Spiritual Growth
“Love Now” By Kute Blackson (Raven Starr’s Fiance’ & Inspiration of the Day)
May 26th, 2010 by Kary Rogney
Google Buzz
Mmmmm… I love the smell of fresh cut grass and my Daphne bush in bloom. Spring is definitely in the air today and my family and I just got back from the park and the garden center.
We’re heading out into the back yard now to spend some ‘outside’ time together. We have a great little space to hang out, garden, and whatever…
Over the last few weeks I’ve been recalibrating my time and attention with my family and taking at least one “unplugged” day in the week… a day not to do business or get online… a day of rest… a “family fun day!” I’ve decided to move it from Friday to Sunday and rearrange my webinars and tribe calls to other days, too.
Listen and watch as I share my plans and what I’ve learned while out in my back yard this afternoon.
Be blessed,
Kary
PS Can you think of any more analogies for life while looking at your garden or yard? I’d love to hear about what you’ve ‘dug up’ out of this idea… Together we can improve ourselves, our relationships, and our society. Thank you for your friendship, too!
A great song to be inspired by…
Dear Katie (Freiling),
Before I get into what I’ve learned this past year, I wanted to thank you for all of your guidance, coaching, and mentoring in 2009. You probably weren’t aware of me swinging by and watching videos and reading your posts, but you’ve been very influential in my personal growth and development as an entrepreneur. Thanks so much!
With the New Year here now and in full swing it’s been timely for me to briefly look back and celebrate the triumphs that I’ve witnessed within myself through the process of consistent diligence and perseverance.
If I could boil down or even dissect the exact strategies, thoughts, and actions that I’ve done to quickly and solidly show up in the online marketing community, I would have to list these following 11 points. Let me assure you, they aren’t any ‘magic’ formulas or ‘secret’ tactics.
They’re just SIMPLE, LAWS AND TRUTHS about the mindset and actions that successful people and entrepreneurs do and the relationship building process they put into practice. That’s it… No tricks. No gimmicks.
And that’s why I’m so excited to share with you what I’ve learned, because if people take these to heart there truly is nothing that can stop them or get in their way to create the future they want for themselves and their families.
My hope is that people take this list and put it into their own personal action plan. It’s important that people not look back with regrets, but live in each beautiful moment and enjoy the journey as it unfolds in front of them.
As you read you’ll see that these ideas are simply organized by the ‘attitude’ that is necessary and the ‘action’ that best matches.
Before you read further, take a moment to watch a video from Fireproof that has inspired many to new heights.
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(1) Decisions
Attitude: Make a decision to seek wisdom. In all things, look to do what is right rather than what is accepted. Take total control over your life. Be a life-long student. This is ultimately and completely all up to the individual. And furthermore, people need to see this change as an opportunity!
Action: Keep everything in manageable chunks. Seek knowledge through reading, courses, webinars, classes, and mentoring. While you build these mentor-to-student relationships be open to correction and new ideas. (Joshua 1:8)
(2) Self-Discovery
Attitude: Discover who you are and seek God’s will for your life. (Deut 6:13) What are your passions, strengths, interests, goals, and talents? This is where you find the things that get your juices flowing and help you jump out of bed with enthusiasm each day!
Action: Now use those gifts and talents to make this world a better place and further the kingdom of God. (Romans 12:4-6) Without finding your passions you’ll find yourself stagnant and depressed about life. You can live an amazing life doing the things you love. Gary Vaynerchuk’s book, Crush It! is proof!
(3) Mindset
Attitude: Change your thinking and mindset. There is infinite power in your personal attitude towards life. Be mindful of how you think about others and yourself. Don’t let others steal your dreams. And recognize who you are to God.
Action: Take captive every thought. (2 Corr 10:5b) “Is this thought a productive thought? Is it serving me the way I want it to?” I look around and see so many people basically sleeping their way through life with no ambitions and completely giving up on their dreams. (Romans 12:2)
(4) Joy
Attitude: Be thankful and joyful in your circumstances. (Heb 12:28) Look at what you have vs. what you don’t have. So many people have their eyes on what other people have and miss the blessings right in front of them.
Action: Pray and meditate over all that you have. Show gratitude. Be conscious about how you allow outside circumstances dictate the way you feel or act. Remember, happiness is a choice, and you can choose to prosper wherever you are planted.
(5) Love
Attitude: Determine to love other people. See them through God’s eyes. People can sense when you authentically care and have their best interests in mind. Isn’t that the way you want to be treated?
