Cards Cut

Is it time for your second childhood? Maybe it is and you have failed to notice. You’ve been too busy doing the things American adults do best: work, worry–and wonder why.

A vital part of human nature is your spirit of play. You came into the world with
your share. More than likely you used it from the beginning. A game of peekaboo
with an infant shows how early it is in place. Just watch the reaction. How eager and
responsive the child is to engage in playfulness.

Unfortunately, it’s all too common today to associate playing with childhood, not
with adult life. Remember hearing things like this from well meaning teachers and
parents when you were young? “Act your age.” “Stop playing and get to work.”
“When are you going to grow up?” But burn this thought into your consciousness: In
the growing process playfulness is not meant to be left behind. It is to come along
with you, keeping heart and spirit young regardless of your age.

An episode in one “Marvin” comic strip illustrates two ways to view play: One from
the outside in and the other from the inside out. In this strip; the family was at the
beach. Marvin’s father, looking at his son on the sand, said to himself, “Marvin is
playing.”

Marvin, shovel and bucket in hand sitting near a newly dug hole and a pile of sand,
had his own thought. He said to himself, “I’m a pirate digging for buried treasure.”
Play when viewed from the outside in is an activity, but when viewed from the inside
out, it is a way of life with at least two important features. First, Marvin is serious
about what he is doing. To him it is not something frivolous or without purpose.
There is intense concentration in this game of imagination.

The second feature is illustrated in children’s popular game of dress up. They begin
first with the clothing. Then they try on this and then that. As they do they begin to
imagine themselves in various settings. In the course of the game they may go to
work, travel, go out to dinner, go to a fancy ball. The play may move from one thing
to another. But none of these imagined ventures were a precondition for the
playing. These came into the imagination with the act of playing.

In other words, in true play the satisfactions come in the playing itself and not from
realizing or achieving some specific goal.

Play generates a vitality that you cannot find in any other activity. With playfulness
comes enthusiasm, expectancy, spontaneity, imagination, creativity, adventure,
experimentation, discovery. The very attributes one needs to enhance well being
and sustain morale

Desmond Morris, in The Human Zoo, interpreted play activities this way: “One of
childhood’s most precious qualities is the urge to seek and find and test, to invent,
to discover…The child asks new questions; the adult answers old ones; the childlike
adult find answers to the new questions. The child is inventive; the adult is
productive; the childlike adult is inventively productive.”

Are you in need of play? It doesn’t have to remain lost or out of reach. Look to the
ways of your own youth, and let it live in you once more. You’ll never be sorry.
Rediscover your playfulness. Make laughter as common for you as it is for children
on the playgrounds at school.

As a hospital chaplain Cy Eberhart, (now retired) was a firsthand witness to the
entire spectrum of human emotions: personal successes and failures; the deepest
despairs and the great peaks of joy. Two questions remained foremost in his mind:
How was it that some could find inner strengths that brought courage and hope and
others could not? What was to be learned from these experiences that would have a
positive and creative effect for daily, routine living?

His lectures, writings, workshops, book In the Presence of Humor and his living-history
performances of America’s famed humorist
Will Rogers offers some of the
answers.

I wrote an article 2 months ago trying to rally some support for
the research for Mental Health Disorders. My main theme was for
people to donate to Non-Profit Organization, just $1.00. I mean
a Freaking dollar to help people on low income that have a
mental health disorder. Now I pointed out the fact that millions
were given to the victims of hurricane Katrina.

For some odd reason two months later not ONE GOD DAM DOLLAR WAS
DONATED I tried to rally the troops and still no one
even could give a measly dollar. Do you realize the new surgeon
general report says 1 in 5 Americans will come down with a
mental illness in some point in there life and this used to be 1
in 20, I would say that was close to an epidemic, that’s
millions more than the victims of the hurricane, yet the city
still SLEEPS.

Now what I want you all to know is this, on every cancer
patient and heart disease they spend on 1 patient $25 dollars of
research, heart disease 1 patient $23 research and the list goes
on and on. Now do you want to know the God’s truth? For every 1
Mentally Ill patient they spend, hold on to your hat 1 big huge
dollar that’s it! Now I think you can see what is happening
here, one lousy dollar for each patient for research.

