Your Story


Story Every one of us has a story to tell.

Your life is your story. Your story is your life.

Like a story, your life has a beginning, a middle, and an ending. There is a theme, characters, subplots (work, family, health, happiness, friendship), trajectory, and tone.

 What kind of story is your life?

  • A comedy?
  • A drama?
  • A thriller (horror) movie?
  • A romance or a love story?
  • An action movie?
  • A fairy tale?

In reality, each of our life stories is an EPIC. It’s a long journey with many scenes, experiences, twists and turns, characters, and smaller individual story lines.

I wonder what is the ‘theme’ of your life? Yes, life has many twists and turns, as well as highs and lows, many of them beyond our control BUT you can choose what the theme of your life is going to be. You are not a victim to your circumstances or to what other people say or do. You can choose how you respond to what comes your way. Don’t make worry, fear, anger, or bitterness the theme of your story. Why not choose joy?

Your Story – think about it.

President Obama’s Speech

ObamaLast week saw the swearing in of the 44th leader of the United States of America as Barack Obama officially began his role as president.

President Obama's inauguration and speech can be viewed on You Tube by clicking here. A full transcript of his address is available from the New York Times web site (click here).

Not everyone likes Obama. There are concerns about his policies on a number of important issues, including abortion (see Jim Wallace's recent article on this). President Obama is not perfect. He is not the messiah. He needs our prayers and God's wisdom. He plays a crucial role at this important time in world history.

Overall, I thought President Obama's inauguration speech was very inspiring. Here are some of the things I really liked about it …

  1. Obama addresses the crucial issues head on – war, the economy, health care, education, the environment, energy, nuclear threat, terrorism, and world poverty. He names the challenges and refuses to ignore them. He brings them right out into the open where they can be discussed and where decisions can be made. Leaders must always clearly define the current reality. 

  2. Obama offers hope over fear. He said, "… the challenges are real, they are serious, and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time … but .. they will be met." People need hope and leaders need to be dispensers of hope. See the music video 'Yes We Can' for an example of hope-filled words.

  3. Obama has an global interest and perspective, which is essential for a leader of one of the most powerful nations of earth. No doubt, his Kenyan father and the number of years he lived in Indonesia have helped this. Although I love America and spent 10 very enjoyable years of my life there, there is a still a tendency in American culture to be somewhat insular and to think that America is the world. The fact that they call their national baseball finals the 'World Series'  is a classic illustration of this. The fact that fewer than 10% of Americans have a passport or have traveled outside of the US also doesn't help (a statistic from the book The Extreme Futureby James Canton, PhD). I believe that Obama will help to change this.

  4. Obama calls people to a spirit of service – "a willingness to find meaning in something greater than ourselves."  It's a call to kindness, selflessness, honesty, hard work, loyalty, tolerance, courage, and responsibility. Government and leaders can only do so much. People must rise to the challenges of their time and be the kind of people that make the world a great place to live.

  5. Obama seeks to lead for the 'common good'. He said, "We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth." As the president of an entire nation, his role is to create an environment where diversity is valued, where religious freedom is preserved, and where open dialog can take place. Christians currently living in places where there is no freedom of religion would love to hear this said by national leaders.

  6. Finally, Obama speaks with confidence but without arrogance. He models a graciousness and a humility that is important for all leaders. He honours the past. He acknowledges God. He makes it clear that government exists to serve the people and not the other way around.

If you'd like to know more about who Barack Obama is, where he has come from, what makes him tick, and what his policies are, then I'd recommend his book The Audacity of Hope.

P.S. Pastor Rick Warren from California's Saddleback Church prayed at President Obama's inauguration. For responses to his prayer, click here.

Australia Day 2009

Australia day Today is Australia Day– an annual celebration, held every January 26th, of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, marking the colonisation of Australia by Great Britain.

