My Life

Do Yu Understand ?

Togetherness

Some of the most fascinating trees I have ever seen are the magnificent California and West Coast redwoods. They reach their leafy arms heavenward, commonly growing 200 to 275 feet tall. The tallest one in Humboldt County, California, towers 368.6 feet in height. These trees stand like sentinels of time and have done so for hundreds of years.

They've been through winds, earthquakes, fires and storms—still they stand. Nothing seems to deter them.

What is so amazing is that these trees, among the tallest in the world, have a comparably shallow root system and yet they rarely ever fall. How do they keep standing even in the wildest of storms ? It's because the redwood's root systems reach out for great distances and are intertwined with one another. They literally hold each up other up.

If you and I are going to reach our full potential, we too need the support of each other, not to be overdependent but inter-dependent.

None of us can stand alone.

Dear God

please help me

to be like a mighty redwood tree

giving and receiving support

to and from my friends

so that I, too, can reach the heights

of my God-given potential.

Thank You for hearing and answering my prayerz

Redeeming the Time

Chuck Colson tells about one prisoner he met who had been on death row for fifteen years. His name was John Irving.

John was allowed out of his cell for only one hour a day. The rest of the time he was studying to become a minister—preparing to serve God.

Noticing that John had nothing in his cell but a few books, Colson offered to give him a TV.

"Thanks," John said, "but no thanks. You can waste an awful lot of time with those things."

Can you imagine wasting time on death row?

Colson goes on to say, "The real evils of the entertainment industry are not the violence and profanity—offensive though they are. No, it's the banality: the sheer waste of time. When we turn the TV on, we turn our minds off; studies have shown that the analytical areas of the brain nearly shut down during extended TV viewing."

Project 2020 - "Mapping the Global Future"

Found this incidently. This was published in 2004 by the US Government Printing Office. Interesting study and interesting today's implementations. Please keep it in mind that this study was done/ completed in 2004 and the project named "Mapping the Global Future" was launched in 2004.

Best Regards.

Azhar Abbas

Project 2020 - "Mapping the Global Future" from Azhar Abbas

The Answer Is In Your Hands

Zig Ziglar wrote that according to legend, it was reputed that a very wise old man who lived on a hilltop overlooking the beautiful city of Venice, Italy, could answer any question anyone might ask him. Two local boys figured they could trick him, so they caught a bird and took it to the wise sage.

"Tell us," they asked, "is the bird in our hand dead or alive?"

The wise man replied, "Son, if I say the bird is alive, you will close your hands and crush it to death. Or, if I say the bird is dead, you will open your hands and it will fly away. The answer is in your hands."

And so it is with life. Whether we succeed or fail, live a meaningful or empty life, lay up treasures in heaven or go empty handed to meet God, it's all in our hands! For whatever we sow we reap. It's the law of the harvest.

Dear God ..

help me ..

to invest my life ..

in eternity ..

and lay up treasures ..

in heaven ..

so I will reap abundantly ..

in this life and the next ..

 

Thank You for hearing and answering my prayerz ..

I am Sorry

I am sorry from Azhar Abbas

Do You Want to Be Made Whole?

If I were to ask you if you want to be made whole, I'm sure you would say yes. But what does it mean to be whole? Simply put, it means to become a whole person especially in mind and spirit; that is, to become emotionally well, and spiritually well. Quite a challenge to be sure.

As long as we live in our human body we will be subject to sickness and disease. However, the more whole we become emotionally and spiritually, the healthier we are more likely to be physically. Unresolved spiritual and/ or emotional issues make us much more susceptible to illnesses of all kinds.

For instance, a person whose life is riddled with guilt because of sin, or is nursing a grudge and refusing to forgive someone who has hurt him or her is more than likely to get sick physically and/ or mentally. Many an ulcer, for example, is caused not so much by what we are eating but by what is eating us on the inside. And when I repress super-charged negative emotions, as John Powell puts it, "My stomach keeps score."