Now what are we going to do about it? I will make a plea to all
those that are reading this please donate $1 measly dollar to
this non profit organization, let’s help people get medicine and
also raise awareness that we need to be spending billions on a
cure and medicine to improve the quality of lives of all the
mentally ill. Please forward this to as many people as you
possibly can, my goal is to raise $2,000,000 BY THE END OF 2006.
Now here is my cell phone # 567-219-0994, any questions that you
need answered please do not hesitate to call and I’ll share with
you the details of the non profit organization Out of Darkness
and what we are trying to do to make a difference in the mental
health field.

So please skip the doughnut this Sunday and send $1 to our Pay
Pal Account. outof_darkness@yahoo.com now if I weren’t serious
why would I give my cell phone # to the whole world to see? Yes,
call me I’ll take the time to let you know where we stand and
the exciting things we are doing on the front lines to make
solid changes for the better of Mental Health Disorders! So
please put that extra cheeseburger down, send us a dollar, and
know that you had an effect on someone with an emotional
problem.

No different from cancer or heart disease and I must remind you
of the fact that research is $20 to $25 per patient. Mental
health disorders $1 per patients, that is sad, please pass this
along to all those that you may know who can afford to donate a
dollar and just know that the next person to get a mental health
disorder, could be your son or daughter. Then you will be
wondering were is that big huge dollar they are going to spend
on my loved one going to come from and then at that point you
will wish they would give $25 per patient for research, yet they
hand you a dollar and say good luck! America Deserves better,
get out your wallet NOW and give a dollar. If you don’t have a
pay pal account send your dollar to Out of Darkness 43 Oakwood
Ave. Suite 1012 Huron, Oh, 44839

I HAVE A BURING DESIRE TO HELP PEOPLE AND TODAY MY THRIST CAN’T
BE QUENCHED! Art Buchanan

With Much Love, Arthur Buchanan

www.out-of-darkness.com

When Paul first arrived in Corinth in the middle of his second missionary journey, Acts 18:2-3 reports that he joined Aquila and Priscilla in the occupation of making tents. This fits in well with what Paul himself wrote at about that same time. For example, in 1 Thess. 1:9, he says: “Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.” Similarly, in 2 Thess. 3:7-8, Paul states: “We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat any one’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.”

Paul made both of these statements while still in Corinth. Shortly after having left Corinth, toward the end of the third missionary journey, Paul describes his apostolic right to be supported by those he has benefited spiritually (1 Cor. 9). He asks the ironic, rhetorical question, “Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?” (1 Cor. 9: 6).

According to Jerome Murphy-O’Connor:

At first sight the trade of tentmaker with appear particularly inappropriate for one whose ministry focused on cities, but there was a tendency among artisans of the period to use specialized titles, even when there were actually covered a much broader range…, much in the same way as a carpenter of today will sometimes describe himself as a cabinet-maker. Paul was in all probability a leather-worker who could turn his hand to the production of the wide variety of articles made of this material: [sandals], gourds for water and wine, harness, saddles, shields, etc. Tents were also made from leather and a ready market would have existed at Corinth (St. Paul’s Corinth: Texts and Archaeology, 168).

One reason this is true is because the Isthmian Games were held at nearby Isthmia. Second only to the Olympic Games themselves among the four great Panhellenic games, the Isthmian Games were held twice as often as the others, every two years. By the time Paul arrived in Corinth, the Isthmian Games were 500 years old. They had not been interrupted even during the century that its traditional host Corinth lay virtually abandoned (146-44 B.C.).

At about the time Paul arrive in Corinth, 50 C.E., the games were moved back to Isthmia from Corinth. Another festival, the Caesarean Games, was held concurrently with every other occurrence of the Isthmian Games. It featured its own venue of events. Throngs of people from all over the Roman Empire flocked to Isthmia, either to participate in or to watch the competitions. According to Dio, a contemporary of Paul (in his Orations 8.12), the basic athletic events of the Isthmian Games included foot races, wrestling, jumping, boxing, hurling the javelin, and throwing the discus.

