Do not be afraid

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Danny Maldonado

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

It was a normal morning for me or so I thought. I was eager to meet with my client and show how the new plan would work. I was tired, I had driven for almost an hour. Then, in the moments when I was greeted and accompanied to the office, the news broke on the TV. Something terrible had happened. I immediately saw the images, I saw the chaos, I saw something I never thought I would see. I had been there just a couple of months before, with my wife and my two children ages 2 and 3.

I was perplexed. I was paralyzed and shaken. The meeting was called off. I then went off to my car and called my wife. I was crying. My words to her where, “did you see that? It fell”. She was crying on the other end of the phone and told me, “the other one fell too”. My entire being was overcome by fear, insecurity and doubt. My first expression was, “I can’t bring any more children to this world. This world is too sick, mean, and dangerous”. I was 1,601 miles from where it happened, but the effect of the moment felt very near. That day I had to talk to my clients since they would be directly affected by this. At the office, everyone was shocked and looking for any type of direction.

Later in the morning I went home and hugged my wife, my son and my daughter. Then I realized that as dumbfounded as I was, there were others that were unconsolable, lost and in total despair. Many horrific stories were surfacing hour after hour. So as time passed and I continued to digest what had happened, a still small voice resounded in my soul. It said, “Do not be afraid”. I Then remembered the words of Jesus when he said …But take heart, because I have overcome the world. He had foretold us that for this and any other trial and sorrow that we would confront, he had overcome it already. It was through Him, that we would be strong and we would find peace.

Maybe you are just like me, and will never be able comprehend completely why these events occurred, nor how deeply it has and will touch many for generations to come. Or on the contrary, you have been directly impacted by the events on September 11, 2001 and you know the impact it has taken on your life and of those around you. In any case, one thing is certain, we will never forget the events of that day and those that lost their lives. But that day many lives were also brought to life, I remember what someone once said, “children are the way God says that this world must go on, there is hope in the future”.

The story has a myriad of angles, perspectives, opinions and emotions. So today as we honor those that where lost, and reflect on these events, many different things will come to heart again. But be comforted to know that you should not be fearful of the future and for those that you love, because He overcame this world, so we would have peace.

Take heart, do not be afraid.

© Copyright Danny Maldonado, 2011
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Extraordinary or well?

Posted on September 2, 2012 by Danny Maldonado

We often puzzle ourselves with questions that we cannot answer; at least at the moment we make them. The more I make myself such questions, the more I realize that they all come down to one simple issue, purpose. So I pursue, I ask and I delve into the deepest inner makings of my being. I look around, as you might have done also, to see what others have done. My problem, and possibly yours too, is that I look to those that have excelled and have rises to the top of their fields. What I seek is that ingredient, one unspoken ingredient that it seems everyone seem to have and it eludes the rest of us.

What is it and where is it? Is it acquired or is it a gift from God? I think it is a little of both. Depending on how or where you were raised, and how that environment was rooted in you, your answer to these questions will definitely answer those questions. Got that? I know it sounds a little confusing, but bear with me for a moment. In many ways our environment somehow challenges how we perform and how we think, if we permit it. Please see that I said, “challenges”, not trump or defeat. Don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying that you have to be born in a certain place or come from a certain family to have the ingredient that exceptional individuals have. What I am saying is that what these individuals, men and women like you and me, have achieved greatness in spite of their environment.

To acknowledge our own shortcomings, is the first step to greatness. So even when our placing is a challenge and impacts us directly in many ways, it doesn’t have to. In an overwhelming majority of the times, we have a choice, we decide how it affects us. I’m not implying that it is or will be easy, in fact I would side with you and say that it will be even more hard for you, than the average Joe. But because of that toil, that struggle and the hustle you have to go through, that ingredient will surface all that greater. Sometimes it is precisely that struggle what brings forth the best of you. It might be, that how you handle the present situation in your life, will determine how you live the rest of your life.

What is it then? Simple, you do extraordinarily, what others seem to do well. It is the intentionality of what you do that makes the difference. It is the area of your life in which you put your entire heart at work and you take off all of the stops. We cannot have the gifts of someone else, at best we do marginally ok in someone else’s field or craft. But there is one thing you do exceptionally well and when given the opportunity you perform as if you are being recharged, because you love it. Be it writing, inspiring, preaching, teaching, sports, business, leadership, fatherhood, counseling, or whatever your gift might be, get better at it every day and do it extraordinarily.

