The Joy of the Journey Is in the Ride
By Sandra Magsamen
Original Content | May 30, 2008
I used to be one of those people who, when it was time for vacation, found myself over packing and overloading my suitcase with tons of stuff that I was sure I was going to need for my trip. I'd pull and lift, roll and drag way too much stuff with me whenever I'd travel. Truth is, I had a lot of baggage. Instead of heading off to vacation with room for a future adventure, I was carrying way too much of the past with me. I guess I was stuck in thinking I needed what was familiar and comforting. Then I heard this great little story that changed all that.
There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. "Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today." So she did and had a wonderful day. The next day, she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. "Hmm," she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today." So she did and had a fantastic day. The next day, she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. "Well," she said, "today I'm going to wear my hair in a ponytail." So she did and had a really great day. The next day, she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head. "YEA!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"
This wonderful story reminded me that each day new challenges and adventures come our way. To be really happy, we have to adapt, roll with the changes and embrace the adventure instead of clinging to old ways of living and to the past. This little story makes one point really clear—attitude is everything! When you begin to realize that attitude is a powerful tool, it can change your life for the better, forever.
Armed with this new sense of freedom and attitude and tired of dragging all my old stuff with me, I decided to start my vacation in Maine last summer with just the basics. I threw a few shirts and skirts and a great pair of shoes in a bag and set out on my way. I elected to pick up things that I really loved all along the journey. While on vacation, I drifted in and out of antique stores, junk shops and yard sales. I picked up little things that caught my eye—forgotten buttons, scraps of fabric, old sheet music and charms that had long ago fallen off their bracelets. As I strolled on the beach, I felt lucky to find broken pieces of painted china, small pieces of driftwood and worn sea glass in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. At sunset, I poured myself a glass of wine, toasted the day's end and began tinkering with the loot I'd collected.
I found a long piece of twine in the house we rented. I think its original use was to tie up the newspapers for recycling, but I had other designs on it. In my cosmetic case, I found a sewing kit from a hotel. As the natural light of day faded, I began stitching the bits and pieces of my day's journey onto the twine until my eyes got tired and the rumbling of my tummy called for dinner. Every evening, I added a few more treasures to the twine. At the end of the week's vacation, I tied a knot in the now highly decorated cord and slipped it over my neck as I headed to the car for the drive home. Whenever I wear my creation, I am instantly transported to the feelings of rest and relaxation and the memory of a time I cherished.
I like to keep a travel journal on vacation, but because I did not bring a book with me, I started searching for one along the way. I went to the local library where they were hosting their summer book sale, and for 50 cents I bought a brightly covered, red, hardbound book that became the canvas for my travel journal. I added pages simply by stapling blank ones in among the typed ones, glued in pictures of places we'd gone, recorded the most wonderful things we ate for lunch and dinner, drew pictures of the houses along the beach and filled the book with little pieces of what turned out to be a big adventure.
I've learned that you don't need to take lots of stuff with you when you travel—it's best to travel light and take in the new experiences. Use anything you find to document your trip and make a journal. Guide books, menus and old books all make for great journals. I met a woman the other day who writes on her boarding passes from the plane. She has saved a box full, and they share the story of her life's journey. You too can fill your journal with thoughts for the day, poems you discover, a list of things you found beautiful in the day and anything and everything that touches your heart.
The true joy of a trip isn't always in the destination. How one woman left her emotional baggage at home and started embracing the adventures of life.
MY THOUGHTS
if there is anything in my blogs that i wish people would read, this is the one. i like the story of the woman and her hair. not because it's funny. which is a plus by the way. but because it's packed with the real essence of how to live our lives with joy. not just happiness. joy. joy that sometimes we cannot explain. because it doesn't come from anything temporary. joy that comes from somewhere deep within. joy that's inspired by the Higher Being.
i am so like the author when i travel. heck (sorry!), there was a time in my crazy life when i packed several photo albums. yes! not just pictures. the whole album!!! and the man in the album turned out to be a real pain in the %$#. i've forgiven him. and myself, for that matter. that was part of my journey.
you see, just like this lady, i filled my life with so many things, past and present, most of them non-valuables. the result? there's no more space for new, more valuable things. when i travel, i bring so many things. because i might need them. then i would shop myself to death. buying things that i MAY need. i end up with with more baggage.
i'm still trying to learn to travel light. and i just don't mean luggage. i'm learning, that the way to receive is not simply to open up myself. i have to empty myself. i hope that God will continue using me to fill people up. i'd like to be able to rise up to that occasion when God sees it fit. but i'm learning to see it the other way, too. i'm not the only one that God wants to use. i also need filling-up. and that won't happen when i am so full.
travel light. live simply. enjoy the journey. i'll get there one day.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Step By Step Guide To Being Happy
How To Be Happy: Step By Step Guide To Being Happy
By Elizabeth Scott, M.S., About.com Guide
Updated October 11, 2009
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board
Introduction: How To Be Happy
While people have many and varied goals that they pursue, there is an almost universal underlying goal to virtually all pursuits: the goal to be happy. People who spend a lot of time making money generally do so because they believe that the money itself will make them happy, or will guard them against things that will make them unhappy. If the focus isn’t on the money, but on the jobs that bring the money, those jobs are generally thought to make people happy. People strive for that perfect relationship, the perfect house, the beautiful body, the approval of others, all in an attempt to be happy. Sometimes these things make us happy; other times, we stress over not having reached our goals, or we reach them and find that we’re still not happy. Other times, we focus so intensely on one goal that’s thought to bring happiness that we don’t have time for other things in our life that will make us truly happy. This can all be confusing, and begs the question: how does one reach the goal of being happy?
The following is a step-by-step guide that can help you explore the current state of your life, assess how truly happy you are, and find a direction to work toward that will likely bring more happiness. You’ll also find resources and tips for reaching your happiness goals and setting new ones. These pages are the gateway to a life that truly makes you happy.
Look At Your Life: Does Your Lifestyle Make You Happy?
Positive Psychology experts—those who study human happiness and the factors that contribute to it--have identified several key areas of life that seem to be more related to personal happiness. While it’s not an absolute given that dissatisfaction on one or three areas of life will lead to personal unhappiness or that satisfaction in most areas will automatically lead to bliss, there is a correlation: if you’re more satisfied with these areas of your life, you tend to be more happy in general. So what are the things in life that are correlated with personal happiness? Some of them are the things that you would expect: money, friends, health, living conditions; others are things you may not think of in your daily life, such as your neighborhood, spirituality, community involvement, and sense of meaning in life. (The role that these things play in your life can also impact your happiness, but there’s more on that later.)
For a full list of the areas of life that tend to bring happiness, see this article on finding authentic happiness; each item of the list is a link to more information and resources on the happiness-inducing lifestyle feature. Also, for a more personalized view, you can take this Happiness Self Assessment Test, which will ask you about different areas of your life and provide you with an assessment of which areas of your life may be bringing you happiness and which may need some changes. You’ll then find resources to learn more and make changes that should bring you more happiness.
Lifestyle, however, is only part of the happiness equation. Your attitude about life and the things that happen to you each day can also greatly impact your overall level of happiness and life satisfaction. Find out more about Cultivating an Attitude for Happiness.
Look At Your Attitude: Do Your Thoughts Make You Happy?
As mentioned in the earlier section, lifestyle features have a significant impact on personal happiness levels, but a significant piece of the equation is one’s attitude toward life. It’s probably no secret that optimists tend to be happier people, but you may not realize that there’s more to optimism than ‘putting on a happy face or ‘looking on the bright side’. There are specific traits of optimists, pleasantly distorted ways of thinking, that bring optimists more success, greater health, increased life satisfaction, and other goodies on a regular basis. Cultivating the mind of an optimist can not only mean cultivating happiness, regardless of your circumstance, but it can actually bring more things into your life to be happy about. (Not sure if you’re an optimist or a pessimist? This Optimism Self Test can tell you, and provide resources; many people have been surprised by their results, so I highly recommend this enlightening self assessment tool.)
In addition to optimism, happy people tend to have an internal locus of control; simply put, they tend to believe that they are the masters of their fate, rather than the victims of circumstance. When you view the stressors of your life as a challenge rather than a threat, you tend to come up with more effective solutions and feel more exhilarated (rather than drained) as you tackle these circumstances. (Read this article for more on cultivating an internal locus of control.)
Set The Right Goals for Happiness
As previously mentioned, many people pursue goals that they expect will make them happy, but happiness isn’t always the end result. We all know people who have put everything they have into their careers—at the expense of their personal lives—only to wonder why they’re successful and still unhappy. It’s also all too common for people to be surrounded by a beautiful home, expensive cars, designer clothes (and sometimes mounds of debt) and still have less personal satisfaction with life than they had without all the “stuff”. How is one to know which goals will garner personal happiness and which won’t?
Another quick look at the list of factors that promote happiness shows that many things contribute to personal happiness; finding a balanced lifestyle so that you can include social support, personal development, physical health and meaningful pursuits in addition to career success and financial security (features that more often steal the focus) is much more likely to bring happiness than a lifestyle where only one or two of these facets receives the lion’s share of energy and resources, to the exclusion of other important lifestyle factors.
As you set your goals, remember all of the areas of life that are important to you. Map out a detailed description of how you would like your whole life to look. Use a pie chart to represent your life, and put the goals for different areas of your life into the different ‘pieces’. Or, set goals and develop healthy habits for a different area of your life each month. For ideas, see this article onoptimum changes for personal happiness, or this article on healthy habits for a balanced lifestyle. And don’t forget the importance of knowing how to say no to too many activities in your life!
