How to break a bad habit (and replace it with a good one)

By Jane Clear

Bad habits interrupt your life and prevent you from accomplishing your goals. They jeopardize your health — both mentally and physically. And
they waste your time and energy. So why do we still do them? And most importantly, is there anything you can do about it? I’ve previously written about the science of how habits start , so now let’s focus on the practice of making changes in the real world. How can you delete your bad behaviors and stick to good ones instead?
I certainly don’t have all of the answers, but keep reading and I’ll share what I’ve learned about how to break a bad habit.

What causes bad habits?
Most of your bad habits are caused by two things… Stress and boredom.
Most of the time, bad habits are simply a way of dealing with stress and boredom. Everything from biting your nails to overspending on a shoppingspree to drinking every weekend to wasting time on the internet can be a simple response to stress and boredom.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can teach yourself new and healthy ways to deal with stress and boredom, which you can then substitute in place of your bad habits.
Of course, sometimes the stress or boredom that is on the surface is actually caused by deeper issues. These issues can be tough to think about, but if you’re serious about making changes then you have to be honest with yourself.
Are there certain beliefs or reasons that are behind the bad habit? Is there something deeper — a fear, an event, or a limiting belief — that is causing you to hold on to something that is bad for you? Recognizing the causes of your bad habits is crucial to overcoming them.

You don’t eliminate a bad habit, youreplace it.
All of the habits that you have right now — good orbad — are in your life for a reason. In some way, these behaviors provide a benefit to you, even if they are bad for you in other ways. Sometimes the benefit is biological like it is with smoking or drugs. Sometimes it’s emotional like it is when you stay in a relationship that is bad for you. And in many cases, your bad habit is a simple way to cope with stress. For example, biting your
nails, pulling your hair, tapping your foot, or clenching your jaw. These “benefits” or reasons extend to smaller bad habits as well.
For example, opening your email inbox as soon as you turn on your computer might make you feel connected. At the same time looking at all of those emails destroys your productivity, divides your attention, and overwhelms you with stress. But, it prevents you from feeling like you’re “missing out” … and so you do it again.
Because bad habits provide some type of benefit in your life, it’s very difficult to simply eliminate them. (This is why simplistic advice like “just stop doing it” rarely works.) Instead, you need to replace a bad habit with a new habit that provides a similar benefit.
For example, if you smoke when you get stressed, then it’s a bad plan to “just stop smoking” when that happens. Instead, you should come up with a different way to deal with stress and insert that new behavior instead of having a cigarette.
In other words, bad habits address certain needs in your life. And for that reason, it’s better to replace your bad habits with a healthier behavior that addresses that same need. If you expect yourself to simply cut out bad habits without replacing them, then you’ll have certain needs that will be unmet and it’s going to be hard to stick to a routine of “just don’t do it” for very long.

How to break a bad habit
Here are some additional ideas for breaking your bad habits and thinking about the process in a new way.

Choose a substitute for your bad habit.
You need to have a plan ahead of time for how you will respond when you face the stress or boredom that prompts your bad habit. What are you going to do when you get the urge to smoke? (Example: breathing exercises instead.) What are you going to do when Facebook is calling to you to procrastinate? (Example: write one sentence for work.) Whatever it is and whatever you’re dealing with, you need to have a plan for what you will do instead of your bad habit.

Cut out as many triggers as possible.
If you smoke when you drink, then don’t go to the bar. If you eat cookies when they are in the house, then throw them all away. If the first thing you do when you sit on the couch is pick up the TV remote, then hide
the remote in a closet in a different room. Make it easier on yourself to break bad habits by avoiding the things that cause them. Right now, your environment makes your bad habit easier and good habits harder. Change your environment and you can change the outcome.

Join forces with somebody.
How often do you try to diet in private? Or maybe you “quit smoking” …
but you kept it to yourself? (That way no one will see you fail, right?)
Instead, pair up with someone and quit together. The two of you can hold each other accountable and celebrate your victories together. Knowing
that someone else expects you to be better is a powerful motivator.
Surround yourself with people who live the way you want to live. You don’t need to ditch your old friends, but don’t underestimate the power of
finding some new ones. If you don’t know where to start, then join a Superhuman Meetup .

Visualize yourself succeeding.
See yourself throwing away the cigarettes or buying healthy food or waking up early. Whatever the bad habit is that you are looking to break, visualize yourself crushing it, smiling, and enjoying your success. See
yourself building a new identity . You don’t need to be someone else, you just need to return to the old you. So often we think that to break our bad habits, we need to become an entirely new person. The truth is that you already have it in you to be someone without your bad habits. In fact, it’s
very unlikely that you had these bad habits all of your life. You don’t need to quit smoking, you just need to return to being a non–smoker. You don’t need to transform into a healthy person, you just need to return to being healthy. Even if it was years ago, you have already lived without this bad habit, which means you can most definitely do it again.

You know what I'm saying?

It’s no secret that good leaders are also good communicators. And the best leaders have learned that effective communication is as much about authenticity as the words they speak and write.
Indeed, communication and leadership are inextricably tied. How can you galvanize, inspire or guide others if you don’t communicate in a
clear, credible, authentic way?

Here are 5 essential communication practices of
effective leaders.

1. Mind the say-do gap.
This is all about trust, which is the bedrock of effective leadership. Your
behavior is your single greatest mode of communication, and it must be congruent with what you say. If your actions don’t align with your
words, there’s trouble. And it can turn into big trouble if not corrected swiftly and genuinely. Since it’s often difficult to see the say-do gap in
yourself, rely on a few trusted colleagues to tell it to you straight and flag discrepancies. Rule of thumb: it’s better to say nothing or delay your
communication until you’re certain that your actions will ring true.

2. Make the complex simple.
Your employees and customers are being bombarded 24/7 by information, making it hard for them to hear you. Simplicity has never been more powerful or necessary. Effective leaders distill complex
thoughts and strategies into simple, memorable terms that colleagues and customers can grasp and act upon. If you’re having trouble distilling
something to its essence, it may be that you don’t understand it. So get clear and look out for technical jargon and business speak, which add
complexity. Say what you mean in as few words as possible.

3. Find your own voice.
Use language that’s distinctly your own. Let your values come through
in your communication. Often, executives will opt for the sanitized “corporate voice” instead of their own because they think the former is more eloquent; more appropriate. This is not to say that correct grammar and use of language aren’t important — strong leaders know how to string a sentence together. But don’t fixate on eloquence;
concentrate on being distinct and real. People want real. People respect real. People follow real. Don’t disguise who you are. Be genuine, and people will respect you for it.

4. Be visible.
Visibility is about letting your keystakeholders get a feel for who you are and what you care about. It’s easy to hide behind a computer  and transmit messages to others without seeing or interacting with them. Although e-communication serves a valuable purpose, it is no substitute for face-to-face and voice-to-voice communication. In today’s environment, people are often burned out and need to feel a personal connection to you and the work that you believe in. Do a “calendar
test” to make sure you’re allocating time regularly to be out on the floor, in the factory, in the callcenter, in the lab, in the store. Show your people
that you’re engaged and care about them and their work.

5. Listen with your eyes as well as your ears.
Stop, look and listen. Remember that effective communication is two-way. Good leaders know how to ask good questions, and then listen with
both their eyes and ears. It’s easy to be so focused on getting your message out — or persuading others — that you don’t tune in to what you see and hear. Because you’re in a position of authority, the stakes are even higher because you won’t always get direct feedback. You need to read between the lines. Listen and hear what is coming back at you. Look for the nonverbal cues. Sometimes a person’s body language will tell you everything you need to know. 