At one time or another in the history of the games, additional events included horse racing, chariot races, poetry reading, drama, singing, heralding, playing the lyre and the flute, and a painting competition. Yacht races in the nearby Saronic Gulf gave the games a feature not found at Olympia, Delphi, or Nemea. Events were scheduled for women as well as men, and also for children. Large amounts of money changed hands, not only from the gamblers who won and lost, but also from those who showered gifts upon the victors.

Excavations of Isthmia began in 1883 under Paul Monceaux. They were renewed in 1930 by B. S. Jenkins and H. Megaw. These early efforts yielded only meager results. Oscar Broneer, however, who excavated the site from 1959 to 1967, uncovered the temple of Poseidon, porticoes, the sanctuary of Palaemon, two stadiums, one much earlier than the other, and a Hellenistic settlement at nearby “Rachi.” One of Broneer’s assistants, Elizabeth Gebhard, excavated the theater. From 1967 to 1976, P. Clement excavated the Roman baths and other buildings. Ms. Gebhard returned in 1980 and 1989 to excavate the central shrine and a prehistoric settlement at “Rachi.”

Archaeologists could find no trace of permanent accommodations for the crowds attending the games as early as the First Century C.E. These were only built in the Second Century. Faced with the choice of either having to walk several miles a day to witness the events or purchasing and pitching a tent, hundreds, if not thousands, would prefer the latter. In other words, Corinth may have been one of the best places in the Mediterranean world for Paul to open a tentmaker’s shop. Small shops such as his (about 10 feet by 10 feet) lined the marketplaces in Hellenistic cities throughout the Empire.

Did Paul attend the games while he lived in Corinth? We have no way of knowing for sure. The games were opened with a sacrifice to Poseidon as the resident patron deity. In addition, many of the athletic contests were performed in the nude for the men, and women athletes probably wore only the scantiest of outfits. We would expect such immodesty to offend Jewish/Christian scruples. Yet, Murphy-O’Connor states:

It is difficult to decide if Paul himself attended the games. Palestinian Jewish opposition to such spectacles is well documented…, but we cannot assume that the same attitude prevailed in the Diaspora. If Philo felt himself free to attend an all-in wrestling contest (Quod omnis probis, 26) we can be sure that many Hellenized Jews had no compunction about attending the games. Jews had specially reserved seats in the theater at Miletus in western Asia Minor…. (17).

What we do know for sure, is that Paul uses familiarity with the games as a source of imagery in his teaching. An examination his speeches and letters in roughly chronological order reveals a number of allusions to athletic competition. (I will make the allusions bold and provide more literal translations when helpful.)

Before arriving in Corinth, in a sermon delivered in Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:25), Paul uses “(race) course” (Greek: dromos, the word behind “rollerdrome” and “hippodrome”) as a metaphor for God’s purpose for the life of John the Baptizer: “And while John was completing his course, he kept saying, ‘Who do you suppose that I am? I am not He.’”

Years later, Paul would use the same imagery again to refer to his own purpose in life. When he bids farewell to the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:24), Paul says: “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the course and complete the ministry which I have received from the Lord Jesusto testify to the gospel of God’s grace.”

In Galatians 2:2, as Paul describes an early visit to Jerusalem, he writes, “I… set before them the gospel that I preached among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain.” Later, in the same book (5:7), he observes, “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?”

These metaphors Paul employed before he ever arrived in Corinth. The longest passage, however, occurs in First Corinthians 9:24-27. Shortly after completing his church-founding visit in Corinth, Paul urges the Corinthians:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I did not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not become disqualified.

In prior centuries, incidentally, the crown (Greek: stephanos) awarded as a prize at Isthmia was made of pine boughs, as illustrated on the reverse side of contemporary coins and in carvings found at Isthmia. The pine bough wreath continued to be the iconic symbol of the Isthmian Games, even though evidence exists that another plant, selinon (an herb similar to celery or parsley) was used in the First Century C.E. A votive carving celebrating Isthmian victories shows crowns made from a variety of plants, including both pine and selinon. This fits particularly well with the phrase, “crown that will not last,” or, more literally, “perishable crown.” By the time the Isthmian athletes received their herbal crown, it was already wilted.

