“. . . whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”  – Philippians 4:8 

My wife Tee, the consummate volunteer, left the house early the other morning to help with a field day at a local elementary school where she also serves as a mentor for some of the young students.  Soon, however, she returned home, much earlier than anticipated.  When I asked why, she explained that there were too many volunteers, that her services were not needed.  It seems that a group of students, about forty of them in fact, from one of the nearby high schools had shown up to help with the event.  And this was not some random group of kids there to simply check off their obligatory community service box.  No, these were all volunteer members of an organization called PAL (Peer Assistance and Leadership program) whose mission is “to enable young people to use their potential to make a difference in their lives, schools and communities.”  (Among other things, these high school students also serve as mentors to the younger children.)

There’s an old saying that “what we think about – we bring about.”  If that is true, then it seems evident that what these teens are bringing about in their actions speaks volumes in terms of what they must be thinking about – things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.  Where did they learn that?  What turned their minds, better yet their hearts, toward such goodness?  Whatever or whoever ignited such thinking, the results certainly contradict the message we consistently get from the media, that the world is going to you-know-where in a handbag.  Instead, these bright, thoughtful, caring, energetic, ambitious, well-organized and well-intentioned high schoolers are proof good citizenship is alive and well, and that the world we will be passing off to this soon coming of age generation will be landing in capable hands.

As the Apostle Paul encourages us, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”  For, what we put into our minds determines what comes out in our words and actions.  Or, as the old saying goes, “what we think about – we bring about.”

“He who answers before listening – that is his folly and his shame.”  – Proverbs 18:13 

Looking for the perfect gift to give someone special?  Here’s an idea for you, and it won’t cost you a dime.  All it requires is to spend some time with that person and just listen.  But in order to listen – truly listen! – you must be willing to set aside your own agenda, your judgments and prejudices, and the temptation to offer your “sage advice”, allowing yourself to become totally immersed and absorbed in his or her world, not your own – just for a while.  Then be prepared to be amazed how much your gift is appreciated.

We live in a noisy world where people seem to have to compete to be heard over all the clatter.  It’s as if everyone is trying to speak at one time with no one taking time to listen.  Listening, in fact, is in such great demand and short supply that people pay big money for it, igniting an explosion of growth in the listening professions such as my own profession of coaching where our job is to spend time in the client’s corner – not advising – but listening, partnering, and exploring possibilities, ideas, and solutions together.

It is not, however, only the listening professions where it is in such great demand.  Listening is critical in every endeavor.  Consider this example from my own experiences.  Several months ago, I was referred to a doctor I had never seen before.  As would be expected he inquired of my health history and the reason for my visit.  Never, though, was I allowed to complete a sentence, as he was constantly interrupting and jumping to conclusions.  Contrast that with another doctor to whom I was also referred.  She too inquired of my health history and the reason for my visit, but instead she sat quietly, listening intently to my narrative while taking copious notes, hardly ever interrupting except for clarification.  Both doctors came highly recommended and are well regarded within their respective specialties, but the first one I would never go back to see – ever! The second one, though?  I’d go back to her without hesitation.

Listening.  It won’t cost you a dime, yet it is more valuable than gold.  That’s what makes it such a perfect gift to give someone special.  Experiment with it and see what happens; and be prepared to be amazed how much it is appreciated.  But beware of the likes of the first doctor.  As the Proverb says, “He who answers before listening – that is his folly and his shame.”

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good . . .”   –  Genesis 50:20  

Our son Marc and his family have this beloved pet they named Porter, a sweet, gentle, lovable mixed-breed rescue dog who is playful, hysterically funny, and great with kids.  He also happens to be a huge animal and sometimes prone to mischief.  So tall is he, in fact, that a nice thick juicy steak sitting on the kitchen counter waiting to be grilled is subject to being snatched into his jaws without any of his four paws ever leaving the floor.  And that’s been known to happen.  Several weeks ago, Porter noticed the pantry door slightly ajar.  Making sure no one was watching he then managed to nose the door wide open, from whence he proceeded to help himself to the merchandise.  By the time he finished the entire house looked like it had been ransacked by burglars.  Food was strewn about everywhere, including flour and cornmeal scattered all over the living room carpet and furniture.  As you can imagine, after that little incident Porter was quite in the doghouse, both literally and metaphorically . . . that is, until our three-year-old granddaughter Olive stepped in on his behalf.  “But Mommy,” she said to her mother in defense of the pet, “Porter is really a good puppy dog, he just makes bad choices.”