While the principle for being made well/ whole is simple, the process is anything but simple. That is, if we want to be made well/ whole, we need to resolve all past hurts, forgive anyone and everybody who has ever hurt us, face and resolve every buried negative emotion, and make our life right with God.

Remember, too, there is a world of difference between a want and a wish. To be made well/ whole takes total commitment, personal honesty, and determination. The half-hearted never make it. They may wish to get well but they don't want it badly enough to be willing to pay the price of doing what it takes to be made well/ whole.

Do you truly want to be made whole/well ? For only to the degree that we are made whole will our lifestyle, our behavior and actions, our manner of living, and our relationships be wholesome.

Dear God

please help me

to understand fully

what it means

and what it takes

to be made whole,

and give me

the courage and will

to do what I need to do

in order to be made whole.

 

Thank You for hearing and answering my prayerz.

The Blame-Game Virus

Much of our society today is being infected by a virus.

No, I don't mean a computer or biological virus, but a moral virus that could, if not arrested, spread like a plague and eventually infect, or at least seriously affect, our entire society. It's the irresponsible "blame-game" virus that can end up over time (even though ever so slowly) seriously weaken what was once a healthy, virile people.

When a nation becomes morally weakened from within, it becomes vulnerable to opposing forces from without.

Too many business leaders irresponsibly "cook" their company books out of selfish interest and reap havoc in thousands of other people's lives. Too many employees refuse to accept responsibility for doing the best job they can possibly do. Failing people often blame racial prejudice for their lack of advancement. Irresponsible parents blame teachers when they fail their children for cheating on exams. And as Michael Josephson of Character Counts reports, in a survey of some 36,000 high school students a high percentage of students admit to cheating and lying and at the same time claim to be highly ethical. These kids who already know how to play the blame-game will be the business and political leaders of tomorrow. Politicians blame the opposition party, divorced people blame their former spouse—and so on ad infinitum—all without accepting personal responsibility for their own failures.

Whether it is at a national or an individual level, when we fail to accept personal responsibility for our actions, we inevitably fall into the blame-game trap. As long as we do this, we will never resolve our personal or national problems.

Individually, we need to accept personal responsibility for every aspect of our life. At the local and national level, we need to vote for leaders whom we know will act responsibly and put the genuine needs of their constituents first instead of bowing to personal interest groups in order to further their own political careers.

We live in perhaps the most developed, highly educated, and technically advanced society ever. But what kind of defense are super powered high speed jet fighters against suicide bombers and dirty bombs? Our brilliant technology will not save us. Remember that in his day Hitler was the leader of one of the most educated, intelligent, and enlightened societies up to that point in history. The reality is that if we abandon our moral moorings and lose our moral compass, we will be (and perhaps are already) on a course heading towards national disaster.

Read More .. www.azabbas.blogspot.com

Honor Your Mother

Wishing all Mothers a very Happy Mother's Day!


"An aged, white-haired mother sat with a smile on her face, waiting for her famous son, Dwight Eisenhower, to arrive. Someone said to her, 'You must be very proud of your great and illustrious son.' Upon which she asked, 'Which son?'

 

Each one was equally great to that noble mother.

"Said Dwight Eisenhower, 'My sainted mother taught me a devotion to God and a love of country which have ever sustained me in my many lonely and bitter moments of decision in distant and hostile lands. To her, I yield a son's reverent thanks

Why Worry ?

"Worry, like a rocking chair," said Vance Havner, "will give you something to do, but it won't get you anywhere." Or as somebody else has said, "Worry is the advance interest you pay on troubles that seldom come."

According to Ken Anderson, nine times out of ten, the worrying about something does more damage to the one who worries than the thing he or she is worrying about.

Anderson continues, "Modern medical research has proved that worry breaks down resistance to disease. More than that, it diseases the nervous system—particularly that of the digestive organs and of the heart." Concern is needed to keep us on track with our responsibilities, but worry, like stress, is a killer.

