Monday, July 29, 2013

The Energy Bus ... what keeps it going

by Dale Shumaker
www.spiritsavvy.net
4spirit@gmail.com


  The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon is about how to cultivate energy, maintain it in all circumstances, and then share it with all others.

In life, you can choose to see the curse or choose to see the gift. On Joy's bus, she encourages the riders that it's their choice, so choose wisely. 

 
George had a flat tire, so he had to take the bus. There he met Joy, the bus driver, who always was smiling at him. George found out his car had a defective brake system, was part of a recall, and that it would take two weeks for the part to come in. He decided to take the bus the next two weeks.


His job was on the line. George had lost zeal for life. What he learned from Joy turned his life around. Joy had "10 rules for the ride of your life" posted on front of the bus. The next ten days, Joy and her joyful bus riders explained the importance of these rules to George.

Rule #1. You're the Driver of Your Bus. Take responsibility and control of your life. Take it where you want it to go. You must decide what you want, then create it. Don't let the world create it for you. What's your vision for your life, your work, your relationships. The laws of physics point out it's all about energy. What and who increases your energy. Sometimes by seeing what we don't want we see what we do want. Use crisis to create opportunity.

Rule # 2. Desire, vision, and focus move your bus the right direction. Stop thinking about what you don't want and focus your energy on your vision and what you want. Live in your energy field of dreams.

Rule #3. Fuel your ride with positive energy. E + P = O. Events in your life plus your perception creates your outcome. Make P a positive energy perception. You control that. This fuels your vision and puts energy behind your focus and creates positive results. It's like remembering the excitement of a great golf shot. You review it in your mind, tell others about it. Recall the exciting events of the day. Think about your vision, replay it in your mind daily and tell others.

Rule #4. Invite people on your bus and share your vision. Remember you're driving the bus, but you are also asking people to get on. It's too much to do it all yourself so you need an organized, energized team to deliver a successful product launch. When you invite people to get on they need to be excited about your vision too. And don't forget to tell your wife and family... it is indispensable that they be kept in the discussion of your vision.

Rule #5. Don't waste your energy on those who don't get on your bus. You may have some negative team members already. You may have to ignore them and not take it personally. Don't worry about those who won't get on your bus. The less energy you spend worrying about them, the better off you'll be.

Rule #6. Post a sign that says No Energy Vampires Allowed on your bus. Some who are negative and won't be positive with the vision may need to be asked to get off your bus. Your positive energy and vision must be greater than anyone's negativity. Your certainty must be greater than anyone's doubt. Lead with your heart. The heart is your power center.

Rule #7. Enthusiasm attracts more passengers and energizes them during the ride. Everyone around will be in beat to the frequency of your heart. Your positive energy will radiate to everyone's around you.

Rule #8. Love your passengers. Share love generously and you will become a love magnet to everyone around you. What people really want is to be loved and appreciated. When they feel loved employees will do more, and customers will send you more business.
Five ways to love your passengers. 1. Make time for them. 2. Listen to them. 3. Recognize them. 4. Serve them. 5. Bring out the best in them.

Rule #9. Drive with purpose. When you fuel up with purpose you find excitement in the mundane, the passion in the everyday, the extraordinary in the ordinary. Find your bigger purpose in the here and now and your purpose will find you. Shared purpose keeps your team energized. It is more powerful, meaningful, and inspiring if the team formulates what they want to be. They will be an energized, purpose-driven team.

Rule #10. Have fun and enjoy the ride. Live young, have fun, arrive at your destination as late as possible, with a smile on your face. Put these rules in your bus and the energy bus will give you the ride of your life.

In summary: 1. Create your vision. 2. Fuel your vision with purpose(it's benefit to others). 3. Write a vision/purpose statement. 4. Focus on your vision. 5. Zoom Focus. 6. Get on the bus. 7. Fuel the ride with positive energy. 8. Post a sign "No vampires allowed." 9. Navigate adversity and potholes. 10. Love your passengers 11. Have fun and enjoy the ride. For more go to...

http://www.jongordon.com/theenergybusbook.html


J
esus said when you remain in My Love you obey my commandments. His commands are not burdensome. We are to love God with all our heart and love each other.

In The True Vine by Andrew Murray, he writes about abiding in God's love. (Note John 14 and 15.) Abide in My love Jesus says. We speak of a man’s home as his abode. Our abode, the home of our soul, is to be the love of Christ. We are to live our life there, to be at home there all the day: this is what Christ means our life to be, and really can make it. Our continuous abiding in the Vine is to be an abiding in His love. The love of the Father to the Son is not a sentiment—it is a divine life, an infinite energy, an irresistible power. It carried Christ through life and death and the grave. The Father loved Him and dwelt in Him, and did all for Him.

