As I was reading my Bible during my “quiet time” this morning and praying and meditating on the Word of God, a thought flashed across my mind that I want to share with you.

There were many different reasons I started this Blog site together with my website.  A few of the many reasons were to teach, train, equip, and educate people.  I planned to do this by sharing and passing on my experience, understanding, and knowledge to other folks who have not yet taken the time or put in the time to have acquired this wisdom by themselves in their own minds.  My purpose is not to short-cut the learning process, but merely to speed up your learning and understanding so as to enable you to move forward sooner rather than later.  Knowledge is indeed power.

Knowledge is a wonderful thing to possess.  Knowledge is a very great thing to have available in your mind for use and assistance as you go about the living of your life.  Knowledge, combined with creative thought and meditation, gives you additional power to use as you carry on toward the completion of any of your own given projects or purposes.  Focused  and sustained thought on any particular seriously desired thing is the stuff that makes for the successful completion of a given task or desired result!

Self-discipline must come into play if any person is to be able to sustain and focus their thoughts on a desired result or purpose for his or her life.

The big problem to all of this discussion is getting a human being to focus and sustain their thoughts on any given subject for any extended period of time.

Let me explain using an all-too-common occurrence in the average person’s life…..How many times have you been in your bedroom or bathroom or some other room and remembered that you needed something immediately that you knew was in a cupboard or drawer or shelf in the kitchen.  You stopped doing whatever it was that you were doing when the original thought flashed across your mind and immediately marched out to the not-too-far-away-kitchen, only to get there and not be able to remember what it was that you had come to the kitchen to retrieve.

I call this activity…wandering around…It is such a waste of valuable time.  It causes heartburn, distress, and sometimes even anger.  All of these things are really not good for your health and particularly not good for your relationships.

My point is simply that it takes self-discipline on your part to sustain your mental focus.  Mental focus is an absolute requirement to remembering things.  This is particularly true whenever you are trying to remember some type of knowledge, information, or wisdom that you could use to resolve an issue or solve a problem that exists in your life.

A person’s most valuable asset is their name.  It would so disgust my Dad ( I called him Pappy) whenever a person, including any member of his family, would utter or even whisper that they had trouble remembering things, particularly people’s names.  He would always say to me.  “You have trouble remembering because you don’t pay close enough attention!”…or… “Listen carefully whenever you are introduced to a new person.  Hear their name. Make certain you hear it correctly.  Then repeat their name silently in your mind three times before making any other comments or having any new thoughts.”  In other words, focus your mind on that which you want to remember.

You see, Pappy, was way ahead of his time.  He well understood that the human mind is not capable of doing two or more things at the same time. Your brain can only do one thing at a time.  Your brain cannot read and listen simultaneously.  Your brain cannot talk and listen both at the same time.  Your brain is incapable of thinking and speaking at the same instant.  Your human brain can only do one thing at a time!

Memory problems come into play whenever a person is busy thinking up his words or thoughts while he is trying to listen to the name of the person being introduced to him….he is trying to do what his brain will not allow him to do.  Consequently because of human nature or selfishness of the flesh he completely misses the other person’s name or misses hearing the message that other person just finished speaking.  Hello…you can not remember that other person’s most valuable asset, his name.  That is known as a  Social Faux pas ….Egg on face…. …Embarrassment!…all of which could have been avoided, had you focused your attention on the new person’s name at the time of introduction. 

Now listen  carefully…All could have been avoided without embarrassment, without hurt feelings or loss of respect…if…you would have listened more carefully,… more closely while the other person was talking or communicating to you!  Do you hear my Pappy’s words ringing in your ears?…. “You have trouble remembering because you don’t pay close enough attention!”

Allow me to share with you another life lesson given to me by my Dad as regards learning important things from the experience and knowledge of other people.  Pappy would always say… “Buckshot (that is what he called me), it is far less painful for you,… if you learn from somebody else’s broken nose.”  He went onto to teach me that whenever I had a chance to get around other people who were expert in their field of endeavor, or who knew a whole lot more about a topic of interest than I knew, then I should not pass up the opportunity to learn something from such a person.  I should get around them and I should listen to them!

Pappy would always say,…. “When you listen to a person wiser than yourself, always have a notepad and pen with you.  Take notes….write down what they are teaching you, that you feel is important and may be of value to you sometime either now or in the future.  Buckshot, if you feel some information or knowledge is important or valuable…write it down, so you won’t forget it!” 

His words still ring loudly in my ears more than 60 years after he boldly spoke them to me!

I am forever thankful for my Dad and the positive father-power he poured into me.  I am so very grateful for all of the right and powerful teaching, learning, and preparation for a successful life that both of my parents taught me and my siblings, and exemplified to us all of our growing up years in Boise, Idaho.

Look, Watch, Listen, Read, Study, Improve, Strive for Excellence, and Always Do the Very Best You Are Capable of Doing!  These were the watch words under which I was raised.  Pappy would always say to me…Buckshot…You are a Severn!….Act like it!   You can do better! 

Just remember,…life is hard enough without making it more difficult.  You do the very best you can do to control and prepare yourself by doing the things I have shared with you.  Trust God to handle all of the rest.  

Communication is the key whenever you are working with people. The best of all communicators are the ones who are well read in addition to being well educated.  But even more importantly, the best communicators are always the ones who are the best listeners.

I am unable to help you get in life that which you want,… if… I don’t first listen to you and find out what it is that you truly want!

The Best Leaders are always first, the Best Listeners, the Best Followers, and the Best Edifiers.

The Best Teachers are always first, the Best Students.

God said it most emphatically in His Holy Word, in The Book of Mark, chapter 9, verse 35. NKJV:

(35)  “And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them,’ If anyone
       desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.’ ”

The one of you who is the greatest will always be the one among you who serves, helps, teaches, assists, and equips all of the other people with whom you live, work, play, and associate.

The best way to lead is by your own example.

 

Peace and love to all of you….Poppa Bear