Having just read the book The First Fleet by David Hill, it is amazing that our nation, as it is today, even got started. England was sending convicts from its overflowing prisons to America when America's sudden independence (on July 4th, 1776) closed that door. Other locations were discussed, with Botany Bay being a last resort. The long trip out from England was marked by frequent crises and challenges, let alone the first few years of trying to establish a colony in such tough conditions. Although intending to make peaceful relations with the local Aborigines, the arrival of the First Fleet no doubt became detrimental to these first Australians.

Reverend Richard Johnson was the chaplain of the First Fleet and he held the first church service on Australian soil on Sunday 3rd February, 1788. His sermon was based on Psalm 116:12 – "What shall I render unto the Lord for all that he has done for me?" To learn more about Australia's Christian heritage, click here.

Our nation may seem small and insignificant to many but I believe that God has a purpose for it. As Australians, let's celebrate our nation today – it's heritage, it's diversity, and it's future.

 

Back from Holidays …

Mark Skiing (2) Our family has been on holidays for the last few weeks, which was really nice. A good holiday for me is one where I don't wear my watch and I've forgotten what day it is!

We had a really relaxing time – eating, playing, laughing, swimming,  reading, and sleeping. I even did some water-skiing, something I haven't done for a long time. I still managed to get up – the photo is proof 🙂

No holidays are never long enough (another week or even another month would have been great!) but even good things eventually come to an end. So we're back at it this week – looking forward to another year of walking with God and his people, and participating in what God is doing in the earth.

I hope that you are well and that this is a terrific year for you … talk to you soon.

Creativity

Creativity Creativity – it’s everywhere. Just have a look at the world around you – there is such a variety of shapes, colours, textures, movements, sounds, and even smells. There is nothing bland, boring, or predictable about the world. In fact, there are over 6 billion people on the planet right now and each one of them has a unique fingerprint. Talk about creativity!

As you go through your day, ask yourself, “Is there a better way?” and “Could we do this differently?” Admit it when things are no longer working and make appropriate changes. Create an atmosphere around you that says, “Let’s find a better way” and that encourages “thinking outside of the box”. Regularly ask yourself, “What’s working well and why?” and “What’s not working and why?” Always be looking for new ideas. Don’t get stuck with a mentality that says, “That’s the way we’ve always done it.”

I believe that God is a creative God and that he calls us to be like him – people who are creative and innovative. He doesn’t want clones or copies. He wants originals. Create, don’t copy!

Creativity – think about it.

Feedback

Feedback One of the characteristics of wise people is that they are open to feedback. Feedback from other people can give us needed insight not only into our own lives but to any issue or challenge we may be considering. If you reject feedback, you will hinder your own personal growth.

All of us have things about ourselves that we are unaware of or don’t see. Only by being open to feedback from others can we learn about these areas and make positive changes.

Every one of us has weaknesses. Usually other people see them before we do! My theory is that the sooner I know about my weaknesses the quicker I can begin to work on them. So if my zipper is down – let me know! If I have cream on my face – tell me! Again, if I punch you when you give me feedback – how many know you’ll think twice about giving me feedback ever again!

Only people who are proud and arrogant assume that they are always right and other people are wrong – or at least misinformed.

Are you open to feedback? Are you teachable? Wise people are. What about you?

Feedback – think about it.

Legacy

Have you been to a funeral lately? If you have, I’m sure you’ve listened to various people give a tribute to the person who has passed away – stories that give you an insight into who the person was and the kind of impact they had on the people in their world.

Take a moment to imagine your own funeral. I know it s a bit of a morbid thought … but it’s worth doing.

Imagine that four people are going to give a tribute about your life and the impact you had on them … a friend, family member, a work or school associate, and someone from your local community or church family.

What would you want them to say? Who you want to be remembered for? What kind of a legacy do you want to leave in the hearts and minds of the people around you? Give this some serious thought and consideration.

For that vision to become a reality you need to begin living today with that end in mind. It won’t just happen. It will be the result of you intentionally living your life each day as the kind of person you truly want to be.

Legacy – think about it.

