I never saw them coming. Two bruising linemen crunched me like a human sandwich during an intra-squad scrimmage in college. I turned to hastily flip the ball away. Suddenly one of the defenders lost his balance and tumbled into my right leg.

My knee collapsed. As I crashed to the turf, a tremendous pain shot through my body and I lay on the ground, moaning.

When I went to the doctors to learn more about the damage, they weren’t sure whether my athletic career was over. But they promised, "you’ll miss next season."

After starting at quarterback for the University of Washington in the 1991 Rose Bowl, I wondered: Will I recover? Is football suddenly a part of the past? What’s next?

I had worked long and hard to reach the pinnacle of the Pacific 10 Conference. To this point it was one of my greatest rewards. But like most athletes, I never mapped out injury in my game plan.

Baseball, basketball, and football had been part of life since elementary school in Santa Maria, California. My father was the high school athletic director, and with his steady encouragement I climbed toward the top of athletics.

At a fairly young age my parents started going to church. Since my best friend was a pastor’s son, the Christian world became a part of my life too. Unfortunately, I separated God from my daily existence. By the time I reached high school, my talents had boosted me into a world of popularity and parties. When other guys thought drinking was the cool thing to do, I jumped into the action.

Although I twice had said prayers accepting Jesus as my Savior, He wasn’t Lord of my life. The worst thing was that I had no source of strength when I ran into problems.

That all changed my sophomore year of college. The director of a campus ministry invited me to hear an evangelist. His message was "Jehovah Rambo." He proclaimed that we served a mighty God, a powerful Lord who wants us to go out and make a difference in the world.

"God, I don’t want to be lukewarm anymore," I prayed. AI want You to give me strength to change every part of my life. I said You were my Savior, but now You are my Lord."

The next night we got baptized in a horse trough. Later that week, after studying Scripture verses about the baptism in the Holy Spirit, I prayed and received that gift too.

I was excited. After years of playing a pious puppet who had the power of a wet noodle, I knew a Source of strength who would carry me through every obstacle - including tearing two ligaments in my knee.

Before my injury, I spoke at the Billy Graham Crusade. Looking over the crowd of 50,000, I said, "If football ended for me right now, I know my life would still have meaning because of the love that Jesus Christ has shown me."

Football is a tough, demanding occupation. At the professional level everything moves faster and is more complicated. You are judged by performance. Fail to perform and you’ll be looking for another job.

Players also have to deal with the public’s expectations. Granted, we’re well paid and enjoy what we’re doing, but it takes internal strength to deal with life under a microscope. Playing before packed stadiums adds pressure.

The Lord didn’t give me ability to play football just so I could enjoy myself. "He allowed me to play this sport so I have opportunities to share my faith and be an example for Christ." God is at work in many ways throughout the NFL. Players regularly accept Jesus as the Savior. For example, in Jacksonville - the expansion team that drafted me before the 1995 season - we have Bible study, a couples study and weekly chapel services.

God has given me many opportunities to speak to youth groups, churches and men’s breakfasts. But the real thrill is the chance to speak with younger players just coming into the league. I love being able to tell them what God has done in my life.

No matter where I go or what I do, I will also be teaching others this truth: Jesus loves you. He died for you on the cross. Invite Him into your heart today, accept His forgiveness, and you will have eternal life. That is the greatest reward.

Reprinted from the CPR newsletter, September 1998

Paul Tournier observed, "The greatest tragedy in life is that most people spend their entire lives indefinitely preparing to live."

Planning has value where new ideas are concerned. But planning only has value to a point. When over-analysis becomes an excuse for lack of courage or initiative to implement an idea, it will eventually kill great ideas and worthwhile endeavors. If it becomes a regular practice, you and your organization will have difficulty succeeding.

Frank Tyger noted that, "Success is often just an idea away." Ideas are the lifeblood of any organization. How readily you act on the ones with great potential will often determine the rate and level of your success. If you can see that an idea will improve you, your people, or your organization, it's worth your time to implement as soon as possible.

If you spend more time thinking or talking about a great idea than taking steps to see it put into action, you may suffer from analysis paralysis.

Five Action Steps

Following these five steps will help ensure that great ideas within your organization won't die on the vine.

1. Write it Down. Stephen Douglas said, "Most ideas are lost if they're not written down within ten seconds." As with any important task, when you take the time to write it down, you decrease the possibility of forgetting it. Make sure that you describe the idea well enough to capture it's essence, so when it's time to move forward, you don't need to re-invent it.

Growth Tip: Put paper and pens in strategic places (for example, by your bedside or in your glove compartment) so that you will have something on hand to write down your ideas.

