Finishing Well

“When it comes time to die, make sure that all you have to do is die.”

– Jim Elliot

(1927-1956) Missionary

One of the topics of life that we do not seem to deal with a lot in Scouting is that of death.  These are young men and death is not something they spend a lot of time contemplating.  However, the reality is that we are all going to face death one day.  What we do want to teach these young people is how to live.  When we live right and experience life we will always be ready to face death, no matter when it comes.  We do not wish to face an end as the philosopher Henry David Thoreau described: "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

                One of the great goals of life is to use it all up.  We take nothing with us at the end so there is no reason to hold back on life while we have it.  Here are four things we all want to have completed when we come to our end on this earth.

1).  Fulfill your purpose

                We are all here for a reason.  That reason is your purpose, your dream.  Spend all the time you have in fulfilling that purpose and leave nothing behind.  There is not a time in life when we say, "There, that's done and now I have nothing to do."  You have something to do, new dreams and more growth all the way to you last breath.  Live on purpose all the way to the end.

2).  Enjoy life

                One of the tenants of Scouting is to have fun.  That fun does not stop when you grow older or after you have completed the Scouting program.  The people who live the best life are the ones who have the most fun.  Make every day an adventure and enjoy your life to the fullest.  There is so much to discover, do and have fun with.

3).  Have a grateful heart

                The secret to a great life is to live with a heart full of gratitude.  Be thankful for everything and everyone in your life.  Those who have learned to live in gratitude are the people who are happy and never without a smile.  We all face, and will face hard times and difficulties, however, when you know what it is to be grateful you overcome the trials of life and you live in a positive and productive state.

4).  Know God

                The well known Westminster Catechism states, "Man's chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him forever."  We were created with a purpose and to live a full life, however, above all things, we were created to know and to serve God.  To know God, His love and His presents in your life is the greatest of all joys.  Get to know Him now since you will be spending all eternity with Him.

                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 Good Habits That Will Change Your Life

“Every man is where he is, and what he is, because of the habits he has acquired.”

– Napoleon Hill

(1883-1970) Author

We all have habits.  Some are good and some are not so good.  Some habits will lead us to success and the achievements of our goals.  Some habits will lead us to failure and personal destruction in the end.  The common ground of all habits is that we create them, stop them and change them.  It is all in your power.

                One of the goals of the Scouting program is to teach boys what are good habits and how to keep them in their life.  The first step is to recognize what habits are moving us forward and what habits are holding us back.  When we see those that hold us back, we must change them for better, more productive habits.  You cannot just stop a habit without replacing it.  Humans cannot live in a vacuum; we must fill the empty spots.  By replacing bad habits with good we not only fill the spot where the habit was in our life but we stop the ability to go back to the old ways.  Here are four good habits that all success-minded people want in their lives.

Habit #1.  Good Behavior

                This may sound simple enough, but it is extremely important for those who wish to succeed.  Bad behavior is not always the out bursts of anger, addictive habits or immoral actions some people have.  It can be smaller and less noticeable (although just as destructive) than some behaviors.  Things like interrupting people who are talking, bad manners in social settings or telling off color and rude jokes.

                The best way to establish good behavior is to become a person of good manners.  Good manners is not just how you eat your dinner or saying please and thank you.  Good manners is being kind and respectful to others and showing respect for yourself as well.  As Emily Post said, "Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use."

Habit #2.  Good Decision Making

                The greatest power in all the universe is the power of choice.  Choice is the ability to make good and informed decisions.  The choices you make will make the difference of a life of success or a life of failure.  Success-minded people know the difference between right and wrong; good and evil.  Make the right decisions and you will always come out on top.

                The habit of good decision making starts with the ability to make a decision in the first place.  Some people think that by not making a decision they will never make a mistake.  Not making a decision is always making the wrong decision.  Remember this simple formula for decision making:  Good decisions are made quickly and change slowly.  Bad decisions are made slowly and changed quickly.

Habit #3.  Good Learning

                Learning is very much an acquired habit.  We learn to learn from every person we meet and every experience we have.  Success-minded people cannot allow anything to pass them by without gaining some lesson that will move them forward in life.

                It is good to know and apply the words of automotive giant, Henry Ford who said, "Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grieves which we endure help us in our marching onward."

Habit #4.  Good Attitude

                Create the habit of being positive, cheerful and encouraging and you will go a long, long way in life.  Positive people have a distinct advantage over negative people in every area of life.  They get along with other people better, they face challenges and difficulties better, they find better solutions to problems they face.  In short, it is as Zig Ziglar said, "Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will."

