Victor's Playground

3 Steps to Less Chaos in 2012 By Jamison Hollister, E-Myth Business Coach

2012-01-05T08:44:00.000+08:00

As a business owner, you understand commitment.

You give up your weekends when there’s work left at the end of the day.

Your weekends suffer because of that emergency that can’t wait until Monday.

Your sweat is what keeps the company moving along.

But are you committed to creating a business that truly supports your life?

In order to run your business instead of allowing it to run you, your commitment has to be more than a dedication to champion any obstacle that comes your way.

A business can only support your life when it relies on healthy systems, not on you.

You need to have a vision for your company, and then put systems in place to achieve that vision.

You have to be committed to this process – the process of being a business owner.

Make a list and get started

In order to create systems that support your life and reduce business chaos, you need to strategically plan how to create the systems in the first place.

Systematizing your business is a relatively straight forward process that involves 3 basic steps:

Make a list of the systems you need in your business.

Prioritize the systems that have the greatest impact or importance.

Start documenting how things should be done.

The hardest part of the process is knowing where to start.

This was precisely the plight of my client Liz before she found her footing.

Liz owns and operates a florist shop in Northern California. What I loved about Liz right from the beginning was how much she loved the business she was in.

She’d always been in love with flowers and she could not imagine doing anything else with her time.

Her problem was that everything in her business was disorganized and she was struggling to deliver consistent quality to her clients. This was creating chaos in her business and it was spilling over into her life.

She complained to me one time:

“I know I need to systemize my business, but where do I start? It all seems so big and overwhelming and sometimes it seems like nothing is going the way I imagined it would. What should I start working on first, my inventory management systems, my staff development systems, my delivery process? How can working with flowers be so stressful?”

“Don’t worry,” I explained, “things can get better and they will get better because you are so committed to making your business work. Remember that you, and only you, can imagine how things should work in your business. You need to stay true to your vision and stay committed to making your business work as you envision it.”

As we continued discussing the systemization of her business, I pointed out how helpful it is to start with a model to base your systems development on.

Use a model for systems development

The model for systems development we use at E-Myth is called The 7 Centers of Management Attention.

The 7 Centers are Leadership, Money, Marketing, Management, Client Fulfillment, Lead Generation, and Lead Conversion.

This model applies to any business in any industry in any part of the world.

Liz began to understand the system development process by simply starting a list of all the systems that she would need to create in each of these Centers. Her list started out by looking something like this:

Leadership:

Primary Aim

Strategic Objective

Self-Organization

Money:

Financial Statements

Cash Plan

Operating Budget

Management:

Employee Development

Organizational Structure

Position Agreements

Recruiting/Hiring Plan

Marketing:

Customer Demographics and Psychographics

Positioning and Differentiating Strategy

Customer Surveys

Client Fulfillment:

Flower Inventory Selection

Delivery Policy

Customer Service

Lead Conversion:

Sales Systems

Proposals

Closing a Sale

Lead Generation:

Advertising

Promotions

She continued to add more detailed sub-systems to her list and then went on to prioritize them.

I suggested that she determine the level of importance by highlighting first the systems that would have the greatest impact on her customers and her internal business operations.

For example, she knew she needed a system for ‘how to answer the phone,’ but she also knew that unless her employees understood the true vision of the business, they wouldn’t understand the bigger why behind the how.

If they were just going through the motions, they would quickly lose sight of the larger experience she wanted all her customers to have.

Therefore, she chose to prioritize helping her employees understand their roles in the business before getting into the detailed, nitty-gritty parts of the job.

Surprisingly, once Liz started to work on clarifying the big-picture for herself and her people, they actually started to take more ownership of their job duties, started to perform better and started to achieve much better results!

Another option is to start by creating a list of systems to develop based on the various departments in your business, such as Finance, Operations, Admin, etc.

You can then go on to determine who can help you with your systems development, and how your systems might need to change over time in order to stay relevant.

However you approach your systems development strategy, remember that all of the little systems that make up your business need to serve the overall vision you have.

Documentation Drives Innovation

Committing yourself to systematizing your business and developing a systems strategy is important not only because it helps you document how to do things in your business, but also because it helps you discover opportunities to make things better!

I was surprised at how many new ideas Liz had to improve her business when she started to create her business systems strategy.

She did not just clarify and document her systems; she re-imagined and reinvented many of them!

By defining all of the systems in her business, she had a detailed snapshot of exactly how her business should work.

When you look at the inner-workings of your company from 10,000 feet, you can create and re-work your business systems to truly support your life and reduce business chaos.

This might just be the most productive resolution you can make this year.

God Gives Us a Desire for Our Work, by Os Hillman

2011-12-21T20:43:00.002+08:00

You shall call, and I will answer You; You shall desire the work of Your hands (Job 14:15 NKJV).

Did you know that God has already pre-wired you for the work He created you to do? We all have things inside of us that excite us when we think about it. God is the source of this passion. However, our career path may require many stepping stones before we reach the work that we were ultimately created for. The psalmist says "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" (Ps 139:16).

When the ark of the covenant was to be designed to contain the sacred ten commandments, God prepared a man to perform the important work.

"Then the LORD said to Moses, 'See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts -- to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship'" (Ex 31:1-6).

We do not know much about Bezalel, but you can be sure he had many jobs leading up to this most important assignment. He was also the first man mentioned in all of scripture to be "filled with the spirit of God."

When your work is empowered by the Spirit of God you will be hand-picked for some of the most important assignments. He says the skilled worker will even serve before kings (Prov. 22:9). God will see to it that your skills will be used for His ultimate purposes. This is the call of God for each of us -- to be fulfilled in our work and to use our work to fulfill His purposes on the earth.

He seals the hand of every man, that all men may know His work (Job 37:7 NKJV).

Does Your Team Have the Four Essential Types? by Adam Bryant

2010-11-02T13:29:00.001+08:00

Excerpts from an interview with Paul Maritz, president and C.E.O. of the software firm VMware, conducted and condensed by Adam Bryant...

Q. What are some other leadership lessons?

A. One of the things I’ve learned over the years is that there is no such thing as a perfect leader. If you look at successful groups, inevitably there’s an amalgam of personalities that really enable the group to function at a high level.

Q. And what are they?

A. At the risk of oversimplifying, I think that in any great leadership team, you find at least four personalities, and you never find all four of those personalities in a single person.

You need to have somebody who is a strategist or visionary, who sets the goals for where the organization needs to go.

You need to have somebody who is the classic manager — somebody who takes care of the organization, in terms of making sure that everybody knows what they need to do and making sure that tasks are broken up into manageable actions and how they’re going to be measured.

You need a champion for the customer, because you are trying to translate your product into something that customers are going to pay for. So it’s important to have somebody who empathizes and understands how customers will see it. I’ve seen many endeavors fail because people weren’t able to connect the strategy to the way the customers would see the issue.

Then, lastly, you need the enforcer. You need somebody who says: “We’ve stared at this issue long enough. We’re not going to stare at it anymore. We’re going to do something about it. We’re going to make a decision. We’re going to deal with whatever conflict we have.”

You very rarely find more than two of those personalities in one person. I’ve never seen it. And really great teams are where you have a group of people who provide those functions and who respect each other and, equally importantly, both know who they are and who they are not. Often, I’ve seen people get into trouble when they think they’re the strategist and they’re not, or they think they’re the decision maker and they’re not.

You need a degree of humility and self-awareness. Really great teams have team members who know who they are and who they’re not, and they know when to get out of the way and let the other team members make their contribution.

....

The Coming Wealth Transfer, by Os Hillman

2010-10-25T08:47:00.001+08:00

But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous (Prov 13:22).

In the last days there will be a transfer of wealth into the hands of the righteous for the purpose of funding a great harvest of souls and for believers to have greater influence on society in the name of Christ. This will happen in at least four ways.

1. Supernatural Transfer - Like the Israelites leaving Egypt, Christians and non-profit organizations will receive major gifts from individuals or foundations to carryout their Christian mission. In 2004, the Salvation Army received one of the largest gifts ever for Christian ministry via the founder's wife of McDonald's, Joan Kroc, in the amount of 1.5 billion dollars.

2. Power to Make Wealth - God is going to give witty inventions to believers throughout the world that will generate wealth. This has already begun. "But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today" (Deut 8:18).

3. Social Entrepreneurship - Just as Joseph was entrusted with the resources of Egypt to solve a societal problem resulting from a famine in the land, God is going to transfer money to believers who are solving societal problems. Governments will fund private enterprises because government has not been able to do it.

4. Wealthy Individual "Conversions" ? Finally, many non-believers who are wealthy will become Christians in these last days and will begin to use their wealth for Kingdom purposes.

The transfer of wealth is designed to accelerate God's activity on the earth, not to simply make believers wealthy. Pray that God uses your work life call to accelerate His Kingdom on earth. And pray that God raises up good stewards of wealth.

Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh Happy Making $36,000 A Year Working For Amazon

2010-09-20T12:36:00.000+08:00

One of the most striking Internet success stories in recent years is Zappos, the $1+ billion e-commerce business which was bought last year by Amazon.

But, as is often the case, the Zappos empire was not created overnight. Ten years ago, the online retailer known for selling shoes was actually desperate for sales. It wasn’t until a young Tony Hsieh came aboard in 1999 -- as a business consultant and investor -- did that all begin to change.

Hsieh’s unorthodox approach to company culture turned Zappos not only into a very lucrative business, but one beloved by customers and employees alike. He was named CEO in 2000 and attributes Zappos’ success to sticking by the company’s core values, which were designed to make employees happy.

“Our number one priority at Zappos is company culture. Our belief is that if we get the culture right most of the other stuff like delivering great customer service or building a long-term enduring brand for the company will happen naturally on its own,” says Hsieh who is also the author of a new book “Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose.”

Hsieh, 36, has stayed CEO of Zappos, despite making a salary that one would normally associate with an entry-level customer-service rep--$36,000 a year. Hsieh has been so successful as an entrepreneur that money no longer motivates him. What does, he says, is continuing to develop the company and culture that the Zappos team built over the past decade. And, so far, Amazon has allowed him to do that.

He must be on to something: Fortune magazine named Zappos #15 on its annual ranking of “Best Companies to Work For” at the beginning of the year.

Born for business

Hsieh, a first-generation Taiwanese-American, was only in his mid-20s when he joined the Zappos team. He may have been fresh out of college, but he certainly was no stranger to creating and cultivating multi-million dollar businesses.

From a very young age, he had the entrepreneurial instinct. At just nine years old, he had started his very first business – a worm farm. A few years later came his mail-order make-your-own button company. Then while studying computer science at Harvard he started making his peers what every college student demanded more than anything: pizza.

His first “real” company

Shortly after college in 1996 at the age of 24, Hsieh co-founded LinkExchange a website development business from the comfort of his own basement. Two years later Microsoft paid him $265 million – yes, nine figures – for his creation.

Of course Hsieh needed another challenge and to feed his insatiable entrepreneurial appetite. That challenge would be Zappos. His goal was to make the company – at the time fighting for financial stability - the largest online shoe retailer.

Zappos named him CEO and he did what he set out to do. Hsieh grew the company that had nearly non-existent sales when he started, to over $1 billion in sales today.

His guiding principle: Happiness. When you enjoy what you do and where you work, great things will happen.

“We have 10 core values at Zappos. We try to do is hire people whose personal values match their corporate values,” says Hsieh while also stressing the importance not hiding or holding back who you are outside of the office. “It is about being yourself in the office because we found that when true friendships are formed, that is when creativity really blossoms (in our employees) and great ideas come out, which is what has driven our growth.”

The company will not hire anyone who does fit within their corporate culture.

“One our values is to be humble, and that is the one that trips us up most during the hiring process. There are a lot of smart people out there that are also egotistical and for us it is not a question, we just won’t hire them,” says Hsieh.

In the same vein, the company will fire employees who do not live up to those standards.

Often, when growing companies are acquired by much-larger ones, such cultures are destroyed, as the acquirer seeks to wring out the "synergies" used by financial folks to justify the acquisition.

But that's not so in this case, Hsieh says.

Before Amazon and Zappos agreed to their deal, Amazon signed a document saying it would let Zappos continue to do its own thing. And Hsieh says Amazon has honored that commitment.

Basically, the only thing that has changed, Hsieh says, is that Zappos has swapped its old board of directors for a new one--at Amazon. Zappos still runs its own show, and that has enabled it to maintain the culture that it so carefully cultivated in its years as an independent company.

Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody

2010-06-24T16:09:00.002+08:00

This is a little story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.

Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job.

Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.

It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

How To Make $1 Million In Your Small Business by Richard Wilson

2010-06-02T12:38:00.001+08:00

There are hundreds of thousands of small business owners within the U.S. and millions around the world; they form a vibrant core to many national economies. However, a large portion of small businesses do not survive. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, only about 31% of small businesses survive for at least seven years - never mind making it big.

Almost every small business would like to grow its revenues, but most are only working with teams of a few employees. While some marketing and growth tactics that work well for large corporations can be applied to small businesses, many cannot, and growing a new business from scratch is even more unique.

Read on to find out how to grow a small business and bring it to the big leagues.

1. Become a Thought Leader in Your Industry

Start a blog, give speeches, write articles or publish a book on your niche area of business. Become the expert that people seek out when they need a solution. If you market yourself enough you will be receiving warm phone calls from individuals wanting to buy from you instead of potentially cold calling on individuals who have no interest in your business. (For further reading, check out Small Business: It’s All About Relationships.)

This is the least expensive suggestion on how to grow your business - there are many places where you can start a blog for free. Invest one hour a day in learning about your market and writing about what you learn and within one year, you will have potential customers and joint venture partnerships approaching you. This strategy works for all types of niches, including dog training, hedge fund investing, copywriting, fundraising and physical therapy. Every niche has an online audience looking to learn more about the subject. Start feeding them with valuable content and they will start feeding your business with leads and marketing opportunities. This tip is provided first because this alone has helped hundreds of businesses grow to more than $1 million a year in revenue.

2. Create Passive Income Streams

Subscription-based models and membership programs sell a customer once and earn a profit every month as long as you keep those customers happy. An example of this is a website information portal selling a service provider directory listing. The website charges $99 a month and receives that payment every single month of the year as long as the website remains popular and relevant. Passive income models could incorporate a low monthly fee for on-demand customer service or maintenance, subscription access to exclusive coaching or a newsletter with interviews, book reviews and market analysis on your industry.

3. "Up Sell" Your Current Customers.

If you have a customer who loves your product, perhaps he or she would like a premium version of that same product, or a second one for a coworker or a family member. One of the easiest ways to quickly grow your business is to earn additional sales through your current customers.

4. Over-Deliver to Every Customer Whenever Possible

Word of mouth is the most powerful marketing tool that you can employ. Many large corporations spend millions of dollars on marketing only to pay their customer service personnel minimum wage. This is their area of vulnerability - your small business can create more personal relationships and provide better delivery and customer service than most of the large players in the industry.

5. Conduct a Best Practices Analysis

Analyze your top five competitors; everything from their websites, customer service, to product lines and prices. Take notes and write down 10 new ideas you could use from each of these competitors. If you do this once a year, not only will you keep up with your competitors as they innovate and evolve, but you will leapfrog over them as many others will not do this hard work, and the combination of new ideas will lead to new creative solutions for your customers.

6. Stay Focused

Your business is an investment; changing your environment by spending time with other motivated individuals can help you keep focused. Become a student of positive psychology, and clear your office and desk of distractions. If you get up early and start each day by studying your industry, your competitors and your top-level goals, you will work more efficiently and gain an edge on your competition.

7. Sell Your Products and Services Internationally

Choose one to three target markets outside of where you are currently operating and identify would-be competitors there. What do they charge? What products do they offer? Call or email these companies as time permits, and introduce yourself. Tell them you are doing research, as many will be happy to lend some advice or tips. In a worst-case scenario, you will find that there is no way to expand abroad, but you will probably come across another product idea or customer acquisition strategy by completing the research and seeing what the industry is like within other regions of the world.

8. $1 Million Is an Intimidating Number

Work toward $1 million a year in revenue backwards. If you want your business to earn $1 million a year, that means you must make $83,333 a month, or $20,833 a week, or $4,166 per business day. That is a lot of money to earn every business day, but what new products or services could you add now that could possibly earn that much within one to two years? Think in terms of leverage, developing systems and residual passive income streams. Every minute of time you spend should be seen as an investment.

9. Acquire Businesses

Who are your competitors? How are they doing business-wise? Are they about to retire? Most businesses sell for two to five times their annual earnings or profits, and many parties who are interested in selling end up simply closing shop after not finding an interested buyer. Many times, you may be able to pick up a business that, when combined with a business you already own, could pay for itself within 12-18 months. This is one of the most expensive but quickest ways of reaching $1 million a year in sales.

10. Experiment

Many business owners find that it is only through listening to customers and/or trying to offer a dozen business services or products that they finally find one that really resonates with their target market and takes off in terms of sales. Each experiment that you try will teach you something about your business and customers. Many of the largest, most successful companies have market-tested thousands of products to develop their portfolios of one- to two-dozen existing product offerings. Hard work creates luck and if you experiment long enough, you will find something that sticks.

Conclusion

This list is not exhaustive, but it should help create some momentum and spur creative thinking on how to grow your business. While it is true that some of these tips may be applied more readily to some businesses than others, those that appear most foreign to your industry could be most valuable as it is less likely that one of your competitors has used them.

Inspiration Is Not Action by Stuart Tan

2010-06-02T12:35:00.002+08:00

In a recent seminar, someone came up to me and told me how inspired she was about the event, and that she was impressed at how she could stay awake compared with other seminars she had attended where other trainers were not as compelling.

You have to realize how awkward it must have been for me. On the one hand, this lady has learnt something, but she hasn’t really learnt much. The only measure for success in her life is that she doesn’t fall asleep in the classroom. While I honestly feel flattered, I think that the trainer has far less bearing on the success of a student.

If you analyze the situation properly, a trainer spends between 2-4 days in an average person’s life in a year. That leaves about 361 days for a person to be totally alone by oneself. That’s time spent at 98.9% away from the trainer. Sure, the trainer may have good qualities you would like to model, but the trainer is never in charge of your everyday living.

After running a training program, I find that the best thing people can do is to keep focusing on their goals and be more aware of their direction in life. This requires not just a seminar, but a range of other things such as:

•Life Builder Groups. To learn more about LBGs, you’ll need to attend our Patterns Of Excellence program, where we show you how the power of teams can make a difference in your everyday life. LBGs are great to build and maintain a culture as an organization. Without a structure, LBGs are likely to fail, relying only on dogma and personality to run the show. It’s important to build a culture of commitment and organize this properly so that it is a culture for life.

•Coaching. Contrary to what a lot of people think, coaching does not help you achieve a goal. You have got to achieve the goal yourself. Coaching is a way to open yourself up to resourcefulness in the achievement of your goals. It is also a way to remain accountable to your results. Probably the hardest question to ask is if you are honest with yourself while undergoing coaching. A lot of the time, ego forms a barrier and a good coach is able to break those down and confront the real issue.

This allows you to focus on what direction you want to take. No matter how inspired you feel after a seminar, you really need to use this to take action on the things you want to achieve.

ACTion Planning

You would agree with me when I say that our emotions drive a lot of our actions. The question is where do those emotions come from? See, if you are motivated, it probably means that you have a significant set of needs and desires. You want to look good? That will drive a set of actions. You got hungry? Same thing.

It’s not really rocket science, but I think action planning requires much more than just setting a goal. It means you need to align your needs and emotions toward the attainment of short-term and long-term goals.

Step #1: Create a vision of the future.

You need to be able to project and see into the future, dreaming up your ideal situation.

Step #2: Identify the reasons why you would like to be able to do this.

The “why” is very important. In most cases, you should ask several “whys” to reach depth of the reason. Let’s say you want to buy a new house. Of course the most simple reason for it is to have a roof over your head. But why do you want that? Maybe a deeper reason is that you want to provide a safe and secure environment for your children and family to grow closer. Now that might be a deep enough reason to drive you.

Step #3: Create Daily Rituals

Did you know that having lots of choices creates a lack of action? That’s the main reason why it is important to cut down everything to one choice if that is a must for you. Instead of taking two or three things at the same time, cut out all bridges that allow you to go elsewhere. Make sure you finish them and complete your cycle and turn it into a ritual every single day. If it’s exercise, do it every day like a ritual, just like breakfast, lunch and dinner (unfortunately some people don’t even do these as a ritual).

Step #4: Make it as natural as you can.

When you do something often and create a habitual cycle, it’s going to make you more focused on what you need to do because you took that for granted. Unfortunately, many people believe in waiting for the feeling to do something. You can’t afford the luxury of that time. You have got to do it as though it were a part and parcel of your everyday life, that if you don’t do it, you will feel extremely uneasy. Make it a “you” thing.

Step #5: Keep track of your successes while propelling yourself to the future.

All successes eventually become a thing of the past. However, you can use this to solidify the belief that you can get things done. Collect your trophies not for display, but for encouragement. If you’ve done it before, you know you can do it again. Then, focus on what you have to do next.

Dreaming Big For God by Yong Yung Shin

2010-05-31T13:32:00.000+08:00

Owner of Mount Hermon Christian Books & Gifts, Victoria Violet Yeo’s life is a powerful testimony of God’s faithfulness.

When her husband passed away in 1985, Victoria Violet Yeo was catapulted into the daunting position of family breadwinner, with a baby daughter to support. An opportune job offer at a Christian bookstore, however, led her down a path of blessings—not just for herself but many others.

Spurred to start her own business so that she would have the flexibility to look after her daughter Andrea, Yeo founded Mount Zion Christian Books & Gifts Centre in 1986. It was anything but easy-going, being a highly niche industry which was already populated with big players. After two years, Yeo was ready to throw in the towel.

“I remember crying out to God, ‘Lord, if it is really You who has called me to this bookstore and gift ministry, I need to hear from You’,” she says. She also feared that closing down her business would be a negative testimony to her family members who were unbelievers. The coming Sunday morning at church, the speaker unexpectedly gave an altar call for those facing business problems. Yeo ran forward with tears streaming down her face. On the way home, with her daughter in her arms, she heard a voice saying to her, “Read and meditate on Psalms 1 day and night—from now on I will bless you.’ That word has sustained me till today.”

The next day at work, an American couple Yeo had never met walked into her store and said to her, “Daughter, God has heard you. Meditate on Psalms 1—the Lord is going to bless you.”

True enough, her business prospered. When the shop relocated to Raffles Place, business boomed, expanding to five branches in 15 years.

At that time, Yeo was also actively serving as a leader at a local church and making frequent mission trips to Indonesia to minister to a church called Elim Kairos Church, in the mountainous area of Berstagi. During her trips there, she experienced many demonic attacks while staying at a run-down visitors’ inn. She dreamed about building a proper facility, and in 1998, with the financial abundance she enjoyed from her business, Yeo bought a piece of land and built the Mount Hermon Mission Centre, a 90-minute drive from Medan airport.

Besides accommodating traveling pastors and mission workers, and serving as a rental facility for international seminars and retreats, the center also doubled up as a venue of worship and service for Elim Kairos Church. Through the use of the center, the church was able to grow its membership to 700, and it has since moved into its own building.

But life took a turn in 2001 for Yeo. She decided to sell her Mount Zion business in order to relocate to the USA with her daughter who was pursuing her university degree there.

For the seven years that they were in America, Yeo faced a great number of setbacks: she was cheated of a large sum of money while trying to set up and run another Christian bookstore called Mount Hermon, her daughter was rebelling against her, the expiry of her visa was looming up, and financial pressure was climbing. But God delivered her from trouble after trouble. Through a miraculous chain of events, she was granted the green card (the United States Permanent Resident Card) after just three years of being in the United States (the minimum is five years’ residency). Her daughter returned to her, and even her USD14,000 tuition debt was paid for by a “Good Samaritan” at the 11th hour.

But Yeo says the real turning point came in 2008, when mother and daughter attended an event in which senior pastor Kong Hee was preaching. Moved by the message, they decided that it was time to return to their roots in Singapore.

Yeo made the decision to drive her business Mount Hermon at YMCA Lodge at Fort Canning Road. “Though it is not a prominent location, the Lord has sustained us and saw us through the business, as the YWCA housed many church seminars and retreats.”

She adds, “I really thank Pastor Kong for speaking about the importance of having dreams at the beginning of this year. My dream is to be able to open up more Mount Hermon branches—that would support 30 missionary workers by allowing them to work part-time at the shop and take months off to do mission work overseas.” Currently the business has four mission workers on its staff, and Yeo is opening a second branch at West Coast Plaza.

Yeo’s heart for missions brought her back to Berstagi a few times this year. Just last month, she was asked to speak to a group of kindergarten teachers. As she ended her sharing, she discovered that among her audience was the Berstagi Head of the Ministry of Education. “He said to me afterward, ‘Victoria, thank you for your message. Please come again.’” The next day, she was invited to give an impromptu speech at the SMA Negeri 1 Berastagia, the top Junior High school in the area.

“I quickly got my daughter to send me some of Pastor Kong’s sermons on dreams, and after my 10-minute sharing in front of 800 students, the Principal came up to me and said that he had never seen the students so lively. He said, ‘Please help us raise the standard of our school. You can even paint the school walls whatever color you want.’” It was then that Yeo was reminded of a dream she had three years ago, of the Lord giving her seven schools.