SUSAN TARDANICO

The virtue of patience

James S. Spiegel

Patience is a virtue." We're all familiar with that cliché, and many of us know that patience is listed by Paul in Galatians 5:22-23 as among the fruit of the Spirit. So there's no disputing that the Christian ought to be patient. But as with most of the virtues, the biblical writers assume that we know what patience is and don't give an explicit definition. But do
we? Could you define patience if you were asked? And, to make things more tricky, could you do so without simply citing examples of patience? Starting with the basic definition of patience as "waiting without complaint,"' we will address some key questions. Why is patience a virtue? What are the different varieties of patience? Why is patience so difficult at times? And how is patience developed?

Why Patience Is a Virtue ?

When defined as "waiting without complaint," patience might seem to be a morally insignificant trait. What's so virtuous about not complaining? In itself, not complaining carries no particular virtue. Suppose a person awaits the arrival of a friend from out of town, and she spends the time happily reading or watching television. We wouldn't say that, simply because she's not complaining, she exhibits patience in this case. Something else must be required to make one's lack of complaint virtuous. That something is discomfort . It's because a circumstance is uncomfortable for someone that we find her refusal to complain remarkable and thus regard her as patient.

So to improve the initial definition above, to be patient is to endure discomfort without complaint. This calls into play some other virtues, specifically, Self-control, humility, and generosity. That is, patience is not a fundamental virtue so much as a complex of other virtues. An example from the life of Christ illustrates this. Jesus was very patient with his disciples. They were sometimes thickheaded, lazy, selfish, and
slow to believe. Even from a merely human standpoint, we can see how frustrating they must have been. How much more irritating it would be for God Incarnate to interact daily with these men. In spite of Jesus' miracles and words of wisdom, they were focused upon themselves and wavered in their belief about who he really was. To say that was uncomfortable for

Jesus would be an understatement. Yet do we find him railing at his disciples over their foolishness and stupidity? Or making fun of them when they make mistakes? Occasionally he does remark that his disciples are slow to believe, or he asks rhetorically how long they will fail to have faith in him, but these are always appropriate reminders about just what was at stake for them. These were fitting and useful
rebukes, not petty venting. Notice that Jesus' refusal to complain about his irritating disciples can be described as an exercise of self-control.
Surely he would have been justified in blistering them with insults. It's worth noting that his omniscience guaranteed that every possible joke and embarrassing remark was at his disposal on any particular occasion. This makes his self- control even more admirable. Also, his refusal to complain involves humility, the conscious decision to lower himself by not exercising his right, as the holy man he was, to judge and
dismiss his friends because of their faults. We might even say this is a form of mercy. Finally, Jesus' refusal to complain about his disciples is generous. In spite of their vice and thick-headedness, he remained no less committed to them and served them increasingly as their failures became more

Tips for maintaining friendship

By Genevieve Van Wyden

A good friendship nourishes your need for human interaction. When you have a circle of close friends as well as acquaintances with whom you
can share good times and bad, laugh and just hang out together, you feel connected to others. Having friends helps people to be happy as well as get through tough times. Once you’ve met someone and become friends with her, you need to participate in give-and-take to keep the friendship
going. Like all relationships, friendships take effort.

Go Easy on your Friends

Life happens. Flat tires, sick children and lost keys happen to your friends just as they do to you. When you’ve made plans to do Saturday lunch
with your best friend and you show up, then end up waiting for 30 minutes, don’t assume you’ve been stood up on purpose. Call your friend. Be willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, just as you'd like her to do for you. When you're willing to go easy on each other, you both realize that circumstances don't matter as much as the relationship. If your friend consistently flakes out on plans or commitments, thought, think about whether it's worth maintaining this friendship.

Give Each Other Space

Once you have a good friendship going, find a happy balance that allows the two of you to spend time together as well as with other people. You've probably heard the stories of friends who became "stalker friends," ruining their relationships. It isn’t necessary to call your friend five times a day and get together every day to do something, but do keep her in the loop and make plans to see each other every few days. Give her time to be with her family and with other friends, too. Some people
enjoy solitary time as well.

Be Reliable

If you offered to help your school friend with a yard sale, remember to show up. Nothing says “quality friend” like someone who is reliable and
dependable. Conversely, the person who consistently flakes out on obligations and promises will soon find that her friends don’t call her for
get-togethers or to help out with something in their lives. If you tend to forget your obligations, write them down in your planner or wall calendar or log it into your smartphone.

Be a Good Friend

You’ve probably heard the sayings, “To have a friend, be a friend,” or “Treat others as you would want to be treated.” It’s true. This is where the give-and-take of a true friendship comes into play. Treat your good friends like the treasures they are. Act with thoughtfulness toward them. When they are experiencing difficult situations, offer to help; if they don’t want help, let them know you have a shoulder to cry on, should they need one.

Let Your Friends Know You Think of Them

When you see something that reminds you of a close friend, make a quick note of that. The next time you see your friend or even when you’re
communicating online, tell her, “I saw the most beautiful scarf at the store today that reminded me of you!” When you hear some good news, contact your friend and congratulate her. She’ll appreciate your effort. Friendships are connections between people, so letting your friends know when something reminds you of them helps you strengthen that connection.

Put Effort Into Your Friendships

When you put effort into your relationships, they blossom. Just like putting small deposits into your savings account, your “friendship balance” will grow when you take the time to do fun things with your friends. If life gets in the way, don’t retreat from your friendships, or you’ll find them growing stagnant. Stay in contact even once a week so that,
should something happen to a friend, you can offer support or encouragement.

Tips to increase brain power

By Zoe B.

Here are 10 simple ways you can increase your
brain power and improve your intelligence!
1. Do something new
When you experience something ‘new’ you actually ‘stimulate’ your brain! Don’t get stuck in a rut doing the same old things – the only way to change the structure of your brain is to do something new. This creates new neural pathways, increasing your intelligence. You could take a new route to work, try a new recipe for dinner, or even a new form of exercise – mix it up!

2. Exercise regularly
It’s been proven that regular exercise helps to increase brain function and enhances neurogenesis. This means that every time you exercise you are creating new brain cells! Get off the couch and get moving! Your brain will thank you for it :)

3. Train your memory
How often do you hear people say “I wish I had a better memory!’ Yet no-one does anything about this! If you discipline yourself to memorise phone numbers and other important numbers (passport, credit card, insurance, driving license) you will start to see a marked improvement in your memory.

4. Be curious
Instead of taking everything at face value, get into the habit of questioning everyday things/ products, services that you come into contact with. By being ‘curious’ and questioning everything, you force your brain to innovate & create new ideas. Curiosity may have killed
that cat, more importantly it created super important things like electricity and computers!

5. Think positive
Stress & anxiety kill existing brain neurons and also stop new neurons from being created. Research has shown that positive thinking, especially in the future tense, speeds up the creation of cells and dramatically reduces stress & anxiety. Try and get a handle on negative thoughts and make an effort to replace them with positive ones.

6. Eat healthy
Our diets have a HUGE impact on brain function. Our brains consume over 20% of all nutrients & oxygen that we consume – so remember to feed your brain with the good stuff! (i.e. fresh fruit and veg & plenty of
OMEGA 3 oils found in oily fish)

7. Read a book
Reading relieves tension & stress (brain-cell killers) because it’s a form of escapism. Research has also shown that using your imagination is a great way to train your brain because you force your mind to ‘picture’ what you are imagining. Reading is a great way to trigger your imagination!

