Click HERE to view Rev. Jimmie Scott’s guided meditation during the service.
So there were these two elderly people living in Florida in a mobile home park. And Bill was a widower and Edna was a widow. And they’d known each other for four years, and they’d been dating for two. And so they had a big community dinner at the activity center and they sat together as they normally do, and gazing into each other’s eyes he grabbed her hand; held it tightly; looked deep at her and said, “Will you marry me?”
And she said, “Oh, yes! Yes! I will!”
And they danced and celebrated. And the evening culminated in a long embrace and several kisses. Then they went back to their respective residences.
Bill woke up the next day and he was really concerned, because he couldn’t remember if Edna said yes or no to his proposal! [Congregation laughs] He’d been having some trouble with his memory and was having a hard time recalling certain things. So a little anxiously he called her and said, “Hi, Edna! I had a wonderful time last night! You know I adore you so much! But I have to admit that my memory isn’t as great as it used to be. So last night when I asked you to marry me, did you say yes? Or did you say no?”
And he was glad to her say, “Well, I said yes! I said yes, and I meant it with all my heart!” And then she continued and said, “I’m so glad that you called, Bill, because I remember saying yes to getting married; I just couldn’t remember who asked me.”
[Congregation laughs] Alright. Okay.
So how many people would say that you’re living your life to the fullest? Okay; nobody’s raising their hands? [Congregation laughs] How many of you will admit there’s at least one area in your life where you know you could do more, give more and show up more fully? Alright. So how many people are ready for a change in your life to up-level and live at a higher level of vibration? Of peace, love and happiness? Amen to that!
And so we’re in the final week of our four-week series on “The 1% Rule.” And The 1% Rule really is a goal-setting, success-achieving system that helps us bypass the things that undermine our ability to achieve and have success.
The first thing it helps us bypass is the “New Year’s resolution cycle,” where we get all excited about some goal and changing and transforming our lives. And then two weeks later we’ve lost our momentum. And a month later we can’t even remember what goals we set!
And then the second thing is the myths and fantasies that we think about success. We think success is “highlight reel” stuff. You’ve got to make a billion dollars; you’ve got to be the president of the company; you’ve got to hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth kind of stuff. We think success is big and only big.
The third one is that we think that success is instantaneous. We think that we can just have overnight success. We’re all waiting to hit it big!
And then the fourth one is that there’s a “perfect time,” and we’re waiting for that perfect time to get started toward our goal.
And the final one is that everything should go the way we planned. And when it doesn’t, we just kind of fall apart.
When you think about it, all success really begins with a clear vision: a clear vision and intention that really kind of lights us up and gets us moving. It just jazzes us! It’s something connected to our heart and our soul — that we have a lot of passion for. And the other thing about a vision: It should be clear; it should be something that’s ours — not what we think other people think we should have. But the third one is that we should have at least one vision or goal that just kind of stretches us and makes us a little nervous and scared. You know; a little bigger than we even sometimes let ourselves believe that we could do or have or achieve. Sometimes you’ve got to dream big! It pushes and it stretches our faith. It pushes the edge of what our belief is to help us expand into more life than we sometimes allow ourselves to have.
Walt Disney would dream big! He wanted an amusement park where everyone in the world could come and enjoy, and he called it “the happiest place on earth.” That was his vision! Big! Thomas Edison had a big one; he wanted to create simple electricity to give light that would change society. And he did!
I’m giving those big examples not to say they have to be that big, but it has to be something big for you. Something that stretches you and expands you … that pushes you and brings out more in you.
And so the process of The 1% Rule is three things. One is to trust the process: to do the daily activities and steps towards your goal consistently. It’s proven: You don’t have to hit a home run all the time. It’s just about consistently doing the things that need to be done, and doing it trusting that the process will work. Like a farmer trusts that when he plants a seed and waters it that there’s going to be growth. A farmer isn’t thinking, “Geez. I want and try to make corn overnight.” It’s just like we want to have an instant success and overnight success. That’s just not healthy and realistic. The first one is: Trust the process and do the work consistently.
The second one is to celebrate your success. That if you did five more push-ups, if you made 10 more calls, if you said “No” and set a good boundary for the first time, celebrate those things! Acknowledge yourself for the good work you’re doing! We sometimes just wait until the end — when it’s over — to be happy and celebrate. No! Celebrate yourself now. And you know why that’s good? Because it gives us “juice” and motivation and energy to continue on. Harvard Business School did a study and it said that the number one thing that motivates people is progress. When you see a little progress and improvement, it drives you to keep going.
