A sermon recently expounded the value of failure not as failure itself, but as a means of growing one's sense of self worth and moving towards new experiences.
Failure does not mean that one has failed in life's
work, but is just a measure of how much more one has to
do in life. If one task is not successfully completed,
it does not mean that one is a failure.
There are many reasons why a task fails.
The analogy given was with Moses who successfully led
the Israelites out of Egypt through the desert and
established the ten commandments as a rule of life.
However, Moses, at the moment of success and fulfillment of the
work he was assigned by God, was denied
entry into the Promised Land. Was his life a failure?
Perhaps. It depends on which side of the fence you
reside.
Had Moses led them into the Promised Land, his job would
have been over, he would have succeeded, but then what
would he have done?
So, too, is the concept of failure misleading in today's
frenetic world, full of businesses closing and going
bust. It was never the intention of the owners of those
companies to go bust. They put every fiber of their
being into making them successful. But circumstances
sometimes deny the fruition of the best laid plans, and
failure occurs.
It is not a reflection on the failure itself, because it
is a time to re-group, re-focus, and re-align oneself
with a new vision, a new purpose and a belief that a new
path will appear so one may grow and mature.
It is neither a reflection of success itself , because
once you have achieved what you set out to do, what
further vision do you have? You cannot rest if you have
achieved everything. There should always be something
more that one can focus on.
The point of the sermon is that if one does not fail,
one will not grow and have a sense of value in life.
Growth is not measured in stature and material things.
It is measured in life's lessons.
It is measured in humility.
It is measured in one's ability to grow.
It is measured in visions and the ability to act upon
them and bring them to fruition, even if you yourself
ultimately fail in the end.
Failure is a hard lesson to learn. It brings on
depression, a feeling of low self worth. The success in
life is overcoming these hard knocks, rising above them,
bringing new and fresh ideas to the table.
But one thing I know... acknowledging failure and
walking away from it is a most liberating feeling.
It lifts the angst and anxiety and helps you deal with
moving forward to the next chapter in your life.
Ah, the hard lessons of life.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Lea singing Castle in the Clouds
My grandchild, Lea Donenberg aged 10, singing "Castle on a Cloud" from Les Miserables.
Friday, April 24, 2009
A wise person thinks before telling what "they heard"
Craig Garber, who is "King of Copy", sent the following story that he received from Christian Godefroy.
In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"
"Hold on a minute," Socrates replied. "Before telling me anything, I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test."
"Triple filter?"
"That's right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test.
The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"
"No," the man said, "Actually I just heard about it and..."
"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?"
"No, on the contrary..."
"So," Socrates continued, "You want to tell me something bad about him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass the test though, because there's one filter left:
the filter of usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?"
"No, not really."
"Well," concluded Socrates, "If what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, then why tell it to me at all?"
How often have we thoughtlessly passed on a story about which we are not sure, don't really know exactly what the circumstances are, nor do we think of the ramifications that a carelessly told rumor could cause.
Integrity in one's personal life should also be the cornerstone of one's business career, whether you are an entrepreneur, small business owner, or an employee of a company. It is no greater when you are a member of a corporation with a lot of back-stabbing. You will have a greater reputation as an honest person and good person with whom to do business than one who cuts corners, and is even slightly deceitful, dishonest or mean.
In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"
"Hold on a minute," Socrates replied. "Before telling me anything, I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test."
"Triple filter?"
"That's right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test.
The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"
"No," the man said, "Actually I just heard about it and..."
"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?"
"No, on the contrary..."
"So," Socrates continued, "You want to tell me something bad about him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass the test though, because there's one filter left:
the filter of usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?"
"No, not really."
"Well," concluded Socrates, "If what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, then why tell it to me at all?"
How often have we thoughtlessly passed on a story about which we are not sure, don't really know exactly what the circumstances are, nor do we think of the ramifications that a carelessly told rumor could cause.
Integrity in one's personal life should also be the cornerstone of one's business career, whether you are an entrepreneur, small business owner, or an employee of a company. It is no greater when you are a member of a corporation with a lot of back-stabbing. You will have a greater reputation as an honest person and good person with whom to do business than one who cuts corners, and is even slightly deceitful, dishonest or mean.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Advantages of Refinancing a Mortgage
by Betty Parker
There are a number of reasons why we need to refinance. The requirements of home improvement, college education or just reducing the monthly mortgage payment are some of them. You have to locate a refinancing company that provides you the most suitable rate while you opt to refinance your existing mortgage. Prior to refinancing, it is prudent that you carry out comparison shopping.
