THE MEANING OF LIFE

I read a quote by Benjamin E. Mays who was a mentor to Martin Luther King Jr. and he said:

''It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life does not lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy of life lies in having no goal to reach....

It is not a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled but it is a calamity not to dream....

It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars but it is a disgrace not to have stars to reach.

Not failure but low aim is sin."

I thought this was both profound and inspiring. In life, you need goals and dreams. Refuse to live a mediocre life where you have nothing going for you.

LET YOUR PASSION CONSUME YOU

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The book of Nehemiah in the Bible is the epitome of passion for something worthwhile. When Nehemiah heard that the walls of Jerusalem were in ruins and its gates had been burned, he broke into tears. He went to the King in sadness and asked for permission to rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem. God had certainly put something in his heart for the cause of Jerusalem as seen in Chapter 2.

Even when Sanballat, Tobias and Geshem the Arab tried to oppose the rebuilding of Jerusalem, Nehemiah stood steadfast. Even the threat to the lives of the builders did not deter them from rebuilding the walls and the gates. Nehemiah posted families with swords and spears to guard the good work.

Without espousing the entire book of Nehemiah, i should say that God has put in us a consuming desire for some noble purpose. I do not know what yours is. The next thing i should say is that there will be opposition, sometimes great, as you pursue your mission. But refuse to surrender to the opinions and actions of the opposition. You will be fought daily during the pursuit of your purpose. I say unto you, get ready, arm yourself (not with physical weapons) and fight the enemy of your dreams, visions, goals and ideas. Fight for what your believe in.

Success begins with a burning desire and a passion to pursue a vision.

Remain passionate today!

SELF-IMPROVEMENT COURSES

If you were to take the following self-study courses to improve your productivity in the marketplace/life, which one would be your most important and would you be willing to pay for it. Answer by the course and whether you would pay for it (YES or NO).

1. Time Management
2. Goal Setting
3. Presentation Skills - Communication for Impact
4. Leadership and Motivation - How to become an Effective Leader
5. Personal Finance (if you think/believe your money management attitudes affects your work)
6. Becoming an Excellence Magnet (a purely personal development course)

Have your say!

THE POWER OF FOCUS

Do you feel distracted every day, every week, every month and every month? Do you feel the end of the year finds you behind your set goals? Shout the word: FOCUS.

I read a powerful quote some 2 years ago written by Stephen Covey: ''The main thing is keeping the main thing the main thing''.

Apostle Paul said it better: ''But one thing i do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, i press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14)''.

Jesus speaking to Mary and Martha said it best: 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but a few things are needed or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.''

ONLY A FEW THINGS MATTER.

ONLY A FEW THINGS ARE NEEDED....Jesus is the master coach.

Stay focused on a few things (WHAT ARE THOSE FEW THINGS FOR YOU?) and you will realize your personal destiny on earth. Vilfredo Pareto called these the VITAL FEW....in my research 3 things are enough for whole of your life. What are those 3 things for you?

Remind yourself everyday: Today, i commit myself to remain focused on a few things that matter to God, to me and to others.

Have a focused close of the year and the rest of your life.

YOUR DREAMS REQUIRE YOUR PATIENCE

Have you ever felt like it is taking ages to realize your dreams. I should tell you a great story.

I love stories because they help illustrate deep truths about life. Here is a nice and true story about the Chinese bamboo tree.

It is said that the seed of a Chinese bamboo tree takes 5 years to germinate. In the first year, you plant the seed, water and add fertilizer but no germination takes place. In the second, third and fourth years, the same thing happens...more water and more fertilizer yet no germination.

In the fifth year, the seedling comes out and in 6 weeks, it grows into a height of 90 feet. Wow!

The question: When did the seed start germinating? A quick answer: The first day you started the watering and fertilization activities. What if you stopped watering and fertilization mid way? The result - the seed dies.

That's what happens to our dreams. You have to water and nourish them every day even when the results are not coming. You can't give up mid way - it is suicidal to your dreams. Keep watering and nourishing your dreams and who knows...in a time that is not too far, the reality comes out and it both amazing and life-changing.

Key phrase: You have to remain patient in the process of realizing your dreams. Nothing happens overnight. But when it finally happens, you will be like a man or woman who has woken up from a dream only to realize it was the reality.

THE POWER OF FAITH

This is one of the subject that will revolutionize your life. There are two important dimensions of faith. The first and the most important is having faith in God. The second and more important is having faith in yourself.

If you don't believe in God, you are probably leaning on your own understanding and that could be suicidal. If you don't believe in yourself, your abilities, your talents and your gifts...you are likely to be complaining and blaming others for your lack of success.

Key phrase: Absolute faith in God will generate faith in yourself.

Here are few thoughts that are worth pondering today:-

1. Always believe in God. Because there are some questions that even Google can't answer.

2. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith.

3. Faith makes things possible...not easy.

4. Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase.

5. Faith in God includes faith in His timing.

6. For we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

7. To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.

8. Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith (Margaret Shepard).

9. Faith is believing in something when common sense tells you not to.

10. Faith is not knowing what the future holds but knowing who holds the future.

Have faith in God, believe in Him and His promises and trust in God's abilities, gifts and talents in you.

Feed your faith and starve all your doubts to death.

THE POWER OF SILENT SEMINARS

I like taking short breaks in between the completion of my daily tasks. It is now lunch time and for the last 15 minutes, i chose to spent time to get inspired going to my afternoon tasks and life in general. I call these my silent seminars because a few people know that i have been in a personal development seminar for the last few minutes. It could be even my next seatmate in my office.

Here are some lessons i have learned about DESTINY in the last 15 minutes:-

1. Your life's purpose requires you to jump from the comfort of all your troubles into the abyss of unlimited potential - Jenna Ryan.

2. The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be - Ralph Waldo Emerson.

3. You are the creator of your own destiny.

4. Destiny is a relationship. A play between divine grace and willful self effort - Elizabeth Gilbert.

5. Life is simple: Are you happy? Yes, then keep going. No, then change something.

6. Your destiny is determined by your values - Mahatma Gandhi.

7. It is in our moments of decision that your destiny is shaped - Tony Robbins.

8. Change your thoughts, and you change your destiny - Joseph Murphy.

You can attend your own silent seminars any time your motivation to work taking a dip.

Time is always right to do the right thing.

You are destined for greatness.

Chris