Psalm 77:19, "Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen."
Our God can walk through the sea like we would walk through a puddle, except He would probably be more graceful. How great is our God!
The five things are something I learned from John Maxwell. At a work conference where he was the featured speaker, he talked about how to reach your goals and dreams. For the most part it is consistency and loyalty to a schedule of (lack of a better description) good things. For Maxwell these are his 5 things:
1. Everyday he reads
2. Everyday he files
3. Everyday he thinks
4. Everyday he asks questions
5. Everyday he writes
These five things happen literally every day. It doesn't always happen at the same times everyday, but the point is that he knows these five things will make him a better speaker and author, not to mention husband, father, friend, pastor, etc, etc. I think one of the biggest problem I've had in attaining certain goals is the lack of a consistent, albeit flexible, schedule. Have you tried reading for one hour every single day of something that would improve your business - whether you are an entrepreneur or employee? It really does make a difference in how you think about everything. And it makes you think! Why is reading such a chore to us? Goodness knows I spent way too much time in school (and thinking about going back for yet another degree, but that's besides the point). But I was reading books then that were not necessarily for personal growth - it was for the pursuit and growth of knowledge and critical / analytical thinking. Now that I have the choice to read what I want, I realized that Jane Austen entertains me for just so long before I have to read something that actually matters.
Filing is basically just taking notes on what you read and filing it away. Thinking is self-explanatory. Ask questions!! This is huge. How many of us stop asking questions because we think we pretty much know all we need to know, or that we can figure everything out on our own? This is a problem that I have had for some time, and when I started asking questions again I realized how much I do not know. People, don't let your ego get in the way of you growing and maturing as a person. On the flip side of that, if you are asking the same question over and over again, evaluate why you are doing that. Is it because you are seeking the answer YOU want to hear, or is it because you need to seek BETTER council? Don't ask questions of just any random person, or your friend of ten years who is in no better position than you are in life. Seek the council of those mature and wise in the way you want to grow and run with it.
Writing is Maxwell's thing, and it may not be yours. Here's the thing, keeping some sort of record of your thoughts, questions, notes from reading, etc, can actually help you in the future and can help you think through situations along the way. It also is a great tool for your descendants to help them grow and not make some of the same mistakes you made. (The historian in me seems to come out frequently when talking about things that could become primary sources!!) So even if you are not an author, keeping a blog, writing in a journal, taking notes in the margins of the books you read (make sure you buy them first!) can help hundreds of others, but first, it can help you grow as a person which will lead to success.
Thank you for letting me share.