                Of all the habits that a success-minded person should have in their life, that of a positive attitude is the most important and the most productive.  Positive people do not stand still and worry about what might happen tomorrow, they get busy and make tomorrow happen.

                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

How Curiosity Can Bring You to Life

“When you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do.”

– Walt Disney

(1901-1966) Cartoonist/Businessman

We all know the old saying, "Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back."  Well, curiosity is nothing to be avoided or feared.  In Scouts, we encourage boys to be curious about everything.  This is part of the merit badge program.  The Scouts are encouraged to earn as many badges as they can during their Scouting years.  This allows them to taste many different experiences, studies and disciplines.  Once they have looked into and took part in these activities, it sparks their curiosity into wanting more of some and less of others.

                Here is a danger as we grow older.  Somehow we get the idea that we are too grown up to be curious and in fact, curiosity is something to be feared and dismissed from our lives.  When that happens, we enter into the famous rut that adults complain so much about.  A rut that we dig ourselves and that simply becomes a grave with the ends knocked out.

                Success-minded people are those who not only still have the ability to be curious about life, but they cultivate it in themselves.  They know that it is by seeking the unknown and making new discoveries that they will find their success - and possibly change the world.  Every great invention and discovery came from a curious person.  Someone who kept looking when others stopped; who kept asking questions when others just accepted answers.

                Curious people are people who are alive and vibrant.  They are willing to take a risk in order to make a discovery.  You have no idea how amazing you can be unless you are willing to step out and discover something new.  You were created to be great.  To do what others will not do.  You are to be extraordinary.  After all, extraordinary people are only ordinary people who dear do extraordinary things.

                What are you curious about?  Take only one thing and find out everything you can about it.  You will amaze yourself on how much you can know and believe me, once you get bitten by the curious bug, you will never be the same again.  As former Supreme Court Justice, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. said, "Every now and then a man's mind is stretched by a new idea or sensation, and never shrinks back to its former dimensions."

                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 to Put Fun in What You Do

“People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.”

– Dale Carnegie

(1888-1955) Author/Speaker

Do you have fun at what you do?  I cannot tell you how many people I talk to tell me they hate their job.  I really do believe that on one should work at a job they hate.  I know that whole bit about the economy being bad and jobs are hard to find.  That may be true, but that does not have anything to do with you hating what you do.  I believe we have three options open to us when it comes to having fun at work.

Option One:  Make the job fun

                You may not have the choice in what work you do all the time, but you do have a choice on how you see it.  You have the ability to put fun in your work and that starts with attitude.  If you are positive and see life as a gift to be enjoyed, then you will find the fun in everything you do.  For the person who lives with gratitude and purpose, even the most stressful and unpleasant job can become enjoyable and something to be thankful for.  It is up to you on how you want to see it.

Option Two:  Find the fun

                Everything has an element of fun hidden in it.  It is up to you to find that fun and exploit it to the fullest.  Look around you and find the person who seems to be enjoying themselves at work, (there is always at least one), and see what they are doing.  Befriend them and share in their fun.  You can do wonderful things when you start to have a bit of fun at work.  I think of the words of American educator, Randy Pausch who said, "Never, ever underestimate the importance of having fun."

Option Three:  Go find the fun

                If you cannot have fun at what you do now, go find a job, or create one, that you can have fun at.  There are great opportunities out there that are perfectly suited for you if you are willing to find them and make them work.  First however you have to believe in yourself and in them.  Sports star, Joe Namath said, "When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And when you have fun, you can do amazing things."  Success comes to those who enjoy what they do.  Find what you love to do and then do  amazing things.

                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

Getting the Best Education

“Formal education will make you a living.  Self-education will make you a fortune.”

– Jim Rohn

(1930-2009) Author/Speaker

Here are a few myths we have about education:

#1.  All education comes from school.

#2.  You have to have a degree to succeed.

#3.  The more schooling you have the better educated you will be.

#4.  If you get a degree you will get a good job.

#5.  What you don't learn in school you really don't need.

                I do not need to explain to you how wrong every one of these myths are.  Success-minded people know all too well that they have learned more out of school than in school.  Even the great Albert Einstein said, "Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school."  And of course the classic Mark Twain who said, "Don't let schooling interfere with your education."

                Now I know that it sound like I am opposed to higher education and I promise you that I am not.  In fact, I believe that we should get as much schooling as we can.  The thing I do oppose is the thinking that all education comes from school.  School or formal education is good for acquiring specialized knowledge.  But it is you who will give you the education that will bring you to success.  It is your responsibility, not that of schools, the government or some teacher.  You are responsible for your education.  Here are a few things you can do to assure that your education is solid and productive.

