Giving and Receiving

“You can get whatever you want if you help enough people get what they want.”  Zig Ziglar

We help ourselves when we help others.

 

Zig Ziglar is a renowned speaker and writer, among other things, and one of his quotes has had a major impact on my life. Zig said: “You can get what ever you want if you help enough people get what they want”.
I believe this is true; we help ourselves when we help others, and as a result, we grow into more caring, considerate,and selfless people.

Often, we miss out on many opportunities to help because we think it will hinder or thwart our progress, or we do not see any immediate benefit for ourselves. That “what’s in it for me” attitude, dies a slow death, and it works against our personal and spiritual growth.

True growth, the kind that lasts, can only occur when we begin to consider the conditions of others and how we are connected to them in ways that we may not ever completely understand.

Since there is always something that can be done to help those around us, we must be willing and alert enough to seize the opportunities that present themselves throughout a day, week, month, or lifetime.
As we habitually seek ways to help others, we will clearly see the many benefits we receive as a result.

Test Zig’s quote in your life and affairs as you relate to others and see what happens.

 

What to Do Next?

1. Look around you for someone whom you can help achieve a goal;
2. Offer your help as quickly as possible;
3. Notice the feelings of euphoria you experience as a result;
4. Make it a point to regularly seek out someone to encourage,and help in your unique way.

 

Leave your comment below; I want to know your thoughts on this post.

 

 

HE CARES

In times of challenge and fear, it is good to know that God cares for each of us.

 

 

 

HE CARES

God cares for you and me.

His desire is to set us free

From our sin, the hurt, the pain

So that we may become new and whole again.

His love is unconditional and true,

And, no matter what we say, think, or do,

He loves us still, despite our flaws

That nailed His only Son to the cross.

Remember His love, the sacrifice

He made to rescue us the perishing

From a life of shame.

God cares for you, for me.

He alone can set us free!

13 Years of Persistence and Personal Growth

“Perseverance requires passion and a sincere belief that you deserve what ever it is you are trying to accomplish.”

 

In last month’s blog post, you were encouraged to persevere for maximum personal growth and development, and you were given strategies to help you succeed.
As a result of working with a close friend for the past thirteen (13) years to help her finish the requirements for her B.A. degree (I helped her with the papers she had to write), I learned that perseverance requires passion and a sincere belief that you deserve what ever it is you are trying to accomplish.

My friend persisted, during good and bad times, to move toward her goal, a college degree in Elementary Education; on Monday, August 8th, she submitted her last paper in her last class, and you can imagine how happy she was, as well as how happy I was for her.

Over the past thirteen (13) years, my friend has had some major challenges: several relatives died, and she lost her job, but she got married, adopted a lovely daughter,and she always moved toward her goal by taking a course or two here and there when she could afford to do so,and now, years later, because of her persistence, she is ready to receive that coveted “sheepskin” for which she has worked so hard.

I applaud my friend for her drive and persistence, and I also applaud you who have accomplished your goals as a result of your perseverance.
Do what my friend is going to do: Celebrate; reward yourself  for completing your goal; do not focus on how long it took.
Take time to relax, then get started on the next adventure which should be considerably easier now that you have a major success to your credit.

What to do next?

1. Celebrate with family and friends who supported you throughout the challenge;

2. Do something “real special” for yourself to savor the moment;

3. Give feedback on this blog by telling me how long it took you to reach a major goal and how you now feel as a result of having reached it.

Freedom is Never Free!

FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE!

Freedom is never free!

Countless lives were sacrificed

For your, and my liberty.

Voices of fathers, brothers, uncles,

Friends and lovers too

Are now silenced forever

So that we, I, you

May be free to live

In city, town, or village.

North, South, East,West.

Each decides where to stake a claim.

This right was earned by those whose names

Are written on walls, scrolls, and paper.

All made the ultimate sacrifice;

Each must be remembered

For the role played in gaining

Our freedom by

Relinquishing their own!

Freedom is never free!

