personal improvement

In the Blink of an Eye

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USP OLYMPICS: SWIMMING-EVENING SESSION S OLY BRAI used to wonder why I wondered about certain things, but I’ve decided that somewhere in my DNA I must have an inquisitive gene that is alive and well.

So, I wasn’t surprised when I noticed my curious nature thinking about the speed of a blinking eye. After a quick Google search, I learned:

  • If you are an average blinker, you will blink about every 4 seconds.
  • Each minute of the day you will blink about 15 times or roughly 20,000 times a day.
  • The surface of your eye is cleaned and lubricated,  in the 10th of a second it takes you to blink.

A 10th of a second is fast, and this fact jogged my memory: I remembered the 2016 Olympics and Anthony Ervin. At the age of 35, Ervin set a record for being the oldest individual competitor to win a gold medal in the Olympics. Ervin swam the 50M Men’s Freestyle, and he won the gold medal; France’s Florent Manaudou finished second and won the silver.

The difference that separated these two men wasn’t the 10th of a second it takes you to blink, but the hairbreadth of just 100th of a second. Ervin finished the race in 21.40 seconds and Manaudou finished it in 21.41.

Even though the critical factor that separates the winner from the runner-up can be as minuscule as 100th of a second, the minuscule can be mighty powerful.

Had Anthony Ervin succumbed to the power of a negative thought for just 100th of a second, he may have returned home with the silver medal and not the gold.

Ervin achieved his dream because he trained hard in preparation for the Olympics.  To have success in life we should do the same. This is why the Scriptures encourage us to discipline the body and to focus the mind.

Another Olympian who attained great success is Jesse Owens. At the 1936 Olympics, he won four gold medals, turning his dreams into reality. Later in life, Owens said: “We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.”

I encourage to keep your eyes on the prize and run life’s race with determination, dedication, and self-discipline.

Stop and Refocus

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refocusIf you started today worrying about what might go wrong, I encourage you to stop and refocus your mind on these five words:.

Slow: Take a deep breath and slow down. When you walk in step with God, you will learn that His love is not measured by a teaspoon—it’s measured by the bucket loads.

Time: Take a minute or two to consider God’s goodness.

  • Psalm 34:8: Taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Oppose: Don’t yield to catastrophic thoughts that are characterized by words like must, never, and always. These three words are usually false. Discipline your mind so you think about the hope and joy you can have in Jesus.

  • Romans 15:13: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Promise: Claim the promises the are rightly yours. You are not some pauper, you are a child of the King.

  • The key that gives you access to God is not your strength—it’s God’s grace.

I’ll close with some words that can open the door of your mind to some life-changing  thoughts:

Deuteronomy 31:6:   Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Picker-Uppers and Put-er-Downers

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judgment-1024x682-1-730x430Do you judge-mentally or are you judgmental? One is a well-reasoned response to a given situation, while the other is an irrational reaction. One investigates the specifics seeking the best outcome for everyone involved, while the other is condescending and self-serving in its handling of the facts.

A judgmental person thrives by focusing on your weaknesses and failures. As long as he can do that, he doesn’t have to think of his own puny performance and fatal flaws.

Paul challenged the church at Galatia to address this issue: “If a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too. Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Let each one examine his own work. Then he can take pride in himself and not compare himself with someone else. For each one will carry his own load . . . whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith (Galatians 6).”

Here are some questions for you to consider:

  • When someone stumbles and falls, do I reject him or restore him?
  • Am I reaching out with a “spirit of gentleness?”
  • Do I have a “holier-than-thou attitude?”
  • Have I examined my life to deal with my own shortcomings?
  • Do I look for the opportunity to help carry the burden of the heavy-hearted?
  • Am I like the Good Samaritan, and try to do good to all?

Your answers to these questions may help you determine if you are a picker-upper or a put-er-downer. Which of the two are you?

A Penny’s Worth of Effort

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1874-indian-head-penny-25-1423485383When I speak of proverbs, I usually think of Solomon as the author; however, there is an old German proverb that offers some wisdom in the area of self-discipline and priorities: Whoever does not respect the penny is not worthy of the dollar.

The essence of this quote seems to be: If you neglect or ignore the small things, you can’t be trusted with larger things. Neglect in one area of your life might be inconsequential if it happens once; however, when a pattern forms, it becomes a habit, and habits are the routines and practices that either confine you or refine you.

Most of us are like a stringed instrument, and we need to be re-tuned from time to time.  The word tune has several meanings:

  • As a noun it means, “a succession of musical sounds forming an air or melody, with or without the harmony accompanying it; a musical setting in four-part harmony; the state of being in the proper pitch.”
  • As a verb it means, “to give forth a musical sound; to be in harmony or accord; become responsive.”

It only takes a small incremental turn of the peg to make a big change in the tightness of a string and a dramatic change in the sound of a violin or guitar.  The same is true with your life—small changes can make a big difference.

