It was 2001 and I had just started PurposeQuest International a few months earlier. I was in Zimbabwe and had a full week of training sessions ahead of me. I was teaching five new seminars to people I didn't know. What's more, they weren't "church" people, so I had to change all my outlines to fit that audience.
I was in a small guest house in Zimbabwe, where I had two beds, a small desk and a bathroom, so i was cramped for space. It was Sunday night and my first session was the next day. I still had to change my PowerPoint slides to match my handouts, I didn't know what I was going to wear, I had forgotten something in the United States that I needed and I was nervous about the new people I would be training, people with whom I wasn't sure I could relate.
In a word, I was uptight!
THE QUESTION
Then out of nowhere, a question occurred to me. I'm not sure if I thought of it, or if the Lord spoke it to me. You decide. But the question, or should I say the answer to that question, changed my life and work from that point forward.
What was the question?
It was, "I thought this was what you wanted to do?"
When it came to me, I immediately burst into laughter! This was what I wanted to do. I was 50 years of age and had prepared my whole adult life to stand before people and teach them about purpose, productivity, faith, time and organization. I had a chance before me to do just that for five whole days, and I was ruining it by my attitude. I was allowing myself to get overwhelmed by the details, and fear and anger were getting the best of me.
I determined then and there to enjoy what I was doing every day and in every way. I made a decision that Sunday night not to let the details of my work, the logistics, the response of the people or the mistakes I may made to take away from the journey.
THE ANSWER
I have made good on my decision I made that Sunday night. I have enjoyed my work since then. What's more, I am enjoying it more now than I did then. It's getting better and better. I am more experience, have more confidence, trust the Lord more effectively, and know more than I did back in 2001. God is opening more doors and I get emails with feedback to let me know that I am making a difference in people's lives.
Why do I write this now? First of all, I am facing a busy schedule from now until March 11, when I return from my visits to Zimbabwe, England and Kenya. Before I depart on February 7, I have visits to Philadelphia, New York and Nashville. There is still the temptation to get uptight, and I don't want to do that. I know there will be challenges during that period, but I have decided again to enjoy it all.
Second, I am wondering whether you are enjoying what you are doing? Are you allowing the nagging problems of work to take away your joy? If so, then you can make a decision today to stop that from happening. Do what I did. I determined I was going to enjoy all of what I do--the good, the bad and the ugly. When I set my heart to do that, I found that it all became good, even what I would have previously considered the bad and ugly.
You only get one chance at this life, so why not decide to enjoy it? When you do, you actually help create the joy that God wants you to have. So stop fretting and fuming over things that challenge or bother you. Join me as a member of what I call the joy club and together let's fuel our PurposeQuest with the decision to enjoy the journey. Have a great week!
If you have any suggestions for topics or improvements for The Monday Memo, please send me an email and let me know. Feel free to post your comments to this Memo on the site where it is located. You can also go to the same site to read the other Monday Memos from 2006 (Memos prior to 240 can be found on my website). Don't forget my personal PurposeQuest website, which has loads of material that will help you find your purpose and be productive. You can also sign up for my weekly Bible studies where we have started a study of Mark's gospel this year. Finally, please remember PurposeQuest and the Stankos in your missions giving.
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1. Here is my itinerary for the coming months:
- January 29-30 -- West Palm Beach, Florida
- February 3-4 -- New York City
- February 5-7 -- Nashville, Tennessee
- February 8-25 -- Zimbabwe
- February 26-March 3 -- England
- March 4-10 -- Nairobi, Kenya
If you would like to meet for a one-on-one purpose session while I am in your area, please write and let me know.
2. If you live in Zimbabwe, I will be conducting a session for The Pacific Institute from February 13-16. You must register right away to reserve your space in the next class. If you are interested, don't wait. Write me today so we can help you get on the next class list.
3. Why not give a gift subscription to The Monday Memo? Just go to the site where The Memos are posted and add the email address for your family or friends. Then please write to let them know what you have done so they can be watching for the confirmation email they will receive. If you can't access the Internet, send me their email addresses and I will add them to the growing Monday Memo family.
4. I will send out my third installment of my Bible study from Mark's gospel later this week. To receive those weekly studies, please go to the site where they will be posted and enter your email address. If you can't access the Internet, send me the address and I will enter it for you.
5. Below is my monthly installment of A Daily Dose of Proverbs for your reading enjoyment.
Hi Dr Stanko
Thank you so much for this message. It has been such a blessing.
Have a great week!!!
Posted by: Audrey | January 30, 2007 at 03:53 PM
Calvary greetings to you and compliments on your work. God will bless you.
My regards and many thanks.
Posted by: Adesola | February 01, 2007 at 07:53 AM
Hi Stanko,
I am glad to have the privilege of receiving such encouragement and guidance from you. Thanks so much for allowing God to use you in such a tremendous way.
I have actually been getting agitated by the fact that I am not making money as I think I should be making in my business. It's not doing very well although I am getting some money to help me meet my daily financial needs.
The bills are the problem. The business can't pay its own bills. I have a lot to do daily with the money that I am not able to get enough to save for the bills.
Now, having heard about how I can enjoy every day by choice is something I have to do. I pray the God will help me meet that condition.
May the LORD bless you greatly for the work you are doing. May He take great care of you and meet every need that you have all the days of your life and May HE cause His face to shine on you.
Posted by: Sam | February 01, 2007 at 07:55 AM
This is really timely for me. I recently got a promotion and spent the month of December celebrating it. I have a position of influence to do what I always wanted. Then the demands started coming, the responsibility began to bear on me and now I get home so tired and disconnected that I wonder why I was celebrating the promotion at all. I pray that that those words "I thought this was what you wanted to do?" will lead me back to a state of joy and thankfulness to God for this opportunity I have and that I will not let the details get me down. Thanks again
Posted by: James | February 02, 2007 at 04:39 AM
Dear Dr Stanko,
Thank you so much for your motivational emails, the messages in them are usually so timely. May our God Lord continue to shine his light upon your life and your work.
Posted by: Wangui | February 02, 2007 at 05:26 AM
Thanks for this memo. Have always wanted to be a hospital pharmacist then this year, I have been posted to a district hospital as one. I was feeling inadequate but this has encouraged me to take up the position.
Posted by: Nillian | February 02, 2007 at 05:43 AM
Thank you for the Monday Memo. Last week l wrote to you with a problem l was having and how your teaching have impacted my life. In this week's memo, you answered my question without even realising it, my answer was right there.
l wish you all the best in your travel
Posted by: Pangs | February 02, 2007 at 05:46 AM
good day john,
how are you?
Thank-you for this message below. It really hit the nail on the head. I realised how I was letting petty things such as fear, attitude and personality clashes get in the way of my job of which I enjoy doing. Its was also shocked to realise how much time and effort I wasted and also how little I accomplished because of all these things. I also realized that I had held back on many areas as well.
Once again thank you for your messages they are very helpful and don't stop what you are doing.
Posted by: Conrad | February 02, 2007 at 05:47 AM
Dr.Stanko,
I am a new subscriber to the Monday Memo. I attended the Advancing the Kingdom Conference in Columbus,OH in 2004. You mentioned the Memo in your session on "Appointing the Anointed." It jarred my memory along with your sermon "Do the Unexpected". The memo "Enjoy the Ride" is just what I needed. I am a pastor and have been really struggling to enjoy the call and purpose on my life. Thanks for the encouraging word. May God continue to bless and prosper your work.
Alexander
Posted by: Alexander | February 02, 2007 at 05:25 PM