A bad environment doesn’t mean impossible. We see it all the time. The underdogs, the outliers, those that at some point and in contrast of where they lived, or what life had handed them, decided they would do extraordinarily what others seemed to do ok. It is a choice, it is not necessarily a supernatural gift nor a one of a kind talent, it is a choice you make. And when you make it, everything changes. You can live the rest of your life living with wandering eyes, or you can become the story everyone will be inspired by. So what is it going to be? Dive in and move forward.

Do extraordinarily, what others do well.

“BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE Boldly”

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© Copyright Danny Maldonado, 2012
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The greatest task of all

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Danny Maldonado

We always are looking to achieve that high calling, our own sweet spot. Our mind, soul and heart are captivated by that thought. For me the well spoken word is the greatest task of all. It has been, it is, and will be, the way the world is molded. Words will always stir emotions in the heart and soul of men. Ideas are conveyed and dreams are built and acted upon on the effective speech, whether good or evil. Communication is by far the most effective way of building, anything. It is the power of action behind the inspired souls. Be it acting after a simple “Hello” or a “Mom I’m hungry” or “Let’s be all that we can be” or “I have a dream”; perhaps great movements from all around the world have started after hearing a great speech or by the inspiration of written word.

The men and women we regard as great, are and where always, great communicators. Think about it. In spite of their personal lives, there are many examples where we still say, “What a great communicator!” These individuals talked as if they where talking to friends and spoke from the heart, they connected with their audience and they spoke at the times when it was most needed. These kind of speeches have built bridges between broken hearts, freed captive cities or stirred the hearts of men to start revolutions.

Jesus, spoke in word, and in flesh because he spoke the heart of God. And we still are amazed by what was written of all he did and still does in the lives of men. His words stirred the hearts of all that heard him, and that transformation continues to this day. He was the greatest communicator of all. He said it well “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.”

Are your words building those around you? Are you transforming your environment in a positive way? There is much to say about the spoken word, but one thing remains as an undisputed truth; The tongue can bring death or life; We all have the power to transform everything around us, with our words. Proverbs also says, Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. And we could continue to mention example after example of the power of words. Books have been written on the subject, but more importantly lives have changed because of words spoken. What and how are you speaking? How are you conveying your message to those closest to you? Are your words a fountain of life? Are your words uplifting the spirit of those that hear them?

You can talk like the mainstream where all is doom and gloom or you can be the voice of change, the voice that soothes and the action that transforms. We all can be great, we all can be a catalyst; with our words. Be great in the greatest task of all.

Make the dream come true

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Danny Maldonado

What does it take to make a dream come true? I actually googled it and got 152 million results back. By sheer numbers it appears there are a lot of dreamers out there, or at least some that are toying with an idea. You get a lot of different perspectives. Many in my opinion good, others I would say a little creative. But regardless of what point of view resonates with you, one thing is actually pretty much consistent among them: action.

Many of us are paralyzed in life because we are afraid of taking action. We are afraid of something that might not even be true. It could be fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of ridicule or even fear of fear. I know from personal experience how this feels. When the fear of the unknown outcome crawls inside of you, it takes complete control. And the dream agonizingly screams in us, desperately longing for a sliver of hope that could maintain it alive somehow. But fear has made residence in our hearts, and evicting it, is a hard task.

So how do we defeat fear? It is very interesting that when we read about three crucial moments in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, the same word is used to describe the magnitude of the event preceding that victory. And each victory over the event required an important ingredient: action. The greek word is σεισμος or “seismos” which means earthquake. The impression was so big, that it could only be described with this word. This word is used when Jesus defeated sin, death and fear. It is through the strength we find in him that we are able to overcome fear, because he defeated it. The enemy of fear is action and action creates purpose and purpose creates passion, and passion knows no limits.

Many practical ideas can help you refine your dream or accelerate it. Writing it down, researching, asking a lot of questions, meditating on it or planning just to mention a few. All of them are good and you should do some or all of them. But it will be pointless without action. Action defeats fear.

You don’t need to have it all figured out, you don’t need to have all the answers to the questions. You just have do one simple thing: Take that first step. Will you fail? It is possible. Will you come out a victor? It could be. But you will never know if you don’t try. Why would you sit in the sidelines petrified when you can be in the middle having the time of your life? You don’t want to live a should’a, could’a, would’a life and die. It is better to try and fail, than not to try at all.

There are some times in life where each step you take is planned and calculated, and that is good and necessary. But there are other times in life where faith and courage are the lights that guide your way through the dark path before you. And that is all you need.

So, what does it take to make a dream come true? Which of the 152,000,000 answers is the correct one? I don’t know, but for me it’s one simple thing: That very first step. Take courage and brace yourself, the man that told the wind “cut the attitude,” is by your side. It will be the ride of your life.

