Pursue the interests of your heart...

“Many things will catch your eye but only a few will catch your heart. Pursue those.”

Leaders Follow - Alexandre Ledru-Rollin

“Let me pass, I have to follow them, I am their leader.”

The Only One - Jerry Garcia

“You do not merely want to be considered just the best of the best. You want to be considered the only ones who do what you do.”

Communication - Ken Blanchard

Real communication happens when people feel safe.

Principles - George W. Bush

You make your decisions based on principles; and you never worry about popularity or polls.

The Everlasting Word - 1 Peter 1

24. For, "ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS, AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS. THE GRASS WITHERS, AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF,

25. BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER." And this is the word which was preached to you.

Think about your choices - Proverbs 5:3-4, 6-11

For the lips of an adulteress drip honey and smoother than oil is her speech; but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.…

Keep your way far from her and do not go near the door of her house, or you will give your vigour to others and your years to the cruel one; and strangers will be filled with your strength and your hard-earned goods will go to the house of an alien; and you groan at your final end…(v. 3-4, 8-11)

I am Bold! - Proverbs 28:1

The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.

The Potter & The Clay - Romans 9:20-21

20. But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' "

21. Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?

I refuse - Velvet Elvis

I refuse to escape and become numb to and check-out of this broken fractured world.

Sin - Velvet Elvis

My job is the relentless pursuit of who God has made me to be. Anything else I do is sin and I need to repent of it.

All Truth

All Truth is God's Truth, no matter where it is found. Because all things belong to Him, including Christ to whom we belong, all things belong to us, including ALL truth.

Jesus is God's Plan - and Always was...

Jesus is how God put things together. The Original Master Plan; from the Beginning. Jesus did not just show up in the New Testament to fix the problem; He always was.

Another key...Seek Truth Everywhere

As I have intensely sought Truth wherever I have found it and whoever has spoke it over the past few weeks; my knowledge of God and my desire to serve him has been drastically accelerated; even though much of the Truth I was discovering through quotes and the like were given by those who do not profess Christ!

The Magic Formula

There is none! Seek Him wholeheartedly, read His Word; remove sin and darkness from your life and He will show you His way.

If I could only bottle it and sell it...

Years ago I thought of the strongest emotional experience in tremendously positive events, child birth, an emotional story of triumph, a passionate dialog with a loved one, the intensely interested look from an attractive member of the opposite sex, an adrenaline rush from excessive speed or risk, etc. I thought how wonderful it would be if these "feelings" could be captured and distributed in a "condensed" form. I now believe that these are hints of what we can only experience as one with our Creator, our Father. This is what we try so hard to simulate here on earth, yet will only truly know it once we have bound ourselves to Christ.

Give yourself to Him! - C.S Lewis

As long as we are thinking that way, one or other of two results is likely to follow. Either we give up trying to be good, or else we become very unhappy indeed. For, make no mistake: if you are really going to try to meet all the demands made on the natural self, it will not have enough left over to live on. The more you obey your conscience, the more your conscience will demand of you. And your natural self, which is thus being starved and hampered and worried at every turn, will get angrier and angrier. In the end, you will either give up trying to be good, or else become one of those people who, as they say, "live for others" but always in a discontented, grumbling way - always wondering why the others do not notice it more and always making a martyr of yourself. And once you have become that you will be a far greater pest to anyone who has to live with you than you would have been if you had remained frankly selfish.
The Christian way is different: harder, and easier. Christ says "Give me All. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don't want to cut off a branch here and a branch here, I want to have the whole tree down. I don't want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked - the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.

Early in the morning - C.S Lewis

That is why the real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussings and frettings; coming in out of the wind.

Count the Cost - C.S. Lewis

That is why He warned people to "count the cost" before becoming Christians. "Make no mistake," He says, "if you let me, I will make you perfect. The moment you put yourself in My hands, that is what you are in for. Nothing less, or other, than that. You have free will, and if you choose, you can push Me away. But if you do not push Me away, understand that I am going to see this job through. Whatever suffering it may cost you in your earthly life, whatever inconceivable purification it may cost you after death, whatever it costs Me, I will never rest, nor let you rest, until you are literally perfect - until my Father can say without reservation that He is well pleased with you, as He said He was well pleased with me. This I can do and will do. But I will not do anything less.

Condition yourself to for His initiative - C.S. Lewis

When you come to knowing God, the initiative lies on His side. If He does not show Himself, nothing you can do will enable you to find Him. And, in fact, He shows much more of Himself to some people than to others - not because He has favourites, but because it is impossible for Him to show Himself to a man whose whole mind and character are in the wrong condition. Just as sunlight, though it has no favourites, cannot be reflected in a dusty mirror as clearly as a clean one.

Agreed! - C.S. Lewis

I think all Christians would agree with me if I said that though Christianity seems at first to be all about morality, all about duties and rules and guilt and virtue, yet it leads you on, out of all that, into something beyond.

Works must exist, however completion comes only through God. - Philippians 2:12-13

12. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed , not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

13. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

A Great Deal!

I can give the LORD nothing that is not already His, yet He gives me EVERYTHING in in exchange for this nothing!

