Topic : Motivation

In his book Being the Best (Thomas Nelson Publishers), Denis Waitley has some interesting observations about procrastination.

"When you stop to think about it,? he says, 'there is no such thing as a future decision. You face only present decisions that will affect what will happen in the future. Procrastinators wait for just the right moment to decide. If you wait for the perfect moment, you become a security seeker who is running in place, going through the motions, and getting deeper in a rut.

"If I wait for every objection to be overcome, I will attempt nothing. My personal motto is, Stop Stewing and Start Doing. I can't be depressed and active at the same time. I like changing the word motivation slightly to reflect a personal commitment to take charge of today and make it the best day I can-motive plus action equals motive-action.

"Everybody is looking for new ways to get motivated. Companies and corporations pay sizable fees to consultants who try to make their personnel more productive and fire up their salespeople. A motivated person things, I'm going to try it. But motivation must turn into motive-action, or nothing will happen.'

"That is the quandary of the unknown poet who wrote:

I spent a fortune
On a trampoline,
A stationary bike
And a rowing machine
Complete with gadgets
To read my pulse,
And gadgets to prove
My progress results,
And others to show
The miles I've charted'
But they left off the gadget
To get me started!

"The gadget that can get you started is motive-action.
"Try it and see!'

Bits & Pieces, June 22, 1995, pp. 6-7.

One day the great Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo happened to overhear a group of people admiring his Pieta, a statue of Christ on His mother's knees after His death on the cross. One man attributed the work to another sculptor, much to the chagrin of Michelangelo, who took particular pride in the Pieta.

Returning to the sculpture after dark that evening, Michelangelo carved his name on it so that no similar mistake would occur in the future.

Today in the Word August 11, 1992

One of the most grueling of all bicycle races is the Tour De France. A contestant in that event, Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle, describes it in a National Geographic article titled, "An Annual Madness.? The race covers about 2000 miles, including some of France's most difficult, mountainous terrain. Eating and drinking is done on the run. And there are extremes of heat and cold. To train for the event, Lassalle rides his bicycle 22,000 miles a year. What kind of prize makes people endure so much hardship and pain! $10,000? $100,000? No. It's just a special winner's jersey. What then motivates the contestants? Lassalle sums it up: "Why, to sweep through the Arc de Triomphe on the last day. To be able to say you finished the Tour de France.?

Our Daily Bread, October 5, 1990

In 1886, Karl Benz drove his first automobile through the streets of Munich, Germany. He named his car the Mercedes Benz, after his daughter, Mercedes. The machine angered the citizens, because it was noisy and scared the children and horses. Pressured by the citizens, the local officials immediately established a speed limit for "horseless carriages? of 3.5 miles an hour in the city limits and 7 miles an hour outside. Benz knew he could never develop a market for his car and compete against horses if he had to creep along at those speeds, so he invited the mayor of the town for a ride. The mayor accepted. Benz then arranged for a milkman to park his horse and wagon on a certain street and, as Benz and the mayor drove by, to whip up his old horse and pass them-and as he did so to give the German equivalent of the Bronx cheer.

The plan worked. The mayor was furious and demanded that Benz overtake the milk wagon. Benz apologized but said that because of the ridiculous speed law he was not permitted to go any faster. Very soon after that the law was changed.

Bits and Pieces, April, 1990, p. 2

It is hard to believe now, but the potato was once a highly unpopular food. When first introduced into England by Sir Walter Raleigh, newspapers printed editorials against it, ministers preached sermons against it, and the general public wouldn't touch it. It was supposed to sterilize the soil in which it had been planted and cause all manner of strange illnesses-even death.

There were, however, a few brave men who did not believe all the propaganda being shouted against it. It was seen as an answer to famine among the poorer classes and as a healthful and beneficial food. Still, these few noblemen in England could not persuade their tenants to cultivate the potato. It was years before all the adverse publicity was overcome and the potato became popular.

A Frenchman named Parmentier took a different tack. He had been a prisoner of war in England when he first heard of the new plant. His fellow prisoners protested the outrage of having to eat potatoes. Parmentier, instead, thoughtfully inquired about the methods of cultivating and cooking the new food. Upon his return to France, he procured an experimental farm from the Emperor, in which he planted potatoes. When it was time to dig them, at his own expense, he hired a few soldiers to patrol all sides of his famous potato patch during the daytime.

