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Inspiration For You
by Randy Mitchell
No matter how much money, education, or influence we have the one thing none of us can ever produce more of is, time. How we make use of this invisible asset determines how successful we are both, professionally and personally.
God gave us all a pre-determined life clock that constantly ticks 24 hours a day. They’re moments that cannot be duplicated, manipulated, controlled or bought. And once they pass, they pass, with no recourse at all. Time can be selfish, move to slow or fast, can eat up our youth within a blink of an eye, or linger while refusing to budge. In reality, time is the great equalizer of people--none of us are given more hours in a day than another.
I recently read an interview with the legendary businessman, Warren Buffett. Most would think he’s constantly busy with meetings, phone calls, and doing whatever else requiring his attention. And to operate such a huge organization, only the traits of superman could ever keep up. But, he states his life’s philosophies are simple: 1) Don’t concern yourself with things that ultimately don’t matter. 2) Deal with the big items and not the little. 3) Surround yourself and share your time with those who only have your best interests at heart, never wasting it on those who are unprofessional, petty, dramatic, or disrespectful. 4) Only focus on that which is important to you and those truly close to you, never letting others problems distract you from your life’s goals. 5) And last, time is something which even I can’t buy more of; use it wisely like water in the middle of a dessert.
He also said that meetings are useless, his phone number is only given to family members and his closest advisors, and although technology is great, recreational cell phone usage is perhaps the biggest misuse of time.
Like him or not, the man is pretty smart. And I’ve come to learn from people like, Mr. Buffett. He teaches that time management should be one of our top concerns everyday.
Look at number three and five again. There’s a lot of meat there, don’t you think?
#3) I agree with this wholeheartedly. Those who possess the traits in bold are what I call time suckers, trolls, and distracters of focus. They believe their time is always more valuable than yours. Their drama is never-ending, always requiring your attention therefore keeping you from fulfilling your goals. They are always late, never considering your schedule. They focus on the smallest distractions. They disrespect your time and others because it’s all about them. Being unprofessional is their normal way of living, and what’s important to them, is only important to them, and definitely not to you. Distancing, even deleting people like this could roughly save you hundreds of hours of wasted time a year; time which could be better spent pursuing your dreams. And as he stated above, “surrounding yourself with those who only have your best interests at heart,” is in my opinion, a golden recipe for success.
#5) He’s so right. Even with his billions, he cannot produce another second of what God has intended for his life. What he’s saying here is use time everyday like it’s your last hours on earth; to be respectful of time. To share your life with those who carry the same philosophies, maintain healthy balances with you in business and within your personal life, and are willing to make the most of your time together—realizing life is short and isn’t to be wasted. Do all of this and you’ll have more time to be creative and productive.
Since I was a kid, my parents, especially my father, always taught me the concept of time. He always believed in punctuality, professionalism, and respecting others schedules. If he had an event to attend at say, five o’clock, he’d start eyeing his watch at three making sure he had plenty of time to arrive early. To him, when someone was late to an appointment, either for business or personal reasons, he considered it rude and disrespectful unless they were lying in a hospital bed. He was a man who thought this way because he liked getting things done, and believed in, like I said before, respecting others goals and schedules. And considering how many today respect the clock, he’d probably move to a secluded log cabin, throw his watch in a stream, and call it a day if he was still around.
Somehow, I think Warren Buffett oftentimes feels the same.
To read more of Randy Mitchell's writing, visit his website @ www.theinspirationalwriter.com
His debut novel, inspirational romance SONS IN THE CLOUDS is now available for pre-order through his publisher @ www.tjtdesigns.com
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Inspirational Writer and Author of
"Sons In The Clouds"
As a writer and avid movie fan, I love the powerful energy behind words. Words capture and cling to people in a dramatic, poignant way - and live deep inside us all. It doesn't matter if those words are written or spoken; all of us have tales yearning to be shared with each other.
A few years ago, I drove past my childhood home in Texas: a nostalgic place where tender childhood memories still reside deep inside me. I remember those hot Texas summer nights hanging out with my sister, friends, spirited pets and my girlfriend who lived across the street. This happy snapshot transported me back in time to endless, steamy nights as we watched July 4th fireworks, ate homemade ice cream on the front porch, and cooled off at the local lake.
My childhood feels like it happened just yesterday -- innocent moments taken from my carefree youth. These memories comforted me and carried me to a place where I longed to stay – a peaceful haven where I could escape my hectic ‘adult’ life. These idyllic, cherished memories were the inspiration for my first novel, "Sons In The Clouds". My long-time career as a pilot and love of aviation are seen through my main characters, Andy and Wade, who serve as Navy pilots in the Vietnam War.
"Sons In The Clouds" exposes emotional drama that showcases the vulnerable fragility of human nature. The belief in God serves as the problem-solver -- a pathway to the truth -- a light to be used when the problems of man cannot be solved, and becomes a way to expose weaknesses in those appearing to be strong. I breathe life into my characters in believable, exceptionally REAL ways. A strong theme interwoven throughout the pages is that “love conquers all” – as seen through the unfaltering, devoted commitment between my male characters and the women they leave behind.
My female characters show courage and strength in the face of adversity. Despite the fact that she doesn’t know whether her husband is alive or dead behind enemy lines, Rebecca (Andy’s wife) remains strong and never falters in her devotion to Andy.
Rebecca’s character represents war-time brides (both past and present). I wanted to show the strength, love and courage of these brave women whose loved ones were sent off to the Vietnam War. They faced harrowing fear on a daily basis, and relied on their faith and love to get them through their darkest days–- hoping and praying that their husbands returned home safely.
Most inspirational fiction readers today aren’t interested in G-rated books. "Sons In The Clouds" is a modern inspirational story that encompass spiritual themes where faith and love triumph over the brutal ugliness of war. My characters instill a hope-filled message to my readers long after the last page is read.
To purchase your copy, go to Amazon
For media inquiries about Randy Mitchell and "Sons In The Clouds", please visit www.theinspirationalwriter.com or email Mitchellrandy1@msn.com.
Book video available here: www.youtube.com/watch
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