"What is power to you?"

Three executives were defining what power means, and how to know when you have really arrived. One said: "I'll tell you what real power is. It's being invited to the White House for a personal conversation with the President."

Another said: "No, that's not it. You know you have arrived when you've been invited to the White House for a personal conversation with the President, the hot line rings, and he just looks at it and decides not to answer it."

The third executive said: "You both have it all wrong. Real power is when you’re invited to the White House for a personal conversation with the President, the hot line rings, the President answers it and says, 'Here, it's for you.'"

I guess we’re all looking for ultimate power, aren’t we? And I guess we all define it differently.

It’s especially easy at this time of year to define power by the one who has the most toys. Define power differently this holiday season. Define power by the one who has the most love. You define power as love as you listen to your life and make a life, not just a living. That’s how to find real power in God’s love.

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"Is your life noisy?"

I’m used to a lot of peace and quiet since I live on a farm. The only noises I really hear are our yellow Labs barking or the turkeys gobbling or the horses neighing.

Recently I traveled overnight. The hotel I stayed in is adjacent to an interstate. So there was the roar of trucks on the highway, but I adjusted to them pretty quickly and was able to go to sleep easily. But I woke up when someone stood outside of my door, yelling at someone else in the parking lot, for what seemed like an eternity. Pretty soon they quieted down and I went back to sleep. Then, several hours later, I was awakened by four gun shots which kept me awake for a while as you can imagine. I don’t think I’ll stay there again.

Life is noisy sometimes, too, isn’t it? Especially at this time of year with office parties and family gatherings and school plays and the list goes on. Take some time out to find yourself a place of peace and quiet, some space where you can listen to life today for what God has to say and make a life, not just a living. It’s in the peace and quiet that you can really listen to life.

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"Is your job just a job?"

A mail carrier spent most of his day sorting and delivering mail, but he did more than just a job. He’d take a few minutes to listen to a lonely senior adult who might not hear from anyone else all day. He helped some recent immigrants find English tutors. He referred a woman who was the victim of domestic violence to a shelter. He learned Spanish so he could talk with some Hispanic families on his route. He took a CPR class in case anyone on his route needed immediate medical attention. He discovered that a business on his route was looking for a secretary. At another stop on his route, he found a woman who was a secretary for a company that went bankrupt. He sent the woman to the business and they hired her. This guy’s job was far more than a job.

What about your job? Is it just a job, just a paycheck? Or, is it more than that? Is your job a career, a career filled with open doors of opportunity for helping others? Listen to your life at work today and make a life, not just a living.

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"Do you say 'Thank You'?"

I walked into the room where I was to do my workshop on stress relief and immediately knew I was either in the wrong room or it had been set up for someone else. So I checked the room name and it was the right one so I started looking for someone who could arrange the room differently. And that’s when I found Kenny.

Kenny greeted me with this huge grin, a firm handshake, and a “How may I help you?,” can-do attitude. I explained the room set-up situation to him and his only question was, “How do you want it?” I told him and he set off to work on it. I came back in about 15 minutes and the room was exactly what I requested.

Kenny came back in as I set-up my things and I told him, “Kenny, you are the man! This room is exactly the way I wanted it.” I shook his hand and said, “Now let me do something for you.” I signed a copy of my new book, Listen to Life Like a Child, and handed it to him.

Today when someone does something for you, find a way to say “Thank you!” God smiles on both of you as you listen to life and make a life.

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"Did you get together with family last week?"

Did you get together with family members around Thanksgiving to share a meal and some time together? Of course, it’s been a year since you saw these family members and maybe that’s by choice. I mean, you can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family. You’re just kinda lumped together by birth. Which means being family can be a real challenge sometimes.

Knowing that being family can be a challenge, a teacher discussed the Ten Commandments with her class of five and six year olds. She explained the commandment to “honor your Father and your Mother.” Then she asked the class, “Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?”

Without missing a beat one little boy, the oldest child in his family, said, “Thou shall not kill.”

Sometimes just surviving a family gathering is an accomplishment. So, remember your Ten Commandments when your family gets together and listen to life and make a life, not just a living.

Click here to listen to Dr. Joey