“A good Deed is never Lost. —He who sows courtesy, reaps friendships; he who plants kindness, gathers love; pleasure bestowed upon a grateful mind was never sterile, but generally gratitude begets reward.” —Basil

 Illens Dort is a Certified Speaker, Coach, and Trainer with The John Maxwell Team. Thank you for your time!!!  Illens Dort – author of Thinking and Acting with a Compassionate Heart. To buy a copy go to https://www.amazon.com/author/Illensdort.

When you want to gain momentum and improve. be consistent and disciplined in everything you do.  —Illens Dort

In his book The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, Dr. John C. Maxwell states “Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing. There are a lot of people and things that can motivate and inspire you. But if you don’t have discipline, the motivation or inspiration will serve as fireworks. John Maxwell also adds that “Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.”

This is true for everything we want to do. We can start small and develop a plan to stay with it every day. As human beings we perform many tasks consistently. We go to bed every night and wake up every morning. We eat at least one meal every day.

When you feel that it is hard for you to be consistent, take a moment to make a list of tasks that you complete consistently. You will realize that you have the seeds and the energy within you to be consistent.

I suggest that you reprogram your brain and subconscious by developing a plan and a process to achieve your goals. Remember this simple wisdom life is designed to be lived one hour and one day at a time. There is no escalator that can help speed up the process. 

We can be consistent in every thing we want to accomplish, that is if we really desire the results. Many people desire to get to the top, but only if there is a fast elevator that can take them there. When they are introduced to the stairs and encouraged to take one step at a time, they quickly realize that they really want to enjoy the basement.

 Illens Dort is a Certified Speaker, Coach, and Trainer with The John Maxwell Team. Thank you for your time!!!  Illens Dort – author of Thinking and Acting with a Compassionate Heart. To buy a copy go to https://www.amazon.com/author/Illensdort.

In his book No Limits Dr. John C. Maxwell introduces us to The Capacity Challenge and shares the equation for maximum capacity. The challenge is “If you grow in your awareness, develop your abilities, and make the right choices, you can reach your capacity.”

The equation is simply this: “Awareness + Ability + Choices = Capacity.” You see the first step and the most important one is Awareness. Awareness will help you know where you really are today. It will help you to discover and understand your current reality. You need to be aware of your environment. The second element of the equation is Ability. We all have talents or gifts. Do we know what they are? Are we taking time to cultivate them? Are we using them to help us grow and to develop and equip other people around us? The third element is Choices. The choices you make today will determine what you become tomorrow. You are where you are today because of choices you made yesterday. People sometimes say “I did not have a choice.” I never believe that statement. People use this excuse when they refuse to take responsibilities for their choices and actions. We always have a choice. There are times our actions can narrow our choices.

Therefore, if you want to increase your capacity, you need to be more self-aware, improve your ability, and make better choices. It is not too late. If you have a habit of making bad choices, you can choose to reverse the trend. The moment you decide to reverse the trend, you will be more aware of your environment and the resources that are available to you. You will also begin to work on your ability and develop your talents. 

 Illens Dort is a Certified Speaker, Coach, and Trainer with The John Maxwell Team. Thank you for your time!!!  Illens Dort – author of Thinking and Acting with a Compassionate Heart. To buy a copy go to https://www.amazon.com/author/Illensdort.

“Your level of influence will never be greater than your ability to connect with people and the level of trust that you establish and maintain in your relationship with them.” — Illens Dort

 Illens Dort is a Certified Speaker, Coach, and Trainer with The John Maxwell Team. Thank you for your time!!!  Illens Dort – author of Thinking and Acting with a Compassionate Heart. To buy a copy go to https://www.amazon.com/author/Illensdort.

With a heart full of gratitude, I have taken a moment this morning to reflect on the blessings that I enjoy for living in this great country and specially for being here in Utah and for the opportunity to raise a family in this beautiful Rocky Mountain. It can be easy to wake up every morning, embrace life and go about our daily tasks and forget to take a moment to appreciate the beautiful and simple treasures that life offers us. 

I love reading about the lives of the pioneers, it does not matter where they lived. The stories of the pioneers who settled Utah have always strengthen and spired me. I admire their faith, their courage, their sacrifice, their spirit of community, and the strength of their character. 

Any time I am working on a project or facing a difficult time, I like to retire to a quiet place to think of them and ask myself how they would handle such a challenge, and what would be their motives for doing so? 

We all have the pioneer spirit within us. Many people ignite that spirit every day. As they do that, they bless the lives of the people around them and are leaving a legacy for the new generation to come. Others let it sit dormant and are waiting for the perfect moment to rekindle that flame. A perfect moment that may never come. Others don’t even realize that they have this gift. 

The wisdom is that we all have it. If we can take a moment to reflect on and count our blessings day by day, we will develop a greater appreciation for them and for the people who have helped us along the path of mortality. This attitude of gratitude can help us feel the pioneer spirit that we are blessed with and it can also serve as an igniter that we can use to rekindle the flame. 

Again, again, at the end of the day, can we answer this question in the affirmative; “Have I done any good in the world today?” If we can answer this question positively, we may know that we have done our best to express gratitude to those who paved the road for us and have done enough to clear the path for someone else. 

I want to leave you today with this wisdom found in the prayer of Chester Cathedral: “My Lord, I am ready on the threshold of this new day to go forth armed with thy power, seeking adventure on the high road, to right wrong, to overcome evil, to suffer wounds and endure pain if need be, but in all things to serve thee bravely, faithfully, joyfully, that at the end of the days labor, kneeling for thy blessing thou mayest find no blot upon my shield.”

Happy Pioneer Day!

Illens Dort is a Certified Speaker, Coach, and Trainer with The John Maxwell Team. Thank you for your time!!!  Illens Dort – author of Thinking and Acting with a Compassionate Heart. To buy a copy go to https://www.amazon.com/author/Illensdort.

“Invest your time in people who will give the greatest return.” JCM

“Over time I’ve learned this meaningful lesson: The people closest to me determine my level of success or failure. The better they are, the better I am. And if I want to go to the highest level, I can do it only with the help of other people. We have to take each other higher.” Dr. John Maxwell

Who is traveling on the journey of life with you? You don’t have to travel alone. Wherever you live, whatever you are doing, and wherever you are in life, there are people around you who can support you, mentor you, and help you along the way. You must seek them out. You need to take time to learn from them and to serve them as well.

Illens Dort is a Certified Speaker, Coach, and Trainer with The John Maxwell Team. Thank you for your time!!!  Illens Dort – author of Thinking and Acting with a Compassionate Heart. To buy a copy go to https://www.amazon.com/author/Illensdort.