To make these changes, I suggest that you:

  • Learn from Santa Claus: Make a list and check it twice. Which of your habits are being naughty or nice to you, and which one help you live in harmony with God?
  • Focus: When you tune a violin or guitar, you don’t turn all of the pegs and adjust all of the strings at once. You focus on one at a time. Instead of trying to develop several new habits and make multiple changes, make them one at a time.
  • Be Discriminate: Eliminate the non-essentials and practice the essentials. The one sucks the blood of life out of you while the other revitalizes you.
  • Learn from the 7 Dwarfs: Whistle while you work, and find some joy in what you’re doing. Be Happy, not Grumpy!
  • Circle the Wagons: When I was a kid, one of my favorite TV shows was Wagon Train. At the end of the day, Ward Bond would instruct the westward bound settlers to “Circle the wagons.”  This provided a circle of safety for the pioneers.  Ward Bond would tell you to “Circle yourself with good friends and people of character.”
  • Learn from David: In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch (Psalm 5:3).” Meet with God daily to pray, and plan for success.

The power of small acts is found in the words of Samuel Smiles:

Sow a thought, and you reap an act;

Sow an act, and you reap a habit;

Sow a habit, and you reap a character;

Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.”

~Samuel Smiles

Leaders: Some Rise and Some Fall

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thumbs upIf you take a causal walk down the self-help aisle of most book stores, you find shelves stocked full of books on leadership.  A common principle in many of these books is the need to study the lives of leaders.

To accomplish this, you can thumb through the pages of the Bible where you will discover a long list of leaders.  Some them are polished and practical; others are hopeless and hapless; but, the stories are fair a fair and balanced account that opens the door that reveals the skeletons in their closets.

Two of the better-known leaders are Saul and David.  Saul, the first king of Israel, could whip most anyone, but his ego got the best of him.  Samuel, the priest, issued a stern rebuke and no-holds-barred reprimand to King Saul: Now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee (I Samuel 13:14).

The man after God’s own heart was David, and he knew the key of his strength would be a dependence on God.  David said: You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me (Psalm 31:3).

Like David, we can and should, look to God for strength and guidance:

  • Psalm 5:8: Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make Your way straight before my face.
  • Psalm 25:5: Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.
  • Psalm 23:2-3: He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
  • Psalm 143:10: Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.

When you begin to trust in the goodness of God, you hear the rhythm and cadence of His voice and begin to walk in step with Him—He leads; you follow.

Solomon said, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Are you a King Saul who continually tried to prop himself up with his own wisdom; or, are you a David who found a life of blessings by trusting God and letting Him direct his paths?

Who has your ear? Whose voice are you hearing?  Which path in life are you walking? Are you following God’s lead?

A Fact A Day

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facts-hands-holding-letters-1500_largeMy post today is a simple list for the complex world in which we live.  Instead of hurriedly glancing at the list and moving on with your agenda for the day, I hope you will keep it in mind and take the time to consider each one again on its assigned day for the week ahead.

Fact 1 for Monday: Life is full of obstacles.

You will encounter many detours in your life’s pursuit—be resolute. Don’t allow detours and distractions to become attractions; remain focused on your goals

  • Philippians 3:13-14: Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Fact 2 for Tuesday: Small sparks can start big fires, so mind your manners and tame your tongue.

  • James 1:26; 3:5: If someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile . . . though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites

Fact 3 for Wednesday: Whatever grips your attention, grabs you.

  • James 1:1:14-15: Each one is tempted when he is lured, enticed, and trapped by his own desires. Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death.

Fact 4 for Thursday: You may not be what you think you are, but what you think you are.

  • Colossians 3: 1-2: Seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth

Fact 5 for Friday: The world may think you’re a zero, but God knows you’re a hero.

  • Judges 6:12: The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!

Fact 6 for Saturday: God has a plan and a purpose for you.

  • Genesis 50:15, 19-20: When Joseph’s brothers saw their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” But Joseph said to them, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.”

Fact 7 for Sunday: It’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.

  • There are 86,400 seconds in a day and you can use them or abuse them.

I’ve only just a minute; 0nly sixty seconds in it.

Forced upon me, can’t refuse it; didn’t seek it, didn’t choose it,

But it’s up to me to use it.

I must suffer if I lose it; give an account if I abuse it,

Just a tiny little minute, but eternity is in it.

~Dr. Benjamin E. Mays

I think this quote is a good conclusion to my list, so I’ll end with it: “Let us take things as we find them: let us not attempt to distort them into what they are not. We cannot make facts. All our wishing cannot change them. We must use them.” ~John Henry Cardinal Newman

Exalted or Humbled

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For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways… As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. ~Isaiah 55:8

Life: Its Measure and Message

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Life, what is it?  In one form or another, most people have asked this question at some measure-subpagetime in their life.  It’s one of the many themes of Psalms, Proverbs, and the book of James.

