The Monday Memo from John Stanko

The Monday Memo 257

We are not alone.  Today there is another memo going out that is known by the name The Monday Morning Memo.  Written by Roy Williams, it is an update that focuses on branding, ad copy and creativity.  I recommend it along with Williams' book entitled The Wizard of Ads as tools that can help sharpen and focus your creativity. Several months ago, Williams wrote a Monday Morning Memo that I want to summarize for you this week. 

AHEAD OF THEIR TIMES

First Williams quoted Peter Drucker, late management guru, who pointed out that business schools today are studying books that were poorly received at first and didn't sell very well.  Williams went on to conclude that the loneliest people can often be those who create ahead of their times.

This led to a discussion of Ludwig von Beethoven, who basically gave up on his ability to please and compose for his generation.  Instead he composed for a "later age" because so many of his comtemporaries criticized and ignored his work!

"When a true genius appears in this world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him." -- Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels.

"Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." -- Albert Einstein

"Funeral by funeral, science makes progress." -- Paul Samuelson. 

"Yes, even scientists ahead of their times are rejected by their peers," added Williams. 

AN AUDIENCE OF ONE

Emily Dickinson wrote with complete confidence that her words would never be read.  When she died, her family found 1,700 of her poems in a drawer.  Many of these poems rank with the greatest ever written, but were never read by anyone while Dickinson was alive.  Perhaps she was being prophetic when she wrote:

FAME is a fickle food upon a shifting plate,

Whose table once a Guest, but not the second time is set.

Whose crumbs the crows inspect, and with ironic caw

Flap past it ot the Farmer's corn; Men eat of it and die.

Williams concluded by writing that "Dickinson wrote for herself, an audience of one.  Study the lives of the Great Ones and you'll find this to be a common characteristic among them."

The application for you is simple.  Do you have something new and different to say or do?  Are you willing to write or perform for an audience of one?  If so, then get busy this week being true to who you are and don't pay attention to what others think or say.  Just do it.  Better yet, just be it.  Have a great week!

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1.  Here is my schedule for the next three months.   Let me know if you would like to meet for a purpose session when I am in your area. 

August 7-11 -- Seattle, Washington

August 24-28 -- Johannesburg, South Africa

August 28-September 3 -- Harare, Zimbabwe

September 4-13 -- Israel

September 13-25 -- Harare, Zimbabwe

September 26-28 -- The Netherlands

November 4-8 -- England

Also, I am still leading a cruise retracing the steps of the apostle Paul from October 26-November 3.  If you are interested in being part of that cruise, email me and let me know.

2.  If you need to change your address to which this Memo is sent, hit the unsubscribe link below this automatic Feedblitz mail out.  Then go to this link and enter your new email address in the box in the right hand column.  You can add a gift subscription by going to the link and adding the new email address of the person you think would benefit from The Monday Memo. 

And the archives of past Monday Memos through number 240 can still be located on my website.  All others after that are located at my new Monday Memo blog. 

3.  If you would like to unsubscribe, just click the link below (if you receive this as an automatic message). 

4.  You can subscribe to automatically receive my regular blog posts by going to the site and entering your email below where it says "your email address."  Once you do, you will receive a confirmation email and can also easily unsubscribe at any time. 

5.  We began our study from Second Corinthians last week, and I will send this out every week until we finish.  These studies focus on four verses for every day of the week.  When I send them out, I send out a week's worth of verses.  I never make my studies technical; they are always practical and include questions to help you apply what you read every day.  If you would like to subscribe, go to the site and enter your email address.  I have all my previous studies available for free on my website.

6.  Below you can download my daily devotional for August from A Daily Dose of Proverbs.

Download Proverbs:  Download August.doc

The Monday Memo 256

I encounter people regularly who don't things that are a little different because they are concerned what other people will think.  They may be worried about what their mother, father or spouse will think, and that is certainly understandable.  The approval of the people closest to us is an important thing.  Often, however, it isn't even those closest to us who cause us not to step out and try something out of character, risky or seemingly foolish.

I have had a startling revelation in my own life the last few years.  I came to realize how often I hadn't done something because I was concerned with how I would be perceived by others.  And those others were people who didn't matter, sometimes even those who I didn't know.  For example, I wouldn't make certain requests in a restaurant because I didn't want to look foolish.  I wouldn't ask for directions because I didn't want the people in the service station to think I was stupid.  I wouldn't wear anything orange, my favorite color, because I was afraid that others would think that a strange thing for a grown man to wear.   I think you get the idea.