An examination of 500 patients in a British clinic showed that more than one-third of their visual problems were caused by emotional tension. And a survey of some 5,000 university students showed that worriers get the lowest grades.

The word "worry" comes from an old Anglo-Saxon word meaning to strangle or to choke. While we need to be attentive to life's concerns, worrying about them "chokes" the joy out of life. "Worrying is like driving a car with one foot on the accelerator and the other foot on the brake."

One antidote for worry is trust and trust is a choice. When things aren't going well and I am prone to worry, I keep praying until the storm passes: "Dear God, I choose to trust you in this situation no matter how I feel." In time my feelings catch up with my choice and the worry gives way to calm. Meaningful worship, supportive relationships, sharing my feelings with a trusted friend, physical exercise, proper diet, deep breathing relaxation exercises and sufficient rest all help—plus learning to pray about the causes of my worry and not just the symptoms is a major key in learning to win over worry.

   All the water in the world
   However hard it tried,
   Could never, never sink a ship
   Unless it got inside.
   All the hardships of this world,
   Might wear you pretty thin,
   But they won't hurt you, one least bit
   Unless you let them in.

---

Dear God,
I choose to trust you
no matter what.

Please help me
to always act responsibly,
face and resolve any causes
in my life that are at the root of my worrying,
and leave the outcome to you
of the many things in my life
over which I have little or no control.

Thank you for hearing and answering my prayerz

When Success Leads to Failure

"Saul DeVries was a billionaire who made his fortune during the great depression. Born of immigrant parents, he grew up in poverty. But as a young adult he had an idea, a vision of how he might become a rich man. Realizing that in the depression years, people were unable to buy new appliances or to remodel their kitchen and bathrooms, DeVries decided what was needed was a single product that would clean appliances and keep things sparkling. So, he invented an all-purpose cleaner, the 1st of its kind, called Spic and Span®. It sold well throughout the depression years and continues to do so today. Saul DeVries made billions from his vision and literally cleaned up!"

I also read that, when he died, in accordance with his will his body was cremated and the ashes were poured down his kitchen sink. Although Saul DeVries was a billionaire, his life went down the drain, as it were. He is said to have died a miserable man.

There is nothing wrong with becoming a billionaire as long as money is not the controlling factor in one's life, and providing one's money is put to constructive service.

A sobering thought indeed? The same principle applies not only to the rich and famous but also to so many athletes, movie stars, some political leaders, etc., who have reached the pinnacle of success in this life, but have never received God's forgiveness for all their sins.

Dear God,
please help me
to keep my priorities straight
and in harmony with your purpose
for my life,
and help me
to invest my life
in a worthwhile cause
that will bring glory to You.

Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.

Wants vs. Wishes

One medical doctor I read about claims that, of all the patients who come to him saying they need help, approximately 25 percent don't want to get well at all. Others just want sympathy. Some don't even want to live. About 50 percent want the doctor to fix them. They would rather he operate on their body, than they operate on their lifestyle. Only 20 to 25 percent accept responsibility for their own recovery and well-being.

When it comes to being overweight, for example, many of us say we want to weigh less than we do. However, most of us don't eat anything we don't want to eat. Thus we get confused between a wish and a want. Unless we have a biological problem, many of us wish we weighed less but don't want to badly enough to do what it takes to lose weight.

Only when we truly want to overcome our problems and be made whole—and accept responsibility to do what we need to do to make it happen—will we. 

Two Years Later ... Still Stressed and Pressed

Companies continue to ask workers to do more with less. But there are signs that organizations have hit a tipping point and are starting to jeopardize their future success.

Ed Frauenheim and Ladan Nikravan

 

 

Asking workers to do more with less has helped push many companies to record profits in recent years. But long-term, negative consequences of extra workloads are surfacing — in the form of burned-out, high-potential employees and the flight of top performers to greener, less-taxing pastures.