In several of Paul’s letters he uses the word “struggle” or “contest” (Greek: agon-, from which we get “agony” and “agonize”). In Rom. 15:30, for example, “I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.” Similar passages occur in the letters Paul later wrote from prison (see Eph. 6:12; Col. 1:29; 2:1; 4:12; Phil. 1:30) and in one he wrote after he was released (1 Tim. 4:10; 6:12).

In one of those same prison letters (Phil. 3:13-14), Paul applies race imagery to his own experience: “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

The word translated “prize” (Greek: brabeion) is one of at least three Greek words used to describe the prize awarded to the winner of a contest. The context indicates that what Paul is referring to forgetting his past accomplishments, not his past failures. Contrary to how many preachers use it, this verse is not saying, “Don’t let your past failures discourage you from winning.” It says the opposite: “Don’t rely on your ‘track record’ of achievements.” Every race is a brand new race, and all the runners, even the champions, must prove their worth all over again.”

When Paul is imprisoned once more, just before his execution, he writes in his final letter (2 Tim. 4:7-8):

I have fought the good fight (agone); I have completed the course (dromos); I have kept the faith. What remains is for me to be awarded the crown (stephanos) of righteousness, which the Lord will convey to me on that day, being a righteous judge; and not only will he give it to me, but also to all of those who love his manifestation.

Just as even in modern times, the highest-ranking official present has the honor of handing out the awards, so Paul anticipates that Jesus will award him his crown for his victory in the Christian “race.”

All of this can be reduced to a few principles, a few “ground rules”:

1. Despite Christ’s victory at the cross and his provision of forgiveness as a result, the Christian life continues to be a contest between good and evil. It is a wrestling match with the devil in which the stakes are high, and the risk of losing is real (Eph. 6:12).

2. God wants us to win this contest, and He has made every provision for our success. Yet we ourselves must be willing to undergo discipline and submit to rigorous training if we are going to receive the prize (1 Cor. 9:24-25).

3. God has set out the course He wants us to follow (Acts 20:24). The boundaries of the course He has marked out by His moral willwe move outside the boundaries when we commit sins or “trespasses.” Within those moral limits, however, we have considerable freedom to exercise our own judgment on how best to “run our race” (2 Tim. 4:7).

4. Death is the finish line and life with Christ in eternity the prize (Phil. 3:13-14; 2 Tim. 4:8).

5. In a real sense, we are already winners as soon as we begin the race. In the words of Paul, we are “super-victorious” through him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37). Yet, we must still run the race and avoid getting disqualified (1 Cor. 9:26-27).

Where are you in your Christian race? Are you at the starting blocks? Perhaps you are rounding the last curve and staring at the finish-line up ahead. Or maybe you’re still in the bleachers watching others running the race.

Wherever you are, God’s challenge is for you to get in the race, to run with all you’ve got, and to cross the finish-line victorious. He will enable you, equip you, and train you. But you must do your part: take your Christian life seriously, read up on the “rules,” and listen to and obey your Coach. Then RUN!

Want to go deeper?

Here are some recommended sources:

1962 Oscar Broneer. “The Isthmian Victory Crown.” American Journal of Archaeology. 66:259ff. (See also Broneer’s many other writings on Isthmia.)

1967 Pfitzner, Victor C. Paul and the Agon Motif: Traditional athletic imagery in the Pauline literature. Leiden: E.J. Brill. (doctoral dissertation for the Evangelical Theological Faculty of Mnster, Westphalia, Germany)

1973 Elizabeth Gebhard. The Theater at Isthmia. Chicago: University of Chicago.

1983 Jerome Murphy-O’Connor. St. Paul’s Corinth: Texts and Archaeology. Wilmington, DE: Michael Glazier.

---

Copyright © 2005 Steve Singleton, All rights reserved.

Steve Singleton has written and edited several books and numerous articles on subjects of interest to Bible students. He has taught Greek, Bible, and religious studies courses Bible college, university, and adult education programs. He has taught seminars and workshops in 11 states and the Caribbean.