Action: Do actions of love. Do you see people with value or do you see them like a target with dollar signs on their forehead? Love others with action… love is patient, kind, and forgiving (1 Corr 13:4-8a). Have you heard of the Platinum Rule… an upgrade to the Golden Rule? Treat others the way THEYwant to be treated!
(6) Words
Attitude: Control how you talk. Words hold a massive amount of power. How many of you remember something that your parents said to you and still let it affect you even today? Isn’t that amazing? Negative self-talk can also destroy how we feel about ourselves. (Eph 4:29)
Action: Only build up others and yourself. Your words can be a benefit to other people and can also be of assistance to those who are listening and watching that same conversation.
(7) Intentions
Attitude: Be open to new inspiration. Who will you be today? Will you be a grump and antisocial or someone pleasant and everyone’s friend? That simple little attitude housed up in your brain can make or break what you accomplish. What are your intentions?
Action: Commit to exchange bad habits for good ones. Be conscious of what you want. Put these thoughts down in writing and post them up so you can read them daily. (Eph 3:5, 3:12)
(8) Purpose
Attitude: Follow the path laid out before you with your gifts and talents. Ultimately you want to identify your purpose and make it your passion. What do you love to do?
Action: Be willing to step out of your comfort zone. Take that interest and passion into the world. Inspire others that have similar interests to accomplish more and lead the charge in growing that niche! (2 Corr 12:10)
(9) Motivations
Attitude: Identify what motivates you. What are you excited about? Do you know your ‘why’… or the reason you are doing what you’re doing? This also closely relates to what you feel your purpose is.
Action: This is what will help you get out of bed each morning with a brighter outlook on life or to persevere towards manifesting your dreams.
(10) Mission
Attitude: Believe it or not, you are a missionary to make a change in the world! Go where God leads you. Be confident that you are here for a bigger purpose. Strive to improve in all areas of your life. It’s about enjoying the journey and making it comfortable for others, too. (Matthew 28: 19-20)
Action: Now do it! Be a missionary. Share the hope and spread the word for whatever you’re passionate about. Start with yourself. Focus on your family, then move on to those whom you have influence over.
(11) Your Tribe
Attitude: Find other people who share your same visions and passions. Surround yourself with these like-minded souls to nurture and support your vision and journey. These people will continue to keep you on track and inspire you to greatness.
Action: In that process you can humbly teach others about what you’ve learned. This will naturally lead them to the expert you’ve learned from so they can have access to further mentoring as well.
This journey and process will leave a lasting legacy that will flow out through you to future generations.
Last Thoughts…
Listen, I know that was a lot to digest. My challenge to you is to look at these ideas one at a time. Find one thing you can do under each section to improve on. This is something I am constantly working on myself. This process is definitely a voyage, not a destination.
But like sailors on a ship, we have to have a destination in mind as we set our course and direction.
I hope this encourages you to tackle your thoughts and attitudes. Harness your infinite potential and conquer your ‘giants’ that attempt to trip you up and keep you from your dreams. Refuse to give up! And hold on tight for the ride of your life!
I’d love to hear about the ONE ‘gold nugget’ you discovered in this post. And it goes without saying that your ReTweet is always appreciated.
Kary Rogney
FREE WEBINAR REPLAY…
“For Those Of You Who Want To Leverage The Power Of The Tribe, Blogging, & Social Media”
CLICK HERE!
I Was Given A Million Dollars… This Is How It’s Changed My Life
December 27th, 2009 by Kary Rogney
So the alarm rattled my brain this morning at 5am, and I laid there wrestling with my mind over whether I wanted to get up and start my day or not… I was a year older today and had several things running through my mind.
Then I remembered a chat I had had with my wife Kelly not too long ago…
Dream Or Reality?
“…I was visualizing myself walking quickly and silently past my boys’ bedroom on my way to the front door. The morning heat was kicking on in the house and the cool, fresh air hit my face as I reached down for the large sack on my outside front step… A huge smile stretched across my face.
I opened the sack and thumbed through it. It was all there. My daily allowance of $10,000!
