Friday, February 24, 2012

Greatness: Our Best vs. Deadlines

“Just do your best,” or “Did you do your best?” frequently traveled from my parent’s voice to my ears and mind while growing-up. This advice and rhetorical question continues as an adult. I usually believed that I did do my best on the farm, in athletics or in school. With hindsight, I fell short of my best in school because I failed to understand the ingredients of fully applying myself in school.

Conversely, in physical activities of athletics and farm work, I usually did my best. I fully exerted my energy by day’s end, perhaps working on some sort of project outdoors such cleaning the barn, feeding livestock or cutting wood with Dad. Our best includes mistakes; hopefully avoiding repeating the same mistakes. Every night, I went to sleep quickly, sleeping deeply; rarely I woke-up in the middle of the night—only in need of a drink or visiting the restroom.

My Dad’s best, like other farmers, included working around the clock in the tractor. I recall him stopping for fifteen to twenty minute naps immediately after eating a meal brought to him in the field. Even though he remained with-in ten minutes of the house, he rarely came-in to sleep during specific seasons. With his equipment, livestock chores and hours in a day, he completed the best he could, as soon as he could. He fought to keep the farm.

Yet, some self-professed speaking gurus claim, “Doing your best is never good enough.”

Really?! Your BEST includes two basic ingredients, (1) Loving God with all of your heart, soul, and mind (2) Loving your fellow man (includes women) as much as you love yourself. Our love originates from His love.

When my parents challenge me to do my best, they ultimately challenge me to love God with all of my heart. Loving God causes us to serve creation as best possible with my talents, knowledge and energy; prayerfully seeking wisdom.

Deadlines exist because we fail to do our BEST—lacking knowledge or desire; or as manipulation of other's efforts.

Your BEST completes achievements in the most favorable time and order, based on your alpha and omega knowledge—including morality—within the tasks duration.

Manipulating others oftentimes enables synchronization of current and future tasks beyond the scope and/or awareness of one person or subset group.

Your BEST encompasses loving God with all of your heart, mind and soul; and loving—desiring Christ’s BEST—for everyone you do and may impact. Does anything exceed God’s love?

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!

Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickE.meyer

Monday, February 20, 2012

Weather

Last week after the 1991 and 1992 University of Nebraska-Kearney Cross Country teams received recognition as "Team of Distinction," we remininsced.

"Hey guys, what are some of your favorite memories of Coach Claussen?"

Two-time All-American Tom Schutz began laughing, “There is no such thing as tough weather, only weak people.”

How true!

Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickEmeyer.com

Possessions: Grain, Plant Material, or Chaff?

Do you find moving painful and exhausting? How does one choose what to keep versus dispose?

During Christmas break I return from Dallas where I am pursuing a Masters of Art in Truth Leadership, to meet my sister at Mom’s house in Nebraska. Our task involves removing the garages’ remaining possessions. My mother remarried December 3, 2011, five years after Dad’s passing; she sells her house while moving in with her husband—a good thing.

The process appears relatively simple; choosing to keep or dispose of items consumes energy if allowed. The physical items contain little value, rather the people and resulting relationships attached to something such as a book or a gift from a distant Christmas or birthday provide value. I picked-up childrens' Christmas books received from great-aunts and grandparents when I was a child. The books remind me of their love as they share their faith with my sister, cousins, and me.

Upon beginning to transfer these books into the save pile, a conscience, convicting bolt of intuition struck. My favorite book, the Bible, instructs us of the chaff burning while preserving the grain. These books, along with other possessions resemble chaff or straw.

Is chaff or straw worthless? No! Grain development and maturation depend upon healthy plant tissue. Grain production mandates healthy, vibrant plant stem, roots, leaves, tissue, chemistry, and cells. Disease, storms, and poor management hinder the plant’s resulting yield. From planting through harvest, the plant’s components serve determinate roles in grain production. Harvest separates the matured grain from plant tissue.