Go to his DeeperStudy.org for Bible study resources, no matter what your level of expertise. Explore “The Shallows,” plumb “The Depths,” or use the well-organized “Study Links” for original sources in English translation. Sign up for Steve’s free “DeeperStudy Newsletter.”

As a citizen of the United States, I realize that this country, by far, is the greatest place on Earth to live. Sure, we have our problems. What countries don’t? Still, how many places can you achieve the success, enjoy the freedoms, and live the dream that is afforded to each and every one of us on a daily basis? Not many. The question is what is the American dream for you.

The American dream is defined as the faith that through hard work, courage, and determination one can achieve a better life for oneself, usually through financial prosperity.

The American Dream to some has become a question under discussion, and some believe that it has led to an emphasis on material wealth as a measure of success and/or happiness.

Don’t buy into this for one minute. The American dream is simply what it says, a dream. It’s the goals you establish for yourself. The things you want for you, your children and your children’s children.

Now, I certainly haven’t exactly arrived at “financial prosperity” but prosperity comes in many different disguises. Am I successful? Am I happy in my family life? Have I achieved the things I set out to accomplish in life? Is there still time to finish what I’ve started? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, you’re well on your way to realizing your American dream. However, if you find yourself answering no to a few of the questions,knowing that these goals are attainable should keep you motivated keep you dreaming. The reality that you and no one else are your greatest adversary can empower you to rise above all your limitations and short comings to continue to strive for your American dream.

With maturity our motivation changes from things merely to satisfy self. Our commitment to family, career and lasting relationships becomes more important. In other words, your dream today may not be your dream tomorrow. Our goals should be constantly evolving. By doing so, it’s an indication that we’re continually setting new goals striving to reach new heights. The summit of which is your American dream.

So, ask yourself today, “Are you living the American dream?” The only person standing in the way of you not living it….is you.

Roschelle Nelson is the publisher and founder of Wah4life.com. She lives and works at home with her husband and two sons. Visit her website at http://www.wah4life.com or her blog http://www.wah4life.blogspot.com

The other day I was delivering some coaching skills
training for a company when a delegate asked me how
she should coach the person who is an introvert and
has little to say.

This is the type of person when you start your
coaching session by saying “How is everything going?”
they just reply with “OK” and then the tumbleweed
makes its way across the floor!

Overall, during a coaching session the coach should
be doing around 30% of the talking and the coachee
should be talking around 70% of the time.

This is a challenge when you talk to someone who either
does not have a lot to say or who is naturally shy.

This is what I recommend:

After you get the normal “OK” response ask this:

“On a scale of 0-10, with 10 being absolutely perfect
and 0 being the pits, where would you currently rate
yourself?”

If the coachee responds with a “7″ that must mean that
to have rated themselves a “7″ they must be comparing
themselves to what a “10″ looks like.

So the next response and question to ask is:

“A rating of 7? That’s great. What would a 10 look
like to you?”

Let them explain this and probe a little deeper.

What you are doing here is stimulating a conversation
by using an alternative method other than just saying
“What is going good right now?”

To someone who is naturally shy you are not going to
get a lot out of them by asking this question.

Then, the next steps would be to ask:

“So you have described a 10. And you rate yourself a
7. What do you need to do to bridge the gap?”

I hope you can see how powerful this method is?

And you can use it on all types of people not just
the shy ones - I use it all of the time!

I hope you enjoyed this tip? Add this technique to your tool box
of skills and make your coaching sessions more effective!

Sean McPheat is the Managing Director of MTD Training, a leading UK management training company. Sean is regarded as one of the leading authorities in leadership development has been featured on CNN, ITV, BBC and Arena magazine to name but a few.

Please feel free to download MTD’s FREE Management Skills Course at http://www.management-training-development.com/freeecourse.htm

For further details on MTD’s range of management training courses and programmes visit http://www.management-training-development.com

You can get buried by procrastination that is if you postpone or delay needlessly.

