I dedicate myself to ...

Accomplishing a goal or succeeding in an endeavor depends on the amount of passion we have towards that goal or endeavor. That passion creates the dedication to the cause which produces the attitude to never quit. Wow that was an easy recipe for success. The greatest challenge in many cases is the dedication. It is the piece that puts the passion into action, that drives the attitude when it waivers.

Definition of DEDICATION

: an act or rite of dedicating to a divine being or to a sacred use

: a devoting or setting aside for a particular purpose

: self-sacrificing devotion

The definition of dedication is daunting. From the reference to divine & sacred to the use of the words self sacrificing devotion.

• Noah was dedicated to pleasing God & saving his family

• Jesus dedicated himself to all of God's children by giving the ultimate self sacrifice. 
• Could Stephen have saved himself from the fatal stoning he endured? His dedication to God wouldn't allow him to do anything contrary to that devotion. 
• Gandhi's remarkable dedication to peace has been an inspiration worldwide. 
• Nelson Mandela's dedication to justice for his people led to the strength to endure many years of prison and the courage to lead in the face of adversity. 
• Martin Luther King's dedication to God and that we are all created equally and children of God, gave him the courage to persevere through criticism and persecution. 
• Michael Jordan practiced his craft of basketball longer than any of his peers because of his dedication to be the best, fueled by the passion created when he was told he wasn't good enough as a teenager. 
• Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, pioneers of our computer era, had very tough times to begin. But, their dedication to the pursuit of their dreams was paramount in their success. 
• One of my very favorite movies, the Pursuit of Happyness, tells the story of Chris Gardner. A tremendous story of dedication and action. 

• Thousands of salespeople succeed daily because of their dedication to their families and their clients. 
• Thousands of ministers through out the world inspire and serve daily because of their dedication to their God and to their neighbor 

I could go on and on with examples of dedication in our world. Historic, present day, Christian or in business the examples are powerful and show us the importance of dedication.

To test your dedication today, do these 3 things:

1. Look at your calendar or schedule. What is on it? Is it full or blank? If it is full, what is it full with? If it is blank, why? This examination will tell you what in your life you are dedicated to. 
2. Look at your check book and/or bank account. What are you spending your money on? What does your budget look like? Do you stick to a budget? This examination will further tell you what in your life your are dedicated to. 
3. Over the last 30 days, make a list of: People you spent time with, books you read, websites you spent time on, videos you watched. How much time with each? Work related or family? Church related? This examination will tell you what you are dedicated to? 

Our time, our priorities and our money. Those 3 things are what we have control over. We control them based on what we are passionate about, dedicated to and take action on. If you are passionate about your family and their well being; that will be shown, in your schedule, your checkbook and the people, books, websites, videos you spend time with. This can be a gut wrenching exercise, but a very productive one if you do it honestly. After you do this exercise then compare it to what you feel you should be achieving and you may be able to diagnose a problem with some course corrections in the area of dedication and action. We have such great examples of dedication in our history in our lives. Look for them and be one of those examples of dedication for others.

Expect to Win!

--Jim