Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by John C. Maxwell from his book, Make Today Count: The Secret of Your Success Is Determined by Your Daily Agenda (p. 25). Center Street. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Now that is a thought that if understood and lived will make a difference in how we live each day. John says, “When you have something to live for, not only does it make you desire a long life, but it also helps you to see the importance of the steps along the way. Seeing the big picture enables us to put up with little irritations.” He then says, “It’s hard to find motivation in the moment when there is no hope in the future. A sense of purpose helps a person to make a decision to change and then to follow through with the discipline required to make that change permanent. I found that to be true after my heart attack. A friend who spent a lot of time with me during my recovery saw me pass on desserts time after time—something that was not characte...

A thought by John C. Maxwell from his book, Make Today Count: The Secret of Your Success Is Determined by Your Daily Agenda (p. 14). Center Street. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) God creates every 24 hours for us to live and to make a difference and what he creates and gives to us is of extreme importance to him and needs to be to us. John asks, “How will you spend it? Will you give in to pressure or focus on priorities? Will you allow pointless emails, unimportant tasks, telemarketers, interruptions, and other distractions to consume your day? Or will you take complete responsibility for how you spend your time, take control of the things you can, and make today yours? If you don’t decide how your day will be spent, someone else will.” He goes on, “When I discovered that I needed to change my approach to my day and my career, I started by asking myself three critical questions: “1. What is required of me? Any realistic ass...

A thought by John C. Maxwell from his book,  Make Today Count: The Secret of Your Success Is Determined by Your Daily Agenda (p. 7). Center Street. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) That is so true but it is so worth it.   John says, “Like any discipline, your attitude will not take care of itself. That’s why it needs to be attended to daily. The stronger your natural inclination to be pessimistic or critical, the more attention your attitude will need. Begin each day with an attitude check. And watch for red flags signaling that your attitude might be in trouble. ” He goes on, “Find something positive in everything. Not long ago I came across a prayer that I thought was wonderful. It said, ‘Dear Lord, So far today, I am doing all right. I have not gossiped, lost my temper, been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or self-indulgent. I have not whined, cursed, or eaten any chocolate. However, I am going to get out of bed in a f...