Take Full Responsibility

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

A London newspaper once asked a number of popular authors to write articles about “what’s wrong with the world?” One author replied:

Gentleman,

I am.

Sincerely Yours,

G.K. Chesterton

Chesterton clearly understood the simple truth that the world will not change until you change. Jesus put it more bluntly, “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:3-5)

Many people spend countless hours attacking those around them without ever taking a look in the mirror to see that the very thing they despise most in others is actually their biggest fault. If you want to know the sins someone is struggling with, just ask them about the news. What they begin to complain about is probably a good indication of what they need to work on themselves.

The next time you’re stuck in yet another annoying situation ask yourself, “What’s the one constant between the last time and this time?” You will see that you are the only constant. Then, you can finally go to work on the one person you can control in this world; yourself.

Jeffrey Gitomer sums this up well in The Sales Bible, “It’s not the rain, or the car, or the phone, or the product — it’s YOU. You have a choice in everything you do. Choose a better way. Don’t blame the path, change the path. Don’t blame the situation, change the situation.”

Tags: Personal Development
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Doubt & Action

Monday, June 8th, 2009

“The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.” (Matthew 28:16-17)

These couple lines of the Gospel really hit me at Holy Mass this morning.

Here we have eleven men who spent three years following Jesus, hearing Him preach, and watching Him perform miracles; yet they doubted. They saw him cleanse lepers, forgive sins, and cure the sick; yet, they doubted. Given that these are a couple of the final verses in the Gospel of Matthew, they have even seen him raised from the dead and spent 40 days with Him at this point; yet they doubted.

How true is this attitude of all of us? On any given day, God’s love is overwhelmingly obvious in all of our lives, yet we find reasons to doubt. When he has given us another breath, another sunrise, another sunset, another day, another meal, another friendship, another experience of love, and another opportunity to praise Him, we are still quick to say, “Yeah, but…”

What this passage tells us, though, is that our doubts are completely normal. They are part of the process when growing in natural and spiritual virtue. Many people feel guilty in the spiritual realm when they experience doubt. In the natural order, doubt can lead people to give up on their dreams by making them believe they are a sign they are not really supposed to do what they set out after. However, doubt is neither a reason for guilt or giving in because it is not an expression of disbelief. It is only a temporary suspension of judgment until more evidence becomes available.

Viewing doubt in this light, we can neutralize its immobilizing emotions. If we understand doubt as normal and see it as an opportunity to grow in faith by continuing to act, then we are sure to grow in virtue.

This is where the disciples give us a great example. Yes they doubted, but they still worshipped. We need to follow their lead if we are to attain any of our goals in this world and ultimately attain our goal of eternal life in the world to come.

When doubts leave you feeling paralyzed, take action and your dreams will surely be realized.

Tags: Personal Development, Theology
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No Guarantees

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

Chris Widener has delivered another stellar newsletter. This time, he exhorts readers to keep things in their proper perspective. I think the article is best summed up in the following paragraph:

“Keep the best things in life as central. Money isn’t the best thing in life. Neither is achievement. Those things are merely means to an end, not the ends themselves. The true riches of life are people, friends, family, character, faith and the like. Make sure you give these things the proper place they deserve. For example, don’t give up your family to get wealth, because one day your wealth may be gone, and when you return to your family, it may be too.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself!

The Rest of the Story.

Tags: Personal Development
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Multiplying Your Talents

Tuesday, April 28th, 2009

“After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiber’i-as. And a multitude followed him, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip, “How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ”There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?” Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place; so the men sat down, in number about five thousand. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!” Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” (John 6:1-15)

Have you ever wondered what Jesus would have done had that boy not brought bread and fish?

Surely Jesus could have fed everyone just the same. After all, He was God. In reflecting on His miracles, however, we see that Jesus always made use of the things people had on hand to communicate His message and reveal His divinity.

At the Wedding Feast at Cana, He changed water into wine. At the Last Supper, He changed bread and wine into His Body and Blood. Here, he uses a meager amount of bread and fish to feed a multitude of people.