NORMALCY

Almost all people pursue behavior they and others consider "normal."  Some people would call it being balanced.  Yet normal or balanced people, and people pursuing this normalcy, seldom achieve greatness or even purposeful living.  They do all that others expect of them, all that society expects even, but they stop short of doing what is in their heart--sometimes for fear of what others will think.

I notice that an American rider won the Tour de France bike race today.  I read that his conservative Mennonite parents discouraged him from riding his bike.  That was his passion, however, and today that 30-year-old man won the world's greatest bike race, with an arthritic hip no less. I notice that no one was there to celebrate with him but his daughter.  I wonder if his family boycotted the race?

While many people pursue normalcy, no one can describe what this normalcy is when I ask them.  What's more, none of the people I ask about normalcy are normal, including you and me.  If we are going to be people of purpose, we must accept the fact that you and I aren't normal. 

YOU'RE QUIRKY!

Before you run off and say that I called you "weird," let me explain.  We all have things we love that others would never understand and would perhaps even consider a bit "quirky" (which is defined as a peculiar trait).  So what?  To be true to ourselves, you must pursue those quirks because those quirks will lead you to your passion and your passion is where your purpose lives. 

If you could play the piano all day, then play as often as possible.  If you love to hike in the woods, hike.  If you like the color purple, then purple your whole world.  Who cares?  If someone does care, it's really none of their business.  I have written 256 Monday Memos and given them away, free of charge. Some people would say that's not smart; others have told me it's not normal, that I'm just playing around. 

Why am I giving this advice?  Why do I think this is important?  Because you are a one-of-a-kind creation.  You need to stop trying to imitate what others do and be your original self.  Samuel Johnson once wrote, "No man ever yet became great by imitation."   I agree.  If you love chemistry, then be a chemist.  If you enjoy reading, then read, read, read.  And if you have children and they love something, let them do it as much as possible, as long as its not harmful to their health.

Perhaps this week you need to stop having normalcy as a goal and start having quirky as your goal.  As you do, you'll be happier and you'll have a better chance of being purposeful.  But if you continue to pursue normalcy, you will be after something that can never be achieved in your lifetime.  Have a great, quirky week!

If you would like to add your comments to this Memo, please go to the Monday Memo site to do so.

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1.  Here is my schedule for the next three months.   Let me know if you would like to meet for a purpose session when I am in your area.  Also let me know if you would like information on my public sessions next Friday and Saturday in Maywood.  They are open to the public.

July 27-30 -- Maywood, New Jersey

August 7-11 -- Seattle, Washington

August 24-28 -- Johannesburg, South Africa

August 28-September 3 -- Harare, Zimbabwe

September 4-13 -- Israel

September 13-25 -- Harare, Zimbabwe

September 26-28 -- The Netherlands

Also, I am still leading a cruise retracing the steps of the apostle Paul from October 26-November 3.  If you are interested in being part of that cruise, email me and let me know.

2.  If you need to change your address to which this Memo is sent, hit the unsubscribe link below this automatic Feedblitz mail out.  Then go to this link and enter your new email address in the box in the right hand column.  You can add a gift subscription by going to the link and adding the new email address of the person you think would benefit from The Monday Memo. 

And the archives of past Monday Memos through number 240 can still be located on my website.  All others after that are located at my new Monday Memo blog. 

3.  If you would like to unsubscribe, just click the link below (if you receive this as an automatic message). 

4.  You can subscribe to automatically receive my regular blog posts by going to the site and entering your email below where it says "your email address."  Once you do, you will receive a confirmation email and can also easily unsubscribe at any time. 

5.  This is the first week for the study from Second Corinthians, which I will send out every week until we finish.  These studies focus on four verses for every day of the week.  When I send them out, I send out a week's worth of verses.  I never make my studies technical; they are always practical and include questions to help you apply what you read every day.  If you would like to subscribe, go to the site and enter your email address.  I have all my previous studies available for free on my website.

6.  I have a chance to launch an Internet radio show, but need about $500 per week to do so.  This would enable me to broadcast internationally and then archive the shows so that anyone can access them at any time.  Pretty cool!  If you would like to contribute toward this venture, or would like your company to be a sponsor, please drop me an email and let me know.

The Monday Memo 255

I am sorry this Memo is a day late.  I ignored the saying, "Never put off until tomorrow what you can do now!"  I flew into Dallas last night and all day kept thinking, "I'll do the Memo later in the airport or when I arrive."  Flights were late, I was tired, and, well, here is this week's better-late-than-never edition.

Last week we discussed abundance and I got some encouraging feedback.  But then, I always get positive feedback about abundance in general.  It's when people have to apply the abundance principle in their own life that the problems often start.  I hear some people say on one hand, "God can do anything," and then say, "But John, you don't understand. I'm from a poor family" or "I don't make much money at my job" or "I live in Africa and we're poor" or "I live in the United States and the cost of living is so high in my area."

