“You Can Do It” Video Class – Lesson #1

“You Can Do It” Video Class – Lesson #1

Welcome to our video class on "You Can Do It" - the art of mastering goals and establishing self-discipline.

2020 has definitely been a tough year for many. Your goals and plans might have been thrown out the window once the global Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic hit. Even though your plans might have changed, your desire to live better each day is still a possibility.

This class is designed to help you get back on track and achieve success by the end of 2020.

The classes are designe to be builld off one another. So stay tuned for more.

You may begin by watching the first class below.

 

Welcome to the guide on mastering the art of setting goals & establishing self-discipline. These two subjects are crucial to establishing a proper foundation to your success and achievement.

Regarding setting goals, Zig Ziglar is noted for saying, “When you set goals, something inside of you starts saying, "Let's go, let's go," and ceilings start to move up.”

Setting goals begins the process of getting our minds to move forward. Whether your goal is a short-term goal or a long-term goal, your mind begins to focus on your future.

By the way, writing down your goals is a sure way to keep them fortified in your mind. Also, sharing your goals with close friends makes you accountable to reaching our goals. No one wants to fail on their goals is others know about them.

Along with goals, you will need discipline to move forward. Discipline is crucial for any success in life. Success, in whatever field or area of life, requires five things:

  1. You need to wait for it.
  2. You must persevere through the many different challenges and setbacks you are bound to encounter.
  3. You also must put in constant effort. Success usually doesn't happen the first time you try.
  4. You will need to keep trying. In fact, in many situations, it requires several tries. You must constantly put in the effort even through speed bumps along the road.
  5. Finally, success requires putting up with adverse conditions. You must keep at it regardless of what you're feeling, regardless of how many people discourage you, and regardless of whether you feel that it's time or not. You must do it.

Success requires all of these and these all involve discipline. Jim Rohn is attributed to saying, “discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”

So, what's the problem? I'm sure it's obvious, but let’s talk about it anyway.

Modern life and values aren't exactly very friendly towards discipline. In fact, our modern world and the principles behind it seem to actively work against self-discipline. If not handled properly, this unfriendliness towards discipline will find its way into many different areas of your life.

There are many factors one may let into their life to allow discipline to take a back seat.  

First, we want everything to be quick and easy. I'm not just talking about products and services; I'm talking about relationships. I'm talking about education. It's as if we've developed a sense of entitlement that life must be fair, quick and easy.

Many people look to achieve their goals without the constant effort needed. Many want a quick, easy success without taking the proper steps and putting in the hours of hard work.

Given this reality and these principles, it is no surprise our attention span, collectively as adults, has shrunk dramatically over the past few decades and it's continuing to shrink. You only need to ask the nearest millennial to know what I'm talking about. (Personal Note: I am not disrespecting millennials, just making a general statement about the newest generation.)

People's time horizon, as far as the "good things in life" are concerned, is very short. People don't have the time nor the patience. They don’t have the discipline to wait around, deal with all sorts of adverse conditions, and put in constant work.  The lack of discipline is a quality need to push through the hard times and to keep moving.

They don’t have the patience to stick with trying situations until the thing that they're working on pans out. The lack of patience one may have in dealing with difficult situations will cause people to give up and leave a project (or projects) unfinished.

If you want to achieve success, you need to set up proper goals and pursue those goals. You can hope and wish all you want, but big victories in your life are not going to materialize out of sheer luck. You must plan, and you must work your plan. In other words, you must set goals and implement them. Again, there goes that word: discipline is required.

Self-discipline is essential, but effective goal setting also requires clarity of purpose, proper structuring of your goals, and finally, proper measurement of your success. If you're able to do all of these and you have the proper level of self-discipline, success becomes a habit.

Have you ever spent time with people who make a tremendous amount of money seemingly effortlessly?

Have you spent time with people who declare their big plans and the next time you check with them or check with people who know them, those plans worked out?

Well, those people are not magical. They are not some sort of mystical alien creature race. They simply picked up on the right habits. Simply, people who succeed easily just make it look easy.

Believe it or not, it took a lot of falls, stumbles, overcoming doubts, challenges as well as potential humiliation to get to where they are now. While the road make look easy, it was not smoothly paved.

If you were to sit and talk with them, you will hear the background work that no one sees. You would learn of the foundation that was laid to achieve their success. You would even learn of the failures along the way.

The good news? Success is a habit you can learn.

You might be thinking that successful people look, behave and sound so different from you. You might even be thinking that they are a completely different race of people. Well, don't let appearances fool you. On the surface, it may seem like they're completely different from you, but understand they're just working out of certain habits. You don't have to be born with those habits. You don't have to be lucky. You just need to commit to learning it.

I hope you enjoyed our first video class. 

Stay tuned for more.

Just some thoughts, 

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New Podcast – Life Maintenance from Jude 20

New Podcast – Life Maintenance from Jude 20

The Preacher's Pen Podcast REBOOT!

The Preacher's Pen Podcast is back. After a brief, 2 year hiatus, our podcast is back and ready to be an encouragement to you in your spiritual life. 