So the love of Christ to us too is an infinite living power that will work in us all He delights to give us
. The feebleness of our Christian life is that we do not take time to believe that this divine love does really delight in us, and will possess and work all in us. We do not take time to look at the Vine bearing the branch so entirely, working all in it so completely. We strive to do for ourselves what Christ alone can, what Christ, oh, so lovingly, longs to do for us.

And this now is the secret of the change we spoke of, and the beginning of a new life, when the soul sees this infinite love willing to do all, and gives itself up to it. “Abide in My love.” To believe that, it is possible so to live moment by moment; to believe that everything that makes it difficult or impossible will be overcome by Christ Himself; to believe that Love really means an infinite longing to give itself wholly to us and never leave us; and in this faith to cast ourselves on Christ to work it in us; this is the secret of the true Christian life.

And how to come to this faith?
Turn away from the visible if you would see and possess the invisible. Take more time with Jesus, gazing on Him as the heavenly Vine, living in the love of the Father, wanting you to live in His love. Turn away from yourself and your efforts and your faith, if you would have the heart filled with Him and the certainty of His love. Abiding means going out from everything else, to occupy one place and stay there. Come away from all else, and set your heart on Jesus, and His love, that love will waken your faith and strengthen it. Occupy yourself with that love, worship it, wait for it. You may be sure it will reach out to you, and by its power take you up into itself as your abode and your home. 

Murray continues in Abide in Christ.
"This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you." Let us try in all simplicity and honesty to go out to our home to translate the language of high faith, so that all men can understand it.

--Let our temper be under the rule of the love of Jesus
: He can not alone curb it--He can make us gentle and patient. Let the vow, that not an unkind word about others shall ever be heard from our lips, be laid trustingly at His feet.
--Let the gentleness that refuses to take offense, that is always ready to excuse
, to think and hope the best, mark our intercourse with all.
--Let the love that seeks not its own, to give its life for others
, be our aim as we abide in Jesus. Let our life be one of self-sacrifice, always studying the welfare of others, finding our highest joy in blessing others.
--And let us, in studying the divine art of doing good, yield ourselves as obedient learners to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.


By His grace, the most commonplace life can be transfigured with the brightness of a heavenly beauty, as the infinite love of the divine nature shines out through our frail humanity.
Fellow-Christian, let us praise God! We are called to love as Jesus loves, as God loves.


Friday, July 26, 2013

Good to Great ... enduring work

By Dale Shumaker
www.spiritsavvy.net
4spirit@gmail.com

Good to Great (2001) by Jim Collins: "How to build a good organization into one that produces sustained great results." For over a decade, Good to Great has been on the top ten best business books.
Here is an outline of these stalwart business precepts that if all followed, applied, integrated within their systems, we could in decades move to new powerful heights as a business nation.

The first part of a business process is the build up. Then comes the breakthrough. But a certain path must be taken to get there. Here's the way:

The Build Up

Level 5 Leadership
Not Big personalities; but quiet, reserved, blending personal humility and professional will. The ambition is for the company, institutional success not personal success. Charismatic leaders need to learn lessons on how to involve others, build up others, and develop the skills of their team. It's having more plow horses than show horses. Their drive is for producing sustained results.

First Who... then What
Get the right people on the bus; the wrong people off. Most important asset--not people but the right people. Not ruthless cultures, but vigorous cultures. Put your best people on your best opportunities.

Confront the Brutal Facts(Yet never lose faith)
Maintain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties AND at the same time have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your reality. …"conduct autopsies without blame." Create a place where everyone can be heard. Get "motivated, self-directed people" and don't de-motivate them.

The Breakthrough

The Hedgehog Concept
Simplicity within the 3 Circles
Circle 1. What you can be the best in the world at.
Circle 2. What drives your economic engine.
Circle 3. What you are deeply passionate about.
In times of trouble go back to the 3 Circles.

The Council: people who can share openly, collect ideas, sort out honestly, and then come to a best idea resolved from great councils. It's a device to get a balance of perspectives of all parts of the company using the 3 Circles. Select people knowledgeable who work in critical areas.
Keep it to 5 to 10 people.

A Culture of Discipline
"When you have disciplined people, you don't need hierarchy."
"When you have disciplined thought, you don't need bureaucracy."

Technology Accelerations
"Pioneers in the application of carefully selected technology."
Use as a strategy to accomplish the 3 circles. It can accelerate the business clock. Avoid fads and use as a strategic servant to accomplish your values. Does the technology fit within your Hedgehog theme... it’s your slave, not your master.

The Flywheel and the Doom Loop
The flywheel builds results; the doom loop lacks results and sells the future. Relentlessly pushing a flywheel in one direction, turn upon turn, building momentum until a point of breakthrough and beyond. When you skip the build up and move directly to breakthrough, you risk entering the doom loop…creating a negative momentum difficult to reverse.

