I Dare You to Dream... then Do It! (Free Books Inside)

John C. Maxwell, known as expert on leadership; speaker, founder and writer of many books, including ‘The 360 Degree Leader’, ‘Develop the Leader Within You’, ‘Your Road Map for Success’ and ‘The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership’, which has sold more than one million copies. He is one of my favorite writers who had inspired and motivate me in leadership skills. Below is his introduction for the book that I want to offer for FREE this month, ‘Dare to Dream… Then Do It: What Successful People Know and Do’:

Everybody has dream deep down inside. What’s yours? Is it to climb the world’s highest mountains? To build a world-class business? To become a senator or even president? (Now, let me contextualize that: to become a people’s representative or prime minister?) To raise a healthy family? To win championships? To fly? If you could do anything, what would it be?

Most people don’t achieve great dreams. They give up. They fall short. They get off track. They settle. Or they dream too small!

When I was in college and imagined my career, my lifetime goals were so small that I achieved them in my second position – within five years of graduating. That’s when I decided to stop setting goals and start dreaming.

Theologian Fredrick Henry Hedge said, “Dreaming is an act of pure imagination, attesting in all men a creative power, which if it were available in waking, would make every man a Dante or Shakespeare.” You have the potential to be a Shakespeare or an Edison or a Churchill or a Curie or a King. Only two things stand in your way: dreaming it… and then doing it.

Have you dared to dream, I mean really dream? If something is within your apparent reach, it isn’t a dream. If you wouldn’t have to stretch beyond what you think is possible, then it isn’t a dream. Bold dreams change you as they change the world around you.

Maybe you’re AFRAID OF BIG DREAM. You don’t want to fail. Nobody does. But safe living leads to regret later on in life. U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt said: “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”

Someone once said, “Don’t let yourself be pressured into thinking that your dreams or your talents aren’t prudent. They were never meant to be prudent. They were meant to bring joy and fulfillment to your life.” What’s worst thing could happen if you pursue your dream and don’t achieve it? You could be where you are now. What’s the best thing that could happen if you pursuit your dream and don’t achieve it? You could find yourself in new territory on the threshold of a new dream.

Maybe you’re LISTENING TO CRITICAL PEOPLE. Some people don’t like to see others pursuing their dreams. The biblical story of Joseph, son of Jacob, is a classic example. Joseph dreamed big dreams. And what was the response of his brothers? They said, “Look, this dreamer is coming! Come therefore, let us now kill him” (Genesis 37:19-20). People who aren’t pursuing their own dreams are likely to criticize people who are.

Maybe you don’t KNOW HOW TO PURSUE YOU DREAM. Successful people know and do things differently than unsuccessful people. That is a fact. If you have experienced a measure of success, you know this to be true. It starts with the way you think and dream, and it continues with how you live.

That is where I desire to help you. I have studied successful people my entire life. I have spent time with them. I have learned from them. What I have learned, I want to share with you. I want you to dare to dream, do it: achieve your dream. I’ve written this book to help you do exactly that.

[Quote from John C. Maxwell, Dare to Dream… Then Do it: What Successful People Know and Do (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2006)pp. 6-8.]

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

June 2013 Free Books

I’m giving away for FREE ONLY 3 BOOKS of “Dare to Dream… Then Do It” by John C. Maxwell for this month. I hope and pray that this book may worth helpful and inspire you to achieve your God-given dreams in life. Priority is given to those who had never requested any books from me for the past 2 months. You are welcome to get a copy of this book for yourself by simply do these 2 things:

1. Comment below “Rich, give me one copy___(Your name). My dream is [share your dream with me]!” 
2. And E-mail me at Motivates4life@hotmail.com or send message to my Facebook your real name, phone no. and your postal address. Thank you

For Serious Christ follower ONLY: "Lord, Give Me just Enough to Satisfy My Needs"

Before I graduated from the university, I made a solemn promise to myself – a prayer, for exact – which I really glad that I did prayed for it (but sometime I regret a little). I read the Book of Proverbs and take it seriously what the Philosopher of Life had said, “First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs” (Proverbs 30:18, NLT).