Work Toward Your Goals The Smart Way
Whether setting goals as New Year’s Resolutions, or as part of a quest for an improved life, many people sabotage themselves from the beginning by expecting too much and setting themselves up to fail. For example, many people expect themselves to immediate change their habits out of sheer willpower; any slip-ups are experienced as ‘failures’, and too often contribute to an abandonment of the goal and feelings of defeat.
If you’re trying to make positive changes in your life, it’s important to set yourself up to succeed:
1. First, set small, attainable goals. Work your way into a new habit with baby steps, and you’ll feel more successful every step of the way, and be less likely to give up.
2. Next, reward your progress; for each small goal you reach, allow yourself to feel pride, and perhaps give yourself a small reward.
3. Don’t forget to enlist social support! Tell the supportive people in your life what you’re attempting to acheieve, and tell them of your successes. This will give you added strength, and will make it less appealing to give up (and have to explain yourself to those close to you)!
See this article for more on making positive changes. Or, for a more spiritual approach, see these articles on understanding the law of attraction and using the law of attraction for positive changes.
MY THOUGHTS
i love road trips. i love road trips because of the sights you'll see along the way, the experience of navigating,of getting lost, of tasting strange food, buying things you've never seen before. i love road trips because you get cramped in the car with family and friends. and you are forced to talk and focus on each other.i think happiness is a road trip. i don't think happiness is the end-result. i think happiness is the journey itself.
By Elizabeth Scott, M.S., About.com Guide
Updated October 11, 2009
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board
Introduction: How To Be Happy
While people have many and varied goals that they pursue, there is an almost universal underlying goal to virtually all pursuits: the goal to be happy. People who spend a lot of time making money generally do so because they believe that the money itself will make them happy, or will guard them against things that will make them unhappy. If the focus isn’t on the money, but on the jobs that bring the money, those jobs are generally thought to make people happy. People strive for that perfect relationship, the perfect house, the beautiful body, the approval of others, all in an attempt to be happy. Sometimes these things make us happy; other times, we stress over not having reached our goals, or we reach them and find that we’re still not happy. Other times, we focus so intensely on one goal that’s thought to bring happiness that we don’t have time for other things in our life that will make us truly happy. This can all be confusing, and begs the question: how does one reach the goal of being happy?
The following is a step-by-step guide that can help you explore the current state of your life, assess how truly happy you are, and find a direction to work toward that will likely bring more happiness. You’ll also find resources and tips for reaching your happiness goals and setting new ones. These pages are the gateway to a life that truly makes you happy.
Look At Your Life: Does Your Lifestyle Make You Happy?
Positive Psychology experts—those who study human happiness and the factors that contribute to it--have identified several key areas of life that seem to be more related to personal happiness. While it’s not an absolute given that dissatisfaction on one or three areas of life will lead to personal unhappiness or that satisfaction in most areas will automatically lead to bliss, there is a correlation: if you’re more satisfied with these areas of your life, you tend to be more happy in general. So what are the things in life that are correlated with personal happiness? Some of them are the things that you would expect: money, friends, health, living conditions; others are things you may not think of in your daily life, such as your neighborhood, spirituality, community involvement, and sense of meaning in life. (The role that these things play in your life can also impact your happiness, but there’s more on that later.)
For a full list of the areas of life that tend to bring happiness, see this article on finding authentic happiness; each item of the list is a link to more information and resources on the happiness-inducing lifestyle feature. Also, for a more personalized view, you can take this Happiness Self Assessment Test, which will ask you about different areas of your life and provide you with an assessment of which areas of your life may be bringing you happiness and which may need some changes. You’ll then find resources to learn more and make changes that should bring you more happiness.
Lifestyle, however, is only part of the happiness equation. Your attitude about life and the things that happen to you each day can also greatly impact your overall level of happiness and life satisfaction. Find out more about Cultivating an Attitude for Happiness.
Look At Your Attitude: Do Your Thoughts Make You Happy?
As mentioned in the earlier section, lifestyle features have a significant impact on personal happiness levels, but a significant piece of the equation is one’s attitude toward life. It’s probably no secret that optimists tend to be happier people, but you may not realize that there’s more to optimism than ‘putting on a happy face or ‘looking on the bright side’. There are specific traits of optimists, pleasantly distorted ways of thinking, that bring optimists more success, greater health, increased life satisfaction, and other goodies on a regular basis. Cultivating the mind of an optimist can not only mean cultivating happiness, regardless of your circumstance, but it can actually bring more things into your life to be happy about. (Not sure if you’re an optimist or a pessimist? This Optimism Self Test can tell you, and provide resources; many people have been surprised by their results, so I highly recommend this enlightening self assessment tool.)
In addition to optimism, happy people tend to have an internal locus of control; simply put, they tend to believe that they are the masters of their fate, rather than the victims of circumstance. When you view the stressors of your life as a challenge rather than a threat, you tend to come up with more effective solutions and feel more exhilarated (rather than drained) as you tackle these circumstances. (Read this article for more on cultivating an internal locus of control.)
Set The Right Goals for Happiness
As previously mentioned, many people pursue goals that they expect will make them happy, but happiness isn’t always the end result. We all know people who have put everything they have into their careers—at the expense of their personal lives—only to wonder why they’re successful and still unhappy. It’s also all too common for people to be surrounded by a beautiful home, expensive cars, designer clothes (and sometimes mounds of debt) and still have less personal satisfaction with life than they had without all the “stuff”. How is one to know which goals will garner personal happiness and which won’t?
Another quick look at the list of factors that promote happiness shows that many things contribute to personal happiness; finding a balanced lifestyle so that you can include social support, personal development, physical health and meaningful pursuits in addition to career success and financial security (features that more often steal the focus) is much more likely to bring happiness than a lifestyle where only one or two of these facets receives the lion’s share of energy and resources, to the exclusion of other important lifestyle factors.
As you set your goals, remember all of the areas of life that are important to you. Map out a detailed description of how you would like your whole life to look. Use a pie chart to represent your life, and put the goals for different areas of your life into the different ‘pieces’. Or, set goals and develop healthy habits for a different area of your life each month. For ideas, see this article onoptimum changes for personal happiness, or this article on healthy habits for a balanced lifestyle. And don’t forget the importance of knowing how to say no to too many activities in your life!
Work Toward Your Goals The Smart Way
Whether setting goals as New Year’s Resolutions, or as part of a quest for an improved life, many people sabotage themselves from the beginning by expecting too much and setting themselves up to fail. For example, many people expect themselves to immediate change their habits out of sheer willpower; any slip-ups are experienced as ‘failures’, and too often contribute to an abandonment of the goal and feelings of defeat.
If you’re trying to make positive changes in your life, it’s important to set yourself up to succeed:
1. First, set small, attainable goals. Work your way into a new habit with baby steps, and you’ll feel more successful every step of the way, and be less likely to give up.
2. Next, reward your progress; for each small goal you reach, allow yourself to feel pride, and perhaps give yourself a small reward.
3. Don’t forget to enlist social support! Tell the supportive people in your life what you’re attempting to acheieve, and tell them of your successes. This will give you added strength, and will make it less appealing to give up (and have to explain yourself to those close to you)!
See this article for more on making positive changes. Or, for a more spiritual approach, see these articles on understanding the law of attraction and using the law of attraction for positive changes.
MY THOUGHTS
i love road trips. i love road trips because of the sights you'll see along the way, the experience of navigating,of getting lost, of tasting strange food, buying things you've never seen before. i love road trips because you get cramped in the car with family and friends. and you are forced to talk and focus on each other.i think happiness is a road trip. i don't think happiness is the end-result. i think happiness is the journey itself.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
The Future You
Your Best Career Coach: The Future You
By Marshall Goldsmith | August 10, 2010
The best coaching you’ll ever get will not come from another person. It will come from inside you.
Take a deep breath. Take a deeper breath. Imagine that you’re 100 years old and you’re getting ready to die. Before you take that last breath, you’re given a wonderful gift: the opportunity to go back in time and talk with the person who is reading this blog post today, to help this younger version of yourself have a better life — both personally and professionally.
What advice would the wise 100-year-old you — who finally knows what really mattered in life — have for the you that is reading this blog post? As you think of the older you, whatever advice comes to mind, just do that.
In terms of performance appraisals, this is the only one that will matter. At the end of the day, the only person that you will need to impress is that old person that will one day look back at you from the mirror. If that old person thinks that you did the right thing, you did. If that old person thinks that you made a mistake, you did. You don’t have to impress anyone else.
Some good friends of mine had the opportunity to ask old people who were facing death what advice they would have for their younger selves. Three themes emerged:
1. Be happy now. Don’t wait for next week, next month or next year. A common regret of old people was, “I got so focused on trying to get what I did not have, I failed to appreciate all that I did have. I had almost everything. I wish that I would’ve taken the time to appreciate it.”
I ‘ve asked thousand of parents around the world to complete this sentence, “When my children grow up, I want them to be…” One world is mentioned more than all of the other words combined — no matter what country I am in. What is that word? Happy.
Do you want your children to be happy? Do you want your parents to be happy? Do you want the people that love you to be happy? Do you want the people who respect you at work to be happy? Then, you go first. They want you to be happy, too.
2. Build relationships and help people, especially friends and family. When you’re 100 years old and you look around your death bed, no fellow employees will be waving good-bye. You’ll finally realize that your friends and family are the only ones that care. They are the ones that matter.
Of course, building relationships and helping people are also keys to ultimate satisfaction with your professional career. I have asked many retired CEOs an important question about their professional lives, “What were you most proud of?” So far, none have talked about have large their offices were. All they talked about were the people they helped.
The main reason to help people has nothing to do with money, status or promotion. The main reason is simple: the 100-year-old you will be proud of you if you did — and disappointed in you if you didn’t.
