Four Things You Need to Know to Do One Thing Well

“Give me a man who says this one thing I do, and not those fifty things I dabble in.”

– D. L. Moody

(1837-1899) Evangelist

One of the marks of Scouting is that the boys are taught to do many different things.  As they earn their merit badges (over 130 in all), they learn skills from bugling to wood working.  This is designed to help the Scout be prepared for any event in life.  They are not however, expected to be an expert at each of these skills.  The broad knowledge helps them be become focused and prepared for the one career they will eventually enter into.

                It can be fun and interesting to be able to do many things, however, the person who just dabbles and never learns to focus is of little use to themselves or the rest of the world.  We have all heard the old saying about being "A jack of all trades and the master of none."  Success-minded people know that achievement comes with the ability to focus and do one thing well rather than many things okay.  Here are four things you need to know in order to do one thing well.

1)  Know your strengths

                We all have things we are good at and things the we are okay at.  A strength is not the ability to do something, a strength is something that makes you strong.  You could be very good at math, but being a bookkeeper could make you want to jump off the building.  Know what it is that you do that you love.  What makes you feel the best when you do your best at it?

2)  Know your heart

                Every one of us was created for a purpose.  That purpose is the dream that is in your heart.  It is that thing you have always wanted and think about all the time.  Know what your dream is and then design your life to achieve that dream.  What do you need to do?  What must you learn or become better at?  Do what it takes to be all you were created to be and you will know what it is to live a dream.

3)  Know your stuff

                If you are pursuing your dream, be the best there is at what you do.  Never, never settle for mediocre or to just get by.  You were created to be great, so be the best you can be.  Learn all there is to know and work at your skills every day.  Always look to improve and be the very best you can be.

4)  Know your end

                This does not mean the end of your life, it is the thing you were created to achieve.  Success-minded people know that your ability to improve will be there as long as you live.  Never let it go.  Throughout your life, as you achieve one goal move on to the next.  As C.S. Lewis said, "You are never too old to dream a new dream or set a new goal." 

                You matter!  You matter to the world and to yourself.  Remember to be your best, love God, have good manners, achieve the unknown and change your world.

John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, Life Coach and proud Scouter. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2014 John Patrick Hickey

The Five Key Commitments of Success

“Success is available to everyone who commits to being successful.”

– Earl nightingale

(1921-1989) Author/Radio Broadcaster

One of the many great and useful lessons learned in Scouting is that of commitment and follow through.  The Scout Law is based on the development of hard work, focus, good character, excellence, and determination.  The motto, "Be Prepared" is the belief that when you ready yourself for anything you can achieve anything.  This basic principle is also the basic principle of success in life.

Key # 1  Commit to hard work

                Anyone who tells you that you can achieve your dreams and succeed in life in your spare time or taking an easy way is lying to you.  There is only one way to success and that is by daily, constant and deliberate hard work.  Once the success-minded person understands that, they have no problem with doing what is necessary, and more, to achieve their goals.  Hard work is not a bad thing to be avoided but the first and most important key to success in any area of life.

Key # 2  Commit to a focused desire

                Baseball great Yogi Barra was right when he said, "If you don't know where you are going, how will you know when you get there?"  A goal is a specific point that you are looking to arrive at.  No one can achieve success if they do not have a focused desire to go after.  It is alike saying you will go "anywhere".  Anywhere is the same place as nowhere.  I have coached many young people who say they are looking for a job.  When asked what kind of job, they will tell you "anything".  I always remind them that "anything" is not a job.  Be focused in what you want to achieve and you will find it.

Key # 3  Commit to good character

                There is a reason that Scouting puts so much value on qualities like being trustworthy, loyal, courteous, kind and more.  These are the qualities of a good character, a person of integrity and solid moral values.  Success is never about wealth, power or recognition.  Success is always about you.  Who you are, who you become and how you touch the world you live in is far more important than what you earn or who knows your face. 

Key # 4  Commit to excellence

                Never settle for anything less than your best.  To just get by is not a goal in life, it is an excuse for accepting what others decide you should be.  You were created to be great and to do extraordinary things.  Don't believe that?  Try and find out just how extraordinary you really are.  Do everything - I mean EVERYTHING - the best you can and see if you do not go to the top in life.  No one is looking for a mediocre worker or leader.  Be excellent and you will see that you are in high demand.

