“Life is pretty simple: You do some stuff. Most fails. Some works. You do more of what works. If it works big, others quickly copy it. Then you do something else. The trick is the doing something else.” – Leonardo da Vinci
Worry is the imagination gone wrong. It’s the opposite of what you should be doing with your incredible mind. Envision a bright future – something to look forward to. If you do that, your chances of being happy are much improved.
Remember the words of Mark Twain: “I’ve seen a heap of trouble in my day, and most of it never came to pass.”
We use words to convey our ideas to the world around us. Don’t waste them by blathering on about nothing. Marshal words effectively to have power. Learn just one new word a week all your life – and you will have a brilliant vocabulary.
That said, never talk down to people or intentionally talk over their head. If the person you’re talking to didn’t understand you, you’ve wasted your time and theirs. That’s not communication — just audio output.
Learning to prioritize is one of the pillars of discipline and a great boon to personal effectiveness. Make lists. Review them. Do the important things that you can do and let the rest filter to the bottom.
“Do first things first and second things never.” ~ Charles “Red” Scott
Review now and then to see what you learned, then let it go and look forward.
If you have trouble letting go of the past, find a friend with some beer and a hacksaw. It’s much easier to see impediments in the lives of others.
Laugh first at yourself. You really are funny, when you pause to consider it. If you can laugh at yourself, your company will always be welcome.
Be careful not to use your intelligence (from which humor comes) to deride others. Your Maker will hold you accountable for every wound inflicted, whether physical or emotional.
Be prudent and plan for it, but don’t obsess. There’s no guarantee that you’ll have one.
Don’t overlook the joys of the present by fixing all your attention on the future.
Wherever you are – be all there. ~ Jim Elliot
This is true whether you are playing tennis or talking to a friend.
Don’t water down your personal presence by letting your mind go somewhere else.
Live there if you can. Country folk look after each other. People in the city are too busy. In the city, a flat tire can get you killed. In the country, you make a new friend or you just have a nice walk in down the road.
Anything valuable I have learned is wrapped in scar tissue.
I have gained virtually nothing sitting in an air-conditioned living room watching TV and drinking wine. Not that I don’t enjoy that as an evening routine… but it is not the forge in which a man’s life is reshaped and made useful to others.
Don’t be afraid of difficult times. They are the arms of God to draw us toward Himself.
“Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.” Sorry, Lord. I often require that you pull hard on the bit to get my attention.
The praise that flows from my lips to my Savior passes through jaws marred by loving steel.