At a time when college education is getting much costlier, going for mortgage refinancing is becoming a common trend. Everybody wishes to send his child to college for higher education and become established in life. This is one of the reasons why people refinance their mortgages. There are various options for refinancing and getting professional advices from a mortgage loan expert would help you determine which option is right for you.
One more reason why people select refinancing is to reduce the mortgage interest rate and monthly mortgage payments. This lets them breathe a sigh of relief while preparing to make payments for their mortgages. If you opt for refinancing, it is a means to receive money to carry out your home improvements as well.
A quite common reason for mortgage refinancing is debt consolidation. You can repay your piled up debts like outstanding medical bills and credit card debts. This motive might become more common in the days to come with the new law for bankruptcy soon to come into existence. It eliminates creditor harassment which is truly painful while managing debts and nobody wishes to carry on with the bills they are unable to repay. Therefore, resorting to refinance to get rid of these bills is a sensible measure. This would assist you to better your credit rating.
You might not be worried about any of the reasons mentioned above and perhaps are planning to go on a holiday trip that you have been waiting for a long time. You can go for refinancing provided it is advantageous for you and you would not face any troubles in repaying it.
No matter what your reason is, there would be competition among the lenders to provide you refinancing. Shop around online or contact various lenders and make comparisons between the refinance quotes offered by them. In this way, you might get the most reasonable quote that you have been searching for
There are a number of reasons why we need to refinance. The requirements of home improvement, college education or just reducing the monthly mortgage payment are some of them. You have to locate a refinancing company that provides you the most suitable rate while you opt to refinance your existing mortgage. Prior to refinancing, it is prudent that you carry out comparison shopping.
At a time when college education is getting much costlier, going for mortgage refinancing is becoming a common trend. Everybody wishes to send his child to college for higher education and become established in life. This is one of the reasons why people refinance their mortgages. There are various options for refinancing and getting professional advices from a mortgage loan expert would help you determine which option is right for you.
One more reason why people select refinancing is to reduce the mortgage interest rate and monthly mortgage payments. This lets them breathe a sigh of relief while preparing to make payments for their mortgages. If you opt for refinancing, it is a means to receive money to carry out your home improvements as well.
A quite common reason for mortgage refinancing is debt consolidation. You can repay your piled up debts like outstanding medical bills and credit card debts. This motive might become more common in the days to come with the new law for bankruptcy soon to come into existence. It eliminates creditor harassment which is truly painful while managing debts and nobody wishes to carry on with the bills they are unable to repay. Therefore, resorting to refinance to get rid of these bills is a sensible measure. This would assist you to better your credit rating.
You might not be worried about any of the reasons mentioned above and perhaps are planning to go on a holiday trip that you have been waiting for a long time. You can go for refinancing provided it is advantageous for you and you would not face any troubles in repaying it.
No matter what your reason is, there would be competition among the lenders to provide you refinancing. Shop around online or contact various lenders and make comparisons between the refinance quotes offered by them. In this way, you might get the most reasonable quote that you have been searching for
Monday, March 2, 2009
Personalized Childrens Books
Give a personalized children's book next time you need a gift. Each book is designed using the child's name, and no two books are ever alike. Click on the banner to go to the website.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Smart Women Know What They Want
By Joy Chudacoff
Jan 9, 2009
Last week, after my husband Greg read my article “Smart Women Are a Lot Like Rocket Ships,” he had an interesting question: He said, “Every week you write about the same thing—making your Big Idea happen, Reaching your Goals and Dreams, getting the right support, blah, blah, blah… when are you going to write about something else?”
Being a woman who encourages new ideas and new perspectives, I went off to take a bubble bath (a nightly self-care ritual!) and to reflect on his question.
In my work with women, the foundation is always around passionate and purposeful living. In order to live a life full of unlimited energy filled with passion and purpose, you will be making big things happen in your life. You will be connecting with your Big Ideas, dreams and goals. You will seek and find the proper support to help you achieve your goals. This becomes a way of life for women who choose to live without boundaries around what they can and deserve to accomplish.
