Editorial: The Traveler’s Gift, A book report by Gene Steiner

I recently read an excellent book titled The Traveler's Gift in which the author shares many important life principles. I have adopted many of these life principles as my own. I urge you to purchase a copy and read the book this week.

This book is sort of life time travel wherein the author meets several of the most significant world leaders (movers and shakers) who have ever lived.

One line in the book stands out in my mind over all others in the first 3 chapters. It is one of the most significant phrases in the book and can be found on page 22.

In reference to God, Harry S. Truman said to the main character of the book (David Ponder) "He believes in you!" I take that to mean that it is no accident that David was chosen to receive certain revelations from the Lord that are mentioned in the book.

Actually, David Ponder's life is no different than any of ours. From this specific instance we can generalize to see that God cares for every one of u: you, me, everyone: and He desires the best for us as individuals and as Believers. He, above all others, wants us to be a success in everything we do. And we shall be, for He is not finished with any of us yet!

Briefly, I want to address the seven principles of this book.

I. The Buck Stops Here! Adversity is preparation for greatness.

Harry S. Truman has been known for his capacity and ability to make the right decision that served ultimately to save the lives of several million American soldiers and that quickly ended World War II. His clear thinking steered our nation through that perilous time. He also took personal responsibility for his actions. Right or wrong, he made the decision and stuck by it.
We can glean from this chapter that our own decisiveness opens the door to our success. For all of us, our thought patterns have shaped our actions and lives up to now. Our destinies, though, are our own to shape as we go into the future.

For whatever decisions we make in like, let us ask God to give us the wisdom and ability to be decisive and then not second-guess ourselves. Let us seek wisdom and the counsel of others when confronted with a decision and then welcome the challenges that may come as both gifts and opportunities.

1. Let us become teachable and learn from our superiors and mentors; think constructive thoughts; control our thoughts, feelings, emotions, and words; make the most of the opportunities presented to us each day; not misplace blame on others for uncontrollable forces; choose to no longer think or share negative thoughts; encourage others also to accept responsibility for their own actions and become personally accountable for their own successes, as well.

II. I Will Seek Wisdom. I will choose my friends with care.
As with the biblical King Solomon, so with us. Our acquaintances, our friends, our co-workers all have a great influence upon our lives. In my own life, I have paid special attention to guard and maintain my personal integrity and the honor of my good name, for to have a godly reputation is important in our daily walk with God. We must be faithful and true to ourselves, and in our associations and interactions with others so that they will have confidence in us as individuals and as leaders. Trust and respect are to be earned. In order to rise above mediocrity, we must have godly wisdom and behave wisely at all times. So we ask God for wisdom and just as Solomon did in his day. We cannot control others actions, thoughts towards us, or response to our reaching out towards them, but we can be faithful and true to ourselves and treat others with dignity, respect, compassion, and if need be with courage. After all, we are all equal in God's sight.

Our reputation must be earned, then kept, held on to and guarded. For a good name is better than riches.

Years ago I pursued the principle of cultivating a servant's spirit in my own life and encouraging others to become servants. Jesus said, the greatest among you, let him be a servant. Hopefully others will see us as God sees us. But if not, we need to leave the results to Him and not try to manipulate anyone for personal gain or advantage.

III. I am a person of action! I can make a decision and make it now.
Chamberlain was in a war. The battle raged. Yet even in the face of what looked like sure defeat Chamberlain believed in his cause and spoke the decisive command to his troops to Charge! Charge! Charge!!

In each of our lives we have the opportunity to be passive and retreat or to evaluate and decide, to continue on a present course of inaction that may lead to a sure defeat or we may choose to take action.

When faced with the opportunity to do nothing or do something, I will choose to act. I am choosing that this is the moment, the hour, the day, the week, the month and year to make a difference in my life and future. I choose to move forward and to become the person God intended for me to be.

I will motivate others under my supervision or influence to grasp these same concepts, for their future is in their hands. We will not be mediocre. We will be courageous, bold, decisive! And this choice and decisiveness will lead to our success. We will not fear failure. We are not quitters. We will hear form the Lord, become self-motivated to action, and we will accomplish His purposes for our lives.
IV. I have a decided heart. Therefore, my destiny is assured.
I am excited about the daily opportunity for personal growth, the challenges I will overcome, and my hopes for the future. As it says in the book, I am not timid. I will move now, and I will not look back. I do not procrastinate. All my problems become smaller when I confront them. I will not wait. I am passionate about my vision for the future. My course has been charted. My destiny is assured. And like Christopher Columbus about which this chapter is centered, my destiny is assured. I have a decided heart.
V. Today I will choose to be happy. I am the possessor of a grateful heart.
Joy and gladness have always marked my life as an individual. Happiness is my personal choice. However, from this book I have learned the importance of greeting each day with laughter as my outward expression of enthusiasm. So from this moment on I will choose to laugh more inwardly and outwardly. I will be more alert to the possibilities of each day, and I choose to increase the level of my personal happiness. Smiling will become more important to me from now on. The smile in our voice will be my calling card. My enthusiasm for life will draw others to rally around me. I purpose to have and maintain a good attitude at all times. I will not live by my feelings. I will live with my faith and trust in God. I am the master of my emotions. I will enjoy living and serving others.

VI. I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive myself.

I once wrote a book on the power of forgiveness. I believe in this principle. Yet The Traveler's Gift, stresses the great value of forgiving oneself for past failures and mistakes. So, with God's help, today we ask for our hearts to be cleansed and for God to renew a right spirit within us.

Today will be a day of new beginnings. This is biblical – for the old has passed away and look! All things are become new. I will choose to erase self-doubt and frustration that has hindered so many in the past. My life is binning today - afresh and anew. I will encourage those who are in covenant with me to practice the principles of possessing a forgiving spirit and walking in newness of life.

VII. I will persist without exception. I will find a way where there is no way.

Chapter 9 in the book encourages us to be people of faith, not just people of reason. At the end of the book, after encountering the Angel Gabriel, David Ponder had a vision of his city twenty years in the future with a city street named after him, having an arena named after him, having a major foundation named after his family. This showed that even though he had apparently lost the vision for these things, when Gabriel brought the possibilities of success to his attention, the embers of hope, his faith-filled vision for the future, the flames of desire to succeed, his passion for life swelled. He determined that he would persist without exhaustion. His harbor on the stormy sea of life was in sight once again! He determined to be a person of great faith! I am a person of great faith! And so are you!

I will motivate others to excel, to believe in themselves, to set their goals higher, to focus on results, to persist until personal success is achieved.

Regarding the role of being thrust into a position of leadership: I will at all times encourage others to become personally responsible for their words and actions, to maintain a positive attitude, to be punctual and faithful in attendance, to respect authority, to develop their professional skills to their fullest, to be happy and joyful in their work, to be teachable, to maintain integrity and possess high moral standards. I will do all I can to motivate others to live their lives in the spirit of excellence as unto the Lord.

If you have not read the book The Traveler's Gift, I urge you to get the book and read it right away.

Let me know if and how this brief synopsis of the book has been an encouragement to you.

Gene Steiner