Attitude by Chuck Swindoll

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.

It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, say or do.

It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skills.

It will make or break a company... a church... a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day.

We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.

We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. ... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes.

Thanks Chuck.

With that said, what is your attitude with respect to fat loss success?

I can help.

And I “double your money back” guarantee it!

Steve

Your Prograde professional

The Parable of the Talents, part 2

If you missed part 1 of "The Parable of the Talents" you can read it here.

For the remainder of this message I want to concentrate on three areas:

1. Talent maximization

2. Work

3. Responsibility

There are so many directions that I can envision taking this message, it is difficult for me to stay focused on just a few. You see vision is one of my talents. Focus is not. But I’m working on it.

Talent Maximization

There is a reason that the most talented players do the best in sports. Typically it is because they understand that the clock is ticking, and one day their physical talent will begin to diminish, so they work hard and maximize their abilities while time is one their side.

We’ve all known very talented people from our youth who never became a professional athlete. It probably wasn’t because they couldn’t have made it; they simply lacked the drive, desire and motivation to reach higher.

Some of these folks have no regrets about it. They’ve turned other gifts and talents into a life of value. Others live in the past, the “good old days.” Like Napoleon Dynamite’s Uncle Rico they’re stuck “back in ’86.”

It is my opinion that having a talent and not using it maximally is a slap in the face to the one from whom the talent was received. When one wastes a talent, whether by disuse, neglect or sheer abandonment, the receiver not only deprives the giver the joy of seeing their gift used as hoped, but they potentially deprive others of the gift.

What if Mozart or Beethoven had decided not to use their talent? What if Picasso or Monet had decided not to paint? What if Tim Duncan or Lebron James had decided not to play basketball? Others, who draw enjoyment and pleasure from listening, watching and experiencing the benefits of their gifts, would never have been able to do so.

Maximizing ones talent first stems from gratitude. Cicero once stated, "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others." When one is grateful for one’s position in life they are inclined to maximize their abilities to produce and be more.

America is the embodiment of potential. Here, anyone can rise above and become just about anything they put their mind to. Many immigrants who come here from other lands do very well because they recognize the potential and are grateful for it. Sadly, many who do not capitalize on this same potential are folks who’ve lived here all of their lives.

They aren’t grateful for what they have because they either don’t know, or don’t really care,

how good they have it.

I have long contended that every man, woman and child should travel to another country south of the U.S. border, just once, to recognize just how good we actually have things. Seeing people who sleep on dirt floors, bathe in creeks and eat very minimal portions, and are grateful to have it, is a very humbling and life altering experience.

Why wait to be grateful for the talents that God has given you? Thank Him for them, dedicate their use to His glory and maximize them.

Coach John Wooden puts it this way, “You have little say over how big or strong or how smart or rich someone else may be. You do have, or you should have, control over yourself and the effort you give toward bringing out your best in whatever you’re doing. This effort must be total, and when it is, I believe you have achieved personal success. Remember; never try to be better than anyone else…but always strive to be the best you that you can be. That is under your control…the other isn’t.”

Work

As in the story, maximizing ones talents takes time, and work. The first two men worked to grow their talents, and over time they did just that. The third man did no work, other than to bury it. My guess is he didn’t do much of anything in any other area of his life either.

The Bible has a whole lot to say on the subject of work. Here’s one of my favorites:

“For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither

shall he eat.” That’s from 2 Thessalonians 3:10.

Here’s another, “Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; But much increase comes by the strength (work) of an ox.” (Proverbs 14:4 NKJV)

Now this one is a little deep, but what it means is this: If you do nothing, you have nothing. Sometimes you’ve got to get dirty and get in the trenches to get the job done, and the result is increase.

Work is a part of life. That is the problem with welfare. If people had to work to earn it they’d feel better about themselves and where it came from. I know from personal experience. I was on welfare for about six months many years ago. I hated it. I felt dirty, like I was cheating someone or something. I wasn’t earning it, and it wasn’t a charitable donation.

I also wasn’t a Christian at the time and the rest of my life was a mess as well. Once I came to the realization that work was a necessary component of life and that doing something was better than doing nothing, I found employment and quit the welfare system.

Looking back, I am grateful for the food that it put on my table to feed my children. I am grateful for the hard working men and women who allowed me to benefit by their own hard work. I simply believe that if I had to do something to earn that money, I would have felt differently about receiving it.

It is the same with talent. You must work to develop it. You must earn it.

I once worked with a former professional football player. He was a big man; six feet six inches tall, two-hundred-ninety pounds. He had been drafted by the Dallas Cowboys, played one season and was injured. He claimed he wanted to get back on the team, but would not work hard enough to earn back his spot. He thought his original level of talent would get him back.

