Ready or Not

According to a recent study by the Population Reference Bureau, 108 billion people have lived on this earth.  About 7 billion of those people are alive at this very moment.  This means that 101 billion people have lived and died.  Worldwide, 1.8 people die every second.  That’s 7,200 people each day.  About 20 to 30 people died in the time it took you to read this paragraph.

Are you ready?

Death is not a possibility. It is a determined fact.  You and I will die just as all of the others before us have done. (Sorry if I'm the bearer of bad news).

We all have different gifts, according to the grace given us.  Are you making use of those gifts?  If not, what are you waiting for?  Does the fear of failure hold you back?  Does the fear of being embarrassed, or getting hurt, or even getting killed keep you from acting now?

In his book, Take the Stairs, author Rory Vaden begins his introduction by saying that we live in a “ProcrastiNation.” He writes that “we all want to be successful and we all want to have a happy life, but we constantly look for the easy way.”

Regardless of our current emotional state, physical state, or financial situation, making the most of your time on earth is about self-discipline. 

The Clock is ticking...

Can you hear it?  Do you have a tough time avoiding distractions? Do you stare blankly at your unfinished to-do list at the end of the day? Do you regret every morning what you didn’t finish yesterday? Well, the clock is still ticking.

That doesn’t mean you should work like a robot 18 hours a day and get just enough sleep to get by.  However, it should remind you that there is something to do, and you are the only person who can do it!

(This is an excerpt from Making the Most of Your Time on Earth by D. Kirk Buchanan available from Amazon in print and on the Amazon Kindle.)

Too Many Friends?

How many "friends" do you have on your social networks? I just checked my Facebook account and I have 499 and quite a few more than that on LinkedIn, Twitter, Blogspot, etc.  And while that may sound like a lot, I have heard of others whose list of friends runs into the several thousands.

Now, my social networking friends are people I actually know.  LinkedIn is a great place to connect with business contacts and Facebook may (arguably) be better for non-business relationships.  Either way, these connections are family members, people from church, business associates, high school or college classmates, and so forth.  If I'm connected to someone on Facebook or LinkedIn, then I've had actual, human interaction with them at some point in time.  These social media tools are a great way to stay in touch.

But if I was going through a tough time, I wouldn't expect all 499 friends to walk with me -- and they're probably glad to hear that!  After all, while they may be interested to see a picture of my kids every now and then or see what I've been up to lately (if that), they aren't expecting to go beyond the virtual level.  It would probably be awkward for me to ask them for help or advice.  Those are things you need from your closest, most trustworthy companions.

King Solomon was one of the wisest men who ever lived.  In Proverbs 18:24, Solomon said a person with a lot of friends could be "ruined."  He wasn't saying we should limit our acquaintances.  Instead, he was encouraging us to nurture a few tight relationships with the kind of people who are "closer than a brother." Since the quality of our friends is way more important than the quantity, the Bible warns against gathering mere acquaintances who are likely to blow us off in time of need.  Although we may have accumulated hundreds, or even thousands, of friends in our social networking accounts, we cannot experience authentic love through online connections.

Many of our relationships do not deserve the title of friendship because they don't go much deeper than mere acquaintance. However, when a true friend faces a tough time, we provide support by being there and offering listening ears.

True friendship rests in our relationships developed over time and experiences through which we can show the depth of commitments even through difficult times.

That kind of loyalty is hard to find, but it is well worth the search.

Good vs. Better

Often our choices of how we spend our time can cause conflict with others who would make different choices. Our conflict may be with our spouse over how we are going to spend the weekend. It could be with our work over whether to work extra time on a project or go home early. It might be with our own schedule determining what we can and cannot do with our time.

We're halfway through March already! Are you doing what you said you'd be doing?

Now is the time to evaluate your time wasters. These are activities you do on a regular basis that you don’t particularly enjoy and that don’t produce any meaningful benefits. This could be anything from sitting in front of the television, to surfing the Internet, to creeping on your friends on Facebook, to tinkering in the garage. Once you’ve recognized the activities that take a good chunk of your time, you can take steps to change your behavior. You don’t necessarily have to eliminate them, but you do have to moderate them. Some things are not necessarily wrong, they’re just not necessary.

