Throughout the years I have had many mentors who have influenced my life, both dead and live, in the soul (mind) and body areas of my life, but there is only one who has also significantly impacted me in the spiritual area of my life.

In this secular world many people tend to forget that we are a triune being – spirit, soul and body, and that we need to tend each area that constitutes our life in order to live a full, balanced and successful life.

So let me introduce you to, in my opinion, the giant amongst mentors, taken from the most popular and best selling motivational book ever written.

This is not about religion. This is about real life lessons that can be applied to your life in an instant, and I highly recommend that you take them and apply them to your life immediately.

Below are 12 powerful quotations from Christ Jesus with additional commentary from myself.

1. To Serve Is To Be Great

“Whoever wants to be great must become a servant.”

Here is the secret to great leadership. Leadership is not about rulership. It is about serving others. And in giving to others you will never lack for any good thing in your life.

2. There Is A Cure For Worry

“Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds. Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen colour and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving.”

To live a worry free life is a joy. Anxiety is a killer. So to be able to face each day, knowing that if the world can exist in such beauty and splendour, there is nothing that you need to be concerned about. Take a fresh look at nature and get the point.

3. Love Conquers All

“Teacher, which command in God’s Law is the most important?” Jesus said “Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence. This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: Love others as well as you love yourself.”

also…

“…if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously. You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’  I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves.”

When it comes to love we are given three directives: Love God. Love your neighbour. Love your enemies.

The first step forward to develop this love in your life is to learn to pray. I have found prayer to be an incredibly energising practice. Now if this is not familiar to you, let me explain that this is not the point where you get all holier than thou on me. Prayer for me is simply sharing my heart with one greater than myself. You will often find me talking out loud as I pray, or sometimes I’m simply speaking quietly in the depths of my mind to one greater than myself.

I was actually up at 3.30am this morning praying. That happens to me from time to time. But I also pray while I’m at work. I pray while I stroll beside the ocean. I pray in the car. I pray as an individual, and we pray as a family.

But what is prayer? Simply handing over life’s good and bad that we’re handed to one far greater than ourselves – and that even includes our enemies. Seems back to front to conventional thinking – but I have seen many an enemy turned around 180 degrees through the power of simply praying that good happen in their life.

4. Follow The Golden Rule

“Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behaviour: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them.”

This is such a wonderful principle. Simply, do as you want to be done. Often the good turn won’t come back from the one you did it for – but it will come back from somewhere in this amazing universe that we live in.

5. Ask For What You Need

“Here’s what I’m saying: Ask and you’ll get; Seek and you’ll find; Knock and the door will open. Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in.”

Go on, I dare you. Ask. In sales I learnt very quickly that if I never asked for the sale I would never get the sale. The power is in the asking. Now I’m not saying that you are going to pull a sales strategy on God. But ask, and in your asking expect to receive. When my children ask me for something, as their father I cannot resist the pull that it invokes on my fatherly heartstrings to give them the best that I have to offer.

6. Judge Not

“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, and criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging.  It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbour’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own.  Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt?  It’s this whole travelling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbour.”

Point one finger in the direction of another in judgment and you have three pointing straight back at you. Not good. Resist the slippery slide towards judging others.

7. Keep Your Word

“Just say ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong.”

If you can say yes. If you can’t say no. Don’t muck about by telling a lie when you know that you cannot do what you have promised. The word ‘no’ can be your most liberating friend if used wisely. You can’t do everything, so start practicing the use of it. And if you say ‘yes’ ensure that you do what you say – even if it is inconvenient. This builds a depth of character in your being and trust from those around you.

8. Give In Secret

“When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively.”

There is nothing worse than someone blowing their own trumpet. Practice the art of giving in secret. Your reward will be great.

9. Forgive Others

“In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.”

To forgive others is to free you from the disabling chains of unforgiveness. Sorry is sometimes the hardest word to say, but once said it is liberating. Don’t wait for others to apologise. You lead the way and be the first to offer the hand of forgiveness. This is not about wrong or right, but rather living a life of freedom.

10. Speak Good Words

“A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.”

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, so use words wisely. Put a watch over your mouth and analyse the words that leave your lips. Are they positive? Or are they tinged with negativity and judgement? This is serious business, so pay heed to the advice given. It is truly the difference between salvation and damnation – here on earth – let alone throughout eternity.

11. Nothing Is Impossible If You Have Faith

“The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn’t be able to tackle.”

Faith is a small word, but a powerful one at that. Faith is trust in a greater one than yourself, trust in the abilities that have been placed within you, and trust that with every step forward you will find your way towards your dreams and your goals. With a sprinkling of persistence added to the formula you can do but one thing – win!