3. If you have a dream, go for it. If you don’t try to achieve your dreams when you are 25, you probably won’t when you are 45, 65 or 85. None of us will achieve all of our dreams. The key question is not, “Did I achieve all of my dreams?” The key question is, “Did I at least try?” Old people almost never regretted the risks they took that failed. They almost always regretted the risks that they failed to take.
No one else can tell you how to find happiness, who to love or where to find meaning. Only you can answer these questions. The best coaching that you will ever receive will not come from any other person, it will come from inside you.
So, what advice would the “old you” have for the you that just read this post? If you don’t mind sharing your thoughts with other readers, I’d love to hear them.
. Person, Professional Development, Performance Appraisal, Blogging, Performance Management, Team Management, Strategy, Career, Internet, Management, Karen Steen more +
MY THOUGHTS
what advice? i don't know!!! that's one tough question. maybe to live a life that you don't necessarily have to be proud of but one that won't bring you embarrassment? maybe to live simply and find happiness with things that are free? maybe to NOT expect anything in return when you help? i know the best advice i can give is to get advice from the wisest - read the bible. and live out what you read. there are no maybe's there.
By Marshall Goldsmith | August 10, 2010
The best coaching you’ll ever get will not come from another person. It will come from inside you.
Take a deep breath. Take a deeper breath. Imagine that you’re 100 years old and you’re getting ready to die. Before you take that last breath, you’re given a wonderful gift: the opportunity to go back in time and talk with the person who is reading this blog post today, to help this younger version of yourself have a better life — both personally and professionally.
What advice would the wise 100-year-old you — who finally knows what really mattered in life — have for the you that is reading this blog post? As you think of the older you, whatever advice comes to mind, just do that.
In terms of performance appraisals, this is the only one that will matter. At the end of the day, the only person that you will need to impress is that old person that will one day look back at you from the mirror. If that old person thinks that you did the right thing, you did. If that old person thinks that you made a mistake, you did. You don’t have to impress anyone else.
Some good friends of mine had the opportunity to ask old people who were facing death what advice they would have for their younger selves. Three themes emerged:
1. Be happy now. Don’t wait for next week, next month or next year. A common regret of old people was, “I got so focused on trying to get what I did not have, I failed to appreciate all that I did have. I had almost everything. I wish that I would’ve taken the time to appreciate it.”
I ‘ve asked thousand of parents around the world to complete this sentence, “When my children grow up, I want them to be…” One world is mentioned more than all of the other words combined — no matter what country I am in. What is that word? Happy.
Do you want your children to be happy? Do you want your parents to be happy? Do you want the people that love you to be happy? Do you want the people who respect you at work to be happy? Then, you go first. They want you to be happy, too.
2. Build relationships and help people, especially friends and family. When you’re 100 years old and you look around your death bed, no fellow employees will be waving good-bye. You’ll finally realize that your friends and family are the only ones that care. They are the ones that matter.
Of course, building relationships and helping people are also keys to ultimate satisfaction with your professional career. I have asked many retired CEOs an important question about their professional lives, “What were you most proud of?” So far, none have talked about have large their offices were. All they talked about were the people they helped.
The main reason to help people has nothing to do with money, status or promotion. The main reason is simple: the 100-year-old you will be proud of you if you did — and disappointed in you if you didn’t.
3. If you have a dream, go for it. If you don’t try to achieve your dreams when you are 25, you probably won’t when you are 45, 65 or 85. None of us will achieve all of our dreams. The key question is not, “Did I achieve all of my dreams?” The key question is, “Did I at least try?” Old people almost never regretted the risks they took that failed. They almost always regretted the risks that they failed to take.
No one else can tell you how to find happiness, who to love or where to find meaning. Only you can answer these questions. The best coaching that you will ever receive will not come from any other person, it will come from inside you.
So, what advice would the “old you” have for the you that just read this post? If you don’t mind sharing your thoughts with other readers, I’d love to hear them.
. Person, Professional Development, Performance Appraisal, Blogging, Performance Management, Team Management, Strategy, Career, Internet, Management, Karen Steen more +
MY THOUGHTS
what advice? i don't know!!! that's one tough question. maybe to live a life that you don't necessarily have to be proud of but one that won't bring you embarrassment? maybe to live simply and find happiness with things that are free? maybe to NOT expect anything in return when you help? i know the best advice i can give is to get advice from the wisest - read the bible. and live out what you read. there are no maybe's there.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
12 Ways to Turn Around a Terrible Day
12 Ways to Turn Around a Terrible Day
By Jessica Stillman | November 9, 2010
We all have lousy days. You know the kind I mean — problem clients, cranky co-workers, bad evaluations or personal life stress collide and make for a really epic bad mood (and for some reason it always seems to be raining). So what can you do when the universe seems to conspire to make your life unpleasant? Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, comes to the rescue with tips, and not just two or three. On her blog she offers a whopping 12 ways to deal with a terrible day (which is good, sometimes you need all the help you can get.)
Resist the urge to “treat” yourself. Often, the things we choose as “treats” aren’t good for us. The pleasure lasts a minute, but then feelings of guilt, loss of control, and other negative consequences just deepen the lousiness of the day.
Do something nice for someone else. “Do good, feel good” – this really works. Be selfless, if only for selfish reasons.
Distract yourself. When my older daughter was born, she had to be in Neonatal Intensive Care for a week. I spent every hour at the hospital, until my husband dragged me away to go to an afternoon movie. I didn’t want to go, but afterward, I realized that I was much better able to cope with the situation after having had a bit of relief.
Seek inner peace through outer order. Soothe yourself by tackling a messy closet, an untidy desk, or crowded countertops. The sense of tangible progress, control, and orderliness can be a comfort.
Tell yourself, “Well, at least I…” Get some things accomplished. Yes, you had a horrible day, but at least you went to the gym, or played with your kids, or walked the dog, or recycled.
Exercise is an extremely effective mood booster – but be careful of exercise that allows you to ruminate. For example, if I go for a walk when I’m upset about something, I often end up feeling worse, because the walk provides me with uninterrupted time in which to dwell obsessively on my troubles.
Stay in contact. When you’re having a lousy day, it’s tempting to retreat into isolation. Studies show, though, that contact with other people boosts mood.
Things really will look brighter in the morning. Go to bed early and start the next day anew. Also, sleep deprivation puts a drag on mood in the best of circumstances, so a little extra sleep will do you good.
Remind yourself of your other identities. If you feel like a loser at work, send out a blast email to engage with college friends. If you think members of the PTA are mad at you, don’t miss the spinning class where everyone knows and likes you.
Keep perspective. Ask yourself: “Will this matter in a month? In a year?”
Write it down. When something horrible is consuming my mind, I find that if I write up a paragraph or two about the situation, I get immense relief.
Be grateful. Remind yourself that a lousy day isn’t a catastrophic day. Be grateful that you’re still on the “lousy” spectrum. Probably, things could be worse.
MY THOUGHTS
well, monday was that kind of day! my boss made me go on a rest day today. i attacked my closets. i attacked the bathroom. but i padlocked the ref. and yes i walked for half an hour. and went dancing foralmost 2 hours. i feel so much better. actually, i felt better last night. after i prayed. still,i don't know if the incident will never matter again. i need to pray more about it.
By Jessica Stillman | November 9, 2010
We all have lousy days. You know the kind I mean — problem clients, cranky co-workers, bad evaluations or personal life stress collide and make for a really epic bad mood (and for some reason it always seems to be raining). So what can you do when the universe seems to conspire to make your life unpleasant? Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, comes to the rescue with tips, and not just two or three. On her blog she offers a whopping 12 ways to deal with a terrible day (which is good, sometimes you need all the help you can get.)
Resist the urge to “treat” yourself. Often, the things we choose as “treats” aren’t good for us. The pleasure lasts a minute, but then feelings of guilt, loss of control, and other negative consequences just deepen the lousiness of the day.
Do something nice for someone else. “Do good, feel good” – this really works. Be selfless, if only for selfish reasons.
Distract yourself. When my older daughter was born, she had to be in Neonatal Intensive Care for a week. I spent every hour at the hospital, until my husband dragged me away to go to an afternoon movie. I didn’t want to go, but afterward, I realized that I was much better able to cope with the situation after having had a bit of relief.
Seek inner peace through outer order. Soothe yourself by tackling a messy closet, an untidy desk, or crowded countertops. The sense of tangible progress, control, and orderliness can be a comfort.
Tell yourself, “Well, at least I…” Get some things accomplished. Yes, you had a horrible day, but at least you went to the gym, or played with your kids, or walked the dog, or recycled.
Exercise is an extremely effective mood booster – but be careful of exercise that allows you to ruminate. For example, if I go for a walk when I’m upset about something, I often end up feeling worse, because the walk provides me with uninterrupted time in which to dwell obsessively on my troubles.
Stay in contact. When you’re having a lousy day, it’s tempting to retreat into isolation. Studies show, though, that contact with other people boosts mood.
Things really will look brighter in the morning. Go to bed early and start the next day anew. Also, sleep deprivation puts a drag on mood in the best of circumstances, so a little extra sleep will do you good.
Remind yourself of your other identities. If you feel like a loser at work, send out a blast email to engage with college friends. If you think members of the PTA are mad at you, don’t miss the spinning class where everyone knows and likes you.
Keep perspective. Ask yourself: “Will this matter in a month? In a year?”
Write it down. When something horrible is consuming my mind, I find that if I write up a paragraph or two about the situation, I get immense relief.
Be grateful. Remind yourself that a lousy day isn’t a catastrophic day. Be grateful that you’re still on the “lousy” spectrum. Probably, things could be worse.
