PART TWO: PRIVATE VICTORY

HABIT 3: Put First Things First: Principles of Personal Management

Focus on What Matters Most 🌟👍

Habit 3 is about putting first things first—like doing what’s most important, not just what’s loudest. Think about one thing you could do to make your life better, like exercising or reading more. It’s your choice to take charge and make a big difference every day! 🌈✨

It builds on Habits 1 and 2: You’re the boss of your life, and you imagine your goals. Now, Habit 3 is doing it—making those dreams real, step by step. It’s like planting a seed and watering it daily to grow strong. Start small, stay focused! 🌱🚀 #LifeGoals #Habit3 Be Your Own Boss Every Day 🧠💪

You’ve got special powers: imagination, conscience, and will. Habit 3 uses them to manage yourself. Instead of waiting for others to tell you what to do, decide what’s important—like helping a friend or finishing homework—and do it your way! 🕒🌟

It’s not about being perfect; it’s about sticking to what you value, like honesty or kindness. When you say “no” to distractions (like too much TV), you say “yes” to your goals. That’s real power—leading yourself! 🙌🔥 #SelfManagement #BeProactive

PART TWO: PRIVATE VICTORY

HABIT 2: Begin with the End in Mind: Principles of Personal Leadership

Imagine Your Future 😊🌟

Imagine going to your own funeral. Picture your family and friends there, talking about you. What do you want them to say? That you were kind, fun, or brave? Thinking about this helps you decide what’s most important in life, like love and helping others. Focus on that now! 😍🙌

This is Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind. It’s like picking your destination before you start a trip. Know where you want to go—like being a good friend—so every step you take gets you closer. Start today with what matters most to you! 🌈🚀 #LifeGoals #BeYourBest Plan Like a Builder 🏡🔨

Everything’s created twice—first in your head, then for real. Like building a house, you dream it up before you hammer a nail. Think about your life the same way. What do you want to make? A happy family? Cool projects? Picture it first! 🧠✨

Habit 2 says to start with a clear goal. Don’t just be busy—be smart! If you don’t plan, you might end up somewhere you don’t like. Imagine your best life, then make it happen, step by step. You’ve got this! 🌟👍 #DreamBig #PlanSmart

PART TWO: PRIVATE VICTORY

HABIT 1: Be proactive: Principals of Personal Vision

Be Proactive: Take Charge 😊👍

You can choose how you act, not just react! Imagine standing above yourself, watching your thoughts. That’s self-awareness, a cool human power animals don’t have. It lets us learn from mistakes and grow, making us the boss of our own lives, not our moods or feelings. 😎✨

Viktor Frankl showed this in tough times. In Nazi camps, he chose how to respond, finding freedom in his mind. You can too! Focus on what you can control—like your attitude—and not what others say or do. That’s being proactive, and it makes you strong! 💪🚀 #BeProactive #MindPower Self-Awareness Rules 😍🌟

Think about your thoughts—cool, right? That’s self-awareness! It’s like a superpower that lets you step back and see yourself clearly. You’re not your feelings or what others think. This helps you fix bad habits and understand others better, making life awesome! 🧠🎉

The “social mirror” can trick you with stuff like “You’re messy!” or “You’re slow!” Don’t believe it! Those are just opinions, not who you are. You decide your own map of life by choosing what’s real and good for you, not what others push. 🙌🌈 #SelfAwareness #BeYou

PART ONE - PARADIGMS AND PRINCIPLES

The Seven Habits - An Overview

🌟 Habits Shape Us 🌱

Who you are comes from your habits—like brushing your teeth every day! They’re little things you do a lot, and they show if you’re kind or strong. Habits can pull you down or lift you up, like astronauts breaking free to the moon! 😊🚀

Changing habits isn’t easy—it takes time and heart. I know you can do it, though! Like learning to ride a bike, you practice and get better. Work on knowing what’s right, how to do it, and wanting to—and you’ll soar! 💖✨ #YouGotThis #GrowEasy What’s a Habit? 👀

