Thoughts Worth Thinking with Joshua M. Hood

I had the privilege recently to be with 1500 extremely successful business people for four days. It was fascinating to observe them, and I noticed several things almost all of them seemed to have in common.

Upon further reflection, I realized all the other successful people I knew seemed to have these traits as well. As with any rule, there are exceptions, but for the most part people who achieve a lot in life seem to do several things:

1. They are very prompt and show up early to things. – Not a single person that I saw was ever late to anything. In fact, they always arrived early.
2. They take care of their bodies. – Again, there are exceptions, but I have met few people who were good stewards in every area of their life except physically. Usually it carries over. Likewise, I know few people who keep themselves in great shape and are disciplined physically, but undisciplined in every other area of their life.
3. They read historical nonfiction, especially biographies. – I had the privilege of listening to some of the greatest business and leadership minds in the world today; people like former President George W. Bush, Jim Collins, Patrick Lencioni, Dr. Henry Cloud, Seth Godin, etc. They all constantly reference history, especially biographies they have read or are reading. If you’re looking for some great historical works to add to your shelf, I highly recommend:
   1. “Alexander Hamilton” by Rob Chernow
   2. “Benjamin Franklin: An American Life” by Walter Isaacson
   3. “Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson and the opening of the American West” by Stephen Ambrose
4. They are very intentional about everything. – This is the common theme I saw. Whether it was health, money, business, reading, learning, etc... they are intentional about everything. There is no laziness, no haphazard stumbling through life; they do everything on purpose. There is clear intention, motivation, and values behind everything they do.
5. They are positive. – Successful people aren’t the ones who constantly make excuses, complain about everything, and drown themselves in pessimism. They have a joyful energy and outlook about them. They see the best in things. Are they realists? Absolutely. Do they ignore the challenges and difficulties? Of course not. But they are victors, not victims. Among their ranks, you will not find the victim mentality that cripples so many.
6. They start each day with quiet time. – I was blown away at how many of them intentionally set aside time early each morning to pray, read the Bible, meditate, read, and think. They do it consistently, intentionally (see #4), and it is a high priority for them.
7. They are early risers. – I’m not sure what the connection is between getting up early and being successful, but it definitely exists. It probably goes back to discipline. (I use an app called Nightstand to wake me up early each morning.)
8. They love to learn. – They are never satisfied and content. They hunger and thirst for wisdom. They love to read, listen, learn, and grow. They are passionate about it.

Do you have these eight traits in your life? Which ones do you need to work on the most?

There is a “do” behind every “don’t”. If we’re not careful, we’ll spend our whole lives trying not to do the wrong things, instead of doing the right things.

Show Notes:

• “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Martin Luther King Jr.
• As Christians, sadly, we are often known more for what we are against than what we are for.
• So many sermons do nothing but bemoan the darkness...
• Behind every “don’t” is a “do”. Find the positive command and pursue it.
• Sermon by G.W. Hood: “Stop complaining about the cold and throw a log on the fire.”
• Negative commands cause paralysis and fear. Positive commands yield the best results
• Positive commands are better, because they give us healthy directives and goal oriented focus. Negative commands are usually inferior, because they only tell us what NOT to do.

If we’re not careful, we can spend our whole life trying NOT TO DO THE WRONG things. I want to spend my life doing the right things.

---

I would love to hear your feedback! You can email your questions, comments, ideas to [email protected]

You can also click these links to connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. If you find this content helpful, I would be honored if you would subscribe, rate it on iTunes, and recommend it to your friends and family.

You may need to lose weight or finish your degree, but you need this more. Way more.

In this episode, Josh shares an audio excerpt from his book Blessings in Disguise that describes our most desperate need and how it affects all of life.

Quotes:

“Our greatest blessings are the waves that crash us against the Rock of Ages, the droughts that lead us to the Water of Life, and the wolves that chase us back to the Shepherd.”

“If God is our ultimate good, then the best things are the things that bring us more of Him.”

“We want good qualities in our life. But we don’t want the problems and pain that produce those good qualities.”

“We want to see miracles. But we don’t want to need them.”

“It will only be at the end of the symphony, when the thunderous applause of heaven fills the hall, that we will appreciate the beauty of the music, and the genius of the Conductor.”

You can find out more about Blessings in Disguise and purchase your copy here.

Do we truly love God himself... or is it just all the good things He can do for us that we’re so fond of?

Do we rejoice in God himself... or do we only rejoice in what He’s done?

Have we unintentionally made God a vending machine we run to to get what we want? Or are we in love with Him as our Savior, Lord, and Father?

In this episode I talk about a powerful concept I’ve been learning: that there is a gap between the way we see ourselves, and the way we really are.

Show Notes:

• Great Forbes article that references the self-awareness study I mentioned.
• 2010 Study by Green Peak Partners and Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, examined 72 executives at public and private companies with revenues from $50 million to $5 billion. “Interestingly, a high self-awareness score was the strongest predictor of overall success.”
• Quotes:

“Everyone wants to be a mirror, but no one wants to look in one.”

“The higher your are in authority, the more intentional you have to be about soliciting accurate feedback.” “Your spiritual maturity is indicated by your desire for, and reaction to, criticism.”

---

I would love to hear your feedback! You can email your questions, comments, ideas to [email protected] You can also click these links to connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. If you find this content helpful, I would be honored if you would subscribe, rate it on iTunes, and recommend it to your friends and family.