You Need Perspective

 Life can get really stressful and demanding…

It can be helpful to ask, “Will this really matter in 5 days / 5 weeks / 5 years / 50 years from now?”

Perspective is a beautiful thing! 

Serendipity

 Don’t plan your life in too much detail or you squeeze out the space for serendipity to occur. 

Like leaving space (opportunity for boredom) to develop creative ideas… we need to leave space in our calendar and bring curiosity to discover all sorts of  serendipity that the universe has for us. 

You Just Never Know

 Memories are made most often when we least expect them… 

A lot of our best memories are t about expensive holidays / presents, but about meaningful times during random moments together… you can’t plan for them, and for the most part don’t recognise the moment when you’re in it.

So each moment should be savoured and enjoyed… because you just never know if it’s a moment that will make memories! 

What’s Worse Than Failure?

““Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/111/mat.7.7.NIV

If we don’t put ourselves out there because of fear of failure / rejection / etc, then the answer will always be no… and we would have just rejected ourselves and caused failure. 

There is no worse failure than failing to try! 

Where am I holding back? 

Creative or Reactive

 Does life just happen to you? Are you simply reactive? 

Or are you looking for ways to create opportunities? 

It reminds me of the story of two shoe salesman sent to a village in Africa. 

One salesman sent a telegram back to his office saying, ‘Returning home. No one wears shoes here.’

The other salesman sent a telegram back to his office saying, ‘send more shoes, no one wears shoes here!’

A positive mindset and some creativity can produce amazing results! 

Do You Really Want It?

 We have exactly what we are happy to have…

If we truly weren’t happy we would have done something about it. 

If we deem the cost too high to ‘change’ and put extra effort in, to sacrifice for our goal / dream, then we never really wanted it. We have liked the idea but we have exactly what we are happy to have…

Today prophesies your Tomorrow

 What we do today creates our tomorrow… 

Too often we give up when we don’t see immediate results and we stop doing the very thing that is bringing us success. 

Create amazing tomorrows! 

Death Meditation

 Confronting your own death and the death of loved ones brings a clarity of what’s truly important. 

We tend to be running so fast on the hamster wheel of to-do’s and achievements that we lose sight of what matters. 

I’ll never forget, after being fired from my second pastorate position, breaking down and crying. I wasn’t crying over being fired, but over how I neglected my kids during my time served there. In my focus on serving the church, I lost sight of those closest to me. 

In the end, it’s your family and close friends at your bed side. And they’re there not because of your achievements but because of love.

Buddhist monks have a practice called death meditations… 

I have practiced these especially while preparing for my dads death.

Death is not only a natural part of life, it’s important as it brings focus.

Live in the moment. Be here now. Be more and do less.

Rose, Rose, Thorn, Bud

 Heard a great gratitude game for the family: 

ROSE - here you share a small thing that you’re appreciative/ grateful for in your day

ROSE

THORN - share a negative from today - point here is to acknowledge the negative (not for everyone to fix it)

BUD - something you’re looking forward to in the future

An alternative is:

HI - same as rose

LOW - same as thorn 

BUFFALO - something weird that happened today

Life is for Giving!

 I just watched A Christmas Carol with Jim Carey. 

I loved the line when Ebenezer Scruge says to Marley’s ghost, “but you were a good businessman’

And Marley replies, “Business, my business should have been mankind and community…”

Our life is about making other lives better!

And as Scruge learnt how to do this joy returned to his life!

A candle that lights other candles looses nothing yet gains light / joy.

A man who squeezes tightly to the sand in his hand ends up squeezing all the sand out of his hand as he tries to hold onto it all… life is for giving! 

Planning To Fail?

 Connection takes intentionality. 

If you fail to plan then you’re planning to fail. 

What would happen to my network if everyday I took a few mins out to connect with someone? 

No man is an island, and no man can succeed alone. 

Remarkable?

 If my work isn’t worthy of a 2nd take, of making a remark, then it’s boring and won’t be noticed. 

How am I doing remarkable work?

How am I taking remarkable photos? 

How am I creating remarkable memories with loved ones? 

We All Have 24hrs

 Everybody has the same 24hr period in a day. The question is what will you do with yours?

This isn’t a prod to get as much done as possible… but a prod to get the truly important things done. 

Have I connected and added value to people?

Have I actively practiced my values? 

Have I grown?

These are great questions to ask…