It appears the “work-more economy” — a term Workforce coined in 2012 to capture the way companies were ratcheting up expectations on employees in the wake of the Great Recession — is still in effect and could be worsening.

Workforce introduced the phrase 'work-more economy' two years ago in a package of articles about heightened burdens on employees.  Our stories pointed to evidence that higher workloads, in many cases double the duties, were taking a toll on employees’ well-being and threatened to backfire for companies.

Research last year from consulting firm Towers Watson & Co. and the National Business Group on Health shows that inadequate staffing is the top source of workplace stress as reported by employees. A separate Towers Watson study shows that stress is now one of the top reasons high-performing employees leave organizations. What’s more, advisory firm The Corporate Executive Board Co., or CEB, has found that about 20 percent of employees identified as high-potentials are choosing to drop out of leadership development programs — denting the future prospects of their organizations.

Some companies recognize the problem. They are taking steps such as acknowledging yeoman efforts, restructuring to ease burdens and providing greater flexibility in exchange for employee sacrifices. Some also are opening their wallets wider. But overall, pay levels have stagnated even as hours and workloads have continued to rise.

Alyssa Gran’s Grind

Alyssa Gran personifies the “work-more economy” — and the risk companies face if they push employees too far.

When Gran graduated from Arizona State University in 2010, she continued to work as a customer-care business analyst for a direct sales organization in the Phoenix area, a position she had held since 2008. While her position was full time and she worked more than 40 hours a week, she was only compensated for 29. The other 11 hours were considered an unpaid internship.

“When I first started, the economy was getting to its worst in Phoenix and I didn’t have a degree,” she said. “That situation I understood. But when I graduated, things didn’t change. I worked and worked and worked and worked, and there wasn’t a light at the end of the tunnel. Times were hard, and I was willing to work hard, but I was at capacity and there was no benefit for it.”

Gran, 26, said she approached her manager about the issue several times, and she was told she wasn’t alone. Numerous employees had expressed concern about being overworked and underpaid, but managers said they couldn’t help, and even as the economy improved, nothing changed.

“By spring 2011 I had to leave,” Gran said. “It came to the point where it became really hard to pay rent and I had to move back in with my parents for a couple of months. That was a hard pill to swallow. I felt I had put all of this effort toward a degree and worked my ass off, but I was struggling to get by just like everyone else.”

She quit in March 2011.

She found a job at a biotechnology company where she’s happy. She works hard and raves about the company’s wellness benefits and attention to employees’ engagement. In her view, companies everywhere ought to offer workers a fair deal if they want a devoted workforce.

“It’s showing employees you care,” she said. “It’s giving back for everything that they give to you.”

—Ladan Nikravan

John Bremen, a managing director at Towers Watson, said the squeeze put on employees has led to a U.S. workforce that is “maxed out.” And he said the wisest organizations are finding ways to give back to overburdened employees, especially before the best of those workers leave. “Recognition and reciprocity are the name of the game,” he said.

The origins of this “game” date back to the recession, which started in December 2007. Amid a near panic, companies laid off millions of workers to slash costs. Citigroup Inc.’s 2008 announcement of 52,000 job cuts — 14 percent of its workforce — symbolized the scale of the downsizing. The economy has gradually recovered since 2009, but economic growth has been tepid, and organizations have been slow to hire back employees in the United States. A 2013 study by the Pew Research Center found that it is taking longer to regain U.S. jobs lost in the downturn — some 8.7 million positions — than it did in the previous two recoveries combined.

Picking up on the “jobless recovery” theme, Workforceintroduced the phrase “work-more economy” two years ago in a package of articles about heightened burdens on employees.  Our stories pointed to evidence that higher workloads, in many cases double the duties, were taking a toll on employees’ well-being and threatened to backfire for companies.