The challenge for me is that I know only a fraction of women in the world are living the kind of life I just described. It seems unrealistic to many women–not possible, not achievable. I think this is the reason I continue to write so often about this idea. I want to encourage women in every way imaginable that having a life that is overflowing with abundance is possible.
How about you? Is this something you desire? To create a life that is on purpose, both at work and at home, and achieving those Big Ideas, Dreams and Goals? I know this is something that I desperately wanted in my life 10 years ago. I was searching for what might be next for me, what my purpose was, who could support me in going to the next level in my life. I would wake up most days with those nagging questions and the empty answers: “What do I want to do next?” “Who can I talk to that will be able to help me?” “What might be the next step to move me closer to my dreams and goals?”
Today I am living a high-energy, passionate, purposeful life but it was not by accident. It was through taking the right steps to find out what I truly wanted for myself (not what others might want for me), finding the right support to make it happen, and working with my support system to put a plan together that would result in a successful outcome.
I invite you to grab a pen and some paper, sit down, and ask yourself a very important question:
What do I want?
Not just what you need to get by or what other people think you should want. Initially, you might catch yourself writing something “safe.” “Safe” meaning it might be within your reach but it’s not really what you truly want at your core.
So yes, Greg, you are correct. I am going to continue to write about Making your Big Idea , Dreams and Goals Happen. I’m going to write about living a life filled with unlimited energy, passion, and purpose and all the blah, blah, blah. At least until I’m satisfied that more women are waking up to this lifestyle each and every day.
The New Year is fast approaching (13 days!). Now is the time to “get real” about what you really want moving forward. And I’m going to be here to support you in getting what you really want both in your personal life and your entrepreneurial life, but you have to do some of the work. You have to decide what it is…
© 2008 Joy Chudacoff
Joy Chudacoff is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions, a Certified Professional Coach and Professional Speaker. To read more articles by Joy and learn more about her Success Circle workshops, teleseminars or keynote topics, please visit her website, visit Smart Women Smart Solutions or contact Joy at Joy@SmartWomenSolutions.com.
Jan 9, 2009
Last week, after my husband Greg read my article “Smart Women Are a Lot Like Rocket Ships,” he had an interesting question: He said, “Every week you write about the same thing—making your Big Idea happen, Reaching your Goals and Dreams, getting the right support, blah, blah, blah… when are you going to write about something else?”
Being a woman who encourages new ideas and new perspectives, I went off to take a bubble bath (a nightly self-care ritual!) and to reflect on his question.
In my work with women, the foundation is always around passionate and purposeful living. In order to live a life full of unlimited energy filled with passion and purpose, you will be making big things happen in your life. You will be connecting with your Big Ideas, dreams and goals. You will seek and find the proper support to help you achieve your goals. This becomes a way of life for women who choose to live without boundaries around what they can and deserve to accomplish.
The challenge for me is that I know only a fraction of women in the world are living the kind of life I just described. It seems unrealistic to many women–not possible, not achievable. I think this is the reason I continue to write so often about this idea. I want to encourage women in every way imaginable that having a life that is overflowing with abundance is possible.
How about you? Is this something you desire? To create a life that is on purpose, both at work and at home, and achieving those Big Ideas, Dreams and Goals? I know this is something that I desperately wanted in my life 10 years ago. I was searching for what might be next for me, what my purpose was, who could support me in going to the next level in my life. I would wake up most days with those nagging questions and the empty answers: “What do I want to do next?” “Who can I talk to that will be able to help me?” “What might be the next step to move me closer to my dreams and goals?”
Today I am living a high-energy, passionate, purposeful life but it was not by accident. It was through taking the right steps to find out what I truly wanted for myself (not what others might want for me), finding the right support to make it happen, and working with my support system to put a plan together that would result in a successful outcome.
I invite you to grab a pen and some paper, sit down, and ask yourself a very important question:
What do I want?
Not just what you need to get by or what other people think you should want. Initially, you might catch yourself writing something “safe.” “Safe” meaning it might be within your reach but it’s not really what you truly want at your core.
So yes, Greg, you are correct. I am going to continue to write about Making your Big Idea , Dreams and Goals Happen. I’m going to write about living a life filled with unlimited energy, passion, and purpose and all the blah, blah, blah. At least until I’m satisfied that more women are waking up to this lifestyle each and every day.