MY THOUGHTS
well, monday was that kind of day! my boss made me go on a rest day today. i attacked my closets. i attacked the bathroom. but i padlocked the ref. and yes i walked for half an hour. and went dancing foralmost 2 hours. i feel so much better. actually, i felt better last night. after i prayed. still,i don't know if the incident will never matter again. i need to pray more about it.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
What Makes People Happy?
Psychologists now know what makes people happy
By Marilyn Elias
http://www.biopsychiatry.com/happiness/
The happiest people surround themselves with family and friends, don't care about keeping up with the Joneses next door, lose themselves in daily activities and, most important, forgive easily.
The once-fuzzy picture of what makes people happy is coming into focus as psychologists no longer shun the study of happiness. In the mid-'90s, scientific journals published about 100 studies on sadness for every one study on happiness.
Now a burgeoning "positive psychology" movement that emphasizes people's strengths and talents instead of their weaknesses is rapidly closing the gap, says University of Pennsylvania psychologist Martin E. P. Seligman, author of the new book, Authentic Happiness. The work of Seligman and other experts in the field is in the early stages, but they are already starting to see why some people are happy while others are not: The happiest people spend the least time alone. They pursue personal growth and intimacy; they judge themselves by their own yardsticks, never against what others do or have.
"Materialism is toxic for happiness," says University of Illinois psychologist Ed Diener. Even rich materialists aren't as happy as those who care less about getting and spending.
Because the December holidays are friend- and family-oriented, they painfully reveal the intimacy missing in some lives, Diener says. Add in the commercial emphasis - keeping up with the Joneses and the Christmas enjoyed by the Joneses' kids - "and it's a setup for disappointment," he says. And yet some people manage to look on the bright side, even if they lose their jobs in December. Others live in darkness all year for no apparent reason. A person's cheer level is about half genetic, scientists say.
Everyone has a "set point" for happiness, just as they do for weight, Seligman says. People can improve or hinder their well-being, but they aren't likely to take long leaps in either direction from their set point.
Even physical health, assumed by many to be key to happiness, only has an impact if people are very ill. Objective health measures don't relate to life satisfaction, but subjective feelings do. Plenty of healthy people take their health for granted and are none the happier for it, Diener points out. Meanwhile, the sickly often bear up well, and hypochondriacs cling to misery despite their robust health.
Good feelings aren't "all in the head," though. Actions matter, just not in the way often believed.
Life satisfaction occurs most often when people are engaged in absorbing activities that cause them to forget themselves, lose track of time and stop worrying. "Flow" is the term Claremont Graduate University psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced cheeks-sent-mee-hi) coined to describe this phenomenon.
People in flow may be sewing up a storm, doing brain surgery, playing a musical instrument or working a hard puzzle with their child. The impact is the same: A life of many activities in flow is likely to be a life of great satisfaction, Csikszentmihalyi says. And you don't have to be a hotshot to get there.
"One of the happiest men I ever met was a 64-year-old Chicago welder with a fourth-grade education," he says. The man took immense pride in his work, refusing a promotion to foreman that would have kept him from what he loved to do. He spent evenings looking at the rock garden he built, with sprinklers and floodlights set up to create rainbows.
Teenagers experience flow, too, and are the happiest if they consider many activities "both work and play," Csikszentmihalyi says. Flow stretches someone but pleasurably so, not beyond his capacity. "People feel best when doing what they do best," he says.
Everyone has "signature strengths," Seligman adds, and the happiest use them. Doing so can lead to choices that astound others but yield lasting satisfaction.
Signature strengths
That's what happened to Greg and Tierney Fairchild. He was a Ph.D. candidate at Columbia, and she'd already earned a Ph.D., when they learned that the child she was carrying had Down syndrome, along with a serious heart defect requiring surgery.
In the Fairchilds' intellectual circle of friends, some viewed having a retarded child as unthinkable - and let them know it. Lots of people, including some family members, assumed they'd opt for abortion. After thoroughly exploring all the angles - medical, practical and emotional - they decided to keep their daughter, Naia.
"We're pro-choice, so it's not that we wouldn't get an abortion under some circumstances, or think that others could make a different choice here," Greg says.
They were leading with their strength. An interracial couple, they both had long histories of taking bold, less traveled paths rather than following the parade.
Greg was the first black on his high school track team at a Southern, mostly white school; he became student body president. Tierney was the only MBA student at her university also getting a Ph.D. in education because she wanted to train executives.
And they chose each other, despite all the stares of bigots they knew they'd face forever.
"We haven't shied away from tough choices," Greg says, "and we've been able to persevere through some difficulties other people might not have been able to."
Tierney says, "We thought having Naia would be a challenge, but we really wanted her, and just because something's a challenge, I'm not the type to turn away."
Their struggles are depicted in the new book, Choosing Naia by Mitchell Zuckoff.
That was a few years ago. Now Naia is a 4-year-old people magnet with a great sense of humor, the first Down syndrome child to be "mainstreamed" at the preschool for University of Virginia staff. (Greg teaches in the business school.) She walked late, talked late and is potty-training late - just as her parents expected. "And so what?" Tierney asks. "She's brought us a huge amount of joy because she's such a happy child."
Tierney, who is manager of executive education at United Technologies Corp., feared she'd have to quit work to care for Naia, but that wasn't necessary. Tierney and Greg gave Naia a baby brother, Cole, 22 months ago. "We're so grateful for these kids," Greg says.
Gratitude helps
Gratitude has a lot to do with life satisfaction, psychologists say. Talking and writing about what they're grateful for amplifies adults' happiness, new studies show. Other researchers have found that learning to savor even small pleasures has the same effect. And forgiveness is the trait most strongly linked to happiness, says University of Michigan psychologist Christopher Peterson.
"It's the queen of all virtues, and probably the hardest to come by," he adds.
'More fun, less stuff'
There's also evidence that altruistic acts boost happiness in the giver. That doesn't surprise Betsy Taylor, president of the Center for a New American Dream, a Takoma Park, Md., non-profit that favors simple living and opposes commercialism. "The altruism part is worth keeping in mind over the holidays," Taylor says. "Our mantra is 'more fun, less stuff.' Do for others, we say."
Karen Madsen, 51, of Everett, Wash., is a believer. For several years, she's organized local families to buy holiday gifts for needy foster children. Madsen sinks in about $1,000 herself, often trimming her own kids' Christmas haul to do it. "You'd see these notes from foster kids, 'I don't really need anything, but my little sister needs a coat because she's cold.' "
Her son, William Shepherd, a high school senior, doesn't mind. "It's a lot of fun to go shopping for their toys," he says. "I have enough, and it feels good to make sure other people can enjoy the holidays, too."
Many parents would be amazed that a kid could be happy to get less, but surprise is the name of the game with happiness. People aren't very good at predicting what will make them happy, cutting-edge research shows.
Even Seligman, the happiness maven, tells how he wanted no more children - he already had two grown ones - and his current wife wanted four, "so we compromised at four," he says. His book reveals he's besotted with these kids and marvels at them daily. "I just didn't know," he says.
None of us knows, says Harvard University psychologist Daniel Gilbert. "There's a reason why Euripides said, 'It would not be better if men got what they wanted.' " People expect that events will have a larger and more enduring impact on them - for good or ill - than they really do, Gilbert's studies find.
People tend to rationalize bad things, quickly adapting to new realities. They also visualize future events in isolation, but real life teems with many experiences that dilute the impact of any one. This means winning the lottery doesn't make people's lives stellar, but they recover from romantic breakups much quicker than expected.
"If you knew exactly what the future held, you still wouldn't know how much you would like it when you got there," Gilbert says. In pursuing happiness, he suggests "we should have more trust in our own resilience and less confidence in our predictions about how we'll feel. We should be a bit more humble and a bit more brave."
MY THOUGHTS
FLOW- that's a new term. a welcome one. just experienced it today. i was working. i was home.i was doing something that apparently i liked doing. i forgot about time. i forgot my worries. i forgot myself. i forgot i was working. in other words,i was happy.and i thank God for it.
By Marilyn Elias
http://www.biopsychiatry.com/happiness/
The happiest people surround themselves with family and friends, don't care about keeping up with the Joneses next door, lose themselves in daily activities and, most important, forgive easily.
The once-fuzzy picture of what makes people happy is coming into focus as psychologists no longer shun the study of happiness. In the mid-'90s, scientific journals published about 100 studies on sadness for every one study on happiness.
Now a burgeoning "positive psychology" movement that emphasizes people's strengths and talents instead of their weaknesses is rapidly closing the gap, says University of Pennsylvania psychologist Martin E. P. Seligman, author of the new book, Authentic Happiness. The work of Seligman and other experts in the field is in the early stages, but they are already starting to see why some people are happy while others are not: The happiest people spend the least time alone. They pursue personal growth and intimacy; they judge themselves by their own yardsticks, never against what others do or have.
"Materialism is toxic for happiness," says University of Illinois psychologist Ed Diener. Even rich materialists aren't as happy as those who care less about getting and spending.
Because the December holidays are friend- and family-oriented, they painfully reveal the intimacy missing in some lives, Diener says. Add in the commercial emphasis - keeping up with the Joneses and the Christmas enjoyed by the Joneses' kids - "and it's a setup for disappointment," he says. And yet some people manage to look on the bright side, even if they lose their jobs in December. Others live in darkness all year for no apparent reason. A person's cheer level is about half genetic, scientists say.
Everyone has a "set point" for happiness, just as they do for weight, Seligman says. People can improve or hinder their well-being, but they aren't likely to take long leaps in either direction from their set point.
Even physical health, assumed by many to be key to happiness, only has an impact if people are very ill. Objective health measures don't relate to life satisfaction, but subjective feelings do. Plenty of healthy people take their health for granted and are none the happier for it, Diener points out. Meanwhile, the sickly often bear up well, and hypochondriacs cling to misery despite their robust health.
