To understand the value of a month, talk to a mother who has
given birth to a baby a month prematurely.

To understand the value of a week, talk to the publisher of a
weekly newspaper.

To understand the value of an hour, talk to a couple in love
who are separated and want only to be together again.

To understand the value of a minute, talk to someone who has
just missed a train or a plane.

To understand the value of a second, talk to someone who has
lost a loved one in an accident.

To understand the value of a millisecond, talk to someone who
won a silver medal at the Olympic Games.

Time waits for no one. Gather all the time you have left every
moment, and it will be of great use to you. Share it with people
you value and love and it will become even more precious.

“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, why tell it to me at all?”

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X’s and then putting a big “F” at the top of his papers.

At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child’s past records and she put Teddy’s off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy’s first grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners… he is a joy to be around..”

His second grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle.”

His third grade teacher wrote, “His mother’s death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn’t show much interest, and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren’t taken.”

Teddy’s fourth grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is withdrawn and doesn’t show much interest in school. He doesn’t have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class.”

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy’s. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children’s laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist.

Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, “Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to.”

After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded.

By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one  of her “teacher’s pets..”

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he’d stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he had ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor’s degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer…. The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the place that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom.

Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other, and Dr Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson’s ear, “Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference.”

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, “Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.”

(For you that don’t know, Teddy Stoddard is the doctor at Iowa Methodist in Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)
“Believe in Angels, then return the favor”

“You have a solemn obligation to take care of yourself, because you never know when the World will need you.”

“D-E-A-T-H” is hidden in the word “H-A-T-R-E-D”!

Is there any wonder why harboring hatred will hasten our death? Suddenly it all seems so obvious.

“To be angry and hateful towards others, is to take the poison yourself and wishing them die.”

Forgive – everything and everyone.

Not for their sake, but for our own sake.

Some people added salt to injury. They kept their distance. Some said I must have worshipped the wrong “god”. Some said I had been stupid, that was all. Some said I had wanted the misfortune that was how I attracted all of them to my backyard. Some just laughed at the incredibly series of misfortunes I suffered. I could only smile and remain silent. What can I say?

It was the darkest time in my life. I lost all I had, I almost lost my life too. Friends have all deserted me, for fear that I may seek them for help, which I didnt even intended to. It is very confusing for this is the reward for being kind and helpful to others? I was never greedy. Neither was I evil. Why do I have to see my fields devastated by the locusts that came uninvited – my fields all barren and poisoned with debts that were not my own? Evil visited me in sheep’s skin, indeed. And who cares?

Yet, I realized, if anything good comes out of these crisis that hit one after another, is the fact that even as our outer and inner worlds are falling apart, we can be assured that:

1. God is still there, if we seek Him;

2. The most important life-sustaining elements – the air we breathe, the water we drink – are still free and available;

3. The love our family/ children have for us are still intact – those love that overcomes everything will remain.

I may never understand the reasons why bad had happened to me when all I had was kindness and goodwill for others. Yet, I believe God who allows all things to happen right under His nose, knows better.  I surrender the circumstances to Him.

Besides, it is exactly a year since the evil came knocking on my door. Yet, today I am still here, albeit all broke due to the vicious fraud and other crimes against me, never did I have to go hungry or homeless. But each day, deeper understanding and awareness of evil and its necessity made me stronger spiritually.

If any of you out there suffering unjustifiable pain, or loss, hang in there. It is good time to seek the Healer, God Himself. Someday when spring comes again, we will look back and say, “Aren’t we grateful for the experience in the wilderness?”

I know that day will come, when God restores His faithful ones – including me.

Peace to you all. Be shrewd as the Serpent – and harmless as Dove!

John Maxwell February 1, 2008 Categories: Business /Leadership, Business

We all have dreams and ambitions. Undoubtedly, you’ve accomplished some of yours. But no matter how successful you are now, you still have dreams and goals that are waiting to be fulfilled. So what’s the key? To be a person of influence.

