The Right Partner

1. Character
2. Chemistry
3. Compatibility
4. Commitment

My Attitude = My Altitude

Attitude is the core of my heart.
It shows the root of my character.
It's the being, not the doing.
And God is more interested in our being than our doing.
Then we can bear good fruit.
Read Matthew 5 - Beattitudes

My Attitude in life determines my Altitude in Christ.
Attitude = Humility (Servant's heart) + Willingness + Positive Outlook

God often has to allow my own plans to be broken so that He can give me bigger and better plans.

I am the clay. He is the Potter. Read Jeremiah 18.

Those who feel they are most ready to serve usually are the most unready.

When I feel I am not ready yet willing to take up the challenge, that's when God will use me. Let God's will be done.

Therefore, work on the little things entrusted to me and commit my life to God.
And my destiny will be revealed by Him in time to come.

God puts me through His dealings so that I can shine for Him.

Preparation For Your Presentations by Jim Rohn

Persistence in your presentations, this is one secret to success. After my first presentation, I got up and did it again. Even though I was scared to death, I did it again. And that second one wasn't too good, but guess what. I did it again, and I did it again. And I worked up my courage, and I did it again. I committed to it, and I did it again. And finally, it got to be a little bit easier. I got a little more acquainted with the art of presenting. So have something good to say in your presentations. Preparation for your presentations, this is another key aspect. Here are some words to help you in preparation.

To prepare to have something good to say, keep a keen interest in life and people. Don't let your senses go dull here. Guess what most people are trying to do - get THROUGH the day. Here is what I am asking this unusual audience to do - get FROM the day. Get from the day a clear picture of the drama of human life - some doing is right, some doing is wrong. Some gathering in; some throwing it away. Some building reputations; some letting it all slide.

Get from the day what is happening in politics. Read the newspapers. Read the magazines. Find out what's going on. Get from the periodicals. Get from what's happening. Get from your job. Get from your career. Get from the people around you. What is happening in the community? Get from all of that. The positive side, the negative side.

My parents used to say, "Attend everything." Some things are so costly; they might be out of reach for a while. Andrea Bocelli came to Beverly Hills. Guess what the tickets cost? $2,500.00 for a two-hour performance. That is pretty good pay. So some things might be out of reach, but whatever you can go to, get to. Save up the money and go, so that you will be more aware of what is going on around you.

Keep up that interest in people. Why do they do what they do? How come things are happening today that didn't happen thirty years ago?

Now the next word is fascination. Be fascinated with life and people and drama that is live and in color every day. Cinemascope. Fascination goes a little bit beyond interest. Interested people want to know does it work. Fascinated people want to know how does it work.

Kids have this unique ability to learn several languages in a six, seven-year period, and the reason is because they are so fascinated. They are so interested. They are so curious. Kids have to know, and that is how the drama of their learning takes on such speed in a fairly short period of time is because of this unusual interest and fascination and curiosity. We're walking on ants, and kids are studying them. They say, "Don't walk on those ants. I'm studying them." How come an ant can carry something bigger than they are? That is a good question. They must be unbelievably strong if they can carry something bigger than they are.

Here is something else I've learned. To be fascinated instead of frustrated. It is just a little trick to play. The next time you're tempted to be frustrated, see if you can't turn it into fascination. Instead of a frown, it puts a smile on your face. Now sometimes you look a little weird, but so be it. He says, "How can he smile?" I don't know. He must be somebody different.

Babe Ruth - Home Run King - back in those days of baseball used to strike out and come back to the bench smiling. They used to say, "Babe, you just struck out. How can you smile?" "I'm just that much closer to my next home run. Just stick around. It won't be long. One will be sailing over the fence." So find things fascinating instead of frustrating. Just try it. I've learned how to do it. Now make this note. It doesn't work every time. Nothing works every time, but every time you can get it to work, guess what? It will benefit your day. You'll get more from it. You'll be fascinated instead of frustrated.

Now I've also learned the ultimate. I'm fascinated by my own frustration. How come it doesn't take me long to loose it on occasion? It must be from my father's side. My mother was a gentle soul. Just find it all fascinating. I've talked to a lot of the Network Marketing companies over the years, and I give them that little clue. Somebody joins and you think they're going to stay forever, and they leave right away. You have to say, "Isn't that interesting?" And someone you thought would never make it, sure enough they become superstars. You have to say, "Isn't that interesting?" You say, "I thought they'd stay forever, they don't stay. Isn't that interesting. I didn't think they'd do anything, look what they're doing. Isn't that interesting?"

So that is a good phrase. Find it interesting. Find it fascinating. Wow, I never thought that would happen. I had another picture in mind. Wow! Was I ever wrong. And it's good sometimes to be wrong on the positive side. I didn't think it was going to work, and it worked. Say, "What if somebody doesn't look at your business opportunity?" Say, "What if they do?" It doesn't take much to turn the question around. Say, "What if they won't join after they look?" "What if they do? What if they join and stay." But I've got a better question, "What if they do stay?" "What if they quit after three months?" I have a better question, "What if they stay?"

So sometimes little tricks you can play to give yourself a different look because somebody could either stay or leave and wouldn't it be better to assume that they would stay and then if they leave say, "Isn't that interesting?" I have learned to do that with myself. "Wow! Look what I did. Isn't that interesting? Wow! I thought I was going to behave better. Wow! I lost it. Isn't that interesting? I thought for sure that wasn't going to bother me. Sure enough. I thought I had a handle on this. Looks like I've got some work to do." Find yourself fascinating and interesting as you journey through life. Give yourself a chance.