8. Get enough sleep
Sleep is like a mini detox for the brain. This is when your body regenerates cells and removes all the toxins that have built up during the day. Get to bed between the hours of 9pm and midnight to benefit from the most effective hours of sleep!

9. Ditch the GPS
Gone are the days of map reading! Sat Nav may have made our lives easier, it has also made our brains lazier and less efficient at the same
time! Go back to the old school and use a map to navigate every now and then (this exercises the part of your brain responsible for understanding spatial relationships).

10. Ban the calculator
Remember back at school when we were taught to use our brains to do simple sums like times tables?! It’s incredible how we now rely on
devices like smart-phones and laptops to calculate really simple equations. Resist the urge to work things out using an external device – and use the device you were born with – your brain!

The Christian and self-defence

The attacks of September 11 and the resulting war against terrorism have brought to the front once again the question of the Christian view of war. The question is particularly complex because it is hard to see how war can be consistent with the biblical emphasis upon forgiveness and forebearance and love.

This emphasis is perhaps most pointed in the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus says:
You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. ( Matthew 5:39-44 ) Does Jesus’ teaching that we should turn the other cheek and love our enemies mean that it is always wrong to go to war? Should the world have turned the other cheek to Hitler and
tried to love him into surrender? When Osama Bin Laden ordered the attack on the World Trade Center, should the U.S. have responded by sending him the Sears Tower as well? Or does Jesus allow a place for both loving our enemies and yet, in certain situations, using force to restrain life-threatening wickedness?

What follows are some of the primary reasons we believe that it is right for the military (and Christians who are a part of the military) to engage in wars that have just cause–namely, self- defense, the restraint of life-threatening evil, and the punishment of nations and individuals who have committed unjust acts of war against one’s country. This is called the just war theory. We will close by seeking to explain how this fits with the command to turn the other cheek, love our enemies, and not resist him who is evil.

Pacifism is harmful
To let someone murder when it is in your power to stop them is completely contrary to our moral sentiments. If a Hitler is on the move and seeking to bind the world in tyranny and destroy entire ethnic groups, it would seem very clearly wrong not to oppose him with force (which sometimes is the only effective method). It is true that war itself is harmful and tragic; but pacifism would result in even more harm to the
world because it would give wicked people virtually free reign. We of course must be open to letting the Bible transform our moral sentiments, but this observation should at least cause us to pause and reflect more deeply before concluding that Jesus is intending to teach pacifism.

Consistent pacifism would have to eliminate the police, not just the military In fact, if we were to conclude that governments should
always turn the other cheek and never resist evil, then we would be logically committing ourselves to getting rid of not only the armed forces, but also the police force and criminal justice system. For police officers arrest criminals, using force against them if necessary, and put them in jail. That is not turning the other cheek. Does Jesus intend his command to turn the other cheek to apply to the police? Surely not as their primary way of responding to evil. God does not want evil to run about in our society unchecked (cf. in the OT the numerous civil laws and in the NT Romans 13, to be discussed below). If one accepts the  egitimacy of police using force in some instances, there can be no objection to the military using force in some instances, either.

Luke 3:14 allows military service
It is significant that John the Baptist did not tell the soldiers to leave the military when they asked him what it meant to repent: “And some soldiers were questioning him, saying, ‘And what about us, what shall we do?’ And he said to them, ‘Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages’” ( Luke 3:14 ). Since it is, therefore, possible to live a godly life and yet be in the military, it must be because engaging in war is not always sinful. John 18:36 acknowledges the right of the sword to earthly kingdoms

In this passage, Jesus says: “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” When Jesus says that if his kingdom were of this world his servants would be fighting, he implies that it is right for kingdoms of this world to fight when the cause is just and circumstances require it.
As Christians, we are citizens of “two kingdoms”-our country on earth, and heaven. Jesus shows us that it is never right to fight for the sake of his spiritual kingdom, but that it is right to fight on behalf of earthly kingdoms (when necessary to counter evil and destruction).

Romans 13:3-4 grants governments the right to use force to restrain and punish evil
Paul writes: “For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil.”
Here Paul affirms the government’s right to use force in two ways. First, he says that it “does not bear the sword for nothing.” Second, he states that government is a “minister of God” when it executes vengeance against evildoers. Governments, of course, do not have the right to use force for any purpose whatsoever. They do not have the right to use force in order to lord it over their citizens and impose unnecessary restraints upon freedom. There are two purposes for which this text says the government is justified in using force: the restraint of evil and the punishment of evil. The purpose of force is not just to prevent further evil from happening, but to punish evil acts by bringing the perpetrators to justice. Government is acting as a “minister of God” when it serves as “an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil.”

Does the right of the sword in this text extend to the case of war? The immediate context does have in mind the use of physical force in regard to a government’s own citizens. But by extension this also implies that if one nation commits an act of war against another nation, the offended nation has the right to engage in self-defense and to avenge the wrong.
Would it be consistent to say that a nation has a right to restrain and punish evil committed against it by its own citizens, but not to restrain and punish evil committed against it by another nation? The mere fact that the civil offense was committed by another country does not remove their accountability to the country they attacked.

1 Peter 2:13-4 confirms the teaching of Romans 13:3-4
In 1 Peter 2:13-14 , we are taught: “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.” Once again, the right of governments to punish evil is affirmed.

Is it right for a Christian to fight in a war?
Since the Scriptures teach that it is right for a nation to engage in a just war, it follows that it is therefore right for a Christian to fight in such a war. Some have argued that non- Christians may fight in wars but believers may not, but this distinction is not found in Scripture. Scripture teaches that it is not sin for a government to engage in a just war, and there is therefore nothing that forbids Christian from being involved in just wars.

Church and state must be distinguished
It is very important, however, to remember here the distinction between church and state. The Christian fights in a war not as an ambassador of the church or on behalf of the church, but as an ambassador of his country. The church is not to use violence ( John 18:36 ), but the government at times may ( John 18:36 ; Romans 13:3-4 ; etc.). So the Christian fights not as an agent of the church, but as an agent of the government of his country. Both are ultimately under the authority of God, but each has a distinct role.

What about turning the other cheek?
What, now, are we to make of Jesus’ radical commands in Matthew 5:39-41 ? “Do not resist him who is evil; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone wants to sue you, and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. And whoever shall force you to go one mile, go with him two.” How does this fit with what we have seen above?
First, we need to clarify what the problem is not. The problem is not that Jesus appears to be telling us to lie down and let evil overtake us. That is clearly not what he is saying. Instead, he is telling us what it looks like “not [to] be overcome by evil, but [to] overcome evil with good” ( Romans
12:21 ). We have all seen the wisdom of Jesus’ words here in our everyday lives. Much of the time, the most effective way to overcome evil is by not resisting. If someone says a mean word, it is far more effective to respond with kindness than with another mean word in return. If someone tries wrongly to cut you off on the freeway, it is usually best just to let them do it. If we would learn these principles, our lives would be
much more peaceful and, ironically, we would be vindicated more often.