Key # 5  Commit to staying with it

                Zig Ziglar use to say, "The winner is not the one who is the best, but the one who does not give up."  Success-minded people know that they can never think they have the luxury to give up.  If things fail - they try again.  If there is a setback - they move forward.  If there is a decision to make - they make it.  The one thing successful people will not do is give up.  Stay with it to the end and you will always achieve the success you seek - and much, much more.

               

                You matter!  You matter to the world and to yourself.  Remember to be your best, love God, have good manners, achieve the unknown and change your world.

John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, Life Coach and proud Scouter. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2014 John Patrick Hickey

Six Ways You Can Leave Your Mark

“All I want to do is change the world.”

– W. Clement Stone

(1902-2002) Author/Businessman

When we are young we have the faith to believe we can one day make a difference.  As we get older and fight the daily battles of life, we start to wonder if we will be remembered at all.  I believe we are all here to be remembered.  You will however, not be remembered for what you have, be that money, power or fame.  You will be remembered for how you touched the world you live in and made life better for others.  There are six key things you can do in life that will live long after you have gone from this planet.

1)  You can create

                We all have talents and gifts.  For some, these are expressed in the form of thinking, making changes that are needed or solving problems.  For others these can be expressed in the form of art and beauty.  Still others are gifted in medicine, law, education and a thousand other things.  With these gifts we can create what was not there before or we can improve on those things that we use every day.  Everything you see around you was created by someone.  You too can create.

2)  You can discover the unknown

                One of the joys of childhood is the discovery of life for the first time.  From infants discovering their feet to children discovering their abilities, life is an adventure for those who keep discovering.  Always keep in mind that the wonders of the universe are not secrets that are hidden, but rather treasures to be discovered by people who still believe the impossible can happen.

3)  You can think

                Sounds funny I know, but the truth is, thousands of people do not think.  They move on impulse or desire, but they do not take the time to think things through.  Be a thinker about everything in your life.  Know what you believe and why.  Think about what you want and how you will achieve it.  Think about the things that others never take the time to.

4)  You can give

                It is not the things that you have accumulated in life that you leave behind, it is the things you give.  When you think about giving to others do not just restrict yourself to money or things, we can give much more.  Give of your time and you energy to others.  Give money and you can always get it back; give time and it is gone forever.  Givers are always remembered.

5)  You can be an example

                Don't just talk about how the world should get better, make it better.  Success-minded people know that things like integrity, honesty, decency, loyalty and right behavior are key to a full and meaningful life.  If all we do is tell people that they should be better we will gain nothing.  We must show then not only how to live right but show them that it can be done.

6)  You can take a stand

                The great Albert Einstein said, "The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything."  Like it or not, you are not a bystander in this world.  You are an active participant.  It is up to us to stop evil and wrong, not to ignore it and hope it goes away.  Take a stand for what is good, right and wholesome.  Be strong and brave in the face of all opposition.  You are the only thing keeping the world from the destruction it brings on itself.

                You matter!  You matter to the world and to yourself.  Remember to be your best, love God, have good manners, achieve the unknown and change your world.

John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, Life Coach and proud Scouter. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2014 John Patrick Hickey

Four Crimes Against Young People

“There is nothing so pitiful as a young cynic because he has gone from knowing nothing

to believing nothing.”

– Maya Angelou

(1928-2014) American Poet

When we think of crimes against the young, our minds quickly go to drug dealers, gangs, bullies and those who take advantage, exploit and abuse.  These are all very serious and worrisome problems that our young face in deed.  However, I would like to focus on a different, and yet just as serious a crime that is too often inflicted on them by the very people who seek to protect them.  We do not look at these as crimes, but simply mistakes or "for their own good," but the results can be as devastating as any offence they face.

                A simple look around at many of our young people and you can see the problems clearly.  They are discouraged, bitter, empty, solemn and fearful.  The problem of moody teens is not unique to this generation for sure, the problem is that it is growing to a dangerous proportion.  The suicides rate among teens and early adults is at a record high.

                Youth is the best time in a person's life and should be a time of adventure, discovery and imagination.  There are many (what I call) crimes that come against the young.  I would like to examine just four that I believe result directly in their attitudes and beliefs.