Meanwhile he conducted distinguished guests through the fields, digging a few tubers here and there, which they devoured with evident relish. At night, he began to withdraw the guards. A few days later one of the guards hastened to Parmentier with the sad news that peasants had broken into the potato patch at night, and dug up most of the crop.

Parmentier was overjoyed, much to the surprise of his informant, and exclaimed, "When the people will steal in order to procure potatoes, their popularity is assured.'

Bits & Pieces, January 9, 1992, pp. 13, 14, 15.

A little boy told a salesclerk he was shopping for a birthday gift for his mother and asked to see some cookie jars. At a counter displaying a large selection the youngster carefully lifted and replaced each lid. His face fell as he came to the last one. "Aren't there any covers that don't make any noise"? he asked. . . Right motives should accompany right actions.

Our Daily Bread, July 1, 1989

On February 11, 1962, Parade Magazine published the following brief account-itself a commentary on artificial motivation:

At the village church in Kalonovka, Russia, attendance at Sunday school picked up after the priest started handing out candy to the peasant children. One of the most faithful was a pug-nosed, pugnacious lad who recited his Scriptures with proper piety, pocketed his reward, then fled into the fields to munch on it. The priest took a liking to the boy, persuaded him to attend church school. This was preferable to doing household chores from which his devout parents excused him. By offering other inducements, the priest managed to teach the boy the four Gospels. In fact, he won a special prize for learning all four by heart and reciting them nonstop in church. Now, 60 years later, he still likes to recite Scriptures, but in a context that would horrify the old priest. For the prize pupil, who memorized so much of the Bible, is Nikita Khrushchev, the former Communist czar.

As this anecdote illustrates, the "why? behind memorization is fully as important as the "what.? The same Nikita Khrushchev who nimbly mouthed God's Word when a child, later declared God to be nonexistent-because his cosmonauts had not seen Him. Khrushchev memorized the Scriptures for the candy, the rewards, the bribes, rather than for the meaning it had for his life. Artificial motivation will produce artificial results.

February 11, 1962, Parade Magazine

When you see the early bird out there on the lawn, head cocked to one side as he catches the worm, don't think he's listening for it. He's looking for it. With eyes at the sides instead of facing ahead as do ours, he is able to see in the worm's hole by cocking his head. Besides, worms make very little noise, something like smacking your lips together. The average robin requires about seventy worms a day, so he has to get up early.

The Joy of Trivia

When the company founded by Andrew Carnegie was taken over by the U.S. Steel Corporation in 1901 it acquired as one of its obligations a contract to pay the top Carnegie executive, Charles M. Schwab, the then unheard of minimum sum of $1,000,000. J.P. Morgan of U.S. Steel was in a quandary about it. The highest salary on record was then $100,000. He met with Schwab, showed him the contract and hesitatingly asked what could be done about it. 'this,? said Schwab, as he took the contract and tore it up. That contract had paid Schwab $1,300,000 the year before. "I didn't care what salary they paid me,? Schwab later told a Forbes magazine interviewer.

"I was not animated by money motives. I believed in what I was trying to do and I wanted to see it brought about. I cancelled that contract without a moment's hesitation. Why do I work? I work for just the pleasure I find in work, the satisfaction there is in developing things, in creating. Also, the associations business begets. The person who does not work for the love of work, but only for money, is not likely to make money nor to find much fun in life.?

Bits and Pieces, May, 1991, p. 2

Just before giving a lavish party at his estate, a tycoon had his swimming pool filled with poisonous snakes. He called the guests together and announced, 'to anyone brave enough to swim across this pool, I will give the choice of a thousand acres of my oil fields, 10,000 head of cattle, or my daughter's hand in marriage.?

No sooner were his words spoken than a young man plunged in, swam across the pool and climbed out-unscathed but breathless. "Congratulations!" the tycoon greeted him. 'do you want my oil fields"? "No!" gasped the guest. 'the 10,000 head of cattle"? "No!" the young man shouted. "Well, how about my daughter's"? "No!" "You must want something,? said the puzzled host.

"I just want to know the name of the guy who pushed me in!"

Hank Lee in Reader's Digest

Recently my wife and I sat charmed at an outdoor performance by young Suzuki violin students. After the concert, an instructor spoke briefly on how children as young as two, three and four years old are taught to play violin. The first thing the children learn, he said, is a proper stance. And the second thing the children learn--even before they pick up the violin--is how to take a bow. "If the children just play the violin and stop, people may forget to show their appreciation,? the instructor said. "But when the children bow, the audience invariably applauds. And applause is the best motivator we-ve found to make children feel good about performing and want to do it well.?

