MY TEN COMMANDMENTS by AChuckAllen
Okay, I thought I would finish my second 5 of MY Ten Commandments and couldn’t resist one more Charlton Heston pic. When I posted two days ago the first half of MY 10 Commandments, I received a good deal of interest in this concept. If you haven’t read that article, you can read it HERE.
In that article, I give credit to this concept to author and research genius, Gretchen Ruben. You can read about her “Happiness Project” HERE.
Here are Tuesday’s first 5 of MY 10 Commandments:
- Be the Real Chuck. There is such peace and freedom once you determine that you have been created to be you. To be the very best you. The Divine made no mistakes when He crafted the real you. The only one worthy of your total dedication and emulation is Jesus Himself. Go ahead and be the very, very best you!
- Never Stop Learning. I know so many folks that parked their brains on the sidewalk of age, lazy minds and excuses. There is always something to learn, even if it’s what not to do! Once you surrender your willingness to learn, you’ve surrendered your right to lead.
- Choose Gratitude over Desire Every Single Day. I am the kind of person that can be so driven to achieve and win that I can completely forget how much the Lord has already handed to me. When we choose gratitude, our attitudes reflect joy and peace. When we are chasing the next great “thing,” we tend to abuse relationships and make selfish choices.
- Remember that I am Here to Serve, Not to be Served. Nobody wants to follow an egocentric, crazed, power-hungry pastor that thinks they have arrived. I’ve been that guy – WHAT A JERK!
- Meditate Daily – No Really, Meditate Daily! Nothing has changed the trajectory of my life – IN EVERY FACET OF MY LIFE – like prioritizing a time of Daily Meditation. For me, that includes the following, in this order:
Gratitude – Scripture Reading – Study – Write a Declaration for Your Day – Pray – Listen.
Here are today’s second 5 of MY 10 Commandments:
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Instigate Better in myself and those I live and serve beside. There is a drive that we all have within us. That drive is that we might be better tomorrow. That our relationships, skills, leadership, and love are better tomorrow. This instigation wells up within our souls and we choose to activate it or not. Let’s do this!
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Read, Study and Live More in the Gospels. If I could replay my life, I would read, study and seek to understand the story of Jesus with reckless abandon. I am more than confident that within the four books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are the answers to life. Big answers and little answers. Social, spiritual and emotional answers. Answers that do not conflict logic or science, but rather support them. I still have time.
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Learn to liberally use the word’s I’m sorry and I was wrong. This life is far too short to spend it proving you are right when seeking to make it right is the key. When we keep the perspective of serving and loving others in the model of Jesus, it shouldn’t be that hard. I’ve got a long way to go on this one.
- Stop and Listen. What is the most undisciplined part of my life and leadership? Listening. The Divine gave us two ears and one mouth. You’d think I would understand that by now – nope!
- Park My Ego and Assumptions at the Front Door. I am a pride-filled person. I say that with great regret. I have an ego that can run off the map, where the dragons live. The biggest stumbling block in my life is me. My pride isn’t founded on achieving some great feat, but rather in some self-deception that I am something more than I really am. At the end of the day, I am a shepherd, and I am just now discovering the joy that comes when shepherding is a full-time effort. And my assumptions are almost always from a negative perspective. When we park our assumptions or simply let them go, we might even discover that we are wrong far too often. It also opens our lives up to the fruits of the Spirit shaping and framing our lives.
Seek Peace Today,
AChuck