Why do we drop our dreams?
Posted by Daniel on Sunday, December 14, 2008 at 10:46am
Not again!
Most of us have received dreams at one point in time or the other. Not all of us have pursued our dreams. Can we share our experiences on what prevented us? If you read the post on Follow your passion, Grace complained about lack of time on her job. What's your experience? Drop a line or two... Let's talk...
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Resource #1 - Email discipline
Posted by Daniel on Saturday, December 13, 2008 at 9:51am
Hi I have decided to add useful resource items that I come across online on my blog from time to time. I hope it would help someone someday. First to grace my blog is a tip from a man I admire from afar. It's a link to his blog. Here is a topic that shows how he frees up enough time at office by enforcing an email discipline. http://www.michaelhyatt.com/fromwhereisit/2007/11/my-current-work.html Enjoy. Dan
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What's the purpose of your life?
Posted by Daniel on Saturday, December 13, 2008 at 6:33am
This is a question we all ask ourselves once in a while. Especially when we are besides ourselves in frustration, fatigue or misery. It's a valid question to ask. Every thing in life has a purpose. The keyboard I am typing with is used to type on computers. Hence that's its purpose. Right? hmm...but i have seen people use it to ward of intruders. A colleague once used her keyboard to ward me off from taking some chocolates from her table. A keyboard bang on the head would have stopped me in my tracks for sure. But then, the keyboard would have been useful to her. It would have served her purpose. Right? So can something have two purposes in life? If a keyboard can serve two purposes, then so can we! Infact, we should serve more. Right? So should the question be, "what are the purposes of my life?" Okay, before we go too far in thought, let's set some facts straight... "Purpose" is different from "use". A keyboard can be used for many things, but the purpose the creator had in mind is quite distinct. It was created to be used to type. When it does this well, we say it is working or achieving its intended purpose. So the purpose of a thing lies not in the thing itself but lies with the creator of the thing. The creator knows what he created the thing to do. A thing is only functional to its creator when it is serving its intended purpose. When a thing is used for other things besides the intended purpose of the creator, it may be serving the purpose of the user but not of the creator. Banging the keyboard on my head a couple of times will serve the intended purpose of my colleague (to ward me off) but after a few days of consistent "mis-use" of the keyboard like this, it may get damaged and stop functioning as a keyboard but may still be used a chocolate protector (in my case). So let's apply this to us. When we do not do what God (our creator) intends for us to do with our life but pursue other "uses", then we may damage ourselves (hurt, frustration, fatigue, distress, emotional stress, financial havoc etc) and may not operate at our maximum potential. You know, its one thing to pursue our own purposes and its another thing to find out God's purpose for our lives and pursue it. You see, it God's purpose for us and not our purpose for God or for us that counts! What is God's purpose for your life? What have you been doing with your life? You know, when you use the keyboard to type, you can use it for its whole estimated lifetime. All thats is needed is maintenance or cleaning. Same with us, when we are doing what God has destined us to do, then all is needed is maintenance and cleanups (reading the Bible, praying, fellowshipping, loving etc). We live our lives in joy and peace. But when you misuse your life, (chasing your own dreams, aspirations, lifestyles) you may be successful in these realms, but your spirit would always feel inadequate, wanting more. You may get to a point where you feel weary and irrelevant (even though you are a millionaire). And if you get emotionally burnt out or scarred (like getting into drugs and such lifestyles), you, like a damaged keyboard may need to be repaired (counselling, repentance etc). Goodnews: Once a keyboard is repaired, it can be used for its intended purpose. So can we! So shall we continue in our own purposes and hope to get repaired later in life?Thats like eating your cake and having it... . Well, there is a keyboard on a table next to my desk which has been termed condemned by the repairman. Maybe the user used it as a hammer, dont know... Moral: you never know when you will cross the point of no return. By the way, in fulfilling His purpose for our lives, God gives us dreams along the way to fulfill. When we pursue our God-given dreams and fulfill them, we end up a step closer in the fulfillment of the greater purpose of God for us. Dan
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Hey my book is out!