The Collins’ research group based their conclusions on findings, facts, and characteristics they found. They did not use a hypothesis approach to prove or disprove an assumption. They found out what worked and explained why it worked.

For more on Good to Great here is a more extensive summary:

http://www2.tech.purdue.edu/met/courses/met317/IAC/2011%20fall%20IAC/Good_to_Great.pdf
and Jim Collins’ website and particularly note
the Collins’ Good to Great diagnostic tool:
http://jimcollins.com/

If we would read the Bible in this way, we would maybe be better off pulling out what it is saying, than trying to make it fit preconceived ideas we have. The Bible is a life study book, loaded with spiritual case studies and enduring principles of Spirit. Just read it for yourself. See what jumps out at you and comes to mind. You can trust that as the Spirit of God speaking directly to you. Share it with a friend and see what comes of it.

The theme for progressing from good and moving to great is to be good, be humble and have patience. Humility with frankness plus respect form a winning combination. "I am not better than you. I respect you as much as I hope you respect me."

What is good?
This is a word that is one of the most vague terms we use. Talk to 20 people and you will probably get 20 different versions. So what is good? For whatever it's worth, here's my version.

Paul, the Apostle in the Bible said to fight the good fight. When he referred to fight the good fight he referred to doing what's righteous (God is Holy and we do all things in the light of what Holiness is. That still is vague and we wonder what that means and we have 1000's of very righteous groups telling us exactly what that means.)

The Apostle Paul goes on to say it is being like God, it promotes faith, expresses love, stays persevering, and is always gentle and kind. 1 Timothy 6:11, 12

God is Good, God is Holy, and to be Good is to be in God. Through Jesus Christ we have this right, privilege and ability to be in God. Jesus said to not call a man Good... "Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked him. "Only God is truly good." Luke 18:19

This is to be in the very presence, person of God Himself, The Spirit of Likeness of Himself. Becoming just like Him. Then we are good. So our ability to be Good is limited by our own humanness and we come up with many definitions of what Good is, of which most are partially right but not truly great definitions.

Jesus goes on to say that "I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and they who know me do as I do. We are all one who follow one voice. I lay my life down for my sheep."

He encourages us to take the back seat; humble yourself before others. John 10:14-17

It's humility among men, not making more of yourself that will make you appear better than others. Being able to appeal for help when needed and not being embarrassed, or too proud. Do not think you should do it all. Ask for help when you need it. Accept help when it’s offered to you. Allow others to bless you with their gifts, abilities as they have them to share and give you. If you have the same gifts as someone else who works with you, lay yours down and let the other one use theirs. The more you give up so others can shine in what they do, and allow them to use their gifts and abilities, the stronger you become as a group.

Patience then comes into play. Jesus, when hearing of His dear friend's sickness, Lazarus, waited a few days before going to him. Consequently, Lazarus died. Martha, Lazarus' sister, was at first upset that Jesus was not there. She told Jesus if you would have come he would not have died. But then she also had confidence in Jesus in that He could do whatever He wanted.

Jesus knew everything has a time and purpose. He waited because there was a greater glory everyone was going to experience. His time was for a certain time so to bring Glory to God (raising Lazarus from the dead).

We can steal of God when we move ahead of His timing and disturb His timing for His Glory. Move on God's timing.

Even Peter, the Apostle failed to be patient. He wanted to take matters in his own hands and he even told Jesus He was wrong. Jesus told His disciples to wait. Wait until the very Spirit of God would come on them... before you take action on His Mission.

Breakthroughs come when we are patient and allow the Spirit to work and then move when that power is with us and goes before us. Not forging ahead on our own, but allowing God's Spirit to do its work, and this Power of Spirit going ahead of us.

So what is great?
According to Jesus, Greatness is living in Spirit Process.
“So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven ."
“But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven !" (Matthew 5:19-20, NLT)
“I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John (the Baptist). Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is!” (Luke 7:28, NLT)
“So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 18:4, NLT)

John the Baptist lived a very humble life. A child is open minded and willingly learns, without a sense of self-importance.

So then what is Great?
It is being Holy, Being in God (true Goodness),
and not into just yourself,
being humble around others,
and being patient for God to act on your behalf.
God helps us to be Great like Him?

"I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances... I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations.” (Ezekiel 36: 27-30, NASB)

Take the back seat,
wait for Spirit,
then move with the flow of Spirit... Spirit Process!

Then, you will know the power of All God's Creative power
is with you and you will have penetrating breakthroughs.

Progress from good to Great by being in God’s Greatness.
Be humble and allow the talents of others to be expressed.
Be patient and watch Divine Power work on your behalf.