Now, Yeo is hoping to gather aid, resources and manpower to help revamp the school facilities and give its curriculum a boost. “Looking back now, I can see that the Lord intended for Mount Zion to be a source of provision for me and my daughter during trying times, but with Mount Hermon, I dream that God will use it to be a blessing to many nations in time to come.”

Mount Hermon Christian Books & Gifts
6 Fort Canning Road #01-01, YWCA Lodge
Singapore 179494
www.mounthermon.com.sg

5 Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires by Kristyn Kusek Lewis

2010-05-25T15:25:00.002+08:00

They’re just like you. But with lots of money.

When you think “millionaire,” what image comes to mind? For many of us, it’s a flashy Wall Street banker type who flies a private jet, collects cars and lives the kind of decadent lifestyle that would make Donald Trump proud.

But many modern millionaires live in middle-class neighborhoods, work full-time and shop in discount stores like the rest of us. What motivates them isn’t material possessions but the choices that money can bring: “For the rich, it’s not about getting more stuff. It’s about having the freedom to make almost any decision you want,” says T. Harv Eker, author of Secrets of the Millionaire Mind. Wealth means you can send your child to any school or quit a job you don’t like.
According to the Spectrem Wealth Study, an annual survey of America’s wealthy, there are more people living the good life than ever before—the number of millionaires nearly doubled in the last decade. And the rich are getting richer. To make it onto the Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans, a mere billionaire no longer makes the cut. This year you needed a net worth of at least $1.3 billion.

If more people are getting richer than ever, why shouldn’t you be one of them? Here, five people who have at least a million dollars in liquid assets share the secrets that helped them get there.

1. Set your sights on where you’re going
Twenty years ago, Jeff Harris hardly seemed on the road to wealth. He was a college dropout who struggled to support his wife, DeAnn, and three kids, working as a grocery store clerk and at a junkyard where he melted scrap metal alongside convicts. “At times we were so broke that we washed our clothes in the bathtub because we couldn’t afford the Laundromat.” Now he’s a 49-year-old investment advisor and multimillionaire in York, South Carolina.

There was one big reason Jeff pulled ahead of the pack: He always knew he’d be rich. The reality is that 80 percent of Americans worth at least $5 million grew up in middle-class or lesser households, just like Jeff.

Wanting to be wealthy is a crucial first step. Says Eker, “The biggest obstacle to wealth is fear. People are afraid to think big, but if you think small, you’ll only achieve small things.”

It all started for Jeff when he met a stockbroker at a Christmas party. “Talking to him, it felt like discovering fire,” he says. “I started reading books about investing during my breaks at the grocery store, and I began putting $25 a month in a mutual fund.” Next he taught a class at a local community college on investing. His students became his first clients, which led to his investment practice. “There were lots of struggles,” says Jeff, “but what got me through it was believing with all my heart that I would succeed.”

2. Educate yourself
When Steve Maxwell graduated from college, he had an engineering degree and a high-tech job—but he couldn’t balance his checkbook. “I took one finance class in college but dropped it to go on a ski trip,” says the 45-year-old father of three, who lives in Windsor, Colorado. “I actually had to go to my bank and ask them to teach me how to read my statement.”

One of the biggest obstacles to making money is not understanding it: Thousands of us avoid investing because we just don’t get it. But to make money, you must be financially literate. “It bothered me that I didn’t understand this stuff,” says Steve, “so I read books and magazines about money management and investing, and I asked every financial whiz I knew to explain things to me.”

He and his wife started applying the lessons: They made a point to live below their means. They never bought on impulse, always negotiated better deals (on their cars, cable bills, furniture) and stayed in their home long after they could afford a more expensive one. They also put 20 percent of their annual salary into investments.

Within ten years, they were millionaires, and people were coming to Steve for advice. “Someone would say, ‘I need to refinance my house—what should I do?’ A lot of times, I wouldn’t know the answer, but I’d go find it and learn something in the process,” he says.

In 2003, Steve quit his job to become part owner of a company that holds personal finance seminars for employees of corporations like Wal-Mart. He also started going to real estate investment seminars, and it’s paid off: He now owns $30 million worth of investment properties, including apartment complexes, a shopping mall and a quarry.

“I was an engineer who never thought this life was possible, but all it truly takes is a little self-education,” says Steve. “You can do anything once you understand the basics.”

3. Passion pays off
In 1995, Jill Blashack Strahan and her husband were barely making ends meet. Like so many of us, Jill was eager to discover her purpose, so she splurged on a session with a life coach. “When I told her my goal was to make $30,000 a year, she said I was setting the bar too low. I needed to focus on my passion, not on the paycheck.”

Jill, who lives with her son in Alexandria, Minnesota, owned a gift basket company and earned just $15,000 a year. She noticed when she let potential buyers taste the food items, the baskets sold like crazy. Jill thought, Why not sell the food directly to customers in a fun setting?

With $6,000 in savings, a bank loan and a friend’s investment, Jill started packaging gourmet foods in a backyard shed and selling them at taste-testing parties. It wasn’t easy. “I remember sitting outside one day, thinking we were three months behind on our house payment, I had two employees I couldn’t pay, and I ought to get a real job. But then I thought, No, this is your dream. Recommit and get to work.”

She stuck with it, even after her husband died three years later. “I live by the law of abundance, meaning that even when there are challenges in life, I look for the win-win,” she says.

The positive attitude worked: Jill’s backyard company, Tastefully Simple, is now a direct-sales business, with $120 million in sales last year. And Jill was named one of the top 25 female business owners in North America by Fast Company magazine.

According to research by Thomas J. Stanley, author of The Millionaire Mind, over 80 percent of millionaires say they never would have been successful if their vocation wasn’t something they cared about.

4. Grow your money
Most of us know the never-ending cycle of living paycheck to paycheck. “The fastest way to get out of that pattern is to make extra money for the specific purpose of reinvesting in yourself,” says Loral Langemeier, author of The Millionaire Maker. In other words, earmark some money for the sole purpose of investing it in a place where it will grow dramatically—like a business or real estate.

There are endless ways to make extra money for investing—you just have to be willing to do the work. “Everyone has a marketable skill,” says Langemeier. “When I started out, I had a tutoring business, seeing clients in the morning before work and on my lunch break.”

A little moonlighting cash really can grow into a million. Twenty-five years ago, Rick Sikorski dreamed of owning a personal training business. “I rented a tiny studio where I charged $15 an hour,” he says. When money started trickling in, he squirreled it away instead of spending it, putting it all back into the business. Rick’s 400-square-foot studio is now Fitness Together, a franchise based in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, with more than 360 locations worldwide. And he’s worth over $40 million.

When extra money rolls in, it’s easy to think, Now I can buy that new TV. But if you want to get rich, you need to pay yourself first, by putting money where it will work hard for you—whether that’s in your retirement fund, a side business or investments like real estate.

5. No guts, no glory
Last summer, Dave Lindahl footed the bill for 18 relatives at a fancy mansion in the Adirondacks. One night, his dad looked out at the scenery and joked, “I can’t believe we used to call you the black sheep!”

At 29, Dave was broke, living in a small apartment near Boston and wondering what to do after ten years in a local rock band. “I looked around and thought, If I don’t do something, I’ll be stuck here forever.”

He started a landscape company, buying his equipment on credit. When business literally froze over that winter, a banker friend asked if he’d like to renovate a foreclosed home. “I’m a terrible carpenter, but I needed the money, so I went to some free seminars at Home Depot and figured it out as I went,” he says.

After a few more renovations, it occurred to him: Why not buy the homes and sell them for profit? He took a risk and bought his first property. Using the proceeds, he bought another, and another. Twelve years later, he owns apartment buildings, worth $143 million, in eight states.

The Biggest Secret? Stop spending.
Every millionaire we spoke to has one thing in common: Not a single one spends needlessly. Real estate investor Dave Lindahl drives a Ford Explorer and says his middle-class neighbors would be shocked to learn how much he’s worth. Fitness mogul Rick Sikorski can’t fathom why anyone would buy bottled water. Steve Maxwell, the finance teacher, looked at a $1.5 million home but decided to buy one for half the price because “a house with double the cost wouldn’t give me double the enjoyment.”

Zig Ziglar Will See You At the Top! by Jeff Widmer

2010-05-05T09:37:00.001+08:00

In late 1991 I drove to Philadelphia to see a tag-team match of motivational speakers, Zig Ziglar and Brian Tracy. From a scrappy optimist selling cookware to a household name in sales, Zig was the dean of motivators, in the same league as Dr. Norman Vincent Peale when it came to applying spiritual principles to business. And for people interested in building a positive attitude as well as a career, Tracy wasn’t far behind.

I was excited because I’d landed an interview with both Ziglar and Tracy just before their appearances. At the time I was writing a nationally syndicated column for newspapers owned by the publisher of The Wall Street Journal. I’d listened to recordings Ziglar had made about the sales process and marveled at his mix of confidence, self-deprecation and home-spun truisms. He never lectured; he illustrated. And those stories, drawn from a poor childhood in the South, brought comfort as well as knowledge to the listener.

For those who aren’t immediately familiar with the human potential movement, Ziglar inspires people in and out of sales because he’s living proof that hard work and a tough attitude deliver results. The tenth of twelve children, he was born in Alabama and raised in Mississippi by his mother after his father died. In 1944 Ziglar met his wife, Jean, a woman he affectionately calls The Redhead. In 1970 he went into the business of motivational speaking full-time. Some time after that he founded the training company Ziglar, Inc., near Plano, Texas.

He has written twenty-nine books on personal growth, leadership, sales, faith, family and success, including See You at the Top, Raising Positive Kids in a Negative World and Secrets of Closing the Sale. Ten of those titles have hit the best-seller lists.

Despite my appreciation of his work, I had one small problem with the interview. As a journalist, I felt slightly uncomfortable when Zig would close his programs with “I’ll see you at the top.” It sounded more like a tagline designed by marketers than a sincere wish from a very sincere man. But I felt certain we’d find dozens of positive things to discuss.

As luck would have it, I left the newspaper group before writing the columns on Ziglar and Tracy. Nineteen years later, in reviewing the transcription of the tapes, I found the questions I’d asked weren’t very inspiring but the responses were. Over a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs in his hotel room, Zig talked about everything from U.S. history to the influence of television to Biblical values with a passion that belied his good-old-boy image.

When it was time for him to take the stage, he walked me to the door, shook my hand with a firm grip and delivered a line that sent chills down my spine. Looking me straight in the eyes he said, “And I’ll see you at the top.”

I believe him.

JW: You were born in Alabama in 1926 and raised in Yazoo City. Your mother came out one day after you had sown seeds in the garden and made you do the whole thing over again.

ZZ: Yeah. Hoeing the beans. We had milk cows and a big garden right there in town.

JW: You got a lot of fundamental values from your mom.

ZZ: Very much so.

JW: I imagine it was a pretty Spartan existence.

ZZ: We never thought of ourselves as poor because nobody else had anything either. If you had a roof over your head and something to eat and something to wear, you were rich.

JW: I’m reminded of a continuing theme in your work, that if you help enough people get what they want, you too will get what you want.

ZZ: That comes as a result of the old principles that my mother raised us on, which were Biblical principles—you do what’s right, you tell the truth, you work hard, you treat other people like you want to be treated, your word is your bond. That whole scenario was played many, many times to us when we were children.

JW: You used to sell cookware door to door. That strikes me as being a very difficult way to earn a living, but I sense you learned some valuable lessons, such as how to deal with rejection and adversity.

ZZ: There were two or three things, had I known this from the very beginning, that would have made it a lot easier, so I’m teaching people this now, which makes it easier for them. You have to understand that when people say “no” that’s not a personal rejection, it’s a business refusal. I try to remove the personal feeling from it. I have a close friend who is really my mentor, a brilliant man; his name is Fred Smith, and he’s a retired business executive, served on the board of Mobil Oil. He taught salespeople that when that happens, you treat it as an experiment and not an experience.

JW: You don’t extrapolate and say, “Everybody’s that way.”

ZZ: Oh gracious no. In other words, I don’t feel that person was rude to me but was part of an experiment.

JW: And this is a way of detaching yourself.

ZZ: That’s correct. That’s correct. And your image is intact and you go and make the next call.

JW: Did you ever have a worst day in your life?

ZZ: I’ve gotten into some awfully close scrapes financially and I relate to being extremely broke, wondering how I’m going to pay my rent, how I’m going to make my car payment, how we’re going to eat. When my oldest daughter was born [in 1948], the hospital bill was $64, and we didn’t have $64.

JW: What were you doing at the time?

ZZ: Selling cookware. I had to go out and make two sales to get enough money to get my wife and daughter out of the hospital. That’s pressure selling.

JW: And how about your best day?

ZZ: I still vividly remember the most exciting day as a salesman. I was in the cookware business. We were living in Columbia, South Carolina. We were extremely broke, very much in debt. On this particular night I had eight couples at a demonstration and I sold all eight of them. The total was $1,995 and all of the sales were for cash with the exception of one $200 sale. So when I got home that evening we set it down on the bed and counted that money about seventeen times and stacked it every different way you can stack money and just laughed and cut up and had a good time. We were going to be able to pay some bills that badly needed paying.

JW: You talk about being dirt poor, going meal to meal. What were you saying to yourself during those times?

ZZ: I wasn’t really saying a whole lot to myself. You’ve got to understand that I’d been raised that when you make a commitment and accept a responsibility, you never consider escaping that responsibility. I had a wife, I had a family; they were my responsibility. So everything was geared first to survival and then to providing the family the other things that all families need.

JW: You’ve met the material definition of success. But what’s your personal definition of success?

ZZ: Our company’s mission statement is to be the difference-maker in enough lives to make a positive difference in America and the world. Now that sounds pretty grandiose but we’ve been very fortunate in that we have been able to reach an awful lot of people and we’re developing a couple of significant new programs that we believe will enable us to expedite that.

JW: Can you talk a little about those programs?

ZZ: You can trace every problem in our society, whether it’s crime or drugs or the dissolution of the family or our national debt . . . you can trace all of them directly to a lack of leadership in this country.

JW: Government or business leadership?

ZZ: Everybody in leadership. Leadership in the family, that’s the beginning point. Leadership in the schools, leadership in our government, leadership in the media. I think we have to go back to the ‘70s to move ahead in the ‘90s.

JW: The 1970s?

ZZ: I’m talking about the 1770s. If you get your history book out, you’ll read that three million Americans in 1776 produced George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, James Monroe, etc., etc., etc. According to the Thomas Jefferson Research Institute, over ninety percent of all the educational thrust then was of a religious or a moral nature. Now those people were not religious. But what they did was they taught Biblical principles. By 1951 the percentage was so small you couldn’t measure it. We’ve taken God completely out of every facet of what we do, and we’re paying for it.
The average 18-year-old American watches 17,000 hours of television. He’s listened to 11,000 hours of music, watched 2,000 hours of MTV and the movies. That’s 30,000 hours. Now in 30,000 hours you can finish kindergarten, grade school, middle school, high school, college, medical school and serve an internship. I’m not opposed to us having some relaxation and entertainment—I’m going to play golf tomorrow. But in 30,000 hours we’ve taught our kids to play not to work. We have to go back to teaching our kids that there is a direct relationship between effort and reward. Society is our major problem but it really goes right back to the home.

JW: I’d like to talk a little about why it is so important that we have goals.

ZZ: Every human being I’ve ever talked to that has set and followed goals tells me that they absolutely work.

JW: When you were selling cookware and things didn’t look as nice as they do now, did you have goals?

ZZ: You betcha. My goal primarily was to make four demonstrations a day. That was one. Another would be to be the number-one salesman in our group that week.

JW: What does goal-setting give a person?

ZZ: It gives them a sense of direction.

JW: I’m looking at the time and know you’re going to have to scoot soon. . . . If you could have dinner with anybody in the world, who would it be?

ZZ: Obviously I’d pick that redheaded wife of mine.

Life is What You Make It: Find Your Own Path to Fulfillment, by Peter Buffett

2010-04-30T10:57:00.001+08:00

Warren won't be the only Buffett putting on a show this weekend at the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting in Omaha.

Peter, his youngest son and an accomplished musician and devoted campaigner against violence targeting women, will perform “Life Is What You Make It: A Concert and Conversation with Peter Buffett,” tomorrow, Friday April 30 at 7:30 PM CT in the Witherspoon Auditorium of Omaha's Joslyn Art Museum.

Ticket benefit the Kent Bellows Studio and Center for Visual Arts, and are available online.

The title of Peter's performance is also the title of his just-released book, Life is What You Make It: Find Your Own Path to Fulfillment.

With the permission of the publisher, here is an excerpt from the book, in which Peter explains why he has no regrets about his decision years ago to sell inherited Berkshire Hathaway stock that would be worth $72 million today:

One of my father's often-quoted tenets is that a parent, if he has the means to do so, should give his children "enough to do anything, but not enough to do nothing." A head start is fine; a free pass is often a crippling disservice. When I turned 19, I received my inheritance—proceeds from the sale of a farm, which my father converted into Berkshire Hathaway stock. At the time I received them, the shares were worth roughly $90,000. It was understood that I should expect nothing more.

So—what to do with the money? I was a student at Stanford University; there were no strings attached. Fortunately, I'd had the advantage of seeing my older siblings burn through most of their cash; I didn't want to follow down that path. At the other extreme, I might have done absolutely nothing with that stock—just left it in an account and forgotten about it. If I'd picked that option, my shares would now be worth around $72 million. But I didn't make that choice, and I don't regret it for a second. People think I'm either lying or crazy when I say this, but it happens to be true, because I used my nest egg to buy something more valuable than money: I used it to buy time.

My inheritance came to me around the time I was finally committing to the pursuit of a career in music. As a pragmatic Midwesterner with a very limited nest egg, I knew that I would have to find a way to turn my creative impulses into a livelihood. But how did one do that? How would I find an audience, or clients, or a way to sell what I'd written and produced? I didn't have a clue, but it was becoming clear to me that I wasn't going to figure it out by staying in a university.

I decided to leave Stanford and use my inheritance to buy the time it would take to figure out if I could make a go of it in music.

With help from my father, I worked out a budget that would allow me to conserve my capital as long as possible. I moved to San Francisco, where I lived very frugally—small apartment, funky car. My sole extravagance was in expanding my recording equipment. I played the piano, wrote tunes, experimented with electronic sounds. Then I put a classified ad in the San Francisco Chronicle, offering to record all comers in my studio.

And I waited until a very important bit of good luck tracked me down one day in 1981, as I stood at a San Francisco curbside washing my crummy old car. A neighbor with whom I'd had nothing more than a nodding acquaintance happened by and asked what I did for a living. When I told him I was a struggling composer, he suggested I get in touch with his son-in-law, an animator who was always in need of music. I followed up, and the son-in-law did have work for me. He'd been commissioned to create 10-second "intersticials"—quick ads meant to flash a logo and establish a brand ID for a newly conceived cable channel.

I took the work. And the cable channel more than launched; it rocketed to the moon. It was called MTV. Soon many TV outlets wanted to look and sound like MTV. I no longer had to take on unpaid work.

My inheritance was relatively modest, but it was more than most young people receive to get a start in life. Having that money was a privilege, a gift I had not earned. If I'd faced the necessity of making a living from day one, I would not have been able to follow the path I chose.

Would my father have helped me get started if I'd chosen a career on Wall Street? I'm sure he would have. Would he have given me a job at Berkshire Hathaway if I'd asked for one? I suppose so. But in either of those cases, the onus would have been on me to demonstrate that I felt a true vocation for those fields, rather than simply taking the course of least resistance. My father would not have served as an enabler of my taking the easy way out. That would not have been an exercise of privilege, but of diminishment.

The Ant Philosophy by Jim Rohn

2010-04-20T08:17:00.000+08:00

Over the years, I’ve been teaching kids about a simple but powerful concept: the Ant Philosophy. I think everybody should study ants. They have an amazing four-part philosophy.

Here is the first part: Ants never quit. That’s a good philosophy. If they’re headed somewhere and you try to stop them, they’ll look for another way. They’ll climb over. They’ll climb under. They’ll climb around. They keep looking for another way. What a neat philosophy—to never quit looking for a way to get where you’re supposed to go.

Second, ants think winter all summer. That’s an important perspective. You can’t be so naive as to think summer will last forever. So ants gather their winter food in the middle of summer.

An ancient story says, “Don’t build your house on the sand in the summer.” Why do we need that advice? Because it is important to think ahead. In the summer, you’ve got to think storm. You’ve got to think rocks as you enjoy the sand and sun.

The third part of the Ant Philosophy is that ants think summer all winter. That is so important. During the winter, ants remind themselves, “This won’t last long; we’ll soon be out of here.” And the first warm day, the ants are out. If it turns cold again, they’ll dive back down, but then they come out the first warm day. They can’t wait to get out.

And here’s the last part of the ant philosophy. How much will an ant gather during the summer to prepare for the winter? All he possibly can. What an incredible philosophy, the “all-you-possibly-can” philosophy.

Wow, what a great philosophy to have—the ant philosophy. Never give up, look ahead, stay positive and do all you can.

The Call of God, by Kong Hee

2010-04-06T14:43:00.001+08:00

So David went to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there; and he said, “The LORD has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water.” Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim. 2 Samuel 5:20

Every one of us has a call of God for our lives. You are called by God to do something specific for Him. There is no useless person in life and you should not be drifting through life without a sense of destiny or purpose. From David’s experience in 2 Samuel 5, you can learn five important lessons about discerning God’s calling for you:

(1) What word or rhema have you received from the Lord? That word will be a good indicator of your calling in life. David had a word from heaven that he shall be the shepherd and ruler of Israel (5:1-2). Faith comes by hearing that rhema. Without that rhema revelation, you won’t have the faith to obey.

(2) What are you gifted and anointed with? David was anointed three times in his life: by the prophet Samuel, by the men of Judah, and by the elders of Israel (5:3). An anointing is an impartation of ability by the Holy Spirit. God never wastes His anointing. What He has gifted and anointed you with is often indicative of your calling.

(3) What does other trusted leadership see in you? The reason elders chose him was because the gifting and ability of kingship in David were already clearly evident to all (5:3). God works through spiritual protocol. A calling upon your life should be evident to the mature, spiritual leadership God has surrounded you with. Let them confi rm your calling.

(4) How are your enemies opposing you? If you are not walking in your calling, you will never be a threat to Satan. But the moment you step into your destiny, you can be sure he is not going take things lying down. He will be very agitated and start hindering you (5:3). Sometimes, an unprovoked attack could be an indication that you are walking in your calling.

(5) What breakthrough has God provided you with? When David went to the Valley of Rephaim, God provided a way for him to attain resounding victory over his enemies. He renamed that valley Baal Perazim, which means “Master of Breakthroughs”(5:20). God often speaks to us through an open door. When you receive a breakthrough in an impossible situation, it is a good sign that God wants you to walk through it. That is your calling from the Lord.

We Need Two School Systems by Robert Kiyosaki

2010-02-18T11:08:00.002+08:00

Education in America could use a big dose of innovation. How about one public school system for employees, and another for entrepreneurs?

In the summer of 1932, presidential candidate Franklin Delano Roosevelt promised, "I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for the American people."

Today, it is time not for a "New Deal," but a "New Mission."

America's schools need to take a page from the businesses that have been created by entrepreneurs over the past decades. Henry Ford, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Sergey Brin and Larry Page have all given us the road map, but the path toward entrepreneurship is often the road less traveled America's schools.

The U.S. unemployment rate is currently 9.7% in what many call a "jobless recovery." So what should we do? The problem and the solution can be found in America's educational system and its current mantra: "Go to school and get good grades, so you can get a good high-paying job." In simpler terms that means, "Go to school to become a good employee." But there are too many employees, which is why we have an unemployment problem. Today, kids just out of school aren't finding jobs. At the same time, many of their parents are going back to school for retraining. But they're not finding jobs, either.

The idea of a high-paying job for life is truly an American dream — but no longer a reality. With low-priced labor and lower-priced, higher-performance technology, high-paying American jobs will be disappearing at greater speed as they move overseas.

Two-track system

America's education system needs an injection of innovation — which is just what entrepreneurs do. We need two different public school programs: one for employees and one for entrepreneurs.
The way to train entrepreneurs is almost exactly the opposite of the methods used to train employees. Another common thread about Ford, Gates and Jobs is that they all dropped out of school. This is not to say education is not important, but training entrepreneurs is different from training people to be employees. It is much like the difference between traditional education and the military academy model.

Many of the lessons I drew upon to write my book, Rich Dad, come from the U.S. military academy system.

In 1965, I left a sleepy sugar plantation town of Hilo, Hawaii, and journeyed to Kings Point, N.Y., to attend the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. With four years at the academy and six years as a Marine Corps pilot, including two trips to Vietnam, I gained many of the real-life skills and character traits I count on today as an entrepreneur.

Success in the military is a great bellwether signaling achievement in business. For example, the Israeli Defense Forces are a breeding ground for education and entrepreneurs, where many serve in units specializing in military technology. At the beginning of 2009, the 63 Israeli companies listed on the Nasdaq, many led by former IDF members, outnumbered those of any other foreign country, according to the book Start-up Nation by Dan Senor and Saul Singer. There are simple lessons here for America's gridlocked education system.

