LIFE’S NOT FAIR

By:  F. Kong

Work! Just the sheer mention of it sends negative thoughts into your brain, because a lot of people view it as an interruption of the weekend, an evil necessity, or as an unappreciated means to earn a living.

But if you’ve been reading this column for some time now, you would have understood that work is a noble undertaking. It is a means by which we can use our creative juices and be productive at the same time.

Then again, there will always be people who tend to look at the negative side of work. You might even find that you share some of these perceptions about work.

One worker complains that life in the office is never fair. He sees that different situations are simply a matter of interpretation. He says: “When I take a long time, I am slow. But when my boss takes a long time, he is thorough. When I don’t do my work, I am lazy, but when my boss doesn’t do it, he is too busy. When I do something without being told, I am trying to be smart; but when my boss does the same, that is initiative. When I please my boss, I’m trying to win his favor; but when my boss pleases his boss, he’s cooperating. When I do good, my boss never remembers–when I do wrong, he never forgets. And so everything is just a matter of interpretation.”

Hmmmm–there seems to be some truth in there. I do have to admit that there are really instances when things like these happen in the workplace. It’s tragic, and it shouldn’t be so in the first place. But can you really say that life is fair?

Come to think about it, the world is never fair because we could not be fair to others too. We just need to remember that we have to make that decision to be the best that we can be, and that our actions and behavior in life should not be dictated upon by somebody else’s weakness or personality.

Life is never easy,
especially in the workplace.
The secret is in
not taking things too seriously.

Another material I came across talks about identifying THAT particular moment when you know your job’s on the line. This came from an article on the LaughWeb site:

You know it’s your last day at work when…

…You hand a bank teller an envelope, and when she asks, “What’s this?”, you realize you just dropped the company’s deposit in a mailbox.

…A woman comes into the store, you turn to the other salesman and say, “I waited on the last fat ugly old lady. This one’s your turn”. Your boss was standing behind you. And the woman you were describing happens to be his wife.

…Finding out that your boss is at lunch, you sneak in his office, look at some confidential information on his computer, and you spill coffee on the keyboard. It shorts out.

…You take a “sick” day. The next morning the boss asks you, “So, how was the Enchanted Kingdom yesterday?”

…You wake up with a big hangover. You have a black eye and bruised knuckles. Your clothes are all in a mess. You’re in jail and last night was the company Christmas party.

Life is never easy, especially in the workplace, but the secret is in taking things not too seriously. God has called us to that place where we can be productive, using the God-given talents within us. It’s a place where we can reach out to others, and perhaps make their day a little brighter and a little bit more meaningful.

Life’s not fair, but we all can be unfairly kind and unfairly sensitive to the needs of those who are around us. Reach out with God’s love and make their day a little brighter.

WHERE DO YOU FIND APPROVAL?

By:  A. Bull

Every Sunday my son and I play soccer. Little did I know that while having fun that I'd learn something on the field.

I'm an athlete, and I don't like to just watch sports, but I need to be involved. I'm always moving.

Almost every Sunday my son and I participate in a pick-up soccer game with folks of all ages and all skill levels. The players consist of young people from the ages of 6 to men in their 50s -- so the demographics are spread out. Within that group there are guys and gals in their last few years of high school who play on select and varsity teams, sometimes at the same time.

To say they're good is an understatement.

Then there's me. I'm in my thirties and have been playing soccer for most of my life. However, since my playing hasn't been that consistent over the last few years or so, my ball handling skills aren't always that great. I have my moments. But I also have those OTHER moments that we don't always want to run home and share with our family.

Every time I play it's an absolute blast. It's a time for me to see friends and release some stress built up during the week, allowing me to start the new week refreshed. It's a time of decompression for me.

After the game I always call my wife to let her know that we're done and we're heading home. The other part of the conversation is what I did, or what our son did on the field. No matter how hard I try, I can never wait until I get home to give her highlights of the good and bad things that happened.

To say I love soccer is also an understatement.