Every day we make choices based on priorities. That doesn't mean the other choice is wrong. It doesn't mean we won't have to eventually do all of the choices at some point. It means that in the act of making decisions, it isn't always about right and wrong, as much as it is about good and better.

Nollaig Chridheil agus Bliadhna Mhath Ur!

That's Scottish Gaelic for "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year", and it's pronounced "noll-eg cree-yel ugus blee-anna vah oor"

Success = Talent + Team

In a desperate attempt to climb the ladder of success many men and women will happily kick and trample on the heads of those beneath them.  Sadly, cutthroat competition is simply the way the world is. Some people fall into the trap of striving for success at any price. Others just give up and depend on the system to take care of them as they live off the labors of others. Both perspectives are way out of balance. 

People in organizations must work together. Therefore managers and employees have to intentionally develop ways to foster collaboration, trust, personal relationships, fun, and support. As our working environment becomes increasingly more competitive year after year, challenges for employees and managers will be to cultivate and nurture these personal relationships.  Fostering friendships takes proactive effort.

Teams & Collaboration

In the fourth chapter of the Book of Ecclesiastes we are given some powerful words of wisdom: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up.  But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! ...Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.  A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

“People can play above their level of talent or below it,

depending on the support around them.

Success is talent + team.”

Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Professor

Harvard Business School

Properly managed, teamwork maximizes strengths, bringing out the best in each team member.  Of the many paths to success, none can be walked alone. A support network is crucial both at and outside work—and members of that network must get their needs met too. In pursuit of rich professional and personal lives, men and women will surely continue to face tough decisions about where to concentrate their efforts.

Culture is crucial – and it begins with you.

Value vs. Low Cost

People appreciate value. But don't confuse value and low cost as the same thing. "Cheap" is a shortsighted strategy that signals desperation.

Stop Whining

1. 
   

Stop making excuses, whining, and creating imaginary obstacles. You can follow your passion if you will only make the decision to take action. Everyone has their own obstacles, and I’m sure that is true for you, too, but you can succeed if you decide to.

The most successful people have all had their fair share of challenges and failures. What separates them from the rest is that they kept going. They did not give up.

Whining, making excuses, and blaming other people will get you nowhere. If you’re happy doing that, that’s okay with me, but since you’ve read this far, I’m sure you want something more.

Worth it.

Sure, low cost is a fine way to grab attention, but more and more often, it's precisely the wrong sort of attention from the wrong people.

I'd much rather work with someone who says, "what have you got that's expensive... but worth it?" Not because that person is about to pay money, but because that person is focused on "worth it."

Golf Clubs

There is an old story about a Scotsman who engaged in a golf match with a well-dressed stranger. No one introduced himself. They just agreed to play together, settled on a small wager, and started playing.

As fate or skill would have it, the Scotsman won, and it was time to pay up. The stranger said, "I have no money, but I am the King of England. Ask for whatever you want."

The Scotsman looked at his worn out driver and said: "I'd like a new golf club." The stranger said: "I'll send it in a month."

A month later the King’s horseman came delivering an envelope. The Scotsman opened it. It wasn't a driver. It was the deed to a new 18-hole golf course and a note telling him he could claim it any time he wished.

What does this have to do with you? The One who made you is willing to do more for you than you can ask or think.

1+1=3

Many individual contributors strive to work independently. Some believe that if they remain solo performers, their contributions will be more likely to be noticed. They may be thinking of some educational experience where they stood out because their effort was acknowledged with high grades and test scores. If so, they fail to see that the main purpose of an organization is to create more value by working together than everyone can produce by working outside the company on their own.

Declaration of Arbroath - April 6, 1320

‘It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.’

Extract from the Declaration of Arbroath, 1320.

The Declaration of Arbroath is without doubt the most famous document in Scottish history. Like the American Declaration of Independence, which is partially based on it, it is seen by many as the founding document of the Scottish nation. It was drafted on the 6th April 1320 - a day the United States of America has declared to be Tartan Day. 