1)  Educate yourself through reading

                I believe that the most important habit we can form in life is the habit of reading.  It is through the reading of books, and other material that we can stimulate our brains into thinking and becoming more creative.  Here is another mistake many people make: they think that you only read books in school.  Studies have shown that 33% of High School graduates and 42% of college grads never read another book once they leave school.  That is beyond disgraceful.  The greatest tool you have is to read and to read often.

2)  Educate yourself through the people you meet

                Everyone you meet has something to teach you.  Success-minded people know that they must always be aware of who they are with so that they can learn in some way.  Sometimes it is what not to do as well as what to do.  Charlie "Tremendous" Jones use to say, "You will be the same person you are today, five years from now except for two things, the books you read and the people you meet."  Meet the people that can help you move in the direction you want to go.  Where do these people congregate?  Go there and meet the right people.  You never know what opportunities this can open up for you.

3)  Educate yourself with deliberate learning

                What I mean by deliberate learning is taking classes or going to seminars that will move you toward your goals and dreams.  Seek out the courses you need to achieve your goal and take them.  See the time and expense as an investment in your education.  Learn from those who have gone before you.  Never be foolish enough to think you can go it alone and you know what you are doing.  If you knew what you were doing and what has to be done you would have already succeeded.

4)  Educate yourself by having a growth plan

                If you want to grow and to gain the knowledge you need to succeed you will need a plan.  Know where you are going - have a clear goal.  Ask yourself, "What do I need to know and do to reach my goal?"  Now, set a plan to get that information and keep moving to success.  It takes a bit every day to achieve a goal.  It will not happen all at once, nor will it happen now and then.  Know what you need to do every day to make your journey to achievement.

5)  Educate yourself to never give up

                The person who succeeds is not the one who is the smartest, fastest, most talented or who have the best resources.  The winner will always be the one who never gives up.  Most failures come from people who get tired and just quite.  It can be a rough road.  There is no getting around it, success is hard work, but it is the only way it comes.  For those who stay with it and do what they need to do to learn and grow, there is no limit to the wonderful things they can achieve.

                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 Things to Believe About Yourself

“Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man.  But sooner or later the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.”

– Vince Lombardi

(1913-1970) Coach

There are two schools of extreme thought people have when it comes to thinking about who we are.  One is that you are the center of the universe and you have to think of yourself first.  You and your happiness is all that matters and forget the rest of mankind.  The other is just as odd, it is that you are a worm, a nothing and you are just here to live till you die.  That it is wrong and immoral for you to think of yourself and you must suffer for others in order to have any value in this life at all.

                Whether it be a big ego or a sense of worthlessness, the wrong thinking about yourself is damaging to you and to those around you.  In Scouting we strive to see that young men have a health and honest view of themselves and of other people.  You cannot see the world from a positive light unless you can first see yourself for who you were created to be.  Here are four things that we need to believe about ourselves in order to be a healthy and productive person.

1)  You have value

                Each and every one of us was put on this planet for a purpose.  God (who I believe has created us all) did not have a quota to fill nor are you just some biological happening.  You have a purpose and that purpose is good and important.  You are here to make a difference which makes you of great value to the rest of the world.  Success-minded people not only see this but recognize that everyone else was created with a purpose and have great value.  Success-minded people respect and encourage that value in themselves and in others.

2)  God gave you a dream

                So just what is the purpose you were born for?  I believe that is what we call a dream.  In each of us there is something we have always wanted to do and be.  It comes to us when we dream, when changes happen in our life or when we have time to day dream about what we would do if life was perfect.  You were meant to achieve that dream.  Embrace it and go after it with all that is in you.  After all, if the Creator of the universe gave you a dream, how can you fail?

3)  You can do this

                The whole world can believe in you but it makes little difference until you believe in you.  Know that you can achieve your dreams if you are willing to give it all you have, stay with it and make it happen.  You have to want the dream in order to make the dream come into reality.  Race car driver, Mario Andretti said, "Desire is the key to motivation, but it's the determination and commitment to unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek."

4)  You were born to be great

                "You were born to win," said Zig Ziglar, "but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win."  Understand that you were not created to be mediocre or to just get by.  You were created to make a difference and to do the extraordinary.  You have no idea what wonderful things you can do until you step out and try.  Go for the gold in life and never settle for anything but excellence from 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

Four Ways to Help a Friend

“There is nothing better than the encouragement of a good friend.”

