#231 - WHY QUANTITY IS BETTER THAN QUALITY

Quantity leads to quality. – Jon Acuff

Do you desire to have…

A stronger body? Do more exercise.
A best-selling book? Write more pages.
A higher GPA? Turn in more homework.
A widely read blog? Create more content.
A larger fan base? Make more connections.
A highly developed skill? Put in more practice.
A very intimate relationship? Invest more time.
A wildly entertaining program? Attempt more ideas.
An extremely successful album? Produce more music.
A top notch photography portfolio? Take more pictures.

Desire greater quality? Try more quantity.

Will this work all the time?

Probably not.

Will it work for you?

Yup.

#230 - WHY POPULARITY DOESN'T MATTER

Not enough “fans?”
Not enough “friends?”
Not enough “followers?”

Not enough customers?
Not enough page views?
Not enough subscribers?

Not enough coverage?
Not enough attention?
Not enough popularity?

Who cares?!?

Continue to create the art that is within you for the same reason why you started creating your art in the first place…

Because it’s what you love to do.

#229 - THE POSSIBILITIES

They are many.
They are exciting.
They are within reach.

Possibilities bring me hope.

They motivate me.
They encourage me.
They spur me on to continue to pursue my dreams.

Possibilities bring me excitement.

I am so thankful for the possibilities!

Especially when I get a sense that the possibilities are being arranged and orchestrated by God.

#228 - THE UNCONVENTIONAL WAY TO BECOMING A BETTER LEADER

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Are you following well?

Loving those who lead you?
Supporting those whom you serve?
Caring for those who are in charge?

Or are you Arrogant? Selfish? Prideful?

My encouragement for you today is this – Follow well.

Pray for your leaders.
Be there for your leaders.
Go the extra mile for your leaders.

I know, you are a leader too.

But can we really expect of those who follow us what we wouldn’t expect of ourselves?

#227 - OF THIS YOU CANNOT LET GO

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Hold on to what you see.

Though your vision has yet to materialize.
Though your dream has yet to come to pass.
Though your hope has yet to become a reality.

Hold on to what you see.

Keep the colors bold.
Keep the images sharp.
Keep the pictures clear.

Hold on to what you see.

You have been given the vision.
You have been given the assignment.
You have been given the insight into what the future holds.

Hold on to what you see.

Because the time will soon come when…

What you so clearly see is where you will lead many people to be.

Believe it.

#225 - THE SINGLE GREATEST INVESTMENT YOU CAN EVER MAKE

This investment is low risk, high return.

It is the single greatest investment you can ever make.

To make this investment would be wise.
To not make this investment would be a tragedy.

It is the single greatest investment you can ever make.

This investment should not be a choice but, instead, a responsibility.
What you have to gain by making this investment far outweighs what you have to lose.
Though this investment will yield a high return while you are living, it will yield an even higher return when you are gone.

It is the single greatest investment you can ever make.

This investment will bless you.
This investment will satisfy you.
This investment will outlive you.

So what, exactly, is this investment in?

People.

#224 - A HUSBAND'S CREED

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My wife is the most important person in my life.

She is the one I will be most consumed with loving.
She is the one I will be most concerned with serving.
She is the one I will be most committed to prioritizing.

My wife will get the best of my time.
My wife will get the best of my ideas.
My wife will get the best of my energy.

My relationship with my wife will be my most treasured relationship.

Why?

Because if I have positively influenced the lives of countless men, women and children but have not won the love, respect and admiration of my wife…

I have failed.

#223 - THE GIFT YOU'VE YET TO OPEN

Obsessed with the vision of our future.

Often times, this is how we feel.

We’re excited about what could be.
We’re consumed with where our lives are headed.
We’re distracted by what we think is going to happen.

All the while, missing out on the beauty of now.

This is not healthy.

We need to embrace…

The people we are blessed to serve…now.
The team we are fortunate to work with…now.
The opportunities that have been placed before us…now.

Why exactly is “now” so important?

Because the truth is,

The present is a gift.

A gift containing joy.
A gift containing possibility.
A gift containing…

our future.

#222 - THE ONE CHARACTER TRAIT YOU MUST AVOID IF YOU WANT GOD ON YOUR SIDE

Swimming upstream.
Running against the wind.
One step forward, two steps back.

This is a difficult way to make progress.