Tartan Day was observed on April 6, 1997, for the first time in U.S. history.  Then in 1998, National Tartan Day was officially enacted on a permanent basis when the U.S. Senate passed Senate Resolution 155 recognizing April 6th as National Tartan Day. This was followed by companion bill House Resolution 41 which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on March 9, 2005. 

Americans of Scottish descent have played a vibrant and influential role in the development of this country.  

Tartan Day is a day that will be observed so long as there are Scots who care about their heritage.

See more at www.tartanday.org

It's Not Easy Being Green

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Will you be celebrating St. Paddy's day this year?  Do you know why?

Is this a just day to party? Or is there a greater meaning to March 17?

The Story of St. Patrick

Patrick’s life and ministry teach us about the call of God and faithfulness to that call, as well as boldness and courage.  On St. Patrick’s Day, it’s appropriate to review the life of a missionary claimed by every denomination of Christianity. He’s like a patron saint of anybody called by God to go somewhere.  The accomplishments of this missionary to Ireland were so great that to this day his life is celebrated all over the world on March 17, the day of his death.

Yes, St. Patrick's Day is an Irish holiday (and it’s abbreviated St. Paddy’s, not St. Patty’s!  Patty is the Irish nickname for Patricia). But while everyone else is pretending to be Irish, here’s a thought to keep the day relevant.

On St. Patrick's Day, leave the dressing up like a fairytale woodland midget to the kids.

Patrick was Scottish anyway, born in 387 in Kilpatrick, Scotland to prominent Roman parents. His given name was Maewyn Succat (may' win sue' cat). When he was 16, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders, and sold to a chieftan named Milchu of Dalriada. Patrick was forced to shepherd sheep in Ireland. At that point he was a nominal believer, the son of a churchman, but through adversity, fasting and prayer, and hearing instructions from the Lord, he became a real believer.

After six years as a slave, he escaped to Great Britain and then studied for the ministry in France.  He studied under St. Germain, the Bishop of Auxerre for 12 years. But in a dream Patrick heard the voice of the Irish people calling him back to the Emerald Isle.

Patrick was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. He returned to Ireland and is generally credited with being the first bishop of Ireland.  He headed first for the house of his former master to pay his own ransom of freedom with an interest to be paid in kindness.

Patrick was not the first missionary to Ireland. Thirty years before Patrick launched his mission, a man named Palladius was commissioned as a missionary to Ireland. Palladius soon became discouraged and moved on to Scotland.

Patrick, however, persevered in his mission, preached the Gospel throughout Ireland, converted many and established churches and monasteries. Furthermore, the Irish Christians, following Patrick's example, left their homeland to spread the gospel in Scotland, Britain and Europe. One thousand years later, King James I of England and the VI of Scotland decreed the translation of the Bible into English.

Irish history tells that one of his teaching methods included using the shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish people. After nearly thirty years of evangelism, he died on March 17th, AD 461, thus the day was commemorated St. Patrick's Day.

Following St. Patrick's death, the Irish celebrated the anniversary of his death beginning in the fifth century with a feast. Because the date falls on the Catholic season of Lent, Irish families usually attended church in the morning and celebrated in the afternoon.  Because Lent forbids the consumption of meat, the Catholic church in Ireland waived the rule so that people could drink, dance, and feast on Irish bacon and cabbage.

The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place in New York City on March 17, 1762. Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched in the parade. The parade helped the soldiers to reconnect with their Irish roots.  Most Irish immigrants at this time were Protestants until the Great Potato Famine hit Ireland in 1845. One million poor, uneducated Catholic Irishmen began to pour into America to escape starvation.

Both Protestant and Catholic Irishmen began to organize to garner more political power. These associations united both Protestant and Catholic Irish and St. Patrick's Day parades suddenly became big events.  In 1948, President Truman was the first president who attended New York's St. Paddy's Day parade.

Today, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds in countries with Irish populations all over the world. However, in Ireland St. Patrick's Day is a religious celebration. Up until the 1970's Irish laws forbid the sale of alcohol on this day.  It was not until 1995, when Ireland began using the holiday to promote the country to tourists. 

