Time of alone-ness

Eagle flies alone while other birds fly in flock

Joyce Meyer

We often face loneliness in our life. Loss, death, separation, traveling away from family and friends are some of the reasons. Similarly, in the process of becoming a leader, we might be required to be alone, when we have a vision, and no one understand that vision, when we have to fight for the cause alone in the beginning.

For us facing this, just remember this: it’s not loneliness, but alone-ness. Alone-ness is a fact that happens to us, and we might have no control about that, but loneliness is our response when we feel sad and depressed with our state of loneliness.

Have an attitude that alone-ness is an advantage, time when you can reflect a lot about your life, time you can read books or learn things that you want to learn. Take that time as an advantage not as a suffering.
Enjoy your alone-ness!

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Encouraging others…

Remember your thoughts do not bless anybody but you…

Joel Osteen

This post is inspired by article from SuccessBeginsToday.org, Building Up & Enlarging People.
How to encourage people?
Firstly: think more about others in your thought, all of us will think a looot about ourselves, what will we get? what is the impression of others about me? etc. Put into your thoughts about thinking of others, think about what will encourage others to do better.
Secondly: as the post from SuccessBeginsToday.org, speak it out, let the other person know, simple words is better than long paragraph not spoken, or spoken not at the right time.

I realize that time commitments and my perfectionist streak hinder me from making quick replies to e-mail or leaving a quick comment on a blog.
Joel’s statement got me thinking… isn’t it better to send a short note saying “great job,” than not sending a more elaborate note because I don’t have time to write it.

John (SuccessBeginsToday.org)

If you find it hard to write a long encouragement note, no idea of what to write and tell, start by a simple words, or even just a show of thumbs!

Read the full article here! Really recommended feeds for you to learn a lot things, small steps to be taken today if you want to be successful!

N.B.: I’d like to thank my friends as well: Koala, Yoseph, Oon, and Daniel, for their short note of encouragement that keeps me blogging. Thanks for Darryl and Andri for their feedbacks. That really means a lot to me guys!

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Learning to fly

If you want God to use you, you’re gonna let God to change you, because believe it or not, you’re not right about everything.
Joyce Meyer

 

 

Be mature! a mature eagle will soar above the storm. Similarly, how can we become a mature Christian? Like a little eaglet, God will launch us into something new. Something we have been very comfortable with all along is no longer comfortable. We need to change! That’s how we can learn to “fly” and soar above the storm of our life.

Change is difficult, but do not be afraid, bcoz…

The LORD was like an eagle teaching its young to fly, always ready to swoop down and catch them on its back.

Deut 32:11 (CEV)

 

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Let’s talk about God

Having difficulty to talk about God in your daily life? Most of us think that talking about God and even more about Christianity is unnatural, it seems unusual and even strange.

First question you need to ask yourself, does God take only a part of your life? or whole of your life? Adrian Ng, a brother in my church gave a very good message and illustration on God-soaked life. A life where God is on the throne, directing all the aspects of our life.

First step, will you have excitement to talk about God, finding out the relevance of anything under the sun to the God’s big story of human kind redemption? God-soaked life means that your life is inseparable from God, He commands all the aspects of our life, hence it’s very natural for us to talk about Him.

Second step, creatively talk about God, have empathy and listen to the needs of others, not only as a mere “soul to be saved”, but really out of our love for others.

This post is inspired by the message brought by Adrian Ng, “How to talk about God to your friends”

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Leadership: Habit of asking

Management has a lot to do with answers. Leadership is a function of questions. And the first question for a leader always is: ‘Who do we intend to be?’ Not ‘What are we going to do?’ but ‘Who do we intend to be?’
– Max De Pree

 

Above is a quote on the importance of character in leadership. I read about the quote from a leadership seminar by Dr. Albert Ting (principal of Singapore Bible College) today. He mentioned a lot about the importance of character in leadership.

 

Leadership is about being rather than doing, who you are is more important than what you do!

Dr. Albert Ting

 

One of many things that I learned today is the teachability character. He pointed out that as a leader, having a habit of asking is very important. You can anyone and anywhere, you can ask about their challenges and achievements, or even anything under the sun. Wherever you are, when you’re happened to sit next to each other, when you’re in the cab, or even when you do your haircut.

 

 

Not only he shared with us during the seminar, but I did see that in action, during our lunch and even inside the lift, somehow, he greets stranger inside the lift, and asking some stuffs.

 

The point is: Learn from everyone! everyone has their strength, they have their own unique experience, focus on their strength and you can learn a lot from them.

 

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Blogging to me

What is blogging to me? Some people say blogging is a waste of time, one person has ever asked me whether I have too much free time to start blogging.