But as of late, this is how my journey has felt.

At first, I didn’t understand why, but this past week I was reminded of a simple truth that clearly explains my struggle…

God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.
1 Peter 5:5

Simply stated: God stands not on the side of those who have pride.

And the truth is, I have been prideful.

I have been harboring an attitude which can be characterized by statements like:

I know it all.
I have all the answers.
I have nothing left to learn.

And in light of the statement above made by the Apostle Peter, I am not surprised by the opposition I have been feeling.

God does not show favor to those who are filled with pride. He opposes them.

Therefore,

I must remain teachable.
I must remember how inexperienced I really am.
I must recognize the tremendous value that others can add to my life.

I must humble myself.

Or face the alternative:

A life absent of God’s favor.

#221 - THE THREE LIFE LESSONS I'M LEARNING RIGHT NOW

I have so much to learn.

There are so many ways in which…

I fall short. I’m immature. I need to grow.

So with that said, here are three lessons I’m currently struggling to learn:

1. RID YOURSELF OF PRIDE.

I do not know it all.

So why do I walk, talk and treat others like I do?

2. VALUE THE PRESENT.

Today matters most.

So why am I always so consumed with tomorrow?

3. PRIORITIZE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR WIFE.

A happy wife is a happy life.

So why do I invest so little time and energy doing the things that would make her happy?

These lessons are not easy ones to learn, but I am committed to learning them.

Over the next three days, I am going to share how and why I am struggling with each lesson and what action steps I’m taking to ensure that these lessons are, once and for all, learned.

#220 - THE ONE FRIEND YOU NEED

A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words. – Unknown

That friend is aware of your big dream.
That friend is supportive of your major goal.
That friend is understanding of your primary purpose.

Do you have “that friend” in your life?

Why do I ask?

Because there will come a day when…

The dream will fade away.
The goal will seem unattainable.
The purpose will not be worth pursuing.

And when that day comes…

“That friend” will be the most important person you know.

#219 - THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION YOU WILL EVER ASK

Millions saw the apple fall but Newton was the one who asked why. – Bernard Baruch

I am on a mission.

To resist, but also to learn.
To create tension, but also to ease pain.
To dispel myths, but also to reveal truths.

Who am I?

I am not OK with the status quo.
I am not satisfied with the current situation.
I am not content to just sit around and do nothing.

Who am I?

I am the reason why problems are solved.
I am the reason why people are taught.
I am the reason why progress is made.

Who am I?

I am the question…

“Why?“

#218 - I CAN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE

To the degree we’re not living our dreams, our comfort zone has more control over us than we have of ourselves. – Peter McWilliams

I’ve gotta’ go.

Though this place is familiar.
Though this place is full of great memories.
Though this place is where many of my first victories were won…

I must leave.

I’m not growing in this place.
I’m not learning in this place.
I’m not developing in this place.

And the longer I stay, the more I will suffer.

This place does not force me to take risks.
This place does not challenge me to be bold.
This place does not expect me to become better than what I am.

This place is where my dreams will die.

So where, exactly, is this place I speak of?

My comfort zone.

And as of today, this is a place to which I will never return.

#217 - THE ONLY THREE-LETTER FOUR-LETTER WORD

But.

But I’m too old.
But I’m too young.

But it’s too late.
But I’m not ready.

But it’s too easy.
But it’s too hard.

But no one has done it before.
But it has already been done before.

But too many people are doing it already.
But not enough people are doing it already.

But I don’t have the time.
But I don’t have the money.

But I don’t have any support.
But I don’t have any resources.

But I don’t know how.
But I don’t know who.

The word has only three letters.

But in light of its’ negative impact you would think it would have four.

“But” is responsible for the death of more dreams than any other word.

Will it be responsible for the death of yours?

#216 - THE MOST NOBLE MOTIVATION

There are many reasons.

Many reasons why you desire the things that you desire.
Many reasons why you pursue the things that you pursue.
Many reasons why you commit to the things that you commit to.

Some motivations include:

Love.
Peace.
Money.
Progress.
Happiness.
Fulfillment.
Acceptance.
Recognition.
Achievement.

These are all great motivations but, in my experience, they are not enough.

When stress is rising.
When results are lacking.
When obstacles are overwhelming.

Certain motivations just don’t cut it.

When your faith has left you.
When your family has ridiculed you.
When your friends have abandoned you.