A habit is something you do a lot—like playing games! It needs three parts: knowing why, knowing how, and wanting to. If you don’t listen to friends, you might need to learn all three to be a better buddy! 😍🌈

I once forgot to listen, but I worked on it. It’s like climbing a ladder—each step makes you better. Keep trying, and you’ll break old habits and make new ones that make you happy and strong! 🌟💡 #BeKind #LearnMore

PART ONE: PARADIGMS AND PRINCIPALS

Inside-Out

🌟 Inside Out Living 🌱

Life’s better when we live kindly and honestly. Some people I’ve met have lots of success outside but feel empty inside. They want to feel good about themselves and love their families, but something’s missing. Let’s find what really matters together! 😊🌈

Sometimes we try quick fixes, like new goals or diets, but they don’t last. I learned we need to change how we see ourselves first—like helping my son feel strong inside. Real change starts in your heart, not just what you do! 💖✨ #LifeLessons #BeYou 🧠 Seeing Differently 👀

How we see the world shapes everything. I once tried fixing my son’s struggles with school and sports, but it didn’t work until I changed my view. Seeing him as awesome just as he was made all the difference! 😍🌟

It’s like looking at a picture—some see a young lady, some an old one. Both are right! Our views come from our lives, and that’s okay. When we try to see others’ ways too, we grow kinder and happier. 🕊️💡 #SeeTheGood #Kindness

📕COMIC: Labor is a Partner (1949) 🧵👇🏻

“This comic book tries to undermine the notion of an inherent class struggle between labor and capital. Notable for taking jabs both at communists and at the capitalists who "confuse something good with the evil of communism".

🔗

#Comics
#Socialism
#Propaganda
1/17lcamtuf.coredump.cx/communism/Labo… 2/17

🌿🙏 A Call to Silence for Lent

Lent is a special time to get closer to God. Long ago, monks went to the desert to pray in quiet. We can’t do that, but we can try to be still. Turn off noisy stuff like phones or games sometimes. It helps us hear God better! 🤫✨

The world is so loud with TikTok, YouTube, and more. It’s fun, but it can fill our hearts too much. Let’s take breaks from screens and chatting. Maybe no social media for a bit? Quiet lets us think about God and feel peaceful inside. 🌟🤐

Try sitting still for 10 minutes a day—no talking, just listening. It’s hard, but don’t give up! God loves when we try. Being quiet helps us know Him more. Let’s do this together for a happy Lent! #Lent2025 #BeStill #Orthodox #ListenToGod 🙏💖
Archbishop Tihon Letter sent to Holy Apostles Church, 3/2/25, Oklahoma

Read full letter below: 👇🏻 1/2 “I have our Metropolitan Tihon calling the vessel on the beginning of the Great and Holy Fast.

To the clergy, monastics, and faithful of Northern Orthodoxy in America, our beloved children of the Lord, glory be to Jesus Christ. Glory be to Jesus Christ.

We read in the life of St. Athenios the Great that in the time of the great Palestinian monastic
fathers, many of the monks had a practice of retreating into the desert not just for the 40 days of Lent, but for the entire period between Theophany and Palm Sunday. This practice is
referenced in the hymns of the Triodion. At Matins, on Friday of the sixth week, the last day of Lent, the final Troparion of the second canon proclaims, All who dwell in the deserts, in
mountains and in caves, draw near and assemble with us, to meet the King and Master with palms in your hands, for He comes to save our souls.

Such a practice is unthinkable in our time, even for most monastics. Still, this practice holds an important lesson for all Orthodox Christians as we prepare for Great Lent.

Namely, that ascetic effort should not be divorced from silence. Hezekiah, a withdrawal from the tumult of the world. In fact, the cultivation of silence has a
special value in this age of constant noise. Social media platforms capitalize, quite literally, upon our endless engagement with one another.

Advertising is ubiquitous, invading every nook of our life, sometimes in truly insidious forms. Thanks to smartphones, a barrage of “entertainment”, podcasts, TikTok videos, YouTube shorts, spot-on TV shows, Spotify playlists, mobile games, is constantly at our
fingertips. News outlets try to persuade us to read or watch or listen to the world's happenings on a 24-hour-a-day basis.