Mature grain possesses abundant nutrient value, used to feed and serve the world directly as food, by-products, or livestock feed. Mature plant tissue often possesses little nutrient value, transforming from plant to chaff, straw, or residue. Farmers manage the chaff by tilling, leaving to deteriorate, or burning this expired plant material. They do not transport expired plant material to the bin, elevator, or any storage (a few rare exceptions exist); it serves no purpose in the grains next stage of use. This practice allows the residue’s use for a new crop, and provides room for new growth.

These books, and many of my possessions, possess the same characteristics as plant material. Their presence enhanced my spiritual and emotional development. They provided valuable soul nutrients during my childhood development. New stages of development required separating from these “plant materials,” advancing to new stages of serving society.

Once separated, the old material became straw in my life; this plant material of books and other items were vital in the past, but not the present or future. Storing or moving these past possessions resembles keeping or storing chaff. The Bible suggests this lacks wisdom.

Either I incorporate my chaff into other lives—enhancing their yields, or dispose to provide room for new growth, new great yields. How do you manage your chaff?

Separate your possessions by grain, living plant material, and chaff.

“Don’t be afraid to be Great—as it all comes down to whom wants it the most.” Bill “Congo” Congleton

Rick E. Meyer
The Life and Soul Agronomist
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickEmeyer.com

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Greatness


“Do not be afraid to be great.” Coach Bill “Congo” Congleton repeated this motivating statement continually during our two championship seasons of cross country. This, along with a plethora of his other patented phrases, are permanently branded on my cerebral mass—my brain. Imagine Greatness fills my website banner.

“Why is anyone afraid of being great?” As a teenager, I firmly believed everyone sought greatness. Greatness personifies America! Freedom and responsibility of pursuing one’s dream provides opportunities for greatness.

“What is greatness? You have it on your website, and you speak of being great. How do you define greatness?” Chuck presented an excellent question.

We speak of great teams, great performances, great achievements, etc. etc. In 1869, Francis Galton associated greatness with genius. Do you believe genius achieves greatness? Other define greatness as possessing great strength, intellect or power.

Would you agree defining great achievements hinges upon one’s values and effort? Greatness equals the value of the achievement multiplied by the percentage of our maximum effort.


Consider creating a list of your activities, assign a value of one to ten (highest) to their positive-permanent impact on you, your family, business, community, and anyone else you feel compelled to affect.

Next evaluate your percent of effort based on your ability in performing these tasks. Multiplying the value and the effort provides your greatness score.

However, our activities alone fail to define or qualify greatness! Rather, our heart, our motive, driving our activities define greatness (Mt. 7:21). Do we serve in response man or God? Does our service originate with love?

Greatness exists in serving others in response to our love of God and those whom we serve.

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve and Serve with Christ!

Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickEmeyer.com

Friday, February 10, 2012

Six-Inches to Greatness

You are Six-Inches from your greatest achievements! Life’s treasures reside within six-inches of everyone. How do we open Your narrow gate to Greatness?

Historically, the narrow gate illustrates the path to life’s greatest riches. Growing-up on the farm, I lacked adequate ability to open and close all the gates. Some gates required great strength to open, more than my scrawny—2 ½ percent body-fat—frame could influence.

Fortunately tools, whether another fence post or one created in the shop. However, with the proper tool, I could easily open the gate using the open the same gate. The tool provided leveraging the gate. The gained advantage hinges on knowing the proper technique in using the tool. Improper use may results in lack of success and a pinched finger. Pinching a finger sometimes results in my saying unpleasant words.

Other gates will only open partially; the gate’s excessive weight prevents fully opening without leveraging from another tool or assistance from an associate. A variety of other challenges prevent fully opening gates such as, knowing when and where to lift, pushing or pulling in the wrong direction.

Are you struggling to open or fully open the six-inch gate between your temples to greatness? Do you have the proper leveraging tools? They are often nearby, if only we recognize their existence. Have you become sufficiently educated in properly using the leverage tools? Just like a farm fence, improper use often results in injuries and frustration.

Do you know the fine-tuned areas and directions to life and push on your “gate,” allowing its full opening?

Both the farm gate and your six-inch gate easily open fully and in the right direction with a few simple, key principles.

I have a flight to catch, stay tuned.

Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickEmeyer.com