 

 

 

 

 

This poem is written for and dedicated to all of  the fallen soldiers across the wars, and for loved ones left behind to mourn them. It is further dedicated to those brave fighting men and women who were spared, but whose lives are forever changed in some way as a result of their involvement.

Persevere for Maximum Personal Growth and Development

It takes perseverance to remove the warts in our lives, and to achieve maximum personal growth, we must not only acknowledge the existence of warts, but we must also be willing to work on them daily until their unhealthy effects become negligible.

 

Each one of us has an area(s) in our lives that needs improving if we are to move forward in our personal growth and development efforts. The work becomes easier as we identify the area(s) and begin the work needed to correct it.
It takes perseverance to remove the warts in our lives, and to achieve maximum personal growth, we must not only acknowledge the existence of warts, but we must also be willing to work on them consistently until their unhealthy effects become negligible.

I know: None of us likes the idea of slapping ourselves around, in a manner of speaking, but we must become our most effective critics so that we can continue to ‘raise the bar’ on our personal growth and development.

This challenge cannot be done alone; we must actively seek the help and encouragement, as well as feedback, from those who have vested interests in our lives and successes.
So, how do we get them on board? That’s done by sharing plans and ideas with them and by letting them know how much you need them to help you succeed.
Don’t be shy or defensive; get your supporters on board early and share your concerns with them.
As you share with them and begin the work needed, you will start to see the results you desire, and that too will help you to retain your momentum.

Celebrate every accomplished goal, along the way, no matter how minor or insignificant it appears on the surface.
Perseverance will help you reach your goal(s)more quickly because it helps to build momentum and confidence, and once these two kick in, success is imminent, as long as you persevere.

 

Let me know your thoughts on this blog. Post a comment in the space provided.

June-Men’s Health Month, the Perfect Time to Get Our Men More Focused on Self-Help

June is men’s health month, and it is the ideal time to help our men focus on self-help efforts that promote their general health.

 

You probably know already that each month of the year has been designated as a month to highlight a specific focus or area. Most months have several areas on which to focus during its time in the spotlight.
Take the month of March for example; it is recognized as Women’s History month,but it is also National Nutrition month,as well as Brain Injury Awareness month, among other things.
Each May, the focus is mental health which affects all areas of our lives,but physical fitness and sports are also spot lighted.

The overall purpose of highlighting specific things monthly, I believe, is to keep the focus on anything that will help us to become more informed and proactive.
It is no wonder then, that June is men’s health month, and it is an ideal time to help our men focus on those self-help efforts that promote their general health.

Not surprisingly, men have many health issues that need attention during the month of June and thereafter.

According to one source, “The Leading Causes of Death in Males, U.S., 2004,” the seven (7) top causes of death among men are: Heart Disease,27.2%; Cancer, 24.3%; Unintentional Injuries, 6.1%; Stroke, 5.0%; Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease, 5.0%; Diabetes, 3.0%; Influenza/Pneumonia, 2.3%.
Following closely are: Suicide, 2.2%; Kidney Disease, 1.7%, and Alzheimer’s Disease, 1.6%.

The numbers are sobering, and they should help us to see the serious problem our men face. We should also understand that we, each of us, must do what we can to help our men, now and later to reduce the numbers.
Now is an excellent time to turn the focus onto men’s health, and it is also a good idea to keep the momentum going until the numbers of serious death-causing illnesses have have been reduced dramatically.

June, men’s health month, is the perfect opportunity and time (30 days) for each of us to help  raise awareness of the many health issues that are so common to the men in our lives.

 

Mental Health: Vital to Personal Growth and Development

May is National Mental Health Month, and several things can be done to promote mental health, an important part of personal growth and development.

 

If a poll were taken that asked: What is your major concern in life? Would you answer ‘good health?’ I would.
Our health determines, to a large measure, everything else we do.
All aspects of health are equally important if we are to have normal productive lives.
Good health should be an ongoing concern and to highlight its importance,  this month is national mental health month; several things can be done during May and after to promote mental health, an important part of personal growth and development.