So the problem is not that it looks as though Jesus is telling us to let evil steam-roll over us. The problem is that it looks like Jesus is telling us that the only way we should ever seek to overcome evil is by letting it go and responding with kindness. It looks as though he leaves no place for using force in resisting evil.Part of the answer to this difficulty lies in understanding the hyperbolic nature of much of the Sermon on the Mount. I don’t think that Jesus is telling us never to respond to evil with force (such as in self-defense) or always to literally turn the other cheek when we are slapped any more than his command later in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:6 means that we should only pray when we are completely alone or his command in 5:29 means that some should literally gouge out their eyes. Jesus himself drove the thieves away
from the temple with a whip ( John 2:15 ) and Paul at times insisted on his rights as a Roman citizen ( Acts 25:11 ; cf. also the interesting instance of 16:35-40). Jesus is using hyperbole to illustrate what our primary disposition and attitude should be, not to say that we should literally give in to every attempt to do evil against us. That is part of the answer.

The main part of the answer, however, lies in remembering that Jesus is speaking primarily to individuals. He is not mainly addressing governments here, but is primarily speaking at the personal level. This text, then, shows that an individual’s primary response to evil should be to “turn the other cheek,” while the other texts we have seen (e.g.,
Romans 13:3-4 ) show that government’s God-given responsibility is to punish those who commit civil crimes (murder, terrorism, acts of war, etc.). While it is sometimes appropriate even for individuals to use self-defense, it is never appropriate for individuals to seek to punish others. But it is right, however, for governments both to take measures of self-
defense and to execute retribution.

There are, in other words, various “spheres” of life. God has willed that some spheres include responsibilities that are not necessarily included in other spheres. Personally, it would be wrong for us to execute retribution on people who harm us. But passages like Romans 13:3-4 and John 18:36 show that Jesus is not denying governments the right to execute retribution on evildoers. Therefore, when a Christian is under
the authority of the government and authorized to fight in a just war on the nation’s behalf, it is appropriate for him to fight. For he is not fighting as a private individual, but as a representative of the government to which God has given the power of the sword.

In doing so, a Christian soldier should strive to love one’s opponents in war as people, remembering that he opposes them as agents of the opposing government/system, not as private individuals. When at war, we need to look at people in the opposing army/terrorist group at two levels–the private, and governmental/public. Because of the private level, the soldier should pray for and love the opposing soldiers. And
because of the public level, the soldier fights against them– not as private individuals, but as public representatives of the system and evil that is being opposed. That distinction, I am sure, would be hard to maintain in battle. Neither would it remove the pain and difficulty of being involved in fighting against other human beings. But it is perhaps a faint reflection of how the personal and governmental spheres overlap and involve one another while still remaining distinct.

Too old for this?

No matter how old you are now. You are never too young or too old for
success or going after what you want. Here’s a short list of people who
accomplished great things at different ages

1) Helen Keller, at the age of 19 months, became deaf and blind. But
that didn’t stop her. She was the first deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.

2) Mozart was already competent on keyboard and violin; he composed from the age of 5.

3) Shirley Temple was 6 when she became a movie star on “Bright Eyes.”

4) Anne Frank was 12 when she wrote the diary of Anne Frank.

5) Magnus Carlsen became a chess Grandmaster at the age of 13.

6) Nadia Comăneci was a gymnast from Romania that scored seven perfect 10.0 and won three gold medals at the Olympics at age 14.

7) Tenzin Gyatso was formally recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama in  November 1950, at the age of 15.

8) Pele, a soccer superstar, was 17 years old when he won the world cup
in 1958 with Brazil.

9) Elvis was a superstar by age 19.

10) John Lennon was 20 years and Paul Mcartney was 18 when the Beatles had their first concert in 1961.

11) Jesse Owens was 22 when he won 4 gold medals in Berlin 1936.

12) Beethoven was a piano virtuoso by age 23

13) Issac Newton wrote Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica at age 24

14) Roger Bannister was 25 when he broke the 4 minute mile record

15) Albert Einstein was 26 when he wrote the theory of relativity

16) Lance E. Armstrong was 27 when he won the tour de France

17) Michelangelo created two of the greatest sculptures “David” and “Pieta” by age 28

18) Alexander the Great, by age 29, had created one of the largest empires of the ancient world

19) J.K. Rowling was 30 years old when she finished the first manuscript of Harry Potter

20) Amelia Earhart was 31 years old when she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean

21) Oprah was 32 when she started her talk show, which has become the
highest-rated program of its kind

22) Edmund Hillary was 33 when he became the first man to reach Mount Everest

23) Martin Luther King Jr. was 34 when he wrote the speech “I Have a Dream."

24) Marie Curie was 35 years old when she got nominated for a Nobel Prize in Physics

25) The Wright brothers, Orville (32) and Wilbur (36) invented and built the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight

26) Vincent Van Gogh was 37 when he died virtually unknown, yet his
paintings today are worth millions.

27) Neil Armstrong was 38 when he became the first man to set foot on the moon.

28) Mark Twain was 40 when he wrote "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", and 49 years old when he wrote "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"

29) Christopher Columbus was 41 when he discovered the Americas

30) Rosa Parks was 42 when she refused to obey the bus driver’s order
to give up her seat to make room for a white passenger

31) John F. Kennedy was 43 years old when he became President of the
United States

32) Henry Ford Was 45 when the Ford T came out.

33) Suzanne Collins was 46 when she wrote "The Hunger Games"

34) Charles Darwin was 50 years old when his book On the Origin of Species came out.

35) Leonardo Da Vinci was 51 years old when he painted the Mona Lisa.

36) Abraham Lincoln was 52 when he became president.

37) Ray Kroc Was 53 when he bought the McDonalds Franchise and took it to unprecedented levels.

38) Dr. Seuss was 54 when he wrote "The Cat in the Hat".

40) Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III was 57 years old when he  successfully ditched US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River in 2009. All of the 155 passengers aboard the aircraft survived

41) Colonel Harland Sanders was 61 when he started the KFC Franchise

42) J.R.R Tolkien was 62 when the Lord of the Ring books came out

43) Ronald Reagan was 69 when he became President of the US

44) Jack Lalane at age 70 handcuffed, shackled, towed 70 rowboats

45) Nelson Mandela was 76 when he became President

Excuses

People spend too much time finding other people to blame, too much energy finding excuses for not being what they are capable of being, and not enough energy putting themselves on the line, growing out of the past, and getting on with their lives.

I felt ashamed for what I had done. I don't have any excuses. I did what I did. I take full responsibility for myself and my actions. I wouldn't pawn this off on anybody. I'm sorry it happened. And I hurt people.
Louie Anderson

Leadership - leadership is about taking responsibility, not making excuses.
Mitt Romney

Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.
George Washington Carver

Excuses change nothing, but make everyone feel better.
Mason Cooley

It doesn't matter if you come from the inner city. People who fail in life are people who find lots of excuses. It's never too late for a person to recognize that they have potential in themselves.
Benjamin Carson

The day you take complete responsibility for yourself, the day you stop making any excuses, that's the day you start to thetop.
O. J. Simpson

We first fought... in the name of religion, then Communism, and now in the name of drugs and terrorism. Our excuses for global domination always change.
Serj Tankian

The real man is one who always finds excuses for others, but never excuses himself.
Henry Ward Beecher

Peer pressure and social norms are powerful influences on behaviour, and  they are classic excuses.
Andrew Lansley

He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.
Benjamin Franklin

We must not constantly talk about tackling obesity and warning people about the negative consequences of obesity. Instead we must be positive - positive about the fun and benefits to be had from healthy living, trying to get rid of people's excuses for being obese by tackling the issue in a
positive way.
Andrew Lansley

No excuses and no sob stories. Life is full of excuses if you're looking. I have no time to gripe over misfortune. I don't waste time looking back.
Junior Seau