1)  We do not teach them how to live right

                The idea that we need to let our children, "go their own way and figure their life out for themselves" is a cop-out.  That is the excuse of lazy people who do not want to take the time and energy to invest in our children.  Young people do not know how they should live - their young.  They learn right from wrong, good from evil from us.  It is the responsibility of every adult to live a wholesome life with character and integrity so that our children will learn how it is done.  Many young people do not believe it is possible because they have never seen it.

2)  We do not inspire our children

                At one time the world was full of heroes.  Not only did young people believe in heroes and strive to be like the good guy, but adults encouraged it.  Now, the bad guy is the new hero and adults do not care.  Inspire your young people to be all they can be, do all they can do and to launch out for adventures and discovery.  Get them books that build character and tell of the good people have done.  Biographies of great men and women should be a part of your home library.  Encourage them to watch good, moral based movies and shows.  Help them to see the wonder and beauty in this world and to spend time with them enjoying it.

3)  We do not encourage them to dream

                Adults have become so cynical that we do not believe that people can achieve greatness any more.  That disbelief goes down to our children and they begin to feel hopeless and without purpose.  Encourage your young people to dream and to desire to achieve greatness.  Show them that in spite of any hardships or difficulties they can be anything they choose to be.  They can change the world.

4)  We don't believe in them

                When you feel that no one really believes in you, you just stop trying.  Our young people have been told by adults in their lives, teachers, leaders and all kinds of media that they are losers and the world is falling apart.  We must help them to understand that they can change the world and make it better.  Even more, we must really believe they can.  I know that the young people today will be our leaders tomorrow.  It is for our own good as well as the welfare of our children that we teach them to be all they were created to be. 

                It takes work and focus to invest in the young.  We need to put all we have into seeing that they become self-reliant, ambitious, positive and hard working.  The best and most efficient way to do that is by example.  Believe in them, believe in yourself.  Help them know that it is possible to live a good, productive life full of adventure and possibilities by living that life yourself.

                You matter!  You matter to the world and to yourself.  Remember to be your best, love God, have good manners, achieve the unknown and change your world.

John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, Life Coach and proud Scouter. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2014 John Patrick Hickey

The Force That Changed the World

“The Scout movement is a world leader in educating youth.  Scouting inspires patriotism, sound moral values, courage, character-building, self-reliance and community awareness.  It also motivates our young people to achieve their full potential.”

– Nelson Mandela

(1918-2013) Political Leader

As Scouts and Scouters we are a motivated people.  Scouting breeds the kind of thinking that keep people moving toward their goals and achieving all the time.  We have ranks to achieve, merit badges to get and the rewards of becoming or helping some young man to become and Eagle Scout.  All this achievement and drive is good, but let's not forget what the deeper purpose of Scouting is, to become people of character and courage.

THE END RESULTS

                As wonderful as the Scouting program is, without the ultimate objective of forming a good and purposeful life, it is just another youth program and nothing more.  Scouting's end result is not the Eagle rank.  Scouting's end result is to create people who are leaders of integrity, decency and honor.  We who are part of the Scouting program should have our sights on making a better world not just making an awarded Scout.

SCOUTING ON THE MOON

                This reality is not something that we hope Scouting will someday achieve.  The truth is, Scouts have went on to become successful business leaders, great scientists and Doctors; they have walked on the moon and been Presidents.  Scouting has for over a century developed great and honorable leaders that have achieve the impossible, discovered the unknown and changed the world.

THE FORCE THAT CHANGED THE WORLD

                As we work to follow the Scout Law and the principles of Scouting, let us not forget that it is more an twelve rules to follow, it is the force that can change the world.  Scouts are what I call success-minded.  That means they believe in their ability to do good, to create and achieve wonderful things.  Those who have learned the power of the Scout Law and the things taught in Scouting go on to be success in all they do. 

SUCCESS-MINDED PEOPLE

                Success-minded people know that if they are going to achieve success in life, it is up to them.  No one is going to give it to them and no one is meant to take care of them.  They are self-reliant and hard working.  The word impossible just means it might take a bit longer to do.  Their honesty and integrity stands firm and they will not give in to the pressures of forces around them to lessen their values.  The fact is, Scouting, in any form and by any person, takes courage.

