See You at the Top by Zig Ziglar is a success classic. This was the first book I’ve read by Zig. It was incredible.

This book really helped me realize that so much of my “weaknesses” in life are due to a poor self-image. This book devotes an entire section to building a healthy self-image. That section alone was enough to make this a life changing book for me.

I also really enjoyed the Goal-setting section. It gave me really practical advice on how to set goals and turn them into daily actions.

I would definitely say this is a must read for everyone that is breathing. I hope you’ll read it!

Some Highlights:

• “When you sow an action, you reap a habit; when you sow a habit, you reap a character; and when you sow a character, you reap a destiny.”
• what you get by reaching your destination isn’t nearly as important as what you become by reaching that destination.
• You are the only one who can use your ability. It is an awesome responsibility.
• Once you accept yourself, it will no longer be a matter of life or death for others to accept you. At that point you will not only be accepted, but you will be welcomed wherever you go.
• “A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could.”
• the most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother, and the most important thing a mother can do for her children is to love their father.
• discipline is something you do for a child and not to a child.
• To build your self-image, make a list of your positive qualities on a card and keep it handy for reference. Ask your friends to list the things they like about you and keep that list handy.
• “You are somebody because God doesn’t take time to make a nobody. And once you learn how much you matter to God, you don’t have to go out and show the world how much you matter.”
• no one on the face of this earth can make you feel inferior without your permission,
• One man who earns $100,000 a year could well be judged a failure if he is capable of earning five times that amount.
• Motivation, goal setting, positive thinking, etc., won’t work for you until you accept yourself. You must feel you “deserve” success, happiness, etc., before those things will be yours.
• The starting point for both success and happiness is a healthy self-image.
• You cannot consistently perform in a manner that is inconsistent with the way you see yourself.
• when your image improves, your performance improves.
• any person who does not believe in himself and fully utilize his ability is literally stealing from himself, from his loved ones, and, in the process, because of reduced productivity, he also steals from society.
• you can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.
• The person who knows but won’t use success principles and information is no better off than the person who doesn’t know them.
• learning without action isn’t learning.
• “You are where you are because that’s exactly where you want to be.”
• the price of success is much lower than the price of failure.
• When you choose a habit, you often choose the end result of that habit.
• go as far as you can see, and when you get there you will always be able to see further.
• History proves that if we give our children heroes and moral principles to live up to, they will.
• you don’t pay a price for good health—you enjoy the benefits.
• “Doing your best is more important than being the best.”
• there’s no such thing as a lazy person; he’s either sick or uninspired.
• President Calvin Coolidge wrote, “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not. The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence, determination, and hard work makes the difference.”
• A man or woman is seldom really happy unless he or she is sustaining him or herself and making a contribution to others.

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. -Matthew 7:14

Yesterday I talked about the necessity of boundaries. Today, I want to focus on how I’m implementing them in my life.

Here is the Progression I’ve found of healthy boundaries:

Decide on Your Values -> Set Boundaries -> Get Accountability

Values - the ideal way I want to live a certain area of my life!

Boundaries – What I’m going to establish in my life to make sure that value is carried out. These are uncompromisable!

Accountability - Intentionally putting someone in my life to make sure I’m not just all talk

Example:

Value - I want to be physically fit, look great with my shirt off, and be athletic enough to do what I want.

Boundary - I’m going to work out for an hour a day, 6 days a week. I’ll also only consume between 2,000-2,500 calories per day, while maintaining a healthy diet.

Accountability - Me and a friend check in with each other at least once or twice a week to make sure we’re on track. I also record calories in an app so I can show anyone at anytime what I’ve been eating.

I’ve gone through this process in every area of my life:

1. Personal Growth
2. Spiritual
3. Family
4. Career
5. Physical Fitness
6. Financial
7. Social

I encourage you to take these 7 areas in your life, decide what you want your values to be in those areas, set-up boundaries, and meet with someone to look over your list with you. Have them make sure it’s sustainable, and have them hold you to it.

It will be a pain in the butt for a while, but after a few months, you’ll see changes start to take place, your life will seem more balanced, you’ll be getting more done, and most important, getting the results you want in life!

Thoughts?

Then fourteen years later I went back to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabas; and Titus came along, too. ² I went there because God revealed to me that I should go. -Galatians 2:1-2

I was in a Q and A session with Keith Moore, and my friend and I asked him how he stays fresh spiritually while on the road preaching all the time. He said, “I don’t do anything the Lord didn’t tell me to do.”

“If You want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.”

He went on to say that when he meets with Pastors who are “burning out or don’t have peace” he tells them to make a list of everything they’re doing in their lives at that time. Then go down the list and ask themselves, “Ok, when did God speak to my heart to do that?” He said if you can’t figure out a specific time when you KNOW God told you to do that, you should quit doing it.

If you know me, you know that I love setting goals, making bucket lists, life plans, etc. But what I’m realizing with all of those is that they’re mostly my plans for my life.

Psalm 127:1 says, “Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it“. I heard someone say they were going to write a book called, “How to miss God and be Miserable!” While that’s funny, it’s so true.

If you’re doing a bunch of things God never told you to do, I promise, you’ll be miserable and you’ll never get the results you’re looking for.

If you’re lacking peace in your life and are miserable more than you’re joyful, you should ask yourself the question, “What am I doing and When did God tell me to do that?”

Then comes the hard part… actually obeying God and quit doing the things He never told you to do. But that’s another blog post for another day.

Thoughts?