To my surprise I've learned something from this otherwise innocuous, but exhausting game. There will always be somebody better than me. There will always be someone waiting only a step away from me who knows strategy better and who can control the ball better.

Now some of you may be wondering where I'm going with all of this. Hold on, there's more.

Let me ask you, what can a person do to improve their skills? The quick answer is, practice, practice, and practice some more. However, let me pose another question to you. What if I'm as good as I will ever get, and my skills will probably start to diminish as I get older? Also, if I plan to get better, am I doing it for me, my family, or the guy or girl I've always tried to beat but simply can't? Is it one-upmanship that motivates me?

I have to be honest. In my life it's usually trying to prove to someone else that I am better than him or her when they have shown me up in the past. Oh how I/we love to feed our egos. Come on. Admit it. We all do. Usually the only thing that separates us when it comes to our egos is to what degree we feed them.

Now, let's go back to that question again. Where am I going with this? I'm pretty certain -- in fact completely sure, 100% unquestionably, undeniably sure, that approval of man or ourselves is not where we are supposed to be seeking approval. The only One we are supposed to seek approval from is our Heavenly Father, God -- Daddy.

That's a difficult one. Are you guilty -- as I am -- of wanting at least one person to notice when you do something that people don't normally see? It could be anything from cleaning the floors at home, or finally figuring out something that's been plaguing your department at work.

Guess what? Even when nobody else notices, someone always notices. It's our heavenly Father. I'm reminded of a verse in Galatians 1:10.

Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

I'm also reminded of the verse found in Proverbs 14:12:

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

I think that's pretty fair warning of where our approval seeking should be focused. Not from man. Not from our spouse, boss, coach, etc. The only one we should seek approval from, true loving confirming approval from, is God. It's that simple! Seek his approval with your full heart and see what happens.             

GOD IS LOOKING FOR INTERCESSORS

By:  Blackaby

So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. - Ezekiel 22:30

God looks for those whose hearts are prepared to be intercessors before Him. Intercessors have hearts in tune with God’s heart. They are so acutely aware of what is at stake, for their land, that they will stay before God as long as necessary in order to obtain God’s answer. That is why you do not volunteer to be an intercessor. God enlists you.

Why do we not intercede as we should? Perhaps we are afraid to put God to the test. We worry that God might not answer our prayers. Yet God promises that if we ask, we will receive (Matt. 7:7). We may fail to intercede because we believe the busyness of our everyday lives is more effective than prayer. Jesus warned that apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). Without being intimately acquainted with God and His will, all of our labors are futile. Perhaps we fail to intercede because we misunderstand the heart of God. Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem as He interceded for it (Matt. 23:37).

If we truly have God’s love within us, we will feel compelled to plead with God on behalf of those who face His imminent judgment.

Intercession is a lonely business. There may be many days or even years when there appear to be few results for your labor. Yet intercessors can be the only ones standing between a family and God’s judgment, or between an individual or nation and God’s wrath.

SET YOUR GOALS, CHANGE YOUR LIFE & CELEBRATE!

By:  Z. Ziglar

 

Studies tell us that only 3% of people in the USA set goals, and they are among the wealthiest people in the nation! Worldwide the percentage is probably lower. Why so low? There are several reasons, but the one that concerns me the most is lack of know-how. When we ask people why they don’t set goals they often say, “I don’t know how.”

Isn’t that remarkable? We send children to school for 12 years in America before they graduate from high school. Many of them go on to trade schools, colleges and universities. We teach them many important disciplines including history, economics, literature, science, and so forth, but we miss one critically important skill: goal setting. We award them their degrees, pat them on their backs, and send them into the world full of wisdom, but ill-prepared, almost always, to design and pursue the lives they really want.

And all that’s required to change this deficiency is a single semester, even half a semester, devoted to teaching goal setting. It doesn’t seem likely that we’re going to change the American educational system any time soon, or the world’s educational system, but that’s not going to stop me from teaching you how to set goals.