Now here is the next word that is very important if you want to be a good communicator, and that is sensitivity. Sensitive to someone's drama and trouble and difficulty. As you contemplate your own, now you can be sensitive to someone else. And there is no better way to be helpful than to do your best to try and understand. Here is the old phrase we've heard it, let's jot it down this time. "Learn to walk in someone's shoes for a while. Try to understand where they are." How come they're in this dilemma? Maybe it's something I don't know. I don't understand. How come this person is losing his temper when he should keep it? Who knows what might have happened the last three weeks. I don't know. Let's give somebody room by trying to understand.

Be sensitive to someone lashing out and being difficult at the same time. Hey! We can handle that. We don't have to retaliate and fight back. Can't we say, "Maybe there's a good reason this person behaves in this way." That is an easier way. Sensitivity. Trying to understand. Trying to comprehend the full drama of human experience. One of the greatest phrases in the Bible, "Blessed are the peacemakers." Guess what a peacemaker is? Someone that you hope is around when the conflict could be resolved. Someone who understands both sides and brings them together. Say, "I know you've got some animosity, but now that you've fought and that didn't settle it... couldn't we get together and reason this whole thing out.

So in times of conflict, we look for a peacemaker. And the peacemaker has to understand both sides of the issue. Say, "I understand your dilemma, and I can see where you're coming from, and I can understand why you said what you said then you said what you said. But hey! Isn't there a better way? Couldn't we find a better way to settle it all?" And that is what we are looking for.

Parents have to learn to be peacemakers when there are two sides to an issue and maybe neither one is that far wrong. But to try to settle it, we have to understand both sides. We have to understand the feelings on both sides, and that kind of sensitivity gives us a wonderful opportunity to grow, so that we can communicate and our words will be meaningful. Then the test comes, and the drama comes and the time comes to step up and speak or to sit down and speak or to be quiet and speak or to be loud and speak. Whatever that might call for, we'll be prepared if we do have a genuine understanding. So preparation in all areas of life is so vital to your success. Don't be lazy in preparing; don't be lazy in laying the groundwork that will make all of the difference in how your life turns out.

Staying Connected by Os Hillman

Psalms 143:8
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul.

Two of the greatest inventions of my time has been the laptop computer and e-mail. The laptop means I no longer have to stay in one place to be productive in my business life. E-mail has allowed me to stay connected to people all around the world with the touch of a button.

My greatest frustration is when either of these does not work. Sometimes e-mail cannot be used because I can't get a connection. Sometimes I cannot use my laptop because I have not properly charged it, and then the charge runs out while I am on an airplane. Both of these situations mean I am unable to tap into the resource that allows me to fulfill my calling in my work to the fullest.

The morning time with God is much like these situations. God pours His Word into my spirit, and I am recharged. This recharging has an important effect on my day. It allows me the greatest opportunity to hear the small voice that directs my steps. If I refuse to "get connected," I risk following my own ways of fulfilling the duties of my day. It sets forth the opportunity for God to speak into my spirit what He desires for me each day. It allows me to focus on God's purposes, not mine.

The only way to know someone is to spend time with him or her. The only way to discern the voice of another is to hear that person's voice. David, the author of this psalm, was a warrior, king, and businessman. He understood this principle of connecting with God in the morning. His morning allowed him to connect with God's love, renew his trust in Him, and hear His directions for his life. Shouldn't you and I do the same?

The Parable of Talents by Brian Tracy

The Parable of the Talents is the primary reason for wealth or poverty throughout history.

Reasons for Rich or Poor
Why do some people retire rich and most people retire poor? This subject has fascinated philosophers, thinkers, mystics and teachers throughout the ages. There have been so many cases of hundreds or thousands and even millions of men and women who have started with nothing and become financially independent that people are naturally curious to know why it happened and what are the common rules or principles that others can apply to become wealthy as well.

Why People Become Rich
One illustration of this key principle is called the parable of the talents. In the Bible, it says, "To him that hath, shall more be given, and he shall have abundance. But from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away."

Accumulation Leads to More Accumulation
What does it mean? In the modern world, we say "the rich get richer and the poor get poorer." The fact is that people who accumulate money tend to accumulate more and more. People who don't accumulate money seem to lose even that little bit of money which they have. Why should this happen? The great success principle, the single idea that explains human destiny is simple. It says that, "you become what you think about, most of the time."

Control Your Thoughts
And whatever you dwell upon, grows in your reality. You create your entire world by the things you choose to think about and how you choose to think about them.

It just so happens that wealthy, successful people fill their minds with thoughts, words, pictures and images of wealth, affluence, success, productivity and solutions to problems in the marketplace, most of the time. These thoughts trigger the reticular activating cortex, the part of the brain that makes you more alert and sensitive to things that you have decided are important to you.

Activate Your Reticular Cortex
For example, if you decide to invest in a mutual fund, you will start to see news and information about mutual funds everywhere. Mentions in newspapers and magazines will jump out at you. These notices have always been there but now you have sensitized your brain to pick them up and draw them to your attention with far greater frequency and vividness. This is the function and power of your reticular cortex.

Avoid Poverty Thinking
On the other hand, what do poor people think about most of the time? Unfortunately, poor people fill their minds with thoughts of scarcity, lack, poverty, being unable to afford things. They are always thinking and talking about how little money they have, how much things cost and how they wish things could be better financially. What they think about most of the time is how little money they have.

Think Like Wealthy People Think
Wealthy people from an early age think about how much they have, how much they want and all the different things they can do to acquire and earn the money and things they desire.