He was wrong.

Having great talent also requires a great deal of character. Many have neglected to develop their character to coincide with the benefits and accolades of the talents they possess. Dr. Edwin Louis Cole put it this way, “Your talent can take you where your character cannot sustain you.”

How often have we seen men and women rise to great levels, only to fall because they committed to building their talent but neglected building their character as well?

Michael Vick and Tiger Woods come to mind. Lindsey Lohan and Britney Spears do as well.

Work is essential to progressive growth, in all areas of life. Do not shun work and the rewards will be fruitful and many.

Responsibility

As in the story, the master gave responsibility for the talents to his servants. He held each man accountable for them upon his return. The two who acted responsibly were rewarded handsomely. The one who did not was rebuked.

Assuming responsibility for ones actions and life are a basic precept to maturity and personal growth. Here are three things to think about with respect to responsibility:

1. Dr. Ed Cole taught that you cannot be responsible for success until you are first willing to be responsible for failure. Success is often cultivated in the dung of failure. (Remember the clean ox trough?) When you accept responsibility for your failure you can make the necessary corrections and move toward success. Tryon Edwards said it this way, "Right actions in the future are the

best apologies for bad actions in the past."

2. Dr. Cole also taught that you live by preference or conviction. It takes responsibility to live by conviction. Preferences weaken under pressure, convictions grow stronger. You can be negotiated out of your preferences, convictions are non-negotiable.

3. Maturity is not a factor of age, but of the acceptance of responsibility. How many people do you know who are mature at fifteen because of their level of responsibility? How many more are still maturing at forty because they can’t or won’t accept full responsibility for their lives?

On the night of December 9, 1977, Kermit Washington almost (though unintentionally) killed the

Houston Rockets' Rudy Tomjanovich with a single, face-shattering punch. In the years that followed, Washington’s life slowly deteriorated. He was traded often and booed everywhere he played. After his playing days were over, he couldn't find work in the league, even though he offered to work for free.

Why? My guess is because he never accepted full responsibility for his actions. You see, each time he gave an account for what happened, he always stated it this way, “I’m sorry, but…”

The acceptance of responsibility for the use of ones talents, gifts, accomplishments AND failures makes for a life of triumph, free from guilt, doubt and shame.

The Last Word

The parable of the talents is an in-depth look into the love of God for obedience, responsibility and the success He wishes for all of us. I encourage you in this: Take the talents you have and use them to glorify God. Give Him credit for them, and then work to make them grow so that His glory may be magnified.

Then, one day, he will call you to Him and hopefully proclaim, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”

God bless you,

Steve Payne

Your Prograde Professional

The Parable of the Talents, part 1

Here’s a surprise: Quite many people have differing views of the Bible, either in its’ contextual authority, its’ legitimacy as an accurate account of historical events, the validity of its precepts and principles or its author…Almighty God.

I have no such quandaries… but I may be biased.

Jesus is Lord.

I can’t top that. Be that as it may, I often look to the Bible for references and guidance on everyday events, life structure, and lessons that I can learn as well as pass along.

One such set of lessons is “The Parable of the Talents” from the book of Matthew, chapter 25:14-30:

14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.”

How many times have you pondered the gifts and talents you’ve been given by God?

These talents are very valuable things. In the story referenced above, the value of a “talent”

was about a thousand dollars in that day’s money. In today’s money it would be more like a

million. So you can imagine what a thousand dollars was like two thousand years ago.

Likewise, your talents are valuable things as well. As in the scriptural reference, they are given according to your ability. As an example, are you blessed with strength to move heavy objects? Do you have the ability to dunk a basketball? Can you throw a 90 mph fastball with accuracy? Is your 40 time less than 4.5 seconds?

I am not saying that you are less than valuable if you are not physically imposing on the court, field or rink. Just because an individual is able to capitalize on their talent monetarily does not make their value any more or less special. I am merely pointing out one area of talent.

Physical gifts such as these aren’t dolled out in uniform fashion to the masses across the board. If they were, we’d all be like Reggie Bush, Lebron James, Roger Clemens or Michael Johnson. The game of football wouldn’t be as exciting, baseball would be just another pastime and basketball would be nothing but a high scoring dunk-fest.

And just because you possess such physical gifts does not mean that they will grow of their own account. There is a reason that the aforementioned sports figures draw the kinds of salaries they do. Most recognized their talent at an early age and worked to perfect it. They developed a work ethic and discipline that allowed them to grow what they had and turn it into something more. Let’s read on:

19 “After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”

24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.”