Here are a few suggestions you may consider  to promote mental health:

Laugh, consciously look for things  that are funny, even if it means laughing at yourself, and laugh out loud at them;

Meditate on those things that are important to your life, i.e., the goals and dreams you want to accomplish;

Journal daily to help relieve some of the stress  caused  by living in a fast paced society;

Use Positive Self-talk and Affirmations to encourage and motivate yourself to get moving when things get challenging.
Do these things regularly so that you continue to get their benefits.

In addition to the above suggestions, be sure you eat nutritious food, get plenty of rest, exercise regularly, limit your alcohol intake, and stay away from cigarettes and drugs.
Doing these things consistently will foster good mental health and personal growth and development long after the month of May has ended.

Give All Today

Oftentime, we hold back in our performance on the job, in relationships with loved ones and others, because we believe that tomorrow will come bringing new chances.

 

 

Give All Today!

Give all today that you have to give!

Tomorrow makes no promises;

Today is the time to live!

New Orleans, Haiti, Japan,

They all can happen again!

Give today what you have

And should tomorrow come,

It will bring its own gifts

To share, to give all!

Spring Cleaning

No matter how cold or dreary the winter, with spring comes hope, optimism, and renewal, a time for personal and spiritual growth.

 

Spring is my favorite season, and each year, I look forward to the ground hog’s answer to this question: More winter or an early spring?

The winters are long and brutually cold here in the Midwest and around late February, I begin to get anxious for a change. Many times, I have marked off the days that signify winter’s end, knowing full well that ‘ole man winter’ doesn’t go away on a set day or time.

No matter how cold or dreary the winter, with spring comes hope optimism, and renewal, a time for personal and spiritual growth.

Spring is also the time to refresh our spirits and renew our commitments to grow ourselves in some meaningful way.
Each of us knows which area (s) of our lives that need a “spring cleaning,” and if we are not quite sure, we should ask those with whom we spend  the most time.
When we decide to work on that area or those areas, we will see noticeable improvements; others will too.

Let’s get started on our spring cleaning early, so that we can enjoy the wonderful, carefree days of summer knowing that not only are we where we want to be in our lives, we are also where we should be as well.

What to Do Next?
1. Decide to do your spring cleaning early;
2. Identify the area(s) of your life needing an over haul;
3. If you are not sure where to start, ask your loved ones for help;
4. Work on improving the identified area(s) until you or your loved one see noticeable improvements;
5. Enjoy the rest of spring and the carefree days of summer.

5 Ways to Validate Yourself During Women’s History Month

March is Women’s History Month, in the USA, the perfect time to celebrate and validate yourself and women everywhere!

 

Today, women are recognized, honored, and respected  for the many valuable contributions made over the decades, but we know this was not always true.

Marches, protests, sit-ins, and other actions were necessary to draw attention to our plight that would force a change in the laws which hindered our progress.

Now, we women are found in all levels of leadership, from presidents and ceo’s  of giant corporations to small classes of children, and everything in between.

Because these successes were hard won, they must be acknowledged, and since March is Women’s History Month,  in the US, it is the perfect time  to celebrate and validate yourself and women everywhere!

The meaning of the word validate as it appears in The Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, has similar connotations, and two of them caught my attention; they are: ”to  support” and “to recognize”.

The month of March is a fitting time to begin the support and recognition of yourself and all of the wonderful women you know. This can be done in any number of  ways,  but these five (5), I believe, are especially effective:

1. Encourage the women you know who are on the  cutting edge in large corporations and those who are stay at home moms;

2. Provide physical and/or financial resources when you  know their efforts benefit you and women in general;

3. Get your family members and friends to support their campaigns, corporate positions, etc;

4. Keep up with what is happening in their lives and affairs that directly affect you and others you know;

5. Let them know you are supportive; ask them what you can do to help; tell them what you are doing already.

Of course there are countless other things you can do, but if you begin with these five, you will not only tell them, but you will show them how much you appreciate their efforts, and in validating them with your support and recognition of their work, you will also celebrate  and validate yourself !

 

Leave a comment to let me know your thoughts about this post.