Keep it in front of you - C.S. Lewis

That is why daily prayers and religious reading and church going are necessary parts of the Christian life. We have to be continually reminded of what we believe. Neither this belief nor any other will automatically remain alive in the mind. It must be fed. And as a matter of fact, if you examined a hundred people who had lost their faith in
Christianity, I wonder how many of them would turn out to have been reasoned out of it by honest argument? Do not most people simply drift away?

Keep it Alive! - C.S. Lewis

I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same.

Finally Understood - Psalm 23

1. The LORD is my shepherd ; I shall not want .

2. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies : thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever .

Show Love For Another - C.S. Lewis

The rule for all of us is perfectly simple. Do not waste time bothering whether you "love" your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.

Loving Others - C.S. Lewis

But love, in the Christian sense, does not mean an emotion. It is a state not of the feelings but of the will; that state of the will which we have naturally about ourselves, and must learn to have about other people.

The 'Humble' Man - C.S. Lewis

Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call "humble" nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody. Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.

Pride outside of Self - C.S. Lewis

To love and admire anything outside yourself is to take one step away from utter spiritual ruin; though we shall not be well so long as we love and admire anything more than we love and admire God.

Pride & The small dirty object - C.S. Lewis

The real test of being in the presence of God is that you either forget about yourself altogether or see yourself as a small, dirty object. It is better to forget about yourself altogether.

Pride & Competition - C.S. Lewis

Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better-looking than others. If every one else became equally rich, or clever, or good-looking there would be nothing to be proud about. It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone.

Pride & Wisdom - C.S. Lewis

In fact, if you want to find out how proud you are the easiest way is to ask yourself, "How much do I dislike it when other people snub me, or refuse to take any notice of me, or shove their oar in, or patronize me, or show off?" The point it that each person's pride is in competition with every one else's pride.

The Gift of Self-Awareness - C.S. Lewis

Remember that, as I said, the right direction leads not only to peace but to knowledge. When a man is getting better he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left in him.

Do not Judge - C.S. Lewis

That is why Christians are told not to judge. We see only the results which a man's choices make out of his raw material. But God does not judge him on the raw material at all, but on what he has done with it. Most of the man's psychological make-up is probably due to his body: when his body dies all that will fall off him, and the real
central man, the thing that chose, that made the best or the worst out of this material, will stand naked. All sorts of nice things which we thought our own, but which were really due to a good digestion, will fall off some of us: all sorts of nasty things which were due to complexes or bad health will fall off others. We shall then, for the first time, see every one as he really was. There will be surprises.

Charity - C.S. Lewis

In the passage where the New Testament says that every one must work, it gives as a reason "in order that he may have something to give to those in need."

I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc, is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them. I am speaking now of "charities" in the common way. Particular cases of distress among your own relatives, friends, neighbors or employees, which God, as it were, forces upon your notice, may demand much more: even to the crippling and endangering of your own position. For many of us the great obstacle to charity lies not in our luxurious living or desire for more money, but in our fear-fear of insecurity. This must often be recognized as a temptation. Sometimes our pride also hinders our charity; we are tempted to spend more than we ought on the showy forms of generosity (tipping, hospitality) and less than we ought on those who really need our help.

The Secret To Life

Selflessness, Humbleness, Reduction of Self

The Three Parts of Morality

External Workings - Selflessness - LOVE

Internal Workings - Positive Outlook - HOPE

Direction - Definitive Goals - FAITH?

Is there sin in your life?

Sin keeps us from God and keeps us from Truth. Sin is darkness, Truth is Light; Truth can not be seen in darkness. If you cannot seem to 'find' God, or understand faith, more than likely you are holding onto darkness somewhere in your life.

Search your life, find the darkness and eliminate it letting the Light shine into every corner, crack, and crevice in your Life.

Do this and the Lord will reveal Himself and His Truth to you in ways and at a rate that you never imagined.

The 'Cardinal Virtues' & 'Theological Virtues'

Cardinal Virtues:

PRUDENCE is the exercise of sound judgment in practical affairs, wisdom in the way of caution and provision; discretion; carefulness; hence, also, economy; frugality

TEMPERANCE is the practice of self-control, abstention, and moderation.

JUSTICE is the moderation between selfishness and selflessness.

FORTITUDE is forbearance, endurance, and the ability to confront fear and uncertainty.

Each of these 'Cardinal Virtues' have vice at their extremes, and can only be classed as virtues when kept between these extremes.

Theological Virtues:

FAITH is steadfastness in belief.

HOPE is the expectation of good.

LOVE/CHARITY is unconditional, selfless, and voluntary loving-kindness.

Vice is only found at the extreme negative of the 'Theological Virtues', never at the extreme positive.

First-class Fighting Trim - C.S. Lewis

God wants in us a child's heart, but a grown-up's head. He wants us to be simple, single-minded, affectionate, and teachable, as good children are; but He also wants every bit of intelligence we have to be alert at its job, and in first-class fighting trim.

Got time? - Geoff Hartwig

"Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity" - (Ephesians 5:15-16)

Let's honor our Heavenly Father with our goals and plans and give careful thought to our ways.

Pride & Honor - Proverbs 29:23

A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.