Adults love applause too. Being affirmed makes us feel wonderful. If you want to rekindle or keep the flame of love glowing in your marriage through the years, try showing and expressing your appreciation for your mate. Put some applause in your marriage and watch love grow.

Dr. Ernest Mellor, in Homemade, Nov 1984

Bob Kuechenberg, the former Miami Dolphins great, once explained what motivated him to go to college.

My father and uncle were human cannonballs in carnivals. My father told me, "go to college or be a cannonball.? Then one day my uncle came out of the cannon, missed the net and hit the ferris wheel. I decided to go to college.

Newsweek

At the busy dental office where I work, one patient was always late. Once when I called to confirm an appointment, he said, "I'll be about 15 minutes late. That won't be a problem, will it"'

"No,? I told him. "We just won't have time to give you an anesthetic.'

He arrived early.

Contributed by Terri Spaccarotelli, Reader's Digest, June, 1992, p. 145

Notre Dame football star George Gipp could do it all'run, pass, and punt with unparalleled skill. The 1920 season established the Gipp as a football immortal. But on December 14, 1920, young George Gipp died of pneumonia. But thanks to football legend-and a movie in which former president Ronald Reagan portrayed Gipp'the story of George Gipp lived on. On November 10, 1928, Notre Dame and Army were tied at halftime. Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne, himself a legend, told of being at the dying Gipp's bedside. Rockne recalled how Gipp feebly said, 'sometime, Rock, when the team is up against it, when things are going wrong and the breaks are beating the boys'tell them to go in there with all they-ve got and win just one for the Gipper.? They did.

Today in the Word, October 22, 1993

Glen Davidson, of Dalkena Community Church, felt God's call to the ministry while working as a successful businessman. He began taking Bible courses at night, and eventually obtained his Bible school degree. Prior to graduation, he informed his boss that he'd be leaving shortly to work as a pastor in a rural church. Neither the owner of the company or the boss believed it, and they neglected to obtain a replacement for Glen. Eventually Glen told the boss that he really was leaving and they needed to locate a replacement as soon as possible. The owner of the company still doubting Glen's sincerity, instructed Glen's boss, "Offer him a $500.00 raise, and if he takes it, fire him on the spot!"

11-94, J.U.

"I have never found,? said Harvey C. Firestone, founder of the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, 'that pay and pay alone would neither bring together or hold good people. I think it was the game itself.'

Bits & Pieces, April 28, 1994, p. 24

"I'm so depressed and I can't get any dates,? the 300-pound man told his minister. "I've tried everything to lose weight.'

"I think I can help,? said the minister. "Be dressed and ready to go tomorrow at 8 a.m.'

Next morning, a beautiful woman in a skintight exercise suit knocked on the man's door. "If you can catch me, you can have me,? she said, as she took off. He huffed and puffed after her.

This routine went on every day for the next five months. The man lost 115 pounds and felt confident that he would catch the woman the next day. That morning he whipped open his front door and found a 300-pound woman in a jogging suit waiting for him. 'the minister said to tell you,? she began, 'that if I can catch you, I can have you.?

Contributed by Allan C. Boyer in Reader's Digest

Arthur Brisbane, the newspaper editor, was heard telling his best cartoonist, Windsor McKay, that he was the second greatest cartoonist in the world.

A reporter standing nearby, his curiosity aroused, asked Brisbane who was first.

"I don't know,? said Brisbane. "But it keeps McKay on his toes.?

Bits & Pieces, January 7, 1993, p. 19

One enterprising home builder has found a way to motivate his employees. For exceptional work he names streets after them in his housing developments.

Bits & Pieces, July 21, 1994, p. 19

The sister of Paul Petzoldt, a well-known mountain climber, gave this explanation of why people like to climb mountains:

"They want to get to the top and let the air rush through the holes in their heads.?

William Marley in Fortune. quoted in Reader's Digest, March 1981, p. 144

A woman hired two men to do some yard work. The day they came, she was giving a bridge party. During the afternoon, a guest looked out the window to see one man raking and the other performing majestic leaps and spirals in the air. "Hey, look at that,? she said to her friends.

"What a wonderful gymnast,? remarked one. "I'd pay him a hundred dollars to perform for our aerobics class.? The hostess opened the window and asked the fellow raking if he thought his friend would like the job.

"Hey, Fred,? the co-worker yelled to his partner, 'do you think for a hundred dollars you could step on that rake one more time"?