12. Use It Or Lose It

“It’s also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master’s investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master’s money. After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’ The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master’s investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’ The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’ The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest. Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this ‘play-it-safe’ who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’”

Every one of us has been endowed with a specific gift or natural talent that requires use. If you fail to lose it you will lose it. Whatever you do, don’t compare yourself with the other guy or girl who seems to have been given a bunch of talents. Use the one that you have and develop it. These represent your personal strengths, and like any muscle, the best way to develop a strength in your life is by strengthening it. So at every opportunity use it – and that way you will never lose it. You will in fact enhance it and position yourself to become a leader in your chosen field of endeavour.

If there is one of these life lessons that you have developed in your life with great results, please feel free to share how it has helped you.

Source of Quotations: Taken from ‘The Message’ – 1. Mark 10: 43, 2. Matthew 10: 26-31, 3. Matthew 22:36-39 & Matthew 5:41-45, 4. Matthew 7:12, 5. Luke 11:9-10, 6. Matthew 7:1-5, 7. Matthew 5:37, 8. Matthew 6:3-4, 9. Matthew 6:14-15, 10. Matthew 12:35-37, 11. Matthew 17:20, 12. Matthew 25:14-30

Motivational Memo: To learn one must be taught. To teach one must first learn.

Peter G. James Sinclair is in the ‘heart to heart’ resuscitation business and inspires, motivates and equips others to be all that they’ve been created to become. Receive your free copy of his latest eBook Discovering The You In Unique at – http://www.motivationalmemo.com and add him on Twitter @PeterGJSinclair – today!

Someone once said, “The key to happiness is having dreams.  The key to success is making your dreams’ come true.”  Today I want to talk about making your dreams come true.  I want to talk about five keys that will help turn your dreams into reality.

Without further adieu….

5 Must Read Keys to Success:

1. Preparation

“The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.”

~Benjamin Disraeli

Success loves preparation.  If the perfect opportunity presented itself today, would you be ready?  It’s better to be ready and not have an opportunity, then to have an opportunity and not be ready.

To succeed, you must be ready when opportunity comes.  Spend your time preparing for success, when your opportunity comes, you’ll be glad you did.

2. Work

“Success is simply a matter of luck. Ask any failure.” ~Anonymous

All failures know that success is simply a matter of luck, they know it’s just a matter of being at the right place at the right time, they know with assurance that success is directly linked to good ole fashion chance.

However, those who have succeeded know that success is directly and proportionally linked to work.  Even an amazing strategy can’t guarantee success.  Zig Ziglar said, “The most practical, beautiful, workable philosophy in the world won’t work – if you won’t.”

You have to put in the time.  However, when you put in the time, it makes success all the more sweet.  When you come from “behind” and do the impossible, it makes success as sweet as a honeycomb. John H. Johnson said, “I believe the greater the handicap, the greater the triumph.”

3. Remember the Golden Rule

“Success is still the constant application of the Golden Rule.” ~Anonymous

Never forget the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  That’s the key to success.  Serve your clients as you would have them serve you.  Meet their needs as you would have them meet your needs.  Give them prices that you would want to pay, exceed their expectations in a way that you would want your expectations to be exceeded.

When you follow the golden rule, you open the door to success.

4. Confidence

“Confidence is the companion of success.” ~Anonymous

If you don’t believe in your abilities, don’t be surprised if no one else does either.  Your negative thoughts about yourself send a signal throughout the world that others pick up on and respond accordingly.  If you’re broadcasting the station “Depression 108.7” then others will treat you like you’re depressed.

But, when you believe in yourself and your potential, people pick up that signal, and they will treat you according to how they believe, you believe, you should be treated.  Did you get that?

5. Lead

“A most important key to successful leadership is your ability to direct and challenge the very best that is in those whom you lead.” ~Anonymous

To be successful you must be a great leader.  There’s probably nothing more difficult than being a great leader.  It’s easy to be selfish, it’s easy to only be concerned with your needs, your wants and your desires.  But to succeed you have to lead!  You have to do what’s best for the people; you must bring the best out of those in whom you lead.

When you really lead, you will succeed.

Thank you for reading and be sure to pass this article along.

Mr. Self Development is an author who teaches a motivational and practical guide to success. Please visit him at Mr. Self Development.com.

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‘The price of leadership is responsibility…to stay positive whether you feel like it or not.’ Sir Winston Churchill

Some amongst us are born leaders, but it is my observation that most leaders are made. Every one of us, at some time or other, are going to find ourselves thrust into a position of leadership, and one of the indispensable qualities required by us as leaders is going to be to maintain a positive attitude.

I recall coaching a boy’s sporting team at one time, and how, that no matter whether the team won or loss, it was my major role not just to ensure that their skills as players were developed, but rather that I engendered great morale in the team – whether we were the defeated or we were the victors.

