The Power Struggle

READY8 “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” ~ Jimi Hendrix

AIM8 Love is such a powerful emotion. It draws people in, solidifies their commitments and binds hearts together, forever. You can love people, pets, food, material things, money, power and so many other things. Giving love and being loved in return can be a wonderful and positive experience; however, loving money, material things and power have the opposite result.

How many of you have known people whose positions at work, in the community or with an organization went to their heads and caused a change in their behaviors? Suddenly, the people we thought we knew started acting differently and didn’t treat us the same as before. What changed? For some, the power and authority that comes with leadership positions are so stimulating that they simply didn’t know how to adjust their actions to accommodate the new attention they received. For others, the new power and authority makes them feel as if they can boss people around and talk down to others. Being in a leadership position doesn’t make them any different than the rest of us. They simply have the power to make more decisions than those they are leading. No matter if they are doctors, lawyers, the CEOs of successful companies, presidents of school’s PTAs, volunteer council members or concerned parents, they put their pants on one leg at a time just like everyone else! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the titles after our names or the amount of money we were paid were symbols of hard work and effort, not licenses to treat others as if they are less than important people?

Can you imagine what it would look like if the people in positions of leadership loved the people they led and expressed their love and appreciation on a regular basis? What would that feel like to work with and for a person who genuinely cared about us? Whether it’s for a paycheck or a volunteer organization, the commitment and effort of the people involved would be magnified as a direct result of the power of love. What an amazing vision! Just think what we could accomplish if we replaced the love of power with the power of love!

FIRE!8 Each one of us in is a position of leadership over someone…a child, an employee, or even a volunteer parent. Today, express your love to at least one of those people either verbally or in writing. Let down your guard and show your love towards him or her. That small act will go miles and miles.

Be Excellent!
Lori

*Thanks to my friend, Gwendolyn, for spotting the bumper sticker that sparked my inspiration for this message.*

Don't Go To Bed Mad

READY8 “My husband and I have never considered divorce... murder sometimes, but never divorce.” ~ Dr. Joyce Brothers

AIM8 Has anyone ever offered you advice for a healthy marriage? Everyone talks about how to have a successful marriage at one point or another. Maybe you chatted with a friend over a cup of coffee, or indirectly discussed the idea while playing hoops with the guys. After the honeymoon phase ended and reality set in, perhaps you confided in a friend whose marriage you admire that marriage was not what you expected. Whether you’re single or have been married for many years, the one piece of advice that is given most frequently is “Don’t go to bed mad.” At first, you may think to yourself “Oh, that will never happen.” Unfortunately, at some point in your marriage, you will have a disagreement with your spouse that will leave you frustrated at bedtime.

Ephesians 4:26-27 says “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” As upset as we may get over a situation with our spouses, we cannot allow the devil to have an open opportunity to sow even one seed of bitterness and resentment into our marriages. Our society gives in too easily when the going gets tough. Divorce rates are absolutely ridiculous, and, unfortunately, the statistics are against us. However, there is hope! We must pause long enough to let God into our lives. If we do, He will give us insight that will allow us to open our hearts to forgiveness. You may have to swallow your pride and set aside your selfish ways in order to reconnect with your spouse. Believe it or not, you will truly feel better and God will grant you both a restful sleep that evening and joy anew in the morning. Trust me, it’s worth the effort and will sow seeds of love, trust and commitment into the promises of your marriage.

FIRE!8 Take a break and call your spouse (or a loved one) in the middle of the day just to say hello. Ask him how his day is going and simply listen to his response. Do not talk about yourself (if you can help it) and tell him you just wanted him to know you were thinking about him and you love him. Imagine what a difference you’ll make in the middle of his day!

Be Excellent!
Lori

Mmmm, chocolate!

READY8 “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Psalm 34:8 NLT

AIM8 Chocolate…oh what a lovely thought. Sometimes we feel like we can’t live without it. Other times, well, we still want it, even though we feel we don’t deserve it. When we are feeling down, chocolate can make us feel happy again. (Really, there’s scientific proof!) God’s love for us is much like chocolate. We desire His love. We feel we don’t deserve His love. We can’t live life fully without His love. When we are feeling down, God’s love can make us feel happy again…if we allow it.