Arnie Kunz, quoted by Alex Thien in Milwaukee Sentinel

I once called upon an elderly lawyer, who greeted me warmly and invited me to be seated. As I was about to take the chair in front of his desk, he motioned me into a different one.

Before, I left, however, he invited me to try the first chair. I did so, and after a short time noticed an uncomfortable desire to rise. 'that chair I reserve for law-book sellers, bill collectors and pesky clients,? my host explained. 'the front legs are sawed off two inches shorter than the back ones.?

Contributed by Robert J. Demer, Reader's Digest

A ten-year-old boy was failing math. His parents tried everything, but to no avail. Finally, at the insistence of a family friend, they decided to enroll their son in a private Catholic school.

After the first day, the boy's parents were surprised when he walked in after school with a stern, focused and very determined expression on his face, and went right past them straight to his room, where he quietly closed the door.

For nearly two hours he toiled away in his room - with math books strewn about his desk and the surrounding floor. He emerged long enough to eat, and after quickly cleaning his plate, went straight back to his room, closed the door, and worked feverishly at his studies until bedtime.

This pattern continued ceaselessly until it was time for the first quarter report card.

The boy walked in with his report card-unopened'laid it on the dinner table and went straight to his room. cautiously, his mother opened it, and to her amazement, she saw a bright red "A? under the subject of MATH. Overjoyed, she and her husband rushed into their son's room, thrilled at his remarkable progress.

"Was it the nuns that did it"?, the father asked. The boy only shook his head and said, "No.'

"Was it the one-on-one tutoring? The peer-mentoring"'

"No.'

"The textbooks? The teachers? The curriculum"'

"Nope,? said the son. "on that first day, when I walked in the front door and saw that guy they nailed to the "plus sign,? I just knew they meant business!'

America Online:McKinleyIB, Nov. 6, 1997

Have you heard about the "gator aid? that was given to enlisted men in a Florida training camp during World War II? The daily training for those GIs included a run through an obstacle course. On the final stretch of the endurance test, they had to grab a rope and swing across a broad, shallow pool.

Under the blazing southern sun the water looked so inviting to the men that most of them soon developed a habit of making it only halfway across the pond'that is, until an enterprising lieutenant made it the new home for a large alligator. From that day on, the recruits left the ground 15 feet from the water's edge and fell sprawling in the dust on the other side.

Our Daily Bread, July 3, 1997

• To be successful at anything in life, we need to take the "CPR? Approach. Consistent in our actions, Persistent in our drive, Resistant to setbacks and all those who may tell us we can't do it.
• You can have anything you want. You just can't have everything you want. Peter McWilliams
• Bank robber Willie Sutton, when asked why he robbed banks, replied, "Because that's where the money is.?
• The whole worth of a kind deed lies in the love that inspires it. - The Talmud
• My chief want in life is someone who shall make me do what I can. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
• Every morning I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I'm not there, I go to work. - Robert Orben

Sources unknown 

Significant contributions. People get excited when they can be involved in a purpose or cause that has lasting impact. They must see that their efforts and time are making a difference in the lives of others.

Goal Participation. People support what they create. They must have ownership! Nothing creates better ownership than giving input into common goals.

Positive Dissatisfaction. People will not shift paradigms (and then values) until they get angry! Dissatisfied people are highly motivated; they see the need for immediate change. The key is giving the individual a vision for how they can make a positive impact. Dissatisfaction breeds apathy when change does not follow quickly.

Recognition. Give people credit for their personal achievements and show appreciation for contributions. This will give them a boost of energy. Recognition is a great way of 'living out a life of thanksgiving.? Insincere flattery is not the same as recognition, and the recipient typically sees it as manipulation.

Clear Expectations. People are motivated when they know as much information as possible in accomplishing a new task. When I passed out a job description detailing the specific responsibilities of a cell leader, one young man said, "I have been waiting my whole Christian life for someone to show me how I could effectively live this out.'

Quoted in "Cell Church?, Winter, 1996, p. 16

How do you motivate people to produce, to do a better job? The answer, say motivational experts, is by fulfilling these five needs:

• Economic security. Workers should feel that their time and effort will be fairly rewarded.
• Emotional Security. Management must create a climate in which employees 'trust? their superiors, and feel that their jobs contribute to a worthwhile goal.
• Recognition. Employees should feel that good work will be appreciated and praised.
• Self-expression. We live in a democracy, and none of us should feel that we surrender that heritage when we enter our place of employment. Employees should have the right to ommunicate ideas, suggestions, fears, and opinions to their superiors without fear of retribution.
• Self-respect. This is simply the need to be treated as an individual, as a human being-not a statistic.