If I were running America's schools system, I would create the U.S. Business Academy for Entrepreneurs, modeled after our federal military academies. Admissions would be via congressional appointment along with nominations from community business leaders. The entrance exams would be rigorous; the curriculum would be very different from traditional colleges.

On first day at any of the five federal military academies, each student is required to memorize the academy's mission. In the military, mission is more important than life. After leaving the Marine Corps and starting my own business, I found many executives with MBA degrees focused only on money. Money was their only mission. If they could cut expenses by firing employees, so be it. This was unconscionable at the academy and the Marine Corps. As military officers, our mission was to serve our country and bring our troops home alive. It was drummed into our souls that our mission was more important than our lives.

The mission of the U.S. Academy for Entrepreneurs would be to create sustainable, well-paying jobs for employees by aggressive growth of the business. Too many executives are trained to grow the business through mergers and acquisitions, using massive amounts of debt. Though this might make shareholders happy, in most cases it rips the soul out of the business, loading it with debt while putting the jobs of employees at risk.

Creating real jobs

If corporate executives cannot grow a business organically, they will often repurchase their shares to make it look as if the share price is going up — again to keep shareholders happy and the CEO employed. This is business manipulation, and not the true mission of a sustainable business. The lesson learned is, a loyal employee is not as important as money.

The U.S. Business Academy for Entrepreneurs would have only real entrepreneurs as teachers. I would ask that they work for only $1 a year (think of the great entrepreneurial CEOs who have turned around their businesses doing the same). You see, if they were real entrepreneurs, they would not need the money. They would teach for the same reason the students are there: the mission to create entrepreneurs who create sustainable jobs for the country.

Whether you agree with me or not, I hope it's clear that we need to create more entrepreneurs — since only entrepreneurs can create real jobs.

We need to pledge ourselves to this New Mission: job creation by those who are true job creators

Fix on Your Vision, Then Plot Your Course by Bob Proctor

2009-12-31T07:47:00.000+08:00

One summer, I had a wedding to attend in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I had a few days to spare, and my wife and I enjoy each other’s company, so I suggested to Linda that we drive instead of fly. She readily agreed and started collecting the maps we’d need for the trip. As we plotted the course, we would be driving from Toronto to Detroit, Detroit to Cincinnati, Cincinnati to Lexington, Lexington to Louisville and then into Gatlinburg.

We were plotting the vision, you see, to get us from Point A to Point B.

When we got in the car to begin the trip, which city was I thinking of? Detroit. I had to get to Detroit first; if I missed Detroit, there’d be a good chance we wouldn’t find our way to the wedding at all.

Detroit was first on my list—that was my GOAL. After Detroit was accomplished, Cincinnati became my goal, and so on… all the way to my final destination—Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
I’ve had people come up and tell me that they’ve given up on their big dreams because they never seemed to get closer, no matter what they envisioned or tried. The error they’re making is that they’re looking for their Gatlinburg while they’re still sitting in the driveway in Toronto. In many instances, they’re writing their Gatlinburg goal on a Goal Card I’ve given them, or they’re writing it in a journal somewhere. This is all well and good, but if you’re not also plotting your course to get from where you are to where you want to be… if you’re not figuring out the first goal is Detroit, then following that plotline forward in progressive order, you’re going to end up in Montreal instead.

You’ve GOT to plot the course. Figure out what you need to do between here and there and make those your goals. Once you have the course plotted, though, there are three very distinct rules of thumb I want you to remember.

First, just because you’ve plotted the course doesn’t mean you can put your whole plan on autopilot. When pilots reach cruising altitude they’ll quite often put the plane on autopilot and let years of genius physics and calculus computations steer the plane toward its destination. But even with autopilot, you’ve got to manually get the plane in the air and manually land it. And even with autopilot, you’ve got to keep an eye on your instruments and pay attention to possible curveballs Mother Nature might toss your way.

You cannot rely on autopilot to get you where you want to go. You have to be personally involved and focused on the process.

Second, don’t get so carried away with the details of plotting the action steps within your vision that you don’t ever get out of your driveway. You know what I’m talking about—you see people around you do it all the time. They get so caught up in planning and charting and graphing their future that they never BEGIN it. This is fear in disguise—that’s all it is. Your plan doesn’t have to be perfect. Get the foundational elements in place and get moving.

Third, don’t be so intent on motoring to Detroit that you miss the scenery along the way. You’re on purpose… you’re on your way… enjoy the journey, for heaven’s sake. After all, that’s what you’re doing this for, isn’t it?

Five Rules for Entrepreneurship by Brian Tracy

2009-12-11T12:47:00.002+08:00

Entrepreneurship is the art of finding profitable solutions to problems. Every successful entrepreneur or business person has been able to identify a problem and come up with a solution to it before someone else did. Here are the five rules for success.

1. Find a Need and Fill It

Human needs and wants are unlimited. Therefore, the opportunities for entrepreneurship and financial success are unlimited as well. The only constraint on the business opportunities available to you are the limits you place on your own imagination.

2. Find a Problem and Solve It

Wherever there is a widespread and unsolved customer problem, there is an opportunity for you to start and build a successful business. Once upon a time, before photocopies, the only way to type multiple copies of a letter was with carbon paper places between sheets of stationary. But a single mistake would require the typist to go through and erase the mistakes on every single copy. This was enormously clumsy and time consuming. Then a secretary working for small company in Minneapolis began mixing flour with nail varnish in order to white out the mistake she was making in her typing. Soon, people in other offices began asking for it. The demand became so great that she quit her job and began working full-time manufacturing what she called “Liquid Paper.” A few years later, the Gillette Corporation came along and bought her out for $47 million cash.

3. Unlimited Opportunities

There are problems everywhere. Your job is to find one of these problems and solve it better than it has been solved in the past. Find a problem that everyone has and see if you can't come up with a solution for it. Find a way to supply a product or service better, cheaper, faster, or easier. Use your imagination.

4. Focus on the Customer

The key to success in business is to focus on the customer. Become obsessed with your customer. Become fixated on your customer's wants, needs, and desires. Think of your customer all the time. Think of what your customer is willing to pay for. Think about your customer's problems. See yourself as if you were working for your customer.

5. Bootstrap Your Way to Success

Once you have come up with a problem or idea, resolve to invest your time, talent, and energy instead of your money to get started. Most great personal fortunes in the United States were started with an idea and with the sale of personal services. Most great fortunes were started by people with no money, resources, or backing. They were started by individuals who came up with an idea and who then put their whole heart into producing a product or service that someone else would buy.

Action Exercise

Look for business opportunities everywhere, develop, an entrepreneurial mind-set, and continually be open and curious about the needs not satisfied and problems not solved. One idea is all you need to make your first million.

What it takes to be great, by By Geoffrey Colvin, senior editor-at-large

2009-11-03T16:10:00.002+08:00

Research now shows that the lack of natural talent is irrelevant to great success. The secret? Painful and demanding practice and hard work

(Fortune Magazine) -- What makes Tiger Woods great? What made Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett the world's premier investor? We think we know: Each was a natural who came into the world with a gift for doing exactly what he ended up doing. As Buffett told Fortune not long ago, he was "wired at birth to allocate capital." It's a one-in-a-million thing. You've got it - or you don't.

Well, folks, it's not so simple. For one thing, you do not possess a natural gift for a certain job, because targeted natural gifts don't exist. (Sorry, Warren.) You are not a born CEO or investor or chess grandmaster. You will achieve greatness only through an enormous amount of hard work over many years. And not just any hard work, but work of a particular type that's demanding and painful.

Born Winner? Golf champ Tiger Woods (pictured at 3 years old) never stopped trying to improve. Woods (pictured in 2001) devoted hours to practice and even remade his Swing twice, because that's what it took to get better. Buffett, for instance, is famed for his discipline and the hours he spends studying financial statements of potential investment targets. The good news is that your lack of a natural gift is irrelevant - talent has little or nothing to do with greatness. You can make yourself into any number of things, and you can even make yourself great.

Scientific experts are producing remarkably consistent findings across a wide array of fields. Understand that talent doesn't mean intelligence, motivation or personality traits. It's an innate ability to do some specific activity especially well. British-based researchers Michael J. Howe, Jane W. Davidson and John A. Sluboda conclude in an extensive study, "The evidence we have surveyed ... does not support the [notion that] excelling is a consequence of possessing innate gifts."

To see how the researchers could reach such a conclusion, consider the problem they were trying to solve. In virtually every field of endeavor, most people learn quickly at first, then more slowly and then stop developing completely. Yet a few do improve for years and even decades, and go on to greatness.

The irresistible question - the "fundamental challenge" for researchers in this field, says the most prominent of them, professor K. Anders Ericsson of Florida State University - is, Why? How are certain people able to go on improving? The answers begin with consistent observations about great performers in many fields.

Scientists worldwide have conducted scores of studies since the 1993 publication of a landmark paper by Ericsson and two colleagues, many focusing on sports, music and chess, in which performance is relatively easy to measure and plot over time. But plenty of additional studies have also examined other fields, including business.

No substitute for hard work

The first major conclusion is that nobody is great without work. It's nice to believe that if you find the field where you're naturally gifted, you'll be great from day one, but it doesn't happen. There's no evidence of high-level performance without experience or practice.
Reinforcing that no-free-lunch finding is vast evidence that even the most accomplished people need around ten years of hard work before becoming world-class, a pattern so well established researchers call it the ten-year rule.

What about Bobby Fischer, who became a chess grandmaster at 16? Turns out the rule holds: He'd had nine years of intensive study. And as John Horn of the University of Southern California and Hiromi Masunaga of California State University observe, "The ten-year rule represents a very rough estimate, and most researchers regard it as a minimum, not an average." In many fields (music, literature) elite performers need 20 or 30 years' experience before hitting their zenith.

So greatness isn't handed to anyone; it requires a lot of hard work. Yet that isn't enough, since many people work hard for decades without approaching greatness or even getting significantly better. What's missing?

Practice makes perfect

The best people in any field are those who devote the most hours to what the researchers call "deliberate practice." It's activity that's explicitly intended to improve performance, that reaches for objectives just beyond one's level of competence, provides feedback on results and involves high levels of repetition.

For example: Simply hitting a bucket of balls is not deliberate practice, which is why most golfers don't get better. Hitting an eight-iron 300 times with a goal of leaving the ball within 20 feet of the pin 80 percent of the time, continually observing results and making appropriate adjustments, and doing that for hours every day - that's deliberate practice.

Consistency is crucial. As Ericsson notes, "Elite performers in many diverse domains have been found to practice, on the average, roughly the same amount every day, including weekends."
Evidence crosses a remarkable range of fields. In a study of 20-year-old violinists by Ericsson and colleagues, the best group (judged by conservatory teachers) averaged 10,000 hours of deliberate practice over their lives; the next-best averaged 7,500 hours; and the next, 5,000. It's the same story in surgery, insurance sales, and virtually every sport. More deliberate practice equals better performance. Tons of it equals great performance.

The skeptics

Not all researchers are totally onboard with the myth-of-talent hypothesis, though their objections go to its edges rather than its center. For one thing, there are the intangibles. Two athletes might work equally hard, but what explains the ability of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to perform at a higher level in the last two minutes of a game?
Researchers also note, for example, child prodigies who could speak, read or play music at an unusually early age. But on investigation those cases generally include highly involved parents. And many prodigies do not go on to greatness in their early field, while great performers include many who showed no special early aptitude.

Certainly some important traits are partly inherited, such as physical size and particular measures of intelligence, but those influence what a person doesn't do more than what he does; a five-footer will never be an NFL lineman, and a seven-footer will never be an Olympic gymnast. Even those restrictions are less severe than you'd expect: Ericsson notes, "Some international chess masters have IQs in the 90s." The more research that's done, the more solid the deliberate-practice model becomes.

Real-world examples

All this scholarly research is simply evidence for what great performers have been showing us for years. To take a handful of examples: Winston Churchill, one of the 20th century's greatest orators, practiced his speeches compulsively. Vladimir Horowitz supposedly said, "If I don't practice for a day, I know it. If I don't practice for two days, my wife knows it. If I don't practice for three days, the world knows it." He was certainly a demon practicer, but the same quote has been attributed to world-class musicians like Ignace Paderewski and Luciano Pavarotti.
Many great athletes are legendary for the brutal discipline of their practice routines. In basketball, Michael Jordan practiced intensely beyond the already punishing team practices. (Had Jordan possessed some mammoth natural gift specifically for basketball, it seems unlikely he'd have been cut from his high school team.)

In football, all-time-great receiver Jerry Rice - passed up by 15 teams because they considered him too slow - practiced so hard that other players would get sick trying to keep up.
Tiger Woods is a textbook example of what the research shows. Because his father introduced him to golf at an extremely early age - 18 months - and encouraged him to practice intensively, Woods had racked up at least 15 years of practice by the time he became the youngest-ever winner of the U.S. Amateur Championship, at age 18. Also in line with the findings, he has never stopped trying to improve, devoting many hours a day to conditioning and practice, even remaking his swing twice because that's what it took to get even better.

The business side

The evidence, scientific as well as anecdotal, seems overwhelmingly in favor of deliberate practice as the source of great performance. Just one problem: How do you practice business? Many elements of business, in fact, are directly practicable. Presenting, negotiating, delivering evaluations, deciphering financial statements - you can practice them all.
Still, they aren't the essence of great managerial performance. That requires making judgments and decisions with imperfect information in an uncertain environment, interacting with people, seeking information - can you practice those things too? You can, though not in the way you would practice a Chopin etude.

Instead, it's all about how you do what you're already doing - you create the practice in your work, which requires a few critical changes. The first is going at any task with a new goal: Instead of merely trying to get it done, you aim to get better at it.

Report writing involves finding information, analyzing it and presenting it - each an improvable skill. Chairing a board meeting requires understanding the company's strategy in the deepest way, forming a coherent view of coming market changes and setting a tone for the discussion. Anything that anyone does at work, from the most basic task to the most exalted, is an improvable skill.

Adopting a new mindset

Armed with that mindset, people go at a job in a new way. Research shows they process information more deeply and retain it longer. They want more information on what they're doing and seek other perspectives. They adopt a longer-term point of view. In the activity itself, the mindset persists. You aren't just doing the job, you're explicitly trying to get better at it in the larger sense.

Again, research shows that this difference in mental approach is vital. For example, when amateur singers take a singing lesson, they experience it as fun, a release of tension. But for professional singers, it's the opposite: They increase their concentration and focus on improving their performance during the lesson. Same activity, different mindset.

Feedback is crucial, and getting it should be no problem in business. Yet most people don't seek it; they just wait for it, half hoping it won't come. Without it, as Goldman Sachs leadership-development chief Steve Kerr says, "it's as if you're bowling through a curtain that comes down to knee level. If you don't know how successful you are, two things happen: One, you don't get any better, and two, you stop caring." In some companies, like General Electric, frequent feedback is part of the culture. If you aren't lucky enough to get that, seek it out.

Be the ball

Through the whole process, one of your goals is to build what the researchers call "mental models of your business" - pictures of how the elements fit together and influence one another. The more you work on it, the larger your mental models will become and the better your performance will grow.

Andy Grove could keep a model of a whole world-changing technology industry in his head and adapt Intel as needed. Bill Gates, Microsoft's founder, had the same knack: He could see at the dawn of the PC that his goal of a computer on every desk was realistic and would create an unimaginably large market. John D. Rockefeller, too, saw ahead when the world-changing new industry was oil. Napoleon was perhaps the greatest ever. He could not only hold all the elements of a vast battle in his mind but, more important, could also respond quickly when they shifted in unexpected ways.

That's a lot to focus on for the benefits of deliberate practice - and worthless without one more requirement: Do it regularly, not sporadically.

Why?

For most people, work is hard enough without pushing even harder. Those extra steps are so difficult and painful they almost never get done. That's the way it must be. If great performance were easy, it wouldn't be rare. Which leads to possibly the deepest question about greatness. While experts understand an enormous amount about the behavior that produces great performance, they understand very little about where that behavior comes from.

The authors of one study conclude, "We still do not know which factors encourage individuals to engage in deliberate practice." Or as University of Michigan business school professor Noel Tichy puts it after 30 years of working with managers, "Some people are much more motivated than others, and that's the existential question I cannot answer - why."

The critical reality is that we are not hostage to some naturally granted level of talent. We can make ourselves what we will. Strangely, that idea is not popular. People hate abandoning the notion that they would coast to fame and riches if they found their talent. But that view is tragically constraining, because when they hit life's inevitable bumps in the road, they conclude that they just aren't gifted and give up.

Maybe we can't expect most people to achieve greatness. It's just too demanding. But the striking, liberating news is that greatness isn't reserved for a preordained few. It is available to you and to everyone.

You Are Called By God, by Ps Kong Hee

2009-10-30T13:10:00.002+08:00

Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. 2 Timothy 1:9

There are four things 2 Timothy 1:9 tells us:

(1) You are called the moment you are saved. You need to see that being called is part of salvation. The moment you give your heart to Jesus, He saves you and calls you with a “holy calling.”

(2) Your calling sets you apart from the crowd. Because your calling is “holy,” it sets limits and boundaries to the things you can indulge in. Every Christian is like a champion athlete. An athlete sets himself apart to be better, faster and stronger. But in order to succeed, he must devote himself totally to that cause and go all out after it.

(3) God will give you the strength to fulfill your calling. It is not going to depend on your own abilities, level of education or social status. Whenever you go for job interviews, these are the things people generally quiz you about. What school did you come from? Do you have a degree? But when it comes to the calling of God, it is “not according to our works” or achievements. He is going to strengthen you by the power of the Holy Spirit. His grace is sufficient for you.

(4) God’s calling for you was settled before time began. God has settled in advance the destiny of your life. And when the right time comes, He calls you. Nothing in life happens by accident. You are part of God’s eternal plan even before He created anything. That is why when God saves us, He can immediately call us. Because your purpose was already in His mind. As such, you need to discover your calling. The way you do that is to unreservedly give God your life. Once you discover your purpose, you need to cultivate that calling. That requires focus, discipline and training.

One of the greatest soccer players who ever played for Manchester United is George Best. In practically every game he played, MU would win that match. But George Best was addicted to women and drinking. No one could rely on him to turn up for a game. The club wanted him so much that they offered him £50,000 every time he showed up, which was a lot of money in the sixties! But George Best blew it all away. Why? A lack of dedication. He never achieved his greatest potential because he didn’t cultivate his calling. The Holy Spirit will never lead you beyond the point that you want to be controlled by Him. There can be no substitute for the decision you make of your own accord. Don’t blow your calling because of a lack of decisive, radical dedication.

The Paradox of Purpose, by Rebecca Fine

2009-10-22T11:07:00.004+08:00

[Note from Rebecca: As we continue our tenth anniversary "flashbacks" to favorite articles from the first ten years of The SOGR NETwork and The Certain Way, our article today comes from 2003 and is based on a talk I gave in Olympia, Washington that year. Because it was a half-hour talk, the article is longer than usual, yet it was one of the most popular ever and I think you'll
find it enjoyable and really USEFUL, too. Let me know!]

Through this wondrous thing called the internet, I get to "talk"
with and work with people all over the planet, and whenever I ask
them what it is they truly desire to be, do, and have -- their
heart's deepest desires -- two things come up frequently:

* Most people say they want to be of service.

* An awful lot of them also say that beyond
some vague notion of that, they just really
don't know what they TRULY, deeply desire.

Well, way back in the 1800s, the American author and humorist
Mark Twain said, "I can show anyone how to get what they want. The
only trouble is I can't find anyone who can tell me what they
want."

I know what he means!

So it's a pretty safe bet that there are quite a few people
reading this right now who are in that camp. Maybe YOU, to a
greater or lesser extent. And if you don't know what it is you
REALLY desire to do, chances are you're not DOING it.

Consider this possibility, please: If you don't know -- can't
articulate clearly and specifically what it is you really want to
be, do, and have; what lights your fire; what it is you'd love to
spend your time doing if you could be doing absolutely ANYTHING --
then it's because you don't really know ...

... who you are.

And if you're not living with real JOY, if you're consistently
unhappy with any part of your life, it's because you are (perhaps
unconsciously) denying the full expression of your true, higher
self.

Because you don't KNOW your true self too well anymore. You've
lost touch, little by little.

Sounds a little grim, doesn't it?

But actually it's wonderful how this works, because when you DO
go within and begin to get reacquainted with your true self,
rediscover what you love to do and begin doing it -- really just
getting out of its way and releasing it -- then you will be
NATURALLY fulfilling your life's purpose, giving the unique gift
you came here to give, and being of service to the entire world.

Now while Mr. Wattles doesn't go into any detail about your
unique life purpose, he does cover the subject in various ways.

* He tells us that we don't have to waste our
time in jobs we don't like, and that, in
fact, we SHOULD not.

* He pounds away at the notion that each of us
has within us the necessary talent to do
whatever it is we would absolutely LOVE to do.

* He also notes that it doesn't take a lot of
energy or will power to keep your mind fixed
on something that really grabs you -- but
that it's VERY difficult to stay focused
positively on what you DON'T really want.

* And he gives a lot of ink to the Law of
Increase which shows us that every being is
either growing or dying, either moving onward
and upward, or falling back and stagnating.

A contemporary of Mr. Wattles, Charles Fillmore -- who wrote the
book, PROSPERITY, and co-founded the Unity movement -- called that
last one the Principle of Infinite Expansion, and he defined it as
"the principle of never-ceasing growth and development of God's
perfect idea that is firmly fixed in all Creation."

Now, whether you use the name "God" or any other to refer to the
Power that creates, regulates, sustains, and animates the universe
doesn't really matter. (Our friend Wally calls it God, the
Universe, the Formless, the Infinite, Supreme Intelligence, and
others.)

What IS important is that this perfect idea is in ALL creation.
Including you and me. God's perfect idea is already IN you, ready
to grow, develop and burst forth.

Your life purpose.

And the way that perfect idea makes itself known is through your
natural gifts and talents, through the things you LOVE to do. I'm
not talking about learned skills, but inborn gifts. (Although you
may get coaching or training to enhance those gifts.)

You know -- the things that you're naturally good at, the
activities that lift you up and carry you along so that it almost
seems effortless at times. The things you'd often rather do than
eat or sleep. The activities that bring you more than just
momentary pleasure -- they fill you with real joy and peace.

And that can be absolutely ANYTHING. It's different for everyone.

But so many of us lose touch with that joy as the years go by. We
"settle down," we fall into a routine, we grow up and give up our
dreams. Sometimes we get talked out of them or shamed out of them
or worse. Sometimes we just decide to be what people call sensible
or practical or responsible. Sometimes we don't even notice
they've slipped away.

We think we have to hold down a particular job even if we hate
it, even if it's killing us. We do it for the money ... the
so-called security ... the prestige ... to "keep up with the
Joneses" ... because we're afraid not to ... because that's "just
the way it is" ... because "a man's gotta do what a man's gotta
do" ... because we don't really think we can do any better ...
endless reasons.

And they all seem so, well, so REASONABLE.

I know a woman named Sue who is a social worker. She's been a
social worker for 12 years and she has hated every minute of it.
But she won't even consider doing anything else even though it's
making her sick -- quite literally. The stress causes her constant
pain and she's undergone several surgeries with long, excruciating
recoveries.

But Sue doesn't see the connection. She just sees that she's got
12 years already invested and, as she puts it, "only eight years
to go" til she gets her pension.

Now I don't know about you, my friend, but to me the word "only"
just doesn't go with "eight years!" Especially in a situation like
that, serving a self-imposed sentence of eight more years at hard,
soul-killing labor.

Sue's absolutely miserable -- and not just the 40 hours a week
she's at work, but all the time she's going to and from work, all
the time she's getting ready for work, all the time she's THINKING
about her work.

And the really sad thing is that by doing what she hates instead
of uncovering what she loves and doing that, she's not just
cheating herself, but cheating everyone involved -- and in fact,
cheating the whole world of her real gifts.

But she's got all her REASONS.

And she believes her reward -- financially and otherwise -- lies
on the other side of those long, stifling eight years.

What do YOU think?

Will Sue's life somehow be miraculously
transformed from misery to lasting joy after
eight more years of same old, same old?

Shakespeare wrote, "Go to your bosom. Knock there and ask your
heart what it doth know." And one of the oldest and most profound
pieces of advice we have from the ancients is the simple phrase,
"Know thyself."

My friend, if you're not joyful in the life you lead NOW, it may
be time to back up and start there: Know thyself. Otherwise, the
gift you came here to give -- to yourself and to all of us -- may
be lost in transit.

Once you go within and rediscover the unique inborn talents and
gifts that fill you with joy and satisfaction when you DO them,
the next step is to say yes to them. That's saying yes to your own
nature and to God's perfect idea within you. Those talents and
gifts are there for a PURPOSE!

And the way you say yes is to DO them, to take action.

There's a balance between doing the inner work -- the
contemplation, prayer, meditation, the listening for that still
small voice, or however you approach it -- and then moving into
action. The early 20th century evangelist Billy Sunday used to
urge his listeners to pray, and then he'd add, "And when you get
off your knees, hustle!"

