In case you are just tuning in this week to read the Monday Memo, we are in the midst of studying the five c's in succcccess. If you think succcccess isn't a consideration for you, read these words from Psalm 1:1-3 in the Good News Translation:
"Happy are those who reject the advice of evil people, who do not follow the example of sinners or join those who have no use for God. Instead, they find joy in obeying the Law of the Lord, and they study it day and night.They are like trees that grow beside a stream, that bear fruit at the right time, and whose leaves do not dry up. They succeed in everything they do" (emphasis added).
With that in mind, let's look at the second c in succcccess, that being creativity.
YOU ARE, TOO!
In 2006, I had a startling revelation and changed my purpose statement from "I bring order out of chaos" to "I create order out of chaos." It was then that I accepted the fact that I am a creative person, something I had denied up to that point. I began to write and teach about creativity after that, and I have many Monday Memos devoted to the subject of creativity. You may want to take some time and review them here.
Over the years, I have also collected creative life expressions from Monday Memo readers and posted that collection on my website. You can find that list here titled, "Samples of Creative Expressions." Once you read that list and some of my past Memos, I hope you will come to the same realization that I did: You are a creative person, too!
CREATIVITY FOLLOWS CURIOSITY
Last week we looked at the first c in succcccess and that is curiosity. Once you are curious and decide to follow your heart and what interests you, it is time to express your creativity. You can then begin to structure your world and invest your time in such a way that your creativity can take shape as a practical expression of who you are. I am interested in writing, and have been since I was young. So in 1995 at the age of 45, I started to pursue my interest and today I write every day to an audience all over the world.
I have written 12 books, 524 Monday Memos, finished a verse-by-verse devotional on the entire New Testament, and write a daily devotional online featuring one verse from Proverbs every day (I want to turn that into a desktop calendar soon). This semester I am teaching five classes and have no end of other creative projects and ideas in the works.
I love to do media but got tired of waiting for people to invite me to be part of their media world. What did I do? I started my own online broadcast, Your PurposeQuest, that is live via the Internet every Tuesday at 4 PM my time (you can access some of my shows on the site where they are stored here; feel free to download and listen).
You don't have to do any of those things that I am doing to be creative. You just have to be yourself. You cannot be fighting yourself, however, and be creative. My experience is that most people (perhaps even you) are trying to talk themselves out of their creativity instead of into it. With that in mind, I encourage you to read my past Memos, think about this in the coming days and embrace your creativity. You cannot be succcccessful without employing it, but you cannot employ it if you deny that it even exists. Have a great week!
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A MATCHING GRANT: Great news! I have received a matching grant for the library work in Kenya. That means that every dollar you give through October 31 will double up to $1,500. You can read more about this here or just give now through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. What a great way to maximize your gift by making sure it doubles through this special, limited time grant. Remember, the grant offer expires on Monday, October 31.
Thanks Dr. Stanko! I needed to hear this, God bless.
Posted by: Debra Otey | October 23, 2011 at 10:00 PM