Pride or Wisdom - Proverbs 13:10

Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

Pride - Proverbs 11:2

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Salvation... - C.S. Lewis

In other words, fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement: he is a rebel who must lay down his arms.

About Self - C.S. Lewis

The moment you have a self at all, there is a possibility of putting Yourself first -wanting to be the centre-wanting to be God, in fact. That was the sin of Satan: and that was the sin he taught the human race. Some people think the fall of man had something to do with sex, but that is a mistake. (The story in the Book of Genesis rather suggests that some corruption in our sexual nature followed the fall and was its result, not its cause.) What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could "be like gods" -could set up on their own as if they had created themselves -be their own masters -invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history-money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery -the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.

Stimulus & Response - Stephen R. Covey

Between stimulus and response, there is a space.
In that space is our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our freedom

A Chief Want - Ralph Emerson

Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.

No right to command - Dag Hammarskjöld

Your position never gives you the right to command. It only imposes on you the duty of so living your life that others may receive your orders without being humiliated.

Give it away - Admiral James B. Stockdale

Leadership must be based on goodwill. Goodwill does not mean posturing and, least of all, pandering to the mob. It means obvious and wholehearted commitment to helping followers. We are tired of leaders we fear, tired of leaders we love, and of tired of leaders who let us take liberties with them. What we need for leaders are men of the heart who are so helpful that they, in effect, do away with the need of their jobs. But leaders like that are never out of a job, never out of followers. Strange as it sounds, great leaders gain authority by giving it away.

Leadership as a percentage - Dee Hock

Control is not leadership; management is not leadership; leadership is leadership. If you seek to lead, invest at least 50% of your time in leading yourself—your own purpose, ethics, principles, motivation, conduct. Invest at least 20% leading those with authority over you and 15% leading your peers.

The best Leaders - Lao-tsu

To lead people, walk beside them ... As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence. The next best, the people honor and praise. The next, the people fear; and the next, the people hate ... When the best leader's work is done the people say, 'We did it ourselves!

The acceptance of Mediocrity - Kathleen Norris

Over and over again mediocrity is promoted because real worth isn't to be found.

Treat others... - Goethe

Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being.

Restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed... - Audrey Hepburn

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.

Get or Give? - Winston Churchill

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

Work or Play - Mark Twain

What work I have done I have done because it has been play. If it had been work I shouldn't have done it. Who was it who said, "Blessed is the man who has found his work"? Whoever it was he had the right idea in his mind. Mark you, he says his work--not somebody else's work. The work that is really a man's own work is play and not work at all. Cursed is the man who has found some other man's work and cannot lose it. When we talk about the great workers of the world we really mean the great players of the world. The fellows who groan and sweat under the weary load of toil that they bear never can hope to do anything great. How can they when their souls are in a ferment of revolt against the employment of their hands and brains? The product of slavery, intellectual or physical, can never be great.

The Good of Others... - Confucious

He who wishes to secure the good of others, has already secured his own.

Don't do it! - Lin Yutang

Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials.

Republicans & Democrats - Andy Rooney

Democrats (I think to myself) are liberals who believe the people are basically good, but that they need government help to organize their lives. They believe in freedom so fervently that they think it should be compulsory. They believe that the poor and ignorant are victims of an unfair system and that their circumstances can be improved if we give them help. Republicans (I think to myself) are conservatives who think it would be best if we faced the fact that people are no damned good. They think that if we admit that we have selfish, acquisitive natures and then set out to get all we can for ourselves by working hard for it, that things will be better for everyone. They are not insensitive to the poor, but tend to think the poor are impoverished because they won't work. They think there would be fewer of them to feel sorry for if the government did not encourage the proliferation of the least fit among us with welfare programs.

On management... - Austin Manuel

Our responsibility is not to perform the actual work necessary to achieve the results. Our responsibility is to make the decisions, properly allocate the resources, and ultimately for the results achieved.

No Good, Except... - Austin Manuel

I find no good in myself except that which I give in Love and Service to Others.

A Religious Man - Abraham Joshua Heschel

A religious man is a person who holds God and man in one thought at one time, at all times, who suffers harm done to others, whose greatest passion is compassion, whose greatest strength is love and defiance of despair.

Pessimest or Optimist? - Winston Churchill

The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

I believe - Robert Fulghum

I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge -- myth is more potent than history -- dreams are more powerful than facts -- hope always triumphs over experience -- laughter is the cure for grief -- love is stronger than death.

Moral Excellence - Aristotle

Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.

Goals are essential - Robert H. Schuller

Goals are not only absolutely necessary to motivate us. They are essential to really keep us alive.

Know where you are going - Ralph Emerson

The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.

Action, again... - Ralph Emerson

Good thoughts are no better than good dreams, unless they be executed.

The Key is Action - Michael Hanson

To will is to select a goal, determine a course of action that will bring one to that goal, and then hold to that action till the goal is reached. The key is action.

Leadership according to John Gardner

Most important, leaders can conceive and articulate goals that lift people out of their petty preoccupations and unite them in pursuit of objectives worthy of their best efforts.

Have you set Goals? - J.C. Penney

Give me a stock clerk with a goal and I'll give you a man who will make history. Give me a man with no goals and I'll give you a stock clerk.