And the third one is to fall in love with the process. Stop making it a fantasy of how easy success could be. The reality is: It takes work; it takes consistent effort; and sometimes you’re going to run into adversity. Accept that and enjoy that process … and then you’ll enjoy it along the way, and not just wait for the end to be happy.
So today we’re going to wrap up with three things that we can do to help us “rule” The 1% Rule.
And the first one is to LEARN HOW TO GET THERE. You know, when we get excited at the beginning, the number one show-stopper that deflates our enthusiasm is thinking, “So how do I get there ? What do I do? Where do I start?” Even when we have a clear vision, the biggest thing that intimidates us is: “How do I go from here to there? What are the steps I need to take?” And sometimes we get so caught up in the logistics and the details, we feel overwhelmed. We start second-guessing ourselves and doubting ourselves. And we end up, not only procrastinating, but freezing. And that inactivity is one of the main things that kills our dreams.
Do you know not knowing how can either be an anchor that’ll weigh you down or it can be a catalyst that will drive you? And so you don’t have to know everything all at once, but you do need to at least do something at once. And one of the best ways to do that is just “chunk it down.” Instead of seeing your vision all the way, chunk it down to 90 days. And ask yourself, for your vision: “What would need to happen in the next 90 days for me to feel like I’m really making progress?” Think of your dream. In 90 days from now, what would need to happen for you to feel like, “Ahhhh. I’m making progress!”?
And [Baker] says: Just do three simple things. Have a 90-day outcome. His was: Make $35,000 in 90 days. Second one is: Figure out a 90-day process. His was to make 2,500 calls and leads. That was his process. And then the 1% process – doing one essential daily activity every day — was to make 27 calls a day.
And then another one he had for his fitness was: His 90-day goal was to do the Spartan Beast. Anybody know what the Spartan Beast is? It’s a 13-mile [race] with lots of obstacles to test your endurance. So that was his goal. His process was to go to the gym three times a week and to take two long hikes a week. And then his daily was to do one activity — lifting weights; biking; whatever — and have a good diet.
Another one could be a 90-day relationship outcome. And it would be to feel more closeness and connection with your partner in 90 days. The process would be like six date nights in that period and one trip that is an experience. And then the 1% — the absolutely necessary every single day, that one thing — trying to express creative appreciation to your partner. Every day find a way to express your appreciation of your partner.
It could be spiritual 90-day outcome of feeling more inner peace and less stress. The process would be: Wake up 15 minutes earlier. And then the 1% daily activity every single day would be: Meditate for 10 minutes.
You know, one of the things is: We look at it as such a large scale, but we need to just break it down. We need to start simple, but really we need to just simply start. Just starting and getting moving, and things will begin to happen. Einstein said, “Nothing happens until something moves.” Something has to move first! The details and the other stuff will come … but just get moving.
Do you remember that Indiana Jones movie where there was this big chasm between where he was and where he wanted to be. And then the way he did it was: He had to take a step out, even though there was nothing there. And when he put his foot out, then a support and a step came out. It’s actually the same thing with Moses! Do you remember at the Red Sea? They were there thinking that Pharoah’s men were going to come and get them? And the sea only parted after Moses put his foot in the water.
Sometimes you’ve got to put your foot in the water and then the thing will happen! If you start, God will begin to show you the way, and guide you, and show you the next step. You don’t need to know all the steps; you just need to know the next one and take it! And more and more will be revealed you as you go.
And sometimes it will change our courses. Sometimes we’ll go in a place where we didn’t expect we would, but it brought us great fulfillment. Let me give you some examples. Anybody know what YouTube was before it was YouTube? [Congregation murmurs] It was a dating website. And then they realized, through their feedback — they got clear — that people wanted to post content. And so that’s what they started doing.
Starbucks originally did not sell fresh-brewed coffee. They sold expresso machines and beans. That was 1971. In 1983 Howard Schultz, the CEO, went to Italy, was at a cafe there, and just fell in love with the whole idea of coffee in a cafe and specialty coffees. And we know what happened with Starbucks! One on every corner! It exploded with success.
