F O C U S

I've had a thousand beginnings in my life.  I’ve started projects, books, repair jobs, and a dozen other enterprises; yet along the way I lost my focus. 

I stopped envisioning my objective.  I stopped seeking ways to continue the pursuit; to accomplish the dream.

             I lost my focus.

I discovered this insightful acrostic from Mari Smith’s Personal Strategies for the word “FOCUS”. 

It’s simple.

It’s easy to remember. 

Here it is:

Follow

One

Course

Until

Successful

It speaks of staying power, pertinacity. 

There are some epic examples in our land of those who have consistently demonstrated FOCUS.

Man on the Moon

IBM

Apple and Steve Jobs

Microsoft

Lance Armstrong

President Obama

Oprah

What are your dreams?

What do you want to do, to be, to accomplish?

It’s all about F O C U S.

Follow One Course Until Successful.

For many years I dreamed of and talked about becoming a writer and speaker.  But for too many years it was simply talk, no action.  I awakened one day and realized that people were not going to beat my door down until I proved that I had what it takes to write and speak.

I looked at some stats today for my blogs.  They are being read in places like Canada, England, Saudi Arabia, and Russia.  I don’t reveal this to boast, but rather to make a very poignant point.

I am doing what is required so that I can accomplish my goals

I’m on my way to seeing my dreams become a reality because I have FOCUS.  I am following one course until successful. 

How is your FOCUS?

Map out your strategy.

Set your mind to the task.

Follow your course.

It will lead you to amazing places.

Happy Travels!

Sapere Vedere

One of my treasured books for the past two years is Kevin Hall’s Aspire.   In this book Kevin introduces us to this wonderful word – Sapere Vedere (sah-PARE-ay veh-DARE-ay).

Sapere Vedere is knowing how to see.  Another way of saying this is “seeing beyond the clouds.”  What a useful skill that would be.

A part of this word’s meaning lies in the whole concept of “believing is seeing.

I love the plaque on my wall next to my desk.  It says: 

As Kevin says, “People with sapere vedere say ‘I’ll see that bridge before I cross it.’”

We people people are in great need of the essence of sapere vedere.  We see with our eyes, but vision is a function of one’s heart.

Vision expands the limitations of our eyes.  I love this line from Kevin.  “Never let your eyes determine what you heart believes”.

Think of it this way:

“Wisdom is knowing what we saw.

          “Vision is knowing what we see.

                    “Sapere vedere is knowing how to see.”

What shall you become one day?  Only your vision can tell you.

This thought kind of adds new light to Henry David Thoreau’s great comment.

Are You Gonna Get Better?

John Maxwell tells this story:

Earl Weaver, coach of Baltimore Orioles once said to an umpire in a baseball game, “Is this as good as it’s gonna be or are you gonna get better?”

Turn that question inward and let’s see what comes out.

“Are we as good as we are gonna be, or are we going to get better?”

I’ve made a few mistakes in my life.  Allow me to list them for you.

Once upon a time I …

Never mind.  You get the point.

We have within our grasp so much information that there is absolutely no reason we can’t improve, whatever it is we want to improve.   Just look at our resources:  Colleges, Universities, Internet web browsing, magazines and books in abundance in libraries and bookstores. 

What needs improving in your life?  In my life?

A part of this process includes evaluating your past. 

Do you know yourself? 

     Your past? 

          Your weaknesses and strengths?

That’s a great place to start. 

The next step is learning from those weak areas and having the attitude of “next time I’ll do better.”

Ready! 

          Set! 

               Go toward your better understanding

               of whatever it is you want and need.

The world is waiting for your mark, your words, and your contribution.  Learn, get better, and go toward it.

Courage

Nothing happens until courage steps up to the plate and swings the bat.

Karl Barth, a Swiss Theologian once said, 

          “Courage is fear that has said its prayers.”

Are you facing a tremendous decision? 

Ready to launch something new,

                        something bold and revolutionary? 

Are you afraid?

Good. 

Eddie Rickenbacker said 

“There can be no courage unless you are scared. 

Courage is doing what you are afraid to do.”

John Maxwell says 

“Courage begins with an inward battle.  

Courage isn't an absence of fear.  

It’s doing what you are afraid to do.”  

Before I launched my weekly blogs and the commitment to stick with them, I was just a wannabe writer.  I had been published before, but that was in the past and no one remembers what I said back then. 

What about today?  I had to risk being rejected by readers, having people opt out of receiving my blogs, but mostly I had to commit to myself that I was going to be a writer no matter what.  I had to screw my courage to the sticking place. 

Courage is the willingness to take a risk – the one character trait shared by all great and effective men and women.

The death of Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computers, was just announced this week.  Talk about a man of courage. 

Steve was a visionary, an innovator, and a forward thinking individual.  I love his line “Let’s Go Invent Tomorrow.”  (See my Sept. 15, 2011 blog "Let's Go Invent Tomorrow" Blog)

Look at the tomorrows that Steve invented.  He changed our world for the good.  That took tremendous courage.  He had no assurance that people would respond to his ideas.  But he had courage.