Overall, employee burdens seem to have increased in the past two years since our report came out in January 2012. A 2013 survey of 800 employees by Florida State University management professor Wayne Hochwarter found that 24 percent experienced increased work hours in the past two years. Twenty-one percent said their hours had decreased, and 55 percent said they had remained the same. Hochwarter found other evidence that the do-more-with-less mindset at companies has intensified. More than 1 in 5 (22 percent) of respondents said the level of resources they have to do their jobs had decreased in the past two years.

And in a sign that telework has a dark side, 29 percent reported that the amount of work that they are expected to complete “off the clock” had increased.

Managers often face the greatest burdens. Consider beer-maker New Belgium Brewing Co. Until this year, all 30 individuals in the company’s Fort Collins, Colorado-basedbrewing department reported to one manager. Without adding new employees, the department restructured at the end of 2013 and added a new supervisory layer; groups of nine to 10 employees now report to a manager.

“We’re easing the stress burden for managers and letting employees create relationships with them,” said Greg Churchman, “talent sage” for New Belgium, which makes Fat Tire Amber Ale. “People told us they were dissatisfied with how little time they spent with their supervisor, and this new structure fixes that and allows for more collaboration.”

Collaboration, though, can add to the problems of overtaxed employees. Research from the CEB has found that today’s workplaces full of “matrixed” reporting structures and more team projects can make it harder for individual employees to complete their tasks. And the slower pace of collective projects may help explain the way work hours globally have risen. Worldwide, people with full-time salaried jobs are now working 44 hours a week on average, up from 42 hours three years ago, according to the CEB. Workweeks have grown even more for employees identified as high potentials to 49 hours from 44.

So far, putting more onto workers’ plates has helped companies reap some sweet results. The level of after-tax corporate profits as a share of the economy rose in 2011 and 2012, when it reached 9.8 percent. That was the highest figure since 2006, before the recession hit.

Overall, employee burdens seem to have increased in the past two years since our report came out in January 2012. A 2013 survey of 800 employees by Florida State University management professor Wayne Hochwarter found that 24 percent experienced increased work hours in the past two years.

But businesses haven’t achieved such hefty bottom lines on the backs of workers alone. Many organizations have invested in software and equipment to boost the productivity of existing employees. It also isn’t easy for some companies that compete globally to justify hiring more U.S. workers to spell their American brethren. Foreign workers in many countries remain cheaper. In addition, greater workplace duties can inspire employees to improve their performance and earn more through overtime.

Tipping Point Reached?

As Workforcewrote in 2012, there’s a tipping point. And there are signs that organizations have hit that point and are starting to jeopardize their future success. Brian Kropp, managing director at the CEB, warned in 2012 that heavy workloads combined with little support risked repelling high-potential workers. That scenario is now playing out, he said. Kropp said companies generally expect 65 to 70 percent of the high-potential employees enrolled in leadership development programs to graduate from them. But the actual figure is closer to 40 percent, according to a 2013 CEB study.

One in five employees who started in high-potential programs left for jobs elsewhere. Another large chunk calculated that the potential benefits didn’t add up to the pain of so much additional responsibility, Kropp said. “About 20 percent of the people gave up,” he said. “They opted out, deciding that the trade-off just isn’t worth it.”

Among the things weighing on high-potentials these days, Kropp said, are increased requests to move within organizations to new locations and new roles. What’s more, they’re being asked to manage more people. Managers overall have seen the number of people they supervise jump from four in 2007 to seven today, according to CEB research. For high-potential managers, the number is closer to nine.

Two-Way Street

Companies that pay back workers for long hours in some fashion can see positive results, said John Bremen, a managing director of consulting firm Towers Watson & Co.

One of his clients experienced high turnover among its employees, who generally are expected to put in extensive hours during busy seasons in the spring and fall.

The company decided to offset that hardship by promising to give employees a break during the summer. In particular, employees would get Fridays off during the summer months when business demand is lower.

The move worked, Bremen said.

“People stayed,” he said. “They wanted that benefit.”