Find Out How Rich People Think
Here's a rule for you. If you want to become successful, find out what failures do and don't do it. If you want to be wealthy, find out what poor people think about, and avoid thinking in those ways. Instead, find out how wealthy people think. Find out what they read. Find out how they spend their time. Study their lives, read their stories and autobiographies and listen to their words when they are interviewed and on tape. The more you find out what financially successful people think and talk about most of the time, and do the same things, the more rapidly you will enjoy the same rewards that they do.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do to put this parable of the talents into action:

First, make a decision today that from now on you will think and talk only about the financial success that you desire. At the same time, you will refuse to talk about or dwell upon your financial problems.

Second, instead of saying, "I can't afford it," instead ask the question, "How can I afford it?" When you think of something that you want or need that you don't have the money for at the time, the only question you ask is, "How?" How can you get it? What can you do to achieve it? What are your options? How can you get from where you are to where you want to go? This type of attitude will change your life.

The Seven Pillars of Society

1. Family
2. Religion
3. Business
4. Government
5. Education
6. Arts
7. Media

The Marketplace = 2 to 7
Reach out! Impact the Marketplace! Change Society! Change Nations!

A Leader’s Moral Intelligence” by Tim Elmore

Some years ago, while I was living in San Diego, I read an intriguing article in our city newspaper. It seems a woman and her young son were in a toy store one day and found a wallet. When they looked inside, they were astounded. They found nearly $2,400, a credit card and a ticket to the Bahamas. At first, Pauline Nichter thought the money was fake. After all, she said, they were in a toy store. But, alas, those Benjamins were genuine. According to the article, Pauline thought for a second about keeping it. But only for a second. She knew it would be wrong and she knew how important it was to set an example for her son. So, she turned it in to the police.

It was then that the real story unfolded. This woman and her son were homeless. A few months earlier both she and her husband had lost their jobs and now the three of them were living in their car. It wouldn’t be long before they would lose that as well, since they couldn’t continue their payments.

Think about it. They had almost nothing—and yet this woman still turned in every dime of that money she found in the store.

Her behavior set off an amazing series of events. Money, job offers and words of affirmation poured into that police station on a daily basis. Within weeks, she and her husband had over 700 employment opportunities, thousands of “thank you” letters, their car payments were made current, and they were given an overwhelming amount of cash...far more than if she’d kept the money in the wallet. In fact, one man walked into the police station and inquired about the exact amount of cash inside the lost wallet.

When he was told, he wrote a check for that amount and said, “Well then, that’s what this family deserves.”

Pauline and her husband responded by saying through her tears, “We had no idea this kind of reaction would happen. This is beyond our wildest dreams. All we did was the right thing.”

So what makes this kind of honesty and integrity so memorable? That’s simple. Because it’s so rare. What makes it so rare? In this day and age we live, let me suggest a few reasons.

First, we are very pragmatic.
It’s far too easy for us to rationalize keeping a lost wallet or camera or lottery ticket we find on the ground. We say: "It’s just a little thing," or "They must have insurance." We are masters at justifying our own needs and desires.

Second, we are impatient. Returning a lost item or explaining our right behavior can be a hassle and we are in a hurry to get to our own goals. We have no time to mess with forms or explanations. Sometimes it costs too much time and energy to do the ethical thing.

Third, we love progress. Sometimes, our love of progress can erode our integrity. Last month, I shared the story of a high school basketball coach who returned the state championship trophy because one of their players, who was ineligible, played for 45 seconds in a playoff game. Most of us would have said, “It’s no big deal! He only played for 45 seconds, and he had no bearing on our victory in the championship game!" Our love of victory can fog our sense of right and wrong.

Last month, we discussed why leadership integrity is in such demand. In this article, I want to unpack why its so important and how to develop it. We are calling it: moral intelligence. All humans have moral intelligence—to a greater or lesser degree. In the same way we are born linguistic (and have the capacity to speak a language) yet must still learn a language in our early years, we are born with the capacity to live morally, but we must learn to embrace integrity and morality.

Why Should Leaders Care?
So what’s the big deal? Why must leaders care so much about integrity and morality? Is it more important for leaders than anyone else? Why do we make such a huge issue out of character?

1. Character builds credibility.
Leaders won’t accomplish much if people don’t believe they are credible.

2. Character earns respect.
We all wish we got more respect. We don’t get it by pursuing it; we get it by building character.

3. Character creates consistency.
There’s nothing worse than a moody leader. Strong character enables you to live consistently.

4. Character earns trust.
Leadership operates on the basis of trust. People follow you in proportion to how much they trust you.

How Do We Develop Moral Intelligence?
Let me remind you that moral intelligence is not your I.Q. That measures your mental intelligence. It also isn’t your E.Q. That measures your emotional intelligence. Moral intelligence measures the depth of character you possess and the level of integrity you practice. It answers the question: Do you live and lead by your ethics? Let me give you a few action steps you can take to build your moral intelligence.

1. Interview leaders who possess character.
In the same way you learned to speak English by being around a family that spoke the language, you learn character by being around it. Find leaders who practice integrity and get around them. Spend time asking questions about how they developed it and how they think or make decisions.

2. Perform two practices each week that you don’t like.
I’ve done this for years. Find two actions each week that your flesh just hates to do; things that are difficult and require discipline to perform. Purposefully do them. It may be a chore, or cleaning up your desk or eating broccoli. This will build your character just like weight lifting builds your muscle mass. Keep your fleshly pleasures subordinate to your spiritual discipline.