Today's podcast discusses the first step in Spiritual Life Maintenance from Jude verse 20. Take a moment and listen to the podcast. 

Listening time: less that 10 minutes.

 

Preacher's Pen Podcast - August 18, 2020 - The Beginning of Spiritual Life Mainteance

by Christopher Gallagher | Preacher's Pen Podcast

My Concerning Thought

My Concerning Thought

Non-Christians, do not read this. It will be depressing.

A few weeks ago I told my family that wearing a mask would become a “fellowship issue” among Christians. Last week I told a few others the same thing.

In the past two days I have seen this exact thing happen all over Social Media. It is disappointing. It is saddening.

Churches are already divided among races: white churches, black churches, Asian churches, Korean churches, Hispanic churches, etc. This is also disappointing. It is saddening.

Now, we are in a worldwide panic over a virus. Honestly, I do not care what you think about masks. I mean that in a nice way, but I really do not care.

For years, Christians have divided over stupid stuff: color of carpet, which songbook to use, translations, steeple or no steeple, Bible class or no Bible class Communion tray lids on or off when you pray, and the list could go on.

Now, fellowship is being broken over masks.

The first century church dealt with real persecution, real death because of beliefs and real hatred.

What have we come to? What will we allow to get in our way among our brethren?

The world is watching. The world needs Christians to be lights now more than ever.

We, as a people are more scared of a virus than we are of going to Hell. Think about that.

I heard a few years ago that “there are things worse than death.” Remember that.

That is all. Go resume your bickering on Facebook now.

To my non-Christian friends, I am sorry you have to see Christians bickering like spoiled little children. Please accept my apologies.

“This world is not my home, I’m just a passin’ through…”

Just a thought,

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Maybe We Could All Smile More

Maybe We Could All Smile More

On February 23, 2020, Chitetsu Watanabe did in Nigate, Japan as the oldest man on Earth. Mr. Watanabe was ten days short of being 113 years old. He was born on March 5, 1907.

After the Guinness World Records recognized him as the World’s Oldest Living Man, Mr. Watanabe become known for his response to the question regarding the secret to longevity. His answer was, “…not to get angry and keep a smile on your face.” 1

The Bible speaks to removing anger and not focusing on anger. Consider these passages,

“Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.”  (Psalms 37:8)

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (James 1:19-20)

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.”  (Ephesians 4:31)

For Christians, anger can be a fire which consumes our thoughts and our soul. Focusing on anger causes individuals to lose their focus on God and His ability to take care of His people. (Romans 8)

When you get angry, where do your thoughts go? God wants to hear from His people. He wants us to share our thoughts with Him. He cares for us and wants us to go to Him. (1 Peter 5.7)

When you get angry, do you remember that God is in control?

Take time to consider why you get angry and remember that God is in control. Since God is always in control, we can smile. We know he cares for us. Remember Psalm 55.22.

Just some thoughts,

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1 – SmithsonianMag.com, 2/26/20

A Preacher’s Pen Update

A Man of Decisions

I sit here, late at night.

My desk is the kitchen table. The only sounds are the ticking of the two clocks on opposite sides of the room.

My family sleeps soundly in their beds. They have been a sleep a few hours now.

Outside, it is quiet too. I can hear the occasional passing car only between the ticks of the clocks.

Tonight, I wonder.

I wonder about the future. The future of a nation, our friendship, our families, the economy and the church.

Foremost, I said “wonder” not “worry.” There is a difference.

Wonder is where your minds travels to heights and places unknown. It takes glimpse beyond the present condition and finds itself in the world of imagination.

I wonder.

Have you ever wondered?

Tonight, I wonder about one thing, the future. Tomorrow, it will be something else.

Let me tell you why…

Several years ago, a man made a choice. He had the world at his feet, but he still made a choice. He could have done nothing, but he made a sound choice.

His choice would lead him through a world of pain, turmoil, travels, a major life change, and much loss.

It does not sound like a choice many of us would make, but he made it. The story is he made it pretty quickly.

Why did he make the choice that would change the direction of his life so quickly?

Why didn’t he just do nothing and enjoy his life of luxury?

The reason…

…He knew where he came from.

While he might have been enjoying the greatness of an exceptional physical life, he needed more. He knew more.

He had been taught from a young age where his family had lived. He knew of their heritage, their trials, their good times and their bad times. He knew their legacy.

He knew where he wanted to go and who he wanted to be near. He knew the right choice and he made it.

In taking the actions of his decision, he had to leave where he was living, leave his belongings and find a new home in a distant land.

I would imagine he did not understand where he would go, but he had to go. He had to escape. He must.

Years later, this man would reflect on his heritage. He would hear of his legacy. He would understand. It was his turn to bring it all to the right way again.

It was he that would change the course of his people’s history… with a little help.

His name was Moses.

Tough choices make for healthy people.

Godly choices make for Godly people.

Read more about Moses in Exodus.

Tonight, what decisions do you need to make?

What tough choices must you take action upon?

Just some thoughts,

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