When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
The 14th Dalai Lama
What a powerful thought. So often when we lose we get all wrapped up in why we lost or what we could have done differently. At times we wallow in the misery of our loss. The loss could be anything: a romantic relationship, the loss of a job, an investment, a cherished relative or some material possession. But we often try to hold on to the memory of what was - we become attached to what we wanted to happen.
“Souls don’t grow in the sunshine.” Fred Dent, former Commissioner of Financial Institutions, State of Louisiana.
That statement is so true. Our purpose in life is to learn and grow. But we rarely learn from our successes. More often, we learn from our failures. Our greatest potential for growth comes from our darkest hours. But unless we are open to learning from our losses, unless we actively seek “not to lose the lesson”, we will not learn.
Stop and think about any recent losses you may have encountered. Search the loss for the lesson it contains. There is always a lesson. It may be difficult to see when we are distraught by the loss.
To suffer a loss is bad enough. To fail to learn from the loss is a double tragedy.
John Chancellor
www.teachthesoul.com
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Monday, July 23, 2007
John Newton
The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white.
Neither need you do anything but be yourself.
Lao-tzu
c. 604 B.C. – c. 531 B.C.
John was born in London in 1725. His father was the commander of a merchant ship that sailed the Mediterranean and as was the custom in those days, John was destined to follow his father’s trade. When he was only 11 years old, John made his first voyage with his father. He actually spent most is his teenage years at sea, making five additional voyages with his father.
John’s mother had a strong religious influence on him but she died while he was still a child. And the older John got, the more he moved away from his religious upbringing.
At the age of 19, John was impressed (forced) into service aboard the H.M.S. Harwich. The conditions were nothing like his father’s ship. They were so horrible that he deserted. He was soon captured, publicly flogged and demoted to common seaman. To avoid going back to the Royal Navy, John requested that he be exchanged into the slave trade.
John became the servant to a slave trader but that turned out to be equally unpleasant for he was brutally abused. Fortunately, a sea captain who had known his father, learned of his plight, rescued him and eventually helped John get his own ship.
In those times, life onboard a slave trade ship was very harsh. Exposed to such primitive conditions and away from civilized behavior certainly contributed to John abandoning all religious convictions. He not only abandoned his religion he actively encouraged others to do the same.
In May 1748 while on the homeward bound journey aboard his ship, Greyhound, they encountered a very severe storm. One crew member was washed overboard. The ship was taking on water and all aboard feared they were doomed. At first John was convinced that he had sinned too much to even ask for forgiveness. Yet as the storm raged on and facing what he thought was a certain death, he at last clung to the Scriptures that taught about God’s grace toward sinners. John prayed aloud, “Lord, have mercy on us.” For the rest of his life he referred to this as his great deliverance.
Eventually he retired from the slave trade and later went on to become a minister, assigned to the church in Olney, England. While there, he met the poet William Cowper. One of their goals was to write a new hymn each week. They collaborated on several editions of Olney Hymns, many of which achieved lasting popularity.
Like all sea captains, he kept a journal. Concerning the May 1748 experience, he recorded, “thro’ many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ‘tis grace has bro’t me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.” As he was later to recall it, this was “the hour he first believed.”
You may not know John Newton by his name, but you certainly know him by his music. And now when you sing or hear the stirring words of Amazing Grace you will understand why it is so moving. It was written from the heart. It is the true story of John Newton who considered himself a wretched sinner, yet through God’s grace was saved.
Whenever you are communicating with anyone remember the lesson of John Newton. If you want your words to touch someone and make a lasting impression, speak from the heart. Less than 10% of your communication involves the actual words you use. So much of any message is the feeling that is conveyed. If you speak and write from the heart, your message will be conveyed with feeling.
People go along with a person who believes in what they say. Put some energy and enthusiasm in what you say and say it from the heart. Over the years, I have observed salespeople, teachers and clergy. The major difference between the successful and the less effective is the enthusiasm the successful have for what they are doing. It does not matter how eloquent the words, if they are delivered without enthusiasm, they are probably not heard. And if a person does not hear you, you have wasted your words.
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
1803-1852
Copyright © John Chancellor 2006
Neither need you do anything but be yourself.
Lao-tzu
c. 604 B.C. – c. 531 B.C.
John was born in London in 1725. His father was the commander of a merchant ship that sailed the Mediterranean and as was the custom in those days, John was destined to follow his father’s trade. When he was only 11 years old, John made his first voyage with his father. He actually spent most is his teenage years at sea, making five additional voyages with his father.
John’s mother had a strong religious influence on him but she died while he was still a child. And the older John got, the more he moved away from his religious upbringing.
At the age of 19, John was impressed (forced) into service aboard the H.M.S. Harwich. The conditions were nothing like his father’s ship. They were so horrible that he deserted. He was soon captured, publicly flogged and demoted to common seaman. To avoid going back to the Royal Navy, John requested that he be exchanged into the slave trade.
John became the servant to a slave trader but that turned out to be equally unpleasant for he was brutally abused. Fortunately, a sea captain who had known his father, learned of his plight, rescued him and eventually helped John get his own ship.
In those times, life onboard a slave trade ship was very harsh. Exposed to such primitive conditions and away from civilized behavior certainly contributed to John abandoning all religious convictions. He not only abandoned his religion he actively encouraged others to do the same.
In May 1748 while on the homeward bound journey aboard his ship, Greyhound, they encountered a very severe storm. One crew member was washed overboard. The ship was taking on water and all aboard feared they were doomed. At first John was convinced that he had sinned too much to even ask for forgiveness. Yet as the storm raged on and facing what he thought was a certain death, he at last clung to the Scriptures that taught about God’s grace toward sinners. John prayed aloud, “Lord, have mercy on us.” For the rest of his life he referred to this as his great deliverance.
Eventually he retired from the slave trade and later went on to become a minister, assigned to the church in Olney, England. While there, he met the poet William Cowper. One of their goals was to write a new hymn each week. They collaborated on several editions of Olney Hymns, many of which achieved lasting popularity.
Like all sea captains, he kept a journal. Concerning the May 1748 experience, he recorded, “thro’ many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ‘tis grace has bro’t me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.” As he was later to recall it, this was “the hour he first believed.”
You may not know John Newton by his name, but you certainly know him by his music. And now when you sing or hear the stirring words of Amazing Grace you will understand why it is so moving. It was written from the heart. It is the true story of John Newton who considered himself a wretched sinner, yet through God’s grace was saved.
Whenever you are communicating with anyone remember the lesson of John Newton. If you want your words to touch someone and make a lasting impression, speak from the heart. Less than 10% of your communication involves the actual words you use. So much of any message is the feeling that is conveyed. If you speak and write from the heart, your message will be conveyed with feeling.
People go along with a person who believes in what they say. Put some energy and enthusiasm in what you say and say it from the heart. Over the years, I have observed salespeople, teachers and clergy. The major difference between the successful and the less effective is the enthusiasm the successful have for what they are doing. It does not matter how eloquent the words, if they are delivered without enthusiasm, they are probably not heard. And if a person does not hear you, you have wasted your words.
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
1803-1852
Copyright © John Chancellor 2006
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