3. Fix your eyes on a clear purpose and set some goals.
Few things keep us pure better than noble goals. Identify a goal that will stretch you and set some action steps that will move you toward that goal. By staying focused on an objective outside of yourself, you will find it easier to develop character.

4. Find one worthwhile need and give anonymously to it.
Here’s what I’ve discovered. When I give anonymously to some cause or need, my character grows each time I do it. It’s just how God wired us. When the reward is only in the act, not in being paid or thanked for our deed, our moral intelligence is what grows.

5. Learn the “why’s” behind God’s commands.
When we discover why God commands us to live a certain way, it helps us to live up to it. In fact, it also helps us to begin thinking like God thinks and valuing what He values.

6. Write out promises you’ve made.
By putting your promises on paper, you’ll often find a greater propensity to keep them. Sometimes it’s what marks the difference between living up to them and not achieving them.

When leaders pursue the construction of their character instead of pursuing some leadership position, it actually makes them more attractive. One might even argue it communicates a greater readiness for a leadership role. When someone says: “I will lead myself before I try to lead anyone else” it magnetically draws people to trust them. They become winsome and it positions them to be followed by others.

During the 1800s, Henry Clay was a politician who wanted to become president. However, he all but lost his chance to do so one afternoon in front of congress. That day, he planned on speaking on behalf of a bill that was very unpopular. His leglislation would call the states to a higher responsibility, and few liked it.

Just has he stepped up to the podium a friend grabbed him and said, “Henry—if you try to pass this bill you will ruin your chances at becoming president!”

Henry Clay just looked down at the bill in his hand and asked: “But is this right?”

When his friend replied, “Well, yes, I believe it is,” Henry Clay responded with these classic words: “Well then, I’d rather be right than president.”

Oh, could we use those words today.

Changing Lives ... One At A Time ....

Plan Every Day In Advance by Brian Tracy

You have heard the old question, ”How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!”

Your ability to plan well, in advance of beginning, is a measure of your overall competence. The better the plan you have, the easier it is for you to overcome procrastination, to get started , and then to keep going.

Make A List
Always work from a list. When something new comes up, add it to the list before you do it. You can increase your productivity and output by 25% or more from the first day that you begin working consistently from a list.

Plan the Night Before
Make out your list the night before, at the end of the workday. Move everything that you have not yet accomplished onto your list for the coming day and then add everything that you have to do the next day. When you make out your list the evening or the night before, your subconscious mind works on your list all night long during sleep. Often you will wake up with great ideas and insights that you can use to get your job done faster and better than you had initially thought.

Create Different Lists
You need different lists for different purposes. First, you should create a master list on which you write down everything you can think of that you want to do some time in the future. This is the place where you capture every idea that comes to or every new task or responsibility that comes up. You can then sort out the items later.

You Need A Monthly List
Second, you should have a monthly list that you make up at the end of the month for the month ahead. This may contain items transferred from your master list.

Third, you should have a weekly list where you plan your entire week in advance. This is a list that is under construction as you go through the current week.

Create A Daily List
Finally, you transfer items from your monthly and weekly lists onto your daily list. These are the specific activities that you are going to accomplish that day.

As you work through the day, tick off the items on your list as you complete them. This activity gives you a visual picture of accomplishment. It generates a feeling of success and forward motion. Seeing yourself working progressively through your list motivates and energizes you. It raises your self-esteem and self-respect. Steady, visible progress propels you forward and helps you to overcome procrastination.

As you work through your lists, you will feel more and more effective and powerful. You will feel more in control of your life. You will be naturally motivated to do even more. You will think better and more creatively and you will get more and better insights that enable you to do your work even faster.

When you plan each day in advance, you find it much easier to get going and to keep going. The work goes faster and smoother than ever before. You feel more powerful and competent. You eventually become unstoppable.

Action Exercises
Begin today to plan every day, week and month in advance. Take a notepad or sheet of paper and make a list of everything you have to do in the next 24 hours. Add to it as new items come up. Make a list of all your projects, the big multi-task jobs that are important to your future.

Lay out each of your major goals, projects or tasks by priority, what is most important, and by sequence, what has to be done first, what comes second and so forth. Start with the end in mind and work backward.

Think on paper! Always work from a list. You’ll be amazed at how much more productive you become, and how much easier it is to eat your frog.

Ability & Dreams

I heard this before.. just suddenly remember this quote:
My brain is the same size, no matter if i dream big or small,
it's still the same size! So why not dream BIG!?!

Today's lesson:
My ability grows to the level of my dreams.
If my dream is small, my ability will reach that small level.
But the bigger it is, my ability will reach that high level.
That's the meaning of taking myself one level higher. Yeah!

With all thanks to my God Almighty, Creator of all things!
And He is the Creator of me.. to glorify Him.
And by His grace and power, Amen!

Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Your Brain is the Greatest Computer Ever Created by Ron White

Have you ever walked into a room and couldn't remember what you went there for? Have you ever grasped the hand of a potential client and then when the handshake broke, the name seemed to disappear from your memory? Or have you ever left a prospect and as you drove away remembered a key point that you should have shared with them?

Of course you have... we all have. However, I have some great news for you. Your memory is nowhere near as bad as you may think it is. Recently, I was a guest at a radio station in Waco. The disc jockey wrote a 50-digit number on a sheet of paper and told his listening audience and then played a three-minute song for his audience.

As the listeners enjoyed the song I memorized the 50-digit number. When the song was over we went back live on the air and I handed him the paper. I then proceeded to say the number forwards and then I said it backwards. The disc jockey looked at me in utter disbelief and stunned he said, 'Ron... you are incredible!' I looked him straight in the eye and replied, 'You know... you are right!' I said, 'Jay, the greatest computer ever created does not come from Dell or Gateway. The greatest computer ever created does not sit on the assembly line of a computer factory. Instead, you and I are the greatest computers ever created. And yes... you are right. I am incredible... but so are you.'