—Ed Frauenheim

These findings dovetail with research from Towers Watson on the highest-performing workers at organizations. Towers Watson’s Bremen said top performers are more likely to leave over stress than most managers believe they are. “There’s this perception that high-performing employees are immune to stress,” he said.

Some companies are aware of the “work-more” dangers, and are taking action. In spite of the economic downturn, Dunkin’ Donuts opened 1,842 franchises in the U.S. from 2008 to 2010. But while business was booming, Ginger Gregory, who recently left her position as chief human resources officer of Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc., worried employees weren’t sharing in the excitement.

“We knew during the recession and after that people could be dissatisfied and yet not leave,” she said. “People are still in the sense of feeling stuck. From an employer point of view, we want to make sure we talk to people and make sure they’re engaged, having the best experiences and doing their best where they are.”

The company conducts a biennial engagement survey, and the last one, conducted in 2012, indicated that employees in corporate offices wanted to work from home and work with other departments. Because of that, Gregory’s team worked on breaking down silos and created guidelines for flexible work arrangements, gave managers tools and encouraged teams to have discussions on the subject.

Massages, Haircuts and Laundry, Oh My!

Software company Intuit Inc. has made similar changes in the past few years. Chris Galy, the company’s vice president of talent acquisition, said making sure employees are engaged at work and making it easy for people to manage and simplify their lives is what has led the company to be on the Fortune Best Companies to Work For list year after year.

“We offer on-site massages, haircuts, laundry, gyms, wellness programs and time off to simply invest in the community,” he said. “But on top of that, we have a culture where it’s OK to say, ‘Hey, I need a break.’ ”

A willingness to allow unconventional work hours can pay big dividends in winning over weary workers, Kropp said. His research finds that giving ground on scheduling tends to improve engagement in high potentials much more than perks such as free meals or dry cleaning. “Give them the gift of time and the gift of flexibility,” Kropp said.

Some companies are aware of the 'work-more' dangers, and are taking action. In spite of the economic downturn, Dunkin’ Donuts opened 1,842 franchises in the U.S. from 2008 to 2010. But while business was booming, Ginger Gregory, who recently left her position as chief human resources officer of Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc., worried employees weren’t sharing in the excitement.

Other companies are showing employees that their hard work is appreciated through recognition programs, which can range from top-down employee of the month honors to software systems that enable peer-to-peer kudos.

Then there’s the old standby: more compensation. Dunkin’ Brands Group, for example, changed its incentive program to include stock options after surveying high-potential employees about what made them want to stay or leave the organization.

Overall, U.S. companies have been reticent to increase compensation. In 2013, wages and salary income amounted to 42.5 percent of the gross domestic product, the lowest level on record. By comparison, wages and salary income as a percentage of the economy averaged 46.7 percent from 1960 to 2012. Taken together with heftier corporate profits, the parsimonious approach to pay rubs many working Americans the wrong way.

Kropp said concern about inequality is partly fueled by the way workers are being asked to do more without much to show for it. Employees “are seeing their companies be successful — measured by stock prices — but they are not seeing that success translate into their paychecks,” he said.

A refusal to pay more also factors into significant financial anxiety in the workforce. Fully a quarter of employees in Hochwarter’s research say their financial situation is as precarious as it ever has been. That insecurity, in turn, can undermine productivity.

Another solution to lean workplaces is more hiring. Indeed, the job creation numbers from the U.S. Labor Department indicate companies are selectively adding employees. Towers Watson’s Bremen also notices more and more companies paying attention to the strains on the workforce.

“Stress was a topic that many corporate leaders rolled their eyes at 10 years ago,” he said. Now, “it’s a very real thing for a lot of companies.”

Little Things

A four-hundred-year-old tree crashed to the forest floor. Over the centuries it had been struck by lightning fourteen times, braved great windstorms, and even defied an earthquake. In the end, however, it was killed by little beetles. Boring under the bark, they chewed away its mighty fibers until the giant of the forest lay broken on the ground.