Self-Creation - Henry David Thoreau

Thought is the sculptor who can create the person you want to be.

Affirm, then Act - Epictetus

First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.

Put it Back - Albert Einstein

It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it.

Freedom found in Giving - Barbara Bush

Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our mind to the unexplained worlds occupied by the needs of others.

Be the Light - Felix Adler

The hero is one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by. The saint is the man who walks through the dark paths of the world, himself a light.

Example vs. Reason - Christian Novell Bovee

Example has more followers than reason.

The Service of Government - Mark Twain

The government is merely a servant -- merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn't. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them.

Discover your Mission - W. Clement Stone

When you discover your mission, you will feel its demand. It will fill you with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on it.

Enthusiasm - Arnold Toynbee

Apathy can be overcome by enthusiasm, and enthusiasm can only be aroused by two things: first, an ideal, with takes the imagination by storm, and second, a definite intelligible plan for carrying that ideal into practice.

Effectiveness - Henry David Thoreau

There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root.

Preparation for the Future - Ralph Emerson

Don't waste life in doubts and fears; spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour's duties will be the best preparation for the hours and ages that will follow it.

The Cowardess of Silence - Abraham Lincoln

To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.

Preservation of Contact - Anias Nin

Each contact with a human being is so rare, so precious, one should preserve it.

My Privilege - George Bernard Shaw

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.

Don't say too much... - Robert Greenleaf

Many attempts to communicate are nullified by saying too much.

Listen Completely - Ernest Hemingway

When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.

An Index of Character - Abigail Van Buren

The best index to a person's character is (a) how he treats people who can't do him any good, and (b) how he treats people who can't fight back.

The Roots of Evil - Ghandi

Wealth without work,
Pleasure without conscience,
Knowledge without character,
Commerce without morality,
Science without humanity,
Worship without sacrifice,
Politics without principles.

A Man of Value - Albert Einstein

Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.

Keeping is Short - Woodrow Wilson

If I am to speak ten minutes, I need a week for preparation; if fifteen minutes, three days; if half an hour, two days; if an hour, I am ready now.

Simple English - Mark Twain

I notice that you use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English - it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don't let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in. When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don't mean utterly, but kill most of them - then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when they are close together. They give strength when they are wide apart. An adjective habit, or a wordy, diffuse, flowery habit, once fastened upon a person, is as hard to get rid of as any other vice.

Brevity - Mark Twain

To get the right word in the right place is a rare achievement. To condense the diffused light of a page of thought into the luminous flash of a single sentence, is worthy to rank as a prize composition just by itself...Anybody can have ideas--the difficulty is to express them without squandering a quire of paper on an idea that ought to be reduced to one glittering paragraph.

As we are - Anias Nin

We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.

The Life in your Years - Abraham Lincoln

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

Decalogue of Canons - Thomas Jefferson

1. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
2. Never trouble another for what you can do yourself.
3. Never spend your money before you have it.
4. Never buy what you do not want, because it is cheap; it will be dear to you.
5. Pride costs us more than hunger, thirst, and cold.
6. We never repent of having eaten too little.
7. Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly.
8. How much pain have cost us the evils which never have happened.
9. Take things always by their smooth handle.
10. When angry, count ten, before you speak; if very angry, an hundred.

Finish the Day - Ralph Emerson

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

Acheivement of Success - Bessie Stanley

He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who has left the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who has never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty or failed to express it; who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had; whose life was an inspiration; whose memory a benediction.

Concious of Responsibility - Victor Frankl

A man who becomes conscious of the responsibility he bears toward a human being who affectionately waits for him, or to an unfinished work, will never be able to throw away his life. He knows the "why" for his existence, and will be able to bear almost any "how."

Responsibility - Booker T. Washington

Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him, and to let him know that you trust him.

To Listen - Mark Nepo

To listen is to continually give up all expectation and to give our attention, completely and freshly, to what is before us, not really knowing what we will hear or what that will mean. In the practice of our days, to listen is to lean in, softly, with a willingness to be changed by what we hear.

Simply Listening - Margaret J. Wheatley

Listening is such a simple act. It requires us to be present, and that takes practice, but we don't have to do anything else. We don't have to advise, or coach, or sound wise. We just have to be willing to sit there and listen.

Listen - Stephen Covey

Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

A great poem - Walt Whitman

Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown, or to any man or number of men [sic] -- go freely with powerful uneducated persons, and with the young, and with the mothers or families -- re-examine all you have been told in school or church or in any book, and dismiss whatever insults your own soul; and your very flesh shall be a great poem, and have the richest fluency, not only in its words, but in the silent lines of its lips and face, and between the lashes of your eyes, and in every motion and joint of your body.

Alter your attitude - William James

The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude. As you think, so shall you be.

Opportunity & Action - Thomas Edison

Opportunity is missed by most because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

Winning - Richard Bach

Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can.

Reality according to Martha Washington

The greatest part of our happiness depends on our dispositions, not our circumstances.

Your Choice - Marcus Aurelius

If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.

Resolution for Success -Abraham Lincoln

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.

There is no try... - Yoda

Do, or do not. There is no try.

How are we read? - Thomas Jefferson

It is in our lives and not our words that our religion must be read.

What is luck - Thomas Jefferson

I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.