Our Mr. Wattles insists that "you must not rely upon thought
alone, paying no attention to personal action. That is the rock
upon which many otherwise scientific thinkers meet shipwreck --
the failure to connect thought with personal action."

Taking action is how you GIVE your gift and live a life of true
service to yourself and others. And that doesn't mean that your
life's work has to be something that seems grand and noble. The
real key to being of service and living your purpose is simply to
do what you LOVE to do -- whatever it may be.

Painting, scientific research, cooking,
running a business, teaching, woodworking,
fishing, caring for children or those who are
ill or animals, making music, selling, keeping
an office running smoothly, growing or cooking
or serving food, dancing, programming, writing,
gardening, making things, moving things,
fixing things, -- any- and everything. You
name it!

The possibilities are as infinite as we are.

I want to show you more about how this works and to do that I
need to tell you another story about someone else, this time
someone you've probably heard of.

Buckminster Fuller was one of greatest inventors and thinkers of
the 20th century. Some thought him a genius, some a crackpot, and
some thought he was both (not an unusual way the world describes
people who follow their hearts).

But in his early years he was rather wild and directionless, a
party animal that marriage and family hadn't tamed.

One day he went off to a football game, leaving behind his wife
and six-year-old daughter, Alexandra, who was seriously ill. He
promised Alexandra he'd be back soon and would bring her a
souvenir from the game.

But, as usual, he didn't keep his promise. He didn't come home
for three days.

When he finally arrived, he found that she had taken a turn for
the worse. As he gently gathered her into his arms, Alexandra
smiled up at him and asked, "Daddy, did you bring my prize?" Then,
while his own heart ached with the pain of disappointing her, her
tiny heart stopped.

Fuller went off by himself and, deep in despair, decided to
commit suicide.

But something happened.

He had a realization, heard an inner voice that said, "You have
no right to take your life. It isn't yours to end. It has a
purpose, and so far you have not yet done what you came here to
do."

For Buckminster Fuller, this was the big tap
on the shoulder, the huge wake-up call he
needed. And he finally paid attention and set
about doing what was his to do.

He wanted to know the rules by which God had set up the universe.
Through his explorations, he came to believe that the plan was for
all people to live in abundance and that we all simply needed to
do what we each came here to do for that to become reality.

Over the course of his 88 very full years in search of those
rules, he came up with what he called Generalized Principles, some
of those rules he was seeking to understand. The one I want to
share with you now, as briefly as I can, is called PRECESSION.

Rather than attempting a scientific explanation, let me just give
you a couple of simple examples.

First, if you drop a pebble into a pond, what happens?

The stone sinks -- there's motion in one direction: Down. Then,
ripples spread out on the water's surface at right angles from
that direction. So the one original action causes the MAIN effect
and a SIDE effect.

Here's another example that shows why BOTH effects are so
important.

The honeybee has a job, or you could call it a mission: Gather
nectar to make honey. And the honeybee is more than merely good
(talented) at it. Gathering nectar is its very nature.

So every day the honeybee wakes up and does what comes naturally.
It goes into motion, takes action: Flower. Nectar. Hive. Repeat.

Honey is the MAIN effect of that motion or action in that
direction.

But something else is happening!

As the bee travels from flower to flower, he cross-pollinates the
blossoms.

So while the bee is going in one direction, going about his
business of making honey, another action is happening off at right
angles to that line of motion: cross-pollination.

Now gathering nectar is good, honey is good. We all enjoy it. And
that's the bee's job, or mission.

But without that side effect of cross-pollination none of us
would be here to enjoy the honey because cross-pollination is
essential to supporting life on this planet.

So here we have this little honeybee just going along, doing what
comes naturally, what it was put here to do, and all along ...

... its TRUE PURPOSE is happening as a SIDE EFFECT!

If the honeybee has a purpose, my friend, so do you.

If the bee fulfills its purpose by simply doing what comes
naturally ... well, you see where this is going, don't you?

Fulfilling YOUR life's purpose is a side
effect of pursuing a goal or vision that is
NATURAL to YOU. It may seem paradoxical but
you may never actually know what your true
PURPOSE is.

You just need, first, to know what you love
to do -- what's YOUR nature, your natural
gift -- and then, to DO IT.

Precession requires MOTION, or in our Science of Getting Rich
terms, ACTION. No motion, no side effect. Thought, contemplation,
all the forms of going within are necessary to uncover the vision
of what we desire to be, do, and have -- but so's the "hustle."

The INSPIRED action that springs with enthusiasm from the
contemplation of that "clear mental image."

Otherwise, the true purpose is never fulfilled.

The wonderful thing is that the ACTION -- inspired action -- is
where all the FUN is!

Bucky Fuller believed the primary goal for each of us should not
primarily be going after all those things we mentioned before --
money, approval, security, and so on -- but to do something we
love and feel passionate about. His idea was that each of us could
ADD VALUE and somehow improve the quality of life for the earth
and its creatures.

The real profit, as he saw it and as I believe Mr. Wattles tells
us, comes from being true to our higher selves. For Wally,
becoming REALLY rich "includes everything else" and the way to go
about it, he says, is to do what you love. Know what you love to
do and do it, and all the rest happens precessionally, as a side
effect.

Including prosperity. Including purpose.

Fuller also noticed that no plant or animal has to work for a
living. They just do what they're meant to do and the Universe
provides for them. (A fellow named Jesus noticed that, too, by the
way!) They just live and grow -- never-ceasing growth and
development, fulfilling God's perfect idea in them.

Now, of course, honeybees, plants, and animals don't get
sidetracked from their natural missions like we do. They don't
have the faculty of CHOICE (so they can't make "wrong" ones).

But we DO have a choice.

For us, the "never-ceasing cycle of growth and development"
requires first the "Know thyself" part and THEN the action part.
Then, it's a matter of step and repeat. If we choose to.

What are you doing right now, my friend? Whatever it is you are
giving your time to, realize that you are giving your LIFE to it.
If it brings you into touch with your joy, congratulations! How
wonderful! You are living your purpose!

If that's not your experience up 'til now, perhaps this gem of
advice from the new "Harry Potter" movie will shine some light:

"It's not just your talents that make you who
you are, Harry. It's your CHOICES."

Finding Intrinsic, Lasting Motivation to Succeed by Denis Waitley

2009-06-17T08:21:00.000+08:00

For the high achiever, it's natural to seek out challenging goals because he or she has an inner, intrinsic drive to succeed. And success doesn't mean pet rocks, get-rich-quick schemes, lotto jackpots or chain letters. High achievers are looking not to receive, but to contribute, to give. They're looking for problems that are personally satisfying to solve. Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey and Warren Buffett, three of the wealthiest individuals in the world, eagerly go to work every day to face the challenge of solving a new and bigger problem. All could be playing Backgammon on a tropical island or two rounds of golf per day.

Since the accomplishment of a difficult task means more to the high achiever than any external motivation, it means that motivation will remain strong throughout his or her career. Think of how much stronger and more permanent such a motivation is compared to one that is extrinsic.
Suppose you choose a particular career because of the money. What happens when there's more money in doing something else? You're likely to abandon one path as soon as another possibility opens up, and eventually you'll find yourself wondering what you're really doing… maybe even who you really are.

Since there is no inner drive to stay on any particular path, the journey will be arduous, and motivation will tend to weaken whenever the external reward seems remote or out of sight. This is especially true with individuals who want a home business with high rewards and minimal risk. Some people spend their entire lives wandering from one field to another, always looking for an easier way to find that pot of gold, never achieving a significant goal worthy of their inner potential.

I've met many people who fit this description. If they're in sales, they move from company to company, from industry to industry, for one product or service to another. They are very hard to keep on your hand held electronic address book or in your directory of contacts because they are always either coming or going or starting another new business of their own. When that doesn't work, they get involved in sketchy enterprises, especially start-up-companies offering big, easy rewards, such as a wonder diet company where you can lose all the weight you want by eating anything you want and swallowing one amazing pill a day. They go from one Roman candle to another, from one "exciting opportunity" to another disappointment.

The problem is, money alone does not stimulate intrinsic motivation and therefore is a means, not an end. Money is like fuel for your car. It is not the destination. It is not the journey. It is only part of the transportation system. Make your "why" grab you by your very soul. You'll never be disappointed for very long. And you'll stay committed regardless of "stock market gyrations" or setbacks.

This week, find your unique "why" and pursue it with passion!

Commuters' University: On-The-Road Learning, by Marv Dumon

2009-06-17T08:16:00.002+08:00

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about nine out of 10 workers drive to work. An additional 5% of workers take public transportation, and about 2.5% walk. Of those that drive, about three out of four drive alone. The Census Bureau also estimated the average commute per worker (in 2005) at 24 minutes, which translates to about 100 hours of work-related commuting per year.

The Costs of Driving

Those 100 hours of driving to work (and "fighting" traffic) represent more than two weeks of vacation. Given worsening traffic conditions in major metropolitan areas, commute times appear to become exacerbated over the years.

Using a commuter calculator, based on a 10-mile (one-way) drive every weekday, if gas is at $2.30 per gallon and at an 86-cent per mile driver's direct cost (maintenance, parking) the driver can expect to pay an annual driving cost of nearly $6,700.

In terms of opportunity costs, drivers can spend 100 hours of unproductive time if they are not careful of how they manage their commute. Assuming an hourly rate of $25, those 100 hours represent $2,500 in potential lost productivity per year. Over a 10-year period, that translates to $25,000 in potential lost productivity. (To learn more, see our Economics Tutorial.)

Granted, we could use somewhat more conservative numbers as drivers these days use their cellphones in order to conduct a variety of transactions and conversations. Still, the costs add up. Direct costs and opportunity costs amount to several thousand dollars per year. Therefore, it behooves business professionals to attend "Commuters' University" in order to extract benefit without committing any additional time to the learning process.

Using Commute Time to Earn a "Virtual Degree"

Business, accounting and finance professionals can use their commute time in order to enhance their skills. Workers can listen to a variety of business, leadership and management audiobooks that can improve work performance, while investors can learn certain insights by listening to finance, economics and investing audiobooks. (For more, see You Don't Know Jack Welch.)

Benefits:

1. Commuters can "read" several dozen books in their field per year, without committing additional time to do it. Assuming 100 hours of commute per year, and further assuming 5 hours as the average length of an audiobook, it's possible to absorb 20 additional books annually. Most would agree that a professional within a certain function (say finance), who has read 200 books (which is essentially a small library) in his or her field, is a qualified expert in his or her chosen profession.

2. Leveraging the expertise and business wisdom of the likes of Jack Welch, Donald Trump and other business gurus can lead to much higher performance at work within a short period. New insights and knowledge can lead not only to improved professional decisions, but potentially higher quality decision-making in one's personal life.

3. Elevated knowledge can not only bring tangible benefits (salary increases, bonuses, promotions, esteem from colleagues), but can also serve to prevent disadvantages in the workplace, heartache and hard lessons. Peers and colleagues who have significantly less commuting time, who listen to audiobooks, or who take public transportation and can access wireless signals for their laptops (and therefore, do work) can enjoy productivity advantages over passive commuters.

Most U.S. universities require 50 classes in order to earn a bachelor's degree. Assuming each college course requires students to read four books over an entire semester, a commuter who listens to 200 audiobooks over a 10-year period will have taken in roughly the same amount of material and knowledge equivalent to a bachelor's degree - without committing additional time. Would it be reasonable to assume that a worker who periodically "earns degrees" would have more salary increases, promotions, and recognition over the course of an entire career? Promotions and additional exposure can provide a variety of other opportunities to graduates of "Commuters University."

Conclusion

Business professionals can go beyond work-related commuting pro-activity. Professionals can listen to business audiobooks while undergoing a variety of activities including personal commutes, fitness routines at the gym, doing the laundry or washing dishes, which can add that much more knowledge base and enhancement to one's career.

Life is Art by Jim Rohn

2009-04-21T13:41:00.000+08:00

In my years teaching people to be successful, I have seen that basically people break their lives down into two major parts: Wealth-building and the rest of their lives. Having done a lot of reflection on these two topics - wealth and life - I am coming to some new conclusions about how to perceive the two.

Until recently I thought that there was a significant difference in how we should tackle the two areas. In fact, I thought that the two topics should be addressed in almost opposite fashion.
You see, wealth-building is just math. While life -- Life is art.

Think back with me to high school. Most of us were required to take math and most of us probably took art as well.

Now, think about your final exams in the two areas. Your math paper was graded on hard facts:

Ten times ten is always one-hundred
Thirty divided by three is always ten
Seven plus seven is always fourteen
Fifty minus twenty-five is always twenty-five

There is always just one answer in math. The answers are hard fact, set in stone. Math is a science. It is formulaic. You can know the outcome before it happens, every time.

But what about your final art project? Art is much more subjective. "Beauty," they say, "is in the eye of the beholder." There is no one right answer.

Think of the different styles of the famous artists:

Renoir. Monet. Picasso. Rockwell. Warhol.

Different people find different styles beautiful, and that is what makes art, art.

So how does this fit with wealth-building and life? Wealth-building is like math:

If you add $1000 to your retirement account each month and gain seven percent interest over twenty years, you can know now how much you will have then. It is math. If you buy a rental property for $200,000 now and it increases in value by three percent a year, you know exactly how much you will be able to sell it for in ten years. The beauty of math is in the knowing. You can work the system, set it on auto-pilot and the math does the work for you, and you know the outcome.

But life? Life is art. And that is the beauty of life. You do not know how it is going to turn out. Life, like art, is always changing. Different people provide different colors. When you make a mistake, you can go back, erase it or even paint right over it. You can change the scenery. Life, like art, is ever evolving, and what looks good to one person is of no interest to another. And that is what makes life beautiful.

Another lesson I think we can draw is that in life we should do our math, of course, but life isn't made up of just wealth-building. Wealth-building should serve our ability to live our lives. Jesus, the master teacher, said that our lives are not made up of the abundance of our possessions. He didn't mean that possessions aren't good, just that wealth isn't what life is all about.

So let me ask you: Are you spending more time on your math or your art? Do your math.

Everybody should do their very best at their wealth-building plan so they can take care of themselves and their families.

But life is about the art. What does your canvas look like? What kind of picture are you painting? What kind of pot are you creating? What kind of statue are you sculpting? Take your time, make bold strokes, use brilliant colors, and make of your life the most beautiful masterpiece that you can.

In other words, do your math so you can focus on your art.

To Your Success,Jim Rohn

We are all meant to shine...

2009-03-27T17:20:00.001+08:00

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” -Marianne Williamson

Productivity and Attitude by Zig Ziglar

2009-03-04T08:22:00.000+08:00

I'm the only one who does anything around here! Several years ago I was on a late-night television show in New York City. For some strange reason, they wanted me in the studio that afternoon at 4:30. I walked in and was stunned by the small size of the reception area. It contained a couch for three, a chair for one and a sink, refrigerator and coffee maker.

As I sat down a woman walked in, shook her head and said, "Nobody makes any coffee except me!" She got busy and started a fresh pot of coffee. A few minutes later a guy walked in and, following the same procedure said, "I can't believe it! This place would be a pig-pen if it weren't for me! I'm the only person who ever does any clean-up," and he cleaned up the small area. Still later another woman walked in and complained, "Nobody ever puts anything up but me," and she proceeded to put things away.

Interestingly enough, all three of those people sincerely felt they were the only ones who ever did anything. Each one did their own private halo-adjustment as they went through the process of "making up, putting up and cleaning up."

Question: Is that the way it is in your company, where "nobody does anything," but everybody thinks they're the only one who actually works? Thought: If that is true and you are the only one who does anything, think of the incredible advantage that gives you. Not only do you have job security, but the opportunity door is wide open for your move to the top. However, if you have a chip on your shoulder, if you honestly feel that you do everything and you share that feeling with others, your bad attitude negates your good work. So, stay busy, keep working, smile about it and your good attitude about "doing everything" will catch up with you. Think about it and I'll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

After Office Hours by Kenneth Goh

2009-02-28T05:05:00.000+08:00

Many years back, I attended a seminar by Brian Tracy and I learnt an important concept about success.

The concept is "Your achievement depends on what you do after the office hours".Let me show you how this concept changed my life.

When I first started working, I was one of the most hard-working employees in my office. While most people work until 6-7pm, I usually worked until 8-9pm. I did well in my job, but I saw no future. At that time, I was spending most of my after-office hours "working".

Then I discovered a field of study called success philosophy and I became addicted to it. During that stage of my life, I spent most of my after-office hours reading self help books, until the day when I finally realized that success is inevitable.

When I started my offline business, I spent the office hours running the business. I spent my after-office hours reading about other businesses, including internet marketing. I also spent many nights learning how to build and promote websites.

Now that I'm full time in internet marketing, I spend the office hours running my online businesses and my after-office hours developing new online businesses.

The point is...We spend most of our office hours on day-to-day operation. The only time when we can do things that will have major impact in our future is after-office hours.

However, most people spend their after-office hours watching TV programmes, playing games etc. I have many friends who have the thinking that "office-hour is for work, after-office-hour is for relaxation". I can't say they are wrong. But what I know is, if I were to adopt such a mentality, I will not be where I'm today.

How about you? What do you do after your office-hour?

To your success,
Kenneth Koh

Crisis of Credit Visualised

2009-02-27T08:44:00.003+08:00

This is such a cool video on how the credit crisis came about...

http://vimeo.com/3261363

Well explained.. thumbs up!

From Homeless to Multimillionaire By Carmine Gallo

2009-01-31T20:38:00.001+08:00

Chris Gardner, the man whose rags-to-riches story inspired the movie The Pursuit of Happyness, explains how he harnessed his passion to turn his life around.

It's not every day you get the chance to pick the brain of a man whose real-life rags-to-riches story was turned into a Hollywood movie starring one of America's top actors. But the other day I had the opportunity to spend time with Chris Gardner, subject of the 2006 movie The Pursuit of Happyness, in which Gardner was played by Will Smith.

While attending an unpaid internship program at Dean Witter Reynolds in 1981, Gardner spent a year on the streets with his two-year-old son. They took refuge at night in a church shelter or the bathroom of a BART subway station in Oakland, Calif. Nobody at work knew. Gardner eventually won a position as a stockbroker at Dean Witter. Two years later he left for Bear Stearns (BSC), where he became a top earner. In 1987, he founded his own brokerage firm, Gardner Rich,in Chicago. Today, Gardner is a multimillionaire, a motivational speaker, a philanthropist, and an international businessman who is about to launch a private equity fund that will invest solely in South Africa. His partner in the fund? Nelson Mandela. Not bad for a guy who, six years before founding his own brokerage firm, was "fighting, scratching, and crawling my way out of the gutter with a baby on my back."

"Passion is Everything"
Gardner is a magnificent speaker and has an engaging personality—qualities all business professionals would crave. But what's behind his success? What is the one thing—the one secret—that helped him change his life? "It's passion," he told me. "Passion is everything. In fact, you've got to be borderline fanatical about what you do." Gardner says he was fortunate to find something he truly loved, something where he couldn't wait for the sun to rise so he could do it again. His advice to entrepreneurs and those seeking a career change? "Be bold enough to find the one thing that you are passionate about. It might not be what you were trained to do. But be bold enough to do the one thing. Nobody needs to dig it but you."

Gardner wanted to be "world-class at something." For him, that something was being a stockbroker. For you, finding something you are passionate about will make the difference in how engaging you become as a communicator and as a leader. If you love what you do, you'll eagerly share the story behind it with boundless enthusiasm.

Passion is not teachable. As a communications coach, I can help clients craft and deliver a powerful story, but I can't create passion. But it's passion that separates the electrifying presenters from the average ones. I'm absolutely convinced of it. As a former television journalist, I've interviewed thousands of spokespeople and personally coached hundreds of others in my current profession. Donald Trump once said: "Without passion, you have no energy—and without energy, you have nothing." Your listeners want to be in the presence of someone with energy, a person who greets people with a smile and an abundance of enthusiasm. Passion is not something you necessarily verbalize, but it shows. When Gardner walked into Dean Witter after having slept in a subway station the night before, he only wanted to leave one impression on his co-workers. "All they needed to know is that I would light it up day after day. Passion is not something you have to talk about. People feel it. They see it just as clearly as the color of your eyes, baby."

Coffee and Commitment
I have spent the last several years interviewing inspiring leaders, and I can say without hesitation that passion is the No. 1 quality that sets them apart. In many ways, my talk with Gardner reminds me of a conversation I once had with Starbucks (SBUX) Chairman Howard Schultz. Like Gardner, Schultz used the word "passion" throughout our entire conversation. But remarkably, the word "coffee" was rarely spoken. You see, for Schultz, coffee is not his passion. Instead, Schultz says, he is passionate about creating a workplace that "treats people with dignity and respect;" a workplace environment that his father never had the opportunity to experience. The coffee product offers the means to help Schultz fulfill his passion. In much the same way, stock trading and commissions offered Gardner the means to fulfill his passion, which was to give his son something he never had—a father.

Passion is the foundation of effective communication. Dig deep to discover your core purpose, your true passion. Once you connect to it, use it as fuel to build a rapport with your audience—recruiters, managers, employees, etc. Your presentations, pitches, speeches, and all forms of business communication will be more engaging than ever. Nearly everyone has room to increase what I call the "passion quotient"—the level of passion you exhibit as a speaker. The higher your passion quotient, the more likely you are to connect with people. Chris Gardner's passion fueled his determination in the face of overwhelming odds and obstacles. Take the time to imagine where harnessing your passion can take you.

The HedgeHog Concept by Jim Collins

2008-12-09T09:50:00.011+08:00

This concept is from the book "Good to Great" by Jim Collins:

http://www.jimcollins.com/lab/hedgehog/

The essential strategic difference between the good-to-great and comparison companies lay in two fundamental distinctions. First, the good-to-great companies founded their strategies on deep understanding along three key dimensions—what we came to call the three circles. Second, the good-to-great companies translated that understanding into a simple, crystalline concept that guided all their efforts—hence the term Hedgehog Concept.

More precisely, a Hedgehog Concept is a simple, crystalline concept that flows from deep understanding about the intersection of the following three circles:

1. What you can be the best in the world at (and, equally important, what you cannot be the best in the world at).

This discerning standard goes far beyond core competence. Just because you possess a core competence doesn’t necessarily mean you can be the best in the world at it. Conversely, what you can be the best at might not even be something in which you are currently engaged.

2. What drives your economic engine.

All the good-to-great companies attained piercing insight into how to most effectively generate sustained and robust cash flow and profitability. In particular, they discovered the single denominator—profit per x—that had the greatest impact on their economics. (It would be cash flow per x in the social sector.)

3. What you are deeply passionate about.

The good-to-great companies focused on those activities that ignited their passion. The idea here is not to stimulate passion but to discover what makes you passionate.

To quickly grasp the three circles, consider the following personal analogy. Suppose you were able to construct a work life that meets the following three tests.

First, you are doing work for which you have a genetic or God-given talent, and perhaps you could become one of the best in the world in applying that talent. (“I feel I was just born to be doing this.”)

---

Second, you are well paid for what you do. (“I get paid to do this? Am I dreaming?”)

---

Third, you are doing work you are passionate about and absolutely love to do, enjoying the actual process for its own sake. (“I look forward to getting up and throwing myself into my daily work, and I really believe in what I'm doing.”)

---

If you could drive toward the intersection of these three circles and translate that intersection into a simple, crystalline concept that guided your life choices, then you’d have a Hedgehog Concept for yourself.

---

To have a fully developed Hedgehog Concept, you need all three circles. If you make a lot of money doing things at which you could never be the best, you’ll only build a successful company, not a great one. If you become the best at something, you’ll never remain on top if you don't have intrinsic passion for what you are doing. Finally, you can be passionate all you want, but if you can’t be the best at it or it doesn’t make economic sense, then you might have a lot of fun, but you won’t produce great results.

Age the Best Way You Can, by MM Lee Kuan Yew

2008-11-21T09:06:00.002+08:00

"Stay interested in the world, take on a challenge" Lee Kwan Yew

*This is Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's advice on ageing the best way one can. He shared some personal insights into how he himself deals with ageing. Here is the transcript of his remarks.

*This story was first published on Jan 12, 2008.*

MY CONCERN today is, what is it I can tell you which can add to your knowledge about ageing and what ageing societies can do. You know more about this subject than I do. A lot of it is out in the media, Internet and books.

So I thought the best way would be to take a personal standpoint and tell you how I approach this question of ageing.

If I cast my mind back, I can see turning points in my physical and mental health. You know, when you're young, I didn't bother, I assumed good health was God-given and would always be there. When I was about - 1957 - I was about 34, we were competing in elections, and I was really fond of drinking beer and smoking. And after the election campaign, in Victoria Memorial Hall - we had won the election, the City Council election - I couldn't thank the voters because I had lost my voice. I'd been smoking furiously. I'd take a packet of 10 to deceive myself, but I'd run through the packet just sitting on the stage, watching the crowd, getting the feeling, the mood before I speak. In other words, there were three speeches a night. Three speeches a night, 30 cigarettes, a lot of beer after that, and the voice was gone.

I remember I had a case in Kuching, Sarawak. So I took the flight and I felt awful. I had to make up my mind whether I was going to be an effective campaigner and a lawyer, in which case I cannot destroy my voice, and I can't go on. So I stopped smoking. It was a tremendous deprivation because I was addicted to it. And I used to wake up dreaming... the nightmare was I resumed smoking.