Little things can either make us or break us. A little lie, a little theft, a little laziness, a little neglect, a little drink a little too often, a little sarcasm, a little denial here and a little there … bit by bit we can add them all together and eventually hurt or destroy our relationships, our physical and/ or mental health, and our walk with God.

On the other hand, a little smile, a little deed of kindness, a little encouraging word, a little thoughtful gift, a little phone call, a little bit of love given a lot of times every day can add up to a whole lot of sunshine that we can spread wherever we are and go—and in so doing encourage others, enhance our relationships, improve our physical and mental health, and please the heart of God.

Dear God

please help me

to watch

the many little things
in my life.

 

Help me

to clean out

all the 'little' sins

and self-destructive
habits that hurt

myself and others,

and help me

to keep on practicing

little acts of love and kindness

until they become an everyday habit

that will show your love

to others and gladden your heart.

 

Thank you for hearing and answering my prayerz

Letting Go to Receive

"True love is like quick-silver," said Ann Landers, "if you hold it in the palm of your hand, it will remain. If you try to grasp it, it will slip through your fingers."

In other words, when we cling to life to live only for ourselves or cling to another person out of our over-dependent need, we lose what we need the most: Love. This is because we have mistaken need for love. Only as we let go of unhealthy need, are we free to love.

In other words, do I love you because I need you or do I need you because I love you? The first is unhealthy and immature; the second is healthy and mature.

Only as we learn to love without strings attached do we find genuine love and the fullness of life.

Keeping on Target

In his book, Peak Performers, Dr. Charles Garfield describes how the astronauts keep their spacecraft on course.

"On their flights between earth and the moon, it was said, the Apollo ships were off course much of the time. In each instance, the spacecraft would wander off its path and the crew would correct—wander off and correct, again and again. And do you know what? It didn't matter. What mattered were the results. They got to the moon. They got home. They did it by having the discipline and knowledge to get themselves back on course. They followed not a perfect path, but a critical path."

Whether we're shooting for the moon, seeking to achieve a better personal or family life, or seeking to obey God, whatever our goals, the principle is the same. There are always unpredictable and unexpected events that call for change and adjustment. Although the astronauts had to be precise in their calculations, they still allowed for mistakes and corrections. The person who doesn't allow for such adjustments will probably not reach his or her goals. As Charles Garfield explained, the "critical path" is the way to reach any target.

And as one author reminds us, "The bumps are what we climb on!"

Givers, Takers and Keepers

I read how psychiatrist Karl Menninger once asked a very wealthy patient, "What are you going to do with all your money?"

The patient replied, "Just worry about it, I guess."

"In that case," said the doctor, "do you experience much pleasure out of worrying about your money?"

"No, but I feel much terror when I think of giving any of it away."

Commenting on his patient's money-sickness, Dr. Menninger said, "Generous people are rarely mentally ill!"

In the light of this comment, it's interesting to note that, "According to a recent report, charitable giving in America has increased less than one percent over the past few years. During the same time span, however, debt payments have risen 550 percent, while entertainment spending is up 123 percent. Not surprisingly, the average consumer in this country spends $1.05 to $1.10 for every dollar of income. The figures are startling, even for a society where millions of people live in various degrees of financial debt."

Giving is an attitude. It is a way of life. Some people are givers—others takers—and some are keepers. Whether we give of our money, time, talents, or love. And I think I could safely say, "Take and the most valuable things of life will be taken from you."

Follow the Bubbles

Vern Treat tells about a scuba diver who said that "when you're in deep water, you're encircled by light, so there's no way you can tell which way is up because the water diffuses the light. You're also totally weightless, so you have no sense of gravity.

"Surrounded in an aura of light and weightlessness, it's very easy to lose all sense of direction and get disoriented. You may sense that this way is up and that your air bubbles are going sideways. You may be so convinced that your perception is true that you decide to ignore your bubbles and go the way you think is up. I wouldn't be surprised if some divers have drowned because of this. One of the first things we were told when learning to scuba-dive was to always trust your bubbles—to always follow your bubbles. No matter how you feel, no matter what you think, your bubbles are always right."

