Ordinary Radical Life

Good Luck...

I watched a great message from Dr. Schuller on the Hour of Power. His message was both positive and powerful. A verse he referenced in the message was Romans 8:28 "All things work together for good to those who love God and keep His commandments."

He highlighted five areas relating to how good luck happens:

(1) God blesses us without consulting us first
(2) God blesses us without our approval
(3) God blesses us where we need it the most
(4) God blesses us by not giving us what we want, but what we need
(5) God blesses us where we need it most when the timing is right

I think of my life and I see how much of this is true. A good message and one we should always keep in mind.

Remembering Names

This last weekend I had the opportunity to attend my wife's company Christmas party. I always find it a challenge to remember an entire room of new faces and names. It reminded me of the quote which states that "The secret of a good memory is attention, and attention to a subject depends upon our interest in it. We rarely forget that which has made a deep impression on our minds." How important that we keep this in mind while meeting new people.

Here are some specific steps to helping us remember people's names.

1. Listen and pay attention to the name. MOST IMPORTANT!
2. Repeat immediately, "It is a pleasure to meet you _____."
3. Repeat often.
4. End the conversation with their name.
5. Comment on and/or ask questions about the name.
6. Review. Review their name and face in your mind several times over the next 24 hours.

Having these ideas in my mind as I walk into a new situation certainly helps me with remembering new faces and names. I sometimes fail, but I certainly give it my best shot.

Two Weeks to a Breakthrough

Yesterday I started reading a book by Lisa Haneberg, "Two Weeks to a Breakthrough". This book was recommended to me by Dwayne Melancon over at Genuine Curiosity. I have only read the first chapter and I can tell that I am going to enjoy this book. The part I liked the most and what thoroughly motivated me in the book was her discussion about "states of mind" including wonder, inquiry, abundance, exuberance, and courage. In the past I have used the state of mind of "gratitude" to help me snap out of states of depression. I now feel like I have an additional five tools to help me change my thought process. By being alert and aware of negative thoughts developing in my head, I can counter them by focussing on these areas that Lisa has brought to my attention. The other part of her books talks about how small things can lead to big changes. That is a fundamental concept of this blog and one that I constantly think about. I am eager to read more about what she has to say in that area. I am sure you will be able to find more about how this book is changing my life in the next few weeks. I hope to share these ideas and thoughts with you here.