But I made a choice and said, if I continue this, I will not be able to do my job. I didn't know anything about cancer of the throat or oesophagus or the lungs, etc. But it turned out it had many other deleterious effects. Strangely enough after that, I became very allergic, hyper-allergic to smoking, so much so that I would plead with my Cabinet ministers not to smoke in the Cabinet room. You want to smoke, please go out, because I am allergic.

Then one day I was at the home of my colleague, Mr Rajaratnam, meeting foreign correspondents including some from the London Times and they took a picture of me and I had a big belly like that (puts his hands in front of his belly), a beer belly. I felt no, no, this will not do. So I started playing more golf, hit hundreds of balls on the practice tee. But this didn't go down. There was only one way it could go down: consume less, burn up more.

Another turning point came when - this was 1976, after the general election - I was feeling tired. I was breathing deeply at the Istana, on the lawns. My daughter, who at that time just graduating as a doctor, said: 'What are you trying to do?' I said: 'I feel an effort to breathe in more oxygen.' She said: 'Don't play golf. Run. Aerobics.'

So she gave me a book, quite a famous book and, then, very current in America on how you score aerobic points: swimming, running, whatever it is, cycling. I looked at it sceptically. I wasn't very keen on running. I was keen on golf. So I said, 'Let's try'. So in-between golf shots while playing on my own, sometimes nine holes at the Istana, I would try and walk fast between shots. Then I began to run between shots. And I felt better. After a while, I said: 'Okay, after my golf, I run.' And after a few years, I said: 'Golf takes so long. The running takes 15 minutes. Let's cut out the golf and let's run.'

I think the most important thing in ageing is you got to understand yourself. And the knowledge now is all there. When I was growing up, the knowledge wasn't there. I had to get the knowledge from friends, from doctors. But perhaps the most important bit of knowledge that the doctor gave me was one day, when I said: 'Look, I 'm feeling slower and sluggish.'

So he gave me a medical encyclopaedia and he turned the pages to ageing. I read it up and it was illuminating. A lot of it was difficult jargon but I just skimmed through to get the gist of it.

As you grow, you reach 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and then, thereafter, you are on a gradual slope down physically. Mentally, you carry on and on and on until I don't know what age, but mathematicians will tell you that they know best output is when they're in their 20s and 30s when your mental energy is powerful and you haven't lost many neurons. That's what they tell me.

So, as you acquire more knowledge, you then craft a programme for yourself to maximise what you have. It's just common sense. I never planned to live till 85 or 84. I just didn't think about it. I said: 'Well, my mother died when she was 74, she had a stroke. My father died when he was 94.' But I saw him, and he lived a long life, well, maybe it was his DNA. But more than that, he swam every day and he kept himself busy. He was working for the Shell company. He was in charge, he was a superintendent of an oil depot. When he retired, he started becoming a salesman. So people used to tell me: 'Your father is selling watches at BP de Silva.'

My father was then living with me. But it kept him busy. He had that routine: He meets people, he sells watches, he buys and sells all kinds of semi-precious stones, he circulates coins. And he keeps going. But at 87, 88, he fell, going down the steps from his room to the dining room, broke his arm, three months incapacitated. Thereafter, he couldn't go back to swimming.

Then he became wheelchair-bound. Then it became a problem because my house was constructed that way. So my brother - who's a doctor and had a flat (one-level) house - took him in. And he lived on till 94. But towards the end, he had gradual loss of mental powers.

So my calculations, I'm somewhere between 74 and 94. And I've reached the halfway point now. But have I?

Well, 1996 when I was 73, I was cycling and I felt tightening on the neck. Oh, I must retire today. So I stopped. Next day, I returned to the bicycle. After five minutes it became worse. So I said, no, no, this is something serious, it's got to do with the blood vessels. Rung up my doctor, who said, 'Come tomorrow'. Went tomorrow, he checked me, and said: 'Come back tomorrow for an angiogram.' I said: 'What's that?' He said: 'We'll pump something in and we'll see whether the coronary arteries are cleared or blocked.' I was going to go home.

But an MP who was a cardiologist happened to be around, so he came in and said: 'What are you doing here?' I said: 'I've got this.' He said: 'Don't go home. You stay here tonight. I've sent patients home and they never came back. Just stay here. They'll put you on the monitor. They'll watch your heart. And if anything, an emergency arises, they will take you straight to the theatre. You go home. You've got no such monitor. You may never come back.'

So I stayed there. Pumped in the dye, yes it was blocked, the left circumflex, not the critical, lead one. So that's lucky for me.

Two weeks later, I was walking around, I felt it's coming back. Yes, it has come back, it had occluded. So this time they said: 'We'll put in a stent.' I'm one of the first few in Singapore to have the stent, so it was a brand new operation. Fortunately, the man who invented the stent was out here selling his stent.

He was from San Jose, La Jolla something (or the other). So my doctor got hold of him and he supervised the operation. He said put the stent in. My doctor did the operation, he just watched it all and then that's that. That was before all this problem about lining the stent to make sure that it doesn't occlude and create a disturbance. So at each stage, I learnt something more about myself and I stored that.

I said: 'Oh, this is now a danger point.' So all right, cut out fats, change diet, went to see a specialist in Boston, Massachusetts General Hospital. He said: 'Take statins.' I said: 'What's that?' He said: '(They) help to reduce your cholesterol.' My doctors were concerned. They said: 'You don't need it. Your cholesterol levels are okay. ' Two years later, more medical evidence came out. So the doctors said: 'Take statins.' Had there been no angioplasty, had I not known that something was up and I cycled on, I might have gone at 74 like my mother. So I missed that deadline.

So next deadline: my father's fall at 87. I'm very careful now because sometimes when I turn around too fast, I feel as if I'm going to get off balance. So my daughter, a neurologist, she took me to the NNI, there's this nerve conduction test, put electrodes here and there. The transmission of the messages between the feet and the brain has slowed down. So all the exercise, everything, effort put in, I'm fit, I swim, I cycle. But I can't prevent this losing of conductivity of the nerves and this transmission. So just go slow. So when I climb up the steps, I have no problem. When I go down the steps, I need to be sure that I've got something I can hang on to, just in case. So it's a constant process of adjustment.

But I think the most important single lesson I learnt in life was that if you isolate yourself, you're done for.

The human being is a social animal - he needs stimuli, he needs to meet people, to catch up with the world.

I don't much like travel but I travel very frequently despite the jet lag, because I get to meet people of great interest to me, who will help me in my work as chairman of our GIC. So I know, I'm on several boards of banks, international advisory boards of banks, of oil companies and so on. And I meet them and I get to understand what's happening in the world, what has changed since I was here one month ago, one year ago. I go to India, I go to China. And that stimuli brings me to the world of today. I'm not living in the world, when I was active, more active 20, 30 years ago. So I tell my wife. She woke up late today. I said: 'Never mind, you come along by 12 o'clock. I go first.'

If you sit back - because part of the ending part of the encyclopaedia which I read was very depressing - as you get old, you withdraw from everything and then all you will have is your bedroom and photographs and the furniture that you know, and that's your world. So if you've got to go to hospital, the doctor advises you to bring some photographs so that you'll know you're not lost in a different world, that this is like your bedroom. I'm determined that I will not, as long as I can, to be reduced, to have my horizons closed on me like that. It is the stimuli, it is the constant interaction with people across the world that keeps me aware and alive to what's going on and what we can do to adjust to this different world.

In other words, you must have an interest in life. If you believe that at 55, you're retiring, you're going to read books, play golf and drink wine, then I think you're done for. So statistically they will show you that all the people who retire and lead sedentary lives, the pensioners die off very quickly. So we now have a social problem with medical sciences, new procedures, new drugs, many more people are going to live long lives. If the mindset is that when I reach retirement age 62, I'm old, I can't work anymore, I don't have to work, I just sit back, now is the time I'll enjoy life, I think you're making the biggest mistake of your life.

After one month, or after two months, even if you go travelling with nothing to do, with no purpose in life, you will just degrade, you'll go to seed. The human being needs a challenge, and my advice to every person in Singapore and elsewhere: Keep yourself interested, have a challenge. If you're not interested in the world and the world is not interested in you, the biggest punishment a man can receive is total isolation in a dungeon, black and complete withdrawal of all stimuli, that's real torture.

So when I read that people believe, Singaporeans say: 'Oh, 62 I'm retiring.' I say to them: 'You really want to die quickly?' If you want to see sunrise tomorrow or sunset, you must have a reason, you must have the stimuli to keep going.'

Four Essentials for Happiness by Brian Tracy

2008-11-18T10:51:00.001+08:00

You may have a thousand different goals over the course of your lifetime, but they all will fall into one of four basic categories. Everything you do is an attempt to enhance the quality of your life in one or more of these areas.

The first category is your desire for happy relationships. You want to love and be loved by others. You want to have a happy, harmonious home life. You want to get along well with the people around you, and you want to earn the respect of the people you respect. Your involvement in social and community affairs results from your desire to have happy interactions with others and to make a contribution to the society you live in.

The second category is your desire for interesting and challenging work. You want to make a good living, of course, but more than that, you want to really enjoy your occupation or profession. The very best times of your life are when you are completely absorbed in your work.

The third category is your desire for financial independence. You want to be free from worries about money. You want to have enough money in the bank so that you can make decisions without counting your pennies. You want to achieve a certain financial state so that you can retire in comfort and never have to be concerned about whether or not you have enough money to support your lifestyle. Financial independence frees you from poverty and a need to depend upon others for your livelihood. If you save and invest regularly throughout your working life, you will eventually reach the point where you will never have to work again.

The fourth and final category is your desire for good health, to be free of pain and illness and to have a continuous flow of energy and feelings of well-being. In fact, your health is so central to your life that you take it for granted until something happens to disrupt it.

Peace of mind is essential for every one of these. The greater your peace of mind, the more relaxed and positive you are, the less stress you suffer, the better is your overall health.

The more peace of mind you have, the better are your relationships, the more optimistic, friendly and confident you are with everyone in your life. When you feel good about yourself on the inside, you do your work better and take more pride in it. You are a better boss and coworker. And the greater your overall peace of mind, the more likely you are to earn a good living, save regularly for the future and ultimately achieve financial independence.

Life is very much a study of attention. Whatever you dwell upon and think about grows and expands in your life. The more you pay attention to your relationships, the quality and quantity of your work, your finances and your health, the better they will become and the happier you will be.

ACTION EXERCISES

Here are three things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, take time on a regular basis to think about what would make you really happy in each of the four areas.

Second, set specific, measurable goals for improvement in your relationships, your health, your work and your finances and write them down.

Third, resolve to do something every day to increase the quality of some area of your life - and then keep your resolution.

How to Win Friends and Influence People

2008-10-12T21:38:00.002+08:00

This is Dale Carnegie's summary of his book, from 1936

Part One: Fundamental Techniques in Handling People
Don't criticize, condemn or complain.
Give honest and sincere appreciation.
Arouse in the other person an eager want.

Part Two: Six ways to make people like you
Become genuinely interested in other people.
Smile.
Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.

Part Three: Win people to your way of thinking

The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never say, "You're wrong."
If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
Begin in a friendly way.
Get the other person saying "yes, yes" immediately.
Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.
Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.
Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view.
Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires.
Appeal to the nobler motives.
Dramatize your ideas.
Throw down a challenge.

Part Four: Be a Leader - How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment

A leader's job often includes changing your people's attitudes and behavior. Some suggestions to accomplish this:

Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
Call attention to people's mistakes indirectly.
Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
Let the other person save face.
Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be "hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise."
Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.

The "Best" Test by Chris Widener

2008-10-09T10:09:00.001+08:00

Some time ago, I spoke to a group of salespeople in Kansas City as they kicked off their new team. It was exciting to see them get excited about making a difference through their work.

The topic they assigned me was "Simply the Best." So as I prepared, I asked myself, "What characteristics would help someone pass the "Best" test? That is, what are the characteristics of those who become the "best" at what they do? Here are the thoughts I shared with them:

The Best are Optimists. You can't get to the top if you don't think that there is a top or if you think you can't make it. One characteristic of those who reach the peak is that they always believe that things can get better or be done better. This pushes them on to be their best.

The Best have Vision. They can see ahead of the pack. Their eyes aren't locked into the here and now. They see the bright future and what things will look like when they reach their destiny. While working hard for today, they live for the future! They do what Stephen Covey calls begin with the end in mind.

The Best Relentlessly Pursue Excellence. The status quo is not for them. They want to be the best and experience the best. And that means giving their best. They go the extra mile so that in everything they do, in everything they say and think, they are striving for excellence.

The Best have a Life Long Habit of Personal Growth. They don't want to stay at the level they are at. They want to grow in their work, their intellect, their spirituality, their relationships, and in every area of their life. And they discipline themselves to put themselves in situations wherein they grow. Personal growth doesn't "just happen." You choose to grow. I always suggest what Zig Ziglar does and that is to enroll in "Automobile University." Whenever you are driving around, listen to a personal or professional growth tape or CD. Over the long run you will grow. Also, read more. The old saying is true: Leaders are readers. So are those who pass the "Best" test.

The Best Understand that They will be Pushed by the Competition - and They Welcome It. Like the lead runner in the race who has someone on his heels, the best know that the competition is right behind them. They love it though because they know that the competition keeps them from becoming lazy and resting on their laurels. Instead, the competition pushes them to go faster and to achieve more - to remain the best by forging ahead.

The Best have a Quest for Leadership. Someone has to lead - it may as well be the best! Those who attain it get there because they want to. They want to lead and help make a difference. And they want to be equipped with the skills necessary to lead others on to a better place.
The Best Leave a Legacy. They aren't in it just for themselves, though they will surely reap the rewards of being the best. Rather, the build things that last beyond themselves, things that can be enjoyed by others as well.

The Best are Adept at the Two Most Important Pieces of Time and Personal Management: Prioritize and Execute. Just like weight loss boils down to eat right and exercise, personal management boils down to prioritize and execute. First, prioritize your activities. The important stuff goes on the top. Then, execute: do them. The best have habits and discipline that get them to the top by doing the best things and doing them first.

The Best Focus on Building Relationships. Success does not come alone. Everyone who achieves much does it with the help of countless others. How do the Best get others to help them? They treat them right. They embrace them and help them. People become the best because they help other people, and people like them.

The Best Make no Excuses. When they fail they admit it and move on. They get back up and do it right the next time. They let their actions speak loader than their words. They stand tall and do the right thing the next time. No excuses, just results.

The Best Understand that the Good is the Enemy of the Best. Yes, they could say, "this is good." But that would mean they have settled for less than the best. Many people think that good is good. Good is not good. Good is the enemy because it keeps us from the best. Choose your side: the good or the best. The Best choose, you guessed it, the Best.

The Best Dare to Dream. While others live the mundane and settle into a life they never bargained for, a rut, the Best dream of a better life. And then they take the risks necessary to achieve their dreams. They live by Teddy Roosevelt's quote: Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs though checkered by failure, then to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the grey twilit that knows neither victory nor defeat.

Want to be the best at what you do? Take inventory on the above characteristics and then start moving to bring your life in line with the characteristics of the "best." Then when you get to the top you will know that you have passed the "Best" test.

Belief or Unbelief

2008-09-02T16:45:00.000+08:00

Romans 4:3 ..."Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."

Each morning we awake and go about our day based on one of two beliefs: Either we believe in God and our every action is motivated by this central value, or we do not really believe and our actions reflect so.

You can be a believer yet act as though there is no God. Whenever you fret over life circumstances, you immediately demonstrate unbelief. Whenever you move out of fear or anxiety, you believe a lie about God's nature.

Each day your actions affirm or convict you of your belief system. It reveals who the central focus of your life really is-you or God. It reveals who you place your ultimate trust in-you or God. It is one of the great paradoxes for believers. One day we can believe Him to move mountains. The next day we can question His very existence.

Peter believed God and walked on water.
A sick woman touched the hem of His garment and was healed.
A Canaanite woman believed and freed her daughter from demon-possession.

In what circumstances do you act as an "unbeliever"? Ask God to increase your level of trust so that your actions match up with one who believes every day.

Kingdom Principles for a Financial Harvest by Benny Hinn

2008-08-29T16:30:00.004+08:00

Dr. Myles Munroe of Bahamas Faith Ministries International is one of my favorite guests on This Is Your Day! because he speaks candidly about the need for believers to understand God’s kingdom principles and to allow those principles to help each Christian become a world-changer.

On one of our recent programs he said, “There are 6.7 billion people on the earth, and they are seeking the same thing—good government. Nations spend billions of dollars every few years to vote in a new government, and they do it because people believe that it holds the answers to earth’s problems. This is why these elections are such a big deal.”

The reason why people around the globe put so much emphasis on government is because the human heart, deep inside, believes that the problems of the world can be solved by better government.

Human governments are important. That is why the Bible is so emphatic about government. There is a deep desire for governmental systems, since through the fall of Adam and Eve, man lost a government.

You can read in Genesis 1:26 that God gave Adam dominion. The Hebrew word for dominion means “kingdom.”

The Kingdom Lost

A kingdom is the governing influence of a king over a territory. Ideally, the king impacts the dominion with his will and his purposes so he can produce people who reflect the king’s morals and values.

As Dr. Munroe taught, “When Adam disobeyed God, he lost a government. God’s original idea was to colonize the earth with the kingdom of heaven so the earth would become the reflection of what heaven is like in every way. God’s plan was to fill the earth with the culture of heaven, since the most powerful thing in any country is its culture.”

Since Adam disobeyed God and lost the dominion over the earth, satan has done everything in his power to pollute mankind and keep us from understanding what God’s original plan was.
God wanted man to dominate the earth with the kingdom of heaven. But Adam and Eve, through sin, declared independence from God’s plan.

But God’s plan has never wavered. The Bible chronicles His plan to restore His kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven.

The Kingdom Restored

Adam had to develop his own government. The first act of that government was murder within the family. And we have not recovered since. Look at the world around you. We think we can govern ourselves, but we end up destroying more than we build.
We are still under the curse of independence from God. And when you declare independence from a kingdom, you throw off the influence of the king and the government of the king.

That is what has happened through the centuries with the King of kings.

Yet when our Lord Jesus Christ was promised in Genesis 3, it was foretold that He would come to crush the serpent’s head.

The power and the government of a snake is in its head. That’s where the poisonous serpent’s venom is.

So the prophecy pointed to a time when Jesus would come to take back the power, the authority, and the kingdom that satan stole through the sin of Adam and Eve.

Isaiah prophesied that the government would come upon the Messiah’s shoulders and that it would not end:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Christ came to earth to restore God’s government. That is why He tells us to pray this way:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13)

Dr. Munroe tells us on This Is Your Day! that when we are told to pray “Our Father” that it refers to the Father as our Source, our Government.

Kingdom Prosperity

So many wonderful benefits come from being part of God’s kingdom—salvation, healing, fellowship with the Father, and so much more.

One of the most wonderful benefits of His government is prosperity.

“Prosperity is evidence of kingdom colonization,” Myles says. “Poverty is a sign that the kingdom has not impacted an area yet. The power of multiplication comes from the kingdom of God. The law of sowing and reaping comes from the kingdom of God.”

In fact, the Lord Jesus promises that kingdom-sized sowing will yield kingdom-sized reaping. We don’t give just to receive. We give because it is a kingdom principle that works!

There are many, many reasons why planting seed into the kingdom is so important. For one, planting brings harvest: “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:38).

Understanding Kingdom Principles

Why you plant and how you plant are crucial to the harvest you receive!

You cannot understand kingdom giving until you understand kingdom principles. In fact, one of the first things Jesus Christ did during His earthly ministry was to announce His kingdom “mission statement”: “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).

He uses the word kingdom for an obvious purpose: Jesus Christ is King of that kingdom! He is not a mayor. He is not a president. He is not a prime minister or a governor. He is the King. This is an important point, because a king is very different from a president or some other head of state. He is not voted into power. There is no national referendum to select him.

A true king is born a king.

In other words, if you really want to understand what God thinks about this kingdom principle, you have to study what a king is and what a king is not.

Seven Kingdom Principles

God never gave man ownership over the world. Everything is His! We are simply stewards of whatever He gives us of His kingdom. This is an important point, because it means that whenever God wants to shift His property around—to give it to other people—He can, and He will!

Here are seven kingdom principles about government and giving to a king:

1. Because the power and glory of a king are displayed in the ruler’s wealth, kings desire territory and wealth.

2. The purpose of a king’s wealth is to secure the reputation of his glory. His reputation is determined by the accumulation of his wealth. When he is wealthy, he’s respected by other kings.

3. Giving to a king acknowledges the king’s ownership. A king does not just rule his territory. He owns it. The people are his property; the land is his property. That is why even earthly kings are called “lord,” for it means “mighty owner.” Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” In verse 8 of the same chapter, we are told who the King is: “Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.” He is the King.

4. Giving of any kind is the greatest act of acknowledgment. Any gift that you bring to the king reveals the value and worth that you put on the king. The measure of your gift tells the king what you think of him.

5. Worship demands a gift, and giving is worship. You cannot go to a king and say, “I love you and I worship you,” without bringing a gift to prove it. Even the wise men from the Orient, who were apparently kings of a small territory, came to Jesus bearing expensive gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Scripture tells us that no one should appear before Him empty-handed (Exodus 34:20).

6. Giving to a king is expressing our thanks for what we still have. In other words, if we bring one-tenth of all we own to the king, we are showing gratefulness for the nine-tenths that we still have.

7. Finally, giving to a king puts pressure on the king to give something greater back to you. Remember the story of the queen of Sheba and King Solomon (1 Kings 10). She came with her servants bearing precious gifts worth millions in today’s dollars “to prove him.” What she was saying is that she wanted to prove that she was the greater royalty. What she discovered was a kingdom filled with plenty, and King Solomon gave back seven times more than he received. It was a competition of out-blessing each other! That is the way it works in kingdoms.

If we could only grasp what the Lord wants us to understand through the kingdom principles throughout the Bible. We would never appear before Him empty-handed. We would bring our greatest gifts, knowing that He always gives back much more than we offer Him.

If we truly understood how to give to our King Jesus, we would realize that God can shift wealth around just as easily and quickly as He did overnight by giving the wealth of Egypt to their slaves—the children of Israel.

God promises that when He directs us to give into the kingdom, we put pressure on Him to give back even greater to us: “Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10). In today’s terms, the Lord was saying, “I dare you to try and outgive me!”

When you give to any king, you put pressure on him to prove that he is greater by outgiving you. This is a kingdom principle that Jesus wants us to understand and enter into.

Your obedience in giving proves that the next time He asks you for an even larger gift into the kingdom, not only will you be able to afford it because of the outpouring, but He knows He can trust you to give it as your faith grows. As trust builds, blessings flow more abundantly.

The harvest depends upon the seed you plant into the kingdom: “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6).

What will you give to the King of kings?

Open your heart and give that generous seed that will bring lost souls into the kingdom of God now, for we know that King Jesus is coming soon, and what we do for Him, we must do quickly!

The Reason for Giving to God’s Kingdom

Why you plant and how you plant are crucial to the harvest you receive. By your giving, many are now living! And as you give according to the kingdom principles at work all around you, the Lord will reward you for your faithfulness to His glorious cause. I stand in agreement with you for an abundant financial increase in your life, even as you give today for a historic harvest of souls. Sow your most generous seed today with expectancy and faith. Then watch God open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing so abundant that you cannot contain it!

Be generous during this unprecedented season of harvest and outpouring as we continue to reach out through crusades, broadcasts, and mission outreaches around the globe.

Let’s do it together while there is still time!

For it is “not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6)…
Preaching the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ,teaching the unchanging Word of God,and expecting the mighty and miraculous power of the Holy Spirit,

Benny Hinn

The Alpha Course 11-Sep-08 to 20-Nov-08

2008-08-27T17:05:00.002+08:00

Next event coming up from our church: The Alpha Course

I have learned so much about Christianity through this course and I recommend it to anyone who wants to explore everything you want to want to know about it.. hee!

Do send me an email if you wish to attend!

What is Alpha?

The Alpha Course is an opportunity for anyone to explore the Christian faith, and it consists of a series of talks addressing key issues relating to the Christian faith.

It’s relaxed, low-key, friendly and fun.

Meal: There is a meal together at the beginning of each session which gives people a chance to get to know each other.

Talk: There will be a talk by Rev Nicky Gumbel on video, or done live by a speaker on topics of interest. See below for topics.

Coffee & Small groups: Listen, learn, discuss and discover. And ask anything. Alpha is a place where no question is too simple or too hostile.

Talk Topics

1) Christianity: Boring, Untrue and Irrelevant? [11-Sep-08]
2) Who is Jesus? [18-Sep-08]
3) Why did Jesus die? [25-Sep-08]
4) How can I be sure of my faith? [02-Oct-08]
5) Why and how should I read the Bible? [09-Oct-08]
6) Why and how should I pray? [16-Oct-08]
7) How does God guide us? [23-Oct-08]
8) Who is the Holy Spirit? [01-No-08] Saturday
What does the Holy Spirit do?
How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit?
9) How can I resist evil? [06-Nov-08]
10) Does God heal today? [13-Nov-08]
11) How can I make the most of the rest of my life? [20-Nov-08]

Who is it for?