Pic taken from:
http://simpleorganizedlife.com/

[I skip the first one okay] “Give me just enough to satisfy my needs” God really answered my prayer! “Just enough” is my principle of life since. And that is just what “my needs” are. Apostle Paul take it serious too when he said, “I have learned how to be content with whatever I have” (Philippians 4:11) and then told it to his number one protégé, Timothy, “If we have enough food and clothing, let us be content” (1 Timothy 6:8). As if the human authors of the Bible hearing one another, the writer of the Book of Hebrew under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit also said the same thing also in a different way: “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you’” (13:5).

But after I graduated, I had a problem regarding with my new principle of life: How to distinguish “my needs” from my wants? As we know, all humans have basic needs that must be met in order to survive: food, water, shelter, air – and love. I learned that “needs” are different from “wants” in that when our needs are met, we can be content and satisfied. On the other hand, when our wants are met (if it is possible at all) often leave us unsatisfied, discontent, and desiring for more. Mind you, what we “wants” are not always negative, but if we failed to distinguish it, they can become causes for the spread of jealousy, envy, deceit, and materialism when we become obsessed with getting them. For example, think of an iPhone, car or handbag. At first, we need it but after we had it, we want more. Then when we see someone have more or better than we have, we become jealous! And thus, needs become the never ending wants.

“Give me just enough to satisfy my needs” is not a popular principle to live by today. But who are we? Christian. Christ followers. And when Christ speaks we listen and obey joyfully because we know that He wants the best for us in order that we may glorify Him. And what He says is this: “Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs” (Matthew 6:32). Since our Father knows all our needs, He therefore can satisfy us! Allow God to show His power and provision and teach us (yes, we need it!) that He is sufficient (He IS sufficient. We are the one who need to know that!). Learning to recognize the difference between needs and wants allows us to find contentment and satisfaction in living by God’s way. The more we focus on what Christ values in the Scripture, what is really important for Him – the more we will be able to distinguish our wants from our needs. Live a simple life. Uncluttered your life, live freely. Take just enough for yourself, and give it all away or share it with others. Always ready to travel light whenever God ask you to go.

If you dare, pray this prayer (or whenever you’re ready);

O Lord, you know all my needs.
Give me neither poverty nor riches!
Give me just enough to satisfy my needs
that I may live to glorified you and care for other needs too. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

University Student, ask 'What?', 'Why?', 'Why Not?'

Edward De Bono, in his writing on Lateral Thinking, believes that our creative potential is crushed at an even earlier age. He refers to the Three Stages of Childhood –

The What?, The Why?, The Why Not?

We start by indentifying the objects we find in the world. “What is this, what is that?” And usually we get the answers. Then we question the meaning and purpose of things. “Why is this, why is that?” And we get some answers, some but not all of them satisfactory.

Then we question the rules. “Why not?”

And the answers we receive at this early age are, for most of us, wholly unacceptable. Some family favorites: “Because that’s not the way we do it”; “Because I say so”; “Go and ask your mother!” And so on. De Bono would assert that, at this early age, “We are strangling our primary resource for creative thinking – our curiosity. Without it, we’ll never ask questions and undercover the hidden potential of things. We’ll accept the status quo”.

As a university student, you shouldn’t stop with the why-questions but if possible – ask also the why-not-questions. Rules are good, but not all. Some are just simply nonsense. Thus, you need to break the barrier, the status quo and ask hard-deep-questions. Keep your curiosity alive. For examples, if you an arts student you don’t have to stick to one way of seeing thing, you must think of other perspectives and ask, ‘why not I see it this way?’ Or if you’re an engineering student you should think of many possibilities and keep on asking, ‘why the designs have to be this way, why not like this?’ Or if you’re a business student, you ought to think of many other alternatives on how to marketing your products and ask, ‘since we always marketed it this way, why not we try other way?’ You know what I mean.