Our lives can be so busy, that enjoying a piece of chocolate is no longer a pleasure. We pop it into our mouths and devour it without even tasting it. Because it’s Valentine’s week, many of us will be receiving chocolate as a special gift. I challenge you to do something different for a change. When you eat a piece of chocolate, hold the first bite in your mouth for a moment. Let the chocolate melt across your tongue. Focus on the velvety smooth texture, the rich flavor and the way it makes you feel. Aaahhhh, God’s love. It’s rich, it’s like a velvet cloak around us, and it makes us feel oh so good inside. Take a minute to appreciate what is good in our lives.

FIRE!8 If you have special valentines to honor this week, be sure to show them your love, and not just by giving them a store card or treat. Go out of your way to make sure they truly feel loved by you. If you don’t have a special valentine to honor, remember, God always loves you…no matter what! He is your forever valentine and wants you to feel truly loved every day.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

Be Excellent!
Lori

Little Giggles

READY8 “I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose.” ~Woody Allen

AIM8 There it is again -- the sound of contagious laughter. Down the hallway I hear the giggles of my darling daughter who is playing with her best friend, her big brother. What are they doing that is making her laugh so hard and giggle so much? Why can't I laugh like that anymore? Has life become that serious for me that I don't even capture small moments to laugh?

My own curiosity got the best of me, and I just had to investigate. As I approached their bedrooms, I found my son holding one of my daughter's socks and my daughter perched up on the top bunk of her big brother's bed. She was giggling away as he taunted her with her missing sock. Oh, to be filled with the simple joy of a child and find humor in a friendly game of “steal my sock.” It made me smile, and for that moment, I felt so blessed to have two beautiful children who are healthy, love each other and laugh about the small, silly things in life.

Sometimes we just need to take a break and laugh about those things in our lives that are truly the simple, silly things. We can always learn valuable lessons from our children about not taking life too seriously. As I turned to quietly walk back down the hall, I was thinking ahead to the next time they would be getting dressed, where maybe I, too, could giggle, laugh and play a rousing game of “steal my sock.”

FIRE!8 Spend 15 minutes a day doing something totally FUN! Read a joke book, watch a silly video or play a crazy game. You’ll find that the extra time you spent this week laughing and enjoying yourself was totally worth the investment of the 1 hour and 45 minutes in your life.

P.S. What do baby sweet potatoes wear to bed? Their yammies!! :-)

Be Excellent!
Lori

212 Degrees

READY8 “Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence. The extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning.” ~Denis Waitley

AIM8 Right now, some of you are debating whether or not you should get back on the wagon with your New Year’s resolutions. Right now, some of you are questioning the importance of your role as a parent. Right now, some of you are trying to decide if your boss even notices your work ethics. Right now, some of you are wondering if your relationship is worth fighting for. Right now, some of you are pondering the simple faith that exists in our world.

Right now, I want you to watch this video clip. It will only take 212 seconds of your time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toXX3t6n8Vw&feature=player_embedded

So, for one simple extra degree of effort, what could you do? You could be the most valuable player on your sports team. You could quit smoking, for good. You could impress your boss and solidify your job security. You could teach your child to read. You could establish a relationship with God. You could help a friend through a crisis. You could show your mate you believe in commitment. You could budget your paycheck responsibly. Just think how one small extra degree of effort could totally change the outcome of your life. You, yes YOU, could accomplish anything!

So…what are you waiting for? Your destiny awaits…

FIRE!8 Identify one area in your life that you can put forth extra effort this week. Do something each day to be 212 in that one area and then enjoy watching the difference it makes.

*Thank you to Jennifer Merchan for her permission to use their 212 video in my encouraging message. Check out their site at www.just212.com for more information.*

Be Excellent!
Lori

Going Through The Motions

READY8 “I don't wanna spend my whole life asking, ‘What if I had given everything, instead of going through the motions?’” ~ lyrics from Matthew West’s song “The Motions”

AIM8 Do you ever feel like your life is on autopilot? Like you’re just going through the motions? What happens that makes us feel that way? Sometimes our life gets into such a familiar routine that we forget to enjoy the scenery along the journey. Can you pinpoint when you are just going through the motions? Are you giving everything 100% or are you satisfied with half best efforts and intentions?

