Doing Great Things for a Great Purpose

Last week I came across a video by Jeremy Cowart, a successful photographer and graphic artist who has developed programs worldwide to help others not only see the beauty in others, but the beauty in themselves as well.  Although the video, "I'm Possible"  is an advertisement for funding a hotel featuring the craftsmanship of people around the world, it also had a powerful message.

Cowart shared his difficulties as a child overcoming his feelings of "I can't."  His father taught him the words, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  These are the words which allowed him to set aside his fear of new things and accomplish his goals. Over the years he has been able to accomplish great things.  (Watch the video.  He has been involved in some incredible projects!)  As he talks of some of his accomplishments, all done through the help of Christ, he says these words:

"Greatness should lead to a greater purpose." 

This has caused me to think about how I should allow Christ to make me great, but for His great purpose.  One of my favorite talks in last conference was given by Larry R. Lawrence, "What Lack I Yet?"  In it he discusses the importance of letting Christ lead us to the do the things we need, to be who he wants us to be.  He encourages us to let go of our own desires and allow our lives to be put to greater use by the Savior.  

It is important to seek to do great things, but we need to do these things for the greatest purpose.  The greatest purposes we can participate in are those the Savior wants to produce.

$100 challenge

Lessons and classes start next Monday.  I am not feeling excited about it.  It is stressing me out some to know I need to put so much time into this project.  I purposely stopped giving lessons while I was finishing school because it was too much stress.  The only thing that is keeping me going is knowing that it is only temporary.  

 

A Little Venting and Some Excellent Advice

 

I am not a New Year’s resolution type of girl.  January first seldom marks a time when I am starting a new goal for myself.  I prefer to work on goals year round and start them when I know they will work for me.  I also prefer to make goals in which I develop something rather than refrain from something I am already doing. (Instead of not eating sugar, I will add more vegetable to my diet.)  For this and other reasons, one particular assignment I have this semester is about to put me over the edge in frustration. It is a goal setting project.  Are you kidding me?  Goal setting and accomplishment is part of my daily life.  I seldom have a time when I am not working on one goal or another.   This assignment fills me with angst!

Imagine my delight when one of my professors suggested reading “How I became a Morning Person, Read More Books, and Learned a Language in a Year.”  It was exactly how I feel about making goals.  It pin-pointed the areas of irritation I have over this assignment.  One, I already have goals I was working on.  This assignment just made me have more.  Having too many goals at once is usually what makes people fail.  If we work on one, maybe two things at a time, then we are more likely to have success.  This assignment required there to be several.  Two, there is mental preparation involved in goal setting, this assignment did not allow for that.  I take my goal setting seriously.  I spend time contemplating the areas where I need to improve.  I pray for guidance as I seek to find ways to develop into the woman my Lord wants me to be, the woman He sees in me.  Although the goals I set for the class are good, they are not the things I was lead to by the spirit.  They were just additional things that most people need to do.  I don’t see them as improving my life, not really.  (So here is something else I need to work on!  Attitude!)

The best advice I got from the article was the principle of stacking goals.  To do this, use a habit which is already formed, and when you do it, add the new goal to it.  I like this triggering mechanism and I am excited to try it.  I think it is a tool capable of helping me achieve even greater things! I am working on devising a plan to put the irritating assignment goals with things I already do.  Maybe this way I will feel a sense of accomplishment over them.

$100 challenge.

At the moment, this project is in a standstill.  There are no lessons being done this week or next.  They begin on the 29^th.  I am wishing I had planned them to start sooner. 

Emphasis

I am intrigued by the phrase I heard from Phil Romano in his Acton Hero interview. 

“I’ve got to make it work.” 

     I have thought about it many times over the course of this week.  I have written it in my journal and repeated it to myself over and over in my mind, often experimenting with where I place the emphasis.  It means different things depending on how I say it.

“I’ve got to make it work.”  I am the only one responsible for my success.  If I want to accomplish my goals, then the job belongs to me.  I can do it, and I will.

“I’ve got to make it work.”  I am not willing to stagnate.  The idea of forever only being exactly what I am today is repugnant.  My life will be what I make of it.

“I’ve got to make it work.”  Accomplishment of my goals will not happen magically.  I need to make the effort.  I need to put in the time.  Success will only come from my own sweat and tears.

“I’ve got to make it work.”  Ultimate failure is unacceptable.  I will take my hits standing up and apply the lessons I learn to my next attempt.  There will always be a next attempt.

$100.00 challenge

Filling individual slots is slow.  I expected this because of the short time frame.  This is why I didn’t count on lessons alone, but added the class.  There is more interest in the class than I thought there would be as youth are preparing for recitals, concerts, and college auditions.  I find this very exciting!  I also have a student who has requested help with the church organ! 

The Focus Word: DEVELOP

     My daughter has inspired me.  She chooses a focus word every year and uses this focus as she plans her year and the goals she wants to accomplish.  This year I am following her example.  My focus word for the year is Develop, then each month I have a sub-focus word based on something I need to develop in my life.  Last month was journaling.  I have always been a journal keeper, but I wanted to improve my journaling habits. This month, being February, the sub-focus is relationships. (I know, totally corny).

     I have kept this concept of development in the back of my mind as I have completed the readings for my classes and in the scriptures.  It is amazing how large my small list of ideas has gotten.  This project I started with a single year projection has the potential to be something I use the rest of my life.  I find this exciting! Some of the areas I plan to develop are optimism, listening, quality, transparency, and surrender. I think focus is another good one to put on the list!

     I feel like my February focus on developing relationships will help in the $100.00 challenge.  I cannot be an effective teacher until I have developed a relationship with my students.  I am looking forward to getting know those I teach so we are more than just student/teacher, but friends as well.