The word comes from the “Latin procrastinatio, formed from the verb procrastinare “to put off for tomorrow,” from pro-, “forward” + crastinus, “of tomorrow,” from cras, “tomorrow.” See http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/archive/2002/08/17.html (if you don’t believe me).

So don’t be procraastinatioing around.

I have a table next to my television chair. I always read while watching television and design grandiose plans to make me rich indeed. I need a place to put my stuff.

I pile my “get rich at your kitchen table” direct mail schemes on my table. I get a bunch of these in the mail each week and I read every word of each one to see if I can’t incorporate some idea in to a mail scheme that would actually be legal. I might say that I don’t solicit this mail. I get it because I place classified ads and mailing list companies grab my name and address and sell it to those who make large mailings to opportunity seekers, etc.

I get a lot of junk on penny stocks and gold stocks and energy stocks all guaranteed to make me as rich as an Arabian Oil Sheik. These offers come into my FAX machine too because my fax number is on one of my web sites that used to provide stock market information. That web site, www.chooseastock.com was one of my grandiose get rich schemes. I was going to be able to sell the site at a great profit because it has such a great name. Nobody bought it. (Warning: There is no paper in my fax machine. I erase all faxes coming in. I use the fax machine only to send faxes to my suppliers.)

I go to the Idaho Youth Ranch store where my wife volunteers on Thursdays and to Barnes and Noble in the big town of Twin Falls. I check Barnes and Nobles bargain book tables and come home with a boodle of books. I buy books for a quarter at the Idaho Youth Ranch store. These all go onto my table. (I usually read two or three books at the same time to break up the monotony of it all. I don’t read fiction so I don’t have the problem of mixing up the story lines.)

Lastly, I get tons of free magazines. These are gifts to me by the airlines, hotels, and such that I patronized heavily for so many years. After they have gone through the “table period” I put them in boxes and cart them to the library here in our small town. When the library screams “NO MORE,” I take them to the Idaho Youth Ranch store where they sell them for a dime or quarter.

It’s amazing how my table changes from an organized play place to the Matterhorn. To see some neat pics of the Matterhorn and to plan your climb, go to http://ski-zermatt.com/mattnet/features/matterhorn_climb/.

My wife often feed me in front of the television. It’s one of the perks of being retired and too lazy to move to the table. She comes in with a couple of plates and a glass of milk or juice or such and wonders where in all creation she can put the stuff. I shuffle stuff around, get my bib around my neck (which I also keep on the table), and grab all the stuff she couldn’t find a place to land. After a while it gets ridiculous. I must clean the junk off my table.

I read a good article on procrastination once in one of those slick magazines that dispels important but boring information to the elite. A couple of years later I wrote to the publisher and told him (or her) what a great article it was. My letter wasn’t published. I guess it was not very timely.

You can procrastinate doing the following things:

1. Cutting the lawn: When the grass grows above the height of the lawnmower so that your wife will not see it to remind her to tell you to cut the grass, you may have won. In Idaho your lawn may well just blend in with the wheat field next to your house.

2. Shoveling snow: This is good to procrastinate. It could save you from a heart attack or sore muscles. Here is a little chant you can use: Snow, Snow, Go away. Try again in July or May. That’s when the sun will come out and save you.

3. Doing your income tax: Always put this off until mid-April unless you have a big refund coming. Then do your taxes in January. You can file for an extension on April 15th and do your taxes in the fall after the fishing season.

4. Cleaning your Desk: It’s better to stare at your desk than to clean it. You might misplace an important paper.

5. Paying your bills: If you leave this tedious task long enough maybe your spouse will pay them.

6. Cleaning the garage or basement: Never do these chores in the winter months. The yard sale season is not yet up on you. When you see need money to buy a new fishing pole that is the time to clean your garage and have a yard sale.

7. Planting the garden: When you have missed the last date for peas and radishes, you better hustle down to the nursery and buy that last tomato plant which is now three-feet high.

8. Starting your weigh-loss program: This is a dandy to procrastinate. It consists of diet and exercise and you can procrastinate one or both. Gear up by buying weight loss books and polishing that contraption you bought from a television infomercial.

9. Writing a letter to or visiting your dying aunt in Duluth: At the funeral say that you were just going to write her when you got the telephone call saying she was dead.