Anyone can join a Alpha Course and it is free!
(You may be asked to pay a contribution towards the cost of the dinner and the weekend)

Alpha is for everyone, especially:
- Those wanting to investigate Christianity
- New Christians
- Newcomers to the church
- Those who want to brush up on the basics

Alpha runs in every type of church, including Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Salvation Army, Free Church, Pentecostal, Assemblies of God and Independent Churches. All the churches provide the same material, making alterations only to suit local culture

Alpha is also run in homes, offices, prisons and halfway houses. There are also special courses catering to youths, students, different languages e.g. Mandarin, Japanese, Tamil, Burmese, etc.

Good Things Versus God-Things by Os Hillman

2008-08-21T16:56:00.000+08:00

Romans 8:14 Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

The greatest sign that you and I are maturing in our walk with God is when we can discern the difference between "good things" and "God-things." When the people of Israel journeyed out of Egypt through the desert, they were led by the cloud by day. They could move only as fast as the cloud. If they went ahead, they went without God's presence. If they lagged behind, they also lost God's presence.

Each of us must have the discernment to know when God is leading in a matter, or if it is simply a good idea. There are so many things in which you and I can be involved, and the more successful you become, the greater the temptations to enter into things where God has not called you. Entrepreneurs are especially prone to see all the opportunities.

I recall one time when I entered into a project that I thought was a great idea. It would help many people. After two years, the project had to be discontinued. It was a great lesson on understanding what projects have God's blessing on them. There are some projects you and I might get involved in that result in little fruit compared to the investment put into them. That is because they may never have been birthed by the Holy Spirit.

As sons of God, we are called to be led by the Spirit. This requires a level of dependence on God in which many of us really do not want to invest. It requires listening, waiting, and moving only when God's Spirit tells us to move. Businesspeople are "action" people. We know how to get things done, but our greatest strength can be our greatest weakness.

Today, ask God to make you a Romans 8:14 man or woman who is led by the Spirit of God. Pray against lagging behind or moving ahead. Ask God to reveal whether the next project you consider is a "good thing" or a "God-thing."

The Great Shift by Tom Ziglar

2008-08-13T08:31:00.003+08:00

Several major things in the marketplace are changing right before our eyes. This has been going on for some time, but the cost of oil, the sub-prime housing crisis, inflation, and the growing national and personal debt are accelerating this change. Add in a media frenzy that lives on bad news amplified by an election year, and suddenly the landscape looks remarkably different, and scary.

Three questions:
What is the “real” great shift?
Where are the opportunities?
Why should I remain positive?

The “real” great shift. One of the benefits of what I do is the ability to communicate with thousands of individuals from thousands of different companies and industries. Ninety-eight percent of these people are fixated on their particular problem. On the surface these challenges seem unique, but when pulled together they explain the great shift.

Summed up, employees, the self-employed and corporate leadership are saying the same thing:

Technology + Globalization + Changing Workplace Values = The Great Shift

Technology (the Internet and the ability to do business differently), globalization (new competition made possible by technology), and changing workplace values (older workers retiring being replaced by under 30 workers) are creating a great shift in the marketplace.

The opportunity. The old guard (those that are 60 plus and are the current leadership in business today) have lived though many economic cycles and technological advances in the past, and for the most part they are under the false assumption that they can live through this one as well without having to change the way they operate.

The problem is technology is taking away their ace in the hole - their exclusive access to essential knowledge - to get a deal done. This fact, combined with the reality of hundreds of very knowledgeable competitors from all over the world instead of just a few they used to know by name, is making their contribution to the organization much more uncertain. Add to the equation that the younger workers in their organization have different value priorities and at the same time see the shortfalls in their leadership, and it makes it very difficult for the old guard to be effective.

The opportunity is pretty straightforward and complex. Organizations and people that are winning in the great shift are focusing on leveraging the wisdom of the old guard with technology and building a bridge based on common values to the younger workforce. It’s complex because the foundation of success is based on relationship building around values that make the organization successful, and something the old guard has never really had to deal with before.

The old guard entered the workforce and did what their boss told them to do just because they were told to do it. Their number one priority was their work, and they pretty much worked as much as they had to in order to climb the company ladder. Now the old guard is leading younger workers whose number one priority is not to work, and who want to know why they have to do something! “Because I said so” just doesn’t cut it anymore.

It is ironic to me that the old guard have wisdom and great values like honesty, work ethic, and discipline, but have misplaced their priorities and don’t understand how to build relationships. It’s ironic to me that younger workers understand technology and globalization, have more balance in their lives and their priorities make sense, but their values are too often driven by entitlement and selfishness, and their lack of experience shows up in their short-sighted decision making process.

Summed up, the opportunity is to build the bridge between the old guard and the younger workers.

Why should you be positive? You have an awesome opportunity! You can either be that bridge or help build that bridge! In fact, why not do both?

Achieving Your Dreams by Jim Rohn

2008-07-22T10:42:00.000+08:00

While most people spend most of their lives struggling to earn a living, a much smaller number seem to have everything going their way. Instead of just earning a living, the smaller group is busily working at building and enjoying a fortune. Everything just seems to work out for them. And here sits the much larger group, wondering how life can be so unfair, so complicated and unjust. What's the major difference between the little group with so much and the larger group with so little?

Despite all of the factors that affect our lives - like the kind of parents we have, the schools we attended, the part of the country we grew up in - none has as much potential power for affecting our futures as our ability to dream.

Dreams are a projection of the kind of life you want to lead. Dreams can drive you. Dreams can make you skip over obstacles. When you allow your dreams to pull you, they unleash a creative force that can overpower any obstacle in your path. To unleash this power, though, your dreams must be well defined. A fuzzy future has little pulling power. Well-defined dreams are not fuzzy. Wishes are fuzzy. To really achieve your dreams, to really have your future plans pull you forward, your dreams must be vivid.

If you've ever hiked a fourteen thousand-foot peak in the Rocky Mountains, one thought has surely come to mind "How did the settlers of this country do it?" How did they get from the East Coast to the West Coast? Carrying one day's supply of food and water is hard enough. Can you imagine hauling all of your worldly goods with you... mile after mile, day after day, month after month? These people had big dreams. They had ambition. They didn't focus on the hardship of getting up the mountain.

In their minds, they were already on the other side – their bodies just hadn't gotten them there yet! Despite all of their pains and struggles, all of the births and deaths along the way, those who made it to the other side had a single vision: to reach the land of continuous sunshine and extraordinary wealth. To start over where anything and everything was possible. Their dreams were stronger than the obstacles in their way.

You've got to be a dreamer. You've got to envision the future. You've got to see California while you're climbing fourteen thousand-foot peaks. You've got to see the finish line while you're running the race. You've got to hear the cheers when you're in the middle of a monster project. And you've got to be willing to put yourself through the paces of doing the uncomfortable until it becomes comfortable and until you realize your dreams.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

InBev CEO Brito: Brazil to Belgium to Bud

2008-07-21T12:07:00.004+08:00

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The man who would be King of Beers is a no-frills leader without a company car or even his own desk.

Carlos Brito, chief executive of brewer InBev SA, says he doesn't care for perks _ and neither should the people who work for him.

"I don't want the company to give me free beer; I can buy my own beer," he told Stanford MBA students earlier this year.

Brito, who will be leading Anheuser-Busch after the company agreed to InBev's $52 billion takeover offer, has been described as "an American-style" manager who is fiercely private and admits himself that he did not always get "the people thing," when he started off in sales.

Anheuser-Busch is a perked-up company with corporate jets for executives and free beer for the workers _ as well as generous donations to local communities and politicians. Similar employee extras at Belgium's Interbrew vanished when it merged with Brito's Brazil-based AmBev in 2004.

"His reputation precedes him as a no-frills, no-thrills severe cost-cutter," says Eric Shepard, editor of beer industry newsletter Beer Marketer's Insights.
Brito rarely grants interviews and is reticent with the press, sticking to a few standard lines when he must face the camera for InBev's annual results or shareholders' meetings. The company refused to even confirm whether he was married with four children, saying "We don't give details on his private life."
Alberto Cerqueira Lima, a former colleague of Brito's at Brazilian brewer Brahma and now head of a Massachusetts-based market research firm, says "if he could, he would remain anonymous," describing Brito as a "workaholic and a methodical and pragmatic executive."

He showed himself to be a careful businessman who kept his cool during a difficult monthlong courtship of Anheuser-Busch when both companies threatened to start a hostile battle.

"He says the right things," says Shepard. "He knew the kind of backlash that he was going to get and I don't think he ever betrayed any sort of hostility even as they were making hostile moves."

"Publicly, he maintained that he wanted a friendly combination and ultimately that's what he got," he said.

The new company will create the world's largest beer company, turning out major brands such as Budweiser and Stella Artois. InBev's focus on carving costs made it the world's most profitable brewer, wringing profit from stagnant markets and winning admiration from shareholders and the rest of the industry _ but angering workers.

"It's quite an American style compared to the Western European standard," said Kris Kippers, an analyst at Belgian investment firm Petercam. "He's really an American-style manager; those who deliver, who do good work, are rewarded."

Born in 1960, Brito studied mechanical engineering in Rio de Janeiro and applied to several U.S. universities for a master's in business administration. He was accepted by several _ but could not pay his way.

A family friend put him in touch with Brazilian investment banker and billionaire Jorge Paulo Lemann, who told Brito he would pay for his graduate studies at Stanford.

"All he wanted in return were periodic reports and clippings from the United States to keep him up to date with what was going on there," said Cerqueira Lima. "Brito insisted on knowing how he would pay Lemann back and Lemann said, 'I do not want to be paid back. One day you will do for others what I am doing for you.'"

Lemann put Brito to work at Brahma when he bought it in 1989, later merging it with another beer company, Antarctica, to form AmBev.

Brito acknowledges that he didn't always get "the people thing," when he started off in sales, seeing that as the only truly important part of a business.

He first saw a promotion from head of sales to head of operations _ in charge of workers and manufacturing _ as a step down. But he says he surprised himself by enjoying managing people and coming to understand how they were at the heart of the business.

Brito had been head of InBev's North American business for just over a year when he became CEO in August 2005, as the Brazilian management team firmly took the reins of the company and rolled out zero-based budgeting that forces managers to justify every expense.

He doesn't have his own personal assistant or company car and shares a desk with top finance, marketing and human resources executives in an open office that he says allows dozens of two-minute meetings to discuss the business throughout the day. Hiding behind an office door is for the mediocre, he claims.
Brito admits that InBev's Spartan style can make it difficult to attract experienced staff because few enjoy its "more risk, more reward-type environment."

"It is very hard to find people that will be excited about the way we are trying to build the business, but once you find them they get really connected to the company, they cannot work anywhere else because they love this kind of openness and candor," he told the Stanford students.

InBev prefers to hire young graduates and promote from within on merit instead of seniority. Brito says he believes it is important to focus on the 250 people _ out of 85,000 workers _ who make a difference to the company.

"These people, they are managed in a different way, because we want to make sure they are excited, they're not going to leave the company," he said at Stanford. "We've got to make sure these people are engaged and getting everything they have to grow our business."

Talented people want to work for successful companies that are growing and generating new career opportunities, he says: "You want to build something that's better than you."

Getting Started in Personal Development- Growing the Self-Improvement Muscles! by Zig Ziglar

2008-07-16T13:00:00.001+08:00

One of my favorite quotes from Dad is, “You can make radical changes in minute steps.” I love it because it is so pure and so simple, and it works! Many times people make the right decision to improve themselves and then go about it the wrong way, and this leads to disappointment and the wrong belief that their decision was flawed.

If you are just now making the decision to consciously improve your life, or if you are looking for a fresh start, here is a simple way to get started. The key is to START and then stay consistent.

Do you have five minutes a day you can set aside for your quest? It doesn’t sound like much, and it really isn’t much, but since it is more than you are doing right now you need to get the self-improvement muscles active.

Now that you have planned the five minutes, use the five minutes to put the good stuff in your mind. Read a great book or listen to audio. Do this every day. It’s ok if you go over the five minutes, but make sure you do it every day.

Do this for a week.

In your second week build up to ten minutes a day.

In your third week keep doing your 10 minutes, but figure out ways to get a two-for-one. Can you listen in the car or while you work out?

In your fourth week look for material that fits into three different categories – Physical, Mental, and Spiritual. People are tri-dimensional, so you need to develop all of these areas.

In your fifth week, get serious about setting goals for yourself. In fact, you could do this step anytime during the first four weeks, but sometimes it’s good to get the mind focusing on the good stuff first before you jump into goal setting.

Once you get your goals set you will realize that you will want to work on financial goals, health goals, relationship goals, etc. Continue to put the good stuff into your mind every day for at least 10 minutes, and pick the information based on your goals.

This is a very simple plan that anybody can do, and it’s a great place to start. In fact, you will most likely do better than this, and that’s awesome! So, do you
have five minutes?

Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Doing Poorly by Zig Ziglar

2008-07-09T08:25:00.000+08:00

Chances are superb that when you saw the heading of this article you did a double-take and thought to yourself, "That is ridiculous!" But, let us think together and I believe you will agree that the observation is correct. Look at it this way: If you were to quit any endeavor because you did miserably on the first try, your life would be infinitely poorer. Think of it this way: When you watch sports professionals, whether golf, tennis or any other sport, play near-perfect games, you probably stand in amazement. What you're watching is an individual who has literally hit thousands of golf balls, or tennis balls, many of them poorly, and has taken hundreds of lessons from teaching pros to improve his or her game. They understood from the beginning that if they were going to play good golf or tennis, they would play a lot of poor games along the way.

The same applies in every area of life. Most sales professionals probably blew many sales before they became consummate professionals. They understood that every call, whether they made or missed the sale, was a marvelous learning experience. They understood that if it was worth doing, it was worth doing poorly - until they learned to do it well.

The same can be said of the exceptional teacher or the master chef. Each undoubtedly made many mistakes along the way, but they considered those "mistakes" learning experiences. So, whatever your endeavor, just remember that if it's worth doing, it's worth doing poorly until you can learn to do it well. Buy that idea and I'll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Advanced Search

2008-07-04T13:40:00.002+08:00

Found this from a blogger JMOT:

To search for E-books (eg. investing):

Type:
intitle:”index of” +size +modified +(pdfdoc) +”investing”

Motivation By Zig Ziglar

2008-06-25T08:39:00.000+08:00

Motivation is important - not permanent. I am frequently asked the question, "Why is it that some people get really motivated after listening to you, but after a while slip back into their old, negative ways?" The question really is, "Is motivation permanent?" The answer is no - but then neither is bathing. Now, just in case you think I'm encouraging you not to bathe, let me assure you that I believe in bathing. As a matter of fact, I shower every day and I generally get a real good long one with lots of soap and shampoo. I do some of my best thinking in the shower. The reason I shower every day is very simple: There's lots of dirt out there and if some of it gets on me I want to get it off. I believe it's important to smell good - or at least not bad.

I apply the same principle to my thinking and daily motivation. There is a lot of "stinking thinking" available in life today and if I'm not careful some of it will settle on me. If too much of it hits me, then the stinkin' thinkin' might turn into hardening of the attitudes, one of the most deadly diseases in America today. Life has so many negatives and demotivations that it takes effort to stay motivated. To remain motivated I've got to deliberately plan to take care of my thinking each day with a "check-up from the neck up." Each day I read and listen to something inspiring. I also associate with people who are making a difference with their lives because we are influenced by our associates, either positively or negatively. Message: Read something good, listen to something good, and associate with good people as often as possible. Do these things and your thinking will remain good, which means that I will SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

The Butterfly Principle

2008-06-15T22:13:00.000+08:00

Exodus 14:8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.

Overprotective parents do their children a great injustice. The caterpillar that lies inside the cocoon will never become the beautiful butterfly if someone cuts open the cocoon prematurely. It is the struggle itself that allows the butterfly to emerge as a strong, new creature of nature.
God understands how necessary this process is. That is why we are allowed to experience difficult, often life-changing events. He even orchestrates them-all for our benefit. What the Israelites thought was a cruel joke when Pharaoh sent troops to pursue them after they had been freed and penned against the shore of the Red Sea became the stage for the most publicized miracle of all time-the parting of the Red Sea. Generation after generation has heard this incredible story of deliverance. God puts us against the "Red Seas" in order to show His power in and through us. If we do not know God can deliver, then we can never learn to trust Him. Circumstances that go beyond our capabilities of solving them place us at God's complete mercy. This is how He likes it.

Do not fear the calamity that comes your way. If you are faithful to Him in the test, you will see God's power manifested like never before. Just as the Israelites were able to sing a song of deliverance, you too will have your own testimony of the Lord's faithfulness; and you will be able to recall it for others to build your faith and theirs.

Defining Moments by Os Hillman

2008-05-28T12:37:00.000+08:00

Acts 9:3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.

For Moses, it was the burning bush.
For Peter, it was walking on water.
For Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, it was walking through the burning furnace untouched.
For Paul, it was being blinded and spoken to by Jesus on the Damascus road.
For Daniel, it was deliverance from the lions' den.
For Joshua, it was parting the Jordan River and crossing into the Promised Land.

There have been many defining moments in the lives of human beings that changed their lives forever. These defining moments often set the course for the balance of their lives.
We could go on and on. Each of these servants had years of preparation leading up to their defining moment. These moments forced the servants to be involved in something beyond their human experiences. It took them outside their own paradigms of life. God had to move them outside their own boxes. And when He did, their lives were never the same.

You may be in one of three stages of life: You may not have had your "defining moment" yet-God may be preparing you with many important life experiences. You may have had your defining moment and you are living out your call. Or, you may be toward the end of your journey and you have already experienced what I speak of.

We are all called to a relationship with God; and we are all called vocationally, which is often ushered in by a defining moment. And there can be more than one defining moment, each pointing you down a path that God foreordained from the foundation of the world. The secret of a great life is often a man's ability to discern the defining moments given to him, understanding them, and learning to walk in the path that leads him to his ultimate destination.

Once you have had a defining moment, you are never the same. Pray that you have eyes to see and ears to hear when your Master brings a defining moment into your life.

The Power of Words by Zig Ziglar

2008-05-21T08:30:00.000+08:00

Word power can be awesome. Think about the impact of these words: A young man and a young woman each say "I love you." Later, the minister says, "I now pronounce you man and wife." Still later, the doctor says, "It's a girl!" or "It's a boy!" Think of the joy those words create. Listen to these words spoken after the Battle of Gettysburg: "Four score and seven years ago..." and Lincoln had just opened his historic address. Or this: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself," and Roosevelt gave a nation hope and courage. Or: "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country," and Kennedy challenged us to get involved. "I have a dream," and most of us recognize the hope that Martin Luther King gave all of us that racial tensions can disappear. Or, "My feet hurt," as Rosa Parks refused to stand up and move to the back of the bus and an entire people stood up and moved forward. Or, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal” - and a nation was launched. Think about this: "Give me liberty or give me death," and Patrick Henry rallied thirteen isolated colonies to fight for their freedom. Consider "We have not yet begun to fight," and John Paul Jones roused his command aboard ship to repel the British invaders and an enormous chapter was written in our fight for freedom.

The message is clear: Think about the words you use and the impact they can have and as you choose the right words or listen to the right words, it can make a difference not only in your life, but the lives of others as well. Buy this concept, choose and carefully use the right words, and I will SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

The Bookends of Success by Dr. John C. Maxwell

2008-05-16T08:32:00.001+08:00

NASCAR drivers know the importance of starting in the right place. Before a race even begins, they compete with one another in the hopes of earning the best starting position. At qualifying runs, held the week prior to the official race, each driver speeds around the racetrack in a timed performance. The driver with the fastest time earns pole position - or the right to begin the race in front of the other cars. A driver in pole position doesn't have to be concerned about passing anyone in order to win the race. All he or she must do is hold their position in order to win.
Conversely, a driver who does poorly in the trial run must begin the race in the worst possible position - at the very back of the pack. Stuck behind the other racecars, the disadvantaged driver has virtually no chance of winning. To finish first, he or she would have to pass every other car on the track during the course of the race.

In addition to starting strong, a NASCAR driver understands that his or her performance depends on finishing well. In a 500-mile race, leading for 499 miles is meaningless if a driver isn't in front at the checkered flag. Regardless of a driver's skill maneuvering the car early in the race, if he or she crashes or loses focus toward the end, the driver will forfeit the lead and lose the race. Nobody wins points for their position in the middle of the race; rather, each driver is assigned a place based on how he or she finishes.

THE BOOKENDS OF SUCCESS

Great leaders understand the two bookends of success: starting and finishing. We generally think about them in terms of doing a task or project. However, what's true in our approach to projects is also true in our approach to each day. How we spend our mornings and evenings has a tremendous bearing on the course of our leadership.
I use my morning to set up a game plan for the day. During this time, I allow no interruptions. I never schedule breakfast meetings, and I isolate myself from distractions. I do not permit myself to strategize years down the road or to project my thoughts months into the future. Rather, I narrow my focus to the upcoming 24 hours. I ask myself: "Just for today, how can I be a success?" Viewing life in 24-hour increments, I place a premium on each day. I try to make each one a masterpiece.

During the evening, I reflect on my day. By reflecting, I translate my day's experiences into learning opportunities. This process solidifies in my mind the lessons I've discovered or bits of knowledge I've uncovered. Reflecting also gives me the space to assess my progress on the goals I made during the morning.

Relaxation is another important part of my evening routine. I make a point to put my leisure time into activities that replenish me by refueling my energy. For me, such activities include spending quality time with my wife, reading a book, or studying Scriptures. Relaxation puts me in a good emotional state, lifts my spirits, and reminds me of the joys of life.

When I neglect to carve out time in the morning to plan my day, I notice adverse effects. First, I don't live my day on purpose. Instead of choosing where to invest my time, I cede control of my schedule to whatever circumstances happen to arise. Second, I squander my energy. Since I don't outline clear goals for my day, I float from one activity to another without getting anything done. Finally, when I skip my morning planning time, I feel overwhelmed. Since I'm ambitious, I have a propensity to bite off more than I can chew. If I don't focus my attention, the weight of my numerous involvements begins to drag me down.

When I am not intentional about setting aside evening time for relaxation, I encounter negative symptoms, too. First, I get uptight. My times of reflection and relaxation act like valves that release stress from my life. If I don't guard those times, I get tense, my thoughts are more negative, and my health suffers. Second, I lose passion. My leisure times fuel me. If I am not intentional about putting time into my favorite activities, then life loses its luster. Third, I miss chances to grow. When I don't reflect on the meaningful moments from each day, I rob myself of the benefits of experience.

SUMMARY

Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow is out of reach. That's why today matters. Leaders who value each day know the importance of starting well and finishing strong. In the mornings, they focus their energies on key tasks, and in the evenings, they replenish themselves. By mastering the bookends of success, leaders position themselves to make an impact every day.

Goal-Reaching Principle by Zig Ziglar

2008-05-08T09:37:00.001+08:00

The basic goal-reaching principle is to understand that you go as far as you can see, and when you get there you will always be able to see farther.

Make Motivation a Habit

2008-04-23T09:26:00.000+08:00

Motivation gets you going and habit gets you there. Make motivation a habit and you will get there more quickly and have more fun on the trip. - Zig Ziglar

Problems vs. Opportunities By Zig Ziglar

2008-04-23T09:20:00.000+08:00

Be grateful for your problems. We all frequently deal with people who complain about the trials and tribulations of their daily lives. Life seems to be one big problem for them. I would like to take a common-sense, realistic approach and address this mind-set. If there were no "problems" on your job, then your employer would hire a much less capable person than you to do the routine things that don't require much thought. In the business world, those who are able to solve complex problems are the ones who have the most value to the employer.

Many times the problems or challenges we face force us to grow and become more capable. The runner who trains for the mile run in the Olympics by running downhill will have no chance of winning the medal. The runner who trains by running uphill is far more likely to develop the speed, mental toughness and endurance which it takes to win the medal.

The best thing that ever happened to boxer Gene Tunney was that he broke both of his hands in the ring. His manager felt that he could never again punch hard enough to be the heavyweight champion. Instead, Tunney decided that he would become a scientific boxer and win the title as a boxer, not a slugger. Boxing historians will tell you that he developed into one of the best boxers who ever fought. They also will tell you that as a puncher, he would not have had a chance against Jack Dempsey, who was considered by many to be the hardest hitter in heavyweight history. Tunney would never have been champion had he not had the problem of his broken hands. Message: The next time you encounter a difficult climb, obstacle, "problem," you should smile and say, "Here's my chance to grow." Develop that kind of an attitude and I will SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

The Four Emotions that can Lead to Life Change by Jim Rohn

2008-04-08T11:18:00.000+08:00

Emotions are the most powerful forces inside us. Under the power of emotions, human beings can perform the most heroic (as well as barbaric) acts. To a great degree, civilization itself can be defined as the intelligent channeling of human emotion. Emotions are fuel and the mind is the pilot, which together propel the ship of civilized progress.

Which emotions cause people to act? There are four basic ones; each, or a combination of several, can trigger the most incredible activity. The day that you allow these emotions to fuel your desire is the day you'll turn your life around.

