Knitted Graffiti

I think this is SO COOL!

What do you think?  Do you think it’s vandalism?  Or artists expressing themselves.

Words/Vocabulary

Vitamins for the Mind
by Jim Rohn

The two great words of antiquity are behold and beware.  Behold the possibilities and beware the temptations.

Vocabulary enables us to interpret and to express. If you have a limited vocabulary, you will also have a limited vision and a limited future.

Well chosen words mixed with measured emotions is the basis of affecting people.

It’s okay to send flowers, but don’t let the flowers do all the talking. Flowers have a limited vocabulary.  About the best flowers can say is that you remembered.  But your words tell the rest.

Words do two major things:  They provide food for the mind and create light for understanding and awareness.

It is Up to You

by Jim Rohn

One of the first  things successful people realize is the old adage, “if it is to be, it is  up to me.” That is, for you, the fact that your success and your course is  up to you. This doesn’t mean that you do it all alone. It simply means that you  take responsibility for your life and your career.

Too many people today  look at opportunity and figure it is up to someone else to make sure they get  it. They look at financial security and hope that the government will make sure  they live safely in retirement or in case of disability. They wait and wait,  figuring that it is up to someone else. And then the wait is over, and it is  too late to do anything. Their life is over and they are filled with regret.

This isn’t true for  you however. You know that you must take responsibility for your life. It is up  to you.

The fact is that  nobody else is going to do it for you “you must do it yourself.

Now, some people may  say, “Jim, that’s a lot of responsibility.” Friends, that is the best  news you can ever hear. You get to choose your life. Hundreds of millions of  people all around this world would give anything to live in the situation you  do “just for the chance to have the opportunity to take control of their  destiny. “It is up to you” is a great blessing!

Here’s why:

1. You get to chart  your own destiny. Maybe you want to start a small business and stay there.  That’s great because you can choose that. Maybe you want to create a small  chain of stores. Maybe you want to have a net worth of $100 million. That’s  okay too. The idea is that you get to choose. You can do whatever you like.  Different people have different dreams and they should live them accordingly.

2. You can reap what  you sow. Sleep in and go to work late and reap the return. Or get up early and  outwork the others and earn a greater return. Place your capital at risk and  earn a return “or place it at greater risk and perhaps reap a greater  return. You decide what you will sow and thus what you will reap.

3. No one else can  stop you from getting your dream. Yes, there will always be things that come up  and people who may not like what you are doing, but you can just move on and  chart your own course. There is great freedom in that.

4. You experience the  joy of self-determination. There is no greater pride than knowing you set your  mind on something and accomplished it. Those who live with a victim mentality  never get to experience the joy of accomplishment because they are always  waiting for someone else to come to the rescue. Those who take responsibility  get to live the joy of seeing a job well done.

Let me ask you a  question: Where will you be in 5 years? 10 years? Or 25 years? Do you know? DO  you have an idea? Have you ever dreamed about it or set a goal for it? Are you  willing to take responsibility and recognize that, “It is up to you?”

You will be wherever  you decide to be in those timeframes. You decide. It is up to you.

And that is very  exciting!

— Jim Rohn

Allowing Emotions To Fuel Your Desire

By Jim Rohn

Emotions are the most  powerful forces inside us. Under the power of emotions, human beings can  perform the most heroic (as well as barbaric) acts. To a great degree,  civilization itself can be defined as the intelligent channeling of human  emotion. Emotions are fuel and the mind is the pilot, which together propel the  ship of civilized progress.

Which emotions cause  people to act? There are four basic ones; each, or a combination of several,  can trigger the most incredible activity. The day that you allow these emotions  to fuel your desire is the day you’ll turn your life around.

1) DISGUST

One does not usually  equate the word “disgust” with positive action. And yet, properly  channeled, disgust can change a person’s life. The person who feels disgusted has  reached a point of no return. He or she is ready to throw down the gauntlet at  life and say, “I’ve had it!” That’s what I said after many  humiliating experiences at age 25. I said, “I don’t want to live like this  anymore. I’ve had it with being broke. I’ve had it with being embarrassed, and  I’ve had it with lying.”

Yes, productive  feelings of disgust come when a person says, “Enough is enough.”

The “guy”  has finally had it with mediocrity. He’s had it with those awful sick feelings  of fear, pain and humiliation. He then decides he is “not going to live like  this anymore.” Look out! This could be the day that turns a life around.  Call it what you will, the “I’ve had it” day, the “never  again” day, the “enough’s enough” day. Whatever you call it,  it’s powerful! There is nothing so life-changing as gut-wrenching disgust!