The human memory has the ability to hear a 100 digit number or more once and then repeat it forwards and backwards, it has the ability to memorize a Shakespearean play word for word or memorize the stats of every baseball player for the last 100 years, and the human memory has the capability to meet 100 people in 20 minutes and recall every single name!

Now, the question is, are you doing these things? If not, the reason is simply that you have not been trained to. Two thousand years ago a Greek named Simonedes developed a memory method called 'Loci'. With this method, Simonedes numbered locations in his home. He started in the doorway and then logically proceeded around his home. He reviewed these items so many times mentally that if you asked him what was number 25 then he could instantly tell you what piece of furniture that number corresponded to.

These 25 objects were actually mental files for Simonedes. Then if he had a list of items he wanted to recall he would place them mentally on these objects in his home. Let's say that you are a professional who wants to give a speech without notes. Simply turn the key points into pictures and then file them to your 'house files'. When you are called upon to speak simply mentally walk through the house and give your talk without notes.

For example, recently I gave a one hour keynote in Atlanta at a home builders conference. I wrote my speech out the night before. The first thing I wanted to do was talk about the book, 'How to Win Friends and Influence People.' So I visualized the book on my front door and then mentally walked through my house and gave the one hour talk without notes! That can work for you as well. Anything that you want to recall simply turn it into a picture, place it on your house files and get ready to be amazed! YOU are the greatest computer ever created!

-- Ron White

PCs still changing the world at 25 years old

SAN FRANCISCO - Personal computers have transformed society in a mere 25 years and they are just getting warmed up.

In the short time since IBM launched its pioneering PC on August 12, 1981, teenagers have gone from hiding secrets in locked diaries to baring all on social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace.

Rather than inking letters to faraway pals, people send instant messages while watching friends on web cameras.

Computerized mobile telephones banished worry about missing calls or finding friends in crowds.

Long-distance toll calls have yielded to free chat via computers linked by the Internet.

People can search online for anything from love to medical advice or bargain airfares.

Computers have enabled the masses to make videos, books, music or films at home for global consumption. Apple Computer's iPod music and video players have engendered a style of do-it-yourself radio called "podcasting."

Personal computers have given the world telecommuting, video games and sedentary lifestyles blamed for expanding waistlines.

Humanity's accumulated knowledge has been migrating to the Internet for anyone to find while computers have become smaller, faster and more versatile.

"It has made a stunning difference in people's lives," Electronic Frontier Foundation legal director Cindy Cohn told AFP.

"And we are still in the early stages of this stuff. We will see a big leap when wireless is ubiquitous. Things you and I couldn't dream of."

The unprecedented access to people and information provided by computers has changed society's privacy landscape, said Cohn, whose non-profit legal group champions Internet users' rights.

Store discount cards and rewards programmes such as those offered by airlines or hotels use computers to amass data about shopping and travel preferences.

Credit cards, banks and telephone companies record user activities.

Internet firms that provide free services such as online searches, maps, and e-mail save information typed in by users and sort it by unique identification numbers in the machines.

"With so much of our lives digital, the ability of the government and other people to know what we are doing, reconstruct our lives and basically stalk us online has grown," Cohn said.

The effects of computers on society go far deeper than online lifestyles, according to Fred Turner, a Stanford University assistant professor who specializes in the intersection of media and cultural history.

"The computer brings the world into the home like the television did before it," Turner said.

"But it is also a window that lets others look into your world. Particularly your bosses; people you buy from or sell to; and our government."

Computers have flourished as a platform for social networking, with groups ranging from online cliques to fantasy worlds inhabited by animated custom "avatar" proxies that party, work, and buy virtual property.

The ability of anyone with a computer to quickly put video, text, or audio on the Internet unleashed a flood of weblogs and "citizen journalism" that, while democratic, lacked standards for integrity and reliability, Turner said.

The full effects that computers and the Internet will have on journalism, education and the military are yet to be known, he said.

"If the Internet corrodes the institutions our culture depends on, then we may have new social networks but lose very valuable social goods," Turner said.

"For example, digitally enabled networks can fight in a loosely organized way that highly challenges organized armies. You see that in Lebanon right now with Hezbollah and to some degree in Iraq."

Computers have also given social movements new tactics such as "flash mobs," throngs that carry out orchestrated actions in a public place unified solely by the direction of digital messaging.

Flash-mob events have ranged from a pillow fight in downtown Toronto to civil unrest in France last year, according to Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia that used computers to tap into the world's collective knowledge.

"Doing reporting and political protest simultaneously," Turner said. "That might be a new kind of social organization."

People using computers have posted video messages from embattled areas of Lebanon and US soldiers have sent messages home from Iraq in video weblogs on the website YouTube.

"Computers have given us an explosion of communication," Cohn said. "Not only between loved ones, but finding that one other person in the world who likes underwater basket weaving." - AFP/ir

Real Customer Service

Matthew 9:32
While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus.

Years ago, it was not uncommon to have your milk delivered to your home. Doctors made house calls. And when you made a call to a company to discuss a problem, you actually spoke to a human being. Those days of personal serivce are gone, and if we are not careful, we will follow the same trend in how we share the gospel.

