I read this quote in a Life is Good book once, and it helped change my perspective on life:

“Everything is a once in a life time experience.”

That’s a fact. We may go to the same places and interact with the same people on a consistent basis, but each interaction is a once in a life time experience.

Too often, we look at once in a life time experiences as things we can cross off our bucket list. Visiting a special place, meeting a celebrity, or accomplishing something great. While they are all great experiences, we will be very disappointed if we spend our lives only looking forward to “bucket list experiences”.

John Maxwell said, “Everything we do we should approach with a first time, last time mentality.”

Everything we experience we should experience as though it’s the first time we’ve ever done something or met someone, and when we leave, we should walk away as though it’s the last time we’ll ever do that again or spend time with that person.

If you want to start enjoying life more, develop this mentality: Everything is a once in a life time experience. You will become more thankful, more appreciative, and value everything and everyone in your life like you never have before.

The March addition of the Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast was awesome! It was called “Do For One”. This lesson is helping shape the way I do ministry and work with people. I highly recommend clicking the link above and listening to it. Here is the summary of the lesson.

At a conference Andy was doing a Question and Answer and a woman asked this question: “Andy, with everything you have going on, all these goals, all these changes, creating churches, etc. How do you keep your heart from growing cold toward people? Because there are so many people, you can’t pastor all of them, how do you keep your heart soft?”

Andy’s Response:

“Do For One, What You Wish You Could Do For Everyone”

I don’t know about you, but I love people. I want to make a difference in everybody’s life! However, as I get older and gain more responsibility, I am recognizing that I can’t make a difference (the way I’d like to) in everybody’s life. I don’t have the time, energy, or resources.

When I heard that phrase from Andy, it set me free. I wish I could do for everyone what I can do for a few, but I can’t. But I realized that I can do for a few what I wish I could do for everyone.

So from now on, I’m going to do for a few, what I wish I could do for everyone. Then I am going to train my leaders and people around me to do the same. If we all do for one what we wish we could do for everyone, we will change the world.

Who is going to be your one today? This week? This month?

Go do for them today, what you wish you could do for everyone!

Thoughts?

I’m reading the 4-Hour Work Week and Tim Ferris ended a chapter with this poem by child psychologist David L. Weatherford. I thought it was great and worth sharing. I think we could all benefit from this if we read it everyday. Enjoy.

Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go round?

Or listened to the rain slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight?

You better slow down, don’t dance so fast.

Time is short. The music won’t last.

Do you run through each day on the fly?

When you ask: How are you? Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done do you lie in your bed

With the next hundred chores running through your head?

You’d better slow down. Don’t dance so fast.

Time is short. The music won’t last.

Ever told your child, we’ll do it tomorrow?

And in your hast, not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch, let a good friendship die?

Cause you never had tie to call and say, “Hi”?

You’d better slow down. Don’t dance so fast.

Time is short. The music won’t last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere, You miss half the fun of getting there

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift thrown away.

Life is not a race. Do take it slower.

Hear the music. Before the song is over.