Success Through One Man's Eyes - Part V

Peace be with you!

The next part of the success acronym is the second "c", for which I have chosen the word "Challenged. " I'm sure you'll notice that the form is past tense. Oh, by the way the photo attached here is one of the many trestle bridges along the New River Tail near Pulaski, Virginia. The photo was taken, as almost all of those exhibited in my work are, by my wife and life partner, Debbie-Phillips-Noll.

All of us are challenged by something, whether it's by the peers of our youth, or by our kids in their youth, or by personal issues of all kinds at any stage or time in our lives. Some challenges are easily overcome and others test our very souls. It's the latter that I want to discuss briefly here for when we are challenged beyond what we think we can accomplish, we grow. When we face adversity with a positive outlook we have the best chance to conquer that which would conquer us. Whether it is internal or external, how we face life events, planned or unplanned, in essence how we are challenged determines the quality of life we live.

Being challenged can be a "buzz word" in todays American culture. We can be challenged by work, school, sports, family, friends, or in many cases just by daily events. But what helps us succeed most is, I believe, how we are challenged by ourselves. Our successes and failures are not entirely based on what happens to us, but how we respond to what happens to us. I believe what we are challenged by most is out attitude toward life, no matter what the circumstance is and I believe that our perspective also determines our degree of success or failure.

For most I think, it is not being intellectually or emotionally challenged that causes them to stumble but the spiritual challenge of seeing that which is not yet tangible or seeing that which has not yet occurred in such a way that it is remarkably effective in terms of the eventual outcome. When we choose to see ourselves or the circumstances of our lives in the present and in a positive framework we put ourselves in the greatest possible position for success.

One of the games that I appreciate the most in terms of skill and strategy is billiards. In billiards, it isn't just the ability to make the shot you are currently playing that helps you win, but the ability to see the position of the cue ball for future shots that determines your chances of winning the game. The best billiards players are those who can combine the skill of executing the present shot with the skill of seeing future shots and placing the cue ball in excellent position to make each of the subsequent shots.

The same thing happens with our perspective about life. After the break, so to speak, when the table has been determined - the difference between success and failure - the difference in running the table or leaving the door open for your opponent, is our ability to see the shots that haven't yet been made and our ability to execute the ones that present themselves to us along the way.

There will be the naysayers and skeptics in our path and that's okay. There is also significant research and testimony to support living life positively, with vision, purpose, and perspective. I find myself challenged each day to get up for the game, to put on the type of mindset that will put me in the best possible position to execute what I am presently aiming at and place me in position for the next best available shot.

Personally, I decided several years ago (and that was later than I should have) that despite what is a attributed to Hall of Fame Football and legendary coach Vince Lombardi about "winning isn't everything, it's the only thing," that I would live a challenged life every day. I would make every effort to envision that which cannot be seen and view myself in the best possible position to respond positively and not to react negatively to each circumstance. I would challenge myself to keep focused not so much on winning, but on doing the best I can now, today, and accept the outcome as the beginning of a new challenge.

My prayer for you is that you too, will be challenged to live fully in the present, no matter the circumstance and to decide right now to be challenged to see yourself today, not only winning but, doing that which you were designed to do.

Shalom my friends and peace be with you!

Success Through One Man's Eyes Part IV

Peace be with you!

The third of the seven words in my acronym “SUCCESS” is “Chosen. Being chosen offers numerous opportunities for growth as well as a few rewards. Being the first kid selected in a choose-up game on the basketball court at the neighborhood playground or being elected president of a professional association conjure up great feelings of pride and joy. Each of us can easily identify with being chosen for something meaningful to us. What I’m referring to here is more about why we are where we are and how we got here. (If we can ever really know that!)

The subject is not about being chosen. It’s about taking responsibility for the direction, actions and judgments we have “chosen” that contributed to our present personal circumstances today - good, bad or indifferent! Success is about what we are doing now and/or planning now for the future so why talk about choice in past tense? Well, that’s fairly simple. The old adage still rings true today; if you want something different in the future you must do something different today; you must do something other than what you’ve always done or you will continue to get what you’ve always gotten.

Ever since I heard the definition of insanity – “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result,” I have tried to apply its underlying message of change to my everyday life. In that, I have found not only a great peace but the reality and interconnection of change and success.

If we want to be successful we must be willing to change. If we want to change we must know ourselves and who we really are and what needs changing in order to reach our goals. We must acknowledge the value of self examination and the acceptance of the accompanying consequences of our choices, decisions, and judgments.

I used “Chosen” as the 3^rd key of success to illustrate the dynamic of the one element we as human beings share that differentiates us from any other species on the face of this planet…The Power to Choose. To reflect on the past only to observe our mistakes would be fruitless. That type of reflection only causes one to get stuck in another time period thus losing present opportunities for change.

