An incredible Story

From Churchill

"To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour."

This quote has me thinking lately about my vision, direction and future. I am grateful for some incredible mentors over the last two years, who have taught me the importance of setting time aside to think. Booking in that time every week to think about my future, be creative in my work, volunteering, how I manage my time, how I love my future wife, and how my behaviour affects situations. By allowing myself the time to think I've realised that I have learnt so much about myself and have changed in every aspect of my life.

If you get that feeling that life seems to just be coming full circle, time and time again, I encourage you, set yourself some time. Even if it is just a half hour, or an hour if you can manage it. Find a place where you can be alone and don't limit yourself. Think, be creative with your life.... you'll be surprised what you will come up with.

The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination | Harvard Magazine

This is an incredible speech from J.K. Rowling to the Graduates of Harvard University in 2008.

Inspiring in heart and in delivery.

The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination | Harvard Magazine

Impressed Much?

Right now I wish I could try these things, but unfortunately I'm a grown-up and realize my physical limitations, so I'll live vicariously through these three youngsters.

Baffles the mind

Would it really change the way you drive? For me I'd never hop on a bus again.

The threat of being killed in an accident is a powerful incentive to drive carefully. But a driver with a seat belt and a padded dashboard faces less of a threat. Because people respond to incentives, drivers are less careful...... If the seat belts were removed from your car, wouldn’t you be more cautious in driving? Carrying this observation to the extreme, Armen Alchian of the University of California at Los Angeles has suggested a way to bring about a major reduction in the accident rate: Require every car to have a spear mounted on the steering wheel, pointing directly at the driver’s heart. Alchian confidently predicts that we would see a lot less tailgating.

Source: Landsburg, S. (1993) ‘The Armchair Economist: Economics and Everyday Life’, The Free Press, New York.

Ultimate in passing the buck

Growing up in a standard family as the middle child always led to those situations where something has been broken and we are all lined up for questioning! In this circumstance, the blame is generally shifted between all three of us, ultimately resulting in us "getting what's coming to us".

In Russia, passing the buck has taken a different twist where a phone company has removed a mobile number from service saying it was "jinxed", stating that the last 3 people to own this number have died. Funnily enough one was a king pin in a mafia circle and another was a high level drug dealer, yet this has not been taken into consideration at all.

I always thought if I dealt drugs or was a top end mafia leader, my life expectancy is reduced more from 'occupational hazards' more so than my phone number.

Just a thought, but for your enjoyment, then rest of the story can be found here.

Leadership

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As a business student, majoring in marketing, and sociology student, whose unit this semester focuses on power, I see leadership in a far more, I guess, cynical way (also probably because I've become a far more cynical person over the last couple of years). When I think of leaders, I think of CEO's of major international corporations who are screwing over third world countries, or the "influenced", to get a better dividends for their shareholders and create more profits to keep the board of directors happy.
When I think of influence, which is basically power, what comes to mind are companies trying to influence consumers to buy their product, over the products of others, to make more money, not to end absolute poverty in Africa or stop global warming.
And power, or influence, is used to convince people to do things they wouldn't, or worse, make them think they want to do them and it'll be beneficial for them, when really, it benefits the influencer. Why is leadership so good when that's what it really is? It's really the powerful using their position to get what they want and inflicting their beliefs and opinions on those without power. Also, it must be said that Hitler was one of the greatest leaders of the modern age, yes, horrible, terrible, never to be repeated things occurred because of it and it hardly needs to be stated that no-one would suggest a good leader should be like Hitler, yet there is no way anyone could disagree that his leadership changed the world. There is also the idea of paternalism and whether you should be able to tell others how to live just because you think it is the best thing for them and have the power to make them do it.
Amazing how one seminar can be described as "amazing" and "inspiring" by some people and cause me so much angst!

Yesterday at 11:43pm

Chad Walker

That's a pretty deep analysis anonymous. As a business student also I like to look at things in an unbiased manner. I would just like to ask your opinion on the life of people such as Mother Teresa, Martin Luther, Nelson Mandela and so on; they are certainly leaders in the world standing.
I would propose that leadership is as you say, influence. Maxwell (2002) wrote "Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less". Would it be true to say that not all leaders are therefore acting to manipulate others, but simply have influence over others?
The true essence of leadership is one of providing another with vision, purpose, encouragement and direction. If the leader is heading in a direction I do not wish to go, I simply do not follow negating their authority and leadership over my life.
I would propose that your observations are not a reflection of leadership itself, rather the ethics of the individual using their authority in leadership. If leadership has the power to influence for both the good of mankind and to its detriment, then leadership is simply a tool. Like a shovel, can be used to kill someone, or used to dig deep foundations for great structures to be built upon.

Just a thought

10 hours ago

Things you don't say to your wife

Thought of the day

"Would we want to do business with ourselves?" - Electronic Data Systems (Abend, 1988)

I'm currently doing some research into a business assignment and came across this pearl. I continually find it amusing that the thoughts and theories of the business world echo the words of the bible so frequently, that the best business plans you can find are in the bible; the best management programs and methods of leadership are in the bible; the best customer service strategies, in the bible; the best methods to use regarding ethics and equality, in the bible.

Mentorship is a word that comes up often in the business world, alongside the thought "I am not studying for a degree, I'm reading for a degree." To me if you would be so smart as to put the two of these together you would see that by spending time with God in relationship and reading His word, you can become the worlds best manager, leader or any other professional for that matter. After all, He is currently overseeing a sizeable workforce in this world, not to forget those who have come before us.

