Talent

In working to better understand ourselves, one of the most important exercises we need to undertake is to evaluate and list our talents.  Talents are generally understood to be those special natural abilities or aptitudes that stand out over numerous other abilities, those that  provide the potential for us to become above average or successful.  They can be considered to be those "seeds of success" that God has planted within everyone's DNA.  In seeking to grasp the meaning of talent, a far more comprehensive definition comes from the authors of the book Now, Discover Your Strengths.  It goes as follows:  "Talent is any recurring pattern of thought, feeling or behavior that can be productively applied."

One of the ways to get a handle on your talents is to evaluate your thoughts.  What are the thoughts that come naturally to you?  What subjects tend to remain pre-eminent with you?  The same question should be applied to your feelings and to your behavior.

Another tool that can become invaluable in defining your talents is the book Strength Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath.  This a a unique book because it provides the means for an online test from the Gallop Organization which will give you a comprehensive Strength Discovery and Action Planning Guide.  With this action plan you will receive your top 5 theme reports and 50 ideas for action (10 for each of your top 5 strengths).

Discover your talents so that you can concentrate and develop them as well as avoiding wasting time trying to become someone God never made you to be.

"Most people think they know what they are good at.  They are usually wrong...and yet, a person can perform only from strength."  (Business Guru, Peter Drucker)

The Value of Hard Work

Over the years I have built a large library of books that I have read and come to value and appreciate.  I look on most of these books as storehouses of good seeds.  A number of these books have had a profound impact on me and have played a major role in shaping the person I am today.

One such book I want to reference is Coach Wooden's Pyramid of Success - Building Blocks for a Better Life by John Wooden and Jay Carty.  In this book Coach Wooden shares how he came to form the concept of a pyramid and how it was designed to help his basketball players develop vital disciplines in order to achieve the best they were capable of becoming.  At the base of this pyramid one of the cornerstones he labeled "Industriousness."  As Coach Wooden explains, industriousness has two parts.  One is good planning and the other is hard work.  His point is clear and simple - without good planning and its implementation through hard work, there is no chance for success.

Part of good planning is being sure you are prepared to work smart as well as work hard.  The development of this disciple will pay dividends throughout your life.  Avoidance of this discipline will adversely affect everything you attempt to do.

Strive to be known as a hard worker.  Sow the seed of hard work.

The Starting Point

If you plan to go somewhere, you must begin by knowing where you are.  If you want to become a successful person, you begin with having an accurate understanding of who you are.  It is absolutely necessary that you ask yourself some honest, tough questions to be sure you have a correct assessment of your talents, abilities, and the things you do well and those you don't.  Sadly, many people won't address these issues nor ask themselves hard questions.  Some even live in a fantasyland of dreams and in a life of self deception.  Many pretend to be something they are not while others simply accept their current condition and make no effort to change.

Today there are numerous aids available to assist a person who wants to better know himself.  Growing in our understanding of how God made us is, in itself, part of what I believe success is all about.  As we progress in the apprehension of this knowledge, it provides us with the goal of becoming all that we were meant to be.  Find where you are so you can move to where you were made to be.

Thoughts

The substance of our thoughts is what produces the choices we make.  This in turn leads to the actions we carry out.  For that reason, a critical examination of our thought process is needed.  The question to continually ask ourselves is:  what are the sources and content that we are allowing to influence our thoughts?  That is why the books you read (especially the Bible) are so important.  Other forms of media - radio, television, music, DVDs and movies -  all have impact on our thoughts.  Another influence is the people we associate and interface with. These people can have a strong effect on our thought life whether for good or bad.

We all have the power to choose the influences and directions of our thoughts.  This choice on your thought life is one of the most important decisions you will make because with this choice you impact  other choices and subsequently the actions you take.  The continual evaluation of what we allow to shape our thought life will help us become who we are meant to be.  Becoming intentional with what we are going to dwell on mentally is a key element to one's future success.

Learning

Of the numerous gifts God has given to mankind, one of those gifts is our ability to learn. It is wonderful to witness the rapid learning experience of a toddler, for example.  They are consumed with learning because it is their nature to want to learn.  They learn by sight, by sound, and by doing.  Often they fail at first, but soon they master a particular task.  Then it's on to something new.  It is amazing the progress they make over a short period of time.  For most children learning becomes formalized in a school setting and continues until they reach adulthood.  Sadly, for some, broad learning begins to become a low priority once they settle into a career, then slowly declines over time until very little growth in new knowledge is taking place.

There is a wonderful quote from one of the truly great painters/sculptors, Michelangelo, at age 87 which I think captures the value he put on this subject:

                   "I am still learning."

Pablo Casal, the great cellist, was asked why at age 85, he continued to practice five hours a day.  He replied, "Because I think I'm getting better."

We should all keep on learning.

True Success

One of the foundations of true success is to learn the importance of character.  Yes, it is possible to gain a certain type of success without addressing the need to recognize the importance of character but it is not true biblical success.

A major problem with so many today is that they have bought into the notion of "personality ethics."  Here success is predominantly focused on the development and presentation of personality, on one image as perceived by the public and the presentation of a positive "I've got it all together persona."  Sadly, many have bought into this manipulative approach and believe it can lead to real success.  The fact is they are wrong.

True biblical success comes from a progressive understanding of how we were shaped and gifted and what we were meant to become and achieve in this life by our Creator and becoming dedicated to achieving that end.

As you strive to become successful, work to make sure you understand what true success really looks like!

The Value of Good Words

Sometimes someone can say something that has a real impact on you.  They capture in a few words profound truths that stop you for a moment and force you to think about the point that is being made.

