GAME PLANS FOR WINNING AT LIFE

By:  R. Ruettiger

Insight #1
Be the person you want to be. “Make the decision to take action and move closer to your Dream. Create daily success habits and surround yourself with information that will empower and inspire you.”

Insight #2
Use anger in a positive way to get results. “Anger is a normal reaction. It’s what you do with anger that makes a difference in your life … direct your anger towards a goal … use anger in a positive way to get results … from anger comes determination … comes triumph.”

Insight #3
It starts with a Dream. “Visualize your Dream and make a commitment. Having a Dream is what makes life exciting. Never underestimate the power of a Dream. It will change your life. A Dream gives you the ability to determine your future.”

Insight #4
Eliminate the confusion. “Find mentors who encourage you. The right information will eliminate confusion. Visualize exactly what you want to be … and focus on that … believe in yourself and don’t let anything stop you. Reinforce your Dream every day with positive information from tapes, books, and mentors. Each day you will get closer to your Dream. Eliminate the confusion and fears, and make it happen.”

Insight #5
The greater the struggle, the greater the victory. “Most people allow struggles and fear of failure to stop them. The key is to learn from your struggles and move on. Failures will make you stronger and give you the information you need to reach your Dream. Struggle will prepare you for success. Without struggle there is no success.”

Insight #6
Follow your passion instead of the dollar. “There’s nothing wrong with making money … but, it’s important to focus on your passion instead of the dollar. For me, decisions based on my passion brought me closer to my Dream, while decisions based only on money took me further away. If you focus on what really fulfills you, you will have success. The dollar alone does not bring happiness.”

Insight #7
Excuses will kill your Dream. “What we’re really talking about here is commitment. Until you make a commitment to your Dream, it’s not really a Dream … it’s just another fantasy full of excuses. Fantasies don’t come true because they’re not real, we’re not committed to them. When we make commitments, we eliminate excuses and they become Dreams … and Dreams are definitely real.”

Insight #8
Prepare for your Dream. “Preparation is what comes from struggle. Knowledge comes from preparation. These are the elements that pave the road to your Dream. If we do not prepare we will not succeed. Set your goals and pursue your Dreams with all your heart. If you miss a goal, don’t quit, reset it! You just need to learn more … step by step you will win!”

Insight #9
Focus on your Dream and Never Quit. It is always too soon to quit. If you quit, you can’t succeed. By achieving your Dream you will be an inspiration to others. You will set the example and make an enormous impact on the world. Make it happen!”

Insight #10
Always have a Dream. “Dreams give us energy to go to new levels. Dreams change lives … the power of life is in your Dreams!”

THE POWER OF WORDS

By:  J. Olson

Before the late 1950s, the island of Cozumel, Mexico, was little more than a fishing village surrounded by Mayan ruins. Historians believe the Mayans settled there sometime in the first century AD. For nearly 2,000 years, there was little more to Mexico’s largest island than its ancient artifacts.

All that changed in 1959 when French ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau declared the clear blue waters and coral reefs surrounding this Caribbean island as one of the best places in the world for scuba diving. The rest-as they say-is history. Today, the Island of Cozumel is a regular stop for thousands of cruise ship tourists, scuba enthusiasts, and snorkeling fans.

Talk about the weight of a person’s words! One man’s endorsement put a little-known Caribbean island on the map. Words can carry great power. Not only can they transform a tiny island, words also have the power to bring “death or life” to others (Proverbs 18:21).

A spiritual mentor of mine once talked about a comment his father made about him while he was a freshman in college. As a young student hoping to impress his father with all he was learning, he overheard his father say to his mother that he had a “sharp mind.” My mentor, who went on to get a Ph.D. and authored several helpful books, said, “I can’t tell you how many times my dad’s comment ‘he’s got a sharp mind’ strengthened me. During those moments in my schooling when I wasn’t sure if I was going to make the grade, the words of my father carried me through.” My friend had heard words of “encouragement” that kept him going (Ephesians 4:29).

What is the message of your words? (Proverbs 10:32). You have the power both to do build up and tear down. How are you using your power?

LIFETIME WARRANTY

By:  V. Grounds

Buying a new car is a major investment. We want to be sure we are getting our money’s worth. We also want to be certain that the vehicle won’t cause us trouble. So we carefully file the manufacturer’s warranty, confident that if something doesn’t work right we can take our car back to the dealer. Not only are we sure they have trained people who can troubleshoot the problem and fix it, but we know they have all the manufacturer’s specifications and the parts that may be needed.

When we run into difficulties in life and aren’t able to get things working right, where can we turn for help? Doesn’t it make sense that the One who made us is totally qualified to supply the indispensable help we need? The psalmist David found great comfort in this fact. He wrote, “You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works . . . . How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!” (Ps. 139:13-14,17).

God’s help is as available today as it was then. And who is more qualified to know what we need than the One who made us!

