Eat That Frog In 2009

Yesterday we talked about the importance of developing good habits. A really good habit to develop in 2009 would be to eat a live frog first thing each day. You may be saying, "What?!!!"

Watch this short movie and then you'll understand. As Mr. Nike would say, "Just Do It!"

Have a happy and safe new year's celebration!

Habits

Do you have a New Year's Resolution?

Each year, I try to evaluate my life and look at changes I can make to help me in my life. My eating habits are almost always on the list. This year I have several other things that God is working on in me that are important changes for me to make.

I recently read this from an unknown author which I thought was very good:

I am your constant companion.

I am your greatest asset or heaviest burden.

I will push you up to success or down to disappointment.

I am at your command.

Half the things you do might just as well be turned over to me,

For I can do them quickly, correctly, and profitably.

I am easily managed, just be firm with me.

Those who are great, I have made great.

Those who are failures, I have made failures.

I am not a machine, though I work with the precision of a machine and the intelligence of a person.

You can run me for profit, or you can run me for ruin.

Show me how you want it done. Educate me. Train me. Lead me. Reward me.

And I will then...do it automatically.

I am your servant.

Who am I?

Many of you know this, but the answer is "a habit."

We all have habits, some good, some not so good. Habits are very powerful, but bad habits are not so powerful that they cannot be turned around. With God's help anything is possible!

I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13

Click

I am not usually a huge fan of Adam Sandler movies; however, yesterday afternoon I watched Click with my wife. It was an incredible movie with a great message--I highly recommend it, especially if you are one who possibly works too hard at times.

In the film, Sandler plays a work-aholic architect who is climbing the ladder of success...only to find that it is leaning against the wrong wall. He finds a universal remote control which allows him to fast forward through his life to get to the "good stuff" (his promotions, etc...). However, what he discovered is that by doing this he missed out on the truly important stuff.

This message hit home with me as God is really working on me in this area of work and life balance. I sometimes have a tendency to take things into my own hands and to try to "make" them happen rather than doing my best and leaving the results to God. I tend to have an "outcome based" definition of success.

God is showing me that success has nothing to do with outcomes. Success is just being in His presence.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Check out this very cool video with Josh Groban singing O Holy Night.

Christmas Stress Management

I asked someone yesterday if they were ready for Christmas and they replied with a sigh and grumbled, "I just can't wait till it's all over!"

That's sad; however, I think a lot of people feel the same way. It seems that we have turned Christmas into a bunch of "to dos" instead of a celebration of the birth of our Savior.

I just received this video link in an email that might help you to de-stress. So, if you are feeling a little frazzled, this might just be what you need. Or, if you live around me, your landscape is covered in ice so this video may be what you need to remind you that warm weather will be here before you know it. Click here and enjoy!

A New Perspective

For years my favorite movie has been It's a Wonderful Life. We watched this in our house on Saturday. Actually we do this every year. Really, my family does this for me, because they know I love it so much. They also like to watch me cry at the end.

I suppose I love this movie because one of the main themes of the film is that we all make a difference in the lives of others, even if we don't realize it. In other words, we all have a purpose.

In the movie, George Bailey (played by Jimmy Stewart) is a depressed, frustrated young business man who is never able to chase his dreams. He feels trapped and feels that his life is a waste. When he finds out that his company (a savings and loan) is short a large sum of money (due to an error on his uncle's part), he realizes that he would be better off dead than alive. His life insurance money would more than cover the deficit.

Clarence, George's guardian angel visits him and shows George what life would be like had he not been born. It takes George a little while before he realizes he truly has had a wonderful life and that others have been greatly impacted because of his presence in their lives. He realizes the truth of his situation and he decides he wants to live again regardless of the circumstances.

God hears that prayer and he rushes home to find the bank examiner and the police waiting for him to arrest him. He says to the policeman, a friend of his, "And I'll bet that's a warrant for my arrest, isn't that wonderful!"

This reminded me of the apostle Paul who, while in prison, told us to "Rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4)

How could he say that while in prison? Because he had a new perspective. Just like George Bailey, he was shown what was truly important. As a result, his tough circumstances didn't really matter.

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. Philippians 4:11

Bad Bosses Bad For The Heart

I just read an interesting study conducted by WebMD which shows that bad bosses can be hazardous to the health, and even to long life, of the people who work for them.

In another recent study, the researchers say, employees who were exposed to what they perceive as an adverse psychological work environment were found to be at a 50% excess risk of cardiovascular disease. The results from that study, the researchers write, "have considerable clinical implications, especially since psychosocial stressors at work are relatively common."

This type of stuff is near and dear to my heart as I worked for a tyrannical boss which led me to write the book, Bleedership, Biblical First-Aid for Leaders. In the book, I contrast my boss' leadership style with the great leaders of the Bible.