Either abundance applies to everyone in God's kingdom or it doesn't.  I'm not talking about fancy cars and big homes.  I'm talking about you having all the resources you need to fulfill your purpose and be productive.  The problem isn't the abundance; the problem is how you think about abundance.  Let's look at a story that could help you with your thinking where abundance is concerned.

MOSES ARRIVES ON THE SCENE

When Moses arrived in Egypt, the Israelites were living in Egypt.  Times were tough.  They were oppressed by the Egyptians and forced to work as slaves.  It is interesting that they were numerous and potentially powerful, but they had a slave mentality that kept them locked into what they had always done.

Along comes Moses and announced that it was a new day; God was going to set them free!  The only problem was Pharaoh.  He refused to cooperate when Moses told him the good news and made the work conditions more severe to keep the Israelites "occupied."    This caused the Israelites to grumble against Moses, their liberator.  Any time you have a slave mentality, you resent someone who wants to set you free.

So God stepped in and initiated what we know to be the ten plagues on Egypt.  Each plague confronted an Egyptian god and proved that Moses' God was more powerful and had the right to set His people free.  Things got worse and worse in Egypt as God sent hail, gnats, frogs, darkness and boils on the Egyptians. 

At this time, the Israelites lived in an area called Goshen.  The most amazing thing happened while the Egyptians were going through their plagues.  I refer to this amazing phenomenon as the Goshen Principle. 

THE GOSHEN PRINCIPLE

To explain the Goshen principle, let's look at three passages:

1.  "'But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen , where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the LORD, am in this land. I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will occur tomorrow'" (Exodus 8:22-23).
2. The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen , where the Israelites were (Exodus 9:26). 
3. So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or leave his place for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived (Exodus 10:21-23) 

Do you see the Goshen Principle in action?  God blessed and protected His people while He plagued Egypt!  Your abundance doesn't depend on external conditions. Your abundance depends on God and God alone.  You must position yourself mentally, however, to receive this abundance or you can and will block or limit it in your life while you celebrate it in other people's lives.

This week would be a good time to examine your attitude toward abundance, not where other people are concerned, but where you are concerned.  Do you believe that you have access to all that you need to be purposeful and productive?  If you do, can you prove it?  What are doing because you know the resources will be there when you need them?  You see, the Goshen Principle wasn't just for Israel; it's for you and me.  Armed with that fact, I hope this week you will act like a resident of Goshen where the sun always shines and the air is free of dust and gnats.  Have a great week!

If you would like to add your comments to this Memo, please go to the Monday Memo site to do so. 

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1.  Here is my schedule for the next three months.   Let me know if you would like to meet for a purpose session when I am in your area.

July 27-30 -- Maywood, New Jersey

August 7-11 -- Seattle, Washington

August 24-28 -- Johannesburg, South Africa

August 28-September 3 -- Harare, Zimbabwe

September 4-13 -- Israel

September 13-25 -- Harare, Zimbabwe

September 26-28 -- The Netherlands

Also, I am still leading a cruise retracing the steps of the apostle Paul from October 26-November 3.  If you are interested in being part of that cruise, email me and let me know.

2.  If you need to change your address to which this Memo is sent, hit the unsubscribe link below this automatic Feedblitz mail out.  Then go to this link and enter your new email address in the box in the right hand column.  You can add a gift subscription by going to the link and adding the new email address of the person you think would benefit from The Monday Memo. 

And the archives of past Monday Memos through number 240 can still be located on my website.  All others after that are located at my new Monday Memo blog. 

3.  If you would like to unsubscribe, just click the link below (if you receive this as an automatic message). 

4.  You can subscribe to automatically receive my regular blog posts by going to the site and entering your email below where it says "your email address."  Once you do, you will receive a confirmation email and can also easily unsubscribe at any time. 

5.  This is the last week for the study from First Corinthians, which I send out every week. When we finish, we will automatically move into Second Corinthians.  These studies focus on four verses for every day of the week.  When I send them out, I send out a week's worth of verses.  I never make my studies technical; they are always practical and include questions to help you apply what you read every day.  If you would like to subscribe, go to the site and enter your email address.  I have all my previous studies available for free on my website.

6.  If you would like to pray for me and my purpose work, you can download the prayer letter below.

July Prayer Letter:  Download july_prayer_letter.doc

The Monday Memo 254

When I am in Africa, I spend a lot of time thinking about home.  When I am at home, I spend a lot of time talking and thinking about Africa.  In keeping with this pattern, today I think I'll write about a lesson I learned in Africa.

