Are You Lazy?

By Dan Miller
48days.com

CBN.com – Joanne and I had a wonderful time in Florida this last week. We spoke, discussed plans with new friends, and did several No More Mondays interviews. Even when life is good, there is something refreshing about just getting away for a few days. A break in schedule seems to awaken parts of our brains that can become dormant and pretty predictable otherwise.

Many of you are anticipating vacations in the next couple of months. Expect to wake up some of your dreams – and to rekindle the most important relationships in your life.

"Excellence can be obtained if you:
...care more than others think is wise;
...risk more than others think is safe;
...dream more than others think is practical;
...expect more than others think is possible."

Ready to join the incredible group of people who are taking action with their ideas? Check out the excitement in the 212Connection. It's a blueprint for you to take your No More Mondays idea and be in business immediately. We'd love for you to be a part of what's happening there.

Need resources to help you dream?

You Might Be a Sluggard If...

The dictionary defines a “sluggard” as a habitually inactive or lazy person. Here’s an example. My wife Joanne is mentoring a young lady who just got out of prison. While incarcerated, a grandmother cared for her 4-year-old daughter. This gal counted the days until she could be reunited with her precious little girl. Three weeks after she was released, she was told that the father of the child wanted full custody. It seemed odd that he was unwilling to care for his child while the mother was in prison – and now he has a sudden desire to be the sole caretaker.

However, the rest of the story soon came out. He has discovered that if he can get custody of this little girl, he will receive free housing, food stamps, and a monthly stipend. He can totally remove himself from having to work and can live the life he has apparently dreamed of. I’d call this guy a sluggard.

I have three questions:

1. What motivates a person to stoop this low, in using an innocent child as a ploy for personal gain?

2. What has to happen to a person to give up on this level – to decide that a meager handout is better than the wide-open opportunities we all have in front of us, and thus deprive oneself of the incredible satisfaction of meaningful, purposeful, and profitable work?

3. How have we as a society allowed this kind of option to even be made available?

The Biblical Proverbs are full of interesting descriptions of the “sluggard.”

To see the telltale signs and tell me how you deal with the "sluggards" you meet, read on here: Sluggard

Check here to see if you're a sluggard.

It’s Hard to Sing the Blues When You’re Doing So Well

I just received news that Gospel Legend Dottie Rambo was killed in a tour bus accident. En route to a Mother’s Day concert in Texas, the 74-year-old was the only fatality in the crash just outside Mount Vernon, Missouri.

Through the course of her career, Dottie wrote more than 2,500 published songs, including the classics "We Shall Behold Him” and “I Go to the Rock,” which was recorded by Whitney Houston in the 1996 movie The Preacher's Wife. Singers including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Barbara Mandrell, and Larry Gatlin recorded Rambo’s songs.

A couple of years ago, Joanne and I had the pleasure of hearing and meeting Dottie at a local luncheon. After listening to one of her more recent compilations, I was attracted to this title: “It’s Hard to Sing the Blues When You’re Doing So Well.” It reminded me that some people just seem to take pride in doing poorly so they can keep singing the blues. You know the kind—the ones you hate to ask “How are you doing?” because you’re afraid they’ll tell you. Some of these people wouldn’t have anything to talk about if they were not complaining, accusing, blaming, and finger-pointing. Yes, and I do see people who sabotage their own success, apparently convinced that failure is easier to handle.

Dottie never seemed to get mired down in her own challenges she faced along the way. Personally, I like Dottie's encouragement to move beyond singing the blues. Our sympathies go out to her family, but we’re also confident she’s singing with new enthusiasm in heaven today.

48 Days Radio

Each week I create a new online radio podcast — that you can hear on Dan’s Online Radio Show.

Each week I create a new online radio podcast—that you can hear in iTunes or at the 48 Days Online Radio Show link below.

Lots of interesting questions were submitted this week—like these:

1. I am stuck in my career. Five years ago when I finished college, all the employers I applied with told me I had no experience. Well, after five years of working jobs to survive, I am still told I don’t have enough experience when I apply for jobs. I have changed my resume to show areas of skills but can't seem to catch a break. What else can I do?

2. I'm interested in pursuing self-employment, and I want to talk to real entrepreneurs before I make a firm commitment. How do I find these people? I grew up in a home that valued science and education. I know where to look for scientists, engineers, teachers, and the like. I've spent 10 years in corporate finance, and I know how to find other bean counters. Can you please provide some suggestions about where entrepreneurs and the self employed are likely to be found?

3. My wife has recently started a transcription business. Since 1099 work is new to her (us), can you recommend any resources (Web or printed material) for 1099 "dummies" in the area of self-employment taxes, deductions, or other practical suggestions that I am sure we are overlooking? This business is currently supplemental income, as the majority of our household earnings come from my salary as a pastor.

4. I have decided to follow my dream of being an artist. I already have plans made that include an ebay store. At the moment, my biggest problem is my own procrastination. How can I conquer this problem I'm having?

5. Why are you not using talkshoe.com or some other system to stream your show live and/or accept audience calls?

6. I am 25 and currently have a bachelor of fine arts degree with an emphasis in painting.

If you have a question, just click on this 48 Days Online Radio link and you can ask about starting your own business, getting a better job, or finding your purpose in life.

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More Recommended Resources

Need to find your music?
The most popular product in the 48 Days arsenal continues to be the Computerized Personality Report. Before you begin seeking a better job or self-employment, you need to be sure you are pursuing opportunities that match your personality style and will fulfill and reward you for a lifetime!

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Dan Miller is the bestselling author of 48 Days To The Work You Love and a renowned Life Coach specializing in career fulfillment. His weekly newsletter reaches 70,000 subscribers. Dan’s articles are featured here at CBN every Tuesday, and you can find out more about Dan at www.48days.com.