During my time at the company, I noticed that I was stressed more than I ever had been before. I could also see the strain it was putting on my co-workers. I am sure our health was negatively affected. It was not a good time at our company. However, God turned that time of suffering into great victory. I would not change it for anything as it totally changed the trajectory of my life. I am truly thankful for that difficult time.

If you are in a situation with a tough boss, I bring this up simply to encourage you. God will use this for good if you love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28 paraphrased).

And, if you are one of these bosses, perhaps today is the day to change!

Learning

A good friend of mine and I were talking the other day about how weird we are. We love to read and attend leadership conferences...we both love to learn and grow. In my case, I think it is because I know so little, that I need to catch up to everyone else!

We could not understand why others don't share this same passion. I believe that we are either moving forward (growing) or we are going backwards. Reading is one way that helps you to move forward or to learn and grow.

I read some startling statistics recently at Dan Poynter's site:

In 2002 57% of the US population read a book. See report.

One-third of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives. Many people in the U.S. do not even graduate from high school.

58% of the US adult population never reads another book after high school.

42% of college graduates never read another book.

80% of US families did not buy or read a book last year.

70% of US adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years.

57% of new books are not read to completion.

Most readers do not get past page 18 in a book they have purchased.

Pretty scary isn't it. So where are you in these statistics? Why don't you set your sites on making 2009 a year of learning!

Mad Dog

A friend of mine, Brian Keel, writes a weekly email that is usually very thought provoking and very good. This past week he sent this which I wanted to share with you:

Greg Maddux retired from baseball this week after a career that spanned more than twenty seasons. He was not particularly big, nor strong, nor fast. He used control of his pitches instead of power, and he threw slower when in a jam instead of faster. To see him in street clothes with his glasses on you may have fancied him a teacher or even a CPA. Yet he retired with the 8th most victories (355) and the 10th most strikeouts (3,371) in the history of baseball. He played defense, winning a record 18 Gold Gloves and had 180 sacrifice bunts as a batter. He is a living, breathing oxymoron. Even is his nickname, “Mad Dog”, is a laugh.

“I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong … but time and chance happen to them all. Ecclesiastes 9:11

These words were penned by Solomon, perhaps the wisest, richest and most powerful man of ancient times. He likely qualified as both swift and strong. Yet like Maddux his experience seems to have taught him that preparation and consistency were more valuable. Preparation gives us the tools we need to make a fast and appropriate response to a variety of situations we may encounter. Consistency allows others to count on getting the same response each time we hit that situation. That can make us good leaders, great teammates and successful in the big race of life.

If you would like to receive Brian's weekly emails or to look at past emails, visit here.

Highs & Lows

Each night when we are able to eat dinner together as a family we try to do our "Highs" and "Lows." We each take turns telling our low point of the day followed by our high point.

Last night, something happened which was a first for us. My daughter Kristin who is in her last year of nursing school said that her high and low were both the same thing.

She had a final exam yesterday morning at 8 AM which she had been studying tirelessly for. For some reason her alarm clock volume was turned way down so she did not hear it yesterday morning. She ended up getting up at 8 AM, the exact time her exam was starting!

She raced around, put her hair in a pony tail and brushed her teeth. Thankfully, my wife Connie was home as she prayed with Kristin before sending her on her way out the door.

Kristin arrived very late and calmly took her exam. She said that though she was 45 minutes late, she finished her exam before many of her classmates. She said she had a very clear mind and was filled with peace and she thinks she did well on her final.

Upon hearing this, two things immediately came to mind:

1. The incredible power of prayer and
2. Our troubles can actually turn out to be victory when we let God enter in.

We may not see that victory immediately, but it will eventually happen if we love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

Bus Stop

This morning I read something in the book of Mark that really got me thinking about my motives for doing what I do. Mark 9:35-37 says:

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

I knew I was selfish, but it really struck me for some reason this morning that I do some things for the wrong reasons. One of the areas I am most selfish in is my "to do" list. I have this desire to always get everything done on it and when the list is too large, it stresses me out. This morning was one of those where I knew I had a lot on my plate so I wanted to get to the office early.

I kissed my son goodbye and left for work in a pretty steady rain. I got about a mile away and I was thinking about my son who was preparing to walk to the bus stop. It started raining more so I turned around and went back home. I told him I wanted to give him a ride to the bus stop.

He was very surprised...and thankful.

Lord, please help me to do this sort of thing more often!

Smile, Part III

Here we are, two weeks before Christmas (Can you believe it?!). Other than some fleeting moments and some time in church, I hate to say this, but I haven't thought much about Christmas and I certainly haven't thought much about the true meaning of Christmas. Isn't that sad? It is and I'm somewhat embarrassed by it.