The great end - Thomas Huxley

The great end of life is not knowledge but action.

Action according to Thomas Edison

Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing.

Greatness - Theodore Rooslevelt

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

Do not abandon - The Talmud

Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.

To change history - Robert F. Kennedy

Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.

Judge a man by his Actions - Ralph Emerson

It is the duty of men to judge men only by their actions. Our faculties furnish us with no means of arriving at the motive, the character, the secret self. We call the tree good from its fruits, and the man, from his works.

Don't talk about it - Ralph Emerson

The thing done avails, and not what is said about it.

Skill -Ralph Emerson

Skill to do comes of doing.

Accomplishmnet - Mark Twain

There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and people who claim to have accomplished things. The first group is less crowded.

A littel Knowledge - Kahlil Gibran

A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle.

Just Do It - John Wesley

Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.

Action, not Speech - John Andrew Holmes

Speech is conveniently located midway between thought and action, where it often substitutes for both.

To make a difference - Jimmy Carter

I have one life and one chance to make it count for something . . . I'm free to choose what that something is, and the something I've chosen is my faith. Now, my faith goes beyond theology and religion and requires considerable work and effort. My faith demands -- this is not optional -- my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference.

Action & Application - Goethe

Knowing is not enough; we must apply!

Action from Thought - George Bernanos

A thought which does not result in an action is nothing much,
and an action which does not proceed from a thought is nothing at all.

Action - Again! - George Bernard Shaw

A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent in doing nothing.

Action VI - Franklin Roosevelt

It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.

Realaity - Again - Epectetus

In a word, neither death, nor exile, nor pain, nor anything of this kind is the real cause of our doing or not doing any action, but our inward opinions and principles.

Action V - Dhammapada

Just as a flower, which seems beautiful has color but no perfume, so are the fruitless words of a man who speaks them but does them not.

Action IV - Caroline Myss

You cannot change anything in your life with intention alone, which can become a watered-down, occasional hope that you'll get to tomorrow. Intention without action is useless.

How do you spend you life? - Anne Dillard

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.

Action III - Ann Radcliffe

One act of beneficence, one act of real usefulness, is worth all the abstract sentiment in the world.

Action II - Alfred Adler

Trust only movement. Life happens at the level of events, not of words. Trust movement.

Stealth - Alexander Pope

Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame.

A Successful Day - Alex Noble

If I have been of service, if I have glimpsed more of the nature and essence of ultimate good, if I am inspired to reach wider horizons of thought and action, if I am at peace with myself, it has been a successful day.

ACTION! - Joan Baez

Action is the antidote to despair.

Manager or Leader - Warren Bennis

The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.

Who cares what the world thinks? - Susan B. Anthony

Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform. Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world's estimation, and publicly and privately, in season and out, avow their sympathy with despised and persecuted ideas and their advocates, and bear the consequences.

Leaders beget Leaders - Ralph Nader

I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.

'We', not 'I'... - Peter Drucker

The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say "I." And that's not because they have trained themselves not to say "I." They don't think "I." They think "we"; they think "team." They understand their job to be to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don't sidestep it, but "we" gets the credit. This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done.

Influence - Ken Blanchard

The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.

Leadership - John Quincy Adams

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.

Consult Others - Elizabeth Dole

What you always do before you make a decision is consult. The best public policy is made when you are listening to people who are going to be impacted. Then, once policy is determined, you call on them to help you sell it.

Mediocrity - Albert Einstein

Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence.

Of Pride... - C.S. Lewis

Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man... It is the comparison that makes you proud; the pleasure of being above the rest.

Criticism - Aristotle

Criticism is something you can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.

Not 'But', but 'And' - Dale Carnegie

Change your 'but's' to 'and's'.

Consistency - Brian Tracy

Get people in the habit of saying 'yes, yes'. People want to be seen as consistent; therefore it is paramount to begin with positive statements.

Good Advice - Dale Carnegie

Welcome disagreement; distrust your first instinctive impression; control your temper; look for areas of agreement; thank the other person for his interest.

About others... - Disraeli

Talk to people about themselves and they will listen for hours.

Who is your Master? - Stephen R. Covey

Until you can say 'I am my master', you cannot say 'I am your servant'.

Praise - Dale Carnegie

Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be specific; the more specific the praise the more it will be appreciated and the less likely it will appear to be flattery.

How a man can be... - Goethe

Treat a man as he is, and he will remain as he is; treat a man as he can and should be, and he will become as he can and should be.

Do not diminish another - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I have no right to say or do anything that diminishes a man in his own eyes. What matters is not what I think of him, but what he thinks of himself. Hurting a man in his dignity is a crime.

The most important person... - Dale Carnegie

Treat everyone you meet today as the most important person you will meet today.

Interest in others... - Alfred Adler

It is the individual who is not interested in his fellow men who has the greatest difficulty in life and provides the greatest injury to others. It is from such individuals that all human failures spring.

Excellence according to Aristotle

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.

Superiority - Emerson

Every man I meet is my superior in some way. In that, I learn from him.

What do you want in lofe? - Zig Ziglar

You can have everything in life that you want if you just give enough other people what they want.

Love, love, love... - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.

What do you believe? - Dr. Napoleon Hill

Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.