Not managing your time and making excuses are two bad habits. Don't put them both together by claiming you 'don't have the time'.
Bo Bennett

One of my biggest influences of all time would probably be one of my soccer coaches, Coach Darlington, from high school. He was always trying to get me to push myself really hard. No excuses. I always hated him, but it paid off. I think that's what life is all about... when you push through the hard stuff and it pays off.
Jonny Weston

Beast Mode doesn't make excuses. It doesn't complain. Whatever you're doing, go out there and get it done. Keep pushing. If I have a bad game, I think about what I have to do to return to form. Figure it out, go to sleep, and wake up a new man.
Matt Kemp

Negative thinking is subtle and deceptive. It wears many faces and hides behind the mask of excuses. It is important to strip away the mask and discover the real, root emotion.
Robert H. Schuller

It is wise to direct your anger towards problems - not people; to focus your energies on answers - not excuses.
William Arthur Ward

God's plan for enlarging His kingdom is so simple - one person telling another about the Savior. Yet we're busy and full of excuses. Just remember, someone's eternal destiny is at stake. The joy you'll have when you meet that person in heaven will far exceed any discomfort you felt in sharing the gospel.
Charles Stanley

If you really want to do it, you do it. There are no excuses.
Bruce Nauman

I think what's going on in Guantanamo Bay and other places is a disgrace to the U.S.A. I wouldn't say it's the cause of terrorism, but it has given impetus and excuses to potential terrorists to lash out at our country and justify their despicable acts.
Jimmy Carter

Most people don't have that willingness to break bad habits. They have a lot of excuses and they talk like victims.
Carlos Santana

The politics of partisanship and the resulting inaction and excuses have
paralyzed decision-making, primarily at the federal level, and the big issues of the day are not being addressed, leaving our future in jeopardy.
Michael Bloomberg

Regardless of the difficulties we may face individually, in our families, in our communities and in our nation, the old adage is still true - you can make excuses or you can make progress, but you cannot make both! The America I know doesn't make excuses.
Mia Love

Less, Several, Convincing Several excuses are always less convincing than one.
Aldous Huxley

Peace on earth; goodwill to men

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
and wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

Tips for successful career planning

by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.

Career planning is not an activity that should be done once -- in high school or college -- and then left behind as we move forward in our jobs and careers. Rather, career planning is an activity that is best done on a regular basis -- especially given the data that the average worker will change careers (not jobs) multiple times over his or her lifetime. And it's never too soon or too late to start your career planning.

Career planning is not a hard activity, not something to be dreaded or put off, but rather an activity that should be liberating and fulfilling, providing goals to achieve in your current career or plans for beginning a transition to a new career. Career planning should be a rewarding and positive
experience.

Here, then, are 10 tips to help you achieve successful career
planning.

1. Make Career Planning an Annual Event
Many of us have physicals, visit the eye doctor and dentist, and do a myriad of other things on an annual basis, so why not career planning? Find a day or weekend once a year -- more often if you feel the need or if you're planning a major career change -- and schedule a retreat for yourself. Try to block out all distractions so that you have the time to truly focus on your career -- what you really want out of your career, out of your life. By making career planning an annual event, you will feel more secure in your career choice and direction -- and you'll be better prepared for the many uncertainties and difficulties that lie ahead in all of our jobs and career.

2. Map Your Path Since Last Career Planning
One of your first activities whenever you take on career planning is spending time mapping out your job and career path since the last time you did any sort of career planning. While you should not dwell on your past, taking the time to review and reflect on the path -- whether straight and narrow or one filled with any curves and dead-ends -- will help you
plan for the future. Once you've mapped your past, take the time to reflect on your course -- and note why it looks the way it does. Are you happy with your path? Could you have done things better? What might you have done differently? What can you do differently in the future?

3. Reflect on Your Likes and Dislikes, Needs and Wants
Change is a factor of life; everybody changes, as do our likes and dislikes. Something we loved doing two years ago may now give us displeasure. So always take time to reflect on the things in your life -- not just in your job -- that you feel most strongly about. Make a two-column list of your major likes and dislikes. Then use this list to examine your current job and career path. If your job and career still fall mostly in the like column, then you know you are still on the right path; however, if your job activities fall mostly in the dislike column, now is the time to begin examining new jobs and new careers. Finally, take the time to really think about what it is you want or need from your work, from your career. Are you looking to make a difference in the world? To be famous? To become financially independent? To effect change? Take the time to
understand the motives that drive your sense of success and happiness.

4. Examine Your Pastimes and Hobbies
Career planning provides a great time to also examine the activities you like doing when you're not working. It may sound a bit odd, to examine non-work activities when doing career planning, but it's not. Many times your hobbies and leisurely pursuits can give you great insight into future career paths. Think you can't make a hobby into a career? People do it all
the time. The great painter Paul Gauguin was a successful business person who painted on the side. It actually wasn't until he was encouraged by an artist he admired to continue painting that he finally took a serious look at his hobby and decided he should change careers. He was good at business, but his love was painting.

5. Make Note of Your Past Accomplishments
Most people don't keep a very good record of work accomplishments and then struggle with creating a powerful resume when it's time to search for a new job. Making note of your past accomplishments -- keeping a record of them -- is not only useful for building your resume, it's also useful for career planning. Sometimes reviewing your past accomplishments will reveal forgotten successes, one or more which may trigger researching and planning a career shift so that you can be in
a job that allows you to accomplish the types of things that make you most happy and proud. For more about accomplishments, read: Tracking and Leveraging Accomplishments .

6. Look Beyond Your Current Job for Transferable Skills
Some workers get so wrapped up in their job titles that they don't see any other career possibilities for themselves. Every job requires a certain set of skills, and it's much better to categorize yourself in terms of these skill sets than be so myopic as to focus just on job titles. For example, one job-seeker who was trying to accomplish career planning found herself stuck because she identified herself as a reporter. But once she looked beyond her job title, she could see that she had this strong collection of
transferable skills -- such as writing, editing, researching, investigating, interviewing, juggling multiple tasks, meeting goals and deadlines, and managing time and information -- skills that could easily be applied to a wide variety of jobs in many different careers. For more about transferable skills, read: Transferable Skills .

7. Review Career and Job Trends
Everyone makes his or her own job and career opportunities, so that even if your career is shrinking, if you have excellentskills and know how to market yourself, you should be able to find a new job. However, having information about career trends is vital to long-term career planning success. A career path that is expanding today could easily shrink
tomorrow -- or next year. It's important to see where job growth is expected, especially in the career fields that most interest you. Besides knowledge of these trends, the other advantage of conducting this research is the power it gives you to adjust and strengthen your position, your unique selling proposition. One of the keys to job and career success is having a unique set of accomplishments, skills, and education that make you better than all others in your career.

5 Ways To Handle Anger In A Biblical Way

Handling anger is an important topic. Anger is so common place that we often accept is as the normal. Practically every day we see people getting angry – in traffic, in stores, on security camera video clips on the news, in movies, and maybe even in our homes.

I have had two women in the past week share with me that their husband is emotionally abusive due to the anger that he deals with every day, and I know there are countless other people living in hostile environments.
I also recently read that Christian counselors report that 50% of people who come in for counseling have problems dealing with anger. And a website I came across stated that over 60% of people lose their temper
at least once per week.

So what do we do?! How we can not only overcome extreme bitterness in our heart that resulted from being hurt or betrayed, but also learn to avoid losing our temper over all the daily things that agitate us?
Below are 5 ways to begin looking at anger differently, and handling it in a way that pleases God. (Bible verses are all from The Message Bible
translation.)