2) DECISION

Most of us need to be  pushed to the wall to make decisions. And once we reach this point, we have to  deal with the conflicting emotions that come with making them. We have reached  a fork in the road. Now this fork can be a two-pronged, three-pronged, or even  a four-pronged fork. No wonder decision-making can create knots in stomachs,  keep us awake in the middle of the night, or make us break out in a cold sweat.

Making life-changing  decisions can be likened to internal civil war. Conflicting armies of emotions,  each with its own arsenal of reasons, battle each other for supremacy of our  minds. And our resulting decisions, whether bold or timid, well-thought-out or  impulsive, can either set the course of action or blind it. I don’t have much  advice to give you about decision-making except this:

Whatever you do,  don’t camp at the fork in the road. Decide. It’s far better to make a wrong  decision than to not make one at all. Each of us must confront our emotional  turmoil and sort out our feelings.

3) DESIRE

How does one gain  desire? I don’t think I can answer this directly because there are many ways.  But I do know two things about desire:

a. It comes from the  inside, not the outside.
b. It can be  triggered by outside forces.

Almost anything can  trigger desire. It’s a matter of timing as much as preparation. It might be a  song that tugs at the heart. It might be a memorable sermon. It might be a  movie, a conversation with a friend, a confrontation with the enemy, or a  bitter experience. Even a book or an article such as this one can trigger the  inner mechanism that will make some people say, “I want it now!”

Therefore, while  searching for your “hot button” of pure, raw desire, welcome into  your life each positive experience. Don’t erect a wall to protect you from  experiencing life. The same wall that keeps out your disappointment also keeps  out the sunlight of enriching experiences. So let life touch you. The next  touch could be the one that turns your life around.

4) RESOLVE

Resolve says, “I  will.” These two words are among the most potent in the English language.  I WILL. Benjamin Disraeli, the great British statesman, once said,  “Nothing can resist a human will that will stake even its existence on the  extent of its purpose.” In other words, when someone resolves to “do  or die,” nothing can stop him.

The mountain climber  says, “I will climb the mountain. They’ve told me it’s too high, it’s too  far, it’s too steep, it’s too rocky, it’s too difficult. But it’s my mountain.  I will climb it. You’ll soon see me waving from the top or you’ll never see me,  because unless I reach the peak, I’m not coming back.” Who can argue with  such resolve?

When confronted with  such iron-willed determination, I can see Time, Fate and Circumstance calling a  hasty conference and deciding, “We might as well let him have his dream.  He’s said he’s going to get there or die trying.”

The best definition  for “resolve” I’ve ever heard came from a schoolgirl in Foster City, California.  As is my custom, I was lecturing about success to a group of bright kids at a  junior high school. I asked, “Who can tell me what ‘resolve’ means?”  Several hands went up, and I did get some pretty good definitions. But the last  was the best. A shy girl from the back of the room got up and said with quiet  intensity, “I think resolve means promising yourself you will never give  up.” That’s it! That’s the best definition I’ve ever heard: PROMISE  YOURSELF YOU’LL NEVER GIVE UP.

Think about it! How  long should a baby try to learn how to walk? How long would you give the  average baby before you say, “That’s it, you’ve had your chance”? You  say that’s crazy? Of course it is. Any mother would say, “My baby is going  to keep trying until he learns how to walk!” No wonder everyone walks.

There is a vital  lesson in this. Ask yourself, “How long am I going to work to make my  dreams come true?” I suggest you answer, “As long as it takes.”  That’s what these four emotions are all about.

My Dad ~ A Testimony of his Sacrifice & Love for others

Posted with permission from the author.

Hi Tena, I’m not sure if you will remember me and my sister or not. We were in Hawaii from1973-1977. I found you from one of Sis. Scott’s pictures. I was looking through your pics and I knew you and your Dad looked so familiar to me. Then I saw his name was Jerry and I knew it had to be him!

When we lived in Hawaii, my sister, started a bus ministry on Kaneohe Marine Corps base, where my Step Dad was stationed. It grew and grew to where the church gave her a bus and she filled it up with over 200 kids! The thing about it was…your Dad was the bus driver. He would come over EVERY Saturday with my sister and me (sometimes) and do bus visitation with all those kids to make sure they were coming to Sunday School the next day. Then he would turn around and come back the next day and drive the bus to church and back, over an hour each way, then he would have to drive back home to the other side of the island. As a kid I had no idea of the sacrifice he was making but oh how I understand now! I tell people about him all the time and what a great example of a Christian man that he was and I am sure, still is!! He greatly impacted my life.

I remember Cathy as being one of the sweetest ladies with such a sweet and gentle spirit!
I loved looking at all your pics. They brought back a flood of memories!
Maybe we could chat sometime and talk a walk down memory lane. Lord bless!!

