Daily Stop & Thinks

Character

Reputation is made in a moment; Character is built in a lifetime. Reputation grows like a mushroom; Character grows like an oak. (William Hersey Davis, professor)

When an athlete makes a really good play, perhaps several in one event, he has an instant reputation as a star. But his or her fame may be very brief unless there is continuing success on the field. Character, however, takes longer to be recognized. Fame may be fleeting, but integrity and living a life of good character over time will last even beyond one’s lifetime.

Endurance develops strength of character. (Romans 5:4)

Curiosity

The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity. (Ellen Parr, author)

It’s been said that curiosity killed the cat, but as W. A. Ward says, “Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning.” If J. J. Étienne Lenoir hadn’t been curious about the mixture of fuel, spark, and pressure, we might not have the internal combustion engine, which led to the invention of the automobile. Pursue your inquisitiveness with the purpose of useful learning.

Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge. (Proverbs 18:15)

Keep On II

The great successful men of the world have used their imagination . . . (Robert Collier, self-help author)

Collier continues. “. . . [they] think ahead and create their mental picture in all it details, filling in here, adding a little there, altering this a bit and that a bit, but steadily building—steadily building.” Ideas that come from our imagination don’t usually come full-blown. You have to fine-tune them and keep working on them until you’ve completed what you imagined.

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Keep On I

Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny. (C. S. Lewis, late British scholar and author)

No one includes troubles and trials in his or her lists of steps on the ladder to achievement. But life’s experiences prove that such difficulties are often included in the story of someone’s success. A writer’s failed experiments, an author’s rejected manuscripts, an entrepreneur’s unsuccessful business enterprises—many have led to stories of later grand successes.

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7)

Start Over

Don’t be afraid to start over. This time you’re not starting from scratch. You’re starting from experience. (Quoted by Tom Roy, sports and life coach)

Others have ended the quote with “It’s a chance to build something better this time.” Past disappointments don’t determine future failure. A restart with new plans and renewed determination may produce the desired result and a great sense of accomplishment. So, don’t let today’s disappointments cheat you out of tomorrow’s achievements.

For God [has] something better in mind for us. (Hebrews 11:40)

Thinking

The quality of your thinking determines the quality of your life. (A. R. Barnard, minister)

The old King James Version of the Bible put it this way: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” No doubt, Barnard has that thought in mind. So, the critical issue is more basic than our actions; it’s really the state of our mind that’s of paramount importance. What we put into our mind and heart is what will determine how we act.

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23)

Vision

Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world. (Joel A. Barker, business author)

Barker’s formula of vision with action certain sounds like a recipe for success, not only in business but in almost any enterprise you might pursue. Ideas and dreams provide motivation, but without putting hands and feet into the plan, not much of value will be accomplished. Dream visionary dreams, then do your best work to achieve the goal.

Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless. (Ecclesiastes 6:9)

Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. (Proverbs 16:3)

Work

Realize that if you have time to whine and complain about something then you have the time to do something about it. (Anthony J. D’Angelo, educator and author)

It’s hard to be around a whiner, isn’t? People who are constantly complaining do not make good company, and we might want to offer them D’Angelo’s suggestion. Simply, quit complaining and “do something about it.” Whining comes easy; finding solutions is hard work. Perhaps, we need to set the example for our grumpy friends.

Do everything without complaining and arguing. (Philippians 2:14)

Reality

People will always follow a leader who is real, not one who is always right. (Craig Groeschel, leadership speaker)

We want our leaders to be right, of course. But sometimes the guy who thinks he is always right may be a bit conceited; “It’s his way or the highway,” as they say. You might wonder if such people are “real.” Do they know what life is really like or are they always in their ivory tower, proud of their rightness. Yes, following people who understand real life is much more pleasant.

Therefore let the one who thinks he stands firm take care that he does not fall. (1 Corinthians 10:12)

Positivity

Everything you are against weakens you. Everything you are for empowers you. (Wayne Dyer, best-selling self-help author)

Dyer’s comment seems particularly appropriate during the never-ending political campaigns and debates prior to major elections. Aren’t you tired of all the negativity? I wonder how the tone of the rhetoric might change if the candidates for office would heed Dyer’s advice. We’d all be better off to concentrate on what we are positive and enthusiastic about.

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8)

Punctuality

Punctuality is showing high esteem for other people and their time. (Bill Gothard, speaker and writer)

Different cultures view punctuality in different ways. It seems to be nonexistent in some societies. If the meeting is to be at 1:00, and people don’t show up until 1:30, they might argue that it’s still 1:00 because it isn’t 2:00 yet. Some people are careless about arriving at an appointed time. That’s unacceptable in our culture, because it shows disrespect for others.

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Relationships

Treasure your relationships, not your possessions. (Anthony J. D’Angelo, author)

It would be foolish not to protect your assets: stocks, real estate, material goods, etc. But, as D’Angelo suggests, there are other assets that are even more valuable and need to be guarded carefully. Family comes to mind first and friends whether newly made or longtime. Especially shield your spiritual relationships; they are eternal.

A person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God. (Luke 12:21)