If while He walked the earth, Jesus always used those things at hand to work miracles, can we assume He operates any differently today?

I ask this question because God has given you gifts, talents, and wisdom beyond your wildest imagination. Deep down, you already know this. Right now, however, your talents only look like a few pieces of bread. Therefore, every day you wake up and say with the disciples, “But who am I among so many?”

If we look back at the story, though, we see you are not the one who works miracles. Instead, God works miracles as long as you bring what He has given you; nothing more, nothing less. Five thousand men (not counting woman and children) were fed from five barley loaves and two fish all because a boy brought what he was given.

So, what have you been given? And, if you brought that to the people around you each and every day, how many thousands could God feed?

Tags: Freedom, Personal Development, Theology
Posted in The Life | 2 Comments »

The Greater The Cross, The Greater The Glory

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009

It is human nature to flee suffering. Hardly a day goes by when we don’t imagine a life with no pain, heartache, or stress. It seems that if our problems disappeared never to return again, all would be right in the world.

However, as I was journaling Saturday, something dawned on me. Every bit of adversity I have faced in my life has brought me to a much better place than where I was before. After years of strife and extreme mental anguish in attempting to control my Sugar Addiction and weight, I was finally set free. When I was in the midst of those several years of suffering, despair seemed to be the only answer. Yet, once I found a solution, it turned out to be so powerful that it revealed my vocation and now I have the privilege of helping people completely change their lives every day.

As I continued to reflect, I saw that the more difficult the situation, the more dramatic the improvement in my life after pushing through the adversity. In other words, the greater the cross, the greater the glory. This truth is reflected throughout the Scriptures.

Who suffered more than anyone in history?

Jesus Christ not only suffered a brutal scourging and unbearable crucifixion, but he also took the sins of every individual from the beginning of time on himself while doing it. As a result, he now sits at the right hand of the Father in glory.

And, who has suffered the most next to Jesus?

The Blessed Virgin Mary had the privilege of carrying God in her womb. After bringing Jesus into the world, she taught him how to walk and talk and helped him “grow in wisdom and stature.” (Luke 2:52) Ask any parent the hardest thing about having children and they will tell you nothing is worse than watching them suffer. Keeping all this in mind, it is easy to see that next to Jesus, no one has known the grief of Mary. Likewise, no one will ever know the glory of Mary. As a reward for enduring so much, she was Assumed and crowned Queen of Heaven.

The most successful people in business have known this simple truth for some time.

When asked his formula for success, the President of IBM T.J. Watson stated, “Double your rate of failure.” In his famed pursuit to invent the lightbulb, Thomas Edison had to try 10,000 different approaches before finding success. In reflecting on the situation, Edison said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Likewise, Henry Ford once said, “Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.”

In the end, we can conclude that the question is not whether you will meet the cross. The real question is how you will react when it is thrust upon you. One reaction will bring life, the other death. However, if you lean into it, embrace the suffering, and take advantage of the failure history tells us that could be the beginning of a new and unbelievably satisfying chapter in your life.

Tags: Freedom, Personal Development
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Self-Concept

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

If you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time, you may have noticed a shift from almost writing exclusively about Sugar Addiction and nutrition to a much greater emphasis on spirituality and personal development. When I write about the latter, you may be thinking, “What does any of this have to do with food?”

Please allow me to explain.

You have a self-concept. Within that self-concept, you have a collection of understandings and assessments you have made about yourself. You have a self-concept about how well you drive, the kind of clothes you wear, and what personality traits you have. For example, the statement, “I can wait, I’m a patient person,” is an expression of self-concept. In many ways, your self-concept determines your experience of the outside world.

If you have always seen yourself as an easy-going extrovert who loves meeting new people, the world will engage you openly and walk away talking about what a nice person you are. On the other hand, if you believe you need to get to know someone before showing any respect for them, the world will seem standoffish and people will walk away saying much different things about you.

Keeping this in mind, let’s turn now turn our attention to Sugar Addiction and weight.