26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.” 29 “For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

This story has an obvious message that beautifully illustrates the gift of Jesus Christ to the believer, and our responsibility to share that “talent” with others. It is a privilege and honor to do so, but, regrettably, one that many do not fully comprehend and employ. If you are a follower of Christ, I encourage you to share the Gospel with others.

But we’re talking today about sports, fitness and physical talents.

Therefore, what can we infer from this story, with respect to that? Let’s reflect back

to the beginning for a moment: “to each according to his own ability…”

What talents have you been given? Really ponder them and write them down. You could have a talent for weight lifting, running, high diving, hitting a baseball. It may be cooking, self discipline, instruction, or guidance. Whatever the talent, write it down.

You will notice that it says, “After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.”

After a long time…

As I stated earlier, it takes time to fully develop a talent or skill. Do you think that Michael Jordan played basketball at ten years of age the way he did at twenty-five? Do you think that Tiger Woods was always so good at golf?

No. And why is that? Because they, like all the great sports figures, work at being the best they can be. Michael Jordan’s work ethic was renowned. Tiger Woods is becoming known as much for his training regimen as for his skill on the links. And it took a long time.

In the second portion of the story we see that the first man took his talents and worked them into five more. He doubled them and was rewarded with an abundance of both gifts and responsibilities.

The second man also doubled his amount, from two to four. He was also given more in terms of gifts and responsibilities. These men and their example should be the focus of the story. The message is this: value your talents, dedicate them to your Lord and maximize them through intelligent, hard work and reward will come your way.

The third man, well…that is another story. He hid his talent and did nothing to maximize it.

Because of that he was punished, chastised and what he had was taken from him.

For the remainder of this message I want to concentrate on three areas:

1. Talent maximization

2. Work

3. Responsibility

Next time...

Steve

Your Prograde Professional

20 things I've learned

Here is an abbreviated list of some of the things I've learned in the thirty plus years I've been involved in the fitness industry.

Keep in mind...this is a partial list.

20 things I’ve learned over the past thirty years...

1) Eat right 90 percent of the time. When you do, good things happen, like: lower blood pressure, muscle gain and preservation, bone density, fat loss, connective tissue strength, increased endurance, etc.

2) Train hard, and smart. In the words of Joe Namath, “If you aren’t going to go all the way, why go at all?”

3) Lift heavy weights with good form. The body is meant to work, so just do it.

4) Train often. It doesn’t have to be a long, drawn out affair. 15 to 20 minutes per day of solid training can have long reaching benefits.

5) Lift as much weight as possible with good form for as many reps as you can. Forget counting reps. Simply focus on technique and let your body do what it is Divinely constructed to do.

6) Use a variety of multi-joint movements...often. The body craves variety. Do not allow your training to stagnate with mundane and boring routines. And DO NOT train like a bodybuilder, unless you want to walk like a zombie, look like a freak and hurt from a multitude of muscle imbalances.

7) Eat foods in their natural, unaltered state. You know… like God made it. You can’t get better than that.

8. Drink clean water frequently. That doesn’t mean carrying around a water bottle like it’s an I.V. drip. Just drink a little at frequent and various times throughout the day.

9) Variety. I've even heard it’s the spice of life. Change up your daily routine. Drive to or from work a different way. Eat something you wouldn't normally eat. Wear something different. Change things up a bit. Don't get stagnant or stale.

10) Laugh often and loud. I heard someone say it’s the best medicine.

11) Go to church. It’s a place to learn about life, joy, love and to remind you that you’re not the center of the universe.

12) Hang out with friends. People who can, and will, tell you “like it is.”

13) Love your wife/husband. Like you mean it. Remember...the kids are watching.

14) Be nice: it doesn’t cost a dime to do so. Former Cincinnati Reds coach Sparky Anderson said this after a game I was watching some 35 plus years ago and I’ve never forgotten it.

15) Buy good wine and enjoy every drop. With friends or loved ones it tastes even better.

16) Read God’s Word as though your life depended on it. Believe it or not, it does.

17) Tithe and watch what happens. The only time in Scripture we are told to test God is in this manner. I dare you to try and “out-give” Him.

18) Tell the truth…always. It’s cheaper in the long run.

19) Practice what you preach. I’m still working on this one.

20) Be a friend. To your wife or husband, an animal, people you know and meet. It’s the surefire way to make a friend.

21) Nobody wants to lose “weight,” despite what they may say to the contrary. Weight implies the number on the scale. What they really want is to lose size, and that equates to fat.

22) Nobody cares how much you know unless they know how much you care.

23) Give more than is expected. Go that extra step. “Pay it forward,” if you will.

Steve

Your Prograde Pro