Excel Still More

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I sometimes get annoyed at things other people do... even though I do them myself.  This is part of life.  The real revelation is when I discover that it was my influence that led to their behavior!  Yes, we all cast a shadow.  It is inevitable and powerful.  You have an impact, an influence, on every person you are around.  Taking ownership of that importance is crucial. But it can be overwhelming to be responsible for how others behave.  Fortunately, there is a secret to that: the Light.  Shadows are what happens when a focused beam of light shines upon a person.  Let's talk about that!  

- How to accept that other's conduct might be the result of your own.

- How to take ownership for influence on other people.

- Why we must mind our shadow and how inevitable our influence is.

- How to cast a more well defined and helpful shadow upon others.

- Why our alignment with the Light of Christ will make all the difference.

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Most of us struggle with overuse of electronic devices.  They are so convenient and address so many issues all in one place.  But most of us also know that such things can become addictive and keep us locked in to them and away from the walk God has planned for us.  But we can't just put the cell phone in the drawer for a month.  We need it everyday to interact with others, conduct business, or find needful things.  However, if we can learn the value of daily intermittent fasting, creating ever increasing pockets of hours away from the device, we will instantly see more meaningful things fill that space and regain control of our time and lives!

- How to assess if you spend too much time on your cell phone or ipad

- Why a 30 Day Fast is beneficial but also may not be reasonable for everyone.

- How the Intermittent eFast approach can be the daily answer for you.

- What are the immediate benefits to ever increasing hours without electronics

- How to walk through a daily with intervals of focus and peace and without the phone

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We all make mistakes.  We do things we wish we did not do.  We say things we wish we had not said.  But do we understand where those issues begin?  It is not about the moment the thing is said or done, it goes back to the very first concession.  Sometime earlier a mental allowance gave the tiniest of inner green lights, leading to poor behavior.  We will look at the "parable of the stove" to understand how this works.  Then, we can optimistically make changes in the way we think, leading to much greater results!

- Understanding why bad decisions get made.

- How to track allowances back to the first concession of the mind

- How to use the "parable of the stove" to understand behavior

- What does the Bible say about the little things we think daily

- How to master our early inner thoughts, and take control of our day

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Did you know that the word "priorities" was rarely known or used before 1940?  It doesn't really makes sense when you think about it.  How can you have most important things?  How can there be multiple things that come first.  By definition, they wouldn't be most important. Instead, people used the word "Priority."  That is, the most important thing.  Everything else, no matter how valuable to you, has to fall under the power and leadership of the one singular priority in your life.  This may sound hard, since many people and things are important to you.  But you can't live your life shuffling the top spot.  Life becomes easier and much more peaceful when you overcome the priorities fallacy and live for just One Thing. 

- How to eliminate the word "priorities"

- How to set a singular "priority" in your life

- Why "priorities" is a fallacy and self-defeating

- Why elevating one thing above another makes life easier

- How putting Jesus first helps you serve family, self and others better

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No matter who you are, there will be stretches when things don't come together.  Streaks get broken.  Outside influences distract.  We don't get the frog eaten.  We don't fulfill our daily highlight.  There is no one great hour.  For some, this means the end.  Great progress is abandoned by "setbacks."  Listen, don't worry about days that don't go well, just start from here.  No matter what is gone wrong or how long it has been since you've had it all together: start from here.  If you have listened to episodes and just haven't gotten off the couch, or started journaling, or engaged with a church: start from here.  We don't look back, we don't lose confidence, we don't measure ourselves against others: we just get up, right now, and go.  No matter how many times we stop or get stopped, our next move, our best move is clear:  Start. From. Here. 

- How to get started again when you've come to a stop

- How to get started when you haven't yet engage

- How to forget past failures and focus on the future

- How to have a "start from here" attitude that is optimistic

- How to apply "start from here" to your walk with Christ.

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Everybody is trying to persuade someone.  In fact, most of us are trying to shape other people's thinking every single day, and in many relationships! And each of us has some skill or two that God gave us to bring other's around to our way of thinking.  However, most of us don't have all three!  I'm talking about the big three Greek words Aristotle introduced in 400BC. When these three ideas:  Pathos, Ethos, Logos, are working together, soft hearts can be shaped and molded to greater godliness.  You can help persuade people to make important changes!  In this episode we will look at each individually and then examine how they work together: The Persuasion Triangle.

- How to persuade people to see things your way

- How to build pathos in your connection with other people

- How to develop ethos in the way other people see you

- How to be influential with your logos, doing the necessary work

- How to use all three of these elements in practical situations

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We all know the importance of daily prayer.  But what are you praying for daily?  Most of us do a great job of praying about our daily bread. That is, daily provisions like health and safety.  But we may be missing some things from "The Lord's Prayer" in Matthew 6.  If we model our prayer after what He taught us, we can keep physical things like daily bread in its proper place, while putting much greater emphasis on our spiritual needs.  This, of course, will have an affect on the entire day: "As goes your prayer life, goes your life."  Maybe if we find the right way to pray for our daily bread, then we will live the right life concerning the daily bread and the greater needs of fellowship with the Bread of Life. 

- How to pray

- How to pray for your daily bread

- How to pray for things more important than daily bread

- How to live your prayers

- How to honor God with your daily prayers and daily living

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You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.  There is power in your relationship with God, and you are hopefully experiencing that every day.  However, God's plans and Christ's power may demand that you ask for help.  There are some things so difficult, so challenging, so transformative, that you simply cannot do it alone.  This is neither a knock against you, or God. This is just an opportunity to embrace the power of teamwork.  By finding an accountability partner, someone who you can trust, someone who can work with you, new heights of change and achievement are within reach!  

- How to admit when it is time to ask for help

- How to get excited about the power of teamwork

- How to set new goals with an accountability partner

- How to find a good accountability partner

- How to get started today to accessing the power of teamwork

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I'm excited to share this!  It really captivates what the Excel Still More journey is all about for me. Firstly, this is about optimism, redemption and hope EVERY single morning!  Every day we are new, God's mercies are new, opportunities refresh and we can make that day great.  You guys know what a great week is, right?  It's seven great days, each one lived and utilized to the fullest.  You can do this!  To help, we have designed a journal:  The ESM 3-Month Journal.  The second half of the episode walks you through the pieces of the journal and how I have personally used them.  Whether you have the journal or have never heard of it, you will hopefully be encouraged by this potential tool to assist in a morning ritual of prayer, Bible reading and essentialism planning!

- How to enjoy every morning of your life

- How to embrace the mercies of Jesus which are new every morning

- How to find joy in remembering the past but holding zero guilt about it!

- How to use the ESM Journal to set a great day in motion

- How to use the Journal to stay updated on goals throughout the week

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

We should always make the most out of any situation.  If this is where you are now, then make the most out of this.  This applies directly to location.  Wherever you work, work well. Wherever you worship, worship well.  Wherever you life, live well.  With whomever you spend your time, use it well.  And so on.  However, sometimes things aren't going well.  Sometimes things have gotten to a point where they keep you from getting better.  Well, it may be time to ask a tough question: Do I need to move?  Is a change in geography the answer - a fresh start - a new beginning.  This may mean a different job, church, or town. We aren't talking about running away, we are talking about breaking free. 

- How to know when it is time to move

- How to make sure you have done all you can

- How to pray your way to big changes

- How to get past the shackles of "the comfort zone"

- How to consider others before doing something major