Robert F. Kennedy once said, “Some men see things as they are and say ‘Why?’ I dream of things that never were and say, ‘Why not?’” Be a university student who thinks differently, who continue to have curiosity, who love to uncover the hidden potential things or ideas and who never settled for status quo – no matter what. Friends, remember: Ask…

WHY NOT?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

University Student and Mary's better Choice of Using Time

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven”
(Ecclesiastes 3:1, NIV).

Time is a gift from God that can be used either well or poorly. This is illustrated in the famous story of Mary and Martha in the Gospel of Luke chapter 10 verses 38 to 42. When Jesus came to visit their home, Mary and Martha used their time in very different ways. Mary “sat at [Jesus]’s feet and listen to his teaching” (v.39, ESV), but Martha scurried about investing herself in the household details that would make Jesus’s visit comfortable. She “was distracted with much serving” (v.40). One could argue that both Mary and Martha were involved in activities that were worthwhile and meaningful. But when Martha expressed dismay that Mary was not helping her, Jesus replied that Mary had made a better choice by using this time to listen to His teaching. Certainly there are times when housework must be done. But because Jesus’s time with them would be brief, the household preparations could wait. Mary seized an opportunity she would not always enjoy; Martha chooses to a second choice that did not serve her well.

As a university student, you can sometime easily “anxious and troubled about many things” (v.41) like Martha was, due to many activities such as going to classes, studying, assignments, projects, presentations, athletics, social time with friends, volunteer work, church activities, university programs, etc. Therefore ask yourself this question: “Of all the important things that I have to do today, what is the first thing first that is critical for me to do now?” Should you first finish your assignment today before you go karaoke with your friends tonight? Should you first study for exams tomorrow today rather than playing computer games all day long or watch movie tonight? Should you first consult the Lord in prayer before you make decision about which event should you go tonight; church event or university event or outside event? All are important – but which is critical for today? Remember, Jesus did not say that what Martha did was wrong. In gentleness he answered Martha and he accepted her hospitality and no doubt appreciated what she was doing – Jesus only said that what Mary was doing was better.

Mary choses to listening to Jesus’s teaching first rather than serving Him. Because of this, Jesus said that Mary “has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (v.42). She seized the moment wisely and Jesus praised her for that. How about you?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Siri Kehidupan Kristian (Lengkap)

Apa yang kamu percaya adalah penting kerana kepercayaan kita menentukan bagaimana cara kita hidup. Dalam Siri Kehidupan Kristian ini, saya ingin membantu saudara-saudari Kristian saya yang lain untuk terus bertumbuh dalam iman dan pengetahuan tentang Alkitab. Mereka yang baru mengenal Kristus akan belajar perkara asas tentang kehidupan baru ini; dan mereka yang sudah lama mengenal Kristus akan diingatkan semula atau mungkin akan mengetahui beberapa kebenaran yang baru yang berguna untuk kehidupan seharian.

Dalam suratnya kepada Timotius yang baru bertugas sebagai gembala di Efesus, Rasul Paulus mendorong Timotius untuk terus: 1) Menjadi teladan dalam percakapan, kelakuan, kasih, iman dan cara hidup yang suci; 2) Membaca dan mengajar Alkitab; 3) Menggunakan kurnia Allah yang diberikan kepadanya; 4) Teruskan berusaha dan jangan berputus asa; dan 5) Memperhatikan diri dan ajarannya (lihat 1 Timotius 4:12-16).

Siri Kehidupan Kristian ini diharap dapat sedikit sebanyak mendorong kamu untuk berbuat begitu. Amen.

Klik tajuk artikel ini untuk membaca:

1) Kelahiran Semula

2) Kepastian tentang Keselamatan

3) Pengekalan dalam Keselamatan

4) Kemenangan dalam Pencubaan

5) Amalan dan Carahidup pengikut Kristus

6) Sukacita dalam Pembaptisan

7) Bagaimana memilih Gereja

8) Mengetahui Kehendak Allah

9) Ajaran tentang Berdoa

10) Bersaksi dan Memenangkan Jiwa bagi Kristus

11) Menjadi Pelajar Alkitab yang Setia

12) Jangan Mensia-siakan Hidupmu

Rujukkan utama:

a) Alkitab Berita Baik (Bahasa Malaysia) oleh Persatuan Alkitab Malaysia, 1996.

b) Alkitab Terjemahan Baru (Bahasa Indonesia) oleh Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia, 1974.

c) What Christians Believe oleh Moody Press, 1949, 1951.