Anybody know what Play-Doh originally was for? It was a cleaner of the black residue from coal heaters. There would be black residue on the walls, and they would put Play-Doh all over and when you pulled it off, all the black residue would come off. Well, we know what happened with the coal industry with gas and oil … and so they were trying to figure out: What do we do next? Then they heard of a teacher who was using the — they called it Kutol — the cleaner for arts and crafts with the kids. And so they changed from Kutol to Play-Doh. And still today — that started in 1930 — still today over $2 billion in sales.
I mean, one of the things I really want to impress upon you: You don’t need to know every step. In fact, it’s good that you don’t know every step. Because if you did know every single step, there would be no need for faith or believing or taking a risk or a chance! There’d be no need to learn or discover or create! Life would be less of an adventure if we knew every single step in advance. It is a good and wonderful thing, but we need to learn how to get there. And the way to do it is to simply start. Start! When you’re committed to the what and the way, the how will be revealed. The first step in “ruling” The 1% Rule is to learn how to get there.
And the second thing is to CREATE SOME URGENCY. How many people ever had two weeks to complete a project or read something, to write something, and you waited ’til the last minute? Anybody ever do that? [Congregation laughs] How many people here ever crammed for exams in high school or college? Any crammers?
But how many people would also admit that you get more work done when there’s a deadline and your back is against the wall? How many of you? It doesn’t sound like it’s an important thing, but quite frankly, urgency is vital in achievement and success … because it keeps us from wasting our time and procrastinating. And it helps us stay focused. And it helps us stay driven.
John Kotter from the Harvard Business School wrote a book and it’s called A Sense of Urgency. And he said that urgency is needed for success in every area of life. And, in fact, more urgency is needed when the stakes get higher and your goals get bigger.
But the deal is: We actually have to create our own urgency. And so here are some ways to create urgency. Take the 90-day thing and make it 60. Or another one is: Declare it to the world. Declare it to people that, “I’m going to do this.” Put it out there! A third one is: Develop a MasterMind group of people that you tell your goals. They support you and you support them. And there’s some accountability in there. And the last thing that creates some urgency is to look back at our life and say, “Am I really living the life I want to live? What have I done so far? And really, what do I want to do with the next stage?”
Because the reality is: the clock is ticking for all of us! We are not meant to be here forever. And one of the things about urgency is: it’s not trying to create stress or anxiety or pressure. But it’s trying to say: So what do you want to do with your time? Are you willing to make your goals and your dreams your priority while you have this particular time, of which we have no idea of how long it is?
And we could use urgency to make us do things we sometimes take for granted … like telling the people in our lives that we love them. It can help us in saying, “Hey, why am I worrying about this thing so much? Why am I creating so much drama?” You know, urgency is about saying that, “I have a certain amount of time, of which I don’t know what. so how can I use it in the best way possible? And what would be the priorities? And am I really driven to achieve this and create this experience? And what are the ways that I could brig light and love and goodness into the world while I’m here?”
And then the final way to “rule” The 1% Rule is to MAKE A CHANGE IN YOU. Henry Ford once said that, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten!” The fact is: Most of us want our lives to change without changing. You know what I mean? But if we want our lives to change, then we need to change. And unless there’s inner change, the outer change is not going to last. Most of us would like to just say, “Shazam!” and then our lives would change! But it really won’t last very long.
Somebody once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and hoping for a different result. If we want our lives to get better, we need to change. And it needs to be an inner change.
Everybody remember the Parable of the New Wine in Old Wineskins in the Book of Matthew? It’s a very, very powerful parable about this. And so Jesus said that new wine cannot go in old wineskin. and the reason is: Old wineskin is stretched. And old wineskin is rigid. And old wineskin is inflexible. But new wine expands! With the fermentation process, it produces carbon dioxide gas. It has to have room! So if you put new wine in old wineskin, the old wineskin will burst, and it will waste the wine.
So new wine needs new wineskin so it can have the capacity to expand and develop the full flavor and be protected and not waste.
Similarly, the new thoughts in an old mindset will not last. That a new thought has to be in a mindset that can expand, not one that is rigid for it to have greater success. And so we really need to make sure we ask: What is the new wineskin? What is the new consciousness I have to develop so that the ideas of the wine within can have the room to expand and grow and be developed? Does that make sense? [Congregant: “Yes.”] Even if it doesn’t, that’s what I’ve got … so that’s pretty well … [Congregation laughs]
So my question for you is: When you think about your vision, what is the mindset or consciousness you have to expand to to have greater success? What is something you need to accept or heal or let go? What wisdom or insight do you need to gain to get that consciousness to fully support the kind of life you want to have?