Good feelings aren't "all in the head," though. Actions matter, just not in the way often believed.
Life satisfaction occurs most often when people are engaged in absorbing activities that cause them to forget themselves, lose track of time and stop worrying. "Flow" is the term Claremont Graduate University psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced cheeks-sent-mee-hi) coined to describe this phenomenon.
People in flow may be sewing up a storm, doing brain surgery, playing a musical instrument or working a hard puzzle with their child. The impact is the same: A life of many activities in flow is likely to be a life of great satisfaction, Csikszentmihalyi says. And you don't have to be a hotshot to get there.
"One of the happiest men I ever met was a 64-year-old Chicago welder with a fourth-grade education," he says. The man took immense pride in his work, refusing a promotion to foreman that would have kept him from what he loved to do. He spent evenings looking at the rock garden he built, with sprinklers and floodlights set up to create rainbows.
Teenagers experience flow, too, and are the happiest if they consider many activities "both work and play," Csikszentmihalyi says. Flow stretches someone but pleasurably so, not beyond his capacity. "People feel best when doing what they do best," he says.
Everyone has "signature strengths," Seligman adds, and the happiest use them. Doing so can lead to choices that astound others but yield lasting satisfaction.
Signature strengths
That's what happened to Greg and Tierney Fairchild. He was a Ph.D. candidate at Columbia, and she'd already earned a Ph.D., when they learned that the child she was carrying had Down syndrome, along with a serious heart defect requiring surgery.
In the Fairchilds' intellectual circle of friends, some viewed having a retarded child as unthinkable - and let them know it. Lots of people, including some family members, assumed they'd opt for abortion. After thoroughly exploring all the angles - medical, practical and emotional - they decided to keep their daughter, Naia.
"We're pro-choice, so it's not that we wouldn't get an abortion under some circumstances, or think that others could make a different choice here," Greg says.
They were leading with their strength. An interracial couple, they both had long histories of taking bold, less traveled paths rather than following the parade.
Greg was the first black on his high school track team at a Southern, mostly white school; he became student body president. Tierney was the only MBA student at her university also getting a Ph.D. in education because she wanted to train executives.
And they chose each other, despite all the stares of bigots they knew they'd face forever.
"We haven't shied away from tough choices," Greg says, "and we've been able to persevere through some difficulties other people might not have been able to."
Tierney says, "We thought having Naia would be a challenge, but we really wanted her, and just because something's a challenge, I'm not the type to turn away."
Their struggles are depicted in the new book, Choosing Naia by Mitchell Zuckoff.
That was a few years ago. Now Naia is a 4-year-old people magnet with a great sense of humor, the first Down syndrome child to be "mainstreamed" at the preschool for University of Virginia staff. (Greg teaches in the business school.) She walked late, talked late and is potty-training late - just as her parents expected. "And so what?" Tierney asks. "She's brought us a huge amount of joy because she's such a happy child."
Tierney, who is manager of executive education at United Technologies Corp., feared she'd have to quit work to care for Naia, but that wasn't necessary. Tierney and Greg gave Naia a baby brother, Cole, 22 months ago. "We're so grateful for these kids," Greg says.
Gratitude helps
Gratitude has a lot to do with life satisfaction, psychologists say. Talking and writing about what they're grateful for amplifies adults' happiness, new studies show. Other researchers have found that learning to savor even small pleasures has the same effect. And forgiveness is the trait most strongly linked to happiness, says University of Michigan psychologist Christopher Peterson.
"It's the queen of all virtues, and probably the hardest to come by," he adds.
'More fun, less stuff'
There's also evidence that altruistic acts boost happiness in the giver. That doesn't surprise Betsy Taylor, president of the Center for a New American Dream, a Takoma Park, Md., non-profit that favors simple living and opposes commercialism. "The altruism part is worth keeping in mind over the holidays," Taylor says. "Our mantra is 'more fun, less stuff.' Do for others, we say."
Karen Madsen, 51, of Everett, Wash., is a believer. For several years, she's organized local families to buy holiday gifts for needy foster children. Madsen sinks in about $1,000 herself, often trimming her own kids' Christmas haul to do it. "You'd see these notes from foster kids, 'I don't really need anything, but my little sister needs a coat because she's cold.' "
Her son, William Shepherd, a high school senior, doesn't mind. "It's a lot of fun to go shopping for their toys," he says. "I have enough, and it feels good to make sure other people can enjoy the holidays, too."
Many parents would be amazed that a kid could be happy to get less, but surprise is the name of the game with happiness. People aren't very good at predicting what will make them happy, cutting-edge research shows.
Even Seligman, the happiness maven, tells how he wanted no more children - he already had two grown ones - and his current wife wanted four, "so we compromised at four," he says. His book reveals he's besotted with these kids and marvels at them daily. "I just didn't know," he says.
None of us knows, says Harvard University psychologist Daniel Gilbert. "There's a reason why Euripides said, 'It would not be better if men got what they wanted.' " People expect that events will have a larger and more enduring impact on them - for good or ill - than they really do, Gilbert's studies find.
People tend to rationalize bad things, quickly adapting to new realities. They also visualize future events in isolation, but real life teems with many experiences that dilute the impact of any one. This means winning the lottery doesn't make people's lives stellar, but they recover from romantic breakups much quicker than expected.
"If you knew exactly what the future held, you still wouldn't know how much you would like it when you got there," Gilbert says. In pursuing happiness, he suggests "we should have more trust in our own resilience and less confidence in our predictions about how we'll feel. We should be a bit more humble and a bit more brave."
MY THOUGHTS
FLOW- that's a new term. a welcome one. just experienced it today. i was working. i was home.i was doing something that apparently i liked doing. i forgot about time. i forgot my worries. i forgot myself. i forgot i was working. in other words,i was happy.and i thank God for it.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
how to have countless blessings by bo s.
How You Can Be A
Blessing-Magnet
The Bible says, “Be thankful in all circumstances.”
You see, some people put “conditions” to their happiness:
I’ll be thankful if I find a boyfriend who is as cute as Enchong and has the body of Derek.
I’ll be thankful if my husband changes.
I’ll be thankful if my friend apologizes to me.
I’ll be thankful if I get promoted in my job.
I’ll be thankful if I have a baby.
I’ll be thankful if I graduate from school.
I’ll be thankful if I buy a new cellphone.
Friend, don’t do that. Don’t be unfair to yourself!
Or you’ll never be happy.
Don’t wait for something to happen before you become thankful. Make a decision to be thankful for the blessings that you have right now!
And you’ll be happy forever.
Follow Psalms 77:11 when it says, I will remember your great deeds, Lord; I will recall the wonders you did in the past.
Do you know what will happen?
By being thankful, you’ll become a blessing magnet.
If you want to increase your blessings, you’ve got to be thankful for the blessings that are already there.
Being Thankful Is Dynamite
Being thankful is powerful.
It has explosive power.
When you’re thankful, you unlock your happiness. You unlock your peace. You unlock the storeroom of God’s blessings. And you unlock your wealth.
Let me explain.
Wealth is not your money. Wealth is not your land. Wealth is not your jewelry. Why? Because wealth is a feeling.
Because wealth is not measured by how much money you have. Or how much land you own. Or how much jewelry you possess. Wealth is measured by how thankful you are.
Let me tell you a story.
Two years ago, a man came up to me, asking for prayers.
Irritation was written all over his face.
With much anger, he said, “Please pray for me, Brother Bo. My heart is so heavy. I’m a salesman. I got P350,000 in commission…”
I looked at him in a funny way. I wondered, So what’s so bad about that?
He shakes his head, “I know that seems big, Brother Bo, but it should have been P500,000! But I didn’t reach my quota by just a few pesos. Because of that technicality, I didn’t get half a million. I got P350,000 only…”
He felt so bad.
I prayed over him and asked God to heal his hurt.
After praying for him, I went backstage.
A friend of mine was waiting for me there.
When I saw her, she was smiling from ear to ear. She said, “Bo, I’m so happy. I just received a P3000 increase in my salary!”
I began to laugh. Her gratitude was so refreshing.
Tell me. Who was richer among the two? The one who got P350,000? Or the one who got the P3000?
Answer: The one who got the P3000.
Why?
Because wealth is not measured by how much money you have. It’s measured by how thankful you are.
Be Thankful Even When It’s Difficult
I know.
Some of you might be saying, “But Bo, it’s so difficult to be thankful now. You don’t know what I’m going through. My problems are over my head.”
Perhaps you’re buried in debt.
Perhaps your relationships are broken.
Perhaps sickness is ravaging your body.
Friend, if you want more miracles in your life, you’ve got to be thankful not only for what you see, but for what you do not see.
Being thankful in all circumstances means penetrating the physical realm and going into the spiritual realm. Entering into the sphere of the invisible. And thanking God that He is working behind the shadows. That He is working behind the storms of your life.
I remember the story of my friend, Aiai de las Alas.
Is It Storming In Your Life?
She was telling me how nervous she was when her first major movie was about to be released—the first movie where she was the main star.
Before it’s opening day, she prayed to God that it wouldn’t rain. So that a lot of people will watch her movie. She even went to Baclaran, knelt down, and implored that there be no rain.
When she woke up on her movie’s opening day, it wasn’t raining. She looked out the window and it was storming!
She switched on the radio. The radio reporter said, “Today, Pagasa has declared Signal Number 3 over Metro Manila…”
Her heart sunk. That day, Aiai cried buckets of tears. She asked God why He didn’t answer her prayer. She felt abandoned by God.
But a few days later, she learned what really happened. Because of the storm, school was cancelled. And all the students went to the malls. And just on the opening day, her movie grossed P13 Million.
And her movie became the top grossing film of that year!