I was in Kenya recently and took my son on some game drives at the famous Masai Mara region. I have been there three times and have done numerous drives in other parts of Africa.  It never gets old, however, no matter how many drives I do wherever they may be.  The Mara happens to be my favorite area for drives.

There is one outstanding lesson I always take away from every game drive and that lesson is abundance.  Let me explain.

ABUNDANCE

When you go on a drive, you go through many square miles of grass and trees.  You see warthogs, wildebeests, lions, giraffes, elephants and many other creatures.  Unless there are unusual circumstances that create a drought, there is always plenty for everyone to eat.  Granted, they may eat one another, but there never seems to be any lack.

While we were in Kenya last month, the migration of zebras and wildebeests had begun.  More than one million wildebeests and even more zebra come into the Mara area from Tanzania for a month of feeding on the high Mara grasses.  Can you imagine how much grass it takes to feed millions of animals for one month?  Yet there is always plenty for all comers.  And the animals who migrate feed the lions, hyenas and crocodiles who await their arrival.

I never see any anxiety among the animals, not that I would recognize it if they could be anxious.  When they are hungry, they eat.  When they are tired, they sleep.  When they are thirsty, they look for water.  Everything they need, they have. 

So if God can provide such abundance in that world, why don't I believe that He can produce it in my world as well?

MONEY

I marvel when I travel to cities where millions of people live.  How does everyone get fed?  How is there enough water for those residents to drink, bathe, eliminate waste, and cook?  How is there enough electricity?  How is there enough housing for most of the people?  Truth is, the abundance is there,just like on the plains of Africa where the animals roam.

I just don't always believe that there is abundance when I need something. If God is able to take care of millions of people as well as millions of animals, He can certainly take care of me.

Do you believe in abundance?  Don't answer too quickly.  If you do, then why don't you start your business, publish your book or take that trip you have been talking about for years?   Is it because you don't have the money?   Why would money be exempt from the abundance principle that we see all around us?

THREE THOUGHTS

May I offer three thoughts that may help you include money in your abundance philosophy.

1.  Money is included in the abundant provision of life.  When Peter needed money to pay his temple tax in Matthew 17:27, Jesus sent him to the lake to pull out a fish that had the required money in its mouth.  That story alone tells us that God has no problem providing you with the money that you need to do His will.

2.  When you need money, you will have money.  Don't wait to make your plans until you have money.  Make your plans and the money will be there when you need it.

3.  When God provides for you, He hasn't taken it away from someone else.  There isn't a fixed amount of currency in the world.  God can create wealth and money just like any other entity.  Your blessing doesn't come at the expense of someone else.  Therefore you don' t have to be ambivalent or guilty about your provision. 

God provides for the animals and for millions who live in cities.  God can also provide for you as you seek to be productive and fulfill your purpose.  I would suggest that you examine your attitude about abundance this week and especially where money is concerned.  Then armed with confidence, I urge you to make great plans that will enable you to use God's abundance to carry out His will.  Have a great week!

If you would like to add your comments to this Memo, please go to the Monday Memo site to do so. 

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1.  Here is my schedule for the next three months.   Let me know if you would like to meet for a purpose session when I am in your area.

July 12-13 -- Denver, Colorado

July 17-19 -- Dallas, Texas

July 27-30 -- Maywood, New Jersey

August 7-11 -- Seattle, Washington

August 15-22 -- West Palm Beach, Florida

August 25-28 -- Johannesburg, South Africa

August 28-September 3 -- Harare, Zimbabwe

September 4-13 -- Israel

September 13-25 -- Harare, Zimbabwe

September 26 and 27 -- The Netherlands

Also, I am still leading a cruise retracing the steps of the apostle Paul from October 26-November 3.  If you are interested in being part of that cruise, email me and let me know.

2.  If you need to change your address to which this Memo is sent, hit the unsubscribe link below this automatic Feedblitz mail out.  Then go to this link and enter your new email address in the box in the right hand column.  You can add a gift subscription by going to the link and adding the new email address of the person you think would benefit from The Monday Memo. 

And the archives of past Monday Memos through number 240 can still be located on my website.  All others after that are located at my new Monday Memo blog. 

3.  If you would like to unsubscribe, just click the link below (if you receive this as an automatic message). 

4.  You can subscribe to automatically receive my regular blog posts by going to the site and entering your email below where it says "your email address."  Once you do, you will receive a confirmation email and can also easily unsubscribe at any time. 