Life can be like that at times too. If we base the rules of life on our feelings and/ or perception, we can be very easily led astray. The philosophy, "If it feels good it must be right," is a dangerous guide to follow because our feelings can play all sorts of tricks on us. If something is wrong, it is wrong regardless of how we feel. True, it's important that we don't deny or repress our feelings because we can learn to trust them—but what we can't always trust is our interpretation of them or understand what they are telling us.

In life the only safe guide to follow when it comes to fruitful and successful living is to trust God. Therein lie the "bubbles of life" to follow. These "bubbles" are always right. Always!

Doing the Best with What You Have

The following story appeared in The Houston Chronicle. I have since learned that this is reported to be an urban legend and may not be true. However, as a parable it has a message in that all of us need to do the best we can with what we have.

On November 18, 1995, Itzhak Perlman, the violinist, performed a concert at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. Itzhak was stricken with polio as a child; has braces on both legs and has to use two crutches to help him walk, so it is quite a chore for him to come onto any stage.

Barely had he started his concert when one of the strings on his violin broke. The snap was so loud, there was no mistake among the audience as to what happened. Instead of the arduous task of leaving the stage to change the broken string or get another violin, Itzhak "waited a moment, closed his eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again. The orchestra began, and he played from where he had left off. And he played with such passion and such power and such purity as they had never heard before. Of course, anyone knows that it is impossible to play a symphonic work with just three strings. I know that, and you know that, but that night Itzhak Perlman refused to know that. You could see him modulating, changing, and recomposing the piece in his head….

"When he finished, there was an awesome silence in the room. And then people rose and cheered. There was an extraordinary outburst of applause from every corner of the auditorium. We were all on our feet, screaming and cheering; doing everything we could to show how much we appreciated what he had done. He smiled, wiped the sweat from this brow, raised his bow to quiet us, and then he said, not boastfully, but in a quiet, pensive, reverent tone, 'You know, sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.'"

Dear God
please help me
to give life my best shot
with what I have
and use it
to the best of my ability
and not worry about
what I don't have.

Thank you for hearing and answering my prayerz

Encouragement

Even if you are aware of why geese fly in ">" formation, it is a good reminder for us humans. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By doing this, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.

When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone—and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front.

When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back and another goose flies point. Also, the following geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep on keeping on and to keep up their speed.

Also, when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshot, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their group.

We would do well to follow the example of the geese.

Dear God,
please help me
to be a good team member
to lead when it is my turn,
and to be a good follower
and encourager when another is taking the lead.

Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.

Failure Is Never Final

Failure is never final for the person who gets up one more time than s/he stumbles, falls, or gets knocked down. The crucial thing, whenever we fail or fall, is that, with God's help and the support of loving friends, we get up, go on, and learn from the experience.

In younger days I recall how I made a big error where I was working on. Fortunately I had a very understanding boss. I felt really bad but have never forgotten his encouraging words. He said, "the person who never made a mistake never made anything!" Good advice for all of us who have failed and made mistakes.

I trust the following poem is as encouraging for you as it has been for me:

   I would rather stumble a thousand times
   Attempting to reach a goal,
   Than to sit in a crowd
   In my weather-proof shroud,
   A shriveled and self-satisfied soul
   I would rather be doing and daring
   All of my error-filled days,
   Than watching, and waiting, and dying,
   Smug in my perfect ways.
   I would rather wonder and blunder,
   Stumbling blindly ahead,
   Than for safety's sake
   Lest I make a mistake,
   Be sure, be safe, be dead.
                        — Author Unknown

Dear God

please help me

to always get up

when I fail, fall,

or get knocked down.

 

Help me

not to beat

myself up

or blame others

for my failures,

but accept your forgiveness,

forgive myself,

learn from my mistakes,

and go on to bigger and better things.

 

Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. 

Unsaid Feelings