Siri Kehidupan Kristian: Jangan Mensia-siakan HidupMu (xi - Akhir)

Bagaimana seorang Kristian boleh menjadikan hidupnya lebih bermakna? Walaupun saya percaya bahawa setiap orang yang terus beriman kepada Kristus tidak akan hilang keselamatannya; tetapi, adalah mungkin bagi orang Kristian untuk mensia-siakan kehidupannya. Yesus Kristus sudah mati bagi kita supaya apabila kita beriman kepada-Nya, kita beroleh hidup yang kekal. Ini pasti. Pun begitu, kita semua memiliki hanya satu nyawa di dunia ini – jangan mensia-siakannya! Kita tidak tahu berapa lama masa yang kita ada sebelum Allah memanggil kita datang kepada-Nya. Melalui perspektif syurgawi ini, apa yang penting ialah bukan berapa lama seseorang itu hidup tetapi bagaimana dia menjalani kehidupan itu.

Untuk tidak mensia-siakan kehidupan kita di dunia yang sementara ini, Allah di dalam Alkitab berfirman agar kita:

1) Mengira kos untuk menjadi pengikut Kristus yang setia. Semua yang percaya ialah anak-anak Allah, tetapi tidak semua ialah pengikut-Nya. Matius 10:16-42 dan Lukas 14:25-35 ialah contoh ayat yang berkaitan dengan bagaimana dan apakah kosnya menjadi seorang pengikut Kristus yang benar-benar setia. Untuk menjadi seorang ‘pengikut Kristus’ bermaksud seseorang itu harus meninggalkan keselesaan dan jaminan keselamatan dunia. Ia bermaksud seseorang itu perlu menyangkal kehendak hati duniawinya. Ia bermaksud seseorang itu perlu bersedia untuk menjadi musuh dan bahan ejekan atau cemuhan dunia.  Ia bermaksud meninggalkan segala-galanya untuk terus mengikuti Yesus.

2) “Mempersembahkan diri sebagai suatu korban yang hidup” (Roma 12:1). “Mempersembahkan” setiap kehidupan harian kita; tidur, makan, kerja, berjalan, memasak, bersaksi, dalam hubungan sesamamu, dan semuanya sebagai “korban yang hidup”. Kenapa? Kerana Kristus telah mati bagi kita agar kita beroleh kehidupan yang baru, agar kita sekarang hidup dengan satu tujuan yang baru iaitu –hidup untuk Allah. Seorang Kristian, C.T. Studd pernah berkata: “Jika Yesus Kristus ialah Tuhan dan Dia telah mati bagi saya, maka tidak ada korban yang terlampau besar yang saya boleh lakukan untuk Dia”.

3) Menyerahkan hidup kita kepada Kristus. Yesus berfirman: “Sesiapa yang mempertahankan hidupnya akan kehilangan hidup yang sejati. Tetapi sesiapa yang mengorbankan hidup untuk-Ku, akan memperoleh hidup yang sejati” (Matius 16:25). Dengan erti kata lain, jika kita ingin memiliki sukacita sejati dan kegembiraan yang tiada bandingnya dalam hidup ini, kita perlu hidup untuk mengembirakan Tuhan Yesus Kristus. Seseorang yang hidup untuk diri sendiri pasti akan merana, dan tidak akan memiliki sukacita yang sejati. Percayalah.

4) Meninggalkan dosa atau perkara yang lampau dan terus melangkah kehadapan. Jangan membiarkan dosa atau perkara yang lalu menghantui kita. Jangan pernah mahu kembali atau mengingininya lagi. Yesus berfirman: “Setiap orang yang mau mengikut Aku, ia harus menyangkal dirinya, memikul salibnya setiap hari dan mengikut Aku” (Lukas 9:23, TB). Berbuatlah apa saja yang patut sehinggakan ianya adalah sangat mustahil bagi kamu untuk kembali kepada kehidupan lama. “Burn your bridges behind you”. Lakukan ini supaya hati kita tidak berbelah bagi dan agar kita benar-benar taat kepada Kristus.