So often we are encouraged to bring people to church. Yet, we see no examples of where Jesus brought people into the synagogue to get them saved or healed. The miracles happened more often in the marketplace because that was where Jesus could be found. Jesus had less response and found more resistance in the synagogue than in the marketplace. He took the gospel to and modeled the gospel in the marketplace. That is where the power of God was manifested. This is not to say we should not bring people to church, only that our priority should be to bring the Church into the marketplace, not bring the marketplace into the church.

Paul understood this when he said,

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power (1 Corinthians 2:4).

Paul understood that it wasn't words that impacted people; it was the power of God manifested through him.

When is the last time someone saw something happen through your life that could not be explained other than God working in your life? When you begin to see this happen, you will be modeling ministry as Jesus modeled it. You will be bringing the Church to the people, not the people to the church. Pray that God makes you a vessel of His power, not simply a vessel of words.

Neutralizing Worry Situations by Brian Tracy

Your job is to organize your life and work so as to minimize surprises and problems. However, this is not always possible, in spite of your best efforts.

Use the Worry Buster
If you are already facing a fear- or worry-inducing situation, here are the four steps of what we refer to as the “worry buster.”

Clarity is Everything
Step Number One: Define the worry situation clearly in writing - fully half of all problems can be solved just by clearly defining them. Remember, “Accurate diagnosis is half the cure.”

Determine the Worst
Step Number Two: Determine the worst possible outcome of the situation. What is the absolute worst that can happen?

Be Willing to Have it So
Step Number Three: Resolve to accept the worst should it occur. The first step in dealing with any negative situation is to be willing to have it so. Once you resolve to accept the worst, your mind will become calm and clear and you’ll be ready to take some constructive action.

Take Action
Step Number Four: The final step is to immediately begin doing everything you possibly can to improve upon the worst.

The Real Antidote to Worry
Remember, worry is merely a sustained form of fear caused by indecision. The only real antidote to worry is purposeful action. Get so busy doing something about your situation that you don’t have time to worry. As you take action, your confidence, courage and sense of control will return and wipe away your fears.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do to get rid of your worries:

First, make a list, down one side of a page, of all the situations causing you any stress or worry at the moment.

Second, on the other side of the page, write out the worst possible thing that could happen as a result. You’ll be amazed to see much of your worry disappear with this exercise.

The Passport of Righteousness

Righteousness is the passport to God's kingdom.
Once I enter it, I must live in holiness and with a pure heart.

The more I obey God's Word, the more God will reveal Himself to me.

Faithfulness is the cornerstone of Character.

Learn to be Thankful for What You Already Have by Jim Rohn

One of Life's Great Lessons

Is thankfulness a survival skill? Perhaps most of you would respond with, "No, Jim, thankfulness is not key to survival", and I would tend to agree with you. Most of us have probably already solved the necessary problems of survival, gone beyond that and are now working to achieve our desires. But let me give you this key phrase, "Learn to be thankful for what you already have, while you pursue all that you want." I believe one of the greatest and perhaps one of the simplest lessons in life we can learn is to be thankful for what we have already received and accomplished.

Both the years and the experiences have brought me here to where I stand today, but it is the thankfulness that opened the windows of opportunities, of blessings, of unique experiences to flow my way. My gratitude starts with my parents who raised me, gave me an incredible foundation that has lasted me all of these years and continues with the mentors that I've met along the way who absolutely changed and revolutionized my life, my income, my bank account, my future. I am also very thankful for the people, the associations, for the ideas, for the chance to work and labor, and to produce results, all of that has brought me to this place, to this weekend. I'm grateful for it all.

What a unique opportunity each one of you here has, so many of us; representing different countries, nations and cultures, to appreciate the uniqueness of our own experiences that has brought us all here, together, for these three days to learn new skills and sharpen old ones. For the countries we represent; we have freedom and liberty. These are extraordinary times, about eleven years ago the walls came tumbling down, in Germany, and it started a wave of democracy and freedom like the world has never seen before. We as a country and as a world have so much to be thankful for. Always start with thanksgiving; be thankful for what you already have and see the miracles that come from this one simple act.

Now thankfulness is just the beginning; next, you've got to challenge yourself to produce. Produce more ideas than you need for yourself so you can share and give your ideas away. That is called fruitfulness and abundance. Here's what I think fruitfulness and abundance mean - to go to work on producing more than you need for yourself so you can begin blessing others, blessing your nation and blessing your enterprise. Once abundance starts to come, once someone becomes incredibly productive, it's amazing what the numbers turn out to be. But to begin this incredible process of blessing, it often starts with the act of thanksgiving and gratitude, being thankful for what you already have and for what you've already done. Begin the act of thanksgiving today and watch the miracles flow your way.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

The Danger of Sedition

Sedition - Rebellion against authority...
tsktsk.. dangerous!

I learnt this from Pastor Kong's series of sermons on becoming a real man.

Imagine this -
Father lends son car, imposes curfew.
Son comes home late, father grounds him. No car.
Son one day got a hot date for prom nite. Needs car.
Son goes to mother. Praises mother good looking.
Mother happy. Son asks mother for permission to use car.
Mother says sure. Son goes to father. Says mother gave permission.
Father angry. Says no car.
Son goes to mother. Says father tells him not to listen to her.
Mother angry. Tells son to not to listen to father.
Son goes to father. Says mother asks him to shut up and lend him the car.
Father even more angry. Tells him that mum should be the one to shut up.
Son goes to mother. Tells her that dad says u go and die.
Mother storms to father. BIG argument...
"u mean u dont love me anymore..!! tell me go and die.. !! ahh!!"

Tsktsk... son has manipulated his own parents.
Mother has just taught her son that the father's authority can be broken.
And the son is just in teenage years. Wat will happen when he grows.