My husband and I talk about it a lot. Being a pastors wife now I really understand what a tremendous sacrifice your Dad was making by taking his Saturdays, and Sundays, for I don’t know how long, and spending time and money to help some kids get to Sunday School! What an example of being like Jesus! It was people like your Dad and Step Mom and the Scotts that really impacted our lives!

It’s so good to connect with you! Please tell your Dad and Cathy hello for us!

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Stories like this let me know why I have such a love for children.  Like father, like daughter.

The Best Gift to Give Yourself and Others

By Jim Rohn

I’m often asked the  question, “How can I best help my children, spouse, family member, staff  member, friend, etc., improve/change?” In fact, that might be the most  frequently asked question I receive, “How can I help change someone else?”

My answer often comes as a  surprise and here it is. The key to helping others is to help yourself first.  In other words, the best contribution I can make to someone else is my own  personal development. If I become 10 times wiser, 10 times stronger, think of  what that will do for my adventure as a father… as a grandfather… as a  business colleague.

The best gift I can give  to you, really, is my ongoing personal development. Getting better, getting  stronger, becoming wiser. I think parents should pick this valuable philosophy  up. If the parents are okay, the kids have an excellent chance of being okay.  Work on your personal development as parents—that’s the best gift you can give  to your children.

If you have ever ridden in  an airplane, then you might have noticed the oxygen compartment located above  every seat. There are explicit instructions that say, “In case of an emergency,  first secure your own oxygen mask and then if you have children with you secure  their masks.” Take care of yourself first… then assist your children. If we  use that same philosophy throughout our whole parental life, it would be so  valuable.

If I learn to create  happiness for myself, my children now have an excellent chance to be happy. If  I create a unique lifestyle for myself and my spouse, that will be a great  example to serve my children.

Self-development enables  you to serve, to be more valuable to those around you; for your child… your  business… your colleague… your community… your church.

That’s why I teach  development skills. If you keep refining all the parts of your character (yourself,  your health, etc.) so that you become an attractive person to the marketplace, you’ll  attract opportunity. Opportunity will then  begin to seek you out. Your reputation will begin to precede you and people  will want to do business with you. All of that possibility is created by  working on the philosophy that success is something you attract by continually  working on your own personal development.

What I Know About Life

~I know that I’m a work in process and that there will always be a gap between who I am and who I want to be.

~I know that I don’t have to be sick to get better and thatevery day brings opportunities to improve my life and my character.

~I know that character is more important than competence.

~I know that it takes years to build up trust and onlyseconds to destroy it.

~I know that I can’t control what will happen to me but that I have a lot to say about what happens in me.

~I know that attitudes, both good and bad, are contagious.

~I know that it takes a conscientious effort to be kind, but that kindness changes lives.

~I know that neither gratitude nor forgiveness comes naturally; both often require acts of will.

~I know that happiness is deeper and more enduring than either pleasure or fun and that I’m generally as happy as I’m willing to be.

(From WD Mission’s News and Reviews).

Preparing for Greatness

Want to increase your learning and earning potential? Prepare and persist.

Learn while you commute.
Listening to educational audios while commuting 12,000 miles annually for three years can be equivalent to two years of college study.

Read up.
While experts debate the number of books you must read to make you an expert on a topic (somewhere between 3 and 300), many tout reading as the key to success.

Teach someone what you know.
Teaching others reinforces your own abilities, helps you look at a subject in different ways and inspires you to learn your subject inside and out.

Practice, practice, practice.
But remember Vince Lombardi’s advice: “Only perfect practice makes perfect.”

Taken from SuccessMagazine.com.

Personal Development by Jim Rohn

This is how I wish to live my life!

To attract attractive people, you must be attractive. To attract powerful people, you must be powerful. To attract committed people, you must be committed. Instead of going to work on them, go to work on yourself. If you become, you can attract.

We can have more than we’ve got because we can become more than we are.

The big challenge is to become all that you have the possibility of becoming. You cannot believe what it does to the human spirit to maximize your human potential and stretch yourself to the limit.

Pity the man who inherits a million dollars and who isn’t a millionaire. Here’s what would be pitiful: If your income grew and you didn’t.

The most important question to ask on the job is not “What am I getting?” The most important question to ask on the job is “What am I becoming?”

It is hard to keep that which has not been obtained through personal development.

After you become a millionaire, you can give all of your money away because what’s important is not the million dollars; what’s important is the person you have become in the process of becoming a millionaire.

Income seldom exceeds personal development.

What you become directly influences what you get.

What Will Matter…

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.

There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.

All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.

It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.

Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear.

So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to do lists will expire.

The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won’t matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.

It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.

Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought but what you built, not what you got but what you gave.

What will matter is not your success but your significance.

What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage, or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when your gone.

What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you.

What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.

It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

Choose to live a life that matters.