Tag: All about success

Plan, Prepare, Produce…Then What?

I hear messages from motivational speakers, on YouTube and other social media platforms espousing the importance of having a plan and executing that plan to be successful. But isn’t there more to this story? I recently saw the tagline from a company, Plan, prepare, produce and I thought this is great! Then I thought about it some more and thought, “something is missing here”. In the past, I have planned, prepared and produced but not everything was a success. So, maybe there is more here to consider.

Then I remembered something I had heard about the idea of distribution. If you plan to prepare and produce what is the next step? The answer is distribution. This is what was missing from the nicely packaged tagline that claimed to be the recipe for success but which lacked that vital ingredient. I have written a book and so I think of this based on that experience. I planned for that book, I prepared it and then produced it but if I had kept it to myself, without allowing others to access what I had produced then wouldn’t my efforts have been in vain? Yes, it would have!

As I said before distribution is the critical missing factor in this tagline. The Bible speaks to not hiding your light under a bushel, and if we do not distribute what we have produced we are hiding our light. We have produced something that will never be seen or shared or experienced by most. So we have the light, it is shining but in the wrong place. A place that guarantees limited exposure because we still have it stored somewhere impacting no one.

So what then? Yes, plan, prepare and produce but, we still have work to do. I would say the most important part of the entire process comes at this stage. We still have to get out there. We still have to get out there with confidence in what we have produced and find the hill we can stand on, where all can see us and our products, our light. But guess what? Too many people allow fear of the unknown and rejection to scare them and so they either never distribute or distribute right where they are and never try to go beyond the horizon and their comfort zone.

So, while you plan to prepare and produce, also plan for the distribution phase and what comes after that.

ALways You

Always You

You were always you
even when you wore other faces
not of you.
Even when you were confused
even when you were used
and abused
you were always you.
Even if you never knew
from time to time
especially because you were bruised
blacked and blued
until you lacked insight
But you
You were always within God's sight
and if you just hold on
He will gaurd the you He made
with all His might

The Enemy Success

The Enemy Success 

Success whispers in your ear - 
"you have arrived
for awhile let's rest here".
We sit and bask in what we have achieved
and never realise we are being decieved
because we cannot see
what else from within ourselves we can retrieve.
We begin to think - 
"there is nothing better in this world
than what we have now.
and we allow
complacency to take reign
and suffer the pain,
of the wasted years
when we settled for less, 
instead of giving more than our best.
If only we believed
there was more to achieve than the present fame
which fades under the pressure of 
misguided vain.

Learn to Dance in the Rain

I saw this quote recently and it coincided with some hard truths I stumbled upon. Lately, I have felt immobile by regret, discontent and a feeling of utter dissatisfaction with the state of my life. I know a part of this was burn out but it was also a malignant feeling of seeming never to truly be making progress in any area of my life. It came from a sudden attack of feeling stuck in life and realising that I was not blameless in this. I realise that the time has come for me to admit and accept some hard truths and this episode of discontent has revealed some true gems that have birthed great discomfort for me.

Some Hard Truths:

  1. The hand that wields the sword is more dangerous than the sword itself: I am pretty sure that you have heard some version of this before. However, for me, it has come to mean that I am not blameless in the state of dissatisfaction and discontent I am experiencing now. I have continued to make the same mistakes expecting a different result because of how earnest I am about experiencing change. I am earnest but my actions have done more harm than good. I need to take accountability in this regard.
  2. Do not wait on something outside yourself or your environment to make you feel complete or happy: Again I am sure that some of you have heard this before. But we need to recognise the truth of it. I have lived in denial of this. When you look beyond where you currently are and think that things will get better when you leave where you currently are then you will always be miserable there. I have to find the good in and learn how to be content again where I am.
  3. Do not make excuses because they trip you up and keep you grounded in the same place: It is so easy to blame everything on others or circumstances. Do not make excuses take action and own up to your part in whatever has gone wrong.
  4. Big things happen from small moments and actions: I have to stop resting on great expectations with Bollywood productions. Just do the small things and let go of those big plans.
  5. You control the journey you will experience in life: It is so easy at times to blame others for where you are at a certain point in your life. “If you did not have to do this for her”, or “If you did not have to go there for him” are thoughts that can hide the fact that you made decisions whether based on desire or out of a sense of duty, fear or guilt. It does not matter, you chose to help, to give and to be where you now regret you have been, what you have done and how much of you and your resources you have given.
  6. Make things right as soon as possible whether or not the fault is yours: It is a lot harder said than done but having peace of mind demand this is done. So whether we want to or not peace comes from making peace.
  7. It’s not that you cannot find time to pursue your dreams, it is that you have not made time for them: I have wasted so much time doing truly meaningless things time I could have spent working on those things that aligned with my goals and vision for my life. I now have to work on being disciplined and pursue my dreams actively.
  8. Lack of fear and self-confidence stunts you, not what others say or do: At some point we have to decide to move forward in spite of it all even our own limited view of our abilities.
  9. Don’t wait on the approval of others: We often turn to friends and family to get validation or a word of advice about something important t o us. However, learn to be more confidence in your ability to make the right decision. I have realised also that what I want more than sound advice is to place the final decision on someone else. So now I need to practice making the decisions that need to be made without expecting others to tell me what I should do.
  10. Your ideas wont wait on you to manifest, when you put them off they eventually find another more capable source: With this I will be simple, your great idea is your great idea until someone else makes them come alive. Then they become a wish never fulfilled.
  11. No one is limited or needs more than who they are: It has become so easy to compare yourself with others, without even realising it. Then one day it all comes to a head and you realise you have been making a list of all your shortcomings and they now overwhelm you: “What have I done, achieved in this life so far? Nothing”.
  12. Self-help books do not produce change in your life, only your thoughts and actions can: I have read a couple of self-help books and while in the moment they were great they were not this miracle text that delivered on results the way I erroneously felt they would. I now realise that they can help toa degree but I have to do the work, show up and make the time to work on improving areas of my life that need the work.