On such quote that I read years ago has remained with me to this day.  In fact I had it typeset and printed so that I could have it framed to keep on my desk.  It's a daily reminder to me of the urgent need to keep a biblical perspective on my life.  It is a quote from Jonathan Edwards, who, most people agree, was the greatest theologian to come from America.

                "Much that pertains to dress, to accomplishment, to living, to employment,
                 to amusement, to conversation will appear, when we come to die, to have
                 been like the playthings of children.  We shall feel that time has been wasted
                 and strength exhausted by that which was foolish and childish."

Take some time to reflect on these words of profound truths.

Sowing Seeds for Tomorrow

In my little book Tomorrow Is A Matter of Choice I wrote this statement:

"What we do every day of our lives does have eternal implications.  Our life is cumulative - what we do today will affect tomorrow, and our actions that day will affect the next.  Over time we will make a life, but far more important we will mark eternity for good or for bad."

Looking back over my life, one of the regrets I have is the amount of time I wasted when I was a freshman in college.  Numerous times over the years I have wished that I would have used that time more wisely.  One of the wrong habits that comes so easily to most people is the habit of wasting time.  If this habit is not replaced with the good habit of using your time wisely before you realize it you will have missed numerous opportunities.

Time is one of the most precious gifts we have received from our Creator.  We need to continually determine to use it wisely.  Note this poem that speaks well to this point.

                             TAKE TIME

     Take time to work - It is the price of success
     Take time to think - It is the source of power
     Take time to read - It is the fountain of wisdom
     Take time to be friendly - It is the road to happiness
     Take time to love and be loved -It is nourishment for the soul
     Take time to share - It is too short a life to be selfish
     Take time to dream - It is hitching your wagon to a star

Seeds From Other People

Another great source to glean good seeds is from other people.  As Abraham Lincoln has been quoted as saying, "You can learn something from everyone you meet."  It is part of God's plan that we are best served when we draw ideas, suggestions and input from others.  The book of Proverbs tells us that there is great wisdom in seeking the counsel of many.

People who think they can "go it alone" miss out on a vast storehouse of good seeds that could have offered them numerous benefits.

There is a well known quote which I frequently reference that drives this point home:
"Who you will be in the next five years depends to a great degree on three things:
     - the books you read
     - the people you meet
     - and the choices you make."

One Source For Seeds - Books

One of the best places to find good seeds is in books.  The Bible is by far the best source to find them because it contains seeds of wisdom that cover the entire spectrum of life.  But today I am going to focus on all the other books.

The vast majority of books that see publication are not good sources for seeds.  Many, sadly, contain bad seeds that are presented as being good; and many just don't have any seeds of value at all.  The truth is - most books are not worth the time required to read them.

This is why good books will be one of the main topics of this blog.  Good seeds come from good books.

One of my goals is to provide the reader with a ranking of books in order to guide and direct them.  Many books provide a few good seeds and are worth a quick read.  Some books are solid and contain a number of good seeds and should become part of your library so they can be reviewed on occasion.  A few books contain seeds, that if embraced, applied and practiced, can change your life.

These are the books that you want to make your own by incorporating them into your life.

Potential

One of the familiar "seeds" that most of us know well is the acorn. It is the seed of the mighty oak tree.The acorn is an excellent symbol to help remind us that there is the potential of an oak tree in every acorn and more important there is great potential in every human being. We need to keep reminding ourselves of that potential and to take actions that will help us discover and unleash that potential. Discovering who we are, how God made us and the strengths he formed into us is a key way to unleash that potential.

The "Seed" of Knowledge

One type of "seed" is knowledge.  We grow by taking in seeds of knowledge.

This growth comes from becoming familiar and gaining understanding through experience and study.  Another way of expressing this is that we gain knowledge through the process we call learning.

There is a great quote from Charles H. Spurgeon which brings light to the urgent need to pursue learning:  "Do not indulge the notion that you can be contented without learning, or learn without discipline....It is not a power that may be exercised naturally but a science to be acquired gradually."

Learning is a process.  It requires time, patience and commitment.  We are never too old to learn, and we should keep on learning as long as we live.

Changing Habits

A quick reading of a book on "change" will rarely if ever produce a change in behavior. If a person is really serious about change, they need to read a book slowly, taking time to begin to apply what they read. They need to begin to work on application. They need to write down what they have learned and create a reminder card so that they can make the change become a habit.

Struggle and Opposition

In my book Tomorrow is a Matter of Choice, I point out in the second step of my 8 Step Action Plan the need to accept reality.

Struggle and Opposition Are Part of Life.

Oswald Chambers makes this statement in his devotional for December 4th from his book My Utmost for His Highest:  "It is a fact that there is a continuing struggle in the physical, mental, moral, and spiritual areas of life."

 He goes on to say regarding the mental life:  "If I want to maintain a strong and active mental life I have to fight,   This struggle produces the mental balance called thought."

It is no wonder that we so easily avoid the process of thinking.  It takes effort and it takes practice.

The Goal and Desire of This Blog

One of the many blessings God has provided to man - both in the world around us and the world within us - is the abundance of "seeds of success".

My goal and heartfelt desire is to be a catalyst to guide and direct people to what some of these "seeds" are and how they can use them to reach true success in life.

Join me  as I share the treasures and potential which lie within these wonderful "seeds".

Welcome To Seeds Of Success

Welcome to the Seeds of Success blog by WillMary Basics! This blog will feature building blocks that become the foundation for a successful life. William Thrasher will be conducting SOS seminars that equip you with these tools. 


Stay tuned for more information to come!