Self-Discovery

There is no gift quite as wonderful as the gift of self-discovery, regardless of what you may find; and which is only given by our Father.

Choose your Friends wisely - The Talmud

Join the company of lions rather than assume the lead among foxes.

Be Yourself - Frank Crane

A friend is someone with whom you dare to be yourself.

May I Love Others - Sir Francis of Assisi

Lord, grant that I might not so much seek to be loved as to love.

Do you have IT? - Sir James M. Barrie

If you have it [Love], you don't need to have anything else, and if you don't have it, it doesn't matter much what else you have.

An Irresistible Desire - Robert Frost

Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.

Love - Franklin P. Jones

Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.

Community Value - Albert Einstein

One should guard against preaching to young people success in the customary form as the main aim in life. The most important motive for work in school and in life is pleasure in work, pleasure in its result, and the knowledge of the value of the result to the community.

Set the Example - Albert Einstein

Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others; it is the only means.

Reality - Albert Einstein

Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.

Character - Ghandi

The truest test of civilization, culture, and dignity is character, not clothing.

Tyranny... - Ghandi

The only tyrant I accept in this world is the still voice within.

Finding Oneself... - Ghandi

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.

You want Change? - Ghandi

We must become the change we want to see.

Do what we MUST... - Ghandi

The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems.

Self-Pride - Mark Twain

Good breeding consists in concealing how much we think of ourselves and how little we think of the other person.

Reality Revisited.. - Mark Twain

Life does not consist mainly, or even largely, of facts and happenings. It consists mainly of the storm of thought that is forever flowing through one's head.

A Prompt Response - Mark Twain

I was gratified to be able to answer promptly, and I did. I said I didn't know.

Ambition - Mark Twain

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.

Don't be a Fool... - Mark Twain

It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.

Shut up! - Mark Twain

If you have nothing to say, say nothing.

Do the Right Thing! - Mark Twain

Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.

Enjoy the Adventure - Mark Twain

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

Too many words... - Dr. Suess

So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.

What will you become? - Zig Ziglar

What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.

Live & Learn - Ghandi

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.

Life worth Living - Socrates

The life which is unexamined is not worth living.

Action! - Walt Disney

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.

Don't Meddle... - Theodore Roosevelt

The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.

Vision - Theodore M. Hesburgh

The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can't blow an uncertain trumpet.

Delegation... - Robert Half

Delegating work works, provided the one delegating works, too.

The Art of Leadership - Dwight Eisenhower

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.

Leadership - George S. Patton

Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.

Doing the Right things... - Peter Drucker

Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.

Success - Dale Carnegie

Flaming enthusiasm, backed by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success.

Be Unreasonable!! - George Bernard Shaw

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

Don't look down! - Jesse Jackson

Never look down on anybody unless you're helping him up.

We create reality... - Richard Bach

Within each of us lies the power of our consent to health and sickness, to riches and poverty, to freedom and to slavery. It is we who control these, and not another.

Why not? - George Bernard Shaw

You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?'

I think I can... - Henry Ford

Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right.

I am speechless...

If I find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy then I can only conclude that I was not made for here - C.S. Lewis

Control Thy Mind...

Know that the Self is the rider, and the body the chariot; that the
intellect is the charioteer, and the mind the reins.

The senses, say the wise, are the horses; the roads they travel are
the mazes of desire....

When a man lacks discrimination and his mind is uncontrolled, his
senses are unmanageable, like the restive horses of a charioteer. But
when a man has discrimination and his mind is controlled, his senses, like the well-broken horses of a charioteer, lightly obey the rein.

Harness the Beast...

Man makes a harness for his beast; all the more should he make one for the beast within himself, his evil desire.

Conquer Yourself...

Attack the evil that is within yourself; do not attack the evil that is in
others.

Self Awareness & Control...

He who knows others is wise;
He who knows himself is enlightened.
He who conquers others has physical strength;
He who conquers himself is strong.

Who is strong?

He who controls his passions...

Self Discipline - Corinthians 9:24-27

24. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

25. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.

26. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.

27. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Conquest of Mind...

With the conquest of my mind, I have conquered the whole world.

On Conquering...

He who conquers himself has won a far greater victory than he who conquers a city...

Self Control - Proverbs 16:32

He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

About difficult conversations...

remember, it's all in the presentation....

So your desire is to lead others?

1 Timothy 3:1-7

1. Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.

2. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,

3. not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.

4. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect.

5. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?)

6. He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.

7. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.


Titus 1:6-9

6. An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.

7. Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless--not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.

8. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.

9. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

No Guarantees...

There are no guarantees in life. Every day is a gift.

Interested in Happiness? - Earl Nightingale

Happiness comes to those who are moving toward something they want very much to happen. And it almost always involves making someone else happy.

The Creation of Reality - Earl Nightingale

Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become a reality.

Want to help others? - Earl Nightingale

We can help others in the world more by making the most of yourself than in any other way.

Focus - Earl Nightingale

The man who succeeds above his fellows is the one who early in life clearly discerns his object, and towards that object habitually directs his powers.

Energy - Earl Nightingale

The key that unlocks energy is desire. It's also the key to a long and interesting life. If we expect to create any drive, any real force within ourselves, we have to get excited.