As leaders of a family, a business, or an organisation, we are responsible for setting the tone and for creating the environment that will encourage others to grow and mature.

There is only one true way that we can do this, and that is to remain in a constant positive state.

So here are four positive things that you can do as a leader to maintain that state.

1. Think Positive Thoughts

How do you stop yourself from immediately thinking the worst? Plunge your mind into the world of positivity. Do this on a daily basis by reading and listening to positive material. Avoid negative material as much as possible. Limit your exposure to world ‘bad’ news. Refuse to tune into ‘negative’ conversations. Repel the bad and accept the good through your finetuned ‘positive receptors’ – namely your eyes and ears.

2. Speak Positive Words

Watch your tongue closely. In fact, listen to your speech intently.  Work hard at reducing any negativity from passing your lips. Endeavour to speak uplifting positive words. Talk hope. Utter faith. Discuss possibilities and solutions rather than amplifying the problem. Let positive speech be your trademark.

3. Provide Positive Encouragement

Find people doing good things and encourage them in it. Lift people with your mouth. Refrain from shooting people down with your words. Get the best out of others by commendation and recognition. Push your positive words forward in the direction of others. And if you have to correct, balance your correction with a far greater percentage of positive direction.

4. Create Positive Solutions

We all face problems. We’re all confronted with roadblocks. But rather than sitting there crying over spilt milk, begin to speak out positive options and solutions. Use words that search for a way over, under, through, or around whatever stands between you, your team and your success. Brainstorm with a supportive team, and always come up with a positive plan for forward movement.

This is the price of leadership, and whether at first you may or may not feel positive – by applying the four price points of positivity, it won’t be long before the feelings of positivity will follow, overtake you and overflow onto those around you.

Motivational Memo: To pay the price of leadership is to become a leader who will have a positive impact upon those whom he leads.

Peter G. James Sinclair is in the ‘heart to heart’ resuscitation business and inspires, motivates and equips others to be all that they’ve been created to become. Receive your free copy of his latest eBook Discovering The You In Unique at – http://www.motivationalmemo.com and add him on Twitter @PeterGJSinclair – today!

A “factory manager” at a local factory called-in an “outside emergency maintenance guy” because one of his machines had “broken.”  The maintenance guy arrived at the factory shortly after receiving the call.  The “factory manager” then explained the problem he was experiencing to the “maintenance guy.”  The maintenance guy responded, “I know exactly what the problem is,” then he quickly replaced a screw in the machine, and the machine began to work like new.

The maintenance guy then said, “That’ll be $300.00!”  The factory manager responded, “$300! You just replaced one screw; that screw cost $1.00; I could have easily done that!”

The maintenance guy responded, “Yes, the screw did cost $1.00, but the knowledge of how to fix your machine cost $299, …and by the way, I only accept cash.”

What’s the point?  When you don’t know, you will pay the higher price!

This is why it’s critical to remain a student of life.  I’m always looking to learn and expand my mind, I’m always looking for leaders who’ve done what I’m trying to do, so that I can learn what they know.

Leaders are people with the knowledge you need, because they’ve been where you’re trying to go.  Hear me out, leaders aren’t necessarily “special,” they don’t “glow in the dark,” or wear a “halo,” leaders are just people who’ve experienced what you’re trying to experience.  They’re people who are a little further along the path that you’re traveling, and they have the knowledge to make your trip easier.

You follow leaders because they have knowledge.  There’s no need to worship them, or sing praises to their name.  You follow leaders because: “When you don’t know what they know, you will pay a higher price!”

Hang-out with Leaders

It’s good to hang around leaders; sit down with them, soak up everything they know.  What’s a “Level 10” problem for you maybe a “Level 2” problem for them.  Pick their brains (no pun intended), but don’t be caught “paying the higher price.”

You can access the minds of leaders by reading their web sites, reading their books, or having conversations with them.  Pursue leaders in your life; pursue mentors who are going where you want to go.  But before you can do this, you first you must recognize who those leaders are.  If you don’t recognize the leaders in your life, you’re like a kid who doesn’t recognize the father who has gone before him, and therefore doesn’t pursue the wisdom of the father.

This Reminds Me of a Story

I’ve mentioned before that I went to LSU, and my sister-in-law, who’s 19 currently goes to LSU.

About a year ago my wife and I visited her sister at school:

While my wife and her sister were busy having fun and talking in the dorm room, I told them that I would go and visit the “Student Union.”  My wife’s sister, who was 18 at the time, responded saying, “Do you know how to get there?”

I said “Yes,” but I was thinking, “…[chuckle, chuckle] excuse me, you’ve been here for 3 months, I have a degree from this university, I know exactly where I’m going…heck, I know a short-cut.”