– Katharine Hathaway

(1890-1942) Author/Educator

Pastor, radio host and educator, Charles Swindoll said, "I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let's face it, friends make life a lot more fun."  I have to agree with this wholeheartedly.  Without the love and support of good friends I don't know where I would be.  It has also be my desire to be such a friend to others and I have been blessed with some great examples.

                Friendship is more than just the fact you know each other.  We see people every day, at work, school, church or where ever, and we greet each other and are pleasant, but that does not really make us friends.  Friends are those who are involved in our lives and we in theirs.  A friend is the person you talk with, laugh with, cry with, and believes in.  Nineteenth century English Clergyman, Robert Hall, described a friend this way, "A friend should be one in whose understanding and virtue we can equally confide, and whose opinion we can value at once for its justness and its sincerity."  Let's look at four ways you can be this kind of a friend.

1)  Friends believe in each other

                  It is one thing to agree with the dreams and ambitions of your friends and another to believe in those dreams and ambitions.  As a friend, believe in the dreams of those you care about.  Some may be a bit far out there and you may not fully understand, but they are not your dreams to understand.  Know that your friend has this dream and your place, as their friend, is not to critique or remodel it, but to support and believe in them.

2)  Friends share their dreams

                Just as you are willing to hear and believe in your friends dream, allow them to be a part of yours.  If the relationship is all one sided, then it is not a healthy relationship in the first place.  One of the marks of a real friend is that you will make each other better people and achievers.  As businessman, Henry Ford said, "My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me."

3)  Friends accept nothing less than excellence

                A true friend is one who knows that you have the potential to be excellent in all you do, and will accept nothing less.  I have heard many times that a true friend accepts you just the way you are.  That is not at all true.  The waiter in the restaurant or the bank teller accepts you "just as you are".  They don't care what you do or how you live.  A true friend cares about you and will do all they can to keep you from doing things that will injure your character or reputation.  Friend will always work to help you become the very best you can be and not ignore your flaws but help you to overcome them.

4)  Friends are encouragers

                "When you encourage others, you in the process are encouraged because you're making a commitment and difference in that person's life." Zig Ziglar said, "Encouragement really does make a difference."  There is not greater gift we can give to our friends, family or to ourselves than that of encouragement.  Sometimes it is as simple as a warm smile and a soft pat on the back, other times it means sitting quietly with a hurting friend just so they know you are there.  If you have one gift to give to your friends, let it be encouragement. 

                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 Four Keys to Good Delegation

“A boy carries out suggestions more wholeheartedly when he understands their aim.”

– Sir Robert Baden-Powell

(1857-1941) Founder of the Boy Scouts

Is there anything more frustrating and difficult as when you are asked to do something and have no idea just what is expected.  I believe we should always give more to the job than what is expected of us, however, if we do not know the expectations to begin with, how can we do more?  Whether you are delegating a task or have a task delegated to you, here are four keys that will help the task to be done, done quickly, and done well.

Key #1.  What is it the needs to be done?

                Be clear about just what the task that needs to be done is.  General terms might help you in telling others to get a job done but it does not help them.  Clarity will also help prevent someone from doing the wrong task.  Let's say that the request is that your staff provide better customer service.  What exactly needs to be done?  If it that they need to be more pleasant and helpful?  Do they need to have better results in making the customer happy?  In what area do they need to improve and in what are they strong. 

Key #2.  Why are they doing it?

                Let me state clearly here, "Because I said so" is not an answer.  When people understand why they are doing a task they will not only do it better but will enjoy the process more.  When I worked for a major outdoor museum, one of the things that was expected of the staff, from the president down to the ticket takers, was to pick you any and all trash they saw on the ground at all times.  I was made clear to all that by doing so we heightened the visitor's experience and we looked like the high quality place we were.  Because we all knew this, it became a habit and everyone gladly took part.

Key #3.  How is it to be done?

                This has a fine line that a good leader does not wish to cross.  It is good to train and instruct people on how they are expected to do their jobs, however, you never want to micro manage your workers.  I believe that if you can help people understand the "why" a task needs to be done, they will find the best "how" to do it.  People work differently and you should allow them to do things their way, provided the end result is what is expected from them.

Key #4.  Who should be doing the job?

                A good worker will not appreciate going to do a job and find that someone else has already done it.  When you delegate a task, be sure to give it to one person or one team and make it clear to all whose responsibility it is.  It is also important that you give tasks to those whose strengths will do the best work.  Never set a person or a team up to fail, always be sure that you are getting the most from people because they have the most to give.

                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