5.  We are almost finished with our study of First Corinthians (two weeks to go), which I send out every week. When we finish, we will automatically move into Second Corinthians.  These studies focus on four verses for every day of the week.  When I send them out, I send out a week's worth of verses.  I never make my studies technical; they are always practical and include questions to help you apply what you read every day.  If you would like to subscribe, go to the site and enter your email address.  I have all my previous studies available for free on my website.

The Monday Memo 253

Before I left Zimbabwe last week, I did a book review for the Victory Business Forum.  The book was Jack Canfield's The Success Principles.  How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, which I read and enjoyed last year.  The book outlines 65 principles that, according to Canfield, will bring you success if you apply them in your life.  I didn't know success was that complicated until I read the book.  In some ways, the 65 principles made me tired just reading about them, let alone applying them.  (You can order your own copy by clicking on the title above. I am only kidding; I really did enjoy the book.)

One principle in particular caught my eye, however, and that was the principle that was related to purpose.  Principle two is "Be Clear Why You're Here" and included "The Life Purpose Exercise" that I thought I would share with you this week.  I am always looking for things that can help you define your purpose, so I pass this on hoping it will do just that.  Take a few minutes this week and see what you come up with from this exercise.

1.  List two of your unique personal qualities, such as enthusiasm and creativity.

2.  List one or two ways you enjoy expressing those qualities when interacting with others, such as to support and to inspire. 

3.  Assume the world is perfect right now.  What does this world look like?  How is everyone interacting with everyone else?  What does it feel like?  Write your answer as a statement, in the present tense, describing the ultimate condition, the perfect world as you see it and feel it.  Remember, a perfect world is a fun place to be.

EXAMPLE:  Everyone is freely expressing their own unique talents.  Everyone is working in harmony.  Everyone is expressing love.

4.  Combine the three prior subdivisions of this paragraph into a single statement. 

EXAMPLE:  My purpose is to use my creativity and enthusiasm to support and inspire others to freely express their talents in a harmonious and loving way.

Canfield urges his readers to read their purpose statement from this exercise every day.  He even suggests that artistic or visual people draw or paint a symbol or picture that represents their life purpose.  I would think that this could lead to you developing a personal logo or coat of arms that would describe and embody your purpose statement.

If this exercise helps you, please go to the Monday Memo blog (just click on the word "blog") where you can enter your statement for others to learn from in the comments section at the end of this posted Memo.  If this exercise doesn't help you, don't give up.  Purpose is a quest and you never know when your breakthrough will come.  Keep reading, keep seeking and keep asking quality questions.  In time, you will clarify your purpose and the seeking will only serve to enhance your appreciation of what you have.  In the meantime, I hope you have a great week! 

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1.  You may want to check out Canfield's site for further information on his success principles. 

2.  Happy Fourth of July to my American readers.  Happy World Cup watching to the rest of the world!

3.  Below is the July update from my book, A Daily Dose of Proverbs. 

4.  Here is my schedule for the next three months.   Let me know if you would like to meet for a purpose session when I am in your area.

July 6-10 -- Virginia Beach, Virginia

July 12-13 -- Denver, Colorado

July 17-19 -- Dallas, Texas

July 27-30 -- Maywood, New Jersey

August 7-11 -- Seattle, Washington

August 25-28 -- Johannesburg, South Africa

August 28-September 3 -- Harare, Zimbabwe

September 4-13 -- Israel

September 13-25 -- Harare, Zimbabwe

September 26 and 27 -- The Netherlands

Also, I am still leading a cruise retracing the steps of the apostle Paul from October 26-November 3.  If you are interested in being part of that cruise, email me and let me know.

5.  If you need to change your address to which this Memo is sent, hit the unsubscribe link below this automatic Feedblitz mail out.  Then go to this link and enter your new email address in the box in the right hand column.  You can add a gift subscription by going to the link and adding the new email address of the person you think would benefit from The Monday Memo. 

And the archives of past Monday Memos through number 240 can still be located on my website.  All others after that are located at my new Monday Memo blog. 

6  If you would like to unsubscribe, just click the link below (if you receive this as an automatic message). 

7.  You can subscribe to automatically receive my regular blog posts by going to the site and entering your email below where it says "your email address."  Once you do, you will receive a confirmation email and can also easily unsubscribe at any time. 

8.  We are almost finished with our study of First Corinthians (three weeks to go), which I send out every week. When we finish, we will automatically move into Second Corinthians.  These studies focus on four verses every day.  When I send them out, I send out a week's worth of verses.  I never make my studies technical; they are always practical and include questions to help you apply what you read every day.  If you would like to subscribe, go to the site and enter your email address.  I have all my previous studies available for free on my website.

July Proverbs:  Download July.doc

 

Technorati Tags: purpose, Jack Canfield, The Success Principles