  • James asked: For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. ~James 4:14
  • A similar question is asked in Psalm 8:4: What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?
  • David inquired about the measure of his days or the length of life in Psalm 39:

“O Lord,  make me know my end  and what is the  measure of my days;  let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!

While we might be concerned about the measure of life, we should also be concerned about the message of our lives. Solomon addressed the message of within the context of character and its influence. In Proverbs, he calls attention to the person who is:

  • Ungodly man who digs up evil ~16:27
  • Perverse man sows strife ~Proverbs 16:28
  • Violent man entices his neighbor, and leads him in a way that is not good ~Proverbs 16:29
  • Proud: Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him ~Proverbs 26:12
  • Righteous man who may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity. ~Proverbs 24:16
  • A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished ~Proverbs 22:3
  • Undisciplined: Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him ~ Proverbs 29:20
  • Unjust man who is an abomination to the righteous ~ Proverbs 29:27

I encourage you take some time to reflect on the measure and message of your life, and remember that it can be:

  • Brief in comparison to eternity: Man is like a breath; His days are like a passing shadow (Psalm 144:4)
  • Full of opportunity to make a difference in the life of another: Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for God is pleased with such sacrifices (Hebrews 13:16).

As in water the face is reflected as a face, so a person’s heart reflects the person.         ~Proverbs 27:19

Carnac the Magnificent

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carnacLast night was a night of weird dreams, and for some reason I was on the Johnny Carson show playing the role of Carnac the Magnificent. I had the routine down perfect: I held a sealed envelope to my head, and I gave the answer to the question inside.

I said: The answer is, we would be in a world of trouble.

Johnny took the envelope from me, opened it up, and read the question: What would the world be if everyone were to be just like Johnny?

When I woke up this morning, I thought about the dream and asked myself the question: What would the world be if everyone were to be just like me?

As I wondered about my answer, I remembered the words of Albert Schweitzer: The full measure of a man is not to be found in the man himself, but in the colors and textures that come alive in others because of him.

As I reflect on the dream and on the words of Schweitzer, I think the common link is influence: How do I influence the world as a whole and the lives of others as individuals? When people examine my life, what do they see?

  • Is it a person of pale green who is full of envy or one who admires the accomplishments of others?
  • Do they see the drab darkness of hate or the bright hues of love and light?
  • Do I weave the thread of encouragement into conversations so I can motivate others to believe and achieve? Helen Keller said: Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement…no pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.
  • Am I a good role model and an example in my speech, conduct, love, faith and purity (I Timothy 4:12)?
  • Do I see obstacles as opportunities or do I wither under the weight of what might be?
  • Do I live the exemplary life of Paul, who said: Join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us (Philippians 3:17).

All of this brings me back to my question: What would the world be if everyone were to be just like me?

The Game of Life

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disappointWhen I turned on the TV and tuned in to watch the Packers and Falcons, I was expecting to watch an entertaining and competitive game of football—I was disappointed.  When it came time for the second game between the Steelers and the Patriots, I was confident the game would be much better than the earlier fiasco—I was wrong.

While the games were minor disappointments to me, I have learned that Mr. Disappoint is a frequent visitor to some and he presents himself in different forms.  To correctly identify this culprit, think of him as a PUNT which is usually the result of a frustrated effort on the gridiron:

  • People are culprits who can disappoint.

The minds of some people are laced with memories that are full of disappointment.  These are recollections of the past when they feel as though the people whom they cared for the most could not have cared for them less.

  • Unrealistic expectations can deceive and disappoint

Sometimes we place people on pedestals and we are disappointed when they do not live up to our expectations. There are other times when a tendency toward self-perfection will lead us to be disappointed in our own accomplishments.

  • Networks will disappoint you.

Some networks consist of a complicated grid of wires and electronics; others are a complex meshwork of emotions. The latter can be frustrating because it’s full of people and their passions that conflict with ours.  When you’re involved in an organization, whether it is faith-based, educational, or work-related, you take the risk of being disappointed—one or all of these can falter in its potential or fail to keep a promise.

  • Transitions will disappoint you.

The one word definition for stress is transition, and the stress associated with any change can be disappointing. These life-altering occasions force us to make changes that move us out of our comfort zone and reshape our daily routine.

When we have been PUNTED, and we experience a let down in one of these areas, it helps to refocus:

  • Face the fact: No one is perfect. Disappointment is as old as Adam and Eve and their disobedience in the Garden of Eden. There simply is not a person alive who will be able to fulfill all of your dream.
  • Forgive and release it. Resentment is the rope with which you hang yourself. We need to, Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled (Hebrews 12:14-15).

We may not be responsible for the circumstances of life, but we are responsible for the way we respond to them.  Emotions and attitudes are the responsibility of the individual, and when God is added to the equation of life our perspective can become more positive:

Though the fig tree does not bud

and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails

and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen

and no cattle in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the LORD.

I will be joyful in God my Savior

~Habakkuk: 3:17-18