The Ultimate Investment

Pete's parents worried about him while he was young.  He just wouldn't discipline himself, nor apply himself to his studies like his older brother -- a straight A student.  As he grew, all he wanted to do was watch movies.  After struggling through high school, threatening to drop out several times, he moved from Utah to California to get into the film industry.  His parents tried to dissuade him.  Didn't he know the odds of succeeding in the film industry?  They were extremely poor.  But Pete, wanting to make movies, didn't listen, he just up and left, working in studios,   >> [Read the rest of the post]

Paul, for as long as he could remember, wanted to be a rancher.  Yet whenever he talked about it, all he could say was, "There's no money in it.  You can't support a family being a rancher."  So Paul settled into a life of working the best jobs he could get, and hoped that sometime, somehow, he would end up being happy. For the most part, those around Paul agreed, you can't be a rancher in today's world.  People don't do that anymore.  You were just born too late.  But what they were really saying is:  You can't do what you   >> [Read the rest of the post]

Kyle loved working with sound systems.  While growing up he installed dozens in cars, homes, boats, you name it, he installed it.  He bought, sold, horse traded, and even custom built systems for his friends.  It was all he ever wanted to do, all he could think of doing.  His parents were worried.  Kyle didn't have any ambition to do anything else with his life.  After all, fixing and installing sound systems was fine and good, but there was no money in it, no stability, and besides, it was just something teenagers loved while they were young but then grew   >> [Read the rest of the post]

Sometimes there are roadblocks to Being who you really want to be.  Maybe you have encountered health problems which won't allow you to get out and be the type of person you really desire.  But don't be in despair.  It's what's inside that makes you who you truly are.  If you can't realistically act out who you really want to be, the strong desire will show in your countenance, and you will touch others just by who you are.  Cheryl was very thoughtful and compassionate.  Always thinking of others, she would send cards and letters on birthdays, anniversaries, and any other   >> [Read the rest of the post]

Long before Sherman found his wife and got married, he made a long and detailed list of what he wanted in a wife.  After making that list, he made another, equally long and detailed, as to the attributes he would need to be worthy of such a wife.  Sherman then concentrated his efforts on the list he made for himself.  When he had become the person that he thought would be worthy of such a wife, She found him!  And they were married shortly thereafter. The same holds true for relationships you have now.  In most cases, if you aren't happy in   >> [Read the rest of the post]

There is another way you can work towards Being your best self.  It stems from service.  Nothing can boost your own worth faster than sincerely serving others. Christ said, "whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant." (Matt 20:26-27, Mark 10:43-44, Luke 22:26) see also Matt 23:11 Devote some time to meaningful service.  The more you put in, the more you'll get out -- without even trying.  It's called the Law of Inverse Blessings.  You may have a hard time believing it works, but give it a chance.    >> [Read the rest of the post]

You can rise no higher than the image you have of yourself, and the discipline you exercise in Being.  You control how high you rise by controlling who you become.  The more you approach Being who you have the potential to become, the more successful you are.  At the risk of over generalizing, there are basically three classes of people:  First class, second class, and third class.  Which are you?  First class people are a very elect group.  These are people everyone would like to emulate.  They love people, and people love them.  With high standards, they live by a strict code of   >> [Read the rest of the post]

Kevin was sent to prison for drug abuse and grand larceny.  After a year behind bars, something clicked, giving him a strong desire to get out of prison and never return.  Disciplining himself, he learned to live in every day in a way which would help him be his best self, and "went for it."  Four years later, he'd left behind a life filled with drugs and crime, and found his "best" life.  He's happily married, has a family, working a great job, and enjoying a life many would envy. True success is measured not in what you do, but by   >> [Read the rest of the post]

The process of Being works in a simple but miraculous way.  You transform yourself into the person you ideally could become simply by doing the things that type of person does.  Then, when you've been doing those things long enough, you realize you have disciplined yourself into Being the type of person you would most like to be.  It's a little of a dichotomy such as the New Testament teaches.  "Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it" (see Luke 17:33).  We must lose ourselves in order to find ourselves.   >> [Read the rest of the post]

Keeping a personal journal does more than just record history.  It can help you stay on the right track.  In your journal you will want to record the things you did right, what you learned and how good that felt.  You will also want to record what you did wrong, what you learned, how bad that felt and your resolve not to repeat it again. In recording what you did right during the day, you focus on the positive aspects of your life.  The more you focus on the positive, the more positive your life actually becomes.  You squeeze out the   >> [Read the rest of the post]