Connection Central

Do This And Add Something

Get everyone in a circle. One person starts off by performing an action (e.g. scratching his head). The person on his right must then repeat it and add another action. The game goes on with each having to repeat all the previous actions in order, then adding one. If a player misses an action or gets fouled up, he is out. You can go as many rounds as you want.

by Chip Lutz

When life is complete, what is the legacy you want to leave behind? One of policy, plans, procedures and rules? Or, do you want to leave a legacy that represents your true self? If your answer is the latter, then read on. At home, work, or play - if you want to leave a legacy that is of true value and that continues to be shared, then the answer is to tithe with others. I am not talking about giving 10% more than what you are giving right now. I am referring to sharing the 10% of yourself that makes you special. When we share our inner 10% with others, we pass that piece of ourselves on and can help others grow, develop, or move past a difficult time in their life. All the success I have ever enjoyed has been the result of another’s tithe in me - all ordinary people who became extraordinary because they took the time to invest the 10% that was personal, insightful, and sometimes painful (to share and to hear). Step up and start tithing today by being mindful of these principles.

Reflect
Having a PhD, tons of money, or a title is great, but the only requirement for you to tithe is having a willing spirit and a reflective mind. To be in that reflective state-of-mind when encountering issues, ask yourself: How can I help? What part of “me” can be of benefit to this person? Your tithe could come in the form of a personal story, an experience, a triumph, or even a tribulation. Regardless of its origin, it matters because it is a part of you. With a tithe, sometimes the smallest things have the largest impact. Always remember that each of us is special and each has something to tithe.

Remove Distractions
We live in a busy world - cell phones, WiFi, and the continual bombardment of information can leave people so stressed they feel like they are diagonally parked in a parallel universe! To tithe, we need to take the time to connect on a human level - to get away from the distractions and meet others with warm eyes and an open heart. Only 7% of the words we use are important. The other 93% of a conversation comes from our body language, facial expressions, and how active we are in our ability to listen. Tithing can be as simple as turning off the cell phone, lending an ear, and just “being there.”

Risk
Is there an element of risk in tithing? The answer is yes. There is the risk of your tithe being unwanted. There is the risk of your tithe falling on “deaf” ears. There may also be the risk of being hurt. The hardest part of tithing is making that first investment. No great thing was ever accomplished without battling with that element of risk. In life, there are people that do and people that wish they had done. Wouldn’t you rather step out, take the risk of rejection and/or hurt and be of benefit to another than to have “wished” you had done something after the fact? I think the answer is clear - we should step up, step out, invest ourselves and take the risk.

Tithing is personal. It is a personal investment of your best 10% in others that goes beyond the boundaries of mentorship and coaching. It’s about a covenant that we build with others in an attempt to make meaning of our experiences and provide value to others as we run the race of life. The tithe that we share lives on in those we invest in and, chances are, it will become part of their tithe in others. It’s not a lot, it’s only 10% - but that small investment will give returns that are much greater than we could ever expect. Don’t hesitate, now is the time to reach out, connect, inspire, and make your investment in others through tithing. Now is also the time to thank those who have shared their tithes with you!

Chip Lutz is a professional speaker, trainer, and retired Navy Officer with 22 years leadership experience. He served as Commanding Officer of two separate Navy Facilities and was the Director of Security for Naval District Washington, DC, during September 11th, 2001.

The date was July 16, 2008. It was late in the afternoon and I was sitting in my hotel room in Louisville, Kentucky. I was scheduled to speak that evening for the Kentucky Association of School Administrators (KASA). I was a little "down in the dumps." I hadn't gotten to exercise lately because of my traveling schedule and recently I'd experienced some mild bouts of vertigo (that inner ear condition that can cause the room to start spinning.) You got it...speaking and "spinning" are not good partners!

My keynote presentation was scheduled for 7:00 PM, but I had been invited to show up at 6:00 to see a performance they said I'd enjoy. Little did I know that I was about to see something I would never forget.

They introduced the young musician. Welcome...Mr. Patrick Henry Hughes. He was rolled onto the stage in his wheelchair, and began to play the piano. His fingers danced across the keys as he made beautiful music.

He then began to sing as he played, and it was even more beautiful. For some reason, however, I knew that I was seeing something special. There was this aura about him that I really can't explain and the smile...his smile was magic!

About ten minutes into Patrick's performance, someone came on the stage and said..."I'd like to share a 7-minute video titled, The Patrick Henry Hughes story." And the lights went dim.

Patrick Henry Hughes was born with no eyes, and a tightening of the joints which left him crippled for life. However, as a child, he was fitted with artificial eyes and placed in a wheelchair. Before his first birthday, he discovered the piano. His mom said, "I could hit any note on the piano, and within one or two tries, he'd get it." By his second birthday, he was playing requests (You Are My Sunshine, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star). His father was ecstatic. "We might not play baseball, but we can play music together."

