Stop and think for a moment about one item this week that caused you a bit of distraction. I suppose we all have to deal with that; it simply is the world we live in. Might be a financial miscalculation, a delicate family matter, a business plan not proceeding according to plan or even an unwarranted criticism.
None of us are made of steel though I take delight in my ability to quickly move beyond the trivial. I met with laughter this week the report of a business associate of mine receiving a call from someone wanting to bad-mouth me and/or my work and I never met this person. I have no clue who she is but I did include her in my prayers. Something is deeply wrong with a person who would invest time into trashing someone who is a stranger to them. I have one of those strong, "matter-of-fact" personalities which came into focus when I was about 13 years old so I am used to it now.
As I contemplate these experiences I had no option but to think of my clients. I have the honor of working with some of the most capable people on earth. Some have managed the care of others with serious vulnerabilities for decades and have been the envy of the rule-breaker, the lazy and the malicious.
That being said I thought how important it is that we all remember the need to be careful investing too much time into giving audience to that which does not represent our values. The more distraction we allow the more we suffer, the more our families suffer, the more our spirituality suffers and the more our business operations suffer. There are bigger things to lose sleep over.
Here are a few other meaningful points that should help us all maintain perspective:
1. Remember the malicious person can only claim to be godly inside. The adherent to Scripture accepts the Bible's counsel: "not to let a rotten saying proceed from your mouth", "make it your aim to live quietly and mind your own business" "you will reap what you sow" or "death and life are in the power of the tongue." (Ephesians 4:29; 1 Thessalonians 4:11; Galatians 6:7; Proverbs 18:21)
2. So let's hope people who practice that kind of behavior get better. Maybe they attend one of those churches where the performance outshines the message of God's Word, or they need to make a change in their favorite reading material. Whatever the issue we have the power to determine to what extent they impact our concentration.
3. Real achievers are inwardly focused when it comes to business goals. That means we take delight in our own accomplishment. In my case I had to conduct a two-day seminar this week, complete documentation for three, (3) of my clients to help them apply for tax exempt status, write marketing letters for a soon to be open adult day services program, edit two, (2) new continuing education subjects for future publication, celebrate my anniversary with my beautiful wife while motivating, encouraging, loving and extending my heart to four, (4) precious children. Where would I find the time for foolishness? You must take the same approach.
Everyday we need to get up and review and execute that to-do list we made the day before. We need to allow ourselves to be guided by a desire to achieve while having the humility to accept meaningful advice.
So make big things happen by maintaining with laser beam precision a focus on that which works best for us. In that process great things can occur, only if we allow them and spend each day working for them.
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