Motivation..Book 1
Tips For A More Effective Prayer Life
by Inez Haythorn
Christian Family Treasures
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16
So many people underestimate the importance and power of prayer. Some tend to view it as a short recitation at meals. Others see it as a last resort. "There's nothing we can do now but pray," we often hear stated.
But prayer is so much more than either of these. If Jesus felt the need to give prayer such a priority, then how much more should we depend on it? If it wasn't powerful and effective, Jesus wouldn't have spent so much time in prayer.
So how can we make prayer a more active part of our lives? How do we fit such an important practice into our busy schedules? Here are a few simple tips that may help.
1. Make prayer a priority. I always tell my boys that going out the door without prayer in the morning is like riding in a car without seatbelts. Prayer shouldn't be just something on your "to-do" list. It should be the first thing on our list. It is essential to cover our lives and our families in prayer.
2. Make it a discipline. We are not always in the mood to pray. We get busy and side-tracked. So we have to discipline ourselves to pray just like we discipline ourselves to wash dishes, clean the house, and do laundry.
3. Pick a quiet time and place. "Sure," you say. "When would that ever be?" This can be one of the most difficult things to accomplish. With babies, young children, or even teenagers, it can be almost impossible to find a minute to yourself. But try to find some time in the day when you can have a few moments alone. It could be early morning, the baby's naptime, when the kids are off to school, or at night when they are all asleep.
4. Spread your prayer throughout the day. If you can't manage one solid block of time at once, divide your prayers into smaller segments several times a day. This keeps us in an attitude of prayer and in close contact with our Heavenly Father. He understands our time limits and demands.
5. Keep a prayer notebook. This has been extremely helpful to me. Writing down your praises, thanksgiving, requests, and burdens has several benefits. It helps you to stay focused and on task. It's so easy for your mind to wander, just when you sit down to pray! Recording your prayers enables you to remember all the things you want to cover. Maybe the most important aspect of all, is that you can look back over the months and years, and see how God has faithfully answered. There have been times when my sons would question whether God really answers prayer. I would take out several years of prayer journals and point out many instances of proof of this. They were amazed!
With a little planning and preparation, we can have a more fruitful and fulfilling prayer life. This daily investment of our time now, will reap great rewards - both now and eternally.
Inez Haythorn is a Christian wife, mother, elementary school teacher, pianist, and freelance writer. She is the publisher of Christian Family Treasures, a website full of resources for women, moms, parents, and families. Her goal is to glorify and honor God, and bless and help others. Copyright 2003. All rights reserved.
http://www.christianfamilytreasures.com
16 Des'07
7 Ways to Keep Your Team Motivated
by Kelley Robertson
Many managers mistakenly think that money is the prime motivator for their employees. However, according to surveys by several different companies, money is consistently ranked five or lower by most employees. So if money is not the best way to motivate your team, what is?
The three most important issues according to employees are; respect, a sense of accomplishment, and recognition. Yes, money is important but it is not as critical as these other components. Taking these into consideration, let’s explore seven ways to keep your team motivated:
1. Involve them. Many employees want to be involved in the ongoing development and progress of their company. Plus, they often have insightful ideas that can make a significant difference in the company. And when they are involved, they buy-in faster and resist less. This means you can implement the change(s) more quickly and easily.
2. Communicate. Very few businesses can be accused of over-communicating. A frequent axiom in business is, “No news is good news.” However, employees want regular updates on the progress of the business and their personal performance. Use memos, email, telephone, and one-on-one and group meetings to keep your team apprised. Talk to your team members regularly, have lunch or coffee with them, Let them know if the business is on track. Tell them what challenges are currently being faced (they may have suggestions). It is also important that you give them feedback on their performance. If you have a concern with a specific component, tell them and give them the opportunity to correct their behavior. When I worked in the corporate world I was always surprised how many employees did not receive feedback of any kind pertaining to their performance.
3. Celebrate individual and team performance. Catch people doing something right and focus on recognizing excellent performance. On an individual basis you can provide positive reinforcement, issue awards, use a corporate newsletter to highlight specific achievements. Send thank-you, birthday, and anniversary cards as well as congratulatory notes. Make personal phone calls, and send emails. Better yet, if you work in a large organization, have a senior executive send the email or make the call.
To recognize team efforts, post performance charts on the wall or throw an impromptu get-together., Treat them to lunch or a pizza party, post team pictures on your Intranet and in their work environment or give them plaques, certificates, coffee mugs, etc.
Ultimately, the more of these approaches you incorporate into your motivation strategy, the more energized your team will become. Make it a point to recognize someone everyday.
