Get Cooking

I was watching some cooking shows on TV a while back and really enjoyed watching a professional make some delicious looking dishes and meals and I thought I should really do some fancy cooking someday – I can cook but not fancy. Then it struck me that that is what some people do with the lists I e-mail out and with this blog. They read it and enjoy it and many have good intentions of doing something about their lives sometime. Just yesterday I saw a friend that’s receiving my e-mails and she was raving about them, so much so that the other 5 people in the meeting immediately requested to be put on the list. This is a great result for me, but (although very inspired) she has not made it her own yet. Don’t get me wrong I’m very grateful that through her more people will benefit, but I’d be a lot happier if she turned that inspiration and good intentions into ACTION, action that will be of benefit to her – I’m very keen that she does the lists herself for herself.

So how does one actually start doing it and not just enjoy watching others do it. Well I suppose one way is to do the “Take Home Chef” thing and take me home. (I’ll look forward to your call :-)) But that’s not always possible. So without me actually coming to your home or office, how do you get going? Well it’s the same answer as the proverbial: “How do you eat an elephant?” and of course the answer is “bit bybit.”                                             What we tend to do is “bite off more than we can chew”. All good chefs and coaches will tell you that small delicate bites are more edible. We often start off with such gusto and enthusiasm, do what we have decided to do with such verve and zest that we overdo it and invariably need a week to recover. Well, one needs to start in moderation. It’s tough, it’s a change, it means learning new habits, it probably means discipline. Well, start small, very small, certainly don’t overdo it, whatever you do.

They say the hardest part of the whole thing is actually starting. So the way to start is to decide what you need to do. Write it down – how, when and why, then do a quarter of what you decided now right away, immediately or as soon as absolutely possible. Tell others that you are going to do it. Ask others to hold you accountable (there’s a lost art form and a blog article right there).

I remember a quote by my friend Glen McQuirk “I know of no one who has reported getting rich by watching TV”. I wonder how many people became good cooks by watching TV, I’m sure many were inspired by the great TV chefs of the world, but eventually they had to start cooking themselves to become great .

Don’t be a spectator, just watching life go by, you’ve got all the ingredients for a spectacular life, get going now and whip up something special!

We Can Grow By Our Questions, As Well As By Our Answers

Here are some important questions we should ask ourselves:

1. What one decision would I make if I know that it would not fail?
2. What one thing should I eliminate from my life because it holds me back from reaching my full potential?
3. Am I on the path of something absolutely marvelous, or something absolutely mediocre?
4. If everyone in ‘my country’ were on my level of spirituality, would there be a revival in the land?
5. Does the devil know who I am?
6. Am I running from something, or to something?
7. What can I do to make better use of my time?
8. Would I recognize Jesus if I met Him on the street?
9. Who do I need to forgive?
10. What is my favourite scripture for myself, my family, my career?
11. What impossible thing am I believing and planning for?
12. What is my most prevailing thought?
13. What good thing have I previously committed myself to do that I have quit doing?
14. Of the people I respect most, what is it about them that earns my respect?
15. What would a truly creative person do in my situation?
16. What outside influences are causing me to be better or worse?
17. Can I lead anyone else to Christ?
18. In what areas do I need improvement in terms of personal development?
19. What gifts, talents, or strengths do I have?
20. What is one thing that I can do for someone else who has no opportunity to repay me?

EXTRACTED FROM JOHN L. MASON’S BOOK “An Enemy Called Average”

While I do not agree with all the questions – there are some good ones. We should be asking these and more, Roy

HOW TO DEVELOP PERSISTENCE

There are four simple steps which lead to the habit of PERSISTENCE. They call for no great amount of intelligence, no particular amount of education, and but little time or effort.

The necessary steps are:—

1 A DEFINITE PURPOSE BACKED BY BURNING DESIRE FOR ITS FULFILLMENT.

2 A DEFINITE PLAN, EXPRESSED IN CONTINUOUS ACTION.

3 A MIND CLOSED TIGHTLY AGAINST ALL NEGATIVE AND DISCOURAGING INFLUENCES, including negative suggestions of relatives, friends and acquaintances.

4 A FRIENDLY ALLIANCE WITH ONE OR MORE PERSONS WHO WILL ENCOURAGE ONE TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH BOTH PLAN AND PURPOSE.

These four steps are essential for success in all walks of life. These are the steps by which one may control one’s economic destiny.

They are the steps that lead to freedom and independence of thought. They are the steps that lead to riches, in small or great quantities.

They lead the way to power, fame, and worldly recognition.

They are the four steps which guarantee favourable “breaks.”

They are the steps that convert dreams into physical realities.

They lead, also, to the mastery of FEAR, DISCOURAGEMENT, INDIFFERENCE.