The letters and phone calls that I receive are social proof that our goal setting programs work. I know that goal setting will help you change your life for the better, it will help you get what you really want from life. And when you do, that’s reason for all of us to celebrate! Whether you’re already a goal setter, you used to set goals and quit, or you’ve never set goals, this lesson will help you build a better life.

Step 1. Dream! Let your imagination run wild while you fill up a blank sheet of paper with everything you want to be, do or have. Many adults have lost their ability to dream and that’s unfortunate. By dreaming you instill hope for your future, and with hope there’s possibility. So your assignment this week is to dream. During this next week devote at least two private sessions to dreaming. I want you to create a Dream List filled with ideas. Your list should include at least 25 dreams about what you want to be, do or have.

Step 2. After you complete your list, wait 24 to 48 hours and read each item on your list and answer the question: Why? If you can’t verbalize in one sentence why you want to be, do or have this dream, then it’s not a dream and it won’ become a goal. Cross it off your list.

Step 3: Ask the following five questions of every dream on the Dream List you created last week.

1. Is it really MY goal?
2. Is it morally right and fair to everyone concerned?
3. Is it consistent with my other goals?
4. Can I emotionally commit myself to finish this goal?
5. Can I “see” myself reaching this goal?

You must answer “yes” to all five questions for each goal, or cross that goal off your list.

Here are some points to ponder: Is it really MY goal or is it a goal someone else wants me to pursue? Is it the right thing to do? Will achieving this goal distract from achieving other goals? Goals are often difficult to achieve. Are you sure you can make the commitment to pursue this goal and see it through? If you can’t “see” yourself reaching this goal, you probably won’t.

Take time during this week to think about the questions above and answer them. Once you’re finished, your Dream List will probably be a bit shorter than when you started out. That’s okay because you’re now closer to identifying the goals that you really will pursue and can achieve.

Step 4:  Ask the following seven questions of every dream that remains on your Dream List (or goals list).

Will reaching this goal . . .
1. make me happier?
2. make me healthier?
3. make me more prosperous?
4. win me more friends?
5. give me peace of mind?
6. make me more secure?
7. improve my relationships with others?

If you can’t answer “Yes” to at least one of these questions for each goal, eliminate that goal from your list. Be sure to consider your family when you answer these questions. And do not confuse pleasure with happiness!

Here we go with Step 5:  After asking the questions posted in Step 4 you will have eliminated some of your goals. Actually, they were not goals, just thoughts or desires at this point, so you’re better off without them.

Separate your remaining list of goals into one of three categories: Short-range (one month or less to achieve this goal), Intermediate (one month to one year to achieve this goal), or Long-range (one year or more to achieve this goal).

This step will help you quickly determine whether or not you have a balanced perspective between what needs to be done now, versus your dreams for the future.

Remember: Some goals must be BIG to make you stretch and grow to your full potential. Some goals must be long-range to keep you on track and greatly reduce the possibility of short-range frustrations. Some goals must be small and daily to keep you disciplined. Some goals must be ongoing. Some goals (i.e., weight loss, sales success, education, etc.) may require analysis and consultation to determine where you are before you can set the goals. Most goals should be specific. A “nice home” is not as good as a “3,000 square-foot, Tudor- style home with four bedrooms, three full baths, and two living spaces.”

Here we go with the final step:  After specifically identifying your goals, write them down!  It is important that you have a written list of your specific goals.  Then you will begin to do the daily, weekly action steps that will take you closer to achieving that goal.  Be selective. You may not be able to work on all of your goals at one time! Don,t over do it. If you only have time to complete one or two goals for the remainder of this year, don’t apologize. Do a little bit more than you think you can, but do not overextend your time to the point that you don’t complete any of your goals. Do not get frustrated by the process! Work the system and it will work for you. I can fill a book with the number of letters that I receive about the effectiveness of this simple goal-setting program. Trust the system.

Once you have identified your goals and plotted the activities that you intend to do to fulfill your goals, pat yourself on the back! You have just spent more time planning your future than most of your friends, relatives or associates will ever invest! Good for you.