The New Year is fast approaching (13 days!). Now is the time to “get real” about what you really want moving forward. And I’m going to be here to support you in getting what you really want both in your personal life and your entrepreneurial life, but you have to do some of the work. You have to decide what it is…
© 2008 Joy Chudacoff
Joy Chudacoff is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions, a Certified Professional Coach and Professional Speaker. To read more articles by Joy and learn more about her Success Circle workshops, teleseminars or keynote topics, please visit her website, visit Smart Women Smart Solutions or contact Joy at Joy@SmartWomenSolutions.com.
Monday, January 19, 2009
The Ebb and Flow of Life
A prolonged visit in the hospital was an education in the ebb and flow of life in general. Like a hospital, there is a never ending rhythm of activities.
As an observer quietly sitting in the chair watching the ebb and flow of people and machines and daily to-ing and fro-ing was an exercise in humility. Here were literally hundreds of people, both seen upstairs and unseen in the bowels of a hospital, that are all working for the well being of one person.
The morning nurse is there to take vital signs of patients, kitchen staff prepare and deliver meals, doctors and interns do rounds, visitors sit at bedsides, waiting for news of loved ones prognosis and expectancy of going home. Doctors, nurses, technicians, cleaning staff, secretaries, gardeners (yes, the plants also need to be watered!) and snow ploughing, etc. etc. Without one person, other people would have to pick up the slack and the symmetry of life is disturbed.
Sleep for the patient is cat napping between sponge baths, vital signs, housekeeping, medication, doctors visits. And so it goes on... day in and day out, everyone confident in their own position in the daily flow of life.
And so too, our own lives are structured and flow, day in and day out. We are reliant on each member of the household to fulfill each of their functions. Mothers care for their children, households and invariably also have day jobs. Fathers provide auxiliary household duties and provide for families, children in their own ways provide joy and delight, however old they may be.
If any one of the functions falls off the rails, chaos can reign. Dysfunction sets in and all sorts of difficulties ensue.
So too does a business run. Each department is a function of the whole. Without everyone pulling their weight and integrating with other departments, the whole structure will come tumbling down.
No one piece of a business is more important than the other.
The janitor is no less valuable than the CEO. Each function is as important as the other, and provides the total harmony and well being of a business. Let us not be so arrogant as to think that our function in the greater scheme of life is any more important than the person next door. Humility will be your greatest asset and make you a better liked person.
Remember that a wheel will only turn as long as the cogs are in alignment.
As an observer quietly sitting in the chair watching the ebb and flow of people and machines and daily to-ing and fro-ing was an exercise in humility. Here were literally hundreds of people, both seen upstairs and unseen in the bowels of a hospital, that are all working for the well being of one person.
The morning nurse is there to take vital signs of patients, kitchen staff prepare and deliver meals, doctors and interns do rounds, visitors sit at bedsides, waiting for news of loved ones prognosis and expectancy of going home. Doctors, nurses, technicians, cleaning staff, secretaries, gardeners (yes, the plants also need to be watered!) and snow ploughing, etc. etc. Without one person, other people would have to pick up the slack and the symmetry of life is disturbed.
Sleep for the patient is cat napping between sponge baths, vital signs, housekeeping, medication, doctors visits. And so it goes on... day in and day out, everyone confident in their own position in the daily flow of life.
And so too, our own lives are structured and flow, day in and day out. We are reliant on each member of the household to fulfill each of their functions. Mothers care for their children, households and invariably also have day jobs. Fathers provide auxiliary household duties and provide for families, children in their own ways provide joy and delight, however old they may be.
If any one of the functions falls off the rails, chaos can reign. Dysfunction sets in and all sorts of difficulties ensue.
So too does a business run. Each department is a function of the whole. Without everyone pulling their weight and integrating with other departments, the whole structure will come tumbling down.
No one piece of a business is more important than the other.
The janitor is no less valuable than the CEO. Each function is as important as the other, and provides the total harmony and well being of a business. Let us not be so arrogant as to think that our function in the greater scheme of life is any more important than the person next door. Humility will be your greatest asset and make you a better liked person.
Remember that a wheel will only turn as long as the cogs are in alignment.
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