"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" "That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence.

Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

When Apple computer fell on difficult times, Apple's chairman (Steven Jobs) traveled from Silicon Valley to New York City. His mission was to convince Pepsico's John Sculley to move west and run the struggling company. As the two men overlooked the Manhanntan skyline from Sculley's office, he started to decline the offer. "Financially," Sculley said, "you'd have to give me a million-dollar salary, a million dollar bonus, and million dolloar severance." Stunned but desperate, Jobs agreed. But Sculley would have to move to California. Sculley would only agree to being a consultant from New York. Exasperated, Jobs challenged Sculley: "Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want to change the world?" In his autobiography Odyssey, Sculley admits the challenge "knocked the wind out of me." He'd been so consumed with his petty dreams and his comfortable surroundings that an opportunity to change the world nearly passed him by. He put his life into perspective and went to work for Apple.

How often I found where I should be going only by setting out for somewhere else.

The biggest things are always the easiest to do because there is no competition.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

Lord, grant that I may always desire more than I can accomplish.

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal.

He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.

We promise according to our hopes and perform according to our fears.

A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.

Strong reasons make strong actions.

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

I dread success. To have succeeded is to have finished one's business on earth, like the male spider, who is killed by the female the moment he has succeeded in his courtship. I like a state of continual becoming, with a goal in front and not behind.

Discovery consists in seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought.

You cannot achieve the impossible without attempting the absurd.

Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the apples in a seed.

You must never mistake a clear view for a short distance.

In 1945 Masura Ibuka decided to begin company in the ruins of war-torn Japan with 7 people and $1,600 in personal savings. They started the business, and then had a brainstorming session to decide what sort of products to make. They thought about sweetened bean paste soup, miniature golf equipment, and slide rules. They decided to make rice cookers, but the cookers didn’t work. So they tried a tape player, and it flopped in the market. Who wants to work in a company like that? 8 guys in a bombed out basement with $1,600 who can’t cook rice? But Masura Ibuka did something remarkable: he sat down and thought about what he wanted his company to be like. Not what he wanted them to make, or what sort of profit he wanted to turn: what he wanted the place to feel like. What kind of a company would it be, and on May 7, 1946 he wrote this: Purposes of Incorporation · To establish a place of work where engineers can feel the joy of technological innovation, be aware of their mission to society, and work to their heart’s content. · To pursue dynamic activities in technology and production for the reconstruction of Japan and the elevation of the nation’s culture. · To apply advanced technology to the life of the general public. Management Guidelines · We shall eliminate any unfair profit-seeking, persistently emphasize substantial and essential work, and not merely pursue growth. · We shall welcome technical difficulties and focus on highly sophisticated technical products that have great usefulness in society, regardless of the quantity involved. · We shall place our main emphasis on ability, performance, and personal character so that each individual can show the best in ability and skill. Now who wants to work in a company like that? Congratulations, you just signed up as one of the first seven employees of Sony.

Put your Nose to the Grindstone! -- Amalgamated Plastic Surgeons and Toolmakers, Ltd.

Imagine a rubber band, stretched between your vision and current reality. When stretched, the rubber band creates tension, representing the tension between vision and current reality. What does tension seek? Resolution or release. There are only two possible ways for the tension to resolve itself:pull reality toward the vision or pull the vision toward reality. Which occurs will depend on whether we hold steady to the vision.

An accurate, insightful view of current reality is as important as a clear vision.

What We Do For People: mnemonic for Worship Witness Discipleship Fellowship Prayer Also (this is ET's) 3 ships and a praying witness

