Think About It

The Marble Block

Greetings. Welcome to your life. There you stand with your hammer and chisel in hand, staring at your block of marble, not quite sure when you realize this power. The power to shape your ultimate creation in life: you. The unsure, limited time you have ticks away at ever second as you struggle to turn thought into action and utilize this power that everyone has. What am I going to do with my life? Why am I here? SO WHAT?

Where do you start? The arm, leg, head, chest, or feet? It’s up to you. There is no turning back. Well, what’s stopping you when you’re standing there? Go ahead! Is it fear of what you will learn? Is it judgment from other people in who you are and what you do? Is it sharing your creation of the self with the world? Remember, everyone creates themselves. Be cautious in letting people that don’t support your masterpiece aid in chiseling away at you. You have the power to grant that power. The world can turn you into someone or you can take control of your own journey and prevent the world from chiseling you away into its vision of who you are.

Change is a process, and you are changing even without intentional decisions. You can’t be permanent. Life will take over with or without your control. What about being successful? Of course, the elements of success don’t change but the movements do. Success isn’t a line. It cuves and loops and corners. It doesn’t matter where you start, but that you do and keep moving forward. You will be chiseled and shaped whether or not you decide to take control of that responsibility. The technique and speed and focus are vastly varied, but we all make a choice even if we neglect to choose. Take action and create yourself. Recognize your ability to change for the better to enter the path of mastery and self-discovery.

Your philosophy makes your marble or breaks your marble. You make you every day. I am convinced of that.

Are you?

Today’s Focused Thought - Life Sentence

Alfred Nobel wasn’t thinking about wanting to be named for the Nobel Peace prize when he invented dynamite.

He focused on

The obituary clearly recognized that Alfred’s invention of dynamite had killed more people than previous inventions combined.

Alfred read his life sentence; a window of his influence in the minds of other human beings. It was in that moment that he decided to commit himself to changing the world for the better and funding efforts that had that primary mission.

He spoke up and made sure he was heard. He wanted and chose to change his life sentence.

What is your life sentence at the moment? Are you building toward it every day the way you want to? How do you want to be remembered and for what?

Never lose sight of it. Keep the end in mind, but realize that life is curved and your plan will most definitely change. A plan gets you started and keeping the end in mind gets you where you want to be.

Know where you want to be. The journey of how to get from point A and point B is the harder part. 

The Test that Really Matter: The TESTS of LIFE

ve have tests on my mind. Specifically, the tests that really matter and the ones that are just a test. I’m talking about the tests that build character and personality. The tests that you don’t want to fail. If you do, you see the consequences and they worsen when you fail them. Not one individual is exempt from the tests that come from leadership responsibility of the self and other people. Habitudes book chapter from the organization Growing Leaders (This is not my idea).

Key points:

- We all experience these tests at one time or another.

- Our goal is to pass the test and excel the expectations

- Anticipate tests in life and assume a positive outlook on passing them to do well.

- Before promotion or growth, you must be tested.

- Every promotion builds internal preparation and reveals your readiness to move forward

- There is a difference between self-promotion and authentic promotion.

- Promoting oneself does not substitute for true promotion from real leaders

- Cool metaphor: A product is never used until it is tested; the same goes for people in life challenges. People that make a difference have been tested constantly.

- Authority and usefulness is your goal? Expect to be tested constantly

All right, enough of the points. Here’s the real course of the meal.

Life Tests:

1. Small Things - Are you willing to go beneath your potential to accomplish small tasks, step-by-step, to prepare for the future?

2. Motive - Are you willing to do the right thing for the situation? Why you do something determines what you do.

3. Stewardship - Are you willing to be wise and generous, thankful for the resources that you have?

4. Wilderness - Are you willing to perform when life isn’t fun? Changing and growing despite the brick walls that you encounter?

5. Credibility - Are you willing to follow through on tasks with integrity? Can you compromise under pressure?

6. Authority - Are you willing to learn to be a follower before a leader? Can you submit to positional authority?

7. Offense - Are you willing to forgive others and balance your level of vulnerability when it comes to dealing with situations?

8. Warfare - Are you willing to stick with it? Pursue visions despite consequences and conflicts?

9. Time - Are you willing to use your time wisely and seize important opportunities when they come to you?

10. MASTERY - Who has the true authority in your life? When situations get tough, whose voice will determine what you do? Do you have a heart response to authority in your life?

Recognize these life tests and pass them. I guarantee you could take any life situations and apply several of these life tests. I love leadership. Can’t you tell?

Thanks for reading. I can honestly say that it’s difficult following every single one all the time.

How well have you done with these tests?