Bits and Pieces

A city in the Netherlands had a problem with litter. The sanitation department tried doubling the littering fine and even increasing the number of litter agents who patrolled the area, but to no avail. Then someone suggested that instead of punishing those who littered, they could reward people who put garbage in trash cans. A plan to devise a trash can that could dispense coins when litter was inserted was rejected as too expensive. But it led to another idea: the sanitation department developed a trash can that played a recording of a joke when refuse was deposited! Different cans played different kinds of jokes, and the recordings were changed every two weeks. Citizens went out of their way to put garbage in trash cans, and the streets were clean again.

Discipleship Journal, issue #48, p. 40

The great industrialist Charles Schwab was quite disappointed when the workers in his steel mill were not meeting their production quota. He asked the foreman what was wrong. "I don't know,? he replied, "I've pushed them and threatened to fire them, but nothing works. They seem to have no incentive to produce.? Later, just before the night shift came on, Schwab went back to the plant and asked the supervisor how many heats his crew had processed that day. He was informed it was only six. Schwab took a piece of chalk and wrote a large figure "6? on the floor and walked away. When the other workers came in, they asked what it meant.

"The big boss was here today,? the manager said. "He asked how many heats were made and then chalked the number on the floor.? The next morning the night shift rubbed out the "6? and replaced it with a big "7.? When the day workers returned and saw the higher figure, one man exclaimed, "We can do better than that!" His fellow employees caught his enthusiasm, and when they quit that night, they chalked on the floor an enormous "10.? It was a 66 percent increase in just 24 hours and all because of Schwab's challenge.

Dale Carnegie comments, "If you want to win ...spirited men to your way of thinking...throw down a challenge.'

Source unknown

The following ad once appeared in a London newspaper: "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful.? The ad was signed by Sir Ernest Shackleton, Antarctic explorer. Amazingly, the ad drew thousands of respondents, eager to sacrifice everything for the prospect of meaningful adventure.

Today In The Word, August, 1989, p. 33

• Em Griffin, The Mindchangers, Tyndale House, 1976, pp. 101ff
• Leadership, Vol. X, #3 (Summer, 1989), p. 26
• Christian Personal Ethics, C.F.H. Henry, Eerdmans, 1957, pp. 528ff

Despite the 'do Not Touch? signs, a museum was having no success in keeping patrons from touching-and soiling-priceless furniture and art. But the problem evaporated overnight when a clever museum employee replaced the signs with ones that read: "Caution: Wash Hands After Touching!"

Today in the Word, March, 1990

When I started out in life, all I wanted was to be a football player,? says Jack Kemp, who ended up in the pros for 13 years.

Today Secretary for Housing and Urban Development, Kemp recalls the encouragement he received from Payton Jordan, his coach at Occidental College in Los Angeles: The coach called me into his office and said, "Of all the people on this team, I really think you have it. I want you to work just as if you were a pro-football player.'

When I left that office, I would have run through a brick wall for Coach Jordan. Several years later, at a reunion, I found out that the coach had told all my teammates that same thing. I was furious! For only a minute. Then I realized that Coach Jordan had made every one of us a little bit better, had helped us to struggle a little bit harder, to reach our potential.

George Allen and Mickey Herskowitz, Strategies for Winning, 1990

Harry Emerson Fosdick once told how as a child, his mother sent him to pick a quart of raspberries. Reluctantly he dragged himself to the berrypatch. His afternoon was ruined for sure. Then a thought hit him. He would surprise his mother and pick two quarts of raspberries instead of one. Rather than drudgery his work now became a challenge. He enjoyed picking those raspberries so much that fifty years later that incident was still fresh in his mind. The job hadn't changed. His attitude had, though, and attitude is everything.

Dynamic Preaching, June, 1990

Countless icebergs float in the frigid waters around Greenland. Some are tiny; others tower skyward. At times the small ones move in one direction while their gigantic counterparts go in another. The small ones are subject to surface winds, but the huge ice masses are carried along by deep ocean currents.

Some people are motivated by a desperate situation. A famous paratrooper was speaking to a group of young recruits. When he had finished his prepared talk and called for questions, one young fellow raised his hand and said, "What made you decide to make your first jump"? The paratrooper's answer was quick and to the point. "An airplane at 20,000 with three dead engines.?