Today, Patrick is a junior at the University of Louisville. His father attends classes with him and he's made nearly all A's, with the exception of 3 B's He's also a part of the 214 member marching band. You read it right...the marching band! He's a blind, wheelchair-bound trumpet player; and he and his father do it together. They attend all the band practices and the half-time performance in front of thousands. His father rolls and rotates his son around the field to the cheers of Patrick's fans. In order to attend Patrick's classes and every band practice, his father works the graveyard shift at UPS. Patrick said..."My dad's my hero."

But even more than his unbelievable musical talent, it was Patrick's "attitude of gratitude" that touched my soul. On stage, between songs, he would talk to the audience about his life and about how blessed he was. He said, "God made me blind and unable to walk. BIG DEAL! He gave me the ability...the musical gifts I have...the great opportunity to meet new people."

When his performance was over, Patrick and his father were on the stage together. The crowd rose to their feet and cheered for over five minutes. It gave me giant goose bumps!

My life was ready to meet Patrick Henry Hughes. I needed a hero, and I found one for the ages. If I live to be a hundred, I'll never forget that night, that smile, that music, but most importantly, that wonderful "attitude of gratitude."

I returned to Chicago and shared Patrick's story with my wife, my friends, and our team at Simple Truths. About two weeks later, I received a letter from a friend. He said, "Mac, I don't know who said it, but I think you'll love this quote."


I thought...that's it! We all face adversity in our life. However, it's not the adversity, but how we react to it that will determine the joy and happiness in our life. During tough times, do we spend too much time feeling sorry for ourselves, or, can we, with gratitude...learn how to dance in the rain?

It almost sounds too simple to feel important, but one word...gratitude, can change your attitude, thus, your life, forever. Sarah Breathnack said it best...

"When we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present....we experience heaven on earth."

This is the introduction to the book, Learning to Dance in the Rain...The Power of Gratitude by Mac Anderson and BJ Gallagher.
Click here to learn more about Learning to Dance in the Rain.

Trying to Get Home

Participants stand behind their chair. Every time a player can answer 'yes' to a statement he/she may move to the chair on their left. If they must answer 'no', they stay where they are. (This is fun because people sometimes must stand 3 or 4 in a line before some can move on.) Try statements like these: You have granddaughters. You have tomatoes in your garden. You are retired. You have a blue vehicle. You were born in another state. The first person back to their chair wins.

by Dr. John C. Maxwell

Most of us never see our dreams come true. Instead of soaring through the clouds, our dreams languish like a broken-down airplane confined to its hangar. Through life, I have come to identify five common reasons why dreams don't take flight.

#1 We Have Been Discouraged from Dreaming by Others

We have to pilot our own dreams; we cannot entrust them to anyone else. People who aren't following their own dreams resent us pursuing ours. Such people feel inadequate when we succeed, so they try to drag us down.

If we listen to external voices, then we allow our dreams to be hijacked. At some point, other people will place limitations on us by doubting our abilities. When surrounded by the turbulence of criticism, we have to grasp the controls tightly to keep from being knocked off course.

#2 We Are Hindered by Past Disappointments and Hurts

In the movie Top Gun, Tom Cruise plays Maverick, a young, talented, and cocky aviator who dreams of being the premier pilot in the U.S. navy. In the film's opening scenes, Maverick showcases his flying ability but also displays a knack for pushing the envelope with regards to safety. Midway through the movie, Maverick's characteristic aggression spells disaster. His plane crashes, killing his best friend and co-pilot.

Although cleared of wrongdoing, the painful memory of the accident haunts Maverick. He quits taking risks and loses his edge. Struggling to regain his poise, he considers giving up on his dream. Although the incident nearly wrecks Maverick's career, he eventually reaches within to find the strength to return to the sky.

Like Maverick, many of us live with the memory of failure embedded in our psyche. Perhaps a business we started went broke, or we were fired from a position of leadership. Disappointment is the gap that exists between expectation and reality, and all of us have encountered that gap. Failure is a necessary and natural part of life, but if we're going to attain our dreams, then, like Maverick, we have to summon the courage deal with past hurts.

#3 We Fall into the Habit of Settling for Average

Average is the norm for a reason. Being exceptional demands extra effort, sustained inspiration, and uncommon discipline. When we attempt to give flight to our dreams, we have to overcome the weight of opposition. Like gravity, life's circumstances constantly pull on our dreams, tugging us down to mediocrity.

Most of us don't pay the price to overcome the opposition to our dreams. We may start out inspired, but through time we fatigue. Although never intending to abandon our dreams, we begin to make concessions here and there. Through time, our lives become mundane, and our dreams slip away.

#4 We Lack the Confidence Needed to Pursue Our Dreams

Dreams are fragile. They will be buffeted by assaults from all sides. As such, they must be supplied with the extra strength of self-confidence.