You don’t have to be in a high-profile occupation to be a person of influence. In fact, if your life in any way connects with other people, you are an influencer. Everything you do at home, at church, in your job, or in the field has an impact on the lives of other people.

If your desire is to be successful or to make a positive impact on your world, you need to become a person of influence. Without influence, there is no success.

Four Levels of Influence

Influence is a curious thing. Even though we have an impact on nearly everyone around us, our level of influence is not the same with everyone.

1: Modeling. People are first influenced by what they see. No matter what you tell your children to do, their natural inclination is to follow what they see you doing. For most people, if they perceive that you are positive and trustworthy and have admirable qualities, then they will seek you as an influencer. The better they get to know you, the greater your credibility will be and the higher your influence can become—if they like what they see. You either build or bust that influence by your actions.

2: Motivating. If you want to make a significant impact on the lives of other people, you have to do it up close. You become a motivational influencer when you encourage people and communicate with them on an emotional level. The process does two things: It creates a bridge between you and them, and it builds their confidence and sense of self-worth. When people feel good about you and themselves when they’re with you, then your level of influence increases significantly.

3: Mentoring. Mentoring is pouring your life into other people and helping them reach their potential. The power of mentoring is so strong that you can see the lives of persons you are influencing change before your eyes. As you give yourself, helping them overcome obstacles in their lives and showing them how to grow, you help them achieve a new level of living.

4: Multiplying. As a multiplying influencer, you help people to become positive influencers in the lives of others and pass on not only what they have received from you, but also what they have learned and gleaned on their own. It takes unselfishness, generosity, commitment, and time. To move up a level in influence with people, you have to give them more individual attention.

Influence Positive or Negative

Your life touches many other lives. As you become an active influencer, you begin to have a positive influence on people and add value to their lives. The baby-sitter who reads to a child encourage him to love books and helps him become a lifelong learner. The teacher who put his faith, confidence, and love in a little girl helps her to feel valued and good about herself. The parents who know how and when to give their children grace help them to stay open and communicative, even during their teenage years. All of these people add lasting value to the lives of other people.

Your actions may touch the lives of thousands of people. Or you may influence two or three coworkers and family members. The number of people is not what’s most important.

I don’t know exactly what your dream is in life or what legacy you want to leave. But if you want to make an impact, you will have to become a man or woman capable of influencing others.

Excellence in Action: Set a good example for your children and for those around you.

1. It gives us deep gratitude to God for all good things–including our love for Him and faith in Him–because all good things are from God (see Romans 11:36 and James 1:18).

2. It keeps us from despair and instead gives us patience and comfort, strength and hope through suffering and adversity. In all bad things that happen to us, we can have the confidence of Joseph: “God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20, NASB) and the worship of Job: “…and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said, `…The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord‘” (Job 1:20-21).

3. It causes us to marvel at God’s great wisdom because He works all things together for His glory and His people’s good (Romans 8:28)–not just in spite of the opposition but by means of the opposition. He makes evil backfire and makes satan continually shoot himself in the foot because when satan intends something for the harm of God’s saints, God’s intention is to ultimately benefit them. This is amazing wisdom to praise God for!

4. It gives us joyful trust in God for the future.

5. It frees us to obey with confidence and security–even when obedience appears risky or “foolish” by the world’s standards. Thus, God’s providence encourages us into risk-taking obedience for God’s great glory.

6. It gives us deeper trust in God because He will accomplish all of His purposes. None can fail (see Job 42:2 and Isaiah 46:10).

7. It gives us great encouragement to and confidence in prayer. For God can do what we ask.

8. We need never feel overwhelmed, because God is in control.

9. It gives us great courage and boldness through all things.

10. It shatters bitterness and complaining and shows us to be satisfied.

11. It makes us strong people.

12. It glorifies God.

13. A denial of this truth involves a reduction of the supremacy of God in our hearts.