There is a magnificent reward for all who learn to take these four steps. It is the privilege of writing one’s own ticket, and of making Life yield whatever price is asked.

This is an extract from Napoleon Hill’s famous book “Think and Grow Rich”

You can download the book for free

Row without Ceasing

Okay so this is the scenario; you’re in a little row boat in the middle of a storm, what do you do? In the past I always said that it would be time to pray like rowing doesn’t work and row like praying doesn’t work. I am now going to revise that because……… because pray does work, but you still need to row. Let me explain, Rich German and others and me, teach that “There is Action in the Law of AttrACTION” or the biblical equivalent; “Faith without works is dead”, but you see I have always tried to avoid the action bit.

When I first saw “The Secret” I thought; “Great, think about stuff and it just falls out of the sky” – no action from me necessary, I can sit on my lazy butt and just think. Well I have learned a bit since then! But before you jump on “The Law of Attraction doesn’t work” band wagon, let me hasten to tell you that it does work, it is a real law, and you can move mountains if you put your mind to it. Some stuff does ‘fall out of the sky,’ well not quite, ‘materialise out of the ether’ is closer, It depends on what it is, though – a parking space, a cup of coffee, even a laptop and a very expensive road bike have all arrived easily on my door-step so to speak. I have even changed meeting times and sorted out the weather. In fact now that I think about it lots and lots of ‘easy’ stuff. But even most of the ‘easy’ stuff takes some action, even if it’s just writing it down and visualising it a little.

My real point is that there are quite a few things that one wants, that, yes you can attract it, you can have it, but some things take some form of action to a greater or lesser degree. The ‘degree’ really depends on the level of faith you can generate for that specific request, but there are just some things that take effort. Take a doctorate in medicine for example or even a successful business; there are things you have to do to make it happen. You don’t get a degree without a lot of studying and businesses takes a lot of hard work and wisdom. I have a friend that beat AIDS. It was hard work and she very nearly died, but let me tell you she stuck to her guns and attracted health -she would say it was a lot of prayer and God’s Grace and I would be the first to agree with her. Even attracting wealth can take a great deal of effort, yes there are people who attract a lottery win, but few of us (too few) can do that. Most have to work on changing our thinking and put quite a bit of action in also. I had a poverty spirit and it has taken a great deal of work and effort (with still more to come) to turn my mind around. Other stuff takes quite a bit of visualisation and confessing before it arrives.

Let’s get back to my illustration. You’re in a storm, remember, you have the chutzpah to calm the waves, but then when you look around you are still in the middle of the lake and unless you have the faith to walk on water, (which I also believe you can ‘attract’) you will have to row to shore. So until you have faith like Jesus and can walk across the water (I plan to get close to having that amount of faith) you need to do some rowing to get where you want to go. So attract what you will, but sometimes you will also need to row, row, row your boat gently down the stream!

Our Deepest Fear

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small do es not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

by Marianne Williamson

Nine Strategies To Move Ahead Fast

1. Be totally clear about what you want and write it down!
2. Know that anything is possible.
3. Surround yourself with great people and BIG thinkers.and Doers!
4. Always do what you promise to do.
5. Set high standards for yourself and others and don’t accept anything else.
6. Focus on what matters and what you can control.
7. Put in place systems that deliver every time.
8. Take action now. Momentum leads to greatness.
9. Keep doing whatever it takes until you achieve your outcome. This entails passion, energy and persistence.

Strong Language

As you would imagine I am very, very excited about the year to come.
Understanding just how much I am able to create my future is just so unbelievably exciting!
I first thought that I was going to ‘SHINE in 2009’
but then Rob Bell who wrote the book I am reading ‘Velvet Elvis’ (which I highly recommend)
used a phrase that really triggered something special.
The phrase was ‘Personal internal issues should be hunted down, identified and dealt with’ (which is another article)
I ‘look’ for issues, but I don’t ‘hunt them down! Until now!
I like the stronger choice of words.
It got me thinking that Shine in 2009 is not enough, I want to Radiate in 2009!
It doesn’t rhyme, but boy will it be a lot more fun. 
I want to ‘Radiate enthusiasm.’
I want to be in ‘Hot pursuit of the truth’
I will ‘Forcefully pursue my Vision’
I am a ‘GOAL Getter’ and a jet setter 🙂
I want to ‘Positively Pursue my Purpose’
In other words I want to use stronger words that will emote stronger emotions and have far better results.
A couple more; I will ‘Hunt for the truth’ and I want ‘to Positively determine my future’
I hope you get where I am coming from – ones choice of words determines the level of commitment.
It almost determines ones speed of growth and achievement; am I moseying along at a leisurely pace
or have I got my life on a fast track to all-round fulfillment?

Let’s have a fantastic year – its your choice!