The stipulations on the enclosed note said that over the next 100 days I would be receiving a sack like this each day, but the money not spent or utilized by the end of the day would disappear, never to be seen again. And depending on how I did, I might be granted an extension on this offer…
Excitement rushed through my veins as I made my plans for this day and the days to come… Not wanting to miss out on any opportunity to get out there and do good for my family and the world with these precious resources…”
Did you know that this happens every day at my house? Although it’s not literally $10,000 sitting there on my porch, I do have around 18 hours of wake time or 1,080 minutes or 64,800 seconds in each day to take action with. That’s $9.26 per minute or $.15 per second (if I did my math right in this analogy).
We can either choose to “spend” that time with positive thoughts and empowering actions or not to. It ultimately comes down to the BIG QUESTION… “How do I “spend” my time?”
One thing is for sure, we are not ever able to retrieve the time that has passed… much like the money that is spent or squandered. The ‘Parable of the Talents’ (Matthew 25:14-30) in the Bible is one great source for this understanding, too.
We all have precious resources to be good stewards of, whether it be money, time, talent or even just life…
So much time is being spent by people worrying or being angry at the world… That won’t fix anything. If anything, it will only perpetuate these beliefs and attempt to drag everyone down around them.
Let’s Ask Ourselves Some Tough Questions
How is your time spent? Is it vested in your eternity? Is it vested in the long-term well-being of your family or your wellness for a better quality of life? Don’t let your thoughts or beliefs hold you captive. Make a change now to look at life through a new lens. Embrace each day as a new blessing and be a blessing to others around you.
You know what will happen don’t you? You’ll become more happy and content… a content ness that brings peace to you and those around you. By living in each ‘moment’ and being ‘present’ you become more true to you and open to what life has to give back to you as well.
Looking back at our analogy… if after 100 days I maximized the resources I was given (i.e. $10,000 daily allowance) I could have invested a total of $1 million dollars… What kind of long-lasting affect might I have on those around me? Especially if I now have $1 million dollars invested in numerous ways?
Well, can you see how the same holds true with the way we ‘spend’ our time? Of course! And based on our actions we might even be entrusted with more in the long run, too!
Ultimately our decisions are based on a couple of simple things. We use discipline to accomplish our goals and to avoid pain and to use our time well. Or there can be the motivation of regret which brings pain based on not using our time well or making poor choices. What motivates you? Self-discipline or Regret?
Here is a video with a great message. Take a moment to sit back and soak it up…
I’d like to close with a couple things.
First, I’ve listed below some inspiring blog posts of some of my Tribe which address how they spend their time and share insights to what brings purpose and passion to their lives.
Jon Alfredsson: “The Purpose of Life”
Michael Feil: “Surprise Wedding: Yes, You Read That Right!”
Ken Pickard: “Man Day — Father And Son Time”
Eric Goldstein: “I’m Running A Marathon… Why I’m Doing This??”
Nick Logan: “New Year Inspiration For 2010″
And finally, I’m going to share a short video on how I aim to budget my time and organize and prioritize my week.
Here are also a few of my own blog posts where I visit the things I hold dear or that bring purpose and passion to my life.
Just For Today
Thoughts To A New Entrepreneur
Speaking Louder Than Words: “Be A Force Of Nature!”
Reaching His Full Potential… Inspiration For Us All!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little thought which has POWERFUL, LONG REACHING, PARADIGM SHIFTING IDEAS…
How do you stay focused and grounded in your daily actions? Please share below and if you think others would benefit from this little dialogue, I always appreciate your ReTweet.
As I turn one year older today. It’s my prayer and wish that you find a New Empowerment in ALL THAT YOU DO and that your Dreams Come True.
Here’s to you!
Kary Rogney
“I want to share with you a post that is written by my dear wife and beautiful bride, Kelly. She has poured out her passion and soul over the years to support our family in so many ways. And I’d like to thank her for her interest in sharing this touching thought with you…”
When you think of someone that you admire or someone that inspires you to live out the life God created you to live, what person in your life comes to mind? Think about it for a moment, stop what you’re doing right now and think about this, and narrow it to those that are living. I find this exercise in thought such a great opportunity to reflect and grow. We can gain such insight and wisdom from those in our lives that inspire us to live life with greater purpose.
Let me share with you someone who inspires me. His name is Zane, and he is my 8-year-old son. Zane has a belly laugh that can instantly warm the heart of anyone in his presence. Zane has the determination and perseverance that the rest of us dream of having in life. Zane has the curiosity of three “passionate” inventors put together. Zane was diagnosed with Autism at age 3 and continues to strive to accomplish the simplest of tasks that the rest of us don’t even give much thought to.