Dynamic Preaching, June, 1990

To get employees to work on time, a Michigan company provides 45 parking spaces for 50 cars.

Bits and Pieces, April 1990, p. 24

A good many years ago a steel executive, strolling through one of the company's plants, stopped to talk to a long-time employee who was shoveling ore. "How much do you get a week, Flynn"? the executive asked. The man told him. "You ought to be getting more than that. We should pay you a certain amount extra after you have shoveled a stated amount each day.?

"There'd be no use in doing that,? the man answered, "I work as hard as I can now. And no matter how hard I work, I can't shovel more than a ton of ore each day.?

The steel executive returned to his office and, in spite of what the man had said, gave instructions to the payroll department to pay him more if he shoveled more. A few weeks later the executive again stopped to chat with the worker who now seemed somewhat embarrassed.

"What's the matter, Flynn"? he asked. "Well,? said the fellow, "I'll tell you. The other day when you were here I told you I couldn't shovel more than a ton of ore a day. I thought I was telling you the truth at the time. But since you have made that new arrangement, I am handling four tons a day, and it does not seem as hard as the one ton I formerly did. Each time a shovelful shoots through the air, I say to myself, 'there's more money for Flynn!"?

Bits and Pieces, July, 1991

A farm boy got a white football for Christmas. He played with it awhile and then kicked it over into the neighbor's yard. The old rooster ran out, looked at it, and called the hens to see it. "Now look here,? the rooster said, "I don't want you girls to think I'm complaining, but I just want you to see what they are doing next door.'

Source unknown

Motivational speaker Bill Gove tells a story about Harry, who ran a small appliance store in Phoenix, Arizona. Harry was used to price-shopping by young couples. They would ask detailed questions about features, prices, and model numbers, and one of them always took notes. Harry knew that as soon as they left the store they were going to head for one of the discount appliance dealers to make comparisons. Nevertheless, Harry would patiently answer all their questions, even though it took more than a half hour at times. But when the couple would announce that they were going to look around at some other places, Harry had a standard spiel to deliver. "I know that you're looking for the best deal you can find,? he would say. "I understand that, because I do the same thing myself. I know you'll probably go down to Discount Dan's to compare prices. I know I would. But after you-ve done that, I want you to think of one thing. When you buy from Discount Dan's, you get an appliance-a good one, I know, because he sells the same appliances we do. But when you buy here, you get one thing you don't get at Dan's. You get me. I come with the deal. I stand behind what I sell. I want you to be happy with what you buy. I've been here 30 years. I learned the business from my Dad, and I hope to be able to give the business over to my daughter and son-in-law in a few years. So you know one thing for sure-when you buy an appliance from me, you get me with the deal. That means I'll do everything I can to be sure you never regret doing business with me. That's a guarantee.? Harry would then wish the couple well and give them a quart of ice cream in appreciation of their stopping at his store.

This is how Bill Gove finishes the story: "Now,? he says, "how far do you think that couple is going to get, with Harry's speech ringing in their ears and a quart of ice cream on their hands in Phoenix, when it's 110 degrees in the shade"?

Bits and Pieces, November 1991

On a Western Airlines flight to San Francisco, fried chicken tycoon Col. Harland Sanders, 89, had made himself agreeable to staff and fellow passengers, then dropped his chin to his narrow black tie and closed his eyes. Somewhere in the back of the plane a child had been shrieking for some time. One stewardess told another helplessly, "I've tried candy, books and games, but nothing seems to make any difference.'

"I've got to speak to that child,? said the colonel. He rose to his feet and, with the aid of his cane, made his way back. The staff watched and shrugged, as if to say, "What can he do"?

When the colonel came back, not long afterward, his charm had produced a minor miracle. There was only the sound of chatter, newspapers and china. The stewardess came up to him and said, 'thank you for helping us, Colonel.'

"I didn't do it for you,? he replied. "I did it for the child.'

And he closed his eyes again and settled down.

Contributed by Helen Dewar, Reader's Digest

President Ulysses Grant loved horses, but suffered misfortune with a series of dogs. While in the White House, each died of unknown causes. When Jesse Grant, his son, voiced fears that his treasured Newfoundland was fated to go the same way, the president summoned the White House steward. "Father asked no questions, made no accusations,? Jesse wrote, and Grant ended the matter with a simple political promise:

"Jesse has a new dog. You may have noticed that his former pets have been particularly unfortunate. When this dog dies, every employee in the White House will be at once discharged.'