                Achieve all you can with enthusiasm and excitement.  Just keep in mind that there is a greater goal than awards and ranks or promotions.  The only thing that matters in the end is the person you become. 

                You matter!  You matter to the world and to yourself.  Remember to be your best, love God, have good manners, achieve the unknown and change your world.

John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, Life Coach and proud Scouter. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2014 John Patrick Hickey

Three Ways Never to Loose

“Don't cry because it's over.  Smile because it happened.”

– Dr. Seuss

(1904-1991) Author

As we grow in life, there are some truths that we should learn and accept.  One such truth is that you will, from time to time, face disappointments.  Sadly, this is one of the truths so many people just cannot seem to grab hold of.  Their lives are unhappy and often bitter because each time they are disappointed they act like it is the first.  What makes this even harder is that you will find another truth at work here.  The more you allow disappointments to upset you the more disappointments you will face.

                No one likes to be disappointed.  No one likes to loose or to have things they treasure, be that material things or even people, taken from them.  So how do we face the reality of disappointment and not allow it to overtake us?  I have three things we can do that will reduce of feeling of disappointment and loss and replace it with strength and joy.  These three are all wrapped up in the same word, Gratitude.

1)  Be grateful for what you had

                It is one thing to love and cherish the thing and people you have in your life.  It is another to be grateful for them.  Gratitude appreciates that we have and does not claim it as our own.  We see that all things in life are only on loan to us and some of those things are true gifts.  These gifts make us happy and fill us with a sense of thankfulness that we have been blessed for this time.  Once they are gone, we can look back with happiness and gratitude that we were, even for a short time, allowed to be blessed in such a wonderful way.

2)  Be grateful for what you have

                People who do not understand the principle of a grateful heart will be filled with fear.  When some things or even some people are placed into our lives, rather than enjoying them we fear they will go away or be taken away.  That fear causes tension and hurt and what should be a wonderful experience is taken from us.  This is what I meant when I said that people who allow disappointment into their life will only experience more disappointment.

3)  Be grateful for what is to come

                Once a person has been able to develop a grateful heart for what they have had and what they have now, will be grateful knowing that more is to come.  Experience teaches us so very much.  The one who believes that every time they love something it will be taken away, will, in fact, loose what they have.  Likewise, the person who is grateful for what they have while they have it will gain more.  It is that old self-fulfilling prophecy.  What you believe will come about.

                You matter!  You matter to the world and to yourself.  Remember to be your best, love God, have good manners, achieve the unknown and change your world.

John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, Life Coach and proud Scouter. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2014 John Patrick Hickey

Good Guys Still Win

“Fairy Tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”

– G.K. Chesterton

(1874-1936) Author

Scouting has always been a great place to find heroes.  It has built more great men of character and principle than any other organization I know of.  Out of the 312 people who were selected as astronauts since 1959, 207 came from a Scouting background.  Of the 24 who traveled to the moon, 21 were Scouts.  You find the greats in sports, the arts, military, education and even Presidents who were Scouts.  These heroes do not show us that they are great, they show us that great things can be done.

                We forget this important fact many times when we look at life and all the challenges and difficulties people face.  People have always faced challenges in life.  People have always overcome them.  They still do.  You can still find heroes in this world.  They are not hidden.  What has declined is not people who do extraordinary things but people who are looking for them.

                One of the goals we have in Scouting is to help young boys and men to see that greatness is not just for the other guy, it is for you.  You really can be anything you wish to be.  You can do the extraordinary and reach far beyond your dreams.  When Neil Armstrong was growing up in Ohio and became an Eagle Scout, he did not realize that one day he would be the first human to walk on the moon.  He remembered his Scouting days and greeted Scouts from the Apollo 11 on his way to the moon in July of 1969.

                Success comes in many ways to many people, however, it comes to those who believe it is possible.  Each day we are faced with the impossible and things that others believe cannot or will not be done.  Success-minded people know that just because something had not been done before does not mean it will not be.  Even more, they believe it could be done by them.

                Always be aware that people, just like you and me, do wonderful and impossible things every day.  Yes, there are dragons out there and they are big, strong and nasty, but they are no match to the person who believes they can be beaten.  Believe in yourself and the power that God has placed in you to achieve your dreams.  When you do, you will be the warrior who stands tall and proclaims, "Tonight, we are having dragon for dinner!"