A New Year – A Fresh Start (Pt.10)

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Today we come to our final question.

Here it is …

10. "How Can I Make Sure I Achieve My Top Ten Goals?"

One of the challenges in life is not so much knowing what to do but actually doing it. We often experience a knowing-doing gap. One simple key to achieving your top ten goals is to keep them visible. Type or write them up on a single piece of paper and keep them in plain sight so you see them every day. Awareness matters. Reading them every day will grab your attention and stimulate you to action. 

Plan some small steps each week towards one or more of your goals. Start to gather the resources you need. Get whatever support you need. Who could hold you accountable?

Most of all, enjoy the journey. Make it an adventure. Regularly ask yourself, "What is the next step?" Measure your progress. Have a weekly or monthly review. Set up a system to ensure that you do what you want to do.

I pray and hope that you will have your best year yet!

P.S. For some further thoughts on planning and starting the New Year well, see last year's series of posts on Life Planning.

A New Year – A Fresh Start (Pt.9)

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Have a look through the goals you listed under each role yesterday. Reflect on them for a while.

Then move on to our next question …

9. "What Are My Top Ten Goals for This Year?"

With too many goals you will lose focus. Create a game plan that you can accomplish. That way you won't be discouraged by good goals that you don't get around to completing, even though you had good intentions to do so.

You don't have to eliminate any of the goals you wrote down. Just select ten that are the most important to you. You can still work on the rest of your goals and achieve them. But by selecting your top ten you are able to  focus in a laser-like way on what is most important. This list of top ten goals will be like a map for your journey. You'll be far more likely to reach your destination this way.

Before selecting your top ten goals, review your answers to the first seven question we've looked at. Remember what you have learned and what is most important to you. Think about what you'd really like to accomplish this year.

Look at your complete list of goals. Start to prioritise them. What will bring you the greatest return for your investment of time and energy? Maybe give them a rating, A, B, or C. Create your own categories. Whatever takes to think through what is most important.

Start writing out a fresh list now – your top ten goals for this year.

Part 10

 

A New Year – A Fresh Start (Pt.8)

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Let's move forward now and build on the questions we've already asked ourselves and answered over the previous week.

Here is the next question …

8. "What are My Goals for Each Role?"

People who have goals achieve more result in life. That's a fact. People who know where they're going have a better change of getting there. If you don't know your direction, you risk just going in circles, living a life in which you exist but don't really grow or make progress.

Education and intelligence are good things but goals are just as important. A goal is simply a specific and measurable result you want to achieve within a specific time frame. It directs you to a destination.

Have a look over each role. Re-read your values. Then ask yourself what you would like to achieve in each one of your roles this year. The more specific your goals are the more powerful they will be.

Write out a few goals for each role. Set goals that you are passionate about and that you will be committed to making happen.

P.S. For some more tips on goal setting, click here.

Part 9

 

A New Year – A Fresh Start (Pt.7)

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Yesterday's question was about listing our various roles so that we get a full perspective on our lives.

Let's move on to our next question …

7. "Which Role is My Major Focus for this Year?"

Could you create a potential breakthrough in your life by selecting one of your roles as your major focus of attention for this year? Other roles will have goals as well, but where would you like to see the most improvement or the biggest change right now?

Are there things that need adjustment? What is missing in your life? Is something getting too much attention? Or too little?

Take out your list of major roles and give them a rating from 1 to 10, 1 being 'not doing very well at all', 10 being 'I should write a book on this!' [No negative numbers, please!] Usually, the areas that receive our greatest time and energy are the ones we do the best in. Have a look at your low scores. What do they tell you? How do you want to respond to them? What would you like to be different at this time next year?

Focus is very powerful. If you can give some extra time and energy to one area, there will most likely be a positive overflow into other areas of your life as well.

Choose an area of major focus then write it down. Then think about what progress in this role would look like. What specific and measurable differences do you want to see? Paint a picture in your mind. What would improve? What would be different? How would you feel? Consider the benefits.