4. Set challenging goals. My experience has taught me that people strive to achieve what is expected of them. If you set challenging goals your team will work hard to accomplish them, providing of course, they are realistically attainable. It is amazing what people can accomplish when they are given the opportunity to perform. Communicate these goals and keep your team informed on the company’s progress.
5. Give them the tools to succeed. No team will stay motivated if they do not have the necessary tools required to do their job. This includes; equipment, internal support, inventory, marketing materials, training, etc. Simple things annoy people. Many years ago I worked in a restaurant where the owner refused to give the servers trays to carry drinks because he thought it was an unnecessary expense. Frustration ran high when servers had to make more trips to and from the bar.
6. Manage poor performance. Your team expects you to manage individuals who do not perform to standard or contribute fully to the efforts of the team. However, many managers ignore poor performance because they are afraid of the potential conflict. Instead, they hope that the situation will resolve itself. It never does and this “blind” approach affects profitability, causes higher turnover, and contributes to low morale in the workplace. While poor performance and conflict are seldom enjoyable to deal with, you have a responsibility to your team and the company to manage it. Here is the B.E.S.T. method of dealing with these situations:
Begin with the situation. “Pat, when we receive a shipment and you expect the others to put it away…”
Express the result. “…it causes friction because everyone is expected to pitch in.”
State the desired change. “In the future I expect you to cooperate with the rest of the group to ensure that the shipment is stored quickly. This means I want you to stop whatever you are working on and help put away the stock.”
Tell them the consequence. “If you don’t contribute to this task I may be forced to take additional action.”
7. Lead by example. If you want your team to treat each other with and dignity, you need to set the tone. If you expect them to be motivated and enthusiastic it is critical that you behave in this manner. As an owner, manager or business leader, your team looks to you for direction and guidance.
Kelley Robertson is a professional speaker and trainer on sales, negotiating, and employee motivation. For information on his programs, visit his website at http://www.KelleyRobertson.com. He is also the author of “Stop, Ask & Listen – Proven Sales Techniques to Turn Browsers into Buyers.” Receive a FREE copy of “100 Ways to Increase Your Sales” by subscribing to his 59-Second Tip, a free weekly e-zine at his website.
Inspiration...Book 2
19 Des'07
A Little Lesson about Life
Seseorang menemukan kepompong seekor kupu. Suatu hari lubang kecil muncul. Dia duduk mengamati dalam beberapa jam calon kupu-kupu itu ketika dia berjuang dengan memaksa dirinya melewati lubang kecil itu.Kemudian kupu-kupu itu berhenti membuat kemajuan. Kelihatannya dia telah berusaha semampunya dan dia tidak bisa lebih jauh lagi.
Akhirnya orang tersebut memutuskan untuk membantunya. Dia mengambil sebuah gunting dan memotong sisa kekangan dari kepompong itu. Kupu-kupu tersebut keluar dengan mudahnya. Namun, dia mempunyai tubuh gembung dan kecil, sayap-sayap mengkerut.
Orang tersebut terus mengamatinya karena dia berharap bahwa, pada suatu saat, sayap-sayap itu akan mekar dan melebar sehingga mampu menopang tubuhnya, yang mungkin akan berkembang seiring dengan berjalannya waktu.
Semuanya tak pernah terjadi.
Kenyataannya, kupu-kupu itu menghabiskan sisa hidupnya merangkak di sekitarnya dengan tubuh gembung dan sayap-sayap mengkerut. Dia tidak pernah bisa terbang. Yang tidak dimengerti dari kebaikan dan ketergesaan orang tersebut adalah bahwa kepompong yang menghambat dan perjuangan yang dibutuhkan kupu-kupu untuk melewati lubang kecil adalah jalan Tuhan untuk memaksa cairan dari tubuh kupu- kupu itu ke dalam sayap-sayapnya sedemikian sehingga dia akan siap terbang begitu dia memperoleh kebebasan dari kepompong tersebut.
Kadang-kadang perjuangan adalah suatu yang kita perlukan dalam hidup kita. Jika Tuhan membiarkan kita hidup tanpa hambatan perjuangan, itu mungkin justru akan melumpuhkan kita. Kita mungkin tidak sekuat yang semestinya yang dibutuhkan untuk menopang cita- cita dan harapan yang kita mintakan.
Kita mungkin tidak akan pernah dapat "Terbang". Sesungguhnya Tuhan itu Maha Pengasih dan maha Penyayang.
Kita memohon Kekuatan... Dan Tuhan memberi kita kesulitan-kesulitan untuk membuat kita tegar.