The storm became her biggest blessing.
Friend, are there violent storms raging in your life right now?
Don’t give up. Don’t lose hope. Because God will turn that storm into your biggest blessing.
Let me end with one last instruction on being thankful…
Being Thankful On Credit
This is big.
This will impact your life in a powerful way.
Awhile ago, I told you to be thankful for the blessings that you already have. But you also have to learn to be thankful for the blessings that are yet to come.
Instead of praying with fear, “Lord, please give me a house. Please give me a house. Please give me house!” say instead with confidence, “Lord, I thank you for my house that is on it’s way!”
Thank God in advance for what He will do.
In the words of T.D. Jakes, Thank God on credit. (In other words, may utang pa si Lord sa iyo.)
Start thanking God in advance for the fulfillment of your dreams!
May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez
MY THOUGHTS
so many things to be thankful for. thank you bo for the reminder
Blessing-Magnet
The Bible says, “Be thankful in all circumstances.”
You see, some people put “conditions” to their happiness:
I’ll be thankful if I find a boyfriend who is as cute as Enchong and has the body of Derek.
I’ll be thankful if my husband changes.
I’ll be thankful if my friend apologizes to me.
I’ll be thankful if I get promoted in my job.
I’ll be thankful if I have a baby.
I’ll be thankful if I graduate from school.
I’ll be thankful if I buy a new cellphone.
Friend, don’t do that. Don’t be unfair to yourself!
Or you’ll never be happy.
Don’t wait for something to happen before you become thankful. Make a decision to be thankful for the blessings that you have right now!
And you’ll be happy forever.
Follow Psalms 77:11 when it says, I will remember your great deeds, Lord; I will recall the wonders you did in the past.
Do you know what will happen?
By being thankful, you’ll become a blessing magnet.
If you want to increase your blessings, you’ve got to be thankful for the blessings that are already there.
Being Thankful Is Dynamite
Being thankful is powerful.
It has explosive power.
When you’re thankful, you unlock your happiness. You unlock your peace. You unlock the storeroom of God’s blessings. And you unlock your wealth.
Let me explain.
Wealth is not your money. Wealth is not your land. Wealth is not your jewelry. Why? Because wealth is a feeling.
Because wealth is not measured by how much money you have. Or how much land you own. Or how much jewelry you possess. Wealth is measured by how thankful you are.
Let me tell you a story.
Two years ago, a man came up to me, asking for prayers.
Irritation was written all over his face.
With much anger, he said, “Please pray for me, Brother Bo. My heart is so heavy. I’m a salesman. I got P350,000 in commission…”
I looked at him in a funny way. I wondered, So what’s so bad about that?
He shakes his head, “I know that seems big, Brother Bo, but it should have been P500,000! But I didn’t reach my quota by just a few pesos. Because of that technicality, I didn’t get half a million. I got P350,000 only…”
He felt so bad.
I prayed over him and asked God to heal his hurt.
After praying for him, I went backstage.
A friend of mine was waiting for me there.
When I saw her, she was smiling from ear to ear. She said, “Bo, I’m so happy. I just received a P3000 increase in my salary!”
I began to laugh. Her gratitude was so refreshing.
Tell me. Who was richer among the two? The one who got P350,000? Or the one who got the P3000?
Answer: The one who got the P3000.
Why?
Because wealth is not measured by how much money you have. It’s measured by how thankful you are.
Be Thankful Even When It’s Difficult
I know.
Some of you might be saying, “But Bo, it’s so difficult to be thankful now. You don’t know what I’m going through. My problems are over my head.”
Perhaps you’re buried in debt.
Perhaps your relationships are broken.
Perhaps sickness is ravaging your body.
Friend, if you want more miracles in your life, you’ve got to be thankful not only for what you see, but for what you do not see.
Being thankful in all circumstances means penetrating the physical realm and going into the spiritual realm. Entering into the sphere of the invisible. And thanking God that He is working behind the shadows. That He is working behind the storms of your life.
I remember the story of my friend, Aiai de las Alas.
Is It Storming In Your Life?
She was telling me how nervous she was when her first major movie was about to be released—the first movie where she was the main star.
Before it’s opening day, she prayed to God that it wouldn’t rain. So that a lot of people will watch her movie. She even went to Baclaran, knelt down, and implored that there be no rain.
When she woke up on her movie’s opening day, it wasn’t raining. She looked out the window and it was storming!
She switched on the radio. The radio reporter said, “Today, Pagasa has declared Signal Number 3 over Metro Manila…”
Her heart sunk. That day, Aiai cried buckets of tears. She asked God why He didn’t answer her prayer. She felt abandoned by God.
But a few days later, she learned what really happened. Because of the storm, school was cancelled. And all the students went to the malls. And just on the opening day, her movie grossed P13 Million.
And her movie became the top grossing film of that year!
The storm became her biggest blessing.
Friend, are there violent storms raging in your life right now?
Don’t give up. Don’t lose hope. Because God will turn that storm into your biggest blessing.
Let me end with one last instruction on being thankful…
Being Thankful On Credit
This is big.
This will impact your life in a powerful way.
Awhile ago, I told you to be thankful for the blessings that you already have. But you also have to learn to be thankful for the blessings that are yet to come.
Instead of praying with fear, “Lord, please give me a house. Please give me a house. Please give me house!” say instead with confidence, “Lord, I thank you for my house that is on it’s way!”
Thank God in advance for what He will do.
In the words of T.D. Jakes, Thank God on credit. (In other words, may utang pa si Lord sa iyo.)
Start thanking God in advance for the fulfillment of your dreams!
May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez
MY THOUGHTS
so many things to be thankful for. thank you bo for the reminder
Saturday, September 4, 2010
3 Powerful Steps To Phenomenal Success by Bo
The 3 Powerful Steps To Phenomenal Success
A few weeks ago, I asked my 5-year old Francis to sing on stage. And right after, I asked my 10-year son Bene to preach.
This was before thousands of people at the Feast, our weekly prayer gathering.
It was awesome.
Francis brought the house down with his cute singing.
And Bene blew the audience away with his talk.
Hey, please understand.
I’m the father.
So my report is highly biased.
Because I’m sure my kids made mistakes on stage.
Francis probably sang off-key a couple of times.
He probably sang out of rhythm a few parts of his song.
And Bene probably made grammatical errors.
And mispronounced words.
But all that didn’t matter.
And I didn’t pay too much attention to their mistakes.
Because the whole time they were performing, my heart was bursting within me, saying over and over again, “Those are my kids!”
This doesn’t just happen when they’re performing in front of a crowd of people. I get the same feeling when I watch my kids draw, swim, play, talk…
In other words, I just love it when they’re themselves.
People ask me, “Bo, when Bene grows up, he’ll be a Preacher like you. He’s such a good speaker.”
I answer them, “I don’t know. That’s up to him to decide.”
I’ve always told Bene, “Be who God created you to be. Be yourself. And you’ll succeed.”
God Loves It When You Become You
Friend, God is a father too.
When you use your talent, God’s heart is bursting with pride.
When He sees you performing on stage of life, using the talent that He has given you to bless the world, God is saying, “That’s my kid!”
Why? God loves it when you become you.
He wired you to do something.
He designed you, formed you, shaped you, rigged you, tooled you, and wired you to be a special gift to the world.
If he designed you to be an anthropologist, be an anthropologist.
If he designed you to make deals, then make deals.
If he designed you to listen, then listen.
If he designed you to count money, then count money.
If he designed you to plant crops, then plant crops.
If he designed you to fix cars, then fix cars.
If he designed you to hold the camera, then hold the camera.
I repeat: God loves it when you become you.
Three Landmarks In Your Success Journey
Friend, do you want to be successful in life?
Remember that success doesn’t happen overnight.
Success is a journey.
In fact, you’ll have to pass via three landmarks in this journey. Between where you are now and where your success is are three landmarks. Here they are:
Landmark 1: When you discover your talent
Landmark 2: When you develop your talent
Landmark 3: When you deliver your talent
These three landmarks correspond to the three kinds of people in the world.
There are people who haven’t discovered their talents because they’ve dug a hole in the ground—the hole of low self-worth—and hid their talent there.
They feel useless.
They feel they’re condemned to live a mediocre life.
I should know.
I was once such a person…
1. Discover Your Talent
All of us possess various talents.
Some can dance like Gary V.
Some can make people laugh like Michael V.
Some can act like Ate Vi.
While some can make burgers like Jollivee.
(Sorry, slept late last night.)
But I didn’t believe this years ago.
When I was a kid, I used to complain to God, “Lord, why didn’t you give me any talents?” I felt I was the most talentless person on the planet.
I was afflicted with comparisonities.
When I was in Grade 5, I had a classmate in school who seemed to have all the talents I wanted to have.
His name was Ariel.
He was number one in class.
He was number one in Basketball.
He was number one in Baseball.
He was number one among the girls.
He was number one among the teachers.
Me?
I was number one at being nothing.
I was number one at being unpopular.
I was number one at being bullied by the bullies.
I was number one at being the laughing stock of my teachers.
But I had one talent that I thought I was good at. At least I had one. I knew I was good at drawing.
But one day, we had art class. And Ariel drew something that was Walt Disney material. He was number one again.
I complained to God. I said, “Lord, how unfair! Why is he number one in drawing too! That was my only talent.”
But one fateful day, everything changed in my life.
That was the day I discovered my talent.
All You Have To Do Is Say Yes
As a 13-year-old kid, I was attending this small prayer meeting with my parents. And in one of those meetings, our leader announced to everyone, “God spoke to me last night. One of you will preach the Gospel all over the world.”
She then approached me and asked, “Bo, can you give a talk next Friday.”
