Legacy

I woke up this morning to the news that a dear friend passed away. His life was tragically cut short. He was way to young for his life to be over!

I sit here thinking about my life. What is important? Is it the next deal? Is it how much money I'm going to make or how many new clients in going to get? 

What if my life ends today? What will people say about me. What has been my impact on those around me. Have I added value to their lives or drained them of their energy?

I sit here in thought and prayer. I want to have a servants heart! When we care, we serve better. We are better spouses, parents, co-workers, friends and even bosses.

I want people to see Christ living through me. My selfish wants would be put aside. That would be a legacy to be proud of, no matter how long you life may be.

One Goal

What is your single most important goal? What is the one thing that would define your success and your legacy? Have you thought about it? 

Now that you have that in your mind, what are you doing every day to bring you closer to that goal? We often set goals, then let the whirlwind of life take our eyes off the ball. We fall into a rut. The things we find ourselves doing everyday have nothing to do with our goals. We go into survival mode.

If you are going to have an important goal, you have to be intentional every day to accomplish it. In the book "The 4 Disciplines of Execution", the author states "People play differently when they are keeping score!"

It's time to stop going through life like a zombie and start living with purpose. Remember you only have one run at this! Set a goal today. There is no limit to what you can do!

Opportunity or Passion?

I hear it often said, "Go follow your passion!" Or, "make your vacation your vocation!" Is that true? Should that be the way we approach our careers?

Look at it this way. Look for opportunities and bring your passion with you. How many opportunities do you miss looking for your passion?

I love to play the bass! I have a passion for it! How fun would it be for me to teach bass lessons five days a week. I think I might lose some passion.

Let some things be your getaway, your vacation. Always look for opportunities! Bring your passion with you! 

30 Blank Squares

We all start each month with 30 blank squares on the calender. It's what we do with those squares that makes the difference. You are in total control of your squares.

What happens when we let others pick what we do with our squares? We are often overwhelmed trying to move the ball down the court for someone else! We don't have time for excercise, devotion or self improvement. 

I hear people all the time say, " I don't have time for this or that." You have time or will make time for the things that are most important to you. Every month you get a new set of squares. Start prefilling the things you want to accomplish for that month. It could be scheduled time at the gym, church or even a vacation. Schedule days off too.

Remember only one person is ultimately in charge of your squares. 

Ugly Babies!

Social media can be used in two ways. You can lift people up or break them down. You can choose to add value or strip it away.

When you next post, think about the effect it will have. Are you stirring the pot? Are you attempting to gain validation for your opinion? 

When you post or share something you know is controversial, you should know you aren't going to change someone's mind who holds a different point of view. This is not the setting for that. It's like taking a megaphone into a crowd and trying to have a meaningful debate. This should be done one on one.

The next time you post, just stop and think. Am I building those around me up? Arguing on social media is like trying to convince someone their baby's ugly. It ain't happening!

Father or Dad?

We just celebrated Father's Day yesterday. Like many others, I spent the day with my dad. We grilled out, sang and reminisced about the good ole days. This morning I started thinking about the difference between a father and a dad.

A "father" is a biological position. One simple act of indescretion or many years of planning the perfect moment to start a family. A father may stick around or may take off as soon as the baby arrives. He may help the mom with the financial needs of the newborn or not. You see the term father carries no obligation.

Now "dad" means something different to me. The times I know my dad wanted to fish alone, but took me and my brother anyway. He spent the entire time untangling our lines. The times he spent with us camping, riding motorcycles or building new bicycles out of old ones. No matter what happened in the world, I knew I had a dad that loved me unconditionally. The word "dad" means sacrifice.

I strive to be a good dad to my children as well. They are my world! I look forward every morning to hugging them and kissing on them. Every night I tuck them in and we say our prayers. I wouldn't miss those moments for anything.

So as I reflect on yesterday, I want to wish everyone a Happy Dad's Day!

It starts with your mindset.

Have you wondered why some are successful and others struggle daily? The chips seem to fall right for some all the time. Other people can't buy a break!

It starts with how you think. If you are broke and you start thinking how wealthy people think, you will start to do the things that will make you wealthy. On the other hand, if you are wealthy and you start thinking like a broke person, you are on your way to becoming broke.

It starts with accepting the fact that it is not someone else's fault that you are in your situation. Go look in the mirror. That is the person responsible. Sure, sometimes outside forces affect our lives. It is your reaction to those things that determines your success.

Randy Gage said "You can be a victim or a victor, but you can't be both!