1) DISGUST
One does not usually equate the word "disgust" with positive action. And yet properly channeled, disgust can change a person's life. The person who feels disgusted has reached a point of no return. He or she is ready to throw down the gauntlet at life and say, "I've had it!" That's what I said after many humiliating experiences at age 25, I said. "I don't want to live like this anymore.I've had it with being broke. I've had it with being embarrassed, and I've had it with lying."

Yes, productive feelings of disgust come when a person says, "Enough is enough."
The "guy" has finally had it with mediocrity. He's had it with those awful sick feelings of fear, pain and humiliation. He then decides he is not going to live like this anymore." Look out! This could be the day that turns a life around. Call it what you will, the "I've had it" day, the "never again" day, the "enough's enough" day. Whatever you call it, it's powerful! There is nothing so life-changing as gut-wrenching disgust!

2) DECISION
Most of us need to be pushed to the wall to make decisions. And once we reach this point, we have to deal with the conflicting emotions that come with making them. We have reached a fork in the road. Now this fork can be a two-prong, three-prong, or even a four-prong fork. No wonder that decision-making can create knots in stomachs, keep us awake in the middle of the night, or make us break out in a cold sweat.

Making life-changing decisions can be likened to internal civil war. Conflicting armies of emotions, each with its own arsenal of reasons, battle each other for supremacy of our minds. And our resulting decisions, whether bold or timid, well thought out or impulsive, can either set the course of action or blind it. I don't have much advice to give you about decision-making except this:

Whatever you do, don't camp at the fork in the road. Decide. It's far better to make a wrong decision than to not make one at all. Each of us must confront our emotional turmoil and sort out our feelings.

3) DESIRE
How does one gain desire? I don't think I can answer this directly because there are many ways. But I do know two things about desire:a. It comes from the inside not the outside.b. It can be triggered by outside forces.

Almost anything can trigger desire. It's a matter of timing as much as preparation. It might be a song that tugs at the heart. It might be a memorable sermon. It might be a movie, a conversation with a friend, a confrontation with the enemy, or a bitter experience. Even a book or an article such as this one can trigger the inner mechanism that will make some people say, "I want it now!"

Therefore, while searching for your "hot button" of pure, raw desire, welcome into your life each positive experience. Don't erect a wall to protect you from experiencing life. The same wall that keeps out your disappointment also keeps out the sunlight of enriching experiences. So let life touch you. The next touch could be the one that turns your life around.

4) RESOLVE
Resolve says, "I will." These two words are among the most potent in the English language. I WILL. Benjamin Disraeli, the great British statesman, once said, "Nothing can resist a human will that will stake even its existence on the extent of its purpose." In other words, when someone resolves to "do or die," nothing can stop him.

The mountain climber says, "I will climb the mountain. They've told me it's too high, it's too far, it's too steep, it's too rocky, it's too difficult. But it's my mountain. I will climb it. You'll soon see me waving from the top or you'll never see me, because unless I reach the peak, I'm not coming back." Who can argue with such resolve?

When confronted with such iron-will determination, I can see Time, Fate and Circumstance calling a hasty conference and deciding, "We might as well let him have his dream. He's said he's going to get there or die trying."

The best definition for "resolve" I've ever heard came from a schoolgirl in Foster City, California. As is my custom, I was lecturing about success to a group of bright kids at a junior high school. I asked, "Who can tell me what "resolve" means?" Several hands went up, and I did get some pretty good definitions. But the last was the best. A shy girl from the back of the room got up and said with quiet intensity, "I think resolve means promising yourself you will never give up." That's it! That's the best definition I've ever heard: PROMISE YOURSELF YOU'LL NEVER GIVE UP.

Think about it! How long should a baby try to learn how to walk? How long would you give the average baby before you say, "That's it, you've had your chance"? You say that's crazy? Of course it is. Any mother would say, "My baby is going to keep trying until he learns how to walk!" No wonder everyone walks.

There is a vital lesson in this. Ask yourself, "How long am I going to work to make my dreams come true?" I suggest you answer, "As long as it takes." That's what these four emotions are all about.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire -- for Real? by John Woodman

2008-03-20T12:47:00.002+08:00

"Who wants to be a millionaire?!"

It seems like a fairly easy question to answer! And it is an easy question, judging by the numbers of people who tune in to watch a game show that holds out the promise of giving away a million dollars or pounds.

Although many people believe that winning a game show or a lottery is their best chance for financial success, the actual reality is that there are far better ways to get there. In truth, game shows (and their friends the lotteries) are quite simply among the very worst ways to approach succeeding... if one wants to acquire a million dollars.

We can imagine, for example, that the 30 million people who avidly watched the show’s American edition during its first couple of years probably would have liked to be millionaires too. As it turned out, though, the show has actually produced only twelve American millionaires from among the show's contestants in the course of six years, with the British version making a total of five contestants into millionaires in seven years...

So the odds of actually becoming a millionaire via interest in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" are literally millions to one against.

Interestingly, though, the US version was reported to have racked up some $200 million in profits (!!) for the network and producers... during the first season alone!

Game shows, then, are a lot like lotteries: a winning proposition for the very, very few (and this extremely short list is always headed up by the network or organization that sponsors the game show or lottery) but an absolute waste of time (except for a bit of entertainment value) for practically everyone else.

Okay... so do you still want to be a millionaire? For real? I’m betting the answer to that question is yes.

Surprisingly, your goal is far more attainable than you might realize. In the United States alone, 1.3 million United States households became millionaire households just during the year 2004... although it didn’t happen through game shows or lotteries.

(By the way, while Ken Jennings did win over $3 million on Jeopardy during 2004, not a single one of the 1,300,000 new American millionaire households of 2004 gained their million via "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?")

It gets even better. As of November 2004, there were 8.2 million total "millionaire households" in the United States -- and growing. And the definition of "millionaire" here is a net worth of at least $1 million excluding primary residences! So if you count the value of the homes that people live in, there are undoubtedly many more millionaire households.

Since there are an estimated 107 million households in the United States, this means that more than 1 out of every 13 households is now a millionaire household!

Of course, this is not at all to say that 1 out of every 13 persons in the US is a millionaire. Far from it. If there are, for example, 4 people in a millionaire household, then probably only 1 or 2 of them hold most of the money. If it’s a married couple, then they "only" have half a million dollars each, and the kids may have zero assets of their own.

Still, there’s an awful lot of money out there, and the statistics show that becoming a millionaire is very doable.

(And by the way, while I've spoken of the USA in this example -- due to a big American audience and easily-available statistics -- and while the US is a great place to achieve financial success, it's BY FAR not the only place where such success is possible. The third and fourth richest people in the entire world come from India and Mexico respectively. New opportunities are popping up and being created literally almost everywhere.

There are even new small businesses springing up -- and new wealth being created, on a small scale at least -- in North Korea, of all places! So before you say, "It can't be done here," you should first look carefully to see whether somebody's doing it. If they're doing it, then it can be done!)

All of this is the good news. If you want to become a millionaire, it’s definitely possible for you to do so. Forget about your present financial situation -- it’s possible. More than possible, in fact. Your odds of becoming a millionaire in most reasonably free societies turn out to be very good, if you go about it in the right way.

Okay... so how DO you become a real, live millionaire... for real?

Let’s begin with some assumptions (this will tell us a bit about how we want to go about the millionaire process), and then look at some ways we could accomplish the goal.
Presumably, you’d rather become a millionaire sooner instead of later, so that you can enjoy financial freedom for the longest possible period of your life. In other words, you’d like to become a millionaire fairly quickly and directly. Therefore, you want to find ways to accelerate the process of building wealth. Probably, this also means that you don’t want to spend 8 or 10 years in preparation -- if you can reasonably avoid it.

It’s much better to take one of the most certain routes, rather than one of the least certain. Oh, you can still send in the game show application, but I definitely wouldn’t be betting on that as my means of achieving financial freedom.

You’d probably rather minimize, or at least effectively manage, your risk of loss in the process.
Effort’s one thing, but undoubtedly, you’d rather not spend years of your life doing something that you simply hate.

Even with those parameters as a starting point, there are probably many different ways that you can become a millionaire.

The bad news is that most (though maybe not all) of them involve a fair bit of effort, and they also involve a lot more time than answering a few questions on a game show. But the good news is: if others have gotten there, you can too... if you’re willing to do what it takes. So the key question is: Are you willing to do what it takes?

Well, the time’s going to pass anyway. As for effort, well, do you want the million dollars or don’t you? It’s certainly reasonable to expect that you’ll have to exchange some concerted effort for such a large prize -- especially if you want to have a good chance of actually receiving it.
And if you’re unwilling to do that, well... just know that "luck" much more frequently visits people who are willing to put forth dedicated, consistent effort in a specific direction. Or, as a Chinese proverb says:

"Man who wait for roast duck to fly into mouth must wait long, long time."

So the choice is yours: Are you going to sit and wait for the roast duck to fly into your mouth; or are you going to go, locate the appropriate duck, do what it takes to acquire it, wade through the messy work of cleaning and preparing it for cooking, get a recipe, and roast yourself a nice duck?
What will it be?

Now if you’ve decided to simply wait and see if steaming ducks will fly, you may as well put this article down, as the rest of it will be of no use to you.

But if you’ve decided that yes, you’re going to do what it takes to become a millionaire (or at least give it a really good shot), then read on.

Okay, now that you’ve decided to embark on the millionaire path, there are two major things that will help get you there.

The first thing is developing the mindset and attitudes of a millionaire achiever. This may sound irrelevant, but it’s really the key to getting where you want to go. If you’re not a millionaire already, what’s been holding you back? There are many mindset issues that keep people from acquiring wealth, and some that help people to do so.

Looking for wealth in the wrong places is clearly a mindset issue. The question is, are you prepared to change that mindset? Are you prepared to change the way you think?

Another mindset issue has to do with listing all the reasons (consciously or subconsciously) as to why you "can’t." Forget the reasons why you "can’t." Or better yet, go ahead and list them -- but alongside each one, also think of and list the means by which you can overcome that obstacle -- and do it anyway.

Still other mindset issues are roadblocks to even seriously beginning to acquire wealth or success. Do you have negative stereotypes of wealthy people? A lot of us do. It might surprise you to find out what most wealthy people are really like.

Certain religiously-based hangups are also a problem for a lot of people. Isn’t it more "spiritual" to be poor? Not necessarily. Joseph of Arimathea, King David, King Solomon, Abraham, and Joseph who ruled under Pharoah in Egypt were all rather highly spoken of in the Bible -- and all were wealthy. Solomon in particular, by today’s measure, appears to have been not just a millionaire, but a billionaire.

The second major key to acquiring wealth is learning and using the right methods. If you want to do what wealthy people have done, you’ll do well to learn what that is -- and do it.

It turns out that owning and operating a successful business is the single activity that produces the greatest number of millionaires. It’s also quite possible to become a millionaire in sales, as a top corporate manager, or as a physician or lawyer. Or even by simply working at a job and squirreling money away; or by marrying a millionaire. But for most people, owning a business is likely to be the key pathway to real affluence.

Starting a business, of course, carries with it a significant risk. Not the least of which is the fact that most new businesses fail! This indeed is one of the reasons why the pathway to wealth can take longer than hoped for.

But understand this: "failing" in business is similar to "failing" while learning to walk. You gain by the experience, and the next time you try, you do a little bit better. And once you’ve really learned to walk, there’s really no reason to go back to stumbling around.

Most toddlers have to fail a lot before they master the art of walking. But they keep trying. The keys in business are just the same: First, make sure that if you’re going to fail, you won’t inflict permanent injury on yourself (this is why parents of toddlers put gates at the top of staircases). Second, be prepared to get up and try again.

In fact, here’s a major secret: If you’re willing to fail in business as many as half a dozen times or more, if required, and keep trying, and learn as much as you can along the way... your odds of ultimate success are virtually guaranteed.

By "virtually guaranteed," I mean around 99% -- or better.

Of course you’d rather succeed the first time around, or at least the second. And there are ways of managing your risk to help you do that and avoid injury. For example: start a new business part-time, while maintaining your regular income. Start small and grow as you go. Only leave your current income when you’re certain that the new business will support you.

A second way of succeeding the first time around is this: learn the business inside-out working for somebody else before you launch out on your own.

A third way of upping your odds for business success may be to buy into a franchise opportunity. These have a fairly high rate of success. However, your own unique idea might ultimately turn out to have more potential. Or how about this: learn an existing system, then improve upon it. That’s how a young man named Sam Walton created Wal-Mart Stores, now the biggest retailer in the world.

Fourth, it's a good idea not to dig yourself into too deep a hole. It may be better to find investors rather than go in debt personally to fund a business. Having to convince others can also help you sharpen your plan for making profit as well. And if it doesn't work, don't keep digging. Know when to get out, and keep a door open for an alternate means of making a living if it all possible.
Naturally, in order to really succeed, you’ll have to learn what works, and keep learning. And keep innovating. Audio tapes can be particularly useful for learning without having to invest any extra time (if you commute to work or drive alone in a car, listen to good educational tapes while doing so).

Seminars can be good, too -- but be extremely careful how much money you spend on these. If the choice is between a $12 book and a $1200 seminar, you've got to have a LOT more cash for the seminar -- and it had better provide $1188 in value over the book as well, else you're literally wasting money.

Controlling expenditures and NOT wasting money is one of the other key skills for the small business person -- or any business person, for that matter.

Lastly, in order to learn and implement both the mindsets and the methods it takes to become a millionaire, it usually helps to associate with like-minded people. You may be able to find clubs or associations locally that will can be very helpful to you in your quest. Often these are specific to particular issues and interests: for example, business networking groups help you make contacts; and Toastmasters helps you develop skills in public speaking.

Actual associations of aspiring millionaires can be quite a bit harder to find, however. And this is the reason why I’ve personally been involved in starting and growing just such a community. If you’re interested in finding people to associate with in your millionaire quest, I invite you to check out the community at Millionairesville.com.

So here’s to your ultimate success. If you take the right paths, instead of simply wanting to be a millionaire, you should be able to actually become one. Yes, it'll probably take a fair bit of time and effort, but when you're a millionaire, won't it be worth it?

Believe It's Possible by Vic Johnson

2008-03-11T09:49:00.001+08:00

"Belief is the basis of all action, and, this being so, the belief that dominates the hearts or mind is shown in the life." - Above Life's Turmoil

You will rarely attempt something you don't believe possible and you will 'Never' give 100% of your ability to something you don't believe in.

Some years ago I was listening to a friend speaking to a business audience. She quoted a teaching by David Schwartz from 'the Magic of Thinking Big' that rocked my life. She said, "The size of your success is determined by the size of you belief." Now that was the first personal development book I ever read and I've read it at least 20 times since. I'm sure that I had heard that concept many times before that night. But it impacted me so much that I wrote it down and must have looked at it a hundred times or more in the thirty days after that.

I spent the next few months focused on strengthening my belief in myself and in what I wanted to do. I took to heart what Wayne Dyer wrote in You'll See it When You believe It: "Work each day on you thoughts rather than concentrating on your behavior. It is your thinking that creates the feeling that you have and ultimately your actions as well." So I worked each day on my beliefs by constantly affirming myself using written and verbal affirmations. The years since have been an incredible rocket ride.

One of the best known stories about the power of belief is about Roger Bannister, the first person to run a mile in under four minutes. Before his accomplishment it was generally believed that the human body was incapable of such a feat. But as soon as he had done it, scores of others accomplished the same thing. Thousands have done so since and today it's not uncommon for it to be done by a talented high-schooler. Did the human body change so that this could be done? No. but the human belief system did!

Nightingale-Conant says Napoleon Hill is considered to have influenced more people into success than any other person in history. And his most quoted line from Think and Grow Rich describes the power of belief: "Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve." Just believing that statement, truly believing it deep down inside, is a bold step toward living your dreams.

Lisa Jimenez, in her great book Conquer Fear! Writes, "change your beliefs and you change your behavior. Change your behaviors and you change your results. Change your results and you change your life."

And that's worth thinking about.

Creative Goal-Setting for Kids and Teens by Denis Waitley

2008-03-06T08:39:00.001+08:00

An Indian guide who displayed uncanny skills in navigating the rugged regions of the Southwest was asked how he did it. "What is your secret of being an expert tracker and trail-blazer?", a visitor asked him.

The guide answered: "There is no secret. One must only possess the far vision and the near look. The first step is to determine where you want to go. Then you must be sure that each step you take is a step in that direction."

A dream is what you would like for life to be. A Goal is what you intend to make happen. A goal is the near look; what, specifically, you intend to do on a daily basis to get there.

No matter what their current ages, try to determine the sensory learning style of each of your children: visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. Visual learners understand and remember best what they see. Auditory learners prefer to hear and verbalize in order to comprehend. Kinesthetic learners need to involve touch and movement into the processing of new concepts, and to learn by doing. All of these styles have some overlap because we all use hearing, seeing and doing. But keep these styles in mind when you stimulate your children's creative and goal-setting activities.
To build a pattern of positive expectations for your children, they need a way to keep score. Children know they are doing well when the task or project is well defined and the goals are clearly stated. How can a child experience the thrill of hitting the bull's eye, when he or she doesn't know what the target is? Kids need to see the end before they begin a task or they will lose interest. When you are giving your child a task, such as cleaning her room, be specific in telling her what you want her to do and when you want it done and stick to it. By providing a clear and specific ending, your child can look forward to enjoying time with her friends when the task is completed.

Goals are the target of success! Who you see is who you'll be. What you set is what you get. Help your kids get the far vision, the dream. Help them get the near look, the steps and action plans that pave the road to their dreams. Participate in your children's games, problem-solving exercises, field trips and creative projects. Instead of telling them how things work, help them learn to discover the "hows" and "whys."

Help your children dream about their future. Set the example by jotting down and cutting pictures out to describe family dreams. Assist them in defining their own goals and writing them down on index cards. Post the cards in their bedroom or on a board where they can see and review their goals daily. Help your kids prioritize their goals. Have them consider their goals in the order of their importance. Place beside each written goal, a proposed target date for the attainment of that goal.

Help your child make plans. Unfortunately, many kids view problems as insurmountable mountains. Your role as parents is to help them view problems as opportunities. Teach them to go over, around, under or to bore a hole right through their roadblocks. Show children how to prepare a daily "to do" list. In the evening, help prepare a list of a few important things to do the following day. At the end of the day, help them review their progress. By using index cards, you can use a file box to store daily activity cards. Monthly, quarterly and yearly, let them go through the cards in the box, to see all they have accomplished through step-by-step actions.
Help your kids to visualize, in advance, what the accomplishment of their goals looks and feels like. Bedtime is an ideal setting, where you can see in their imaginations where they want to be, what they want to do, and things they will have to work and save for to get.

Build goals and evaluations around the school year. When you go over your child's report card, discuss the goals that he set for himself and how he is doing toward achieving those goals. Share with your child any comments teachers might have regarding his grades.
Kids need rewards and behavior that gets rewarded gets repeated, especially if they understand that the reward is coming when the goal is accomplished. Rewards do not have to be strictly financial, but can be going out for an ice cream or whatever your child enjoys doing. By rewarding goal directed behavior, you are providing additional incentive to achieve almost any goal.

Solve A Problem, Fill A Need

2008-02-28T08:39:00.000+08:00

Years ago, a young mother about to go out with her husband prepared to feed their baby before they left. The husband became impatient as she started her daily routine of mashing vegetables through a strainer. Tired of him standing over her with the car keys in one hand and the other hand on the door knob, she turned the task over to him. Within a few minutes, the strainer, peas, carrots, and bowl ended up in his lap. As he changed clothes, he reasoned that there must be a better way to prepare baby food and that there must be a lot of frustrated parents who didn´t enjoy the monotony of straining fruit and vegetables three times a day. Soon, they began discussing the idea of designing machinery to strain the food in a factory and sell it already prepared.

Fortunately, the young father and his dad owned a small canning plant, but it was difficult to sell the older man on the concept. One mistake that harmed a child would destroy everything it had taken them a lifetime to build.

And what about the expense of marketing surveys, developing and financing new machinery, packaging, getting stores to accept the products, and getting parents to buy something totally new at a price that would be both affordable and profitable? You've been through this in your own organization or family when someone comes up with an idea that colors outside the lines! I see you're nodding affirmatively.

The risk was enormous, but in the end, they went forward with their idea because it filled a need they understood first-hand. They had the skills and experience. And the market was so vast that the positive benefits far outweighed the negative factors. One year after Dan Gerber dumped the strainer of cooked vegetables into his lap, the Gerber Products Company introduced its first five baby foods to the market. The point of the story is that, so often, an idea becomes a goal when we realize it meets a need in our own lives and the lives of others. Our motivation to achieve this goal is dependent upon how strong our need is and whether or not we have the determination, optimism and toughness to follow through our ideas to fruition.

Consider the following:
- The outboard motor was invented by Ole Evinrude because he couldn't row the boat fast enough on a Wisconsin lake to keep his girlfriend's ice cream from melting.

- The Automatic Dishwasher was invented by a woman whose housekeeper kept breaking her fine china when she washed it by hand.

- The ice cream cone was invented by a waffle vendor who ran out of plates to serve his waffles.

- The Polaroid camera was invented by Edward Land because his daughter wanted to see the pictures she took with her camera right away, rather than wait.

- And the hot dog was invented by a German immigrant whose silk gloves used to serve bratwurst in his restaurant were taken home by his patrons. His solution was to split a bun, and serve the bratwurst that way. Yes, necessity is the mother of invention.

This week think about what problem or need you have that you might solve with an innovative idea, product or service.

The Fellowship of the Believers

2008-02-23T05:44:00.000+08:00

Acts 2:42-47 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Security vs Opportunity

2008-02-15T08:18:00.000+08:00

"The more you seek security, the less of it you have. But the more you seek opportunity, the more likely it is that you will achieve the security that you desire." - Brian Tracy, Author

Be Extraordinary

2008-01-16T23:20:00.000+08:00

1. Focus and Clarity
2. Tools and Strategies
3. Remove Inner Conflicts

New Year 2008

2008-01-01T00:00:00.000+08:00

Goals set... chiong ah!

1. Spiritual
2. Family/Friends
3. Health
4. Emotional
5. Intellectual
6. Material
7. Leisure
8. Creativity

Christmas Food and Fun Fair 15-Dec-07

2007-12-13T12:50:00.000+08:00

My church having a fun fair, and i'm helping out in one of thestalls... Got food, games, show, blood donation etc.... $$$$ will goto church and charity. Charities like Teen Challenge, Assemblies ofGod Services Society , Joy Place and Joy Centre

Please do come support and have fun at the same time! Cheers!

S. Truett Cathy

2007-11-24T10:15:00.001+08:00

The man who built his business based on Christian principles.. truly inspiring!
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Armed with a keen business sense, a work ethic forged during the Depression, and a personal and business philosophy based on biblical principles, Truett Cathy took a tiny Atlanta diner, originally called the Dwarf Grill, and transformed it into Chick-fil-A, the nation’s second largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain with more than $2.274 billion in sales in 2006 and currently more than 1,300 locations. His tremendous business success allowed Truett to pursue other passions – most notably his interest in the development of young people.

Truett Cathy quotes

“No goal is too high if we climb with care and confidence.”

“Nearly every moment of every day we have the opportunity to give something to someone else – our time, our love, our resources. I have always found more joy in giving when I did not expect anything in return.”

“I’d like to be remembered as one who kept my priorities in the right order. We live in a changing world, but we need to be reminded that the important things have not changed, and the important things will not change if we keep our priorities in proper order.”

“You have to be very careful about what you say. More importantly, you have to be very careful about what you do. You never know how or when you influence people – especially children.”

“It is when we stop doing our best work that our enthusiasm for the job wanes. We must motivate ourselves to do our very best, and by our example lead others to do their best as well.”

“I believe no amount of business school training or work experience can teach what is ultimately a matter of personal character. Businesses are not dishonest or greedy, people are. Thus, a business, successful or not, is merely a reflection of the character of its leadership.”

CLOSED ON SUNDAY “I was not so committed to financial success that I was willing to abandon my principles and priorities. One of the most visible examples of this is our decision to close on Sunday. Our decision to close on Sunday was our way of honoring God and of directing our attention to things that mattered more than our business.”

7 Reminders For Building Children* by S. Truett Cathy,Founder and Chairman of Chick-fil-A

1. Every child I know who overcame long odds and grew into a responsible adult can point to an adult who stepped into his or her life as a friend, mentor, and guide.

2. Don’t be too concerned that your children don’t listen to you. But be very concerned that they see everything you do.

3. Be so consistent in your discipline that you’re boring.

4. Stop arguing in front of your children.

5. You may think children have outgrown the desire to be rocked to sleep at night. They haven’t.

6. Children will never believe in the covenant of marriage unless they see you living it with their own eyes.

7. How do you know if a child needs encouragement? If he or she is breathing.

* Excerpts taken from Cathy’s 2004 book: It’s Better to Build Boys Than Mend Men

Fix On Your Vision, Then Plot Your Course by Bob Proctor

2007-11-15T11:02:00.000+08:00

You are your most important critic. There is no opinion so vitally important to your well being as the opinion you have of yourself. As you read this you're talking to yourself right now. "Let's see if I understand what he means by that... How does that compare with my experiences? – I'll make note of that – try that tomorrow – I already knew that…I already do that." I believe this self-talk, this psycholinguistics or language of the mind can be controlled to work for us, especially in the building of self-confidence and creativity. We're all talking to ourselves every moment of our lives, except during certain portions of our sleeping cycle. We're seldom even aware that we're doing it. We all have a running commentary in our heads on events and our reactions to them.