1. Before letting anger erupt, remember that God works through trials. Think about how God would have you handle the situation, so that when people see your true colors, they are beautiful and not something to be
ashamed of. Consider how He might be maturing you in your faith, and pray for Him to work in you, through the challenge. James 1:2-4 (MSG) Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith- life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way

2. Let God do His job, instead of trying to do it for Him.
When we have been hurt or wronged, we want the one who brought us pain, to feel pain themselves. We want to shun them, give them the silent treatment, or hurt them with words. We want to somehow get back
at them for what they have done, after all, they deserve it. But if there is one thing I know, God is a righteous and just God, and we can always trust that He knows what is going on and He will see to it that justice takes place. Romans 12:19 Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.”

3. Don’t keep it all inside – talk it out.
The longer we hold our anger in, the more agitated it can become, so when it erupts, the outcome will always be ugly. Talk to God about your feelings, and talk to someone you trust who can support in your desire to let your anger go. Ephesians 4:26 Go ahead and be angry. You do well
to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold
in your life.

4. If you can’t change the person or circumstance which has angered you….. change yourself.
Anyone can return evil for evil…. but it takes a courageous person in Christ to allow love to flow from our hearts instead of hatred. Even if your mind wants to take revenge, talk to God about helping you have the willpower to offer forgiveness. It might not change the external problem, but it will change your internal ability to handle the situation. Psalm 107:19-20 Then you called out to GOD in your desperate condition; he got you out in the nick of time. He spoke the word that healed you, that pulled you back from the brink of death.

5. Remember that no matter how justified we feel in our anger,; no matter how hopeless a situation seems; and no matter how or agitating, a situation may be – God is always there to help us deal with our anger in
the right way. 1 Corinthians 10:13 No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.
So to make it sound easier – let’s break it down into 5 easy steps:
* Remember God has a plan.
* Let Him do His job.
* Talk it out (with Him, and others)
* Change what you can change.
* Remember God is your helper.

If you have struggled with anger, in big ways or small ways, my prayer is that you will tuck these 5 steps into your heart and let them start becoming a habit, as you focus on dealing with each situation in this way. If you do not struggle with anger, the likelihood is that you know someone who does, and possibly whose family is suffering because of it. Pray about forwarding this week’s posts to them. Overcoming ungodly anger won’t happen overnight, but if we turn our emotions over to God and rely on His strength, it can happen.
I’ve heard it takes 21 days for a habit to form – today could be the first of that twenty one.

TRACIE MILES

How to Build Your Legacy

IMAGINE YOUR FUNERAL. Not the brightest topic, to be sure, but one worth serious thought—no matter what your age. Your family and friends have gathered to honor your life. But what do you leave behind?
Beyond the contents of your last will and testament, what part of you remains on earth even after you've passed away?
Your legacy. It's something you create during your life solely to benefit future generations, something you may never see come to fruition. Just like a farmer who plants a tree knowing he'll never live to taste its fruits,
a legacy is a gift you leave behind without expecting anything in return. 

Think of John F. Kennedy and the space program or Martin Luther King Jr. and civil rights. They died before their legacies were fulfilled, but they will be forever revered for their efforts. Just like that farmer's sprouting tree, legacies don't happen overnight—and they don't happen by accident. They're deliberately crafted over years of hard work and dedication. But you don't have to give up your worldly possessions and become a Mother Teresa to start building your legacy now. Here's how.

Understand your legacy.

First, you need to really grasp why it's important to leave a legacy in the first place. "The legacy we leave is part of the ongoing foundations of life," says business philosopher and author Jim Rohn. "Those who came before leave us the world we live in. Those who will come after will have only what we leave them. We are stewards of this world, and we have a calling in our lives to leave it better than how we found it, even if it seems like such a small part."

Look back on your own life, and you'll see legacy- leavers everywhere, from the founding fathers of our nation to your parents, former teachers and elder family members. All of these people left you with instructions
on how to live—for better or for worse. And now it's your turn to decide what kind of legacy you'll leave for posterity.

Choose your legacy.

Legacies come in different shapes and forms, requiring varying levels of effort and commitment. Some choose to leave financial legacies, supporting causes such as funding breast cancer research or a new building at one's alma mater. Other legacies are institutional, like when somebody founds a nonprofit or builds a business that's a positive force in the community. All of these examples have their value and place in society.

Yet, in his The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John C. Maxwell believes in a third, more lasting avenue of legacy. "Too often, leaders put their energy into organizations, buildings, systems or other lifeless
objects," says the leadership expert and bestselling author. "But only people live on after we are gone. Everything else is temporary." Gerontologist and author Ken Dychtwald reached a similar conclusion in a recent survey focusing on elder generations and their baby boomer children. He and colleagues at his company, Age Wave, discovered four
"pillars of legacy": values and life lessons, instructions and wishes to be fulfilled, possessions of emotional value, and property and money. When asked which pillar meant the most to them, both groups answered resoundingly: values and life lessons. "There's this enormous craving, this desire for people in their maturity to share what they've learned, to pass on lessons of a lifetime, to teach, to feel that their life experience is being invested, even planted, into the field of tomorrow," Dychtwald says. "There was also a similar response—a natural, innate appetite on the part of younger generations—to receive that."

Focus your legacy.

Granted, conveying the accumulated lessons of a lifetime is easier said than done. In deciding exactly what you want to put out into the world, look inward first. Start by identifying your strengths. The most obvious
place to look is your career—but don't just focus on your job title, Dychtwald says. "You are trained to think of your skills and talents as what you do at work," he says in his latest book With Purpose: Going from Success to Significance in Work and Life. "But if you think of them as core strengths instead, you can begin to see how they are more widely applicable. You are not just an administrative assistant; you're someone
who gets things done. You're not jut a retail manager; you're someone who can spot the strengths in others and suit them to the task."

Talk to your colleagues, friends and family members for their insight. Keep a running list, and see which strengths come up most frequently. Often, others see our gifts more clearly than we do. Also, consider what topics and activities you're passionate about and that you find interesting. "Think about how you spend your time," Dychtwald says.
"Most of us tend to be drawn—either directly or indirectly—to the settings, activities and people that allow us to express our interests."
In short, your legacy should be a labor of love—not a chore.

Next, use the findings from your introspection to establish a "life sentence." Writer and politician Clare Boothe Luce embraced this idea of "a statement summarizing the goal and purpose of one's life," says
Maxwell. His own statement has changed over time— from "I want to be a great pastor" to "I want to be a great communicator"— but he thinks that he's finally settled on a winner. "My life sentence is, 'I want to add
value to leaders who will multiply value to others.'" This statement is important because it "not only sets the direction for your life but it also determines the legacy you will leave," he says. Focus on your life sentence throughout your journey, and use it to keep you on track.

Live your legacy.

Now that you have a plan of action, it's time to implement it. "What must you change in the way you conduct yourself so that you live that legacy?" Maxwell asks. "Your list may include behavioral changes, character development, education, working methods, relationship-building style and so on. Only by changing the way you live will you be able to create the legacy you want to leave."

Both Maxwell and Dychtwald compare the act of leaving a legacy to passing a baton. "If you've ever watched a relay race, the most important moment of the race is the passing of the baton," Dychtwald says. "The art of handing off that baton is quite spectacular when it's done well. In our society, we don't put that much credence on sitting at the feet of our elders and allowing them to transfer to us the legacy of their lives.
And I think that's a great loss."