Kita memohon kebijakan... Dan Tuhan memberi kita berbagai persoalan Hidup untuk diselesaikan agar kita bertambah bijaksana.
Kita memohon kemakmuran... Dan Tuhan memberi kita Otak dan Tenaga untuk dipergunakan sepenuhnya dalam mencapai kemakmuran.
Kita memohon Keteguhan Hati... Dan Tuhan memberi Bencana dan Bahaya untuk diatasi.
Kita memohon Cinta...Dan Tuhan memberi kita orang-orang bermasalah untuk diselamatkan dan dicintai.
Kita Memohon kemurahan/kebaikan hati...Dan Tuhan memberi kita kesempatan-kesempatan yang silih berganti.
Begitulah cara Tuhan membimbing Kita. Apakah jika saya tidak memperoleh yang saya inginkan, berarti bahwa saya tidak mendapatkan segala yang saya butuhkan? Kadang Tuhan tidak memberikan yang kita minta, tapi dengan pasti Tuhan memberikan yang terbaik untuk kita, kebanyakan kita tidak mengerti mengenal, bahkan tidak mau menerima rencana Tuhan, padahal justru itulah yang terbaik untuk kita.
Tetaplah berjuang...berusaha...dan berserah diri... Jika itu yang terbaik maka pasti Tuhan akan memberikannya untuk kita
16 Des'07
Use H-O-L-L-Y to Beat Christmas Cooking Stress
by Kristin Johnson
What does holly, that untidy traditional greenery you just have to festoon your house with every year, have to do with not tearing your hair out before it's even Thanksgiving? Plenty. You can use H-O-L-L-Y to help you get organized.
1. H: Help
How many times have you tried to do the perfect turkey all by yourself just so your mother-in-law would be impressed? Here's a reality check: (a) If your mother-in-law is any kind of a real woman, she remembers that her mother-in-law put the exact same pressure on her, and (b) if she's the kind of person who complains because the cranberries come from a can, she's the kind of person who complains anyway and would be unhappy if she couldn't try to make you look like an incompetent nitwit, and how a woman like that could raise your wonderful husband is beyond everyone.
If that husband is such a great guy, get him in the kitchen. Sit down and plan what the two of you really want---he might not want a six-course dinner, which is fine, because you don't either. Get the kids involved. By now some of them are at that stage where they want to show off what they can do "all by myself," and you know that even though you hate your daughter's taste in music, she did make killer stuffing last Thanksgiving. And your son makes a great omelet for Christmas morning. Then there's your sister who loves to chat, so put her to work while you listen to her endless monologue.
Electronic help is great too---use a PDA or the family computer to keep a list of recipes and ingredients. There are many great, sometimes free, computer programs available.
2. O: Oh-No
Let's face it. You'll make mistakes. The sugar cookies will burn. You can always "eat" your mistakes and try again---just don't try a new recipe for the first time Christmas Day. In fact, plan for your mistakes. That's right. Most of us spend so much time agonizing over avoiding mistakes we forget that they are going to happen anyway, and not necessarily at our hands. So your best girlfriend Susan brought over deviled ham instead of double chocolate cake...there's a reason we have bakeries, right? Just cheerfully accept the mistake and move on. People can get over a slightly too well-done roast, but they will be downright uncomfortable if you spend the entire dinner moaning about it.
3. L: Love
You know Christmas is the season of love, and you can have as much fun with take-out pizza as you can with an elegant dinner if the company is right. One sure way to recapture love is to bake cookies together. There's nothing like the sight of kids rolling dough and decorating their works of art.
4. L: Let It Be
Sorry for the Paul McCartney overtones, but once you have your plan in place, stick to it---that doesn't mean you can't compromise slightly. Agonizing over turkey versus tofu causes you to lose your appetite, and is as harmful to your cooking as disorganization. Sticking to a decision and keeping your plan, no matter what everyone else thinks, gives you peace of mind.
5. Y: You
Remember that there will be stress around the holidays, but that your mind can choose not to give in. You can choose to refuse another beer because "I'm frazzled" or avoid inviting people you really can't stand just because your mind thinks you have an obligation to be popular and kill yourself feeding 25 people. You can throw snowballs, or, if you live in California, go throw some water on the wildfires...just take your mind off your cooking. You'll rediscover just why it is you're cooking and what you love about Christmas.
So that's your H-O-L-L-Y for a happy holiday. And when all else fails, there's chocolate.
This article provided by the Family Content Archives at: http://www.Family-Content.com