In 1774 John Adams boldly declared, "Someday I see a union of 13 states, a new nation, independent from Parliament and the King of England." He was the first to express that idea publicly and just a few short years later and against all odds, the United States was born. In 1789, an Englishman named William Wilberforce stood before the British Parliament and yearned for the day when slaves would no longer be bought and sold like farm animals. 20 years later, the slave trade was officially abolished in the UK. In late 1800's, Orville and Wilbur Wright pictured a day when people would fly through the air. 10 years late, on December 7, 1903, the Kittyhawk lifted off from the sandy beach in North Carolina. And in the late 1940's, Billy Graham and a few college buddies gathered and dreamed of filling stadiums around the world presenting the gospel to people who were on their way to a Christless eternity. Through their efforts more than 210 million people have heard the gospel in person and over a billion have heard it via TV and radio. What was the common denominator in all these people? Vision!. As leaders, all too often we suffer from the myopia of Alice in Alice in Wonderland. In her conversation with the Cheshire Cat Alice asks, "Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" "That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the cat. "I don't much care where," said Alice. "Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the cat. "So long as I get somewhere," Alice added as an afterthought. "Oh, you're sure to do that," said the cat, "if only you walk long enough." Leadership is not about "getting somewhere" it's about getting to the desired destination and vision provides the needed roadmap. During times of change and uncertainty people are concerned about their future and desire some assurance about what is ahead. Vision provides hope and direction for those around you. As a leader you will be called on to provide that necessary visionary leadership so remember three vision principles: 1. Get To High Ground Only as you move up to higher ground will you be able to gain perspective on your situation. From that vantagepoint you'll begin to catch a glimpse of future possibilities and previously unforeseen opportunities. You will never move ahead by constantly looking in a rear view mirror. Remember your history, respect your heritage, and learn from your past. Your past is a rudder to guide you, not an anchor to drag you. Resist the temptation to stereotype your leadership and God's activity in it by dwelling on the past. The principles that motivate God's work in our lives never change - but the actions of God change as He sees fit. Don't allow your memories to be greater than your dreams 2. See Where God Wants You To Go We can recall our mountaintop experiences of the past, but fail to discover God's work in the present. God has blessed, but are we to be satisfied with past blessings? By having a vision for the future we are empowered and cannot help but radiate hope and purpose. In Proverbs 19.18, Solomon writes, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." Another translation renders it as "Where there is no vision, the people cast off all restraint." Without a God-honoring vision, we will walk around aimlessly. 3. Just Do It! Vision is not just reserved for Fantasyland - must begin to implement and live by it. What would our world be like if people like John Adams had not envisioned a new country? If the Wright brothers had said, "Man isn't meant to fly!" or Billy Graham had said, "No thanks God, I'm not willing to grab hold of that vision." Give your vision substance and obey what God has called you to do. In the movie City Slickers you may remember "Curly" the rough tough cowboy. In his dialogue with Billy Crystal he distills all of life down to one thing. He says: "You city folks come up here, same age with the same problems. You spend 50 weeks a year getting knots in your rope and come up here thinking 2 weeks will untie it. None of you get it. Do you know what the secret of life is? The secret of life is just one thing. You stick to that and everything else don't mean nothing." Billy Crystal then asks Curly what that one thing is and his response is: "That's what you've got to figure out." What's the one thing that God would have you do? Stay the Course, Greg Morris mail@leadershipdynamics.org www.leadershipdynamics.org

No stream will rise higher than its source.

Golden Buddha of Trimitr Temple Weighs approximately 5 1/2 tons, the 15-foot tall seated image is worth in the neighborhood of US$14 Million. The Golden Buddha was cast sometime in the 13th century and is an excellent example of the gracious Sukhothai style that is still very much in favor to this day. At some point, it was covered in plaster, most likely in an attempt to hide the valuable icon from thieves or looters. The disguise was so good that everyone apparently forgot about what was hidden beneath. King Rama III had the statue moved to Bangkok and installed in a temple near where the Oriental Hotel is today. That temple fell into disuse and was completely abandoned around 1931. The true nature of the Golden Buddha wasn't discovered until it was moved to its present location at Wat Traimit in 1955. When the image was being prepared for its move, some of the plaster was chipped off, revealing the gold underneath. Bits of the plaster can be seen in a case to the left of the statue.

If one advances confidently in the direction of their dreams, and endeavors to lead a life which they have imagined, they will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.

Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your vision is the promise of what shall one day be; your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.

Just as no great painting has ever been created by a committee, no great vision has ever emerged from the herd.

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great."

If you can dream it, you can do it. Always remember that this whole thing was started by a mouse.

Pastors who give their congregations only what they want are seldom able to lead them to new heights. If Moses had listened to his congregation and appeased them, the people of Israel would have returned to Egypt and bondage. A visionary pastor is one who is able to shake and rattle her or his people for the cause of Christ.

Talk doesn’t cook rice. – Chinese Proverb

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.

There is no magic in small plans. When I consider my ministry, I think of the world. Anything less than that would not be worthy of Christ nor His will for my life.

"The essence of coaching is the attention to details and the monitoring of results -- these are what help leaders realize visions and accomplish goals."

It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link of the chain of destiny can be handled at a time. – Winston Churchill

High aims form high characters, and great objectives bring out great minds. -- Tryon Edwards

One doesn’t discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.

Without a vision, the bureaucracy grows. By: Pete Hammond Source: Pete Hammond, lecture, 1971

You can always amend a big plan, but you can never expand a little one. I don't believe in little plans. I believe in plans big enough to meet a situation which we can't possibly foresee now. By: Harry Truman Source: Harry Truman in Harry S. Truman, Margaret Truman, Morrow & Company, 1973, page 78