Dear Father God, I pray you help us not to fall into this trap. Amen!

My Word is My Bond

A man keeps his promises. Period.

Einstein's Formula for Success by Ron White

Albert Einstein had a formula for success. Can you believe that? One of the greatest minds of all time developed a math formula for success! I suggest you read this carefully -- this may be the most important math equation that you will ever see.

Einstein said, 'If A equals success, then the formula is: A=X+Y+Z.
X is work.
Y is play.
Z is keep your mouth shut."

Einstein no doubt had an excellent sense of humor. Let's look at the 3 variables in this equation. They are:
1. Work
2. Play
3. Keeping your mouth shut!

1. Work: Albert Einstein had a tremendous work ethic and because of that gave more to society and modern science than any person in recent times

2. Play: Einstein, however, did not work 24 hours a day and made time for fun and relaxation. His idea of fun may have been different than yours, but that doesn't mean it still wasn't play.

3. Keeping your mouth shut: Finally, my favorite part of his success formal is to keep your mouth shut. I genuinely believe that the person who talks the least says the most. A friend of mine complains that the woman he is dating talks too much. I don't know how to break the news to him; however, the problem is not that she talks too much. It simply is the fact that he is irritated that he isn't able to talk. Now, let me just say this is not a generic man and woman statement. I am speaking about a specific person that I know. His desire is to constantly talk and because he likes to talk so much, he will talk in circles. If you let him talk long enough he will repeat the same thing three times and then contradict himself. His desire is not to hear but to be heard.

Albert Einstein, on the other hand had nothing to prove. He felt no need to be the "Chatty Cathy" he could have been with his knowledge. It wasn't important to him to talk to everyone he met and talk over their heads to demonstrate his IQ. Instead, he learned the value of quietness and solitude.

Shift your mind set from being a talker to a listener. It has been said that you can make more friends in 5 minutes by becoming interested in others than you can make in 5 years of trying to get others interested in you! How do you become interested in others? You ask questions and then keep your mouth shut!

Dale Carnegie wrote a best selling book entitled 'How to Win Friends and Influence People.' One of the key premises of this book was that everyone's favorite subject is actually themselves and that the sweetest sound to their ears is the sound of their own name. Einstein knew this and realized he could influence others by choosing his spots to speak and validating others by extending them the courtesy of listening.

-- Ron White

Set Up a Learning Resource at Home and at Your Place of Business With Both Personal and Professional Development Materials by Denis Waitley

Every office conference, lunch, exercise, and recreation room should be filled with personal enrichment materials including videos, audios, books, magazines, newsletters, software, TV and internet programming.

Convert a special area of your home into a learning center, especially if you have children. The trend globally is to combine a coffee house like Starbucks, with bookstores like Barnes and Noble, to create a relaxing learning environment. In the twenty-first century, gaining knowledge will blend into our lives as part of our leisure time. There are several ways to create more of an ongoing learning environment at your place of business. Many companies are providing TV and internet access to personal development programming, asking employees to volunteer to read a specific trade or business magazine and clip or scan articles relevant to the organization. Regular e-mail dispersals are also popular.

In today's fast-forward, knowledge-based world, if you're not moving ahead you are falling behind.

Action Idea: Make two files in your computer: one for personal development and one for professional development. Download MP3 files, articles and e-mails that educate and inspire you in these files. You also can scan articles from magazines into these files. Look at these files at least once per week.

Also subscribe to internet based or TV based personal development programming, and invest in CDs, DVDs and books for your personal and professional development library.

Stay up with your personal and professional learning curve!
-- Denis Waitley

Becoming a Real Man

Step up! Be the MAN that GOD wants me to be.
Be decisive. Be dedicated. Be responsible. Be like JESUS.
For the sake of everyone around me, my wife, my family.
Fulfill my destiny. Maximise my manhood.
Guard Guide Govern.
Rise up!
For your glory, God!
In Jesus' mighty name, Amen!

Carrot, Egg and Coffee

A carrot, an egg and a cup of coffee... You will
never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about
her life and how things were so hard for her. She did
not know how she was going to make it and wanted to
give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It
seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three
pots with water and! placed each on a high fire. Soon
the pots came to boil. In the first she placed
carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the
last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit
and boil, without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners.
She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl.
She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.
Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a
bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do
you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel
the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft.

The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and
break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed
the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the
coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich
aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean,
mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had
faced the same adversity .. boiling water. Each
reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard,
and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to
the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The
egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had
protected its liquid interior, but after sitting
through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.
The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After
they were in the boiling water, they had changed the
water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When
adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?
Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems
strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and
become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but
changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but
after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some
other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my
shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and
tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually
changes the hot water, the very circumstance that
brings the pain When the water gets hot, it releases
the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean,
when things are at their worst, you get better and
change the situation around you. When the hour is the
darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate
yourself to another level? How do you handle
adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet,
enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to
keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the
best of everything; they just make the most of
everything that comes along their way. The brightest
future will always be based on a forgotten past; you
can't go forward in life until you let go of your past
failures and heartaches.

The Bible

This is my bible.
I am what it says I am.
I have what it says I have.
I can be what it says I can be.
My life is changed for good,
by this book in my hand.
Amen!

Seven Steps to Achieving Your Dreams by Chris Widener

"Vision is the spectacular that inspires us to carry out the mundane." -- Chris Widener

Can achievement be broken down into steps? Well, it isn't always that clean and easy, but I do know that those who achieve great things usually go through much of the same process, with many of the items listed below as part of that process. So if you have been struggling with achievement, look through the following and internalize the thoughts presented. Then begin to apply them. You will be on the road to achieving your dream!