Just a thought.

Till death do us part

Of late, Tiger Woods has spent a lot of time in the limelight for reasons he would rather not be. The golfing superstar has been the World's number one golfer for years on end and will well be remembered as one of the Golfing greats despite his personal life.

In his recent return to the game Tiger placed fourth in the US Masters, an event he has won on four other occasions. While most of us would have been ecstatic with the result, Woods plans on taking some further time out to re-assess everything and get life back on track as best as he can.

Now in the initial proceedings of divorce with his wife, it does bring an array of questions to the surface. "Should Tiger get another shot?" As a man who has been through divorce I often get the question of "would you take her back if she decided that's what she wanted?" Now every circumstance is different and so each response always requires due process and consideration. For me though the most important thing to remember no matter what you decision, is your ability to forgive and move on.

If Tigers' wife was to continue on in marriage with Tiger and never forgive him of the past, then what would be the benefit of that relationship? On the other hand, if she does decide to get a divorce and still never forgives, what kind of emotional hurt and baggage will she bring into the next relationship?

Forgiveness is always difficult, cause to forgive means that we release someone else from the consequences of their actions. Where we would normally say "YOU OWE ME!" we instead free them from that debt and in return, we allow ourselves to move on. Till death do us part or not, that is a personal decision based on an entire range of different factors. While I personally believe marriage is for life, without forgiveness it can be the death of you.

After all we are all human, we all make mistakes, none of us deserve forgiveness but still to everyone forgiveness is available. Just a thought.

Life is like

Saw this great little comment on a friends' facebook and just couldn't stop laughing.

"life is NOT like a box of chocolates..it's more like a jar of jalapenos..'cause what you decide upon today could burn your ass tomorrow.."

Life analogies are an incredible tool. Not only do they help you to see the bigger picture or to put things in context, they also help you to laugh at life; to never take yourself too seriously.

Great management and leadership website

I stumbled across this website when doing some research on management. 12manage.com. There's heaps of summaries of management methods and models and an opportunity to network with other businessmen and managers from Australia and around the world. I signed up for it and it's been great using it for one of my assignments while some of the other stuff is great reading for all levels of leadership.

Register a membership. It's free and only takes a minute to punch your details in. Might help you out.

FUN!

Little something for you....Miley Cyrus cover

Fun and Games

I came across this the other day on thereifixedit.com

I agree with some of the other viewers; though I don't think I would allow my kids to ever climb or ride such a contraption, I myself am excited about the possibility of building one and giving it a go!

Truth be told I would probably allow my boys on it...taking a risk of any kind generally produces either great experiences of success, or great opportunities to learn from your mistakes.

Growing up to fast?

My niece is turning 6 this year and I've looked back already thinking "wow! where the hell has all that time gone?" We began to look through pictures from the time she was born; her first dirty nappy, her first dirty mullet and her first day at school! She is, as every small girl, a princess.

The funny thing about small little princess' is how grown up they already want to be. Driving cars, owning castles, getting married and I think to myself... "I'm going to neeed that shot gun a lot earlier than I first thought."

Inspite what many people may claim about society and its pressures on our children to look thinner, be smarter, grow up faster and make more money; I believe the GREATEST LESSON they could possibly learn is from their parents.

I'm not saying to shelter your children from society and it's pressure and turn them into somewhat of an Ahmish Hermit. Our children learn from watching those they look up to. When they are older they will have to deal with all these same pressure out from under you own roof, BUT, while they are still under it, it is far better to TEACH them the right and healthy way to look at themselves and deal with these external pressures.

To teach you children to be in a circumstance but not changed by it will go a long way into shaping them for adulthood, whether that be at 18, or in my case 30 :) I let you know what it's like when I get there.

Just a thought

Inspiring the next generation

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." - John Quincy Adams

This only really worries me because I have a bad habit of stacking it in front of my niece and nephews. They think it's hilarious and are now inspired to become stunt men... well at least Adams was right.

Series of Unfortunate Events

I read an article today which is really sad - a tragic story of a woman caught in a rip. Her husband swam out after her to save her and both perished leaving their three children on the beach to watch, unable to save them. You can read the whole story here

The beach can be a dangerous place with jelly fish, rips and other dangers. Remember when caught in a rip, swim sideways along the beach. You may end up a kilometre down the beach, but far easier to walk back than to exhaust yourself trying any other way.

2010

Well 2010 is well underway and already life has begun so differently that what I would ever have dreamed of a year ago. Soon I commence employment for a local media company and embark on new persuits at Church and abroad, such exciting times ahead.

Last year my New Years resloution was simple; "Don't die." Seems kind of trivial and morbid but I must say, I succeeded where others have failed, a scary a thought as that is.

So this year I've lifted my expectation and vision. I plan on entertaining more this year, having more people over for dinner's, BBQ's, outings and adventure. Why?

Well we each have our own desire and persuit for Happiness. I've discovered in my own life that the journey is so much more enjoyable when shared with others, that my own happiness isn't related to the objects that I have, to the house I live in, the car I drive or the places I go; rather more about how many smiles I put on other peoples faces, how many great memories I create for others and the things I give away for the enjoyment of others.

True happiness can never be shared alone, just a thought