars. I discovered that she, too, is a survivor of domestic violence, and she has a tender heart for women who find themselves alone and helpless when their marriages fall apart. If we hang in there, God will send us people to lead us toward our goals.
(5) Deal with obstacles.
For every obstacle, Jack suggests coming up with three alternatives so that we can go over, under, or around the problem. We must always be thinking about a solution as we go about our day.
This afternoon, my friend went to the bank to open up an account for her new small business. The banker told her that she couldn't proceed unless she first registered her name with the state. This is not even a state requirement of entrepreneurs in her situation, but she couldn't get past this guy's refusal.
I told her she had three choices: register her business with the state, go to another bank, or simply open up another personal checking account for keeping her business funds separate. We must anticipate obstacles along the way every day and prepare for solutions when obstacles block our progess.
Today's Challenge
If you have given up on a dream that is important to you, it's time to resurrect it. Make a list of small steps that will help you to get started again. Keep working at it. In time, we will all eventually reach our goals, provided we don't give up.
Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com
Jack points out in today's lesson that the longer we hang in there, the greater our odds are of success. The Bible reminds us of this same point: Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:4) If we stick with our goals, no matter what, God promises that we will not lack anything. That's worth it to me to keep pressing on.
As we work to achieve our goals, we need to think about the following things.
(1) Remember that it's not always going to be easy.
Jack tells the story of the man who started XM satellite radio. He experienced one setback after another, but he refused to give up. Today, millions of people subscribe to this service.
Any goal that is worth pursuing will not be easy. Like weight lifting, goal attainment takes effort. We may feel some pain, and we may want to quit. But if we remember that it will become difficult at some junctures, we can keep pushing ourselves through to success.
(2) Take just one more step.
Terry Fox was diagnosed with cancer and had to have his leg amputated. Refusing to give up his love of running, he set out to cross Canada, shuffling and hopping on an artificial leg. Every day, he ran 26 miles...the equivalent of a marathon. He continued for 143 days until the cancer returned and prevented him from going on. Today, Terry Fox marathons are held annually and have raised over $340 million for cancer research.
I haven't run any marathons, but I can say that I've used this technique to overcome some pretty significant obstacles. Seven years ago, I was busy running a drapery workroom, where I designed, sewed, and installed every job that I bid on. One day, I found myself completely paralyzed on the left side.
I was determined to get my life back, and my doctor told me it would take five to seven years to completely recover. I can remember moments when I had to push myself to simply bear weight on my left leg. Each day, I forced myself to take one more step than the day before. It was a big deal when I actually walked ten feet to the bathroom by myself.
This week, I hung 20 quilts in a display at one of the hospitals where Joe works. I realized that for the first time in seven years, I am once again capable of performing many of the tasks I did before I became ill. Taking one step at a time paid off.
(3) Never give up.
Jack tells the incredible story of Ross Perot, who wanted to send a Christmas gift to every single POW during the Vietnam War. The Vietnamese government said they refused to accept anything coming from the US. So, Perot flew a fleet of jets to Moscow and had workers hand mail all of those packages. Every one was safely delivered.
(4) Hang in there.
It may take us years on end to make our dreams come true. I have been writing for twenty years, and I have seen some small successes. But I genuinely believe that this coming year is going to bring about big changes. I'm anticipating success and looking for opportunities at every turn.
Today, I met a banker who offered to take me with her to a networking group so that I could talk about my books and upcoming seminars. I discovered that she, too, is a survivor of domestic violence, and she has a tender heart for women who find themselves alone and helpless when their marriages fall apart. If we hang in there, God will send us people to lead us toward our goals.
(5) Deal with obstacles.
For every obstacle, Jack suggests coming up with three alternatives so that we can go over, under, or around the problem. We must always be thinking about a solution as we go about our day.
This afternoon, my friend went to the bank to open up an account for her new small business. The banker told her that she couldn't proceed unless she first registered her name with the state. This is not even a state requirement of entrepreneurs in her situation, but she couldn't get past this guy's refusal.
I told her she had three choices: register her business with the state, go to another bank, or simply open up another personal checking account for keeping her business funds separate. We must anticipate obstacles along the way every day and prepare for solutions when obstacles block our progess.
Today's Challenge
If you have given up on a dream that is important to you, it's time to resurrect it. Make a list of small steps that will help you to get started again. Keep working at it. In time, we will all eventually reach our goals, provided we don't give up.
Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com
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