So, raise a glass and make a toast to Maewyn Succat in remembrance of his life's work.  Enjoy the celebrations! But also, take a moment to pause and reflect on what purpose you've been put on this planet to accomplish.  No one has time for everything, no matter how efficient you are. Allocate it in alignment with your true purpose.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Sláinte Mhaith!

Listen.

Listen. 

It's a sad fact that we are often more polite to strangers than we are to the people we love the most.  If your spouse is trying to talk to you, whether it's to find out what you want for dinner, to tell you about her day, or to discuss a problem in your marriage, give her the same courtesy you'd give your boss, and LISTEN!  Don't try to finish her sentences, don't try to solve her problems, and don't ever say, "I told you so!"

Here's an especially fitting poem, written by Ogden Nash:

To keep your marriage brimming, 

With love in the wedding cup, 

Whenever you’re wrong, admit it; 

Whenever you’re right, shut up.

I don't have this down quite yet, but I'm working on it.

Alliance Partners - 1+1=3 (or more)

Strategically seeking relationships with others in complementary businesses is a major leverage point for working smart.  The term “networking” is often overused and seldom a properly leveraged relationship.  Building a network of alliance partners must be as beneficial to your alliance partner as it is to you.  Networking is a two-way street. 

Let another man praise you,

and not your own mouth;

a stranger, and not your own lips.

Proverbs 27:2 (World English Bible)

It makes sense for a Financial Advisor to network with CPAs and estate planning attorneys.  It makes sense for a plumber to network with electricians.  It makes sense for real estate agents to network with bankers, loan officers, and title companies.  Each of these relationships has something to offer that can help the sum of the parts exponentially exceed the whole.  

One of the most fundamental things you can do is introduce people to one another.  Human connections can change the world.  Stop for a moment and think carefully about people to whom you can make introductions and bring value.  And then give them value first.

Focus on getting better, rather than being good.

Believing you have the ability to reach your goals is important, but so is believing you can get the ability. Many of us believe that our intelligence, our personality, and our physical aptitudes are fixed — that no matter what we do, we won’t improve. As a result, we focus on goals that are all about proving ourselves, rather than developing and acquiring new skills.

Fortunately, decades of research suggest that the belief in fixed ability is completely wrong — abilities of all kinds are profoundly malleable. Embracing the fact that you can change will allow you to make better choices, and reach your fullest potential. People whose goals are about getting better, rather than being good, take difficulty in stride, and appreciate the journey as much as the destination.

We're halfway through January already!  Are you doing what you said you'd be doing?

Now is the time to evaluate your time wasters.  These are activities you do on a regular basis that you don’t particularly enjoy and that don’t produce any meaningful benefits. This could be anything from sitting in front of the television, to surfing the Internet, to creeping on your friends on Facebook, to tinkering in the garage. Once you’ve recognized the activities that take a good chunk of your time, you can take steps to change your behavior.  You don’t necessarily have to eliminate them, but you do have to moderate them.  Some things are not necessarily wrong, they’re just not necessary.

Make the Most of Your Time on Earth.

Enjoy some downtime. Looking forward to the New Year!

There is an old Scottish legend, a story of two lumberjacks.  Both men were skilled woodsmen although the first was much bigger and stronger, wielding a powerful axe.   He was known far and wide for his ability to clear a forest. 

In spite of his size, the second woodsman’s fame was spreading for his skill was in his accuracy.  There was very little waste in his efforts so his customers ended up with a better product for their money. Soon the word spread that his work was even better than his larger competition! 

Upon hearing this, the larger man became concerned.  He wondered, “How could this be? I am so much bigger that I MUST be better!” He proposed that the two compete with a full day of chopping trees to see who was more productive.  The winner would be declared “The Greatest Lumberjack in Scotland.” The smaller man agreed.

The next day, the entire village showed up to cheer on the lumberjacks.  The first woodsman, strong and tough, leaped into action.  He chopped forcefully and continuously without stopping knowing that every tree he cut down brought him closer to his sought-after title. 

The second lumberjack jumped into action as well, attacking his trees with every intention of winning the illustrious title.  But unlike his larger competitor, this small man stopped every couple of hours and disappeared for a while into the woods.  Then he would return and get back to work. 