Mathew 7:7 - The Answer to The Secret

7. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

8. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

9. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

10. Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?

11. If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

What is Success? - Earl Nightingale

Success is...the progressive realization of a worthy ideal...

The Strangest Secret - Earl Nightingale

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0vRa3KiUEU

We become what we think about...

My Personal Mission...

In honor of Him who has saved my soul...

I commit my life to love, purpose, and excellence in all things; dedicated to the service, inspiration, and enrichment of the lives of those around me...

Seven Deadly Sins - Mahatma Ghandi

Wealth Without Work

Pleasure Without Conscience

Knowledge Without Character

Commerce Without Morality

Science Without Humanity

Religion Without Sacrifice

Politics Without Principle

Attitudes are Contagious

With whom and where you spend your time will become an artificial reality and expectation...

I am nothing... - Bebo Norman

Take these hands and lift them up
For I have not the strength to praise You near enough
Take my voice and pour it out
Let it sing the songs of mercy I have found
Take my body and build it up
May it be broken as an offering of love
Take my time here on this earth
And let it glorify all that You are worth
For I am nothing
I am nothing without You

Your View of the World - John LeCarre

A Desk Is A Dangerous Place From Which To View The World...

A Culture Of Commitment

My word is not only my expressed intent, it is also my result.

My word is strong – never weakened by words such as “maybe, might, try”, or statements such as “I’ll do my best”.

I always frame my commitments within a time line understanding that schedules and deadlines depend upon it.

I always do what I say I will do, by the time that I say I will do it.

I secure and expect commitments from others as I commit to others freely and often.

I only commit to that which I know I will do.

I hold others accountable to their word, as I do myself.

I commit to live by these standards while encouraging and inspiring those around me to the same.

When responding to a question...

it is not required that you swing at every ball...let the ones you can't nail go by...then knock the ones you can out of the park!

Always in Touch with your Team

Be out of sight, but never out of mind...

Reach... - Robert Browning

Man's reach should exceed his grasp...

On Convincing Men - Theodore Roosevelt

Men are best convinced by that which they themselves discover...

Ecclesiastes 11:4

Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap...

You Cannot... - Abraham Lincoln

You cannot help the poor, by destroying the rich.

You cannot strengthen the weak, by weakening the strong.

You cannot bring about prosperity, by discouraging thrift.

You cannot lift the wage earner up, by pulling the wage payer down.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man, by inciting class hatred.

You cannot build character and courage, by taking away men's initiative
and independence.

You cannot help men permanently, by doing for them what they could and
should, do for themselves.

A Great Start

Being filled with hope and expectation is a great place to start, but it’s a poor place to stop...

A Sales Thought - Larry Wilson

I promise I will never being talking about my solution until I'm sure my prospect is eager to hear about it...

Emotional Creatures - Dale Carnegie

When dealing with people, remember, you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotions, creatures bristling with prejudice and motivated by pride and vanity.

Brain Stretcher

God will use every tool available to draw His children Home...we should rejoice in the trials of others...

Planning

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail...

Rats In The Cellar - C.S. Lewis

We begin to notice, besides our particular sinful acts, our sinfulness; begin to be alarmed not only about what we do, but about what we are. This may sound rather difficult, so I will try to make it clear from my own case. When I come to my evening prayers and try to reckon up the sins of the day, nine times out of ten the most obvious one is some sin against charity; I have sulked or snapped or sneered or snubbed or stormed. And the excuse that immediately springs to my mind is that the provocation was so sudden and unexpected; I was caught off my guard, I had not time to collect myself. Now that may be an extenuating circumstance as regards those particular acts: they would obviously be worse if they had been deliberate and premeditated. On the other hand, surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of a man he is? Surely what pops out before the man has time to put on a disguise is the truth? If there are rats in a cellar you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats: it only prevents them from hiding. In the same way the suddenness of the provocation does not make me an ill-tempered man; it only shows me what an ill-tempered man I am. The rats are always there in the cellar, but if you go in shouting and noisily they will have taken cover before you switch on the light.

Great Things - Vincent van Gogh

Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together…

What are you doing? - Floyd Wickman

It’s what you do when you don’t have to that will determine what you will become when you can no longer help it…

Magic - Harry Houdini

Magic is the relentless application of technique…

Delighted Customers - Barry J. Farber

If you have 100 delighted customers, you have 101 people selling your product…

Knowledge - according to Napoleon Hill

As knowledge is acquired it must be organized and put into use for a definite purpose…

Prayer…

Prayer is a work to which we must commit ourselves if we are to make sense of our lives in the light of eternity…

Self-Awareness - John Owen

The person who understands the evil in his own heart is the only person who is useful, fruitful, and solid in his beliefs and obedience. Others only delude themselves and thus upset families, churches, and all other relationships. In their self-pride and judgment of others, they show great inconsistency…

Affirmations…

If you treat a man as he is, he will stay as he is but if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become the bigger and better man…

Selflessnes…

Sacrifice; subordination of self, of ego for the greater good…

Team Building…

Build on strengths, organize to eliminate weaknesses…

Greatness!!

Vision, Discipline, & Passion - The key ingredients of Greatness…

A Sales Thought

Be in front of the prospect when they are ready to buy; not when you are ready to sell…

Reality…

I create reality…plain and simple…

RESULTS!

