It's time to wrap things up here in the States and head back to Africa. I've enjoyed my two months at home, but it's time to go. I will be hosting a purpose seminar in Johannesburg next Saturday (see below). Then it's on to Harare for what I'm sure will be an exciting and challenging visit, given the current events there. I hope you had time to read my special message I sent out last week. If not, you can find it on the site where it is posted.
I am thinking about it, but I'm not sure when to do it? What is it, you may ask? It's time for another Celebrate a Failure Week when you take time to reflect on and then celebrate the results of a failure in your life, whether it was recent or long ago. This will be our third such celebration and they have always been interesting, learning experiences.
FOLLOW MY LOGIC.
During one such celebration, one woman told me, "Couldn't we make these Tolerate A Failure Weeks? I'm just learning to tolerate failure, but I'm not ready to celebrate failure!" My view on the matter, however, is that we failure plays such a vital role in our life, purpose and personal development that we must value failure for the important part that it plays.
When I conduct leadership and purpose seminars, I usually lead people through this sequential argument where failure is concerned. Perhaps you have heard me go through this:
1. First I ask, "Can failure be an important learning experience?" Eveyone usually answers, "yes."
2. Then I ask, "Don't we often learn more from failure than we do from success?" People again answer, "Usually, yes."
3. I go on to ask, "Aren't we as leaders and followers of Jesus to be learning and growing at all times throughout our life?" Once more, the answer that comes back is "Yes!"
4. Then I conclude by asking, "Then shouldn't we be failing as often as possible?" At that point, the room usually falls silent.
That reasoning is why I believe it's important not just to tolerate failure, but to celebrate it.
So in the next few weeks, I will announce our formal plans for Celebrate a Failure Week. I will ask you to help me by posting famous failures from history, maybe even some from your own life. I will ask you to spread the word and get as many people celebrating as possible. I hope that you will celebrate in your families and small groups by leading discussions and studying what the Bible has to say about failure. I promise more to come on this in the coming weeks.
THE ONLY REAL FAILURE
This week I was listening to Marianne Williamson's book The Gift of Change. In it, she said, "The only real failure is the failure to grow from what we go through." (That's another way you will help me celebrate--by posting your favorite quote about failure on this site.) If what Williamson said is true, then we need to allow that truth to sink down to the core of our being. Henry Ford said that failure isn't the end of the world; it's just a chance to begin more intelligently. I agree; do you?
So get ready. Celebrate a Failure Week is coming to your world soon. In the meantime, have a great, failure-filled week!
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1. Plans are now finalized for my PurposeQuest Seminar in Johannesburg on Saturday, August 26. We will meet at the Sandton Hilton Hotel from 9 am to 12:30 pm. I will talk about purpose and productivity, with a lot of time for questions and interactions. The cost is 200 Rand and covers the cost of the hotel room. If you would like to pre-register, please send me an email and I will put your name on the list. Or you can call me at (079) 2130148 after I arrive in Johannesburg on Tuesday night. You can bring the registration fee with you on Saturday and register right up to the last minute.
Feel free to bring your friends and associates; just send me their names along with your email. I would highly recommend that you bring any youth with you who are searching for purpose; I have had great success recently as the purpose message connects with young people. For anyone 18 or under, the registration fee will be R100.
2. I will be one of the speakers at a Business Women's Leaders Conference on Thursday and Friday, August 24 and 25 at the Sandton Southern Sun Hotel in Johannesburg. For information on the conference program or for information on how to register, you can go to the conference website.
3. I need your help as I return to Africa for this next five-week trip. If you can contribute to my ministry there, please go to my site where you will receive instructions on how to give through Paypal (you can send using your checking account or a credit card). If my Memos and Bible studies help you, please give now to help me carry out my work in Africa. Thank you if you were able to give last week. If not, please consider doing so this week.
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.
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.
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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.
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8. We are well into our study of Second Corinthians, and I will send an installment 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.
Last year when we celebrated failure I decided to celebrate the fact that I had not managed my finances well and needed to pay off my university fees.Acknowledging my failure helped me review my budget and by the end of the year I had paid off all my fees and left university debt free. It is reasuring to know that I can turn my failure around. God did it for me last year and He will do it again this year. Thank you Dr John for reminding me that, it doesnt matter how many times we fall, as long as we get up again.
Posted by: Trish | August 21, 2006 at 03:49 PM
Since i subscribed to your monday memos i have learnt alot and my life has changed. I was particularly touched by your 260th memo which came at the right time as i had just failed an exam and i was disappointed. I was however encouraged not to give up and i am energised to resit the exams and i am trusting God for success.
Posted by: Lorna | August 28, 2006 at 06:37 AM