Life’s Full Stops

When we are born we are issued with a life sentence.

Now there are two ways that we can approach this. We can either treat our  life as if we have been imprisoned into a set path of drudgery, restricted living and repetitive doldrums, or else we can treat it like writing a book.

Yours and my book of life is made up of a whole collected group of sentences. And each of these sentences are denoted by punctuation such as commas, colons, semi-colons, the occasional exclamation mark, lots of question marks, hyphens, and the inevitable appearance of the full stop.

And it is in this treatise that I particularly want to take a look at – the full stop.

The good news is this, that just because you have reached a full stop in your life, and you’re still living and breathing, you are presented with the opportunity of simply writing the next sentence.

For a book, much like a life, is made up of paragraphs. Paragraphs include a combination of sentences. And each sentence contains a group of words. So don’t see a full stop as ‘the end’. But rather view a full stop as a ‘new beginning’.

One sentence leads to another. One phrase to another phrase. And one completed chapter can unfold a whole new exciting chapter to your life.

As sure as the seasons appear each year – so to do the seasons of life.  Learn to identify them , and learn to flow through them. At times there is a pause. At times a delay. At times a surging forward, and at times a drawing aside. But no matter what punctuates your life at this present time – know this – that you are always moving forward – for time ticks on, age adds on, and life goes on – no matter the punctuation we are currently facing.

Your life is a journal – a book filled with words, pictures and illustrations connected by punctuation marks. It’s the very nature of life lived on planet earth.

Don’t be surprised by them. Flow with them. For they have been given to you so that your character can be developed and your life’s mission can be fulfilled. And at the end of your days – what a story it will read to inspire all of us who follow in your footsteps.

The Voice Called Choice

The choices that we make on a minute by minute basis determine our destiny.

Every choice chosen has an immediate impact on our lives and on the lives of others. So when it comes to making choices – choose wisely.

In the scriptures we’re reminded of a time when a whole nation was given an instruction about making choices, and the two words that echo throughout the annals of history still hold true to this day, and they are the words, ‘Choose life!’

So how do we determine which choice to choose?

It’s quite simple.

If your choice, and the fruit of your choice, is going to breathe life into your life and into the lives of those around you, then that is a right choice.

On the flipside, if your choice, and the fruit of your choice, is going to deposit death into your life and into the lives of those around you, then you have clearly made the wrong choice.

This is why rash choice making is a dangerous habit to develop. The term ‘I need to sleep on it’ is a powerful guide that can protect you greatly from making premature and painful choices. And one simple directive is to recognise that the worst possible time to make life defining choices is when you are tired, sick or emotional.

Surround yourself with wise mentors with whom you can discuss your choices before making them final, and you may just begin to find that there may be another way.

There is always another way. There is always a better way. Our job is to simply position ourselves so that we learn to make right choices.

It is my observation that twenty years of making wrong choices ends up with one or more of these results – death, bankruptcy or destruction.

So let your voice  called choice speak life into every choice that you make – and because of those choices you will end up with a life that is both prosperous and constructive.

Choose life!

Seven Ways To Live The ‘Seven-Star’ Life

When it comes to living, don’t settle for ‘three-star’, ‘four-star’, ‘five-star’ or even ‘six-star’. Let’s aim for ‘seven-star’ living! So how do you achieve this?

Well here are seven tips to consider and apply immediately to your life.

Star 1 – Develop A Great Attitude

Every day you live, you and I have a choice to make. What attitude are you going to carry with you? Always choose a great attitude.

Star 2 – Develop a Vision For Your Life

Your vision will come from within and can be drawn from your natural gifts and desires. And if that’s not enough – tune into another leader’s vision and throw your weight behind it.

Star 3 – Write Your Goals

Written goals add power to your life. Having written goals now for over twenty years, I have seen too many things that I’ve written down come to pass to think otherwise.

Star 4 – Believe That Success Is Yours

If you don’t believe it, then who will? Think Success! Reject failure thoughts. Remind yourself consistently that you are a success and expect great things to happen in your life.

Star 5 – Destroy Fear Through Action

By simply choosing to act, even while the butterflies are still getting into formation in your stomach, fear will run from you.

