Let’s talk about God October 21, 2007
Posted by reason4smile in Courage, Leadership, People, Purpose, Spiritual, Wisdom.Tags: christianity
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Having difficulty to talk about God in your daily life? Most of us think that talking about God and even more about Christianity is unnatural, it seems unusual and even strange.
First question you need to ask yourself, does God take only a part of your life? or whole of your life? Adrian Ng, a brother in my church gave a very good message and illustration on God-soaked life. A life where God is on the throne, directing all the aspects of our life.
First step, will you have excitement to talk about God, finding out the relevance of anything under the sun to the God’s big story of human kind redemption? God-soaked life means that your life is inseparable from God, He commands all the aspects of our life, hence it’s very natural for us to talk about Him.
Second step, creatively talk about God, have empathy and listen to the needs of others, not only as a mere “soul to be saved”, but really out of our love for others.
This post is inspired by the message brought by Adrian Ng, “How to talk about God to your friends”
Leadership: Habit of asking October 20, 2007
Posted by reason4smile in Courage, Leadership, Person, Spiritual.Tags: Leadership, teachability
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Management has a lot to do with answers. Leadership is a function of questions. And the first question for a leader always is: ‘Who do we intend to be?’ Not ‘What are we going to do?’ but ‘Who do we intend to be?’
— Max De Pree
Above is a quote on the importance of character in leadership. I read about the quote from a leadership seminar by Dr. Albert Ting (principal of Singapore Bible College) today. He mentioned a lot about the importance of character in leadership.
Leadership is about being rather than doing, who you are is more important than what you do!
Dr. Albert Ting
For the full version of this article, check the post in my new blog here.
Blogging to me October 19, 2007
Posted by reason4smile in Courage, Leadership, Person, Spiritual, Testimony.Tags: blogging
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What is blogging to me? Some people say blogging is a waste of time, one person has ever asked me whether I have too much free time to start blogging.
This month, I’ve been consistently writing average one post daily, and it’s been a blessing to me…
One or two months ago, in a cell group, we are discussing about how we can start a habit of spiritual discipline. One person suggesting an idea of having devotional time everyday but not only for the sake reading the bible, but taking something to be meditated and applied for the rest of the day.
For me, blogging gives me a similar benefit, not only I blog for others to read, I also blog to myself. As I am writing my blog, the whole day, I’ve been thinking of the point I shared in the blog. Kind of reminding me to apply them again and again.
Just as today, choosing to apply one point of my blog yesterday:
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.Mother Theresa
An instance happens today where I’m choosing to be honest, and it really makes me vulnerable. The person seems nice to me, but I don’t know if he has any hidden agenda.
It might be too nice, too simple or even too naive. But one thing, I choose to do the right thing. Anything happens, why should I be afraid of what man can do to me? God has a better plan, isn’t it?
Sometimes we worry excessively on something we should not be worried for, it might not happen or even it might benefits you, as you can do more things without feeling guilty as you’re being true to your conscience.
Let’s choose to do the right thing today!
“In spite of” Attitude October 18, 2007
Posted by reason4smile in Courage, Leadership, Person, Spiritual.Tags: attitude, mother teresa, quote
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Learning about “in spite of” attitude as in the poem below from Mother Teresa:
People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
Love them anyway.If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.People really need help but may attack you if you help them.
Help people anyway.Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.Mother Teresa
The moral of the poem, have a “in spite of” attitude! In spite of your fear, follow your faith! In spite of your feeling, do the right thing!
In spite of hundred reasons to cry, show life you have thousand reasons to smile!
Focus and overcoming addiction October 17, 2007
Posted by reason4smile in Courage, Leadership, Person, Spiritual.Tags: addiction, focus, jon walker, quote
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“The great thing in this world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving.”
– Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894)
Where are you at right now? in the middle of addiction? I downloaded the weekly battle plan from www.everymansbattle.com (which I really recommend for you guys who is struggling with sexual temptation) telling us the problem with our focus, why is it so difficult to overcome addiction.The daily devotional message from PurposeDrivenLife.com summarize the problem with our focus very well:
Focus on God, not your ‘deadness’ – As you struggle to make the right choices, focus on God and not your “deadness” to sin. A God-focus will help you see his strength, power, and grace. On the other hand, if you focus on your “deadness,” you might slip into a legalism that deceives you into believing that the only way to walk away from sinful temptation is to do it on your own strength. The truth is, God is your strength.
Jon Walker
More importantly, know this that we have power to choose not to sin!
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. (Romans 6:4-5 NIV)
So, let us work out our salvation with trembling and fear, focusing on God and not on our weaknesses or even “deadness”. We can do it!!!
God bless you with the strength you need!
Networking for introvert October 16, 2007
Posted by reason4smile in Courage, Leadership, People, Spiritual.Tags: introvert, networking
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Continuing from my article on “Overcoming Shyness“, on that same day, I also read this article “How to Network: For Introverts” from Businesspundit.com. I was searching the net on articles about networking as I was expected to attend a networking session to represent my company, and I found this unique article, networking tips especially for introverts.
It’s true that for us, introverts, networking is not easy, we’re just uncomfortable with chit-chatting about trivial issue, getting to know new person, etc.