Posted by Daniel on Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at 2:15pm
My Book
It is with great sense of pleasure and humility (to the vast awesomeness of God) that I announce that my new book, Pursue your God-given Dream is in print! (available for order also on amazon.com!) What started as a hobby has come to reality. It took me a few months to write the book. I had started on two fictional books but somehow got inspired to write this non-fiction book. What started as a few scribbles on paper has resulted to this 128-page book. It is a little book but I believe the message there is needful and will bless the reader. I wrote it from my heart and as such it is written in easy-to-read style. I hope you do take the time to read the book, share the lessons learnt, and possibly buy copies for friends and family. Pursue Your Godgiven Dream as the title connotes teaches us how to pursue a dream that God has given us. Every one has a God-given dream. Yes, even you! How do we receive it? How can we be sure what we have is a God-given dream? What are the demands the dream will place on us? These and many more are what the book will answer. The book can be ordered from the side bar of this blog, just click on "buy this book now" or from my website: www.godgivendream.com or by emailing me at daniel@godgivendream.com. If you are sending me a mail, please put your mailing address and telephone number so that I can relate it to the publishers. It's probably faster to go to the website and call the toll-free number to place an order. You can also go to the publisher's online bookstore and place an order. Just click on www.winepressbooks.com. I do hope you get to read the book. I am writing some new books due to be out next year. And yet i perceive Pursue Your Godgiven dream may have a sequel yet. If you have difficulty getting the book because of your geographical location or for any other reasons, please drop a mail to my box. I will see to it that something is done to address your needs. Its a new book and it may take a little while to get it across to your local bookstores. I am vigorously working on marketing the book and by God's grace, it will get to major bookstores in the world. My dream is that everyone who has a dream gets to read this book. God bless you all as you read and discover your Godgiven dreams. Please feel free to make comments on my blog or send me emails on your discoveries, questions, testimonials etc. I would love to hear from you. And most of all, help me spread the word. Your recommendation and referrals are the greatest marketing tools I can depend on. Thanks Dan
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Follow your passion
Posted by Daniel on Friday, November 21, 2008 at 10:37am
Today is one of those days. You know them, "those days." Days when it seems everything just doesn't fall into place. People get on your nerves, you are feeling physically and mentally fatigued and you just want to run away. Yeah, just run somewhere....anywhere but here! As you may know from my profile, I am still employed with a company even though I write on the side. Actually, argueably, it could be the otherway round - I write and take up a job on the side. That's a discussion for another time. Right now, I feel worn out from within. Its like my passion is drying up and has infact hit the red-zone. While i seat at my desk in the office mulling over the day and how I spent it (hopefully trying to get to the root cause of my temperament), I discovered that i have been at my desk for two hours past closing time. I have been trying to read some school notes for an assignment I have (i am still studying. You never really stop studying do you?). I have only succeeded in getting through 3 pages in two hours. Obviously my mind is not there. Whats wrong with me? I wonder. Is it the fact that my car developed a fault which is costing me a small fortune to repair. Nah...couldnt be. Or maybe its the fact that I feel out of place and am just another face in the crowd at my organisation. Hmm... thats warm! I think it may just be that. I am no doubt depressed right now as I can hardly read my books, or concentrate on any other thing but to write this post. Infact I am not concentrating on this, i am just writing as it comes out from my heart. You see, I love to write. I could sit here and type all day. I hate mediocrity with all the energy in me. I hate the fact that I could be doing so much more and I am stuck at a job that i have little or no passion for anymore. Dont get me wrong, my job is cool. It could be fun. But then, maybe for someone else. When you do the same thing over and over, it kinda gets boring, dont you think? People confuse 10 years experience with 1 year experience 10 times over. They both add up to 10 but in the first you learn new stuff and get to grow. The latter, well, you learn in year 1 and repeat it every year for 9 more years. By the way I have the former not the latter! :) My point? Many people are caught up in jobs they hate. They have no choice but to go to work and hope to get paid. Afterall they have to survive. Yes, but they do have a choice. They are many ways to ensure your life is filled with passion. For instance, you can do what you love by the side (during your free time), or you can be fortunate to influence the department and section you work at the office. If you love strategy, you could target a strategic planning role etc. I have come to realise after all these years working to earn my living, that it is highly essential that you find a job, vocation, hobby, work etc that you are extremely PASSIONATE about. Without passion, you will only endure the years as they pile up. Its mediocrity and misery - going to work daily to a job you would rather not go to. It makes no sense, does it? Passion is the fuel that energises you to work. When you work in a place you are passionate about, you end up working extra hours without even noticing. You bolt out of your bed in the morning eager to get to work and continue with that assignment on your desk. Speaking of assignment, I just remembered the one i have to submit this weekend and i have a chapter more to read before I start. Sigh! Certainly no passion there! Just cant get steer my mind to those notes! But alas and behold, i am writing this post, and i hope to spend some more time to develop a plot for a book i intend to write next month. Fun! Passion! I have temporarily forgotten about my state of mind, the office politics, the appraisals, my car repairs... I am happy doing what i am doing - writing! What more can I say folks, follow your passions. It will see you through in tough times. And one more thing, some please comment on my post, at least i know that i am not just writing to myself. Pleeeease :-)
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