Emphasize results, not methods…

Set the tone

It is my responsibility to set the tone for those around me. It is my responsibility to create an environment conducive of positivity, passion, and productivity for others…

Effective Communication 2

Don’t tell me what I want to hear, tell me what I need to hear…

Effective Communication

Don’t say more than you have to talk about…

Selflessnes…

Consume yourself with the details and needs of others…

What’s in a name?

A persons name is the most important word to that individual…

Self-Confidence

People will accept you at your appraisal of yourself…

Leadership

Everyone is looking for direction and leadership…

Matthew 9:37

The harvest is plenty but the workers are few…

Something to Think about…

Sow a thought
Reap a deed
Sow a deed
Reap a habit
Sow a habit
Reap a character
Sow a character
Reap a destiny

Watching You - Rodney Atkins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqYUns2YQik

Driving through town just my boy and me
With a happy meal in his booster seat
Knowing that he couldn’t have the toy
Till his nuggets were gone
Green traffic light turned straight to red
I hit my breaks and mumbled under my breath
His fries went a flying and his orange drink covered his lap
Well then my four year old said a four letter word
That started with “s” and I was concerned
So I said son now where did you learn to talk like that

He said I’ve been watching you dad, ain’t that cool
I’m your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
We got cowboy boots and camo pants
Yeah we’re just alike, hey ain’t we dad
I wanna do everything you do
So I’ve been watching you

We got back home and I went to the barn
I bowed my head and I prayed real hard
Said lord please help me help my stupid self
Then this side of bedtime later that night
Turning on my son’s scooby doo nightlight
He crawled out of bed and he got down on his knees
He closed his little eyes, folded his little hands
And spoke to god like he was talking to a friend
And I said son now where’d you learn to pray like that

He said I’ve been watching you dad, ain’t that cool
I’m your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
We like fixing things and holding mama’s hand
Yeah we’re just alike, hey ain’t we dad
I wanna do everything you do
So I’ve been watching you

With tears in my eyes I wrapped him in a hug
Said my little bear is growing up
He said but when I’m big I’ll still know what to do

Cause I’ve been watching you dad, ain’t that cool
I’m your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
By then I’ll be as strong as superman
We’ll be just alike, hey won’t we dad
When I can do everything you do
Cause I’ve been watching you

I’m Waching You, Dad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htgPh3DalmM

Our son’s are truly learning how to live by watch us…

Another Sales Thought

In the absence of value every price will be perceived as too high…

A Sales Thought

People buy for their reasons, not yours…

Fear & Greed - Warren Buffet

Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful...

Genius

Adversity reveals genius; prosperity conceals it…

The Truth

From the cowardice that is afraid of new truth

From the laziness that is content with half-truth

From the arrogance that assumes it has all truth

Oh God of truth, deliver us!

The Human Experience

We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience...

The True Joy In Life - George Bernard Shaw

This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as I live it is my privilege -- my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I love. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me; it is a sort of splendid torch which I've got a hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations....

Lead In The Things That Matter To God…

If you want your Leadership to matter, Lead in the things that matter to God...

Follow Me…

Follow me beyond what you can control, beyond where your own strengths and competencies will take you, beyond what is affirmed or risked by the crowd, and you will experience me, and my power, and my glory, and my love.

Commitment - W.H. Murray

“Until one is committed there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation) there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plan: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamt would have come his way, I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets: ‘Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.. “

Commitment - Theodore Roosevelt

Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.” There is a great danger in our time of succumbing to mediocrity not through incompetence or a lack of integrity but simply from a lack of genuine commitment. To live without such commitment is to live in that “gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”

4 Words To Describe My Wife

Carefree, Passionate, Flirtatious, Playful…

4 Words To Describe Me

Extreme, Passionate, Driven, Alive!

Give Me Your Eyes - Brandon Heath

Looked down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
Touched down on the cold black top
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breath in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
All those people going somewhere,
Why have I never cared?

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
Ones that are far beyond my reach.
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
Yeah
Yeah

Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide what’s underneath
There’s a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
Too ashamed to tell his wife
He’s out of work
He’s buying time
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared?

I’ve Been there a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just moving past me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well I want a second glance
So give me a second chance
To see the way you see the people all along

It’s Not About Me

Not for mine nor thine,

But to Glorify He who Saves me…

It is no Secret - Stuart Hamblin

The chimes of time ring out the news,
Another day is through.
Someone slipped and fell.
Was that someone you?

You may have longed for added strength,
Your courage to renew.
Do not be disheartened,
For I have news for you.

It is no secret what God can do.
What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you.
With arms wide open, He’ll pardon you.
It is no secret what God can do.

There is no night for in His light
You never walk alone.
Always feel at home,
Wherever you may go.

There is no power can conquer you
While God is on your side.
Take Him at His promise,
Don’t run away and hide.

It is no secret what God can do.
What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you.
With arms wide open, He’ll pardon you.
It is no secret what God can do.

In Christ Alone - Keith Getty & Stuart Townend

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev’ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow’r of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow’r of Christ I’ll stand.

Amazing Grace - John Newton

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.