5) Jangan mudah terpesong. Banyak ‘orang Kristian’ bermula dengan penuh semangat dan berkobar-kobar... tetapi tidak lama kemudian, mereka hilang visi dan keinginan untuk hidup beriman kepada Kristus semakin pudar. Mereka kembali semula kepada kehidupan lama. Cinta akan wang, kesibukkan bekerja, godaan dari rakan-rakan yang jahat, menuruti keinginan diri dan sebagainya adalah antara penyebab mereka jatuh dalam iman. Kita jangan seperti itu. Yesus dengan tegas berfirman: “Setiap orang yang siap untuk membajak tetapi menoleh ke belakang, tidak layak untuk Kerajaan Allah” (Lukas 9:62, TB).

6) Hidup untuk melayani. “Anak Manusia tidak datang untuk dilayani; Dia datang untuk melayani orang” (Lukas 20:28). Kehebatan sebenar, dalam definasi Alkitab, ialah melalui pelayanan kita kepada orang lain. Ada masa untuk kita dilayani, terimalah dengan hati yang terbuka; tetapi sikap kita mestilah sentiasa ingin melayani. Jadilah seorang yang suka memberi, berkhidmat dan melayani orang lain. “Lebih berbahagia memberi daripada menerima” (Kisah Rasul-Rasul 20:35).

7) Takhtakan Kristus sebagai Raja atas segalanya. Bukan hanya sebahagian hidup kita, tetapi – SEGALANYA – dalam pemikiran dan perasaan; dalam perbuatan dan pertuturan; dalam kehendak hati dan kehendak Allah. Jadikan Dia Raja segalanya atau tidak langsung – kita hanya ada dua pilihan itu saja. Kristus ialah Raja yang juga Bapa dan Kawan kita yang sejati. Dia memerintah, mengasihi dan bersama dengan kita. Wah, inilah Raja kita! Amen.

Kata Penutup untuk “Siri Kehidupan Kristian”

Sebelum saya mengakhiri siri ini, saya ingin mengingati saudara-saudari Kristian yang membaca artikel ini bahawa kehidupan Kristian bukanlah sesuatu yang kita mahu lakukan apabila ada masa lapang, tetapi ialah merupakan perjalanan kehidupan sepenuh-masa yang berlimpah dengan pengembaraan yang akan menjadikan kamu seorang Kristian yang matang dan kukuh iman. Ianya bukanlah kehidupan yang mudah tetapi penuh dengan rintangan dan cubaan. Untuk kita menjadi seorang Kristian adalah mudah kerana keselamatan dari dosa adalah percuma; tetapi untuk menjadi pengikut Kristus ianya tidaklah mudah kerana kosnya adalah segala-galanya. Ianya bukan jalan untuk menjadi popular tetapi jalan kepada penganiayaan; bukan kesenangan tetapi ‘kayu salib’.

Namun begitu, ia ialah satu pilihan kehidupan yang terbaik sekali! Kehidupan yang sangat bermakna dan mempunyai tujuan. Kehidupan yang penuh dan sentiasa berkembang. Kehidupan yang mengatasi segala kesakitan dan kesengsaraan kerana Roh Allah, Roh Sukacita Allah ada bersama kita. Tidakkah kamu tahu bahawa kita melayani Tuhan Allah, Tuan yang terbaik sekali?! Ya! Amen!

Oleh itu, saya menggesa kamu untuk memberi (atau terus memberi) hidup kamu kepada Kristus. Berikan Dia yang terbaik. Jangan berpegang kepada yang lain kecuali Yesus Kristus. Biarlah sukacita kamu penuh apabila suatu hari kelak Tuhan Raja Yesus berkata kepada kamu secara peribadi: “Bagus, kamu hamba yang baik dan setia... Masuklah dan bersukacitalah bersama-sama [Tuan]mu!” (Matius 25:21).

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.