I have been consumed by my "to do" lists and the stress of life. Some of you can probably relate. I have heard it said that we are to "stop and smell the roses" and that we are to "enjoy the journey." I get all that, but yet I still find myself often striving for the destination and not even thinking about the journey, let alone enjoying it.

I am convinced that God is trying to get my attention in this area. He is telling me, take time to laugh and to smile...even at the simple things. This time of year I think that many of us can miss this.

Two posts ago I wrote about the importance of smiling. Then I did again yesterday because of something that was emailed to me. Well, something else was emailed to me that I felt I needed to share along these same lines and it comes from a book called Laughter is an Instant Vacation. Here are a few quotes that made me laugh. I hope they do the same for you.

My doctor is wonderful. Once, when I couldn't afford an operation, he touched up the x-rays.-Joey Bishop

Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.-Ronald Reagan

I am a marvelous housekeeper. Every time I leave a man, I keep his house.-Zsa Zsa Gabor

If you look like your passport photo, you're too ill to travel.-Will Kommen

Insanity doesn't run in my family. It gallops.-Cary Grant

Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I'm not there, I go to work.-Robert Orben

Misers aren't fun to live with, but they make wonderful ancestors.-David Brenner

My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far I've finished two bags of M&Ms and a chocolate cake. I feel better already.-Dave Barry

I'm not going to vacuum ‘til Sears makes one you can ride on.-Roseanne Barr

To attract men, I wear a perfume called New Car Interior.-Rita Rudner

If you love something, set it free. Unless it's chocolate. Never release chocolate.-Renee Duvall

The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for 30 years she served us nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.-Calvin Trillin

I haven't spoken to my wife in years. I didn't want to interrupt her.-Rodney Dangerfield

My grandmother was a very tough woman. She buried three husbands and two of them were just napping.-Rita Rudner

My husband wanted one of those big-screen TV's for his birthday. So I just moved his chair closer to the one we have already.-Wendy Liebman

I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.-Douglas Adams

I have an aunt who married so late in life that Medicare picked up 80 percent of the honeymoon.-Don Reber

I hate housework - you make the beds, you do the dishes - and six months later you have to start all over again.-Joan Rivers

My grandmother is over eighty and still doesn't need glasses. Drinks right out of the bottle.-Henny Youngman

Inside me there's a thin person struggling to get out, but I can usually sedate him with four or five cupcakes.-Bob Thaves

Smile, Part II

I had an amazing day yesterday...but a very busy one. I got home and had a bunch of stuff to catch up on and I was tired. And I had a knot in my shoulder that was really bothering me.

My son asked if I wanted to watch a movie. I said "No" at first, then changed my mind. I decided to just sit and relax for a while and I enjoyed the movie with Robbie. About half an hour into the movie I noticed that the knot in my shoulder was gone--amazing.

During that half hour I did quite a bit of laughing. I have never been accused of being the brightest person in the world but I think there is a connection there.

Earlier in the day, I received a link to this incredible movie that you have to see. It will definitely make you smile...it did to me!

In my last post I wrote about the importance of smiling. I think God is trying to tell me (and possibly you) something!

Take three minutes or so and check this out.

Smile

My son and I did something last night that we rarely do, we went shopping...at the mall! You want to talk about a couple of ducks out of water! We literally had to consult with the mall directory three times to find our way around.

Anyway, I noticed while walking around that many people seemed very rushed. Many also seemed unhappy. I thought how sad this is. Then I realized that this describes me many times when I am stressed and rushed. I know I need to chill out and enjoy the season, but sometimes I just keep making it more difficult than it needs to be and I miss many opportunities to simply smile.

This morning I was reading The Blade and there was an article by Tom Walton about clever T-shirt sayings which made me smile. I thought I would share some of them here so your Monday can start off with a smile like mine did.

"I'm not bossy, I just know what you should be doing."
"Obey gravity … it's the law."
"What if the Hokey-Pokey really is what it's all about?"
"You're starting to make sense. It's time to up my medication."
"I'm not a waitress, but I play one at home."
"Do I look like I'm kidding?"
"Jenius."
"They say I have A.D.D. but they just don't … oh look! A chicken!"
"Keep staring at me. I may do a trick."
"I'm still HOT, it just comes in flashes now."
"Nothing ruins good parenting like teenagers."
"Instant human-Just add coffee."
"What is the speed of dark?"
"Bad spellers? Untie!"
"I'm actually quite pleasant - until I wake up."
"Sometimes I wonder, why is that beer truck getting bigger? Then it hits me!"
"Still young enough to know everything."
"Always being right is an awesome responsibility."
"I childproofed my house, but they still get in."
"Organized people are just too lazy to look for things."
"Ever considered being a mime?"
"Take my advice. I'm not using it."
"Why be difficult? With a little more effort, you can be impossible."