So, now that you're in the role of the elder, the baton- passer, who will be the recipient? Who will you invite to sit at your feet? Picture your life—and the people in it— as a succession of increasingly larger rings reaching out from a center point: you. Now think about how you can impart your legacy upon the people of those rings, starting with your family. Both your actions and words leave a legacy behind for your children and younger family members, so make sure that you lead by
example as well as by what you say. As they grow older, these younger generations will likely seek your wisdom and want to hear about your life experiences.

Share the lessons that have meant the most to you. For many, the next ring outward is one's primary occupation. Think about whom you could mentor in your work environment and how. Which of your core strengths could benefit others in their pursuit of success? Where do you see unrealized potential, and how can you unleash it? Many might think that today's cutthroat business environment isn't the place for cultivating such relationships—but Dychtwald disagrees. "The soul of American capitalism is, in its heart, enormously generous of spirit," he says. "This idea that business shouldn't solely be about profit-making but contributing to people's lives and trading wisdom, trading positive experiences, has largely been covered over for decades. "The culture of work has largely become fragmented by people trying to serve their own needs and short-term loyalties. I think there's much legacy that can be
accomplished with your work team, with the way people relate to each other, joining forces with the idea of people coming together to do something great."

Next, look even farther outward (perhaps even outside your comfort zone) to how you can benefit strangers through different groups and organizations. New York City lawyer Matthew Weiss does just that. For the past nine years, Weiss has been a member of the nonprofit Entrepreneurs' Organization, mentoring up-and-coming businesspeople and networking with other small- business owners (Weiss's eponymous law firm is the third company he has started). "I'm always looking to help other people with what they need," he says. "I meet someone and I want to know, 'What are your challenges in your business? What are your challenges in your life?' And I try and put people together to solve those problems."

Weiss says even when he doubts how useful he can be to the 20- and 30-something entrepreneurs whom he mentors, he's always surprised how his advice can make a difference. "I didn't realize how much value I had to offer them and the clarity I could provide when they're trying to
figure out what their issue might be or how to overcome the issue," says the husband and father of three. "Watching their faces light up when I give them what I think is a pretty simple answer...for me, it's really rewarding to watch that 'light bulb' moment occur."

And, after all, isn't that what it's all about—that "light bulb" moment, illuminating the lives of generations to come, helping them navigate the road ahead? Dychtwald thinks so. "What's the purpose of having 60, 80, 100 years of life?" he asks. "It's not just to have an enormous wealth of experiences. But I think it's to have time and energy and the resources to teach, to give it back. [Developmental psychologist Erik] Erikson had this great quote: 'I am what survives of me.' That's really a very different sort of battle cry. Stepping out of one's moment in time and thinking about oneself in the chain of development from generation to generation and being motivated to not only make something of oneself—but to share it."

Chelsea Greenwood

You love me anyway

The question was raised
As my conscience fell
A silly, little lie
It didn’t mean much
But it lingers still
In the corners of my mind
Still you call me to walk
On the edge of this world
To spread my dreams and fly
But the future’s so far
My heart is so frail
I think I’d rather stay inside

But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
Yes, You love me anyway
Oh, Lord, how You love me
How You love me

It took more than my strength
To simply be still
To seek but never find
All the reasons we change
The reasons I doubt
And why do loved ones have to die?

But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
Yes, You love me anyway
Oh, Lord, how You love me

I am a thorn in Your crown
But You love me anyway
I am the sweat from Your brow
But You love me anyway
I am the nail in Your wrist
But You love me anyway
I am Judas’ kiss
But You love me anyway
See now, I am the man who yelled out from the crowd
For Your blood to be spilled on this earth shaking ground
Yes then I turned away with the smile on my face
With this sin in my heart tried to bury Your grace
And then alone in the night I still called out for You
So ashamed of my life, my life, my life

But You love me anyway
Oh, God, how you love me
Yes, You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
Yes, You love me anyway
Oh, Lord, how You love me
Yes, You love me,
Yes, You love me
Yes, You love me,
Yes, You love me
How You love me
How You love me
How You love me

Sidewalk prophets

Another twin blast rocks Maiduguri market; dozens feared killed

Many persons are feared killed in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, Monday, after two explosions went off at the Maiduguri main market, where two suicide bombers last week detonated deadly explosives, killing themselves and several other people.

The explosions sounded almost one after the other at about 11:20 am.
A witness, Abba Ibrahim, who works as a security guard at a government hospital near the market, told journalists that the thunderous blasts caused several traders to scamper to safety. “As it is now, people are running for dear lives, so one cannot confirm to you the extent of damage, but the two blasts we just heard were too loud that it could cause more damage than the ones of last week,” he said.

A trader, Dauda Bala, who spoke with journalists on phone said, “The security and other aid workers are trying to evacuate the dead and injured persons from the scene of the explosion…I can’t say how many were killed or injured but I have seen very many victims dripping with blood, others with parts of their bodies dismembered by the blasts”.

Another witness at the market, who gave his name as Mallam Bashir, said the explosions were caused by two suspected female suicide bombers. “The explosions occurred at the area where fowls are being sold inside the market, very close to the First Bank branch. Those close enough to the place said it was two girls who came into the market with
the bombs,” said Mr. Bashir, a used cloth vendor. The spokesperson of the Borno State Command of the Nigeria Police, Gideon Jubrin, confirmed the incident but said details were still sketchy. “Of course we heard the explosions somewhere in town but it will be too early now to say what actually happened and what damage was caused by the explosion until much later,” he said.

Beyonce accused of domestic violence, allegedly slaps Jay Z once in a while

According to reports, it’s not only Solange that puts hands on Jay Z, his wife, Beyonce does it too. “In a shocking claim, Beyonce is alleged to be the physically abusive partner in the relationship” reported by sources, who provided emphatic evidence that she’s spiraling closer to an epic nervous breakdown, as friends fear. An insider said “The relationship is as volatile as ever, It looks like sometimes she can’t control her anger or her liquor when she drinks”.

In fact, a provocative series of seemingly coded cries for help recently posted on the singer’s social media accounts have prompted some in the know to coyly label them “Beyonce’s breadcrumbs.” In October, the “Drunk in Love” star published a photo showing Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton locked in a firey embrace. That A-list couple made headlines with their notoriously volatile relationship.

Dare to move on

In order to achieve your goals , you must cultivate perseverance and determination. Here are 67 perseverance quotes for when you feel your
determination wavering and you need some motivation in order to keep going:

1. “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination
alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race” ~ Calvin Coolidge

2. “In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins- not through strength but by perseverance.” ~ H. Jackson Brown

3. “If I had to select one quality, one personal characteristic that I regard as being most highly correlated with success, whatever the field, I would
pick the trait of persistence. Determination. The will to endure to the end, to get knocked down seventy times and get up off the floor saying.
“Here comes number seventy-one!” ~ Richard M. Devos

4. “Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody.” ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

5. “The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places.” ~ Author Unknown

6. When the world says, “Give up,” Hope whispers, “Try it one more time.” ~ Author Unknown

7. “One of the commonest mistakes and one of the costliest is thinking that success is due to some genius, some magic – something or other which we do not possess. Success is generally due to holding on, and failure to letting go. You decide to learn a language, study music, take a course of reading, train yourself physically. Will it be success or failure? It depends upon how much pluck and perseverance that word “decide” contains. The decision that nothing can overrule, the grip that nothing can detach will bring success. Remember the Chinese proverb, “With time and patience, the mulberry leaf becomes satin.” ~ Maltbie Davenport Babcock