Streaming services like Netflix and live streaming services like Twitch provide us with a nearly endless river of “content.” And the prevailing ideology tells us that self-expressions and making ourselves heard are among life's highest values.

However, if we constantly fill our eyes and minds with soul-numbing entertainment, what room do we leave for
the encounter with God?

If we constantly fill our ears with the sound of our own voice and opinions and expression, how shall we hear the eternal word of the Father? Therefore, I call upon each of us, all the clergy, monastics, and faithful of the Orthodox Church in America, to make a Lenten commitment to cultivate silence in our life in some concrete way.

I offer here but a few examples, asking each of us to consider adapting the practice of silence to the realities of our own daily life. We might fast from posting on social media, or perhaps fast from using social media entirely, even passively.

Limit our time on the computer by turning it off at dinnertime and not turning it on again until after breakfast the next day….”
(continued 👇🏻)

🙏✨ Glory Be to Jesus Christ

When we read the Gospel, it’s like God talking to us! Jesus, who made everything, came to live with us. His words show us how to love and live right. It’s so special to hear Him in church or at home. 🕊️📖

Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, your heart is too.” If we love things in this world too much, life feels like a big race. But if our treasure is in heaven, everyone’s a friend, not a rival! We help each other get to God’s kingdom. 🤝💖

So let’s get ready for the Great Fast with forgiveness and quiet fasting. Pray more, forgive others, and don’t show off. It’s all about growing closer to God together! Join the Forgiveness Vespers tonight. #Faith #Forgive #GreatFast #Orthodox 🌟🙌

Fr. Ambrose, 2/23/25, paraphrased homily, Holy Apostles Orthodox Church, Oklahoma.

Read full homily below: 👇🏻 1/3 “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Glory be to Jesus Christ.
Glory forever.

When we read the Gospel, and most especially when we read the words, the preaching, and the teaching of Christ in the Gospel, you should understand that it is God Himself speaking to us. When we confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the
Holy Trinity, the God who made everything, who has come in the flesh to live among us, then we have to understand that when we read His words in the Gospel, or we hear them being read
in the Church, this is God Himself speaking to us.

And the Lord tells us, Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. It's an exhortation to us. An exhortation to us to orient our lives in a particular way.
In a particular direction. Which, incidentally, if you don't know it, the word orient means to face east. It comes from the Middle Ages, where all churches were facing east. To be properly oriented means you are facing the correct direction for prayer. But this exhortation from the Lord is, Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. So we either have treasure in this world, or we have treasure in the Kingdom of God. This is the distinction that is set up for us in the Gospel. And if we look at it, it's a very appropriate idea for us to contemplate here on the eve of the Great Fast.

If our treasure is in this world, if our hopes are in this world, if any kind of hope we have for happiness or pleasure
or anything like that is in this world, then what happens? How do we approach everything? Our world becomes, our life becomes one of competition.

Every other human being becomes a competitor, becomes an opponent, and anything they have becomes something that we ought to acquire in order for us to have pleasure or happiness or what have you in this world.

Conversely, if our treasure is in heaven, what does that look like? Well then everyone is no longer a competitor or an opponent, but they're an ally.

In fact, it is with them and through them that we must ascend to the Kingdom where our treasure is.

Saint Silouan famously said, my brother is my life. And there's a saying, I don't know who said it first, but we go to heaven together, but everybody goes to hell alone. So in other words,
everyone becomes an opportunity, not just an ally, but someone whom we need.