To examine our past in its context, learning what worked and what didn’t and applying the results; the consequences, good and bad alike, we offer ourselves a greater potential for growth towards success, but more importantly significance.

Recognizing and coming to terms with the error of our ways also allows us to dismiss those moments in time that are no longer of value to our present and consequently our future. Yet, we must use our personal histories to seek out those moments where our chosen paths have either led us astray or victoriously in the direction of our destiny. We can learn from painful and joyful consequences alike, no matter how extreme, if we are willing to be honest with ourselves and forgiving of ourselves.

I am not, by any means, suggesting that one should spend their entire life looking back. Quite the contrary, I am suggesting we spend present moments in reflection in order to determine our actions for today. This is, of course, just one method of forward thinking; sort of back to the future type daydreaming. In the past few years I have spent a significant number of hours reflecting, journaling, and writing about then present day reflections that have produced both fond and tortuously painful memories. However, I will say that each hour I spent earnestly self examining the paths I have chosen revealed many blessings in disguise and contributed to handsome dividends in my present joy and future happiness despite some bitter disappointments along the way. Had I not permitted myself the reflective time, I would have missed many virtuous revelations.

There is, at least in my humble opinion, a significant difference between choices and decisions. Unfortunately there is not enough time to discuss them here in this article except to note that choices are abundant and seemingly infinite in their frequency while decisions, by their very definition, dwindle in frequency when they are executed and therefore finite.

Since 1987, when I first began journaling, I have chosen the direction for my life from many alternatives or choices. From those varied choices I have chosen thoughts, actions and quite often, due to a propensity for procrastination, inaction which has ultimately resulted in arriving at a very different station in life today – at this very moment. Some of the actions I chose were exhilarating, some very self-defeating. What I learned was not unique to me. There is an abundance of literature replete with stories, factual and otherwise, learned by others long before me and by greater men than me.

Simply, to seek the wisdom of God is supreme and if we are to focus ourselves on any one thing, loving God with all our hearts, minds, souls and strength and loving our neighbors as ourselves is a choice. Keeping that choice in the present and at the forefront of our daily lives creates unlimited possibilities and opens doors that no man can shut. In this case we choose to be chosen because we have been chosen to choose.

Shalom my friends and peace be with you,

Bruce

Success Through One Mans Eyes = Part III

The second element in the "Success" acronym is Unselfishness or what I will call "Selfless" living.

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the church at Corinth, defines my portrayal of selfless living as he detailed the characteristics of Love in Corinthians chapter 13. The family of believers there would come to know how to recognize and demonstrate this true form of love. He said in the 5th verse, "It is not rude, it is not self‑seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." The "it" Paul was referring to was not what the majority of our society refers to as love; it was an extraordinary compilation of traits found only in the perfect Love of God.

Selflessness was made the model of Love by Yeshua (Jesus' Hebrew name). This chapter in the Bible is often cited by Clergyman at weddings, Preachers in their sermons and even at times, counselors with their patients, and with good reason! Without love, relationships are meaningless and life becomes a never ending battle for more for the self to which we attach our minds.

Like the bridge in the photo above (White Oak Canyon - Sedona, AZ) an unselfish attitude or character provides a means of reaching the other side of a great chasm. Without this bridge, White Oak Canyon would be extremely difficult to cross, if possible at all. The canyon represents the obstacles of life, of relationships and hardships of all kinds. Without unselfishness, which I call the bridge of love, we would not be where or what we are today.

Following the example Jesus set for humanity selfless living is the art of giving of ones self, consciously, without malice or forethought. It's a matter of developing the habit of giving first, for the benefit of the person and for no other reason than to edify or please them, or to help them grow.

An unselfish spirit is an incredibly difficult trait to master but will go a long way toward mending or healing broken relationships, and a most affective way to convey love.

Humbly, I admit that I have not yet reached mastery of this almost lost art of giving. (My wife Debbie might even say, "you've got a long, long way to go.") Though I profess to work on techniques that will bring me closer to understanding and better execution I recognize that I do still fall woefully short. Please excuse the commentary but, honestly coming to terms with reality helps diffuse any inkling of pretense or arrogance.

Selflessness produces success because it places us in right relationship with those around us. Zig Ziglar would say, "You can anything you want if you will help enough people get what they want." You see, others come before we do in the business world too! If we will learn this application, if we will change the perspective we have of the order of our desires so that they follow the will of God to serve others first, then we will receive the blessings associated with the law of the harvest which says we reap what we sow. And so, it is with the bridge of love - the art of selfless living!

Shalom my friends until the next session when we discover what it means to be "Chosen," the first of the two "C's" in "SUCCESS."

Peace Be with you!