8. “I am not judged by the number of times I fail, but by the number of times I succeed: and the number of times I succeed is in direct proportion
to the number of times I fail and keep trying.” ~ Tom Hopkins

9. “A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success.” ~ Elbert Hubbard

10. “If you are going through hell, keep going.” ~ Winston Churchill

11. “When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

12. “Perseverance is a positive, active characteristic. It is not idly, passively waiting and hoping for some good thing to happen. It gives us
hope by helping us realize that the righteous suffer no failure except in giving up and no longer trying. We must never give up, regardless of
temptations, frustrations, disappointments, or discouragements.” ~ Joseph P. Wirthlin

13. “The greatest oak was once a little nut who held its ground.” ~ Author Unknown

14. “Fall seven times, stand up eight.” ~ Japanese Proverb

15. “If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again.” ~ Flavia Weedn

16. “Stubbornly persist, and you will find that the limits of your stubbornness go well beyond the stubbornness of your limits.” ~ Robert Brault

17. “The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running.” ~ Author unknown

18. “What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight – it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” ~ General Dwight Eisenhower

19. “A difficult time can be more readily endured if we retain the conviction that our existence holds a purpose – a cause to pursue, a person to love, a goal to achieve.” ~ John Maxwell

20. “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” ~ Albert Einstein

21. “Don’t be discouraged. It’s often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock.” ~ Author Unknown

22. “The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” ~ Chinese Proverb

23. “Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.” ~William Feather

24. “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose
conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.” ~ Thomas Paine

25. “Big shots are only little shots who keep shooting.” ~ Christopher Morley

26. “Never, never, never, never give up.” ~ Winston Churchill

27. “I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I am right. ” ~ Albert Einstein

28. “The most essential factor is persistence – the determination never to allow your energy or enthusiasm to be dampened by the discouragement that must inevitably come.” ~ James Whitcomb Riley

29. “He who would do some great thing in this short life, must apply himself to the work with such a concentration of his forces as to the idle
spectators, who live only to amuse themselves, looks like insanity.” ~ John Foster

30. “Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the
last blow that did it, but all that had gone before.” ~ Jacob A. Riis

31. “Success . . . seems to be connected with action. Successful men keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” ~ Conrad Hilton

32. “At the timberline where the storms strike with the most fury, the sturdiest trees are found.” ~ Hudson Newsletter

33. “Boys, there ain’t no free lunches in this country. And don’t go spending your whole life commiserating that you got the raw deals. You’ve got to say, I think that if I keep working at this and want it bad enough I can have it. It’s called perseverance.” ~ Lee Iacocca

34. “Champions keep playing until they get it right.” ~ Billie Jean King

35. “We can do anything we want to do if we stick to it long enough.” ~ Helen Keller

36. “The miracle, or the power, that elevates the few is to be found in their industry, application, and perseverance under the prompting of a brave,
determined spirit.” ~ Mark Twain

37. “God helps those who persevere.” ~ The Koran

38. “Victory is always possible for the person who refuses to stop fighting.” ~ Napoleon Hill

39. “Decide carefully, exactly what you want in life, then work like mad to make sure you get it!” ~ Hector Crawford

40. “It is not enough to begin; continuance is necessary. Mere enrollment will not make one a scholar; the pupil must continue in the school through the long course, until he masters every branch. Success depends upon staying power. The reason for failure in most cases is lack of
perseverance.” ~ Miller

41. “It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.” ~ Confucius

42. “A jug fills drop by drop.” ~ Buddha

43. “Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.” ~ Newt Gingrich

44. “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another.” ~ Walter Elliott

45. “Try not to do too many things at once. Know what you want, the number one thing today and tomorrow. Persevere and get it done.” ~ George Allen

46. “He conquers who endures.” ~ Persius

47. “Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they’ve got a second.” ~ William James

48. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” ~ Thomas A. Edison

49. “Conquering any difficulty always gives one a secret joy, for it means pushing back a boundary- line and adding to one`s liberty.” ~ Henri Frederic Amiel

50. “There is no telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing a dream.” ~ Author Unknown

51. “What we do not see, what most of us never suspect of existing, is the silent but irresistible power which comes to the rescue of those who fight
on in the face of discouragement.” ~ Napoleon Hill

52. “Persist and persevere, and you will find most things that are attainable, possible.” ~ Lord Chesterfield

53. “In general, any form of exercise, if pursued continuously, will help train us in perseverance. Long-distance running is particularly good
training in perseverance.” ~ Mao Tse-Tung

54. “Energy and persistence conquer all things.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

55. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” ~ Nelson Mandela

56. “’Tis a lesson you should heed. Try, try, try again. If at first you don’t succeed, Try, try, try again.” ~ William Edward Hickson

57. “In case of doubt, push on just a little further and then keep on pushing.” ~ General George S Patton, Jr.

58. “There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.” ~ Buddha

59. “The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail.” ~ Napoleon Hill

60. “Be audacious and cunning in your plans, firm and persevering in their execution, determined to find a glorious end.” ~ Karl von Clausewitz

61. “I will persist until I succeed. Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a
time is not too difficult. I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking.” ~ Og Mandino

62. “If your determination is fixed, I do not counsel you to despair. Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed
not by strength, but perseverance.” ~ Dr. Samuel Johnson

63. “I’ve always made a total effort, even when the odds seemed entirely against me. I never quit trying; I never felt that I didn’t have a chance to
win.” ~ Arnold Palmer

64. “When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal, you do not change your decision to get there.” ~ Zig Ziglar

65. “Perseverance, secret of all triumphs.” ~ Victor Hugo

66. “There’s only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything.” ~ Vincent Lombardi

67. “The will to persevere is often the difference between failure and success.” ~ David Sarnoff
The difference between failure and success lies in your ability to persevere. Increase your perseverance and begin living your best life .

Start over

When you’ve trusted Jesus and walked his way
When you’ve felt his hand lead you day by day
But your steps now take you another way,
start over.
When you’ve made your plans and they’ve gone awry
When you’ve tried your best and there’s no more try
When you’ve failed yourself and you don’t know why,
start over.
When you’ve told your friends what you plan to do
When you’ve trusted them and they didn’t come through
And now you’re all alone and it’s up to you,
start over.
When you’ve failed your kids and they’re grown and gone
When you’ve done your best but it’s turned out wrong
And now your grandchildren have come along,
start over.
When you’ve prayed to God so you’ll know his will
When you’ve prayed and prayed and you don’t know still
When you want to stop cause you’ve had your fill,
start over.
When you think you’re finished and want to quit
When you’ve bottomed out in life’s deepest pit
When you’ve tried and tried to get out of it,
start over.
When the year has been long and successes few
When December comes and you’re feeling blue
God gives a January just for you,
start over.

God of wonders

Lord of all creation
Of water, earth and sky
The heavens are Your tabernacle
Glory to the Lord on High
God of wonders, beyond our galaxy
You are holy, holy
The universe declares Your majesty
You are holy, holy
Lord of heaven and earth
Lord of heaven and earth
Early in the morning
I will celebrate the light
When I stumble in the darkness
I will call Your name by night
Hallelujah to the Lord of heaven and earth
Hallelujah to the Lord of heaven and earth
Hallelujah to the Lord of heaven and earth
You're wonderful, so wonderful, Lord
So wonderful, Lord
Universe declares Your majesty
You are holy, You are holy