Did Steve Jobs have fear?  Most likely he had it in buckets and truck loads.  But he faced his fears, gathered his courage closely around him and stepped up to the plate. 

BAM!

He hit home runs

May you find your courage in buckets and truckloads and step up to the plate. 

You just might hear the roar of the crowds as you round third base headed for home.

Let's Go ... Together

I like living life in pairs and groups.  There is something about the shared experience that adds to the memory.

A few years ago I read a book by Reuben Welch entitled We Really Do Need Each Other.  In it he tells this story.

“After teaching a class on group and interpersonal relations at the college campus where he taught, the class decided to take an hour and a half group hike together up to a place called Henniger Flats, just outside Pasadena, California.  It was to be a sort of culmination of all that they had learned during the class time.

They picked the day, they set the time, they made the sandwiches and the chocolate and bought the soft drinks and packed the back-packs and off they went.

The strong, stalwart ones started out fast, lead by Don, a former paratrooper.  In no time the group was strung out all along the trail on their way up to the top of Henniger Flats, with Don in the lead, marking the trail for the others to follow. 

Don paused, looked back a few switch-backs and saw Jane, who was as we say “a bit over weight.” 

Don felt a strong urge to go back and walk with Jane for a while, which he did.  The others up ahead often called out, “Come on up.  Go faster.” 

Jane would call back, “I can’t.  I don’t think I can make it.”

“Oh yes you can.  Try harder,” came the reply.

And Jane did not make it to the top.

Thankfully the group decided that this was no way to end this shared experience together, so they decided to try again, only this time they made some new rules.

This time we will all go together, or we don’t go at all.”

So they picked the day, they set the time, they made the sandwiches and the chocolate and bought the soft drinks and packed the back-packs and off they went.

Time passed.

It took them four hours to reach the top, and by the time they arrived all of the back packs were empty, the sandwiches were eaten, and the hot coco and the soft drinks were all gone. 

BUT THEY MADE IT, TOGEHER.

TOGETHER!!!

What a concept. 

What if we adopted this idea a bit more in our lives, in our towns, our state, and our communities? 

What if families banded together in such a way as this and determined “we are family, we are together, and we survive together.”

What if churches exhibited this concept?  We would probably sing a good mixture of hymns and praise songs and nobody would be left out. 

What if the strong stalwart ones could humble themselves enough to reach back for the weaker, slower ones and lend a helping hand? 

That would be something else, wouldn’t it?

We’ve got to go together!

Some will definitely

have to slow down.

          And some will probably 

need to speed up.

But we do it together.  We go … together.

It’s not a matter of finishing first, or having your own way.  It’s working together as a group, sharing, laughing, loving, crying, but it’s all about this thing called “TOGETHER”.

We are facing some dire times.  If ever there was a time for us to pull together it is now.  Jobs are being lost. Families are stressed and being pulled apart.  Blood pressures are rising, bank accounts are dwindling. 

What do you say?  Next Saturday, how about all of us go up to Henniger Flats? 

Together!

GENSHAI (Pronounced GEN-Shy)

One of my all-time favorite books is titled Aspire by Kevin Hall.  As a result of reading this book and befriending the author, Kevin and I are developing a fine and life-long friendship.

One of the words that Kevin introduces us to in this book is the word GENSHAI (pronounced GEN-Shy).

Genshai means “You should never treat another person in a manner that would make them feel small.  And that means yourself.”

So, that means 

I treat myself with respect.    I like myself; I appreciate myself; I approve of myself.  This is not haughty, self-aggrandizement, self-inflating stuff.  Genshai is simply appreciating my uniqueness, my specialness, my God-given character traits and focusing on ways to develop them and bring them to more fruition. 

Kevin says this; “The way I treat myself reflects the way I treat others.  I have divinity within me.  I have greatness within me.  I attract into my life that which I believe I am.”  

I am determined to treat every human being I meet with great respect, great cordialness, and great honor.  How can I possibly accomplish this unless I also care for and consider myself with equal esteem and value?

Do I believe in me?  Kevin says “Believe means to be love.  When I believe in myself, I love myself.  When I love myself, I treat myself with respect.  “Spect” is to look at.  “Re” is back.  “Respect” is to look back at.”

Do I respect myself?  Do I look back on my life and see character traits that I can accept as good, wholesome and true?

Remember Genshai. 

A good word.

A good thought

A great way to live!

How Is Your Vision?

J C Penney was once interviewed by Dave Le Shanna, former college president of Taylor University.  As Dr. La Shanna was ushered into Mr. Penney’s office, he saw Mr. Penney sitting behind his desk examining the business card David had presented.  He was moving it back and forth like someone playing a slide trombone.

He looked up at Dr. La Shanna, cleared his voice and said, “You’ll have to forgive me.  My vision is not as good as it once was.”

He then slapped his hand on the desk and said, “No that is not right.  My eyesight is not what it once was.  I’ll never lose my vision.”

WoW!  That is a mouth full. 

I think that is all that needs to be said. 

How is your vision?

Towards life?

Toward your company?

Toward your future?