This week I want to talk with you about leaving an impact legacy. "What is an impact legacy?" you may ask. It is how you impact people and the world around you. You see, many people glide through life and do not make much of an impact. That is unfortunate. Others though, those driven by a purpose and passion for living, are continually making the world a better place and making an impact wherever they go. That's what I believe you want to do.
In order to help you reflect on this during this week, I want to ask you a question: What in the world are you doing?
Here is the typical life - typical, though not everybody does it this way. But for the most part, people's lives generally go something like this:
You're born
You eat and sleep
You play with toys
You go to school
You play little league
You go to school
You learn to drive
You go to school
You leave high school
You go to more school, but you pay for it now
You get a job
You get married
You buy a house
You have kids
You watch your kids eat, sleep, play and go to school
You work, work, and work
You retire
You die
That's the basic life, isn't it? I know there is more to it, but that is about it for most people.
Here is that question again: What in the world are you doing?
I mean, what are you doing besides the typical "enjoying yourself while you are waiting to die" scenario? What kind of impact are you making?
What I believe sets the successful apart is that they don't just live the average life. They don't just pass time. They make an impact. They have something compelling in their life that drives them - something that gives them an answer when they are asked that question: What in the world are you doing?
I'm helping children.
I'm creating a business that supports many families.
I lead a church.
I am defending our liberties.
I am raising great children.
I'm teaching others to improve their lives.
I help people have fun.
I create memories for people.
In other words, successful people always come down to this:
I make an impact and help other people by (fill in your purpose here).
What in the world are you doing?
If you want to be successful, you need to be able to answer that by describing how you help others. Because if you aren't helping others - if you aren't making an impact - you are just taking up space, eating food and waiting to die.
Here's the question for you to answer this week and what to do with your answer:
What in the world are you doing?
If you know, then you are good to go - live it and make an impact!
If you don't know, then maybe you need to reflect on what you are doing, what your life is about, and how you can explode the mundane bubble you may be living in!
The world needs impact makers - so live to be one!
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
God's Promises by Derek Prince
Psalm 119:140
Your promises [O God] have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them. NIV
What a beautiful truth, God’s promises have been thoroughly tested. They are not just theories, they are not just abstract theology, they are something that stand the test of life and circumstances. I want to give my personal testimony in line with that.
For about forty years, I have lived by the promises of God. I have proved them in many different circumstances—in war, in famine, in sickness, in loneliness, in bereavement, in misunderstanding. There’s a promise of God that meets each need that arises in our lives and those promises stand the test, they really work.
Probably at some time or another some human being made you a promise and didn’t keep it, you felt let down, hurt, disappointed. But I want to assure you of one thing, that when God makes a promise, He keeps it. There are millions of people in the world today that can testify from personal experience that God keeps His word. His promises are reliable.
Don’t be discouraged if people have let you down, don’t become embittered or resentful, because that won’t help you, but just turn your eyes to God. Focus on His faithfulness, concentrate on His promises and you’ll find that thy have been tested and tried. - Derek Prince
Your promises [O God] have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them. NIV
What a beautiful truth, God’s promises have been thoroughly tested. They are not just theories, they are not just abstract theology, they are something that stand the test of life and circumstances. I want to give my personal testimony in line with that.
For about forty years, I have lived by the promises of God. I have proved them in many different circumstances—in war, in famine, in sickness, in loneliness, in bereavement, in misunderstanding. There’s a promise of God that meets each need that arises in our lives and those promises stand the test, they really work.
Probably at some time or another some human being made you a promise and didn’t keep it, you felt let down, hurt, disappointed. But I want to assure you of one thing, that when God makes a promise, He keeps it. There are millions of people in the world today that can testify from personal experience that God keeps His word. His promises are reliable.
Don’t be discouraged if people have let you down, don’t become embittered or resentful, because that won’t help you, but just turn your eyes to God. Focus on His faithfulness, concentrate on His promises and you’ll find that thy have been tested and tried. - Derek Prince
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Overcoming All Odds by Os Hillman
Have you ever had your back against the wall so badly that if something didn't happen to change your situation, you were sunk? King Hezekiah was one of Israel's greatest godly kings. One of the greatest challenges to his reign came when the king of Assyria threatened to attack Israel and wipe them out. The Assyrians were the local bullies of the region and had wiped out all other enemies in their region.
They mocked the idea of having a God who could save them.
Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you! Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord when he says, "The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria" (Isaiah 36:14b-15).
The marketplace is full of "Assyrian kings" who mock the idea of a living God who delivers. Without God's help, Israel would not overcome. Their backs were against the wall. They would be destroyed.
King Hezekiah saved Israel because of one act. He prayed; and because he prayed, God moved on his behalf. In fact, God moved so powerfully that Hezekiah did not even have to fight the battle.
Then the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning-there were all the dead bodies! (Isaiah 37:36)
The king of Assyria was even murdered by his own sons. Imagine seeing your enemy totally destroyed without one hand raised in battle!