The Newfoundland, named Faithful, enjoyed superb health throughout Grant's tenure in the White House, according to Margaret Truman, author of a 1979 book titled "White House Pets.?

Spokesman Review, April 12, 1986

There was once a jockey who had an unbelievable winning record. Just before the end of any race, the jockey would lean way over and seemingly speak to the horse. A reporter asked the jockey what he did that made such a difference in the horse's speed. He replied: "I simply quote a little verse in his ear:

"Roses are red, violets are blue; Horses that lose are made into glue!'

Source unknown

Merely to announce what ought to be done without helping motivate people to do it is of little value.

Enveloped in a cloud of dust, the county agricultural agent drove into the farmyard and bounced onto the old farmer's porch. The farm looked pretty much run-down, and the farmer sitting in the creaking rocker did too. The agent, enthusiasm personified, began sharing what he thought were exciting ideas for improving the farm, but the old man stopped him in midsentence. 'simmer down, sonny; I know how to farm twice as good as I'm farmin? already.'

Most people are not living even half the truth they already know. They don't so much need to know more as they need to be motivated more. While the principal purpose of illustration is not to excite the emotions, illustrations do help listeners feel the truth. And people mostly do what they feel like doing.

Source unknown

Something took place in the fall of 1944 that can explain a major reason many children are facing a losing battle in today's families. It was late October when an officer commanding a platoon of American soldiers received a call from headquarters. Over the radio, this captain learned his unit was being ordered to recapture a small French city from the Nazis-and he learned something else from headquarters as well. For weeks, French resistance fighters had risked their lives to gather information about the German fortifications in that city, and they had smuggled this information out to the Allies.

The French Underground's efforts had provided the Americans with something worth its weight in gold: a detailed map of the city. It wasn't just a map with the names of major streets and landmarks; it showed specific details of the enemy's defensive positions. Indeed, the map even identified shops and buildings where German soldiers bunked or where a machine-gun nest or a sniper had been stationed. Block by block, the Frenchmen gave an accounting of the German units and the gun emplacements they manned. For a captain who was already concerned about mounting casualty lists, receiving such information was an answer to prayer. Although the outcome of the war wouldn't depend on this one skirmish, to him it meant that he wouldn't have to write as many letters to his men's parents or wives telling them their loved one had been cut down in battle.

Before the soldiers moved out to take their objective, the captain gave each man a chance to study the map. And wanting to make sure his men read it carefully, he hurriedly gave them a test covering the major landmarks and enemy strongholds. Just before his platoon moved out, the officer graded the test, and with minor exceptions every man earned a perfect score. As a direct result of having that map to follow, the men captured the city with little loss of American lives.

Nearly thirty years after this military operation took place, an army researcher heard the story and decided to base a study on it. The project began in France, where instead of a platoon of soldiers, he arranged for a group of American tourists to help him with his research. For several hours, the men and women were allowed to study the same map the soldiers had, and then they were given the same test. You can guess the results. Most of the tourists failed miserably. The reason for the difference between these two groups was obvious-motivation. Knowing their lives were on the line, the soldiers were highly motivated to learn every detail of the map. For the tourists, being in a research study provided some motivation. But most of them had nothing to lose but a little pride if they failed the test.

The Gift of Honor, Gary Smalley & John Trent, Ph.D. pp. 1-2

The believer is assured of salvation from hell and is eternally secure, since that salvation is based solely upon the finished work of Jesus Christ (John 10:28,29; Rom 8:38,39). Therefore, it is inconsistent with the Gospel and with Scripture to seek to gain or keep eternal salvation by godly living. The Scripture, however, does present several motivations for obedience in the Christian life.

1. A powerful motivation for living the Christian life is gratitude to God for saving us by His grace (Rom. 12:1,2; 2 Cor. 5:14,15; Gal. 2:20).

2. Believers should also be motivated by the knowledge that their heavenly Father both blesses obedience and disciplines disobedience in His children (Heb. 12:3-11; Lev. 26:1-45).

3. Finally, every Christian must stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, not to determine his destiny in heaven or hell, but to assess the quality of his Christian life on earth (2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 22:12). Anticipating either reward or loss of reward at the Judgment Seat should also motivate believers to perseverance and to faithfulness to God's revealed will (I Cor. 3:10-17, 9:24-27; Jas. 5:8,9; 1 John 2:28).

