10 LESSONS FROM "AN ENEMY CALLED AVERAGE BY JOHN MASON" 

1. BE PERSISTENT

“Persistent people begin their success where most others quit. Here’s a simple key to success in any area of your life: be known as a person of persistence and endurance. One person with commitment, persistence, and endurance will accomplish more than a thousand people with interest alone.”

2. CONTROL YOUR TIME 

“All great achievers understand the value of controlling their time. They know that we human beings have been created equal in this respect: every one of us is privileged with twenty-four hours a day. What we do with each day matters.

Give your best time to your most challenging situation. It’s not how much you do that matters; it’s how much you finish. Here’s a key: Say no. Saying yes when you should say no is one of the biggest reasons for wasting time.” 

3. INDECISION IS DEADLY

“Indecision is deadly. Some of the most miserable people are those who can never make a decision. When the mind is in doubt, it is easily swayed by slight impulses, opening the door to many wrong decisions. Many times indecision causes things to go from bad to worse. The middle of the road is a dangerous place to be.”

4. DON’T PROCRASTINATE

“Procrastination is a killer.

When you kill time, you begin to kill ideas and directions God has placed within you. The Living Bible’s version of Ecclesiastes 11:4 says, “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.”

5. DON’T WORRY 

“There is a story about a woman who cried profusely while standing on a street corner. A man came up to her and asked why she was weeping. The lady shook her head and replied, “I was just thinking that maybe someday I would get married. We would later have a beautiful baby girl. Then one day this child and I would go for a walk along this street, and my darling daughter would run into the street, get hit by a car, and die.”

It sounds like a pretty ridiculous situation—weeping because of something that will probably never happen. Yet we act this way when we worry. We blow a situation out of proportion that might never come to pass.”

6. WRITE THE VISION DOWN

“In Habakkuk the Lord tells the prophet, “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it” (2:2 NKJV). This Scripture reveals the key to successful goal setting.

The vision must be written. When you keep a vision in your mind, it isn’t really a goal; it is nothing more than a dream. There is power in putting that dream on paper. When you commit something to writing, commitment to achievement naturally follows.”

7. TAKE RISKS 

“Significant achievements have been obtained by taking large risks on important issues, and not the other way around. Never waste time planning, analyzing, and risking on small ideas. It’s smarter to spend more time on decisions that are irreversible and to spend less time on those that are reversible.

Learn to stretch and reach out to where God is. Aim high and take risks.” 

8. TAKE SMALL STEPS 

“Every successful person I know is very good at doing the small things well. Don’t be afraid to take small steps. Don’t worry about the goal; just take the steps that take you past the starting point. Soon you’ll get to a point of no return. As you climb higher, you’ll be able to see much farther.

We should all learn to grow wherever we’re planted.”

9. FORGIVE ALWAYS

“Never underestimate the power of forgiveness to free you to fulfill your calling. Forgiveness is the one power you have over a person who slanders or criticizes you. The farther you walk in forgiveness, the greater the distance you put between yourself and the negative situation.

Forgiveness gives you a spring in your spiritual walk and a second wind in the race of life.” 

10. TAKE CARE OF YOUR THOUGHTS

“Nobody can ever make you feel average without your permission.”

Thank you for reading.