The villagers all whispered among themselves.  Surely, he could never win if he didn’t work longer and harder than his competitor.  His friends pleaded with him to increase his speed, to work harder but to no avail.  This pattern continued until the end of the day when both men heard the judge yell “Time’s up!”

The larger man stood, winded and exhausted, but proudly by his pile of trees knowing he had given his best.  Surely, he was the winner! The smaller woodsman also stood by his pile of trees though, unlike his competitor, the smaller man was still fresh, ready to continue if necessary. 

When all the trees were counted, it was announced that the second woodsman had indeed cut more trees and had won the title of “The Greatest Lumberjack in Scotland!”  

The larger man, confused and deflated, reluctantly congratulated the small lumberjack.  While he shook his hand, he asked him, “How did you beat me?  You weren’t even cutting trees half the time I was.  Where did you go and what were you doing?”

“I was sharpening my axe.”

Relationships at Work

We must carefully and strategically allocate our time among our relationships: Boundaries on how and when we invest time in work and in our personal life help to ensure that we have the proper investment in each category.  In my daily interactions with folks, I see one of the most compelling reasons for not working extremely long hours is that this unbalanced investment of time resources leaves you with insufficient time for activities like exercise, sleep, and relationships.  These things are absolutely necessary in order to boost real productivity. 

As we climb the ladder of success we eventually discover it is not a ladder at all.  We are climbing a pyramid. We get increasingly lonely… we have fewer friends… family… relationships. There isn't room at the top for several.  There's only room for one.

In a desperate attempt to climb the ladder of success many men and women will happily kick and trample on the heads of those beneath them.  Sadly, cutthroat competition is simply the way the world is. Some people fall into the trap of striving for success at any price. Others just give up and depend on the system to take care of them as they live off the labors of others. Both perspectives are way out of balance.  

In the fourth chapter of the Book of Ecclesiastes we are given some powerful words of wisdom: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up.  But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! 

The Pleasure of Serving

All nature yearns to serve.
The cloud serves, the wind serves and so does the burrow.

Where there is a tree to be planted, plant it yourself;
where there is an error to be corrected,
put it right yourself; where an effort is required
that everybody else shuns, make it yourself.

Be the one who removes a stone from the road,
hatred from among the hearts
and the difficulties of a problem.

There is the joy of being healthy
and that of being just; but above all,
there’s the immense joy of serving.

How sad this world would be
if everything in it were already done,
if there wasn’t a rose to be planted,
an enterprise to be started.

Do not react only to easy challenges;
it is beautiful to do what others avoid doing.

But do not make the error of believing
that only big jobs count;
there are small services that are good services,
like embellishing a table, putting books in order
or combing a child’s hair.

There is one who criticizes, another who destroys.
Be yourself the one who serves.
Serving is not limited to inferior beings.
God, who gives us the fruit and the light, serves.
He might be called: The Server.

And He has his eyes fixed on our hands
and asks us daily: Did you serve today?
Whom? A tree, a friend, your mother?

Gabriela Mistral
Chilean Poetess
Nobel Prize 1945

"Take Nothing for Granted"

"It is easy to become careless about our blessings. A favor done once is always appreciated. But a favor done multiple times can easily be taken for granted. It is then no longer a gift. It's expected, treated almost as an entitlement. So if the favor is no longer offered, we complain about its loss.

Come to think of it, we take most of our benefits for granted - our daily bread, our health, our loved ones, our nation.

How different life would be if we took nothing for granted. We would swim perpetually in a river of gratitude.

The best advice I have ever received on this subject came from William Shakespeare in Henry VI: 'Let never day nor night unhallowed pass, but still remember what the Lord hath done.' "

~Jim Jackson

"Jim's Daily Awakenings" are short daily e-mail messages from Jim Jackson. These morning messages are based on Jim's very successful radio spots heard daily on Houston's 94.5, the BUZZ. http://www.jimsdailyawakenings.com/

My thanks to Jim Jackson for sharing this message today.  I could not have found a better way to say it, so I quote him here verbatim. ~Kirk