Grace Evangelical Society Affirmation of Belief (brochure), Grace Evangelical Society, Irving, TX.

In his youth, Andrew Carnegie, the famous steel maker, worked for Thomas A. Scott, the local superintendent of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Carnegie was employed as a telegrapher, secretary, and general factotum at $35 a month.

One morning a serious railroad accident delayed the passenger trains and shunted freight trains onto the sidings, unable to move in either direction.

Scott could not be located, so Carnegie plunged into the breach-knowing what had to be done, but also aware that an error could cost him his job and perhaps criminal prosecution. He signed Scott's name to the orders and got the trains moving with no mishaps.

When Scott arrived at the office, Carnegie told him what had happened. Scott carefully looked over everything that the boy had done, and said nothing. "But I noticed,? Carnegie said, 'that he came in very regularly and in good time for some mornings after that.?

Bits & Pieces, April 30, 1992

When Lou Little was coaching Football at Georgetown, he had a player who was definitely third rate but had so much spirit he was an inspiration to the team. He rarely saw action except in the last few minutes of a game that was already decided. One day news came that the boy's father had died. The youngster came to Little and said: "Coach, I want to ask something of you that means an awful lot to me. I want to start the game against Fordham. I think that's what my father would have liked most.?

Little hesitated a moment, then said: "Okay, son, you'll start, but you'll only be in there for a play or two. You aren't quite good enough and you know it.? The boy started the game and played so well Little never took him out. His play inspired the team to victory. Back in the locker room Coach Little embraced the young man and said: 'son, you were terrific. You never played that way before . . . what got into you"?

The boy answered: 'remember how my father and I used to walk around arm-in-arm? There was something about him very few people knew-he was totally blind. This afternoon was the first time my father ever saw me play.?

Bits and Pieces, Vol. F, #41

High sentiments always win in the end. The leaders who offer blood, toil, tears and sweat always get more out of their followers than those who offer safety and a good time. When it comes to the pinch, human beings are heroic.

Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters (Harcourt Brace), quoted in Reader's Digest, January, 1996, p. 178

Some time ago, a college wrestling team was traveling to a neighboring college to compete in a wrestling match that evening.  As they traveled, the coach warned them of the other team’s strategy.  “They have perfected a certain hold and have been winning all of their recent matches,” he said to his team.  “The particular maneuver that has been winning for them is called ‘the double reverse.’  Here is the way it works.  Your opponent gets a hold on you, then he folds you up once, then he folds you up again, and while you are helpless, he throws you down and pins you, and before you know it the match is over.”  However, it was obvious that his wrestlers did not think the “double reverse” would be a really serious threat, so they didn’t seem to take his warning seriously.  He continued to exhort them, but they showed little interest in hearing of the “double reverse.” 

         The team arrived at the opponent’s gymnasium, preparations were made for the six matches on schedule for that evening, and the coach continued to warn his team.  Every wrestler reassured the coach, and the matches began.  However, in the very first match, the visiting wrestler was victimized by the “double reverse” and lost the match – as the coach groaned.  The players immediately began to refer to the “dreaded double reverse,”  taking it a bit more seriously than before.  However, the second wrestler was also defeated after being thrown by the “dreaded double reverse.”  The coach’s despair and anger intensified with each new match.  His team went through five matches without solving the “dreaded double reverse,” losing all five matches.  The coach was seething with anger as he said to his last wrestler, “Please don’t get caught as the others did; I would like to win at least one of these matches!”  The match began, and within two minutes, the final wrestler on the visiting team was caught in the “dreaded double reverse.”  The coach groaned and buried his head in his hands and refused to look at the inevitable outcome.  The home stands were cheering wildly – but suddenly the cheering stopped, and the visitor’s bench erupted with cheers.  The coach looked up just in time to see his wrestler pin his opponent and win the match!  When the celebrations had finally ceased, the coach took his winning wrestler aside and exclaimed, “What happened'  When I last looked, you were locked in the double reverse and there seemed no way out.  How did you get out from his hold and win the match?”  His wrestler replied, “Well, coach, when he got that hold on me, I was so twisted up I could hardly move.  But when I opened my eyes, all I could see inches away from my nose was a big toe.  So I did the only thing I could think of to do; I opened my mouth and bit down on that toe as hard as I could bite – and coach, it is absolutely amazing what a man can do when he bites off his own big toe!”

pastor Ile Viorel, Oradea, Romania (from an unknown source)