If you see yourself as a healthy and energetic man who always maintains his ideal weight at 185 lbs., you will always weigh that much. Even if you got sick for an extended period of time and got up to 250 lbs. in the process, once you were healthy again, it would just be a matter of time until you were back down to 185 lbs. Why? Because the extra 65 lbs. was not in line with how you see yourself.

If you have been struggling to lose weight for a long time, ask yourself, “How do I see myself?” When I used to weigh 273 lbs., I would look in the mirror and know the person I saw was not a real manifestation of who I am. Therefore, I kept trying to different approaches to nutrition until I cracked the code and found a lifestyle that keeps the person in the mirror in line with how I think he should look. Yes, that meant gaining and losing 50 lbs. 4 times in 8 years, but that final spin of the dial opened the lock and here I am.

So, is your self-concept extremely negative? Do you actually believe you should weigh much less than you do now or are you expressing the desire while in the back of your head thinking, “It’s just not possible”?

For many, the latter is probably the case. You know you want to change your life, but still are not entirely convinced it’s possible. Hence, the reason for the shift on this blog.

I’m looking to sell you on someone; yourself. Because once you are convinced of your inherent goodness by virtue of being endowed with the fingerprints of the Father, once you truly believe in your potential to take full responsibility for your life and actions, and once you know your infinite value, getting the person in the mirror to look the way you know he/she should will be a breeze.

Tags: Freedom, Personal Development
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Drop Your Nets

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. -Mark 1:17-18

When Jesus called, the apostles followed; it was that simple. There was no brainstorming session with their team and they didn’t talk it over with their families or consult with their mentors. They also didn’t check their bank accounts and make sure they had enough funds or inquire into Jesus’ 401K plan. No, they “immediately” dropped everything and followed Him.

This is a model for all of us to pattern our lives after. A few posts ago, I quoted Stedman Graham as saying, “The foundation of freedom is passion.” Meaning, whatever you can passionately throw yourself into and serve the world doing is your ultimate vocation in this world. And, until you follow that passion, you will always be limiting yourself.

Jesus had a couple chance encounters with people who sought to take the modern “balanced” approach to decision making. They both seemed to have legitimate needs to fulfill before following. One said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” (Luke 9:59) While another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” (Luke 9:61) Both of these statements earned rebukes from Jesus.

Why?

I believe Jesus knew how quickly the “cares of life” (Luke 8:14) get in the way of real progress. Ideas, insights, and enthusiasm are often drained when life gets in the way. We may have an amazing plan to build an outstanding business or ministry that will offer much needed service to thousands, if not millions of people, but who has time to implement that plan when the kids need to be picked up from school, dinner needs to be made, and the house needs painting?

So, where is He calling you today? Where in your life are you certain it’s time to “drop your nets and follow him?” And, most importantly, what is keeping you from making that decision?

Tags: Freedom, Personal Development, Theology
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Dalton Sherman

Sunday, March 29th, 2009

Meet Dalton Sherman. He is 10 years old and is an absolute inspiration. His presentation at the Success Foundation dinner was just as impressive.

Tags: Personal Development
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Wow!

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

The Success Symposium has truly been an amazing experience! I honestly felt like I got my money’s worth by 8:15 a.m. when I was walking out of the VIP breakfast having met and gotten pictures with Stedman Graham, John Maxwell, Darren Hardy, and John Flemming.

In addition to that, I’ve got at least two or three weeks worth of blog posts in my notes. However, I’m only on a quick break until the Success Foundation dinner starts in about an hour, so I’ve got to run.

In the mean time, here’s one of my favorite notes from the day.

“The foundation of freedom is your passion.” -Stedman Graham

Tags: Freedom, Personal Development
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Twitter Time!

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

I’m in Dallas, Texas for Success Magazine’s Success Symposium this weekend, so my blog posts will probably look more like Twitter tweets. The good news is, there is so much positive motivation going on down here, I’m going to come home floating on a cloud having stolen all of the best lines from the nation’s top speakers. So, look forward to some great posts next week.

In the mean time, I offer you this quote from St. Catherine of Sienna, “If you are what you should be you will set the whole world on fire.”

Let’s GO!!

Tags: Freedom, Personal Development
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