I know that as with anything else truly being accountable is the best way to learn from those truths highlighted above. But in a world that seems to change so rapidly nowadays we need to stop and pay attention, then take action.

I Am a Lion

I Am a Lion

God has given me the heart of a Lion.

I prowl and wonder here and there

I stand on the edge of the clip
my heart is fearless.

I leap into the misty unknown.
I know I will live!

No one can stop me.

Majestically I float
a flick and flicker
leaving my marks in the dust.

dust you came from dust you shall return...
but not today.

Today I tower over the kingdom
and roar!

Today the trap they set
is seen.
I am wise to their scars
they cannot deceive. 

On all fours I stand
within me beats
breathes
the heart of a Lion...

Hitting Rock Bottom

So you put it all on the line and you failed? Now you want to give in and accept defeat. Don’t be sad, don’t be sorry, be glad you did not win when you did.

I think I can confidently say that for many people, being at the bottom sucks. It sucks so bad that most people would rather not be in contention for anything, miss out on great opportunities rather than there being a possibility for them being at the bottom. It just seems like no one likes a loser, so no one wants to be one.

But I think losing is a good thing.

If you have come to realise this, great, but I have learned this lesson well and I am so happy that I solved that piece of the puzzle and never want to forget it.

Losing should not break your will to strive for more, to go after your dreams, to even have dreams. No, losing should be the catalyst you need to rise from the ashes like a phoenix and get to where you need to be. This does not mean necessarily in the number one spot, but your comfort zone. The zone where you can comfortably stay, grow and thrive!

Losing helps you to stay humble and be that much more grateful when you do win. To remember that not everyone can or will win and to respect the unique qualities of those you competed against. To value each person’s contribution to the competition and your development. To know that at the end of the day winning does not guarantee happiness or contentment. To know that when the applause ends and the adoring fans leave you will still know the value of your worth. There is also the joy of knowing that you have seen yourself at your worst and lived to tell the tale, to know the bitter taste of defeat and still overcame the potential poisonous effects. Winning doesn’t make you better, losing does. Because if you plan to get up when knocked off your feet you have to give a little more, do something different and tap into a reserve of power you didn’t know you had. When you lose is when you know how strong you are, because you faced those demons that told you to stop trying and defeated them.

So let us be more willing to embrace losing, so we can test our strength, resilience and heart. Let us not just live but be alive to the possibilities for growth that losing offers.

No Hiding.

The more you hide, the less you’re seen, the less likely it is for you to shine when it’s your time to shine.

Sometimes it seems like a good idea to hide the flaws. But sometimes the flaws can turn out to be the blessing that we need. It can be the thing that separates a someone from an everyone. I use to like sitting back and let everyone else do the talking and make the plans and I just go along. But I have learned that you can’t hide behind everyone, all the time. One day, if only for that one time you will not have the human shields that keep you from answering the hard questions and making the tough decisions. Being anonymous is a great place to be for those who do not like the lime light. However, if in the act of reaching the goals you have set, you you have to take the spotlight, hiding may hinder you from seeing clearly what you should grab a hold of.

Image result for You can keep as quiet as you like, but one of these days somebody is going to find you

It also make it easier for someone to be ignored, even if everyone can clearly see you. Even if it is clear how talented you are and how invaluable your contribution, there are many more less capable and talented persons who are willing to make the noise that will lead to change. Therefore, while someone is there resting in the knowledge of their worth, it just may not be enough to be recognized; sometimes there is necessary noise to be made:

While silence is golden, noise can tell the true story.

Don’ hide your light under a bushel (Matt. 5: 15-16). Sometimes it seems like it’s being humble to do this. We tell ourselves that we are modest and therefore being good. But, this can be an excuse to do nothing, in order not to be judged or accused of anything unpleasant. Hiding becomes a way to be present but absent at the same time. No one can say we are not there, but no one can accuse of doing anything while there.

Hiding can become a way to deny who you are and that can be a limiting experience. Regret not only comes from not doing what you want to do but also being what everyone expects you to be, except yourself. It’s best to stop, when hiding becomes a hazard to prevents you from living life to the fullest.

Image result for Quit hiding your magic. The world is ready for you