Success Through One Man's Eyes - Part II

Peace be with you!

Welcome to Part II of "Success Through One Man's Eyes." In this segment we will begin to break down, element by element, the 7 criteria I use to help define success "for me." I hope, by the end of this multiple segment article, you can express exactly what success means for you too. I challenge you to discover for yourself what success means so you can recognize it as an unintentionally produced byproduct of your journey to significance and not just some milestone to be obtained as an end.

The first element in my success line-up is "Single Mindedness." It's not something I use it's something I am, at least when I'm at my best. Being single minded, in my humble opinion, is yesteryears version of what is known today as focus. I hope I didn't scare off any multi-taskers. Being singled minded has more to do with your purpose or calling than not being able to do multiple projects simultaneously. In fact, you must be able to see the big picture and all of the elements of it working simultaneously within it. You must be clear about where you are going or you will go everywhere and nowhere. Eventually, time will become your enemy. It will erode your enthusiasm and I assure you it will cause you great pain.

Of course you may disagree, and that's okay because in this blog I get to determine my own arguments. (Chuckle) I do, however, recognize there are a number of schools of thought here. This just happens to be mine and I am guided by my experience, both the good and the bad, the achievements and the failures. I have learned how to learn from both of them.

Some say...focus on what you want, others say you can try too hard, you can concentrate too much! Well, I'm in the single minded school, primarily because I do believe that your energy follows your greatest intent...in other words your energy is somehow funneled to whatever you focus on. That's where the action is, after all nothing just happens. First there are thoughts, then there are actions. I've only experienced focused energy once, as a young man in sports. Great exhilaration accompanied that feeling and I will never forget it. I also know what it's like to spread my thoughts and energy out like a shotgun and although it's fun at times, it will not produce the type of achievement they write about in books and magazines.

So, I must conclude that single mindedness or focus is critical to success no matter how one views the end result, especially as it relates to a vision or purpose in your life Of course focus does not, by itself, define success. It is, however for me, an integral element and a lack of concentration dilutes the energy necessary to accomplish our dreams.

I encourage you to decide what your focus will be as early in life as possible; to prepare yourself with great zeal and to take immediate and prolonged action to develop yourself. Recognize the value of time and the role it plays in developing your purpose with single minded precision. Learn how to invest energy and time into yourself. When you do you will create a positive force, a life energy producing that which you focus on again and again. Oh, and by the way, write everything down. Leave no detail out! Open your mind to limitless awareness and thinking. I plead with you not to let your life energy dissipate by diluting it with the garbage of the world. Time is running out. You may think it to be infinite, but without a healthy respect for it and it's never ending movement you will only fool yourself into watering down one of your most powerful and exhaustible resources.

I have enjoyed these few moments with you. It is my privilege to be a part of your journey. Next time we get together we'll discuss how an unselfish heart determines what type of soil you'll be planting your seeds of success into.

Until then,

Peace be with you my friend!

Success Through One Mans Eyes

Peace be with you my friends!

What is success? How would you define it? How does a two year old with a pair of 50's plaid shorts and a six shooter define success? Or, does he merely contemplate the present he can see and hear and touch? Well, there will only be a million more questions like these for this little guy as time runs swiftly by him, and many of them will go unanswered. They will remain a mystery.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us." As I look at myself through the eyes of experience I see something very important. What I imagined to be important during much of my adult life really wasn't and what I have today is much like what I had as a child; a love for life, the very simplest of things, like being myself, acting goofy, making my mother smile just by being who I was, 'lil 'ol toy six shooter - me!

So what the heck does this have to do with SUCCESS? Nothing and everything, I suppose. I guess it's just my way of illustrating how much our perceptions change as we grow and development, not all for the best, either. I believe I have come almost full circle and what I define as success today seems more like where I started than where I was for the majority of my adulthood. So I guess I want to provide this acronym for success, if for no other reason that to cause those who are looking for significance in their lives to know you are not alone. There have been many before us and there will be many after us who have experienced this hormonal imbalance in men! (Sorry, I just couldn't resist)

I developed this acronym to remind me of what is really important to me and to keep me grounded in the truth I saw as 'lil 'ol six shooter - the purest eyes I've ever seen through. Yes, even better than today with all the wisdom I've gained over the years. Thank you Lord!

S ingle-minded
U nselfish
C hosen
C hallenged
E xcellent
S incere
S haring

Unfortunately that is all I have time for this evening! This is a great place to stop and contemplate. Tomorrow I will continue my definition of success and how the process of defining success relates to our attainment of it.

My thought for this evening is - Success is not something we ascribe to or attain but something we experience on the way to significance. It is not a destination but a by product of being that which we are gifted for and designed to be.

Until tomorrow, peace be with you!