1. Dream it - Everything begins in the heart and mind. Every great achievement began in the mind of one person. They dared to dream, to believe that it was possible. Take some time to allow yourself to ask "What if?" Think big. Don't let negative thinking discourage you. You want to be a "dreamer." Dream of the possibilities for yourself, your family, and for others. If you had a dream that you let grow cold, re-ignite the dream! Fan the flames. Life is too short to let it go.

2. Believe it - Yes, your dream needs to be big. It needs to be something that is seemingly beyond your capabilities. But it also must be believable. You must be able to say that if certain things take place, if others help, if you work hard enough, though it is a big dream, it can still be done. Good example: A person with no college education can dream that he will build a 50 million-dollar a year company. That is big, but believable. Bad example: That a 90 year-old woman with arthritis will someday run a marathon in under 3 hours. It is big alright, but also impossible. She should instead focus on building a 50 million-dollar a year business! And she better get a move on!

3. See it - The great achievers have a habit. They "see" things. They picture themselves walking around their CEO office in their new 25 million-dollar corporate headquarters, even while they are sitting on a folding chair in their garage "headquarters." Great free-throw shooters in the NBA picture the ball going through the basket. PGA golfers picture the ball going straight down the fairway. World-class speakers picture themselves speaking with energy and emotion. All of this grooms the mind to control the body to carry out the dream.

4. Tell it - One reason many dreams never go anywhere is because the dreamer keeps it all to himself. It is a quiet dream that only lives inside of his mind. The one who wants to achieve their dream must tell that dream to many people. One reason: As we continually say it, we begin to believe it more and more. If we are talking about it then it must be possible. Another reason: It holds us accountable. When we have told others, it spurs us on to actually do it so we don't look foolish.

5. Plan it - Every dream must take the form of a plan. The old saying that you "get what you plan for" is so true. Your dream won't just happen. You need to sit down, on a regular basis, and plan out your strategy for achieving the dream. Think through all of the details. Break the whole plan down into small, workable parts. Then set a time frame for accomplishing each task on your "dream plan."

6. Work it - Boy, wouldn't life be grand if we could quit before this one! Unfortunately the successful are usually the hardest workers. While the rest of the world is sitting on their couch watching re-runs of Gilligan's Island, achievers are working on their goal - achieving their dream. I have an equation that I work with: Your short-term tasks, multiplied by time, equal your long-term accomplishments. If you work on it each day, eventually you will achieve your dream. War and Peace was written, in longhand, page by page.

7. Enjoy it - When you have reached your goal and you are living your dream, be sure to enjoy it. In fact, enjoy the trip too. Give yourself some rewards along the way. Give yourself a huge reward when you get there. Help others enjoy it. Be gracious and generous. Use your dream to better others. Then go back to number 1. And dream a little bigger this time!

The Subtlety of Language by Jim Rohn

I have found that sometimes the subtle difference in our attitude, which of course can make a major difference in our future, can be as simple as the language we use. The difference in even how you talk to yourself or others. Consciously making a decision to quit saying what you don't want and to start saying what you do want. I call that faith. Believing the best, hoping for the best and moving toward the best.

A few examples could be, instead of saying "What if somebody doesn't respond" you start saying, "What if they do respond?" Instead of saying "What if someone says no?" You say, "What if they say yes?" Instead of "What if they start and quit?" say, "What if they start and stay?" or "What if it doesn't work out?" You say, "What if it does work out?" and the list goes on and on.

I found that when you start thinking and saying what you really want then your mind automatically shifts and pulls you in that direction. And sometimes it can be that simple, just a little twist in vocabulary that illustrates your attitude and philosophy.

Our language can also affect how others perform and behave around us. A teenager says to a parent, "I need $10." And if the parents learn to say, "No comprende. That kind of language doesn't work here. We've got plenty of money, but that's not how you get $10." Then you teach your teenager how to ask, "How can I earn $10?"

That is the magic of words. There is plenty of money here. There is money for everybody, but you just have to learn the magic words to get them. For everything you could possibly want. If you just learn the philosophy. How could I earn $10? Because you can't go to the soil and say, "Give me a harvest." You know the soil smiles and says, "Who is this clown that brings me his need and brings me no seed." And if you said to the soil, "I've got this seed and if I planted it, would you work while I sleep?" And the soil says, "No problem. Give me the seed. Go to sleep and I'll be working while you're sleeping."

If you just understand these simple principles, teaching them to a teenager (or adult) is sometimes just a matter of language. It's like an investment account instead of a savings account. Simple language, but so important. It is easy to stumble through almost a lifetime and not learn some of these simplicities. Then you have to put up with all the lack and all the challenges that don't work out simply from not reading the book, not listening to the tape, not sitting in the class, not studying your language and not being willing to search so you can then find.

But here is the great news. You can start this process anytime. For me it was at age 25. At 25 I'm broke. Six years later I'm a millionaire. Somebody says, "What kind of revolution, what kind of change, what kind of thinking, what kind of magic had to happen? Was it you?" And I say, "No. Any person, any six years, 36 to 42, 50 to 56. Whatever six years; whatever few years you go on an intensive, accelerated personal development curve, learning curve, application curve, and learning the disciplines. Now, it might not take the same amount of time, but I'm telling you the same changes and the same rewards in some different fashion are available for those who pay that six year price. And you might find that whether it's in the beginning to help get you started, or in the middle to keep you on track, that your language can have a great impact on your attitude, actions and results.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn