| |
| |
|
Coaching Information |
|
|
|
Embracing Excellence
Joey rises before dawn to pack his lunch, eager for morning to arrive so he can board the city bus that transports him to his job at a souvenir production facility. From 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Joey applies decals to souvenir collector spoons. Much like an artist applying brush to canvas, Joey peels a self-sticking decal from its wrapper, painstakingly centers it over the base of the spoon and slowly presses it on the metal. If the decal is not perfectly centered, he peels it off and starts over. Joey glows with pride over the racks of completed spoons, ready to be packaged for shipping to retail stores. Joey has Down Syndrome. Though he will never become the chairman of a Fortune 500 company and it's unlikely he will ever win an Academy Award or a Pulitzer prize, Joey is an outstanding sucess and a source of continual pride and joy to his heavenly Father. When I think of Joey, I feel shame for all the times when I have given less than my best. I'm also inspired to re-commit myself to the pursuit of excellence in everything that I do. In the parable of the five talents, Jesus taught the importance of investing our gifts and resources to the best of our ability. Three people received three different amounts of money, "each according to his ability." Later, each was asked to account for what they did with their money. Two of the three that doubled their money through wise investments were commended by the master, "You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things." The one who buried his money was called a, "wicked and lazy servant." Worse, the master took away what little he had and gave it to one of the faithful servants (Mat. 25:14-28). Shun Mediocrity To embrace excellence, we must shun mediocrity, despising it as a sinister enemy and guarding against its intrusion into our attitudes and endeavors. As the late Jamie Buckingham wrote, "The risk-free life is a victory-free life. It means lifelong surrender to the mediocre. And that is the worst of all defeats." Anyone determined to shun mediocrity will, at times, need the courage to stand alone. Many people feel threatened by visionaries; they may intentionally or unintentionally discourage you. They may undermine your dreams. Seek out friends who are also visionaries so you can share mutual encouragement and support. Another key to shunning mediocrity is to never compare ourselves with others. At the end of my life, I will not be asked, "Why were you not Sara, or Jennifer, or Candace?" I will be asked, "Were you Judy? Were you faithful to be the woman I created you to be." Know Your Purpose To achieve excellence, we must clarify our purpose. It's difficult to give our best when we lack vision. My grades were ho-hum during high school and the first two years of my post-secondary education. I could have achieved honors with minimal effort, but I rarely studied. It wasn't until I discovered my passion - writing - and transferred to journalism studies that I exerted effort and strived for excellence. My grades soared and I achieved honors. Once I discovered my passion, it was easy to give my best. I'm not trying to excuse my poor study habits -- I admit they reflected laziness and immature character. Nevertheless, discovering your purpose will have a catalytic impact on motivating you to a greater commitment to excellence. Purpose is often revealed through our passions, for God places desires in our hearts. What excites you? What stirs joy in your heart? What motivates you? What inspires creativity and ideas and vision? The answers to these questions will provide key clues to understanding your purpose. Most important, pray and ask God to help you understand your purpose. Know Your Source Embracing excellence means we must know our source. Even before we were born, we were impregnated with the seeds of divine potential. Yet those seeds can remain dormant. Consider the majestic oak tree. It's hard to believe it all started with a tiny seed. It's even more amazing to realize that seed contained all the genetic material necessary to develop into a mature tree. Still, for that seed to germinate and grow it required the right environmental conditions, including moisture and nutrients from the soil, and sunshine. Our life purpose operates on a similar principle. Though God places seeds of potential in each one of us, those seeds require the right spiritual environment in order to germinate and grow. The Bible says, "The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits" (Dan. 11:32) By far the most important key to excellence and fulfilled potential is to develop a more intimate relationship with God. As we draw closer to Him, we receive clearer vision and understanding of our unique purpose. Vision ignites a passion to fulfill our purpose; from that passion flows the commitment to invest our gifts and resources in serving others. As God's image-bearers, let's despise mediocrity. Let's seek to be more passionate, creative and excellent in everything we do. Let's refuse the well-travelled path of mediocrity, predictability and conformity; instead choosing the less-travelled path of faith, courage and risk. Shun mediocrity, discover your purpose and remain connected to your Source - and everything you do will reflect the excellence of our Creator. Judy Rushfeldt is an author, speaker, and online magazine publisher (http://www.LifeToolsforWomen.com) whose passion is to help women reach their dreams. Her latest book, Making Your Dreams Your Destiny - a woman's guide to awakening your passions and fulfilling your purpose, is available in quality bookstores in Canada and the United States. To read more about this book or to order online, visit http://www.MakingYourDreams.com