After much research and prayer we opted to change Zane’s nutrition/supplementation when he was 4 years old. God answered those prayers with beautiful outcomes and we continue to stay on that path. He has been such a trooper and willing partner in that process. When other children are eating birthday cake and ice cream, so often he smiles at the fresh apple that I have for him or any other alternative that I may have concocted.
I realize that without special intervention, Zane’s future is extremely limited. It has not been the diagnosis but the prognosis that has caused me sleepless nights. However, this year my husband and I found a center, in Massachusetts, that has a high level of success bringing children through their state of autism, helping families to understand and embrace their darling children (www.autismtreatment.com). The Autism Treatment Center, which runs The Son-Rise Program, is not a direct miracle, but it is a door we’ve been praying God would open in order to provide a process to a miracle.
We have been running a Son-Rise Program for a little under a year now and we know God has answered our prayers with the positive impact it has had on Zane’s development. I have so much respect and admiration for who Zane is. Through this process I have come to a greater understanding that we all are doing the best we can with the beliefs and knowledge we hold, and through providing new opportunities and knowledge we can make a choice to change if we want to. Zane has personally chosen to change in so many ways and courageously is on his journey reaching his full potential. He inspires me to change and reach my full potential.
My husband and I have chosen a path less traveled with providing unique nutritional interventions, homeschooling and running a Son Rise Program for our son. Without Zane’s uniqueness in my life I would have missed out on so much joy and victory. I admire how determined Zane is to finish a task and the focus he has for his passions. God’s creation, plan and love continue to leave me in awe.
What I have learned through my training with Son Rise has opened doors of understanding and growth for our entire family. I have attended two separate trainings at the Autism Treatment Center of America and in October we are planning for an outreach here at our home with a trained Son Rise Family Instructor. In order for us to accomplish this we need to raise funds totaling $3000. It is not my intention to place you in an awkward position, and I assure you that I fully understand and respect the fact that you may not be able to help. However, if you or someone you know can, we will be grateful.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call (541.665.0171). I would not ask this favor if it were for me, but my love for Zane compels me to humble myself and ask, completely trusting the Lord to provide as He sees fit. Thanks for reading my post, praying for Zane, and any financial help you might be able to provide.
May Zane’s story encourage you today to live with a greater purpose, determination and ability to reach your full-potential.
With Sincere thanks, Kelly Rogney
“If you’d do me a favor and give us your thoughts and comments and Retweets, it would be very much appreciated. We know that many of you either have children yourself or know friends or family members who have a child impacted by Autism. In fact 1 in 150 children right now in America are identified with Autism. The word of ‘Hope’ must get out to encourage parents that there are things that are getting good results for these fragile kids. Thank you for your support and prayers. You’ll never know how much they mean to us.” Kary
*As of October 27th, we’ve humbly accepted $1,084 in donations for Zane’s SonRise program! Our goal is to reach $4,000 so my wife and I can attend two more trainings to improve our in-home program. Thank you so much!
Have you ever heard the saying, “Be A Force Of Nature!”? Think of the image that statement brings to your mind… of earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc… Things unstoppable and powerful! We all have that power to create change in our lives if we truly want it for ourselves.
God has put on my heart a clear and defining purpose for my life and for my many roles I play. For years I have stumbled along with no clear vision or obvious direction. I truly, with deep thought and conviction have decided to take responsibility for the many components of my life.
‘Now’ is the time I can change… not the past, or even the future that’s not even here yet.
My goal here is to lay out my purpose in a simple and meaningful way so that I empower myself (and possibly others) to new levels of effectiveness as a husband, father, friend, entrepreneur, and follower of Christ. Only with God’s loving grace and power will I stay on course and continue to focus on these vital goals. I know that this is about ‘my great journey,’ not merely the destination, because I’m fully aware that I will never completely arrive or be perfect. I’m definitely a work in progress!
Part 1: My Purpose As A Father
My purpose as a father is to model and teach responsibility, to show love and acceptance and a non-judgmental attitude in the process of teaching and disciplining my boys; raising up my boys in action and word to know God’s Truth.
Why would I want to do all this?
- To build a strong, long-lasting relationship with them.
- To establish a trusting and loving relationship with them.
- To keep communication open now and in the future with them.
- To help them build a personal relationship with Christ and to help them recognize the Truth vs. The Lies in the world.
- To equip them with the necessary life skills to live happy, productive lives. This includes teaching about how to be a wise husband, dad, friend, worker, or leader.