What’s the point of my story?  The point is that you should recognize the people in your life who’ve been where you’re trying to go; lean on them for wisdom, …don’t offer them unsolicited advice.  What’s difficult to you, is not difficult to someone else, find out what they know.

Some people say, what you don’t know won’t hurt you, but the reality is, what you don’t know may be killing you; killing your potential, killing your drive, killing your focus and aborting your purpose.

When you don’t know: the quickest route, or the right contacts, or the right book, you will pay the higher price.  That price may be in dollars, in time, or in frustration, but there is a price tag for “not knowing.”  You don’t get to be ignorant for free.  So pursue knowledge, follow leaders who are going where you’re going, and the journey will be quicker and smoother.

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Do You Have The Characteristics of an Effective Leader?

The Foundation Of Success

How are some people able to effortlessly lead and inspire others, whilst other meet with constant criticism and failure? What are the qualities that we should look for in potential leaders? If you ever find yourself in the position to offer leadership, what are the factors that will help you lead more effectively?

The following characteristics will help you estimate the leadership ability of others and become a better leader yourself.

Inspire not Command.

“A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” – Lao Tsu

The best leader will inspire his followers. He will lead, yet people will not feel that they are being led. If you direct people through issuing proclamations and directives, you will come up against opposition and resistance. The most effective leadership is to help others feel they are working from their own initiative. To inspire your fellow workers in this way, it is necessary to lead by example and offer encouragement where appropriate.

Have Confidence and Belief.

Confidence and belief are essential for effective leadership. The nature of the human mind is to doubt and expect the worst. Unless a leader can maintain a clear vision of where he wishes to go, others will not follow. If a leader has an iron will and tremendous self belief, he can can inspire others very powerfully to pursue the ideal.

Be willing to admit Mistakes.

A good leader needs the strength to ignore criticism. However, many leaders make the mistake of thinking this means that they can never admit they are wrong. Actually, this stubbornness is usually the result of their own ego. They don’t want to admit their mistakes because they feel this would make them look stupid. However, to persist with the wrong strategy, just to try and prove yourself correct, is the worst thing a leader can do. A leader should ignore his ego and change course if events prove different to expectations. People appreciate a leader who can admit his mistakes, but if you keep making mistakes all the time people will lose faith in your competence.

Delegate Where Appropriate.

“Leadership: the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” -Dwight D. Eisenhower

A good leader cannot do the jobs of several people. A leader who tries to control absolutely everything, will get bogged down in minor details. It also displays a lack of confidence in others. People need to feel valued and given responsibility. A good leader needs to be able to delegate to the right people and intervene only at critical moments.

Learn From Others.

A good leader should be constantly learning and improving. We should learn from our mistakes, but also we should read the counsel of experts. It is a mistake to feel that all we need is a strong will. Good Leadership requires wisdom and a humility to learn. A leader who thinks he knows everything, is destined to get into trouble. Leadership and learning are synonymous.

Sacrifice.

“Only one man in a thousand is a leader of men — the other 999 follow women.” -Groucho Marx

To be a real leader, at times, we need to sacrifice our personal comforts and desires. A leader needs to be able and willing to put the interests of his people first. If we are primarily concerned with our own affairs, it is not possible to be a true and powerful leader.

Emphasise good qualities in others.

The best way to gain the loyalty and support of others is to appreciate their efforts. This should be sincere and not just at times when things are going well. A good leader will instinctively seek to draw out the good qualities of other people. This is much more effective than trying to point out and correct their weaknesses. A leader will also take time to offer gratitude for the efforts of others. This is particularly important at times when things are not going as planned; it is at times like this that people need appreciation most.

Detached from Criticism.

A good leader is not autocratic, but, at the same time he needs to have the strength to pursue strategies, even if temporarily unpopular. A good leader should be able to listen to criticism without getting emotionally upset.

Humility.

It is a mistake to feel that you are always right. Any display of ego creates feelings of inferiority and superiority. In the long run, this undermines your effectiveness as a leader. If you are proved right, don’t spend time reminding people it was your idea. A good leader, is concerned with the well being of his project / group, and not with his personal standing. Also, humility does not mean false modesty, it means working quietly without demanding recognition and praise; this quality is quite rare amongst leaders.

Be prepared to Follow.

To learn the art of leadership, we also need to learn the art of following others. If we can listen to others, people will respond in similar fashion and will be willing to follow our advice. We cannot expect to always have others be at our beck and call. If we demand others always follow us, people will not be attracted to our style of leadership.

Tejvan Pettinger is a member of the Sri Chinmoy Meditation Centre. He lives in Oxford where he works as a teacher. He also offers mediation classes as a community service and updates a blog at Sri Chinmoy Inspiration a collection of articles on meditation and self improvement. http://www.srichinmoybio.co.uk/blog/