Bill and Mark Aren’t Weak…

What I Really Think

Part 3

These are my reactions to quotes, comments, or statements from things I’ve read in magazines, newspapers, books and on the internet, so don’t blame anyone else. I’m gathering these on a totally random basis so if you have any you want me to comment on feel free to submit them.

11. “Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase—just take the first step.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.
...Actually most of the steps you take will be in faith because we don’t know the future. It’s rare that we can be sure that things are going to work out the way we want. If you wait to “see the whole staircase” you’ll never go anywhere. All new adventures are started with steps of faith, that’s really the only option you have.

12. “Grant people a lifetime of forgiveness before you even meet them.” —Thomas Leonard
...Wow! That’s an incredibly generous offer. I wish I could see how this statement contains great wisdom but I don’t see how it holds up. It’s interesting that whoever came up with this it already thinking about offenses they are going to get from people they haven’t even met yet. They have even come up with a game plan for dealing with them. Who does this? You haven’t even met them, you don’t even know who’ll they’ll be, yet you assuming that they’ll be so obnoxious that you are going to have to decide to be the bigger person and condescend to forgive them. I would be really upset to meet someone new and to find out they are already thinking about granting me a lifetime of forgiveness! They are already expecting me to torment them for the rest of my life…therefore needing their forgiveness. The Bible talks about “owe no one anything except a debt of love,” but that’s nothing like this. This is really up there on the dumb statement list. Incredible. 

13. “Giving up doesn't always mean you are weak. Sometimes it means that you are strong enough to let go.” —Author Unknown
...Also means you have a brain. Shows you are staying in control of your actions and not getting overly caught up in the moment. It does take strength to change course when necessary. People may think you are “Giving up” but what you may be doing is realizing that the current project is no longer worth finishing compared to another much better opportunity that has come along. Both Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg went to Harvard. But both also “gave up” and dropped out to pursue their new dreams that came up after they got to Harvard. One created Microsoft. One created Facebook. No one accuses either of being weak.

14. “There is no question of going anywhere, arriving anywhere, or doing anything; you are there already.” —Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
...This is where I part company with eastern philosophy. The idea of just laying around and doing nothing. Don’t fall for this. We are on earth for a short while. Why on earth would you lay around while you’re here doing nothing? The world is full of great places to go, things to do, people to meet. The world is full of need. There is so much opportunity for you to do good and to make a difference in people’s lives. Life without challenges is empty. If you sit around deluding yourself that “you are there already” you will be miserable because…guess what? You aren’t there already, that’s just a big nonsense lie that does untold damage to the poor unsuspecting souls that fall for it.

15. “The communication style of leaders helps us distinguish great leaders from the wannabes.  When facing a problem the great leader says, 'Let's find out,' while the wannabe says that 'nobody knows.' 

• Great leaders communicate commitment while wannabe leaders make promises. 
• Great leaders have the capacity to listen while wannabes can't wait for their turn to talk. 
• Great leaders say 'there is a better way to do this', while wannabes say 'this is the way we have always done things around here.' 
• Great leaders say 'I'm a good leader, but could do better" while the wannabe says 'I'm better than a lot of people.' 
• Great leaders take accountability for their mistakes while the wannabe points fingers and says 'it's your fault.' —Reed Markham, PhD, Georgia Leadership Series 

...Well said. Unusually good for a professor. Lots of solid points made here. He must have had another life before he became a professor or had one of his business buddies write this for him. Just kidding, Doc.

So now it’s your chance to tell me how I got it all wrong. That’s how I keep learning. Enjoy!

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See the following related posts:
5 Frogs Deciding—What I REALLY Think, Part 1
Effective Beats Efficient—What I REALLY Think, Part 2

The #1 Reason to Forgive

You're not perfect and you need forgiveness too.  

You'll be making mistakes too. You haven’t been accused of living the perfect life have you? Then, you're also going to need those around you to cut you some slack. That's more likely to happen if you are forgiving of them.  

We hear a lot about being a country of second chances.  
Forget second chances. We all mess up so much that we're continually needing three, four, five, six, seven chances.

That's why in the Bible when they asked Jesus how many times he should forgive their neighbor, they asked 7 times and He said no, forgive them 70 times 7! It seems like they needed more than second chances back then too.

Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.  (Matthew 18:21-22)

So if you want to have great relationships for those around, you ease up. 
Give them some room to fail and when they do, forgive.  Don’t expect them to do the impossible.

That doesn't mean that if somebody does something terrible there doesn't need to be consequences. Even some times, severe consequences.  

 

However, that doesn't mean you need to hold it against them.  

You'll find this easier to do if you are someone who forgives yourself. You'll find the most rigid people are those who are unforgiving of themselves.

That’s not a good way to go through life.  
You'll always be dissatisfied, always expecting yourself to live up to a standard you have no hope of achieving.  

It's much easier to forgive yourself when you realize that God in heaven has already provided a plan of forgiveness for you. It’s available through his Son, Jesus Christ. If He will forgive, why wouldn’t you forgive yourself?

• To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him;
  Daniel 9:8-10
• and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
  Luke 24:46-48 
• Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
  Acts 10:42-44
• to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’
  Acts 26:17-19
• In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
  Ephesians 1:6-8 

It's done.

It doesn’t you any good until you repent, ask for and accept that forgiveness, but He still has forgiven you. 

The sooner you realize that it might help you ease up a little bit on unrealistic expectations for yourself, your family, your kids, your coworkers, and your friends.  

That's the No. 1 reason to forgive others. Because you are not perfect either and God has provided forgiveness for you.