This little story, which is sure to live on in the annals of our family lore, reminds me that I’m not so different from Porter, that despite being basically a good person I have made more than my share of bad choices.  But bad choices can also serve as teaching moments that make us better; like the story of the young bank clerk about to be promoted to vice president, a position of great responsibility.  Approaching the bank president for wisdom the young man asked his superior, “What is the secret to success?”  “Right decisions,” the president replied.  “But what is the secret to right decisions?”  “Experience,” the president again replied.  “And what, sir, is the secret of gaining experience?” the young man finally asked, to which the wise executive exclaimed, “Wrong decisions.” 

“Don’t be so hard on yourself.  I can bring good even out of your mistakes,” quotes Sarah Young in her popular devotional book Jesus Calling.  “My infinite creativity can weave both good choices and bad choices into a lovely design.”  How amazing it that!  It’s exactly what Joseph told his brothers who years before had sold him into slavery, “You intended to harm me,” he said, “but God intended it for good.”

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”  – 2 Corinthians 4:8 

There’s but a fine line, so they say, between the best amateur golfers and the professionals who play on the tour.  Both have tremendous command of the game, hit the ball straight and far, approach the greens with consistent accuracy, and able to putt with great precision.  In spite of that, however, neither group completely avoids occasional bad shots that leave them in difficult predicaments – sand traps, rough, behind trees, and the like.  And that’s where the difference lies between pros and amateurs, the pros do better job at recovering from adverse circumstances.  The same can be said about any competitive sport.  The main difference, for example, between the NFL teams that make it to the Super Bowl and those who don’t, has less to do with a team’s overall talent and ability as it is how effective they are at scrambling out of bad situations.

What is true about sports also applies to other professions.  Consider the recent incident with Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 where an engine fan blade failed and flying debris damaged the left side of the fuselage and a side window causing the plane to decompress.  Tragically one passenger was killed, but the plane’s captain, Tammy Jo Shults, managed to save everyone else on board by skillfully and miraculously maneuvering the aircraft – that was literally falling out of the sky – to a safe emergency landing.  Among the thousands of people perfectly capable of flying an airplane, only a small percentage have the confidence and competence to do what Tammy Jo Shults did, demonstrating that fine line between amateurs and professionals.

No one escapes adversity, some certainly experiencing more than others.  But we all find ourselves in the rough from time to time, behind a tree or in a sand trap.  And we’re all vulnerable, God forbid, to those circumstances when it seems we are falling out of the sky.  Have you ever noticed, though, how some are able to handle adversity more calmly and gracefully, never without hope of solutions, possibilities, or even opportunities?  Others, though, become paralyzed by their problems.  Here again there is but a fine line between pros and amateurs, the distinctive difference being faith.  For as the Apostle Paul says of the faithful, “We are hard pressed on every side; but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed.”

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”  – Luke 12:48 

During the early years of my business career whenever my colleagues and I would gather socially the conversation inevitably revolved around making money.  Over the years, though, our conversations began to shift – from how to make money to how to make a difference.  I’m not sure whether that was a result of our respective net-worths growing larger, or that we were simply growing up.  Whatever the reason – and it was most likely some of both – we all probably experienced in one way or another what the late Bob Buford described as “halftime” in his popular book by the same title.

For certain it was Bob Buford who changed my life in that regard.  (I never knew Bob personally, although I met him once briefly.  But his influence on my life has been profound, and for that reason I pay tribute to Bob Buford who just recently passed away.)  It was in 1994 I stumbled across a review in the newspaper of his then newly published book Halftime inspiring me to buy a copy and read it.  As the subtitle explains, the theme of the book is about “Changing Your Game Plan from Success to Significance,” a message that certainly transformed my own game plan.

As Buford explains, “The first half of life has to do with getting and gaining, learning and earning.  Most do this in the most ordinary of ways:  getting an education, entering the work force, starting a family, buying a house, earning enough money to provide for needs as well as a few wants, setting goals and climbing toward them. . . [But the] second half is more risky because it has to do with living beyond the immediate.  It is about releasing the seed of creativity and energy that has been implanted within us, watering and cultivating it so that we may be abundantly fruitful.  It involves investing our gifts in service to others – and receiving the personal joy that comes as a result of that spending.” 

No doubt my business colleagues and I, having each experienced some sort of “halftime” epiphany, had shifted our focus from a quest for success, which we had all achieved at some level, to significance; that is, the responsibility that comes with it.  For Jesus makes it crystal clear, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”