How Long Does It Take to Win a Gold Medal?

I saw an interesting article on WSJ.com talking about how long it takes to win a gold medal. Interesting because it included a chart showing how in some events (shot put) it takes all of about 13 seconds to win a gold medal.  Other events are over in a minute or two.

So, how long does it really take to win a gold medal and the international acclaim that comes with it?  Years and years.  Some have given their whole lives. True success doesn't come overnight.  Honest riches are gained over time.  Consistent dedication, discipline and diligence are required.  To think of Gabrielle Christina Victoria "Gabby" Douglas as winning her gold medals in just a few hours cheapens the sacrifices made by her and her entire support team.

Get a team, keep doing what it takes and be patient.  Greatness isn't achieved overnight and it's never achieved alone.  As Gabby says, "Gold medals are made out of sweat, blood and tears."

Great job, Team Gabby!

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How Badly Do You Want It?

...so you have to decide how badly you want it. Do you want "it" enough to change? Your words SAY you've received a vision - direction from God - but when are you going to totally sell out to bringing it into manifestation.

(You believe that ultimately the "answer of the tongue belongs to the Lord" but you also know you haven't done all YOU can do!)

...so how badly do you want God's best for your life? For your family? Do you want it enough to fast? To pray? To push away that plate? To make an extra phone call? To wake up earlier in the morning or go to bed earlier at night? To invest in your education or at least buy (and read) that book? To knock on a few doors? To step out of your fears and walk in faith? To get your emotions under control and stop letting them drive you?

If there isn't something on that list or on your own that you're willing to do differently, you're still just talking. You don't want "it" badly enough yet.  Join me on Facebook and subscribe to this blog a part of your action!  Let's progress together!

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Make Plan "A" Your Only Plan!

Make PLAN A your only plan...especially if you say God gave you the vision.  Most people don’t need a Plan B; they need to fully dedicate themselves to Plan A! How can it be that God’s plan for your life has an alternative? He hasn’t changed His mind. Once you tap into His plan for you, neither should you. Diligence is what most of our plans require, not alternatives.

Be diligent. To quote my Pastor, Thaddeus Eastland, diligence is best defined as "thinking it through, then getting after it and then staying after it." Work as hard as you can. Respond to customers and opportunities quickly. The best ones don't wait for you. Diligence isn't just about working hard, however. It's about rising early and looking for every possible opportunity to achieve a goal – uncovering every rock. The Bible says that "the hand of the diligent makes rich" in Proverbs 10:4. This is just one of the many encouragements in the Bible towards diligence in all that we do.

They say money never sleeps. It does. But it gets up early. This is closely related to the concept of diligence. A word study on diligence uncovers that it carries with it the idea of getting out of bed and getting started early. Personally, I know that my most productive days and "seasons" have been when I've been most intentional about rising and getting to work before everyone else. When I get up late, I often feel like the whole day is close to being wasted. Get up early and get after it. You will be rewarded!

Make joining me on Facebook and subscribing to this blog a part of your plan!  Let's progress together!

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