10. Mopping the floor: My wife gave me this one. There are some things you just hate to do.

I’ve wanted to write this article for a long time. I’m glad it’s finished.

I’m staring at my desk. I cleaned my table last night.

John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com, a retired VP of R&D for Lenox China, is author of detective & western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering, humor), poetry, etc. Former editor of Ceramic Industry Magazine. He is Executive Representative of IWS sellers of Tyler Hicks wealth-success books and kits. He also sells TopFlight flagpoles. He calls himself “Taylor Jones, the hack writer.”

More info: http://www.tjbooks.com

Business web site: http://www.aaaflagpoles.com

There will be many times in our lives when we are forced to deal
with change, disappointment, and failure. These events should
not be viewed negatively, but as opportunities to uncover routes
to greater success. Life often presents us with these
opportunities, yet they are disguised as obstacles, roadblocks,
and detours. If we exhibit keen insight, these “obstacles” will
offer us lessons that could be learned by no other means. It is
up to us to overcome emotional let downs and find ways to thrive
in the midst of these temporary setbacks. In the face of great
challenges, here are a few ways to get you back on track.

Assess and Correct

In order to correct our missteps, it is of paramount importance
that we understand the root cause of our failures. Determine if
the basis was flawed planning, faulty execution, or competitive
pressure. When you understand the cause, it becomes much easier
to design an effective countermeasure.

Look for the Message or Meaning in Failure

Through change, disappointment, and failure, there is a message
being communicated; a weakness that is being brought to your
attention. Failure is one of life’s most valuable teachers. It
will redirect your course to more favorable paths.

Change Direction

With your analysis, determine if your failure was based on an
improper course. Don’t let your ego blind you to the fact that
you may need a new plan. Failure often reveals subtle details
that can lead you to enormous success on your subsequent
attempts. It may be appropriate to change direction. Look for
the lessons revealed in your efforts, whether they are success
or failure. Evaluate your method to determine if it is still the
most logical course of action.

Compare Yourself to Successful Organizations and People

Seek to identify and adopt the best practices of the most
successful organizations and people. By modeling their
behaviors, strategies, and tactics, you follow a proven roadmap
to success. Also presented is the opportunity to improve upon
methods to uncover breakthroughs that can help you dominate in
your field.

Consult with Experts

Another surefire way to get back on track is to consult with
experts in the field. They can give you insights into areas you
might have overlooked. Seek professionals who can help you
identify and improve the areas that most directly impact your
success. The benefits will far outweigh the costs.

Form Strategic Partnerships

A smart way to recover from setbacks and position yourself for
future accomplishment is to form strategic partnerships. The
right partnership will create a synergy that will multiply the
return for all parties involved. One of the key factors to look
for in a partnership is someone that compliments you and your
organization, whose strengths are your weaknesses, particularly
in the areas of your life and business that have the greatest
impact. By forming such partnerships you will see immediate
returns because you have aligned yourself with experts; the
development time will be much shorter.

Think bigger

Often times we miss opportunities because our thinking is too
narrow. Fortune favors the bold; think large, be decisive.
Thinking big will put you in contact with different types of
people that agree with your way of thinking. The relationships
you forge are a direct reflection of your mentality. Thinking on
a larger scale will create a different level of interest in your
project. Many times it can be easier to raise ten million
dollars in funding than one million.

Focus

Opportunities also exist in a narrow scope. To make
advancements, consider the archer’s concentration. By
concentrating on fewer, but key areas, you can thrive in the
midst of change, disappointment, or failure. Evaluate the areas
of your life or business that have the greatest impact on your
success and direct your focus there.

Get More Knowledge/Education/Retrain

There will be times where you realize your skill set or the
skill set of your staff is insufficient to meet the competitive
demands of your field. Therefore, it is imperative that you
constantly look for opportunities to keep your skills updated.
In your pursuit, determine if your lack of knowledge was a
contributing factor to your lack of success. If you don’t update
your skills, you will find failure at your doorstep. Others in
the market place are constantly improving; you must do the same
if you expect to effectively compete.