2. Involve Others. Having competent colleagues confirm the value of an idea often provides the added incentive that's needed to move forward. Encouragement is one of the most powerful motivators of action. And in the process of sharing an idea you may discover one better than the original.

Growth Tip: Make a list of 3-4 people whose opinion you value. Make sure that you have spoken to each before implementing an important decision.

3. Set A Deadline & Stick To It. Woody Allen once quipped that 80 percent of success is showing up. Once you've determined that an idea is valuable, set a deadline to implement it. This will encourage action and provides accountability within the organization.

Growth Tip: In order to effectively set time lines, you will need to become an expert in prioritizing.

4. Let Go Of Your Preconceptions. Samuel Johnson said, "Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome." Don't wait until everything is "perfect" to begin implementing a great idea. That time will never come. You'll be stuck waiting forever. Instead, throw out those preconceived notions of what can or cannot be done, and determine to set a new precedent in your thinking.

Growth Tip: Thinking "outside the box" is difficult for many people. Work on your creativity.

5. Just Do It. It's often much easier to act your way into thinking than to think your way into acting. The more time you spend acting on great ideas, the sooner you'll increase your organization's potential for success. Great ideas need landing gear as well as wings. Maurice Chevalier noted, "If you wait for the perfect moment when all is safe and assured it may never arrive. Mountains will not be climbed, races won or lasting happiness achieved."

Growth Tip: Break your idea into a step by step plan to make it more manageable, and start the first step today!

Jump At Great Ideas

Great ideas have a short shelf life. You have to act on them before the expiration date. Benjamin Franklin said, "To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at conclusions."

Make a commitment today to begin jumping at great ideas, rather than analyzing them to death, because the greatest brainstorm in the world is worthless if you can't find a way to harness it.

© 1999 John C. Maxwell. Reprinted with permission.

Moore’s Law states that, computer processing speed will double every 18 months. This has proven true since the advent of the personal computer. Less and less money can purchase more and more computing capability.

Independent of Moore’s Law, in recent years there has been continuing geometric growth in digital bandwidth. It is estimated that digital bandwidth is growing at a pace two to ten times faster than Moore’s Law. Less and less money can transfer more and more digital data.

"Moore’s Law is the atom bomb. Digital bandwidth is the hydrogen bomb," according to Rich Karlgaard, publisher of Forbes magazine.

Business Sectors Affected

These developments are transforming the way we do business. One sector at a time, the economy is migrating to the internet. Business opportunities are presented, and economic pitfalls abound.

Online favorites of consumers in 1998 - by greatest volume of purchase orders - are:

-Books (with over 5 million orders)

-Computer hardware (with over 4 million orders)

-CDs, cassettes & videos (with over 3 million orders)

-Travel (with over 2 million orders)

If you are in one of these business sectors, then you already know that "business as usual" can be fatal. To those who adapt, the rewards are great. Amazon.com has a greater market capitalization (stock value) than Barnes and Noble. (www.internetindicators.com)

New Business on the Web

The internet not only affects on-going businesses. It also levels the playing field for start-up enterprises. An online retailer may have little up-front investment in capital plant, inventory and distribution.

Niche markets can be exploited through online commerce in ways that would have been impossible years ago. Nate Burke and his classmate started The Arthur Wilbur Company while obtaining M.B.A. degrees from the University of Alabama in Birmingham.

Burke moved to Jacksonville after completing his degree program. He has seen steady growth in the sale of exterior home accent products through the online store (www.arthurwilbur.com). This has allowed him to be self-employed upon graduating from UAB.

It is not as easy as it sounds, according to Burke. Marketing the web site and keeping it up to date are important.

Software Development

Moore’s Law has also affected software development. Since computing capability is ever increasing (and memory is also less expensive) software keeps adding more features which are not needed by most users.

This trend is producing what is called "bloatware." It is estimated that Windows 2000 will contain over 29 million lines of code. In contrast, Windows NT 3.1 released in 1993 contained 6.5 million lines of code.

A Windows backlash is underway. Many Windows 95 users have not seen the need to update to Windows 98, unless it comes installed on new hardware. Also, the competing operating system - Linux – has gained support from Dell, IBM and Compaq with its "open source code."

In addition to software for operating systems, software for business – known as office suites - are continually updated with new features. Aside from concerns about Y2K compliance, businesses are more reluctant to update their software.

Moore’s Law and the continuing rapid growth in digital bandwidth are changing business as we know it. Successful companies will pursue new opportunities in e-commerce, while avoiding the fallacy that they can use last year’s business plan for next year.