Because that consciousness needs to change! You can have anything you want in your life, but first you must become it in consciousness.
You know, they always say that people who win millions in the lottery … that a year later, they tend to lose it. Part of it, I would say, is that they don’t have the consciousness of abundance — of how to handle and live and manage that level of wealth. And so for whatever it we want, we need to ask: What’s the inner change? What’s the expansion in my mindset and my perspective and my awareness — and my confidence — that I need to change to support this dream that I have?
I’ll tell you: When you hear things about goal-setting and intention like this — a clear vision; do deep work with focused attention and intentional action — the greatest thing we could do for ourselves to get the most out of those things is to EMPTY YOUR MIND REGULARLY. Focus is important. Intention is important. Clarity is important. But we’re the vehicle through which it comes, and the best thing we could do to help ourselves be more successful is to just empty and quiet ourselves. Just be still and relax. To let go once a day for five minutes; just let go of whatever we’re holding on to. Whether it’s our goals or dreams or ambitions, just let it all go.
Remember the Beatitude that said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”? It means: Blessed are those who empty themselves of all human concerns and thoughts, for they will be in the presence of the kingdom of heaven. So the more we empty and let go, the more we open a space for God to be a channel. We become a channel of light. We can be filled with love. St. Francis said it beautifully! He said, “Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace.” That the more we can open ourselves to be a channel and a vehicle and a path, guess what? The more love and wisdom and goodness can come and flow through us with greater ease.
One of the things is: You can have anything you want if you’re willing to do the work. The physical work; the emotional work; and the mental work. Your business can go great if you’re willing to do the work. Your relationship can be improved if you’re willing to do the work. Your health. Your happiness. Your spiritual connection. All of them can improve if you’re willing to do the work.
The one thing I think The 1% Rule shows is: There’s power in consistent, daily work. In taking daily, consistent actions, there is incredible power. You don’t have to hit a home run; you just have to stay in the game consistently day after day.
You know what a “big shot” is? A big shot is just a little shot that just kept shooting! [Congregation laughs] And this is what you’ve got to do: Just consistent, little actions. In the long run, it pays off hugely! The 1% Rule works if you work it!
I was watching TV the other day and I saw a Burger King commercial. And their little slogan is: “BK — Have it your way.” And it ends with, “You rule!” I love that! I don’t know what it means, but it sounds fantastic! [Congregation laughs] It’s like, “You’re amazing! You’re powerful! You are in charge! You’re the boss! You’re the king of your kingdom! You’re the queen of your queendom! You rule!!!!!” How empowering is that?!?
In the Book of Genesis, it says God gave us dominion and authority over all things. That’s God’s way of saying, “You rule!” [Congregation laughs] When it comes to your thoughts, you rule! When it comes to your words, you rule! When it comes to your attitude, you rule! When it comes to how you react to the adversity in life, you rule. When it comes to your happiness, and your peace of mind, you rule. When it comes to how kind and generous and compassionate you are, you rule.
Whatever conditions or situation you find yourself in, you rule!
Somerset Maugham, the great English writer, wrote a story about a janitor at St. Peter’s Church in London. And one day, one of the young vicars found out that he was illiterate and fired him. And then the jobless man went and invested the little bit of money he had in a tobacco store. And over several months, it did well, and he got a tobacco store. And another and another … And he ended up being worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. And his banker said, “You’re amazing! You’re worth hundreds of thousands of dollars! And you’ve done so well … and you’re illiterate! Could you imagine where you’d be and what you’d be doing if you could read and write?”
And he said, “Yeah! I’d be the janitor at St. Peter’s Church!” [Congregation laughs]
And the point I’m trying to make is: Nobody had perfect conditions. Nobody has ideal circumstances. But it’s what you do with it. Everything doesn’t go our way, but guess what? In every situation, we have a choice of how we act; how we react; how we show up. You’re a powerful creator! So you don’t need to wait until New Year’s to create a resolution to discover The 1% Daily Impact Rule has incredible power to change our lives. The time is now! And when it comes to your ability to create a better life and achieve great things — you rule!
God bless you all!