How I summed up the article is the importance of courage and persistence, to come and pick some networking events to attend to, and within the event itself, to approach new people and to get to know them.
Few quotes from the articles:
The hardest part for me was the first few events. I sometimes feel like I don’t know what to say when I meet new people. I would be soooo much more comfortable if someone started a conversation by asking me what I thought of utilitarianism as a way to make ethical decisions, or whether Sarbanes-Oxley has encouraged companies to list on other exchanges. Ideas usually seem so much more interesting than people. But, by sticking it out, month after month, I’ve slowly learned some good things to say, and grown more comfortable meeting strangers. So trust me when I say it gets easier.
Another important point the author said is that seeing networking as investment instead of nuisance, kind of networking with purpose.
Networking is an important key to unlocking your own potential. So play by the rules of the game the best that you can, or don’t sit and complain when you have a great idea and no one to help you launch it.
Who said that introverts doesn’t have advantage in networking? the author also has a point on introverts’ strength in networking.
Introverts are intuitive and analytical. Use that skill. What is working? What isn’t? Where do you get the most bang for your buck?
So, for the introverts out there, let’s try to have the courage to speak out, hang out, and networks! It’s hard in the beginning, but it’s worth it!
For more tips, check the full article here.
And the credit belongs to … October 15, 2007
Posted by reason4smile in Courage, Leadership, People, Spiritual.Tags: bear bryant, john maxwell, Leadership, quote
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Me and myself? or others? Often we blame mistakes on others and take credit to ourselves. Here is a quote that Terry Paulson put in his article “Beating the Blame Game“.
I’m just a plowhand from Arkansas, but I have learned how to hold a team together. How to lift some men up, how to calm down the others, until finally they’ve got one heartbeat together, a team. There’s just three things I’d ever say: If anything goes bad, I did it. If anything goes semi-good, then we did it. If anything goes real good, then you did it. That’s all it takes to get people to win football games for you.
Bear Bryant (Football Coach)
John Maxwell in his book Be A People Person also quoted the above statements on becoming a person that people trust. It takes more than skills to become a good leader, it also takes character and attitude.
So… will you take the credit and pass the blame? or take the blame and pass the credit?
The choice is yours!
Journey of Faith October 14, 2007
Posted by reason4smile in Leadership, Person, Serenity, Spiritual.Tags: christianity, faith
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Journey of faith, the title of the church sermon today, brought by Ps. Lim Kim Hock.
In the message, we are learning from the life of Abraham, when he asked his servant to find a wife for his son, Isaac. (Gen 24:1-23; 47-67)
The first point I learned, Abraham put his faith on his conviction, based on God’s promises concerning Isaac and the possesion of the land. He stresses the point that the woman for Isaac must not come from Canaan, but from his relatives. Similarly, our conviction must be based on God’s will and God’s promises in our life.
The second point I learned is that God will provide beyond our expectations. He answered the servant’s prayer for a sign even before he finished praying (Gen 24:15).
Living a life of faith is never easy. We meet with all kinds of difficulties or challenges that just seem to come one after another. But at the end of it all, we are blessed by the experience. We learn more about God and grow richer through the experience.
Ps. Lim Kim Hock
“Dolce far niente!” October 13, 2007
Posted by reason4smile in Leadership, Person, Serenity, Spiritual.Tags: inspirational, life, relax
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Busy, busy, busy! even on weekend I also feel so busy. A message below is an excerpt of weekly message that I subscribed from www.tripleE.com.sg, reminding us about “Dolce far niente!” In English, that means “It is sweet doing nothing!”.
We are all incredibly busy and our thoughts and worries are ever-present. In order to keep your personal energy at a constant equilibrium, you need to re-charge yourself regularly. A great way of doing that is to simply do NOTHING! …Just 15 minutes of being still, meditating or comfortably sitting with positive thoughts will do wonders for you and will help to re-charge your energy levels so that you are firing on all cylinders again. By incorporating “nothingness” into your day, greater creativity, focus and of course energy will result!
What I learn from this message is about taking time to relax, put your thought to the positive things that happens on your life, instead of the to-do lists. Take time from your busyness to praise thanksgiving to God instead of praying for a list of requests.
Will you take time to do that?
Overcoming Shyness October 12, 2007
Posted by reason4smile in Courage, Leadership, Person, Spiritual.Tags: inspirational, life, shyness
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A very good article on overcoming shyness from PickTheBrain blog:
A key to overcoming shyness is recognizing these perceived slights for what they are–meaningless. When someone reacts to you negatively, don’t take it personally. Imagine the other person’s perspective. Is there something that may have put them in a bad mood? Are they trying to cover up their own inadequacy? Considering the perspective of the other person makes it easier to put their reaction in the proper context.
Many times we don’t want to speak up because we think that we have nothing to contribute, and therefore, to avoid embarrassment, we better keep in silence.
To get over this you need to recognize the merit of your own thoughts and the value they present to others. It’s ironic that the people most inclined towards shyness are often the most thoughtful. To reach your potential, you need to share yourself with the world. Your brilliant insights don’t hold any value until they’ve enlightened someone else.
Some of the practices that the article suggest, is the practice of sharing, sharing your insights, speak up even when you don’t want to. And more importantly, it’s how you can contribute to the society.
For the full article, click here.
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