I’d rather be lucky than good.
I’ve heard this said many times, but it’s not a wise choice.

While it is true that many things happen to us outside our control, we are given the total control of our ACTIONS and our ATTITUDE.

The people we meet = The friends we choose
How people treat us = How we treat others
The right place = The places we go
The right time = Being on time
Our opportunities = Our work ethic
Our health = Our Diet

I will not deny that luck, good fortune, and blessings play a part in any success. But, if you are waiting on luck to deliver your success, it will never come.

Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God.

2 Chronicles 27:6 KJV

Fear is a starting point.
Humility is a starting point.
Attitude is a starting point.
Repentance is a starting point.

If you want to achieve a goal…
If you want to do something great…

There are no shortcuts, only starting points.

The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.

Proverbs 15:33 KJV

As part of our ethics course in med-tech school, we learned about “sink testing”. In short, it’s when a technologist dumps the samples down the drain and makes up the results. At the time it was comical to everyone in the class. But the real question was not whether we would do such a thing, it’s what would we do if we saw a highly regarded scientist “sink test” a batch of samples?

“Sink Tests” can happen in any profession. The scientific community has not cornered the market on falsehood, greed, or lying. What will you do when you see it happen? Tell the authorities? Confront the person? Turn a blind eye?

Peer pressure, group think, and herd mentality help us to make all sorts of bad decisions. The key is to make the decision before you are faced with the choice. Train your mind and build your character; so in the heat of the moment, you already know what to do.

Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will entice him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith?

2 Chronicles 18:20 KJV

Problems are never unsolvable.
Problems are never insurmountable.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when problem solving.

1. Get acquainted with failure. If you are tackling complicated problems, you will fail. Don’t freak out and throw your hands in the air and walk away. Assess the situation, course correct, and move on.

2. Deconstruct. The old “how to eat an elephant” cliche is true. You can only eat one bite at a time. But the real work is in the transformation from whole to edible bites. Learn to love the deconstruction process. Smaller problems get solved.

3. Reconstruct and Iterate. This ties in a lot with #1. As you break problems into smaller components and solve them, sometimes when you put them back together they don’t create a workable solution as a whole. Lots of times the seemingly obvious solution creates ancillary problems that are worse than the original. If you reconstruct and the solution is no good, have the courage to fail and start again.

4. Learn and Change. I think it was Einstein who said, “We cannot solve today’s problems with the same thinking that created them.” Great problem solvers are willing to learn and change their minds.

We all have elephants to eat.
I hope you’re hungry. 😉

Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.

2 Chronicles 15:7 KJV

They said it couldn’t be done.
They said it was a terrible idea.
They said you were a bad egg.
They say a lot of things.

Believing what they say is not necessarily the right choice. 

Anything is possible.
Nothing is unbelievable.
Go see for yourself.

Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it : and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.

2 Chronicles 9:6 KJV

Truth builds – Lies destroy
Truth makes us strong – Lies make us weak
Truth makes us free – Lies bind us

A mistake is when we speak error by accident.
A lie is when we speak error with intent.
We don’t always know the truth but we know when we are lying.

For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

Proverbs 8:7 KJV

Do I want to live right? 

What does “live right” even mean? Follow the rules?…which rules?
Follow the commandments?…which commandments?

When the leaders asked Jesus this question, he replied, there are two. If you get them right, you will be living right. Love God and love others as yourself. 

It’s amazing how the most profound wisdom is simple and clear.

Giving is the glue that holds our relationships together.
Giving is the glue that holds our homes together.
Giving is the glue that holds our communities together.
Giving is the glue that holds our country together.

WHY?
Giving makes us happy. When we are happy we communicate better; we love deeper; we care more; we listen longer; we have more capacity and energy to build relationships. I believe the foundation of everything worth anything is in relationships.

HOW?
When we give, our brain releases a neurotransmitter called serotonin that makes us feel good. The person receiving the gift also has a release of serotonin and they feel good. But the most peculiar thing research has shown is that observers also have a serotonin release and they feel good as well! I first heard this from my dear friend Pastor Mike while listening to an audio recording called The Science of Nice.

Connecting the dots of 1 Chronicles 29:9, great joy follows this path.

1. A Perfect Heart – Intention matters. Truly focus on someone else.

2. Willing Offer – Never give because you have to. Never give to get.

Bottom Line: If you find yourself in a mood or in a bad place emotionally. Sincerely do something kind for someone else. A willing offer with a perfect heart will put you on the road to great joy.

Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord : and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.

1 Chronicles 29:9 KJV

I could never do that.
Why? I’m just not that smart.

It’s so easy to blame our intelligence for our mistakes or shortcomings but more often than not it’s our ignorance that trips us up. An adult is not going to change their IQ more than a few points but with a little effort anyone can eliminate ignorance. Here is a simple formula from Proverbs 5 that will help you learn almost anything.

Attend – Bow – Regard – Keep

1. SHOW UP. Find what motivates you. Goals and affirmations or pain and scars; whatever it is, find the thing that energizes you and use it to consistently show up. Attendance is a requirement. You cannot learn and improve if you aren’t there.

2. REMOVE PRIDE. Before you can learn anything you must believe you don’t know. A prideful mind is a closed mind. If pride will bow, you can see what you don’t know.

3. LISTEN. Thoughtfully listening and regarding a new idea is magical. When we listen, we shine a light on ignorance and it vanishes away.

4. DO IT. Put your new knowledge to work. Keep it, speak it, and act it out.

My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: [2] That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

Proverbs 5:1-2 KJV