MORE RESOURCES:
coaching - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Seeing Your Energy At Work Our bodies are made of pure energy. With Quantum physics we learn that the cells of our body are made of molecules, which are made of atoms, which are made of sub-atomic particles. I Give Free Consultations... So, Why Dont They Hire Me? I show my clients a way to answer the question, "So, What Do You Do?" quickly and effectively. What I sometimes hear afterwards is,"Anna that works great, people now 'get' what I do and say, 'Yeah, I could sure do with help like that' but they're still not hiring me. Do You Mind If Someone Screams At You? A headhunter was on the other end of the phone. He was looking for an assistant to a CEO/Owner for a small, but very successful business. Mind the Gap The underground train in London can get you anywhere when you know how to maneuver all the options. Like our subways, London under ground is a busy place. Media Underload! The Stress Reducing Psych-Diet The war, taxes, the economy, increased health problems, crime on the rise, overwhelming divorce rate, corruption in corporate America, and, oh yes, Janet at the Super Bowl! Where does it end? With so much going wrong, whats going right in the world?It is times like these that I find myself mired down in the muck spewing forth from every media outlet. Like water dripping on a sponge, this negativity begins to seep in and pervade my thoughts and influence my reactions to the world around me. How To Deal With People Who Dislike You When you read books on personal development and articles about making your life better the emphasis is generally on the positive.You learn all about deciding what you want and how to get it. Are You Addicted To Your Activities? Activities - such as sports, creative projects, reading, work, TV, meditation - can be a wonderful way to relax, express yourself, or connect to yourself. Or they can be an addiction. Coaching is Asking the Right Questions Have you ever known anyone who asked themselves "Why me?" over and over every time something happened they didn't like? Or how about, "What did I do to deserve this?" And my favorite, "Whose fault was that?" Perhaps, these questions have popped into your head once or twice before.When we ask ourselves questions, our brain hunts for the answer. Business Coaching Legacy: Reflections on What You Want to Leave Behind? Updating my will has been on my mind for quite some time now. Life circumstances change, kids grow-up, financial situations changes. Can You Say No? As a manager you are constantly being asked to do things - by your boss, by one of your fellow managers, by the head of another department, by one of your staff.Your working life is a constant bombardment of requests coming from all quarters. Do You Need a Performance Coach? In today's fast paced world, we are often confronted with the issue, "I want to get in shape, but I just don't have the time!" We all have faced it at one time or another. So, when we finally decide to get in shape we go to the gym, and then another decision hits us. Take a Chance, Win a Prize I think that we're all probably familiar with the fairground rant 'take a chance, win a prize'. Whenever I hear this call to action, I immediately break out into a cold sweat. A Fresh Look at the Choices We Make We are frequently held back from making future plans or reaching goals based on the perceived wrongness of choices we've made in the past. I want to give you something to think about. The Incredible Human Psyche The intriguing Human psyche - more complex than the metamorphosing cocoon, and more phenomenal than the human brain could ever imagine.Deep within the realm of your subconscious is the centrifuge, or cerebral core of all Human possibilities. Simple Tips to Move Forward on the Job Someone I know wants to move into another job in the same company. It is not a management job. Fear of Intimacy Emotional intimacy is one of the most wonderful experiences we ever have. Nothing else really comes close to the experience of sharing our deepest thoughts and feelings with another, of being deeply seen and known, of sharing love, passion, laughter, joy, and/or creativity. Fear Is Nothing To Be Afraid Of! What do you do when fear shows up? Do you hide under the covers of life, shivering as you anxiously wait for the moment to pass or do you stand up with a confident smile and embrace it?Your answer to this simple question will have a considerable impact on the level of freedom, excitement and empowerment you experience on a daily basis. Whatever your response, the thing to remember is that your fears are nothing to be afraid of!What is Fear?The Oxford dictionary defines fear as "an unpleasant emotion caused by the expectation of pain". Listen To Me Lad Says Jack Once upon a time, a very long time ago, when I was first starting out as an apprentice engineer, I was told to sit next to Jack.Jack was the longest serving Draughtsman in the organisation and he was one of the most lazy people I have ever met. Personal Power All of us would love to have personal power - the power to manifest our dreams, the power to remain calm and loving in the face of fear, the power to stay centered in ourselves in the face of attack.Our society often confuses personal power - "power within" - with "power over," which is about controlling others. Keeping Your Anger Under Control In my work with individuals and couples, I see many people who have a difficult time expressing and managing angry feelings. Let's take a look at what causes people to become angry and how they can respond to stressful situations more productively.
|
| Article List | Index | Site Map |
|
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved. |