How will I accomplish this rewarding task?
By…
- Spending quality time with my boys.
- Raising my personal awareness of being 100% present with them when I’m around them… not distracted by all the other things that can easily cloud my mind. Truly wanting to listen to them and be an active listener.
- Continuing to study, pray, and discuss the Bible with them.
- Read great books on this topic. Listen and learn from great teachers and leaders in regards to being a great father.
- Talk and learn from other dads.
Now it’s time to create my action plan. This will include what I’ll do and when.
- One to two times per week I’ll take my boys someplace special; focusing on the 3 of us interacting and bonding.
- Activity Ideas: hiking, playing at a park, to a restaurant, a drive, bike ride, going for a walk, playing a game in the yard.
- Individually spend time with them: playing, homeschooling, reading, playing a game, chasing, wrestling, pretending, sharing old stories about me or mom or our families
- Praying with them each night before bed, giving thanks for our favorite things of the day, blessing and praying for others.
- Eating sit-down meals together as a whole family each morning and/or at dinner.
- Model beneficial characteristics of a father and husband through words and actions.
- Be approachable with problems or concerns daily.
- Openly share how proud I am of them and how much I love them each day.
- Plan fun family events at home or away: vacations, camping, hikes, BBQs, playdates, outings.
- Read and talk about God’s word. Ask about what they’re learning in homeschool or at church each week. Share what I know and believe.
Part 2: My Purpose As A Husband
My purpose as a husband is to love and cherish my wife Kelly, support her in the planning of homeschooling or home programs for our boys, partner with her on managing the various responsibilities around the home, have open and honest communication… being transparent with her in my life, be her spiritual leader in our home, encourage her to pursue the things that bring joy and happiness to her.
Why would I want to do all this?
- To bond and build a deep and meaningful relationship with her.
- To establish a trusting and loving relationship with her.
- To keep communication open with her; mutual trust.
- To partner in our relationships with Christ and to support each other with this journey.
How will I accomplish this rewarding task?
By…
- Being aware of where my mind is when I’m around Kelly; being more ‘present’ with her.
- Listening, reading, and learning about what it takes to be a good spouse.
- Talking to other husbands that have great relationships with their wives.
- Making the decision to and wanting to change.
- Looking for the opportunities to encourage her and lift her up.
- Smiling when I’m around her; not be so serious.
Now it’s time to create my action plan. This will include what I’ll do and when.
- Set aside time in my day to talk and listen to Kelly.
- Stick with our agreed schedule of activities for each day.
- Communicate my concerns, celebrations, thoughts, needs, and wants with her.
- Schedule dates and quality time together.
- Show affection with her when I leave the house and when saying goodnight.
- Help with dishes, garbage, with the boys, etc… without being asked; anticipate her need for help.
- Show appreciation and surprise her occasionally because I want to and because I love her.
Now friends, the reason I’m sharing this all with you is not to show you my plans but to show you how to go after your goals and dreams with a plan… AND TO TAKE ACTION!!
Just plug in your goals and use this format to make the changes you want to in your life. I know you can do it… I know it won’t always be easy, but you can revisit your words, evaluate your progress, have an accountability partner in the process, and live the life you were meant to live.
Happy ~ Healthy ~ Prosperous
Please leave me your thoughts, inspirations, and ideas in the comments section below.
And of course if you found this useful and think others would like this knowledge, please ReTweet and Digg my blog post, too.
Yours in personal growth,
Kary
I just started reading this to myself (with the goal of living it) each day to focus on my most important priorities and not get caught up in the busy-ness of life. You can copy and edit it for your own daily mindset.
Just for today…
1. I will trust God; deepen and live out my faith.
2. I will choose to display a joyful and right attitude.
3. I will tangibly love and respect my wife.
4. I will care for my family and home.
5. I will learn, know and practice healthy living.
6. I will practice and develop positive thinking.
7. I will support my wife as she manages the home and schools our children.
8. I will determine and act upon important priorities.
9. I will initiate and invest in solid relationships.
10. I will plan for and model generosity.
11. I will embrace and practice good values established in God’s Word.
12. I will seek and experience improvement.
I will manage these decisions JUST FOR TODAY. Some day soon, I will see the compounding results of several days lived well!
Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness.
For His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil’
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
Forever.
Psalm 37:3-5
Trust the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
Many Blessings,
Kary
Read: Proverbs each and every day coinciding to the day of the month