Money and happiness do not provide strong enough incentives to persevere.

But there does exist one motivation that trumps the rest.

One motivation that is pure.
One motivation that is supreme.
One motivation that is most noble.

This motivation is…OBEDIENCE.

Obedience to a God who loves you.
Obedience to a God who gave you the vision.
Obedience to a God who provided you the resources to start.
Obedience to a God who has promised to never leave you nor forsake you.
Obedience to a God who put the opportunity in your hands in the first place.

So why, ultimately, should you remain committed to the things that you do?

Because God told you to.

This is obedience.

The most noble of motivation of all.

#215 - SOMETHING YOU WILL NEVER KNOW

You will never know…

Who will be inspired by your art.
Who will be reached by your ideas.
Who will be blessed by your kindness.
Who will be encouraged by your pursuits.
Who will be motivated by your faithfulness.

You will never know who will be positively impacted by your contribution.

And because you don’t know, you should never stop giving.
Because you don’t know, you should never stop believing.
Because you don’t know, you should never stop trying.

Keep pressing forward.

There exists someone you will never meet who will be the benefactor of your commitment.

Believe it.

#214 - 3 COMPELLING REASONS WHY YOU MUST CONTINUE

I know how you feel.

I ask myself the same questions you ask:

When will my work get the recognition it deserves?
When will the vision I have been given come to pass?
When will I make the progress I know I should be making?

And though I do not have the answers to these questions, I do know this:

You cannot quit.

You must persevere.

Here are three reasons why:

1. PEOPLE ARE WATCHING.

Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means. – Albert Einstein

Your critics. Your supporters. And everyone in between.

They are all waiting to see if what you started out to accomplish will be completed. In an effort to prove your critics wrong, prove your supporters right and be an example for everyone else to follow, you must persevere.

2. TIME IS A’ WASTING.

Defer no time, delays have dangerous ends. – William Shakespeare

You are not getting any younger.

If you quit now, you will have to start another journey…from the beginning. Do you really have the time for that?

The harsh reality is, each day we live brings us closer to the last day we will live. Make your days count. Persevere.

3. YOUR NEXT ASSIGNMENT IS WAITING.

The next thing you need to do will not be revealed until the last thing you know to do has been completed. – Edward Paz

(In case you’re wondering…I did just quote myself!)

Your next step. Your next task. Your next directive.

You will only receive it when the endeavor that you are currently pursuing has been completed.
You will only understand it when the mission you are presently on has been accomplished.
You will only appreciate it when the struggles of your current battle have been overcome.

Therefore persevere. You will not know what to do next unless you do.

Be reminded:

People are watching.
Time is a’ wasting.
Your next assignment is waiting.

Your perseverance is a must.

#213 - HOW YOU ARE LIKE GOD

Though there are many ways in which you are NOT like God:

You are selfish.
You are prideful.
You are worried.
You are deceitful.
You are impatient.

(I know that doesn’t sound very nice, but you’d agree right?)

There is one specific way that you are like God:

You are a creator.

Everyday, whether knowingly or unknowingly, you are creating.

You create solutions.
You create memories.
You create experiences.
You create opportunities.

You are a creator.

With that said, the question I’d like you to consider, on this day, is this…

What are you creating?

Are you proud of what you are creating?
Are you ashamed of what you are creating?
Are you satisfied with what you are creating ?

Whether you like what you are creating or not, this is my encouragement to you:

Invest your time creating that which makes the world a better place.

Because when you do, you are putting on display the very nature of God that is within you.

And who wouldn’t want to do that?

#212 - YOUR TOUGHEST LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE

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It’s not leading those who follow you.
It’s not leading your peers.
It’s not even leading those who are “above” you.

Your toughest leadership challenge is…

Leading yourself.

Physical and Health.
Family and Home.
Spiritual and Ethical.
Mental and Educational.
Financial and Career.
Social and Cultural.

In every area of life…

Self-leadership is key.

The big idea is this…

The best gift you can give the people you lead is a healthy, energized, fully surrendered, and focused self. And no one can make that happen in your life except you.- Bill Hybels

In regards to your health…lead yourself.
In regards to your pace…lead yourself.
In regards to your integrity…lead yourself.
In regards to your development…lead yourself.

Lead yourself.

If you don’t, you will soon be of no value to those who follow you.