All that I am I owe to Thee,
Thy wisdom, Lord, has fashioned me;
I give my Maker thankful praise,
Whose wondrous works my soul amaze. —Psalter

God’s warranty: You’re covered for a lifetime.

LIVING LIFE AND HAVING FUN

By:  Author Unknown

A house becomes a home when you can write 'I love you' on the furniture. I can't tell you how many countless hours that I have spent cleaning. I used to spend at least 8 hours every weekend making sure things were just perfect - 'in case someone came over.' Then I realized one day that no-one came over; they were all out living life and having fun!

Now, when people visit, I find no need to explain the condition of my home. They are more interested in hearing about the things I've been doing while I was away living life and having fun. If you haven't quite figured this out as yet, please heed this advice.

Life is short, so enjoy it!

Dust if you must,
but wouldn't it be better to
paint a picture or write a letter,
bake a cake or plant a seed,
or even ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there's not much time,
with rivers to swim and mountains to climb,
music to hear and books to read,
friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the worlds out
there with the sun in your eyes,
the wind in your hair, a flutter of snow, a shower of rain.
This day will not come around again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
old age will come and it's not kind.
And when you go - and go you must,
you, yourself will make more dust!

It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived ... and remember, a layer of dust protects the wood beneath it.

GETTING WHAT YOU WANT

By:  E. Arceo

We all want something right? Probably a new car, your own house, that new gadget on the store shelf. It can be as small as a set of tumblers of a popular softdrink being sold with a meal. Big or small, we all want something.

The thing is, you cannot get everything want. What's worse, when you see someone having the object of your desire, you get envious. You start feeling pity for yourself. Then you get resentful. Then angry-at your self and at God.

One issue is contentment. Another is because you don't ask God. That simple. God wants to give to us what is best for us. What is best for us is usually what we do not want. We do not ask God because we know deep in our heart, that is not what God wants for us.

We are very short-sighted people. We look only at the things that will satisfy our appetite. James 4:2-3 (NLT) says, "You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong-you want only what will give you pleasure."

Now I'm not saying you go to this extreme-although it’s possible. It does cause quarreling or fighting. Or-you think ill of people that DO have what you want. We may think that person is not deserving of what they have.

The urge to get what we want can be so powerful and if we are not careful, can ruin our lives. The only answer to this emotion is humility. Humility tells us to be content. Humility tells us to believe in the plans of God. Humility will tell us to be happy for the people who are able to acquire what they have.

James 4:10 says, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor." | 

PERSEVERING TO THE END

By:  K. Hee

Have you ever had to wait for something for a very long time? Maybe you waited for a job, or for a spouse. Some couples wait for years and years before they are able to have a child. Waiting for something that your heart desires can be extremely difficult.

Abraham had to wait 25 years for God to deliver on His promise to give him a son. With each passing year, it became more difficult for Abraham to believe God’s promise to him. Abraham and his wife, Sarah, were growing old, and it seemed impossible for them to have a child at their age. When God first made His promise to Abraham, it was fresh and real, and it was easier for Abraham to wait expectantly for the promise to be fulfilled. But as the years wore on, Abraham began to doubt God’s promise.

Why didn’t God give Abraham a son five minutes after He made the promise? Why not five years later, or even ten? God is certainly powerful enough to fulfill all of His promises immediately, but He often chooses to make His children wait on His promises. Why? Not to torment us or to prove His superiority over us! But to prepare us and to teach us lessons that bring us toward greater maturity in Him.

Abraham experienced so much during his years of waiting for his son because God was teaching him how to trust Him completely. Finally, in God’s perfect timing, Abraham received a son, Isaac. Imagine the joy in Abraham’s heart when he held his baby boy!

God asks you to wait on His promises to you as well, so that by learning to trust and rest in Him, your heart will be prepared to receive His abundance of joy and blessings.

Prayer for the day: Thank God for the promises He has made to you. Pray that you will grow nearer to Him, and be able to serve Him while you wait for His promises to be fulfilled.

INTEGRITY IS ABOUT THE SMALL THINGS

By:  J. Maxwell

"Good leaders abhor wrongdoing of all kinds; sound leadership has a moral foundation." Proverbs 16:12 (The Message)

As important as integrity is to your business success, it's even more critical if you want to become an influencer. It is the foundation upon which many other qualities are built, such as respect, dignity, and trust. If that foundation of integrity is weak or fundamentally flawed, then being a person of influence becomes impossible.

That's why it's crucial to maintain integrity by taking care of the little things. Ethical principles are not flexible. A little white lie is still a lie. Theft is theft - whether it's $1, $1,000, or $1 million. Integrity commits itself to character over personal gain, to people over things, to service over power, to principle over convenience, to the long view over the immediate.

Anytime you break a moral principle, you create a small crack in the foundation of your integrity. And when times get tough, it becomes harder to act with integrity, not easier. Character isn't created in a crisis; it only comes to light. Everything you have done in the past - and the things you have neglected to do - come to a head when you're under pressure.