There. Now you're ready to tackle your week...with a smile!

Are You Listening?

Yesterday I spent some time with someone I have known for a long time discussing Truth At Work. Gary is an extremely successful insurance agent and expert on sales (in fact he does a lot of sales training). He is someone I look up to and respect a great deal. I have always enjoyed being with him.

I left our meeting feeling really good. As I reflected on our time together, I was wondering what it was about Gary that makes me feel this way every time I am with him.

I realized that he is an excellent listener. He doesn't talk much about himself and he is always very interested in me when we are together. That's probably why I always feel so good when I am around him. I guess that also explains why he is so good at what he does!

My dear brothers, take note of this; Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

James 1:19

Unity

Robbie (my son) and I attended the University of Toledo vs. UMass basketball game last night in the newly renovated Savage Arena. All I can say is "Wow!"

Wow, because of the game, won by UT on a tip in as the final buzzer sounded.

Wow, because of the neat pre-game ceremony in which my former coach had the court dedicated in his name. It will now be called "Bob Nichols Court."

And wow, because of the incredible new facility. Savage Arena is a beautiful venue and it is something that all of Toledo can be proud of. It has to be one of the nicest arenas in the Midwest. And it all took about 9 months to complete.

That is amazing. As I was sitting there last night taking it all in, I was struck by how quickly all of this was completed. There were many involved in this project from donors to volunteers to contractors. There could not have been any dissension in the ranks for a project of this magnitude to be completed in such a short time.

I was reminded of the great power of unity.

"I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

John 17:23

What's In You?

This is pretty cool. I encourage you to take a couple of minutes and check this video out.

The Stethoscope.

The Magic Pill

Tom Ziglar, Zig's son, recently wrote this regarding how to truly improve:

It seems that when it comes to improvement, almost everyone is searching for the Magic Pill. Give me something I can take, something that I don’t have to think about or even believe in, that will work. And it better be a “one and done” Magic Pill, because if you are talking about commitment or work, don’t even talk to me.

The truth is, the Magic Pill does exist, but unfortunately it is not a pill. It’s called accountability. Crazy as it sounds, being held accountable to what you have committed to do actually works! The problem is, if you agree to being held accountable, that means you have agreed to Personal Responsibility. Yikes! Now that is completely out of the question! How can you actually suggest that people should take Personal Responsibility for what they have agreed to do?

That is a great question.

A few weeks ago I wrote about the Truth At Work roundtable groups that have started in NW Ohio and SE Michigan. These groups are extremely powerful because each member, in essence, has a built in board of directors who can advise them in their business and personal lives.

One of the most powerful parts of these roundtable meetings is the accountability portion. Each member shares one thing he/she would like to start doing or stop doing in their personal lives and in their business. Then a fine is determined for each. So, if they are not able to accomplish their goal, they must pay a fine (or some other penalty) which goes into a fund that will be given away at the end of the year.

Have you ever had a goal to lose weight? Have you ever told someone else that goal? If you did, I bet it helped you to achieve your goal. That is why Weight Watchers is so effective.

So if you truly want to change, find someone to hold you accountable.

Thankfulness In All Circumstances

We are instructed in the Bible to give thanks in all circumstances. This is not something I frequently do well. However, this past weekend was an exception for some reason (perhaps it was because it was Thanksgiving weekend).

Friday night, Connie and I were watching a movie at home with Robbie, our son. All of a sudden, all of our smoke detectors throughout the house started going off. We quickly determined there was not a fire and we disconnected each of them so they would be quiet. They are all hard-wired into our house so this isn't as easy of a task as one might think. We then changed some of the batteries thinking that might be the issue and plugged them all back in. I don't know why, but they were all quiet.

This normally would have frustrated me, but this time I said to Connie, "I am so thankful this happened right now rather than when we were out and the kids were home alone or rather than 3:00 in the morning!" And, I truly was thankful.

The next morning, Robbie and I were headed downtown to the farmer's market to pick up some apples and cider. On the way, I decided to get my car washed. We pulled in, got out of the car and went to pay as my car went through the wash. At the end of the conveyor, I saw one of the workers frantically trying to start my car, to no avail. He then quickly got some help to push my car out of the way.

My battery had died.

However, they brought a car around and jumped it for me without incident. I then took it to a nearby Battery Wholesale who determined that all I needed was a new battery (no alternator). I got that replaced and we were on our way. I told Robbie, "I am so glad that just happened."

He said, "Why is that dad?"

I said, "Had we not gone to the car wash, we would have been stuck downtown in the cold with a dead battery. This worked out great."

I'm not sure what came over me, but I liked my attitude in these situations. If something like this can happen to me, that should give everyone hope.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18