Make the dream come true.

Know what you have

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Danny Maldonado

“It is a dangerous thing to ask why someone else has been given more. It is humbling and indeed healthy to ask why you have been given so much.” – Condoleezza Rice

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”

“BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE Boldly”

Chasing the wind and running out of breath

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Danny Maldonado

We all get caught up with it at some point. For some it is the story of their lives. You know what I mean, the homes, the cars, the position, the influence, getting noticed, the exposure, the Klout number (that was a new one for me!), the name dropping, you get the point. It never ends doesn’t it? We are caught up with promoting ourselves because we have a “message” to give. Nowadays I find myself more often than not, questioning why I do things in my own life. I want to do everything with excellence, I want to be a role model to my family and those around me, but I am looking more intently into the why I do what I do. You might relate to this. When we want something, we can be very persuasive (even when talking to ourselves, I do it often!), and rationalize what we want. By the end of the conversation, we have everyone nodding in agreement with every point we make. Anything that will support our pursuit of “whatever”. But there is a fine line between doing things well and self promotion. And I struggle when I see it, even in my own life.

There is something bigger than things, positions or influence. We find ourselves chasing all sorts of new trends and ways of doing things more efficiently, and I agree that there is a place for that in our lives, but sometimes we get so busy that we miss the most important of them all, relationships. John C. Maxwell always says, “Everything rises and falls on leadership” and that’s a paramount truth, but I would also say, “Everything rises and falls on meaningful relationships”. Watch carefully that I said meaningful. In our culture we are so obsessed in raising our social/wealth/influence numbers, that we put little or no emphasis on the meaningfulness of the relationships we create. As a friend told me once, “We can create big momentum but we cannot follow through”. What he was referring to, was to the capacity to stir up something, and not being able to sustain it long term. We try to create a trend or align our lives to them, just to find out in the end that it was not sustainable of even worth it. Wind.

I look at my own life and ponder. I can be at times like the train in the movie “Unstoppable,” with no brakes, gaining more speed with every second that passes, and in the meantime our most significant relationships suffer. I would advice you to, slow down. Something amazing is happening right before your eyes and you are missing it. You are chasing the wind and at the end you will run out of breath. You might be in the early stages of a new endeavor. It could be family, church or a business. Whatever the place you might be now, slow down and enjoy the moment. You might realize that even in the situation you are right now, something significant is happening. Your son or your daughter needs a hug, your wife just wants you to hold her hand and reassure her that you are present. Yoyr husband needs your affirmation, your friends might just need a pat in the back. But you are running to fast and running out of breath.

Question yourself:

        •        When is it to much or when will it be enough?
        •        Am I caught up with the hustle of getting ahead?
        •        Does it concern me more what others think about me, than what you think about myself?
        •        Do I have a sense of restlessness in me? Do I secretly envy what someone else has?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might be chasing the wind. You could say, “No you’re wrong, this is an opportunity of a lifetime, a great house, a fantastic car, a wonderful school, a great church, a no brainer deal.” Whatever you might call it, it’s just wind. If your relationships are not flourishing, you are chasing the wind and you’ll end up very lonely.

Slow down and invest in the most important aspect of your life, meaningful relationships. The greatest teacher of all also did this when he said …Consider the lilies of the field, showing us that even he had stopped to admire the most simple things of life. It might be time to take a walk with your son, to have a conversation with your daughter, to give a hand to your father, or sit down and lend your ears to your mother. It is time to forgive and forget. It is time to love and not reproach. I believe that when you do this, everything else will sprout out on itself and you will enjoy them more. The funny thing will happen, you’ll find out that what you chased, was not that important after all. What really mattered, and flourished where the relationships you nurtured and nurtured you back. Everything rises and falls on meaningful relationships.

Finishing well

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Danny Maldonado

What will you story say at the end? Is your story worth saying? I make myself these questions everyday. Is it because of how I see myself in the story? Do I have an “ordinary” life and reading about all of the other extraordinary ones, creates an angst in my chest of, not being “there” or having “it” (whatever any of those mean). I think about the end, a lot. I think of how my actions today will impact the lasting memory of my likeness in the minds and hearts of those I love. Will my life reflect greatness? Will my actions exude my highest and most noble thinking? I hope so. In fact, I pray so. What will my story say to those that will remain? What is my story saying now? This really gets to me.

Recently I attended a mens group called Seven, that met for seven weeks at seven in the morning on Fridays. We explored the seven questions that rattle the minds of most men. Great conversations and even better community. The theme that really got to me was that of leaving a legacy; finishing well. How will I be remembered? How will my wife, my son and my daughter be impacted in the days, the months and the years to come? What will my grandchildren say about me? More importantly, what will God say about me?