Imagine me. That skinny, peepsqueeky kid, who read Superman comics and watched Voltes V on TV, to give a talk.
And with my pre-puberty, high-pitched voice, I said “Sure!”
That was the only thing that God was asking from me.
To say “Yes” to His call.
Did I know I could talk?
No.
But I was willing to try.
I could have given in to fear—and said “No”.
If I did, I wouldn’t be here standing in front of you.
Imagine if I didn’t say “Yes”. What would I be doing now?
The thought gives me the shivers.
But on that day, I conquered my fear and said “Yes”.
When I gave my talk, I realized I had the gift of peace.
Because when I spoke, I was more powerful them ‘valium’. Because I made everyone sleep.
I remember this one woman sitting in the front row.
She slept so soundly in my talk, her mouth was wide open. So open, I could count how many of her molars were filled.
I felt humiliated. I was such a poor speaker!
After my talk, I sat down and told myself, “I’ll never give another talk in my entire life.”
Your Availability Is More Important
Than Your Ability
But my prayer group leader, bless her, approached me again and asked me, “Bo, why don’t you give another talk next week?”
And I looked at her with the steely gaze of a hurt, humiliated, 13-year old kid, and said, “Sure!”
I kept saying Yes to God.
And this is what I’ve found out: When you give to God your availability, He will supply you with your ability.
I discovered my gift.
After a few months, I became a better speaker.
And about the woman in front row who slept at my talk?
She kept on sleeping in all my talks.
I realized she was an insomniac. And that the only time she could sleep was when someone was speaking.
Why You Haven’t Discovered Your Talent
A lot of people ask me that question: How will I discover my talent? Kids ask me that question a lot. Teens ask me that question a lot. Amazingly, even adults ask me that question a lot.
Let me be frank with you.
One of the biggest reasons why you haven’t discovered your talent is because you haven’t been saying a lot of Yeses to life. You’ve been habitually saying No.
To opportunities. To learning. To experiences. To stretching.
You’ve been saying No because you’re afraid.
You’re afraid of making mistakes.
You’re afraid of being laughed at by people.
You’re afraid of falling flat on your face.
You’re afraid of being humiliated.
Discovering your talent is like discovering buried treasure.
Treasure hunters don’t dig in one spot and automatically find the treasure. Treasure hunters go through a lot of surveying the area.
They dig in one spot, find nothing, dig in another spot again, find nothing again, dig in another spot again, find nothing again… until they dig in this one spot and find the treasure!
God has called you to serve Him with your talent.
So serve Him and be willing to make mistakes.
Be willing to fail.
Be willing to be a fool for Christ.
All you’ve got to do is say Yes to God!
2. Develop Your Talent
But I didn’t stop in the discovering of my talent.
I developed my talent.
Some people discover their talent, but they don’t develop it.
They’re good mechanics, farmers, speakers, writers, thinkers, listeners, musicians, engineers, mathematicians, administrators—but they don’t develop their talent.
They don’t hone their craft.
They don’t sharpen their saw.
They don’t expand their expertise.
They don’t increase their initiatives.
They don’t grow their gifting.
How did I develop my talent?
Simple.
I used it.
I said “Yes” to every single invitation given to me to speak.
Tiny prayer groups invited me to speak; I said yes.
Prisons invited me to speak; I said yes.
Hospitals invited me to speak; I said yes.
Poor dilapidated schools in far-flung barrios invited me to speak; I said yes.
I had to cross three rivers before I spoke; I said yes.
Only twenty people showed up; I said yes.
Only ten people showed up; I said yes.
Only three people showed up; I said yes.
In my early years, I would preach every single day.
I didn’t know it, but saying “yes” to every invitation was fulfilling Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 Hour-Rule of Greatness.
Sometimes, young preachers come up to me and tell me, “Brother Bo, I want to preach as good as you do.”
“Great!” I say. So I ask him, “How often do you preach?”
“Oh, about once a month…” he says.
I want to strangle him. “Once a month? By the time you’ll be any good, you’ll be 150 years old. You should be preaching every single day! Create opportunities for you to speak!”
Here’s the truth: The only way to develop your talent is to use it. Let me say it again. If you don’t use it, you lose it.
3. Deliver Your Talent
Some people discovered their talent, developed their talent, but don’t deliver their talent.
For example, I have a friend who knows he’s a good singer.
As a kid, he already was blessed with a fantastic voice.
And he sings in his house everyday to develop his voice.
But here’s the funny thing: Not once has he volunteered to sing in public. Not in parties. Not in church. Not in programs. Not in weddings. One day, I invited him to join the music ministry and he said he had no time.
So far, the only ones who have heard him sing are his shower curtain, his bathroom mirror, and his toilet bowl.
One of the things I’ve found out about this world is that you don’t get rewarded for discovering your talent; you don’t get rewarded for developing your talent; you only get rewarded for delivering your talent.
In other words, do you have the ability to launch?
Planning to launch is not enough.
Preparing to launch is not enough.
You have to actually launch.
There are those who like tinkering with their work endlessly. So they delay. And delay. And delay. And they never launch.
It’s the sickness of corporate world.
Again, the reason why people don’t deliver is fear.
It’s same old enemy.
They’re afraid of failure.
They’re afraid of rejection.
They’re afraid of public humiliation.
So they want everything perfect before they launch.
And there lies the mistake.
There’s no such thing.
They don’t understand that perfection doesn’t exist.
What you need to do is launch and re-launch and keep on re-launching until you get it right.
Here’s what I realized: Before you become a public success, you have to first become a public humiliation!
It’s the only way.
No One Is Exempt
Let me end with one last story.
A lot of people tell me, “Bo, I really have no talent.”
I disagree.
Let me introduce you to a 21-year old man named Jayjay.
Jayjay Ocaya is a 21-year old who sits on a wheelchair the whole day. Jayjay has kidney failure and goes for dialysis twice a week. Jayjay is also deaf.
He was born with a congenital disease called Hydrocephalic Spina Bifida. That meant his spinal column wasn’t fully developed. To survive, he has to go through dialysis twice a week.
Yet every Sunday, Jayjay is part of our Ushers Ministry at the Feast in PICC. What is his talent? He may not be able to hear and he may not be able to walk, but he can smile.
Every Sunday, Jayjay smiles at people and shows them God’s Love.
Let me tell you about another friend.
Her name is Anne Martha Padilla.
She a 26-year old girl with cerebral palsy and has to stay in bed the whole day.
She can’t stand or walk or move the way she wants to. Her muscles move on their own. Her mother has to feed her, bathe her, and carry her around.
She can’t also talk the way you and I do.
If there’s one person that has the right to say, “I have no talent” and “I can’t serve God”, it would be Anne Martha Padilla.
But that’s not true.
Because Anne Martha Padilla gave her Yes to God.
And today, she has a powerful ministry.
She serves hundreds of people in a very personal way.
Anne Martha Padilla is an intercessor and an encourager.
The way she does it is by her cellphone.
She would grab her cellphone with her toes.
And with her other foot, she’d stab at the keypad. Everyday, she’ll send her prayers and inspiration to textmates all over the world.
She prays for her textmates everyday.
She encourages them.
She inspires them.
She’s discovered, developed, and delivered her talent for God’s people. And people are very blessed because of her.
If Jayjay and Anne Martha have found their talent, it’s now your turn.
Give your talent to God.
Just say “Yes” to Him.
May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez
PS. Do You Want To Receive God’s Love Letters To You? Get GodWhispers twice a week. They’re very short, sometimes humorous, and always inspiring love letters from God to you. You’ll be blown away. It’s FREE. Log on now at www.GodWhispersClub.com now!
MY THOUGHTS
so, have you found your talent? this article reminds me so much of how passion is defined - "a fire that cannot be put out because it is inspired by God". happy hunting - for your gifts/talents.
A few weeks ago, I asked my 5-year old Francis to sing on stage. And right after, I asked my 10-year son Bene to preach.
This was before thousands of people at the Feast, our weekly prayer gathering.
It was awesome.
Francis brought the house down with his cute singing.
And Bene blew the audience away with his talk.
Hey, please understand.
I’m the father.
So my report is highly biased.
Because I’m sure my kids made mistakes on stage.
Francis probably sang off-key a couple of times.
He probably sang out of rhythm a few parts of his song.
And Bene probably made grammatical errors.
And mispronounced words.
But all that didn’t matter.
And I didn’t pay too much attention to their mistakes.
Because the whole time they were performing, my heart was bursting within me, saying over and over again, “Those are my kids!”
This doesn’t just happen when they’re performing in front of a crowd of people. I get the same feeling when I watch my kids draw, swim, play, talk…
In other words, I just love it when they’re themselves.
People ask me, “Bo, when Bene grows up, he’ll be a Preacher like you. He’s such a good speaker.”
I answer them, “I don’t know. That’s up to him to decide.”
I’ve always told Bene, “Be who God created you to be. Be yourself. And you’ll succeed.”
God Loves It When You Become You
Friend, God is a father too.
When you use your talent, God’s heart is bursting with pride.
When He sees you performing on stage of life, using the talent that He has given you to bless the world, God is saying, “That’s my kid!”
Why? God loves it when you become you.
He wired you to do something.
He designed you, formed you, shaped you, rigged you, tooled you, and wired you to be a special gift to the world.
If he designed you to be an anthropologist, be an anthropologist.
If he designed you to make deals, then make deals.
If he designed you to listen, then listen.
If he designed you to count money, then count money.
If he designed you to plant crops, then plant crops.
If he designed you to fix cars, then fix cars.
If he designed you to hold the camera, then hold the camera.
I repeat: God loves it when you become you.
Three Landmarks In Your Success Journey
Friend, do you want to be successful in life?
Remember that success doesn’t happen overnight.
Success is a journey.