Your major focus is not the only thing you'll do this year, just the most important to you.

Part 8

A New Year – A Fresh Start (Pt.6)

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Find another piece of paper and a pen to write with (or open up a document in your computer word processor).

Here is is our sixth question …

6. "What Roles Do I Play in My Life?"

Answering this question helps you to get an overview of the various aspects and responsibilities of your life. It helps provide perspective and a holistic view of your life. Roles change over time and in different seasons of our life. Think about this year. Who are you? What are you responsible for? What are you accountable for?

Merge some of your roles so that your list is no more than 6 or 7 major roles. Then think about each role. What do you want to accomplish in each? What kind of a person do you want to be? What does God expect from you? What do you want to change? What do you want to be better at and how?

Think about the balance of your life. After all, succeeding in one area of life, such as work, but failing in or neglecting another, such as family, is not success at all. What will it take for you to do well in each of your roles this year?

Look at your list of values from question five and see where your values merge with your roles.

P.S. For more on 'roles', see this previous post.

Part 7

A New Year – A Fresh Start (Pt.5)

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Let's continue with our series of ten questions, as we take some time to reflect on our lives together at the start of another year.

Our fifth question is …

5. "What Are My Values?"

What drives you? Why do you do what you do? What's important? What matters most? What effect do you want to have on other people? What do you want to be remembered for? Who are you? Who do you want to be?

Take a piece of paper and make a list of your personal values. By writing them you strengthen your awareness of them. You can also evaluate whether your life matches what you say you value. After all, we want to ensure that our preferred values become our actual values. After all, behaviour is the best indicator of actual values.

P.S. For further thoughts on 'values' see this previous post.

Part 6

A New Year – A Fresh Start (Pt.4)

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I hope you are taking time to think about and answer each question as we move through this process. This investment of time will pay some good dividends in your life for your future. Personal reflection is a valuable exercise.

A wise man named Socrates once said, "The unexamined life is not worth living."

Let's move on to our fourth question …

4. "How Do I Limit Myself and How Can I Stop?"

Ultimately, our life is shaped by our own thoughts and actions, not by other people or the circumstances we encounter. Life is lived inside out. We are not victims. We are responsible human beings who have been given a free will by God that enables us to make choices as to what we will do with our life and how we will respond to what comes our way.

Take a piece of paper and prayerfully ask yourself, "How do I limit myself?" Write down whatever comes to mind. Examine yourself honestly and openly. Be as truthful as possible. There is power in owning up to hidden thoughts and attitudes. Expose your personal doubts and fears.

Then think about what these limitations have cost you. What impact have they had in your life?

Are you willing to change? Do you want to stop these limiting beliefs?

What areas of thinking do you need to change? What different stories do you need to tell yourself? What lies have you been believing – about yourself, others, and/or God? What truths do you need to embrace and live out from? What beliefs do you need to embrace if you want your life to head in a different direction?

Paul tells us that the key to personal transformation is the renewing of our minds or the reprogramming our thinking patterns (see Romans 12:1-2) and that we need to take captive every thought, making it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

Part 5

A New Year – A Fresh Start (Pt.3)

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So far you've given a bit of time to reflect on your successes and your failures, joys and disappointments, victories, and defeats.

Let's move on to the third question now …

3. "What Did I Learn?"

Look back over your answers to the first two questions. Look at your accomplishments. What can you learn from them? What possible lessons do you see? What were some of the keys to your success? What worked for you? Why were you able to accomplish these things?

Now look over your answers to the second question – your disappointments. Any lessons there for you? What could have worked but didn't? Why? Is there anything you need to do differently this year based on your reflections? What advice do you have for yourself?

By taking time to examine your own life and your own journey you can gain wisdom for the future. After all, life is like your classroom. Be a good learner. Don't repeat the same lessons over and over unnecessarily. Live and learn. Turn your lessons into some personal guidelines for your future.

Part 4