God wants to act on behalf of His children if they will call on Him. One of the motives Hezekiah had in seeking God's help was "so that all kingdoms on earth may know that You alone, O Lord, are God" (Is. 37:20). This is what happened. God was glorified.
God wants to let your marketplace know that God is a living God. He can deliver. Seek Him today for the crisis in your life. Keep your motive pure and God will surely answer.
They mocked the idea of having a God who could save them.
Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you! Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord when he says, "The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria" (Isaiah 36:14b-15).
The marketplace is full of "Assyrian kings" who mock the idea of a living God who delivers. Without God's help, Israel would not overcome. Their backs were against the wall. They would be destroyed.
King Hezekiah saved Israel because of one act. He prayed; and because he prayed, God moved on his behalf. In fact, God moved so powerfully that Hezekiah did not even have to fight the battle.
Then the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning-there were all the dead bodies! (Isaiah 37:36)
The king of Assyria was even murdered by his own sons. Imagine seeing your enemy totally destroyed without one hand raised in battle!
God wants to act on behalf of His children if they will call on Him. One of the motives Hezekiah had in seeking God's help was "so that all kingdoms on earth may know that You alone, O Lord, are God" (Is. 37:20). This is what happened. God was glorified.
God wants to let your marketplace know that God is a living God. He can deliver. Seek Him today for the crisis in your life. Keep your motive pure and God will surely answer.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Cash In On Your SKills by Loral Langemeier
In an earlier article, I talk about cash machines. The cash machine is a legally structured business entity you set up to profit from your existing skill set and experience.
It generates more money to fuel your wealth cycle, the self-perpetuating cycle of asset and income. Building and sustaining a viable business, or cash machine, is how you create and support your wealth.
To recap, a cash machine will:
Feed your wealth cycle with cash flow;
potentially grow and appreciate in value;
provide you with experience in learning to earn; and
provide you with the entrepreneurial skills you need to run a successful business.
My next book, The Millionaire Maker's Guide to Creating a Cash Machine for Life, out in June, is a step-by-step guide for launching your own cash machine and for fixing one you might already have. It's a "how to" for the entrepreneur in everyone.
Most people are so focused on debt and getting out of it that they forget about building wealth. The cash machine is about expanding your life, not scrimping and saving. It's about making money first, and then managing your debt second.
Unlike traditional entrepreneurship, the cash machine is simple to start and sustain. The first step is to identify your skill set.
Your skill set is different from your dreams. Your skill set is what you already know, your fastest path to cash and the key to becoming a successful entrepreneur.
Many entrepreneurs fail because they choose to pursue a business that requires a whole set of new skills, instead of utilizing their known skills. For instance, you (like many others) might dream of opening a restaurant one day. But let's say you are a school teacher. A more successful option, using your skill set, would be to open a tutoring company to start your cash machine -- that little Italian trattoria or French bistro of your dreams can wait.
The problem is that too many budding entrepreneurs have no idea what they're doing. First, you have to learn to earn, to generate cash and to run a successful business. Then, you can move on to starting that dream business.
In my gap analysis -- one of the key building blocks of the wealth cycle that I have mentioned -- the seventh question I ask is "What are the skills you use to make money?" For some, it's obvious: "I am a chef." "I write for a newspaper." "I design Web sites."
The paths for using these skills for a cash machine are clear: A catering business, a writing-services company and a Web site design business.
For others, it is less obvious. A lot of people have trouble understanding what their skill set is. They have to dig a little deeper. What you do for a living, your job, is not your skill set. The talents you bring to executing your job are your skill set. For example, being an accountant and keeping the books is the job, but the skill set is expertise with numbers and being well-organized and detail-oriented.
I know a garage mechanic who started a handy-man service company in his community. One "retired" stay-at-home Mom -- her kids having left the nest -- launched a business helping the elderly. Her skill set? Driving, organizing households, management, communication, health care, emergency procedures, psychology -- the list goes on.
And the skill set you use for a hobby might also make a great match for a cash machine.
I once worked with a man who, when doing his gap analysis, revealed that he also fixed dune buggies in the family garage in his spare time. This was almost an afterthought in his search for his own skill set, but it eventually led to the family cash machine in producing and marketing dune buggies.
My point is: Look everywhere. Brainstorm with your friends and family. Make lists of your hobbies, what you do in your spare time, your tasks at home, what industries you are familiar with. What do your friends and business associates ask you for help with?
This all might take some time, but it is worth the effort. The success of your cash machine depends on you choosing a business idea that is in line with your skills. Once you define your skill set, do your research and build your team; you are on your way.
You will find a skill that can become a cash machine. I've never met anyone who can't.
It generates more money to fuel your wealth cycle, the self-perpetuating cycle of asset and income. Building and sustaining a viable business, or cash machine, is how you create and support your wealth.
