Educating Today

Being a good leader starts in your mind. Scripture teaches that as a man thinketh, so is he.

What we think about plays a big part in what we do or don’t accomplish.

This is such an important concept to teach our kids (and ourselves).

The Man Who Thinks He Can

by Walter D. Wintle

If you think you are beaten, you are.

If you think you dare not, you don’t.

If you’d like to win, but think you can’t, it’s almost a cinch that you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost.

For out in the world we find success begins with a fellow’s will;

It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are.

You’ve got to think high to rise.

You’ve got to be sure of yourself before you can ever win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go to the strongest or fastest man;

But sooner or later the man who wins,

Is the one who thinks he can.

Have you ever been falsely accused of something?

Have you ever been criticized?

Matthew 5:11 says, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.”

If you’re doing good things with the right intentions and you’re being honorable and fair, sometimes you may be criticized by the most unlikely people or maybe by someone you have never even met.

Most of the time the criticisms come because you are “doing something.”

Teddy Roosevelt said, “It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory or defeat.”

So if you are doing something noble, true and right, and you’re being criticized, Celebrate!

Most people never do anything; they never take action.

Copywriting guru Ray Edwards, says that C.R.I.T.I.C. stands for Can’t Really Invent Things; Instead Criticizes.

Remember, your place “shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory or defeat.”

The only way to be sure you are never criticized is not to do anything.

To: Jesus, Son of Joseph

Woodcrafter’s Carpenter Shop

Nazareth   25922

From: Jordan Management Consultants

Dear Sir:

Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for managerial positions in your new organization. All of them have now taken our battery of tests; we have not only run the results through our computer, but we also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and our vocational aptitude consultant.

The profiles of all tests are included, and you will want to study each of them carefully. As part of our service, we made some general comments for your guidance… This is given as a result of staff consultation, and comes without any additional fee.

It is the staff’s opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking. They do not have the team concept. We would recommend that you continue your search for persons of experience in managerial ability and proven capability.

• Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper.
• Andrew has absolutely no qualities of leadership.
• The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, place personal interest above company loyalty.
• Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale.
• We feel that it is our duty to tell you that Matthew has been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau.
• James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus definitely have radical leanings, and they both registered a high score on the manic-depressive scale.

One of the candidates, however, shows great potential. He is a man of ability and resourcefulness, meets people well, has a keen business mind and has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious and responsible. We recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right hand man. All of the other profiles are self explanatory.

We wish you every success in your new venture.

Sincerely,

Jordan Management Consultants

In his book, “Eating Problems For Breakfast,” Tim Hansel includes a humorous, fictional letter to Jesus in His search of the twelve disciples. If Jesus had hired a management consultant firm to do the picking and choosing of the Twelve, this letter from the consulting firm tells Jesus who they think would be the best candidate.

When we talk about helping our children develop leadership qualities, this letter gives us something to think about.