"What do you overlook?"

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A friend of mine was a metro police officer for some years. He has a big heart and evidently his sergeant thought he was letting too many people off without writing them a citation. The sergeant called him into the office and told him he just had to write more tickets.

So my friend thought about the sergeant’s order and decided that the best way to write a few tickets the fastest was to set up in a nearby neighborhood. So he parked his cruiser out of view of a pretty busy intersection that had a couple of stop signs. He knew from observation that each morning as people left their homes to head to work they rolled through those signs without stopping. They had driven by those signs for years and really didn’t pay much attention to them anymore…until that fateful week when he showed up and wrote dozens of citations.

What is so familiar to you that you no longer really pay attention? You know, this Sunday is Mother’s Day in the U.S. If your mother is still living, please pay her some attention. Another great way to make a life, not just a living!

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"What do you reward?"

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Our family kept a dog for a friend of ours. She’s a really sweet dog except she’s learned where the treats are in our home. Evidently at her home she stands by the pantry door and barks until she gets one because that’s what she started doing at our home.

She barked one evening until our daughter walked by, said, "Okay, okay, here you go" and gave the dog a biscuit. Now I had observed my wife earlier with the dog in a similar situation. Except instead of giving the dog a biscuit, my wife had placed her finger on the dog’s nose, and sternly said, "No." So the dog didn’t bark by the pantry when my wife was around. Only my daughter.

So I told my daughter, "You’ve just trained that dog to bark to get a treat rather than rewarding her positive behavior. When should you give her one?"

And my daughter said, "When she goes to the bathroom outside?"

"That’s right," I said and immediately gave my daughter a treat for her right answer. I’m teasing, but you get the idea—reward those you love when you catch them doing something positive…just like God does you!

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"Got your sign?"

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I saw a TV commercial recently that helped me listen to life and make a life, not just a living. It was for a cell phone company.

A guy is standing in a store, listening to a sale rep describe the many different phones. Evidently he’s overwhelmed by the choices so he says, "I just wish I had a sign."

Just then, one of the display phones pops off the stand toward him and he catches it. The sales rep gasps because this guy asked for a sign and he got it—the phone popped off to him! The guy, however, just turns the phone over in his hand, shakes his head and puts the phone back and says, "I just wish I had a sign."
The guy got his sign. But he just wasn’t looking for it.

A friend of mine was fond of saying, "Don’t pray for rain if you aren’t going to carry an umbrella." In other words, be prepared to receive what you ask for; in fact, look for it and even expect it!

Listen to life today for what God has to say…and get your sign!

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"Which had you rather have—the carrot or the stick?"

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You’ve probably heard the story about the farmer who kept his horse plowing down the field by dangling a carrot just in front of his nose. The carrot was just out of reach of the horse’s grasp, suspended by a stick tied to his collar.

Lots of people, because of that story, talk about using the carrot to lead others. But it seems to me that there are just as many people who use the stick. That is, they criticize unduly others. I see it particularly in my business coaching and marriage coaching. A supervisor verbally beats his employees with a stick. Or, a spouse goes off on the other spouse and usually over something very trivial.

Do you give others the stick? Listen to your conversation and quickly pick out the words that tear down others.

What had you rather receive—the stick or the carrot? Listen again, only this time to conversations others have with you and mentally note their praises and encouragement of others.

Which do you want from God?

Listen to life today and as you make a life, not just a living give others carrots and keep your sticks to yourself.

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"Are you overwhelmed?"

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I had more to do than I could reasonably do recently. I was simply overwhelmed. I felt myself getting more and more anxious about how I was going to get everything done.

So I prayed. I knew my wisdom wasn’t working and that I could use some help. So I prayed.

And as I prayed, I thought about all of the great people God brings me in touch with each day. Some of their faces and names came to mind.

Then I realized a significant life principle—I don’t have to do it all. I don’t even have to try to do it all. God sends me gifted people to help.

So I picked up the phone and called one of these friends. I told him about the situation and he said, "Sure, I’d be glad to help out. Just let me know when."

Then I called another friend. "Of course, I’d love to," she said.

I remembered another friend’s previous offer to help, called, and she said, "Just tell me when to be there."

When you get overwhelmed today, avoid getting anxious by praying. Ask God to show you how to get the help you need. Then phone a friend.

That’s one way you listen to life and make a life, not just a living today.

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