                You matter!  You matter to the world and to yourself.  Remember to be your best, love God, have good manners, achieve the unknown and change your world.

John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, Life Coach and proud Scouter. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2014 John Patrick Hickey

3 Ways to Keep Imagination Alive

“Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”

– Pablo Picasso

(1881-1973) Artist

I have been too many brain storming sessions in my day, but none can compare with brain storming with a group of 10 - 12 year old boys.  The ideas are fast, crazy and full of impossible things.  They do not stop to think if something could be done; if it was dangerous; if it was expensive or even if it was within the boundaries of reality.  You ask for anything and anything is what you get.

                The crazy thing is that out of all that confusion and extremism, you can find some really great stuff.  This is what real dreams are made of and some can go on to doing wonderful things that effect mankind as a whole.  And then there is the dark side.  Some boys are told that they are unreasonable, silly and impractical enough that they believe it.  The dreams become nothing more than smoke and drift away never to be seen again.

                So how do we help others, and ourselves, go from the wild dreamers to the achievers of great things?  I have three ideas that will help you and those you love to become all that they can be.

1)  Think like a child

                When I say think like a child, I do not mean to be childish.  What I means is to recapture the ability to let you imagination run wild.  To think of things on a grand scale and to be willing to sound foolish in order to capture that one great idea.  You never know what kind of wonderful things you can come up with if you try.  Remember the words of the great Albert Einstein who said, "If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it."

2)  Believe in magic

                Why is it that young people can come up with such crazy things?  It is because they believe those things could really happen.  Here is the amazing part, they do happen all the time.  Look around you, almost everything we use today was at one time considered impossible.  The human mind can create magic.  Not the hocus pocus that some call magic, I mean the real magic of awe and wonder.  You were created with the power to think and create.  Tony Robbins said, "If you believe in magic you will live a magical life."  I believe that is true.

3)  Read great books

                There is nothing greater that one can do for them self in life than to read.  Reading is not just something we do to learn or because we need instructions, it is the food of thought.  If you want to think and have great ideas you have got to read.  There is no shortage of wonderful material out there; great and exciting books of all kinds for every kind of person.  Reading shows that we think and if we think we can achieve great things in life.  As Mark Twain once said, "The only thing worse than the man who cannot read is the man who can read and doesn't."

                You matter!  You matter to the world and to yourself.  Remember to be your best, love God, have good manners, achieve the unknown and change your world.

John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, Life Coach and proud Scouter. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2014 John Patrick Hickey

Where Education Stops and Learning Begins

“In Scouting, a boy is encouraged to educate himself instead of being instructed.”

– Robert Powell

Actor

We put a great value on education.  Every student is encouraged to go from High School into College.  It is believed that the more education you get the better your life will be.  Students accumulate tens of thousands of dollars in debt for an education that studies show they will more than likely never use.  As actor, Mike Rowe correctly said, "We are lending money we don't have to kids who can't pay it back to train them for jobs that no longer exist."

                I believe in education - in case you are starting to wonder - however, I do not  believe in education for education sake.  If you attend most colleges and universities in this country, you are expected to take, and pay for I might add, a series of classes that have nothing to do with your major.  Why is this?  It is because some bureaucrat who has no idea who you are or what you wish to do, decides you need this education.  So the student pushed through the classes to get them out of the way.  They may have received an education, but they have not learned anything.

                Learning is an act of the will.  You do not need a college education to learn.  In fact, most of the real learning you will do in life will happen outside of a class room.  Albert Einstein said, "The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education."  Why is it that Bill Gates and many others found their greatest discoveries after they left their education?  It is because real learning, true discovery, comes from the active process of seeking knowledge not from being told what you have the learn.

                Success-minded people have come to understand that there is a time when higher education can be of help to them, however, their destiny, their path to success is not in the degrees they gather but in their ability to learn and grow.  They hold the key to their future, not some school system.  Students must see that education is a tool to be used, not the other way around.

                You matter!  You matter to the world and to yourself.  Remember to be your best, love God, have good manners, achieve the unknown and change your world.

John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, Life Coach and proud Scouter. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2014 John Patrick Hickey