In Amelia Earhart's day, women were not supposed fly airplanes. If she had lacked self-assurance, she never would have even attempted to be a pilot. Instead, Earhart confidently chased after her dream, and she was rewarded with both fulfillment and fame.

#5 We Lack the Imagination to Dream

For thousands of years, mankind traveled along the ground: by foot, by horse-and-buggy, by locomotive, and eventually by automobile. Thanks to the dreams of Orville and Wilbur Wright, we now hop across oceans in a matter of hours. The imaginative brothers overcame ridicule and doubt to pioneer human flight, and the world has never been the same.

Many of us play small because we do not allow ourselves to dream. We trap ourselves in reality and never dare to go beyond what we can see with our eyes. Imagination lifts us beyond average by giving us a vision of life that surpasses what we are experiencing currently. Dreams infuse our spirit with energy and spur us on to greatness.



John C. Maxwell is an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, and author who has sold over 16 million books. His organizations have trained more than 2 million leaders worldwide. Dr. Maxwell is the founder of EQUIP and INJOY Stewardship Services. Every year he speaks to Fortune 500 companies, international government leaders, and audiences as diverse as the United States Military Academy at West Point, the National Football League, and ambassadors at the United Nations. A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Business Week best-selling author, Maxwell was named the World's Top Leadership Guru by Leadershipgurus.net. He was also one of only 25 authors and artists named to Amazon.com's 10th Anniversary Hall of Fame. Three of his books, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Developing the Leader Within You, and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader have each sold over a million copies.Printed from the GiANT Impact website (www.giantimpact.com).

Delivered from the Power of Death, Sin, and Slavery into Life, Righteousness, and Freedom

We proclaim the Passover blessing! The blood of the Lamb is shed for our households. Household salvation is our decree. You have delivered us from the power of death, sin, and the grave. We are free to serve the Lord our God. We draw near to You and you draw near to us. We resist the Devil and he flees. Never again are we bound to serve sin. You brought us out by a mighty hand. Satan has no more power over me. Addictions and generational curses are broken by the blood of the Lamb. The sentence of death is removed and the penalty of sin is paid. The blood has washed me whiter than snow. I praise you for parting the sea and making a way to escape. You have drowned the enemy who pursues me in the Sea. I will fear no evil, for you are with me. No weapon formed against me shall prosper. The valley of Death is no match for the Path of Life. The road of sin is no match for the Highway of holiness. Death is overcome through Life. Oh Death, where is thy sting? O Grave, where is thy victory? Death is swallowed up in Victory. Thanks be to God who gives us the Victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Greater is the righteousness of God in me! Greater is the Life of God in me! Greater is Christ in me! Praise you Jesus, my hope of Glory! Praise you Lord for Your mercy endures forever! Praise you Jesus for the Power of Your Blood!



Delivered to His Presence, Protection, and Health

We proclaim the Passover blessing! You brought us out with a strong arm and a mighty hand. You brought us out and there was none feeble among us. You promise to bless our food and our water and heal all our disease. No disease from our former lives of bondage will come upon us. You sent your word to heal our diseases. You cover us with the cloud of Your Presence by day and the fire of Your Presence by night. You surround us as a shield. You go before us, stand beside us, and guard us from behind. No evil shall come near our dwelling place. We dwell under the shadow of your wing. Yes, oh God, our God, you are our sun and shield. Our light breaks forth like the morning. Our healing springs forth suddenly. Our Righteousness goes before us and the Glory of the Lord is our rearguard. We call to You and You answer us quickly. You hear our prayers, see our tears, and heal us! You guide us continually and satisfy our souls in drought. You strengthen our bones and we are a well- watered garden. You give grace and glory. No good thing will you withhold from those who walk with you. Bless the Lord oh my soul! And all that is in me, Bless your Holy Name! You forgive all iniquities, heal all diseases, redeem my life from destruction and crown me with loving kindness. Bless the Lord, O my soul! You are God Almighty!



Delivered from poverty, loss, hunger, and thirst

We declare our Passover blessing! You brought us forth with silver and gold. You daily load us with Your benefits. Our daily bread is provided and blessed. Our thirst is satisfied with water from the Rock, Christ Jesus. We are free from the curse of poverty and lack through the blood of your Passover Lamb. Your desire is that we prosper and be in health as our souls prosper in you. You have promised good success in everything we put our hand to do. You give us the land of our enemies. Yes, the vineyards, fields, cities and houses we did not build or plant are given to us. You have given us the power to get wealth to establish your covenant forever. We are blessed coming and going, sitting and rising, in field and city. The blessing of the Lord makes us rich and adds no sorrow with it. You make us trees planted by the rivers of water. Our leaves do not wither, our fruit is abundant and whatever we do prospers! Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not all His benefits. Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever. Worthy is the Lamb to receive glory and honor, power and strength.

Pocket Pow-Wow

Participants must produce one object from their pocket (purse, wallet or body, ie. jewelry, belt, etc.) that has meaning for them and explain it's significance to the group.