Attitude and Altitude

John C. Maxwell has put forward a brand new book rather than simply updating earlier work, and I am quite a fan of this new book.  How High Will You Climb?  Determine your Success by Cultivating the Right Attitude returns back to his roots as a Christian.  Many of his leadership books espouse his theories or synthesize some other thoughts from other works.  While this book on attitude is a bit of that, much of his work is drawn from teachings of Scripture.  His final chapter – The God Above You – brings it all to conclusion and clearly states that we cannot do anything without Him.  Finally, Maxwell produces a leadership book that speaks at length about our desperate need for a right relation with the Righteous One who redeemed us through His Son.

As the title of the blog reveals, Maxwell argues that our attitude determines our altitude.  If we are positive and examine the world through the lens, then we see opportunities that can be worked through as we climb to the top.  On the other hand, if we examine the world through a negative lens, then we see obstacles that are insurmountable and we stop our efforts.  Page 7 summarizes this quite well:  “my attitude dictates my performance.”

To lay out his argument and present his case, the author has broken the book down into 4 major sections:  consideration of your attitude, construction of your attitude, crashing of your attitude, and changing of your attitude.  The first section is the theoretical foundation upon which all the other pieces are formed.  The second section specifically targets the materials that you need to create and maintain a positive attitude for success.  The third section lists and describes the internal and external fears or events that can destroy a positive attitude.  Finally, the fourth section, puts forward the manners whereby we have the opportunity to make change. 

Unfortunately, many folks are content with the obstacles and never change their attitude.  Why?  The answer is simple – personal comforts are just that…comfortable.  Rather than taking the risk to bring the necessary change, it is simply easier to sit back and do nothing.  Maxwell cites the ever-known “Murphy’s Law” but says it should be replaced with something he calls “Maxwell’s Law:”  nothing is as hard as it looks; everything is more rewarding than you expect; and if anything can go right, it will and at the best possible moment. 

What I appreciate about this book is that it can be read in two ways.  First, you can fly through it in a couple of hours like I did.  Second, you can go through this slowly by completing the “Attitude Application” sections at the end of the chapters.  I will be going back through this book slowly after I finish the study guide to Peter Drucker’s The Effective Executive.

If you have ever read any Maxwell book, you will find that he is highly quotable and makes the complex so simple.  This book is no different in that regard.  Should you buy it?  Yes, but ONLY IF you plan to follow its tenets.  Should you read it?  Yes.  Will it be helpful to you?  Yes. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLookBloggers.com review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Fatherhood: the Fortune or Fault of Families

Bad Dads of the Bible: 8 Mistakes Every Good Dad Can Avoid by Roland Warren is a much needed work in our modern culture.   The family unit instituted by God consists of a man and a woman working in a partnership for the benefit of the children.  Whenever that model is upset, the consequences are rather dire for the family and for society at large. 

Warren opens his book with a compelling introduction that runs the gambit – from those that did not have engaged fathers to those that largely do not have fathers in the home.  Warren, who is African American, cites a statistic on page 20 that is appalling – 1 of out of every 3 children nationally exist in homes without fathers (that figure is 3 out of 5 for the African American community).  He ties that statistic to the implications for society at large – increasing teen pregnancy, lower academic performance, increased crime, and persistent poverty. 

A bigger part of the problem that Warren barely grazed is the responsibility of the church.  Yes, he mentions that he went to churches and implored them to assist in these situations; but a bigger issue can be traced back at least one generation.  The church, by and large, has failed to teach and prepare young men to become fathers.  Thus, when those boys become adults, they may become a biological father but they do not lead as a godly man should.  It becomes easier for them to abdicate to the church their God-ordained responsibility in the home to teach their children the ways of God.  If they have not learned and practices Biblical wisdom, then how could they teach it?

Warren does highlight 8 men of Scripture that were not good fathers.  He shows their mistakes and utilizes an approach that I appreciate.  At the conclusion of each chapter, there is a time of Reflection (think on these things), Correction (change these things) and Connection (do these things).  It is a great way to ensure the chapter is applied rather that just read through hastily.  

The dads and their errors are summarized briefly below:

• ·         David – paralyzed by past mistakes
• ·         Laban – made children compete for his love
• ·         Jacob – ignored a sibling rivalry
• ·         Saul – made it difficult to be honored
• ·         Abraham –abandoned his child
• ·         Eli – failed to discipline his children
• ·        Manoah – failed to tame his child’s desires
• ·         Lot – led his family near temptation

He does conclude the book with some positive steps – the 6 things that must be done in order to be considered a good father.  These ideas are not earth-shattering or rocket science, but he does consider one that is often overlooked:  “good fathers reach out to the fatherless” (185).  The easy example is to think of the men that lost their lives in the Iraqi and Afghan wars.  Real men are needed to reach out to these children in order to help them through their difficult times.  There are tremendous needs across this country, and good fathers need to step up to help rather than ignoring the problem. 

If you know soon-to-be-dads, please get this book and have them read it.  I wish that I would have had this book 7 years ago before my oldest was born.  Clearly, I would have done some things differently. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLookBloggers.com review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Can You Afford Half an Hour?

Tommy Barnett has written another self-help book – just what we need in our world!  Yes, that was oozing with sarcasm; so, if you missed it, go back and reread that opening line.  The Power of Half an Hour is a simplistic book, and the author admits so in the introduction.  Yet, that simplicity is what attracted me to the book.  Far too often, humanity likes to over-complicate the things that are simply crystal clear.

If you choose to tackle this book, I do want to throw out two specific cautions:  (1) heed the advice of the author -- do not “race” through the book but take it one chapter a day for a month by jotting down thoughts; and (2) halt the tendency to move on immediately to the next self-help/leadership book.  Therein is part of our problem!  We move from one book or one fad or one practice to the next without mastering the previous one. 

Barnett’s idea that 30 minutes, if used correctly, can change your life is absolutely correct.  Whether we believe it or not, we are defined by our moments.  The private moments that hardly anyone can see are what shape our lives, character, success, and work.  What he espouses is obviously a Biblical principal:  Ephesians 5:16 says “Making the most of your time because the days are evil” (NASB).    He quotes a man named Harvey Mackay who said it quite well:  “Time is free, but it’s priceless.  You can’t own it, but you can use it.  You can’t keep it, but you can spend it.  Once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back.” (xii)

The book is organized into 30 chapters and is designed to be read inside of 30 minutes; so the author is reinforcing his own premise by design.  Each section has a “Half Hour Power Principle” and the last few pages of the book include a daily personal action plan.  Barnett has established a simple and useable format to assist any and all readers that wish to improve.  Everyone has 30 minutes a day that can be set aside for personal and spiritual development, so we do not have an excuse (unless we admit our laziness).

I encourage you to do what the author says in the “tag” line of the book’s title – take back your life thirty minutes at a time.  You can do it, but the question is:  will you do it?  Life is too short to drift aimlessly.  Take 30 minutes and set the direction with God’s help.

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 25:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.