I am a big fan of movies that depict true stories. I feel attracted to them when I can relate to many of those to whom it happened to. But if you are like me, what really stirs my heart are the endings. The underdog finishing on top, or the dejected changing his or her ways, or the stories of how the human resilience conquers the most difficult situations; epic endings. Maybe I feel attracted to them because I wonder if my story will be memorialized as those that have made it to film, not because of fame or fortune, but because of the inspiration it can bring to generations to come. Will my story inspire someone else to achieve the impossible? Will my life change the course of someone else’s story? Can I make a difference for the world to see? Will my story be epic? Have you made yourself these questions, or is it only me? For some of us, when we look at our present life we recognize that by our standards, we are not living an epic tale. And we question our existence, over and over again. I don’t know the answers to any of the questions I have made and are still making to myself. But I know they will be answered in due time.

So I have resolved that until those answers come, when I’m faced with impossibilities, I will continue to believe that all things are possible. When i feel discouraged, I will continue to inspire and be inspired. When I’m talked down and demeaned by others, I will continue to think like an eagle when everyone else around me is not. When handed the worst, I will continue to expect the best. When all seems at a lost and at a dead end, I will continue to trust that God has a plan for my life and for those I have been entrusted with. A bigger, greater, brighter, stronger and more wonderful plan than what I can possibly imagine. When faced with small minded people that want to water down my existence, I will continue to dream BIG because I serve an unmeasurable God. When wronged by someone I consider a friend, I will continue to believe in friendship, because it is the face of kindness in the world. When there is no clear path, I will continue to live my life based on the possibilities, because living by fact alone ignores any faith and greatness. If times are scarce, I will continue to give even when all is taken from me. If shunned by the world, I will continue to love. If I fall, I will brush off the dirt, clean my wounds and get up every time. When faced with injustice, I will continue to fight for those that cannot fight for themselves. If I’m left as forgotten, I will continue to remember those in need even when nobody else acknowledges me. And by doing all of this, I trust, I hope and I pray that I will be able to answer many of my questions and dilemmas. Maybe you should do the same.

I long for the day when I bow before the Almighty and lay my crown at his feet and say, “Lord, I made it. There were times when I thought I would fail, but I made it”. That day, that glorious day, I will know that I finished well.

To plan or not to plan?

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Danny Maldonado

While running some errands, I was listening to a radio station of a religious nature. It wasn’t very appealing or interesting, but just out of curiosity I continued to listen to get a grasp of what the point would be in the message, maybe something good could come out of it. I also listened from the perspective of someone that had no knowledge of the Scriptures. After ten minutes I stopped listening, because all of his message was just filled with, and it is not intended to cause any disrespect, but it was “christian language”, and had no point at all. I mean, I know he meant well but there was no message. Someone listening for the first time and was trying to get any knowledge of who Jesus is, would have finished even more confused. But the point that struck me more than anything else was the lack of structure and therefore the lack of planning from the presenter. It was that obvious.

While I was still driving I questioned myself: Should we as disciples and followers of Jesus, make any plans or just rely on our spiritual instincts? I was thinking of the example that I had just experienced. The presenter was definitely trying to use his head knowledge but had not defined pattern of what he was presenting. Examples in the Bible started to come to me. Each and every one expresses a God that is a master planner. Planning is his specialty, to plan is not only needed but it is required. I would go further and state that it is demanded. Albert Einstein said it well, “I am convinced that He (God) does not play dice.” in other words, He does not leave anything to chance or to randomness. He’s a master planner. And you can see it in everything created.

Some think that to plan is to show lack of faith. I would say that planning is showing your faith in action. Relying on your plans alone is another issue altogether. The first one is a complete act of trust in God and the latter is a complete trust in yourself. Not planning says to the world, “everything is random there is no logic nor purpose in what I do” and I would dare to say that it is a praise to mediocrity. To plan is to walk in the nature that God himself created us to be, because we were created in his image.

The creativity and the gifts you and I have been given, are not to be taken lightly. It would be easy to just let things happen, but that would be a waste of time, and talent. But if we acknowledge that God created us for excellence, we should be the example for the world to see. In our finances, our studies, our work and our home. We should be recognized as those that plan ahead and trust in a Master Planner that shows his love and mercy. From the moment his precious creation fell, he started planing his redemption through the sacrifice of his son Jesus. What a great plan!

To plan or not to plan? That is not the question. Why would you not plan?, would be a better one.

BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE boldly

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