This month, I’ve been consistently writing average one post daily, and it’s been a blessing to me…

One or two months ago, in a cell group, we are discussing about how we can start a habit of spiritual discipline. One person suggesting an idea of having devotional time everyday but not only for the sake reading the bible, but taking something to be meditated and applied for the rest of the day.

For me, blogging gives me a similar benefit, not only I blog for others to read, I also blog to myself. As I am writing my blog, the whole day, I’ve been thinking of the point I shared in the blog. Kind of reminding me to apply them again and again.

Just as today, choosing to apply one point of my blog yesterday:

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

Mother Theresa

An instance happens today where I’m choosing to be honest, and it really makes me vulnerable. The person seems nice to me, but I don’t know if he has any hidden agenda.

It might be too nice, too simple or even too naive. But one thing, I choose to do the right thing. Anything happens, why should I be afraid of what man can do to me? God has a better plan, isn’t it?

Sometimes we worry excessively on something we should not be worried for, it might not happen or even it might benefits you, as you can do more things without feeling guilty as you’re being true to your conscience.

Let’s choose to do the right thing today!

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“In spite of” Attitude

Learning about “in spite of” attitude as in the poem below from Mother Teresa:

People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

Mother Teresa

The moral of the poem, have a “in spite of” attitude! In spite of your fear, follow your faith! In spite of your feeling, do the right thing!

In spite of hundred reasons to cry, show life you have thousand reasons to smile!

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Focus and overcoming addiction

“The great thing in this world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving.”
- Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894)

Where are you at right now? in the middle of addiction? I downloaded the weekly battle plan from www.everymansbattle.com (which I really recommend for you guys who is struggling with sexual temptation) telling us the problem with our focus, why is it so difficult to overcome addiction.The daily devotional message from PurposeDrivenLife.com summarize the problem with our focus very well:

Focus on God, not your ‘deadness’ – As you struggle to make the right choices, focus on God and not your “deadness” to sin. A God-focus will help you see his strength, power, and grace. On the other hand, if you focus on your “deadness,” you might slip into a legalism that deceives you into believing that the only way to walk away from sinful temptation is to do it on your own strength. The truth is, God is your strength.

Jon Walker

More importantly, know this that we have power to choose not to sin!

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. (Romans 6:4-5 NIV)

So, let us work out our salvation with trembling and fear, focusing on God and not on our weaknesses or even “deadness”. We can do it!!!

God bless you with the strength you need!

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Networking for introvert

Continuing from my article on “Overcoming Shyness“, on that same day, I also read this article “How to Network: For Introverts” from Businesspundit.com. I was searching the net on articles about networking as I was expected to attend a networking session to represent my company, and I found this unique article, networking tips especially for introverts.

It’s true that for us, introverts, networking is not easy, we’re just uncomfortable with chit-chatting about trivial issue, getting to know new person, etc.

How I summed up the article is the importance of courage and persistence, to come and pick some networking events to attend to, and within the event itself, to approach new people and to get to know them.

Few quotes from the articles:

The hardest part for me was the first few events. I sometimes feel like I don’t know what to say when I meet new people. I would be soooo much more comfortable if someone started a conversation by asking me what I thought of utilitarianism as a way to make ethical decisions, or whether Sarbanes-Oxley has encouraged companies to list on other exchanges. Ideas usually seem so much more interesting than people. But, by sticking it out, month after month, I’ve slowly learned some good things to say, and grown more comfortable meeting strangers. So trust me when I say it gets easier.

Another important point the author said is that seeing networking as investment instead of nuisance, kind of networking with purpose.

Networking is an important key to unlocking your own potential. So play by the rules of the game the best that you can, or don’t sit and complain when you have a great idea and no one to help you launch it.

Who said that introverts doesn’t have advantage in networking? the author also has a point on introverts’ strength in networking.

Introverts are intuitive and analytical. Use that skill. What is working? What isn’t? Where do you get the most bang for your buck?

So, for the introverts out there, let’s try to have the courage to speak out, hang out, and networks! It’s hard in the beginning, but it’s worth it!

For more tips, check the full article here.

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And the credit belongs to …

Me and myself? or others? Often we blame mistakes on others and take credit to ourselves. Here is a quote that Terry Paulson put in his article “Beating the Blame Game“.

I’m just a plowhand from Arkansas, but I have learned how to hold a team together. How to lift some men up, how to calm down the others, until finally they’ve got one heartbeat together, a team. There’s just three things I’d ever say: If anything goes bad, I did it. If anything goes semi-good, then we did it. If anything goes real good, then you did it. That’s all it takes to get people to win football games for you.

Bear Bryant (Football Coach)

John Maxwell in his book Be A People Person also quoted the above statements on becoming a person that people trust. It takes more than skills to become a good leader, it also takes character and attitude.

So… will you take the credit and pass the blame? or take the blame and pass the credit?
The choice is yours!

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