And every offense that is not forgiven becomes an open wound, preventing us from attaining that treasure which we desire in heaven. And the Lord tells us the way to get there. How do we arrive at this place, heaven, where the Lord dwells and where our treasure is? He speaks about
fasting, but He speaks very briefly about fasting…” (continued 👇🏻)

Next up is Part 4's Chapter 9 - MAKING PEOPLE GLAD TO DO WHAT YOU WANT! It’s about getting folks pumped to do stuff your way. These tricks make them smile while they help out! 1/ Colonel House had to tell Bryan he wasn’t picked for a big peace trip. “You’re too awesome for this!” he said. Bryan grinned, happy to stay home! Making him feel like a VIP flipped a sad no into a big yes—super smart move! ✈️😎

Next up is Part 4's Chapter 8 - MAKE THE FAULT SEEM EASY TO CORRECT! It’s about cheering people up so fixing mistakes feels like a breeze. These tales show how to turn flops into wins! 1/ A guy stunk at dancing, and his first teacher said, “You’re hopeless!” He quit. The next one? “You’ve got rhythm, just tweak a bit!” He danced better fast, feeling like a star. Saying “It’s easy!” beats “You’re awful!” every time—it’s pure magic! 💃✨

Next up is Part 4's Chapter 7 - GIVE A DOG A GOOD NAME! It’s about boosting people by giving them cool reps to match. These stories show how a good name beats a bad one every time! 1/ Henry Henke had a mechanic slipping up. No yelling—he said, “Bill, you’re a top fixer! Lately, it’s slow, but I know you’ll rock it again!” Bill perked up, fixed his game fast, and shone bright. A sweet rep turned him into a star worker! 🔧🌟

Next up is Part 4's Chapter 6 - HOW TO SPUR PEOPLE ON TO SUCCESS! It’s about cheering people on with praise to make them shine. These stories show how a little “Yay!” goes a super long way! 1/ Pete Barlow trained dogs with pats and treats when they got better, even a tiny bit. No whips—just big cheers! It worked like magic. People are the same—praise, not yelling, makes us want to keep rocking it. A little “Good job!” changes everything! 🐶🌟

Next up is Part 4's Chapter 5 - LET THE OTHER PERSON SAVE FACE! It’s about keeping people happy even when they mess up. These tricks stop hurt feelings and make everyone feel like a champ! 1/ General Electric had to switch genius Charles Steinmetz from a job he flopped at. They didn’t embarrass him—they gave him a cool new title instead! He stayed proud, they stayed chill, and it all worked out awesome without any drama at all! ⚡😎

Next up is Part 4's Chapter 4 - NO ONE LIKES TO TAKE ORDERS! It’s about how bossing people around flops, but asking questions rocks. These stories show how to get stuff done without making enemies! 1/ Owen D. Young never barked orders at work—he asked cool stuff like, “What do you think of this?” or “Could this work?” His team loved it, fixed their own goofs, and felt super important. No yelling, just smart hints that made everyone happy to help out! 💡😊

Next up is Part 4's Chapter 3 - TALK ABOUT YOUR OWN MISTAKES FIRST! It’s about sharing your own goof-ups before pointing out someone else’s. These stories prove it’s a superpower for fixing things! 1/ Dale Carnegie’s niece messed up as his secretary big time. He didn’t scold her—instead he said, “I’ve made way worse mistakes at your age—like that time I flopped hard!” She felt better fast, and he helped her fix it easy. Owning his mess-ups made her listen up! 🤓✨

Time for Part 4's Chapter 2 - HOW TO CRITICIZE....AND NOT BE HATED FOR IT! It’s all about pointing out mistakes without making enemies. These stories show how to be super nice and still fix things fast! 1/ Charles Schwab saw workers smoking under a “No Smoking” sign. He didn’t yell—he gave them cigars and said, “Smoke these outside, boys!” They thought he was the coolest boss ever and followed the rule. No fights, just fun and respect won the day! 🚬😎

Kicking off Part 4's Chapter 1 - IF YOU MUST FIND FAULT, THIS IS THE WAY TO BEGIN! It’s all about being nice first, even when you need to point out something not-so-great. Let’s dive into some awesome stories that show how it works! 1/ President Coolidge told his secretary, “That’s a pretty dress, and you’re super cool!” She blushed, then he added, “Just keep it up, but watch your punctuation.” Starting with sweet words made the fix-it part easier to hear! 👗😊

