IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT GET TO YOU

It's amazing how 15 minor frustrations at the office can add up to one big bad attitude by the time you head for home.  Frustrations come in three varieties:

     * Interruptions - unexpected visitors or phone calls like the one I received while typing this sentence.  You've got a deadline to meet and something requires your time.  Our best plans are often interrupted.

     * Inconveniences - while interruptions are usually people, these are usually situations involving things: the copy machine breaks down, traffic jams up, you can't find what you need when you need it.

     * Irritations - delays, unreliable people, having to play telephone tag, catching a cold, obnoxious clients, etc.

     You can't eliminate these - I guarantee you'll face all three types this week - but you can learn to keep them from making you stressed-out.

 WHAT'S THE SECRET OF MANAGING FRUSTRATIONS?

    1.  DON'T RESIST IT! - Don't overreact or blow up.

    2.  DON'T RESENT IT! - Don't internalize you anger.

    3.  DON'T RESIGN TO IT! - Don't have a pity-party.

    4.  REDUCE IT! - Treat it as insignificant.  Put the frustration into proper perspective. It's just a minor setback...a part of living...no big deal!  It's certainly not worth a heart attack

Here are Ron's Rules for Stress Management:

RULE #1:  Don't sweat the small stuff.

RULE #2:  Realize it's all small stuff!

     The Bible says, "A man's wisdom gives him patience."  The only way we can see all stuff as small stuff is to view it from God's perspective.  When I am in tune with God, I remember he has everything under control even though I don't!  So I don't have to sweat it!   "The fruit of the Spirit is love...joy...peace..."

   PRAY THIS:  "Lord, help me to be filled with your love, joy, and peace this week - so that when I'm squeezed and pressured that is what comes out of me."

SUCCEEDING AT WORK

Work dominates our lives.  If you are a typical American, you’ll spend about 150,000 hours, or 40% of the waking hours of your life, at work.  You’ll spend more time working, thinking about work, and commuting to work than you do eating, relaxing, and vacationing combined.

Since work comprises such a major component of your life, God wants you to succeed in it.  In fact, he’s ready to help you out.  In the Bible God offers this guarantee:

“Commit your work to the Lord, then it will succeed.” (Prov. 16:3 LB)

What does it mean to “commit your work to the Lord”? How do you do it?

There are four specific steps:

            1. SEEK GOD’S DIRECTION.  Ask Him to guide you everyday - in your planning ... your organizing ... your decision making... your implementing ... and in relating to everyone you come in contact with.  “The Lord is pleased when good people pray” (Prov. 15:8 GN)

            2. SHARPEN YOUR SKILLS.  Be the best you can be for God’s glory.  Never stop learning.  Look for ways to cultivate the talents He’s given you. “If your ax is dull, and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success.”

(Eccl. 10:10) 

            3. STAY POSITIVE IN YOUR ATTITUDE.  Refuse to be infected by the worrying, the complaining, or the laziness of others.  Remember, enthusiasm comes from the Greek words  (“en theos”) that mean “to be in God.”  "In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people."  (Col. 3:23 NCV)

            4. TITHE ON YOUR PROFITS.  If you’re serious about committing your work to God so He can bless it, then God expects you to demonstrate your commitment by tithing your income. "Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income, and he will fill your barns... to overflow"  (Prov. 3:9-10 LB)

These are the conditions that guarantee God’s blessing on your work. The choice is yours.

SIX LAWS OF LEADERSHIP

One of the most desperate needs in the world today is the need for quality leaders. There is a severe shortage of men and women with character who can lead the three sectors of our society (business, non-profit, and government). The Bible says "...A nation will be strong and endure when it has intelligent, sensible leaders." (Proverbs 28:2)  Over the years, as I worked with hundreds of leaders in various projects, I've developed a list of what I call "Laws of Leadership" - principles that real leaders operate by.  Here are six of them:

            1. Nothing happens until someone provides leadership for it.  Everything rises or falls on leadership.  There was no NASA space program until Kennedy said "Put a man on the moon by the end of the decade.  McDonald's was a single restaurant until Ray Kroc assumed leadership.  Most problems in any business can be traced back to a lack of competent leadership at some level.  Leaders provide vision. "Without a vision, the people perish."

            2. Leadership is influence.  Every time you influence someone...for good or bad, positively or negatively...you are assuming leadership.  Whether on the playground at school, with a group of teenagers hangin' out, or in a corporate committee meeting - it's easy to pick out the leader: find the person who is influencing everyone else.  Often, that person isn't the "official" or "elected" leader.  Just because you have a title doesn't make you a leader.

            3. The test of leadership is: IS ANYONE FOLLOWING? If you want to know if you are a leader just look over your shoulder!  If no one is following you, guess what?  There's an old proverb that says "He that thinketh he leadeth and hath no one following him is only taking a walk!"  If you have to tell people you are their leader - you aren't!  Being a boss and being a leader are two different issues.

            4. The foundation of leadership is character, not charisma!  Leaders come in all different shapes, personalities, and temperament.  But what great leaders have in common is character.  Image and reputation is what others think you are but character is what you really are.  Character is what you are in the dark.  Character is the basis for credibility.  And without credibility you can't lead anyone.

            5. Leadership can be learned.  But it can only be learned from someone who is already a leader.  Leaders reproduce other leaders.  If you want to sharpen your leadership skills, get up close to someone who is modeling what you want to learn.

            6. The moment you stop learning, you stop leading.  All leaders are learners. They are always on the lookout for ways to improve what they do.  "If the ax is dull, and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success."  (Eccl. 10:10)   When you stop growing, you're dead!