Star 6 – Think Creative Thoughts

Immerse yourself constantly in an environment of creativity. One way to do this is to keep a journal and to take at least thirty minutes a day to record your thoughts. It is often in solitude that your greatest ideas will be birthed.

Star 7 – Help Others

You actually learn more when you teach others. The more you give away the more you will receive. Find someone who needs mentoring and start teaching. And as you’re mentoring seek your own mentor to teach you. It’s as simple as offering to meet over a cup of coffee – and make sure that you pay for them.

So don’t settle even for ‘five star’ or ‘six star’ living. Go to the top immediately and choose to live a quality ‘seven-star’ life.

The Disciplined Life

‘Death is the reward of an undisciplined life; your foolish decisions trap you in a dead end.’ Proverbs 5:23

‘The road to life is a disciplined life; ignore correction and you’re lost for good.’ Proverbs 10:17

‘If you love learning, you love the discipline that goes with it – how shortsighted to refuse correction.’ Proverbs 12:1

So to all parents – let me encourage you to discipline your children with love. By doing so you are setting them up for success.

So to all children – make discipline your friend at home, at school, in sport and in the workplace.

For it is my observation that many adults suffer from an incredible lack of self discipline, and it is for that reason that they wake up in their latter years filled with regret.

Don’t let that be you. For it is from the discipline carried out in doing the little things on a regular and disciplined manner that will shape and mould a magnificent, satisfied and disciplined life.

If you find discipline a hard thing to administer in your own life, then find a friend who will keep you accountable.

Life Coaching by Sports rule

I heard some sports rule which can be applied to life to have a success

1. A VISION FOR WINNING

Without a vision people perish. Without a goal you will lack purpose and direction.

So if you want to win in life you first need to get a vision of winning. See yourself succeeding. Write down the life you see yourself living. Review it regularly and then step out of the boat and walk on the water. You will not drown. The vision will carry you through storm and wind. And before you know it, you will be living the vision and be ready to create yet another vision that goes even further beyond your wildest dreams.

2. PLAY AS A TEAM

You can’t do life alone. Solitude is only meant for lives for a short time. In order to grow you need to be part of a team.

A successful businessman once told me that the day he started to become rich was the very first day he hired somone in his business.

3. CONDITION YOURSELF FOR THE GAME OF LIFE

If you do not spend the correct time in preparation you could find yourself running out of steam. So spend time building your heart, your mind and your spirit. As the good book says, you find more about a person in a crisis than at any other time. That’s when the true character of an individual is revealed.

So prepare yourself by soaking yourself in a positive environment, reading positive books and being surrounded by positive groups of people.

The other day, as I was getting interviewed by a NGO , The interviewer asked me how I dealt with stress. My response was ‘I pray’. That is one part of conditioning that has carried me through some of the roughest and treacherouos periods of my life. But the habit of prayer also sustains me when the seas of my life are calm. Whether rough or smooth I have learnt to condition my life.

Randy Pausch - Points on How to Improve your Life

Randy Pausch - Points on How to Improve your Life


This is amazing, he died of pancreatic cancer in 2008, but wrote a book ‘The last lecture” before then, one of the bestsellers in 2007. What a legacy to leave behind…


In a letter to his wife Jai and his children, Dylan, Logan, and Chloe, he wrote this beautiful "guide to a better life" for his wife and children to follow. May you be blessed by his insight.


POINTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE


Personality:
1. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
2. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment
3. Don't over do; keep your limits
4. Don't take yourself so seriously; no one else does
5. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip
6. Dream more while you are awake
7. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
8. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
9. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
10. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present
11. No one is in charge of your happiness except you
12. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.
Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
13. Smile and laugh more
14. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.


Community:
15. Call your family often
16. Each day give something good to others
17. Forgive everyone for everything
18. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6
19. Try to make at least three people smile each day
20. What other people think of you is none of your business
21. Your job will not take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.


Life:
22. Put GOD first in anything and everything that you think, say and do.
23. GOD heals everything
24. Do the right things
25. However good or bad a situation is, it will change
26. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up
27. The best is yet to come
28. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful
29. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it
30. If you know GOD you will always be happy. So, be happy.


While you practice all of the above, share this knowledge with the people you love, people you school with, people you play with, people you work with and people you live with. Not only will it enrich YOUR life, but also that of those around you