To recap, a cash machine will:
Feed your wealth cycle with cash flow;
potentially grow and appreciate in value;
provide you with experience in learning to earn; and
provide you with the entrepreneurial skills you need to run a successful business.
My next book, The Millionaire Maker's Guide to Creating a Cash Machine for Life, out in June, is a step-by-step guide for launching your own cash machine and for fixing one you might already have. It's a "how to" for the entrepreneur in everyone.
Most people are so focused on debt and getting out of it that they forget about building wealth. The cash machine is about expanding your life, not scrimping and saving. It's about making money first, and then managing your debt second.
Unlike traditional entrepreneurship, the cash machine is simple to start and sustain. The first step is to identify your skill set.
Your skill set is different from your dreams. Your skill set is what you already know, your fastest path to cash and the key to becoming a successful entrepreneur.
Many entrepreneurs fail because they choose to pursue a business that requires a whole set of new skills, instead of utilizing their known skills. For instance, you (like many others) might dream of opening a restaurant one day. But let's say you are a school teacher. A more successful option, using your skill set, would be to open a tutoring company to start your cash machine -- that little Italian trattoria or French bistro of your dreams can wait.
The problem is that too many budding entrepreneurs have no idea what they're doing. First, you have to learn to earn, to generate cash and to run a successful business. Then, you can move on to starting that dream business.
In my gap analysis -- one of the key building blocks of the wealth cycle that I have mentioned -- the seventh question I ask is "What are the skills you use to make money?" For some, it's obvious: "I am a chef." "I write for a newspaper." "I design Web sites."
The paths for using these skills for a cash machine are clear: A catering business, a writing-services company and a Web site design business.
For others, it is less obvious. A lot of people have trouble understanding what their skill set is. They have to dig a little deeper. What you do for a living, your job, is not your skill set. The talents you bring to executing your job are your skill set. For example, being an accountant and keeping the books is the job, but the skill set is expertise with numbers and being well-organized and detail-oriented.
I know a garage mechanic who started a handy-man service company in his community. One "retired" stay-at-home Mom -- her kids having left the nest -- launched a business helping the elderly. Her skill set? Driving, organizing households, management, communication, health care, emergency procedures, psychology -- the list goes on.
And the skill set you use for a hobby might also make a great match for a cash machine.
I once worked with a man who, when doing his gap analysis, revealed that he also fixed dune buggies in the family garage in his spare time. This was almost an afterthought in his search for his own skill set, but it eventually led to the family cash machine in producing and marketing dune buggies.
My point is: Look everywhere. Brainstorm with your friends and family. Make lists of your hobbies, what you do in your spare time, your tasks at home, what industries you are familiar with. What do your friends and business associates ask you for help with?
This all might take some time, but it is worth the effort. The success of your cash machine depends on you choosing a business idea that is in line with your skills. Once you define your skill set, do your research and build your team; you are on your way.
You will find a skill that can become a cash machine. I've never met anyone who can't.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Psalm 119:92 by Derek Prince
If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have renewed my life. NIV
One thing is certain in this world, we’re not going to escape affliction forever. At some time or other, each of us is going to know the meaning of that word affliction. In the New Testament the apostles told the new Christian congregation that we must, through much tribulation or affliction enter into the Kingdom of God.
So don’t try to find a way through life that bypasses affliction, because if you do find it, it won’t take you to heaven.
But in your affliction, you need an anchor. And that’s what the psalmist says in those words that I read: If God’s law had not been his delight he would have perished in his affliction. When the pressures, the waves and the billows swept over him, when it seemed that his tiny little vessel was going to be carried away on those monstrous billows, he had an anchor. It was God’s law and that kept him.
And so he says, with gratitude, looking back on that experience, “I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have renewed my life.” As we turn to God’s law in the midst of our affliction we receive from it life, new life, life that wells up in spite of all the opposition and the pressures against us. Out of God’s law and God’s Word there comes a life that is a stronger and more powerful than all the forces that oppose us. - Derek Prince
One thing is certain in this world, we’re not going to escape affliction forever. At some time or other, each of us is going to know the meaning of that word affliction. In the New Testament the apostles told the new Christian congregation that we must, through much tribulation or affliction enter into the Kingdom of God.
So don’t try to find a way through life that bypasses affliction, because if you do find it, it won’t take you to heaven.
But in your affliction, you need an anchor. And that’s what the psalmist says in those words that I read: If God’s law had not been his delight he would have perished in his affliction. When the pressures, the waves and the billows swept over him, when it seemed that his tiny little vessel was going to be carried away on those monstrous billows, he had an anchor. It was God’s law and that kept him.
And so he says, with gratitude, looking back on that experience, “I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have renewed my life.” As we turn to God’s law in the midst of our affliction we receive from it life, new life, life that wells up in spite of all the opposition and the pressures against us. Out of God’s law and God’s Word there comes a life that is a stronger and more powerful than all the forces that oppose us. - Derek Prince
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