Time for Chapter 12 - WHEN NOTHING ELSE WORKS, TRY THIS! It’s about a super cool trick to get people excited and working hard when nothing else does. Let’s see how a big boss made it happen! 1/ Charles Schwab had a mill manager whose team wasn’t making enough stuff. The manager tried yelling and threatening, but nada worked. The crew just wouldn’t budge - until Schwab stepped in with a genius idea! 🏭🔥

Next up is Chapter 11 - THE MOVIES DO IT. TV DOES IT....WHY DON’T YOU DO IT? It’s all about making things exciting so people pay attention. Imagine turning boring stuff into a super cool show - that’s what this chapter teaches us! 1/ Once, a newspaper was in trouble. Rumors said it had too many ads and not enough news. So, they took ALL the stories from one day, made a 307-page book called One Day, and sold it cheap. It proved they had tons of awesome stuff to read! 🎉📖

🕊️ ☦️ Wisdom: The Ultimate Glow-Up

🌟 Hey ladies, wisdom’s calling your name! Andrei Borisov saw wisdom as Holy Sophia, beckoning you into divine love 💖, while saints like Catherine and Eugenia shone with it for Christ.

Wisdom’s pure power ⚡—Solomon chose it over gold, and God blessed him with everything else. It’s our key to knowing God’s creation and the Creator, outshining life’s distractions.

So, skip the drama and embrace wisdom 📚—it lights your mind and keeps evil away. It’s the ultimate way to level up in this chaotic world!

#WisdomVibes #FaithInAction #GirlPower #SeekWisdom

🔗Andrei Borisov, 18th century
Read More: samstar-biblio.ucoz.ru/publ/62-1-0-14…


Full English Translated Read here: 🧵👇🏻

1/ “The most honest bride of Christ!
 
It is decent for your maiden sex to practice the doctrine of wisdom, and it is sacred and honest, almost it is almost possible to say, because the most wisdom, according to grammar, is feminine, and Saint Sophia is written on the holy icons (it is written in Greek, and in Russian it will be wisdom) in a girlish form, if you, a virgin, are, attracting you into ardent love.
 
And the holy virgin Catherine, the Great Martyr1, succeeded in wisdom, as many philosophers shamed their beloved Bridegroom with the faith. Also, the holy maiden Eugenia2 had great wisdom. And your local holy former abbess Solomonia Dionysievna3, as the denomination of the name is likened to the all-wise Solomon3, so in wisdom an indispensable imitator of him and from her in her life did not fail to weave an invaluable crown, which still remains immortal.
 
Be an urgent imitator of all of them and crown your maidenhood with unappreced wisdom. That she in this life can be the most pleasant and more beautiful: wisdom because according to the Holy Scriptures themselves enlightens the reasonable, and even it and no malice can overcome it*. And the wise Solomon just fell in love with what the highest preferred incomparably more than gold and silver and did not ask God for either kingdom or wealth, but then desired wisdom. For which the Lord God gave him both kingdom and wealth with wisdom, and also rewarded him with immortal glory.
 
And from this one should think that all of course the wisdom is pleasing to all the wise God, for which he rewards those who love with the most pre-warding reward. Koliko will reward you in the future and completely present you before Saint Sophia, also now reverently besed by you. Make friends with her, make friends, I speak, with the holy Wisdom, more than all vain friendships, almost now in vain before the eyes of the perishing.
 
We will be friends with the honest Wisdom, but she will teach us how to be completely afraid of God: the beginning of her is the fear of God. Then he will teach the knowledge of all the things created by God, so that we, having fully knowed God's creation, will know the Creator himself perfectly. For he has brought everything from nothingness into existence, righteously and owes him righteously and glory from all our teaching, honor and glory to him alone.
 
And we will be glad also that we have been in this world in the fate of his goodness…”

(continued👇🏻)

Hey, so we’ve been vibing on how to win people over in the last chapter, right? Now let’s jump into Chapter 10: "An Appeal That Everybody Likes." This one’s about winning by hitting their good side! 1/ Everyone thinks they’re awesome deep down—even crooks like Jesse James! Appeal to that good vibe, and they’ll listen up fast! 😊💪