In fact, you’ll have to pass via three landmarks in this journey. Between where you are now and where your success is are three landmarks. Here they are:
Landmark 1: When you discover your talent
Landmark 2: When you develop your talent
Landmark 3: When you deliver your talent
These three landmarks correspond to the three kinds of people in the world.
There are people who haven’t discovered their talents because they’ve dug a hole in the ground—the hole of low self-worth—and hid their talent there.
They feel useless.
They feel they’re condemned to live a mediocre life.
I should know.
I was once such a person…
1. Discover Your Talent
All of us possess various talents.
Some can dance like Gary V.
Some can make people laugh like Michael V.
Some can act like Ate Vi.
While some can make burgers like Jollivee.
(Sorry, slept late last night.)
But I didn’t believe this years ago.
When I was a kid, I used to complain to God, “Lord, why didn’t you give me any talents?” I felt I was the most talentless person on the planet.
I was afflicted with comparisonities.
When I was in Grade 5, I had a classmate in school who seemed to have all the talents I wanted to have.
His name was Ariel.
He was number one in class.
He was number one in Basketball.
He was number one in Baseball.
He was number one among the girls.
He was number one among the teachers.
Me?
I was number one at being nothing.
I was number one at being unpopular.
I was number one at being bullied by the bullies.
I was number one at being the laughing stock of my teachers.
But I had one talent that I thought I was good at. At least I had one. I knew I was good at drawing.
But one day, we had art class. And Ariel drew something that was Walt Disney material. He was number one again.
I complained to God. I said, “Lord, how unfair! Why is he number one in drawing too! That was my only talent.”
But one fateful day, everything changed in my life.
That was the day I discovered my talent.
All You Have To Do Is Say Yes
As a 13-year-old kid, I was attending this small prayer meeting with my parents. And in one of those meetings, our leader announced to everyone, “God spoke to me last night. One of you will preach the Gospel all over the world.”
She then approached me and asked, “Bo, can you give a talk next Friday.”
Imagine me. That skinny, peepsqueeky kid, who read Superman comics and watched Voltes V on TV, to give a talk.
And with my pre-puberty, high-pitched voice, I said “Sure!”
That was the only thing that God was asking from me.
To say “Yes” to His call.
Did I know I could talk?
No.
But I was willing to try.
I could have given in to fear—and said “No”.
If I did, I wouldn’t be here standing in front of you.
Imagine if I didn’t say “Yes”. What would I be doing now?
The thought gives me the shivers.
But on that day, I conquered my fear and said “Yes”.
When I gave my talk, I realized I had the gift of peace.
Because when I spoke, I was more powerful them ‘valium’. Because I made everyone sleep.
I remember this one woman sitting in the front row.
She slept so soundly in my talk, her mouth was wide open. So open, I could count how many of her molars were filled.
I felt humiliated. I was such a poor speaker!
After my talk, I sat down and told myself, “I’ll never give another talk in my entire life.”
Your Availability Is More Important
Than Your Ability
But my prayer group leader, bless her, approached me again and asked me, “Bo, why don’t you give another talk next week?”
And I looked at her with the steely gaze of a hurt, humiliated, 13-year old kid, and said, “Sure!”
I kept saying Yes to God.
And this is what I’ve found out: When you give to God your availability, He will supply you with your ability.
I discovered my gift.
After a few months, I became a better speaker.
And about the woman in front row who slept at my talk?
She kept on sleeping in all my talks.
I realized she was an insomniac. And that the only time she could sleep was when someone was speaking.
Why You Haven’t Discovered Your Talent
A lot of people ask me that question: How will I discover my talent? Kids ask me that question a lot. Teens ask me that question a lot. Amazingly, even adults ask me that question a lot.
Let me be frank with you.
One of the biggest reasons why you haven’t discovered your talent is because you haven’t been saying a lot of Yeses to life. You’ve been habitually saying No.
To opportunities. To learning. To experiences. To stretching.
You’ve been saying No because you’re afraid.
You’re afraid of making mistakes.
You’re afraid of being laughed at by people.
You’re afraid of falling flat on your face.
You’re afraid of being humiliated.
Discovering your talent is like discovering buried treasure.
Treasure hunters don’t dig in one spot and automatically find the treasure. Treasure hunters go through a lot of surveying the area.
They dig in one spot, find nothing, dig in another spot again, find nothing again, dig in another spot again, find nothing again… until they dig in this one spot and find the treasure!
God has called you to serve Him with your talent.
So serve Him and be willing to make mistakes.
Be willing to fail.
Be willing to be a fool for Christ.
All you’ve got to do is say Yes to God!
2. Develop Your Talent
But I didn’t stop in the discovering of my talent.
I developed my talent.
Some people discover their talent, but they don’t develop it.
They’re good mechanics, farmers, speakers, writers, thinkers, listeners, musicians, engineers, mathematicians, administrators—but they don’t develop their talent.
They don’t hone their craft.
They don’t sharpen their saw.
They don’t expand their expertise.
They don’t increase their initiatives.
They don’t grow their gifting.
How did I develop my talent?
Simple.
I used it.
I said “Yes” to every single invitation given to me to speak.
Tiny prayer groups invited me to speak; I said yes.
Prisons invited me to speak; I said yes.
Hospitals invited me to speak; I said yes.
Poor dilapidated schools in far-flung barrios invited me to speak; I said yes.
I had to cross three rivers before I spoke; I said yes.
Only twenty people showed up; I said yes.
Only ten people showed up; I said yes.
Only three people showed up; I said yes.
In my early years, I would preach every single day.
I didn’t know it, but saying “yes” to every invitation was fulfilling Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 Hour-Rule of Greatness.
Sometimes, young preachers come up to me and tell me, “Brother Bo, I want to preach as good as you do.”
“Great!” I say. So I ask him, “How often do you preach?”
“Oh, about once a month…” he says.
I want to strangle him. “Once a month? By the time you’ll be any good, you’ll be 150 years old. You should be preaching every single day! Create opportunities for you to speak!”
Here’s the truth: The only way to develop your talent is to use it. Let me say it again. If you don’t use it, you lose it.
3. Deliver Your Talent
Some people discovered their talent, developed their talent, but don’t deliver their talent.
For example, I have a friend who knows he’s a good singer.
As a kid, he already was blessed with a fantastic voice.
And he sings in his house everyday to develop his voice.
But here’s the funny thing: Not once has he volunteered to sing in public. Not in parties. Not in church. Not in programs. Not in weddings. One day, I invited him to join the music ministry and he said he had no time.
So far, the only ones who have heard him sing are his shower curtain, his bathroom mirror, and his toilet bowl.
One of the things I’ve found out about this world is that you don’t get rewarded for discovering your talent; you don’t get rewarded for developing your talent; you only get rewarded for delivering your talent.
In other words, do you have the ability to launch?
Planning to launch is not enough.
Preparing to launch is not enough.
You have to actually launch.
There are those who like tinkering with their work endlessly. So they delay. And delay. And delay. And they never launch.
It’s the sickness of corporate world.
Again, the reason why people don’t deliver is fear.
It’s same old enemy.
They’re afraid of failure.
They’re afraid of rejection.
They’re afraid of public humiliation.
So they want everything perfect before they launch.
And there lies the mistake.
There’s no such thing.
They don’t understand that perfection doesn’t exist.
What you need to do is launch and re-launch and keep on re-launching until you get it right.
Here’s what I realized: Before you become a public success, you have to first become a public humiliation!
It’s the only way.
No One Is Exempt
Let me end with one last story.
A lot of people tell me, “Bo, I really have no talent.”
I disagree.
Let me introduce you to a 21-year old man named Jayjay.
Jayjay Ocaya is a 21-year old who sits on a wheelchair the whole day. Jayjay has kidney failure and goes for dialysis twice a week. Jayjay is also deaf.
He was born with a congenital disease called Hydrocephalic Spina Bifida. That meant his spinal column wasn’t fully developed. To survive, he has to go through dialysis twice a week.
Yet every Sunday, Jayjay is part of our Ushers Ministry at the Feast in PICC. What is his talent? He may not be able to hear and he may not be able to walk, but he can smile.
Every Sunday, Jayjay smiles at people and shows them God’s Love.
Let me tell you about another friend.
Her name is Anne Martha Padilla.
She a 26-year old girl with cerebral palsy and has to stay in bed the whole day.
She can’t stand or walk or move the way she wants to. Her muscles move on their own. Her mother has to feed her, bathe her, and carry her around.
She can’t also talk the way you and I do.
If there’s one person that has the right to say, “I have no talent” and “I can’t serve God”, it would be Anne Martha Padilla.
But that’s not true.
Because Anne Martha Padilla gave her Yes to God.
And today, she has a powerful ministry.
She serves hundreds of people in a very personal way.
Anne Martha Padilla is an intercessor and an encourager.
The way she does it is by her cellphone.
She would grab her cellphone with her toes.
And with her other foot, she’d stab at the keypad. Everyday, she’ll send her prayers and inspiration to textmates all over the world.
She prays for her textmates everyday.
She encourages them.
She inspires them.
She’s discovered, developed, and delivered her talent for God’s people. And people are very blessed because of her.
If Jayjay and Anne Martha have found their talent, it’s now your turn.
Give your talent to God.
Just say “Yes” to Him.
May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez
PS. Do You Want To Receive God’s Love Letters To You? Get GodWhispers twice a week. They’re very short, sometimes humorous, and always inspiring love letters from God to you. You’ll be blown away. It’s FREE. Log on now at www.GodWhispersClub.com now!
MY THOUGHTS
so, have you found your talent? this article reminds me so much of how passion is defined - "a fire that cannot be put out because it is inspired by God". happy hunting - for your gifts/talents.
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