At work, make a conscious effort to bring your A-game every day. Go the extra mile and do whatever it takes to make yourself an indispensible employee. In this day and age, you need to find your niche and create ways to secure your paycheck. What do you bring to your business? If you are not currently working in a career you have always wanted for yourself, start looking for avenues to change directions and get on the path of purpose for your life. You are never too old and it is never too late to do what you’ve always dreamed of doing.

At home, tackle the mundane tasks first and then you can finally put away the ‘honey-do’ list or move on to other more enjoyable projects. Make changes in your daily schedule to incorporate some play time or “me” time. Try this…dig out the big blankets and dining room chairs and build forts with your children; be sure to make microware s’mores together. Get the whole family together to play games on the Wii – kid’s choice only! You can enjoy sipping a cup of coffee or tea while watching your favorite show, dance in your living room to your favorite songs for a little extra exercise or snuggle with your sweetheart while he enjoys watching the big game. Little changes at home offer big results in family connections.

With friends, take time to recognize the connections you have with people who mean the most to you. Are your friendships on autopilot? Take her chicken noodle soup and ginger ale when she’s sick, offer to help change the oil or rotate the tires on his wife’s mini-van or invite another family to share pizza and game night with your family. You will reaffirm his or her efforts in your life and solidify your relationship.

If you find that a few of those simple suggestions aren’t enough, I suggest you sit down and re-evaluate where you are spending the majority of your time during the week and how you can take your involvement to the next level. As Zig Ziglar says, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.” So start identifying ways you can help other people in your home, at your place of work, and in your extra-curricular activities. Usually, it doesn’t really take much effort or many changes to bless someone else in simple ways. Soon you will feel better about yourself and begin to see that you are no longer just going through the motions in life, you are truly enjoying the ride.

FIRE!8 It’s easy to get into the autopilot mode. Look at the various roles you play in your day. Where do you see yourself using cruise control? Take 20 minutes a day and turn off the cruise—see what God may have in store for you.

Be Excellent!
Lori

Never Assume

READY8 “We simply assume that the way we see things is the way they really are or the way they should be. And our attitudes and behaviors grow out of these assumptions.”

~ Stephen R. Covey

AIM8 I read the following story a year or so ago and it had a profound impact on my day. As I reread the story today, I again found myself shaking my head and wondering…could this really happen? In today’s society, with so many shallow minds and cold hearts I’m afraid it really could. Grab a tall glass of milk to enjoy with your cookies!

The Cookie Thief
A woman was waiting at an airport one night,
With several long hours before her flight.
She hunted for a book in the airport shops.
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.

She was engrossed in her book but happened to see,
That the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be.
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between,
Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.

So she munched the cookies and watched the clock,
As the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock.
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by,
Thinking, "If I wasn't so nice, I would blacken his eye."

With each cookie she took, he took one too,
When only one was left, she wondered what he would do.
With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh,
He took the last cookie and broke it in half.

He offered her half, as he ate the other,
She snatched it from him and thought... oooh, brother.
This guy has some nerve and he's also rude,
Why he didn't even show any gratitude!

She had never known when she had been so galled,
And sighed with relief when her flight was called.
She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate,
Refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.

She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat,
Then she sought her book, which was almost complete.
As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise,
There was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes.

If mine are here, she moaned in despair,
The others were his, and he tried to share.
Too late to apologize, she realized with grief,
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.

by Valerie Cox

FIRE!8 Do not jump to conclusions! There will be moments in your life when you feel you are certain you are correct about a situation. Be wise and ask questions before you use poor judgment and take action based on your assumptions. Simply give another person a chance to explain. Remember, God gives us opportunities to explain our circumstances to Him every day. However, He never requires an explanation. He already understands.


Be Excellent!
Lori