This summer, I had a wedding to attend in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I had a few days to spare, and my wife and I enjoy each other's company, so I suggested to Linda that we drive instead of flying. She readily agreed and started collecting the maps we'd need for the trip. As we plotted the course, we would be driving from Toronto to Detroit, Detroit to Cincinnati, Cincinnati to Lexington, Lexington to Louisville and then into Gatlinburg.

We were plotting the vision, you see, to get us from Point A to Point B.

When we got in the car to begin the trip, which city was I thinking of? …Detroit. I had to get to Detroit first; if I missed Detroit, there'd be a good chance we wouldn't find our way to the wedding at all.

Detroit was first on my list – that was my GOAL. After Detroit was accomplished, Cincinnati became my goal and so on … all the way to my final destination – Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
I've had people come up and tell me that they've given up on their big dreams because they never seemed to get closer, no matter what they envisioned or tried. The error they're making is that they're looking for their Gatlinburg, Tennessee while they're still sitting in the driveway in Toronto. In many instances, they're writing their Gatlinburg goal on a Goal Card I've given them, or they're writing it in a journal somewhere. This is all well and good, but if you're not also plotting your course to get from where you are to where you want to be … if you're not figuring out the first goal for Detroit, then following that plotline forward in progressive order, you're going to end up in Montreal instead.

You've GOT to plot the course. Figure out what you need to do between here and there and make those your goals. Once you have the course plotted, though, there are three very distinct rules of thumb I want you to remember.

First, just because you've plotted the course doesn't mean you can put your whole plan on auto-pilot. When pilots reach cruising altitude they'll quite often put the plane on auto-pilot and let years of genius physics and calculus computations steer the plane toward its destination. But even with auto-pilot, you've got to manually get the plane in the air and manually land it. And even with auto-pilot, you've got to keep an eye on your instruments and pay attention to possible curve balls Mother Nature might toss your way.

You cannot rely on auto pilot to get you where you want to go. You have to be personally involved and focused on the process.

Second, don't get so carried away with the details of plotting the action steps within your vision that you don't ever get out of your driveway. You know what I'm talking about – you see people around you do it all the time. They get so caught up in planning and charting and graphing their future that they never BEGIN it. This is fear in disguise – that's all it is. Your plan doesn't have to be perfect. Get the foundational elements in place and get moving.

Third, don't be so intent on motoring to Detroit that you miss the scenery along the way. You're on purpose... you're on your way... enjoy the journey, for heaven's sake. After all, that's what you're doing this for, isn't it?

A Compelling 'Why' by Denis Waitley

2007-11-08T09:20:00.000+08:00

I have a suitcase for you. In that suitcase there is $1 million in cash. The suitcase is sitting in a building that is about an hour's drive from where you are now.Here is the deal: All you have to do is get to this building in the next two hours. If you get there before the end of the two hours, I will hand you the suitcase, and you will be a million dollars richer.

There is one catch, however. If you are even one second late, our deal is off, and you will not get a dime. No exceptions! With that in mind, what time would you like to leave?
Most people would respond to that scenario by saying that they would leave right now. Wouldn't you?

So off you go. You jump into your car and start driving for the building. You are excited and are already starting to plan how you are going to spend your million dollars. Then, suddenly, the traffic comes to a complete stop. You turn on the radio and find that there has been a series of freak accidents between you and the building and there is no way to get there!

Now what would you do? Would you give up and go back home? Or would you get out of your car and walk, run, hire a helicopter, or find some other way of getting to the building on time?
Now let's suppose for a minute that you are driving to an appointment at your dentist's office. The traffic again comes to a stop. Amazingly, there have been freak accidents between you and your dentist's office. What would you do then? Probably give up, go home, and reschedule!

What is the difference between these two situations? It all comes down to why. If the why is big enough; the how is usually not a problem. This compelling why is connected to your personal objectives, mission statement, or magnificent obsessions. It is the basis of your motivational support beam. Truly motivated people are able to identify and tap into the power of a compelling why in everything they do.

Fulfilling God's Purpose by Derek Prince

2007-11-06T18:33:00.000+08:00

Psalm 138:8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever—do not abandon the works of your hands. NIV

It’s good to know that God has a purpose for each one of us. The Scripture there does not say that the Lord will fulfill my purpose; it says the Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. There’s a great difference. I may have one purpose; God may have another. God does not guarantee that He will fulfill my purpose, but He does promise that He will fulfill His purpose.

And then the psalmist goes on to say, “Your love, O LORD [and that means ‘your covenant-keeping faithfulness’], endures forever.” When God commits Himself to us to fulfill His purpose in our lives, that is a commitment for time and for eternity.

And then, maybe out of a situation of desperation, the psalmist says, “Do not abandon the works of your hands.” I remember once being at the deathbed of a lady who was dying of cancer, a strong believer. She read that last verse in the version of The Living Bible: “You made me; don’t abandon me.” And she had strong assurance as she read those words: “You made me; don’t abandon me.” But that’s for each one of us. God made us; He will not abandon us. He has a purpose; He’s going to fulfill it. Maybe it won’t be your purpose, but it will be His purpose. That purpose will stand sure and unshakable no matter what you go through. - Derek Prince

Thirsting After God by Os Hillman

2007-10-18T20:52:00.000+08:00

2 Kings 2:9 ..."Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit"....

The first requirement to move in greater power and authority in God is to hunger for it. Yet even this hunger is born from God. Elisha hungered after God. Elisha saw many miracles as Elijah's servant. But he wanted more. He wanted a double portion of Elijah's spirit. When he asked Elijah for this, the prophet responded, "You have asked a difficult thing." It wasn't because it couldn't be granted. Elijah knew that with great anointing came a great weight of responsibility and difficulty.

Second, humility comes before honor. Elisha was known as the "servant of Elijah." How would you like to be known as "the servant of John"? Your name is not even mentioned. This was the preparation of Elisha. It has been the preparation of many men of God. Consider Joseph, the servant of Pharaoh. Consider David, the servant of Saul.

Third, Elisha committed himself totally to his calling. The Scripture says when Elisha was called to join Elijah, the younger man left his farm business completely. He slaughtered his oxen and had a great feast for the community. It was all or nothing. He could not fall back on his farm trade if his new venture didn't work. This demonstrates Elisha's pioneer spirit in stepping out, not knowing what was ahead.

Do you want greater anointing in God? "You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you" (Jer. 29:13-14a). Begin thirsting for God's anointing in your heart today. This is the starting place.

Creating a Positive Attitude to Achieve Positive Results by Mark Victor Hansen

2007-10-16T11:36:00.000+08:00

Your attitude determines the state of world you live in. It is the foundation for every success and every failure you have had and will have. Your attitude will make you or break you.

Attitude creates the way you feel about people and situations. Your actions are a result of your attitude, which, in turn, creates a reaction from others. So, basically, what you think ... you get. It is your attitude towards God and others that determines the resultant attitude toward you. Incorporate a positive, joyful attitude and you'll have positive, joyful results. Put out a bad, negative attitude and you've failed before you begin.

I know it sounds simple, but the truth is….it IS simple!

WHERE DO NEGATIVE ATTITUDES COME FROM IN THE FIRST PLACE?

Negative attitudes come from thinking negative thoughts over and over until they have become a part of your subconscious – they've become habitual, a part of your personality. You may not even realize you have a negative attitude because it's been with you for so long. Once you have a bad attitude, you expect failure and disaster. This expectation turns you into a strong magnet for failure and disaster. Then it becomes a vicious circle. You expect the worst - you get the worst - your negative beliefs are reinforced – you expect the worst – you get …

. . . Got the picture?

SO, HOW DO WE SHIFT OUR THOUGHTS AND CREATE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE?

It takes work, but creating anything of value takes work. In order to have a new attitude we have to change our subconscious thinking. How do we do this? By analyzing every thought we have until positive thinking becomes habit. You're merely replacing an old habit with a healthy habit, much like replacing exercise for smoking.

You can't just stop being negative – you have to replace those negative thoughts with positive ones.

Some people would say, "But negative situations are a reality. They just show up in every day life."

This is absolutely not true. Situations are a reality, yes. They do show up. It is your ATTITUDE that makes a situation positive or negative. It's time for you to realize that YOU are in control of how you think and feel – no one else on earth has this power unless you give it away. Take control of your attitude, and you take control of your results.

"Your state of mind creates the state of your results."

Obedience-Based Decisions Versus Skill and Ability by Os Hillman

2007-10-15T10:27:00.000+08:00

1 Chronicles 14:15 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move out to battle.

The Philistines were attacking. David wanted to know how to respond. His first inquiry of God revealed that he was to attack the Philistines straightaway and God would give him victory. David followed God's instruction and gained victory. Shortly after, the Philistines mounted another attack. "So David inquired of God again, and God answered him, 'Do not go straight up, but circle around them and attack them in front of the balsam trees' " (1 Chron. 14:14).

David was a well-trained warrior, a strategist. Yet, we find that David's dependence on God to direct his efforts was very great. In fact, after he won the first battle, he went right back to inquire again. This is the most important lesson we can learn from this story. God told David to attack, but only after he heard the marching in the balsam trees.

How many times have you or I operated in the marketplace based only on our skill and ability, without seeking to know the details of God's will in the matter? David could have simply assumed that since he had won the last battle, surely God would give him victory the same way. No. David had learned that communicating with the living God is the only sure way of victory. His skill was not enough. He had to have God's blessing.

How many times have we worked in our business life the same way each time only because it was the way we did it last time? What if God has a better way? What if God has a different plan than ours? "So David inquired of God..." These are the important words that we are to learn from. We must be in such relationship with God that we are constantly inquiring of His mind on every matter. When we do this, we can expect the same results that David achieved-success in our endeavor and recognition by God.

"So David's fame spread throughout every land, and the Lord made all the nations fear him" (1 Chron. 14:17). This is the reward of obedience to God. We don't have to build a name for ourselves. God will see to it that we are honored for our obedience. He wants to make known those servants who are willing to obey Him at all costs.

Getting Money Right – What You Deserve by Jeffery Combs

2007-10-11T09:36:00.000+08:00

Isn't it about time that you got right with money? When I say "right" what I am talking about is getting money right emotionally. Money is a very controversial subject in our society. Mention money to almost anyone and it will bring out a certain level of discomfort because almost everyone lacks money. Statistics say that 97% of our population works for 3% of society. Only around 4% to 5 % achieve a six figure income and one-twentieth of 1% of society achieve a seven figure income. "Why is it," I ask, "that so many people struggle when we are living in a world with so many opportunities to create wealth?" In this information I will be presenting what I believe to be the reasons that hold so many people from receiving the money they deserve.

I have personally coached hundreds of great people in the last six years whose struggles with money issues have caused them to sabotage themselves over and over. One of the first questions to ask when it comes to money is, "Who was my role model when it comes to money, prosperity, finance, and abundance?" For most of us it was our parents and for them it was their parents. Let's also state that this information is not about blaming anyone. You are now a grownup and your perception of money is now up to you.

The next question to ask is, "What did I learn in my education about money?" Typical high school curriculum includes courses about economics and government but nothing about how to attract money or how to have a healthy relationship with money. Traditional education teaches how to acquire job skills, and prepares students to get paid what a particular job is worth, not what the individual is worth. Making more money requires education about free enterprise and how to get paid what the free market bears; getting paid on your terms and your time frame, and learning about service and value. The more valuable you become through the service you provide, the more you make. This is not about working hard because if that were the case, then all of the world laborers would be millionaires.

Over the centuries money has gotten a bad rap by being associated with corruption, greed, pain, and the misuse of power. A perception grew that somehow the rich deprived the poor and that wealthy people were bad people, were not loveable, were disconnected from love, and were greedy. The sad fact is that most people just don't believe they deserve to have money freedom or peace of mind. I believe that you can be rich, spiritual, and prosperous, and that with your abundance you can create love and compassion using your wealth to assist others strengthen their skills so that they too have the opportunity to be prosperous in life's ways.

Most of us have been taught that "Money is the root of all evil," but the actual quotation from the Bible is, "The love of money is the root of all evil." Money itself is neutral – not good or bad. It is paper and metal that symbolizes an exchange of goods and services. Money is an energy that you either attract or repel. It is the negative emotions around money such as greed, obsession, and power that can bring negative experiences, and that keep most people from it.

In the last several centuries there has been radical change in opportunity, philosophy, and ways to create wealth. Many courageous forerunners paved the way for new thoughts and ideas about prosperity, abundance, self sufficiency, and enlightenment. Just in the last hundred years brilliant writers and speakers have emerged like Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie, Earnest Holmes, Katherine Ponder, Florence Scovel Schinn, Earl Nightingale, Louise Hay, Jim Rohn and Tony Robbins, to name a few of my favorites that have assisted me with my enlightenment. A whole consciousness of self-help and personal development has become available to the masses. Bookstores and coffee bars are now as popular as some of the old traditional night spots, and we now have access to coaches and mentors to be emotionally, financially, and spiritually fit.

People now realize that they are responsible for their own empowerment. They see that assuming responsibility can bring them prosperity and allow them to become more and to do more. For this to happen, people have to have belief in themselves and grasp the idea that they can control their lives. In our me-too, microwave, lottery-mentality society very few people ever put the proper thoughts and proper actions together at the same time to provoke the results they deserve. Plain and simple, most people don't believe they deserve prosperity and abundance. They want, wish, like to, if only, pray for a miracle, and most of all want for change to happen. Sorry, it doesn't operate that way. Too many people tiptoe quietly to their graves looking back only to say – "I wish I would have!"

Still, don't lose heart for it can officially become "Now O'clock" at any minute. There are 86,400 seconds in every single day; 1,440 minutes, 24 hours, one day, one week, one month, one year, one lifetime. We can change at any moment. Is it hard or is it easy? You are one thought away from success or one thought away from failure. It is a choice we have the opportunity to make every single day.

I believe God wants us to be rich, prosperous, and free. God did not create fear, it is manmade. Fear overrides most people's dreams and objectives. Most people aren't even able to identify what they are afraid of. All they know is they are struggling just to keep up with the other sheep in the pasture. You have to get past the thoughts that money is bad and will somehow taint you. Abundance is natural and spiritual. Money will not deprive you but could actually enlighten you. Many of the great teachers have given credence to the idea that abundance is spiritual and that it is the power of your thoughts that creates abundance for you.

If you are wealthy more often than not you will be dispersing your money commercially and charitably, supporting many people around you and adding to the velocity of overall wealth. There are literally trillions of dollars passing about electronically on any given day, and those signals are literally passing by you at all times. If you stop and think about it, there are millions of dollars flowing through your body at the moment. Imagine making a slight flick of the wrist in order to stop some of that money in transit so it sticks with you. A flick of the mind is a flick of the wrist. Money can be good – greed is not good. There are no reasons why you can't be very rich, very rich in fact, and still be a very valuable generous spiritual person with a huge heart and compassion for everyone.

Our Distinct Advantage by Joe Stowell

2007-10-04T08:23:00.000+08:00

“The LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Have you ever felt that if God were to show up today as often as He did in the lives of the people in Bible times, you too could be a spiritual hero? It’s easy to think that people like Abraham, Moses, Paul, and others had a distinct edge because God showed up in spectacular ways to talk with and tell them exactly what to do. We think that if Jesus would just appear and give us the lowdown on life face-to-face, we could all be the smashing success for Him that we always wanted to be.

But it’s not just the people of the Bible who leave us thinking that we must be second-rate Christians. All you have to do is go to a prayer meeting where someone gives a glowing report on the way in which God dramatically answered their prayer, while your prayer list remains full of unanswered prayers. Let’s face it. It’s easy to grow discouraged and sometimes even disillusioned with our less-than-spectacular Christianity. And when that happens, our walk with Christ becomes ritualistic and unenthusiastic.

But before you get depressed, it’s possible that your expectations and perspectives are out of whack. When we think that all Bible people had it good, we should note that God “showed up” in Abraham’s life only about once every 15 years! Abraham had no Bible, no small-group fellowship, and no exhilarating worship experiences, yet his steadfast faith is celebrated in Hebrews 11:8-19. And even though Joseph was unrelentingly faithful to God against great odds, for many years God didn’t “show up” to rescue him from his plight. Yet he hung in there because he knew that “the Lord was with him” (Genesis 39:21). Paul had only two direct encounters with Jesus. You can count on it, the rest of their lives were pretty ordinary, a lot like yours and mine.

It’s easy to think that Joshua and God’s people in the Old Testament were unusually blessed because God promised to be with them (Deuteronomy 31:6-8; Joshua 1:9). But we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that the same promise is given to us in the New Testament (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus Himself promised that He would not leave us as “orphans” but would send the Holy Spirit to be in us and with us (John 14:16-18). In fact, if anybody has an edge, we do! God dwells within us in the person of the Holy Spirit to convict, comfort, guide, and encourage. His 24/7 presence is waiting to be tapped and used no matter where we are or what we are facing. We have the full revelation of Scripture that the Holy Spirit uses to teach and direct our lives. No Bible hero had the privilege of having a Book that could be carried, read, memorized, and used in transforming ways to tell them everything they needed to know about God and themselves—but you and I do!

You may still be saying, “Yeah, but God hasn’t done anything for me lately!” If so, remember that if He does nothing more than save us from sin, cancel hell, and guarantee heaven, He has already done far more than we deserve and enough to keep us happily praising Him for the rest of our lives!

Now’s a good time to start rejoicing. You’ve been blessed with all you need for growth and glory! Tap the resource.

Failure That Leads to Godliness by Os Hillman

2007-10-03T22:33:00.000+08:00

1 Samuel 22:2 All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader....

God uses broken things to accomplish His greatest work. When David was anointed to be the next king, he was just a boy, the youngest among all his brothers. Little did he know that the next several years would be years of fleeing from Saul whose successes turned into obsessions as a leader who had fallen from God's anointing. Perhaps David thought, Why am I living a life as a fugitive? I am the next king of Israel. Yet, his life was filled with adversity after adversity before he ever fulfilled the ultimate calling God had for him. Others began to hear of David's successes and identify with his plight. But, it wasn't the successful and polished who came to join him. It was "those who were in distress or in debt or discontented" who would be part of his army-and an army it was! His army would become known throughout the world as the greatest ever assembled, not because of their skill, but because of the God behind the army. God turned David's men into "mighty men of valor" (see 1 Chron. 11:10).

God often uses failure to make us useful. When Jesus called the disciples, He did not go out and find the most qualified and successful people. He found the most willing, and He found them in the marketplace. He found a fisherman, a tax collector, a farmer, and a doctor.

The Hebrews knew that failure was a part of maturing in God. The Greeks used failure as a reason for disqualification. Sadly, in the Church, we often treat one another in this way. This is not God's way. We need to understand that failing does not make us failures. It makes us experienced. It makes us more prepared to be useful in God's Kingdom-if we have learned from it. And that is the most important ingredient for what God wants in His children.

On The Road Again by Joe Stowell

2007-10-02T23:40:00.000+08:00

“For God… made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6

I hate being lost. I’ve always had a good sense of direction and can usually find my way around without much trouble. But on the rare occasions when I lose my way, I hate not knowing where I’m going (and, being male, it’s unthinkable to stop and ask for directions!).

It used to be that we could rely on a good map to help us get around, but now with tools like MapQuest and GPS systems, we have no excuse for being lost. And in some situations we really can’t afford to be lost. A bride on her way to the church where her groom is waiting doesn’t want to end up on a dead-end street! And the man driving his pregnant wife to the hospital had better know how to get there—and fast! But more importantly, if you are a follower of Jesus you can’t afford to be lost!

Following Jesus means that we stay on the road with Him. And, if you ask me what road Jesus travels, I would answer that His road is the “Glory Road.” Throughout His entire life and ministry, one dynamic was always in play. He lived to demonstrate the glory of His father. When John summarized the life of Jesus (as though someone had asked him to describe Jesus in 25 words or less), he pointed out that Jesus “made His dwelling among us” and noted that the disciples had “seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only . . . full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Simply put, Jesus came to glorify God by showing us what God was really like. He traveled that glory road all the way to the cross where the love, mercy, grace, justice, and holiness of God were demonstrated in a dramatic moment of servanthood and sacrifice.
But it wasn’t just at the cross. In all of His relationships and encounters, He showed us what God, His Father, was like. The glory of God’s compassion touched the blind and they could see. The glory of God’s intolerance with religious pride and hypocrisy was clearly seen in Christ’s dealing with the Pharisees. God’s justice and advocacy for the poor and oppressed became evident when Jesus turned over the tables in the temple and chased out the thieves who were overcharging poor pilgrims who simply came to worship God. God’s faithfulness and loyal love was consistently demonstrated in Christ’s patient tolerance of the often misguided thoughts and attitudes of His disciples.

So, to be a follower of Jesus means that we must be on the road with Him—the glory road. That’s where He travels. And, you’ll know you are on the right road when your life looks more and more like Jesus in attitude and action, because He is “the radiance of God’s glory” (Hebrews 1:3). You’ll know that you’re getting up to speed with Him when you see all your relationships and encounters as opportunities to make the qualities and characteristics of our glorious God clearly seen and experienced.

It’s easy to get lost. Satan has lots of off-ramps, side roads, and detours. In fact, he loves it when you are lost. But all of his off-ramps eventually lead to living for our own tainted glory and the fallen glory of Satan himself. And believe me, that’s never a pretty picture.

Psalm 132:3-5,8 by Derek Prince

2007-09-18T15:52:00.000+08:00

“I will not enter my house or go to my bed—I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids, till I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob. Arise, O LORD, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. NIV

Those words were spoken by David. He’d become conscious of the need to bring back to Jerusalem the ark of the Lord, which had been taken by the Philistines. But he’d come to realize also that he had to prepare a place, find and prepare a place, before he could invite the Lord to take up His resting place in the midst of His people. And there’s an important principle there, we need to prepare a place for the Lord before we ask Him to take up His residence with us.

There are two great hindrances, I believe, to the Lord dwelling with us. Each of them in English begins with the letter “p.” The first is pride, the second is prejudice. As long as we’re arrogant and haughty, we do not have a place for the Lord. As long as we’re occupied with our own ways, our own thoughts, our own concepts, we’re determined to make God act the way we think He ought to act. Those two barriers of pride and prejudice can keep the Lord from finding a resting place in our hearts and lives.

So let’s remember that before we invite the Lord to make His resting place, to come with the ark of His might and bring the fullness of His presence and His blessing, we have to be sure that we’ve prepared an appropriate place for God to rest in.

Laughter by Zig Ziglar

2007-08-30T11:11:00.001+08:00

Laughter is a great stress reducer. If you have never read Norman Cousins’ account of his experience of self-healing as described in Anatomy of an Illness, I encourage you to do so. When diagnosed with an incurable illness, he brought a movie projector into his hospital room and watched reel after reel of old classic comedy movies, laughing himself into hysterics. He found he could relieve his otherwise significant pain on a consistent basis through laughter. That practice, along with some other novel therapies, resulted in his healing. He left his prestigious journalistic career and taught on the faculty of a major medical school about the power of the mind and emotions in healing the body of disease.

Next to love, laughter has been described as the second-most powerful emotion we can express. It has been said that laughter is like internal jogging—it stimulates the respiratory system, oxygenates the body, relaxes tense muscles, and releases pleasure-producing chemicals in the brain. You cannot laugh and be mad, laugh and be tense, laugh and be stressed. Laughter is low-calorie, caffeine-free, and has no salt, preservatives, or additives. It’s 100 percent natural and one size fits all.

Laughter is truly God’s gift to humankind. You can get high on laughter but never overdose. Laughter is contagious—once it starts little can be done to stop it. Laughter never felt bad, committed a crime, started a war or broke up a relationship. Laughter is shared by the giver and the receiver. Laughter costs nothing and it’s non-taxable. Laughter is a trend-setter. If we can find ways to laugh first thing in the morning, it may in fact set the trend for the rest of the day.

Let me close by telling you the most important use of laughter I have ever discovered: The ability to laugh at ourselves. I stopped taking myself too seriously years ago and it was the best decision I ever made. Don’t get me wrong—I’m still serious about what I do. But not so serious that I can’t be the first one to laugh when I mess up (which happens all too often—it’s why I spend so much time laughing!). When you’re the first person to laugh at yourself, you leave little room for others to laugh at you.

This is adapted from Zig’s book Better than Good.

Obedience-Based Decisions by Os Hillman

2007-08-30T11:08:00.000+08:00

Acts 5:32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.

So often we as a society equate numbers with success. The larger the conference, the more successful we deem it. The larger a church, the more we believe that God is blessing. And so on. I recall planning a conference one time. Registrations were not where I felt they needed to be a few weeks before the date of the event. It wasn't long before I began to get "under the pile" about the level of attendance. My friend, who was organizing this conference with me, called and asked how I was doing. I had to confess where I was. He immediately reminded me of my own teaching in this area. We are all called to be led by the Spirit, not by outcomes. "If God called us to put on this conference, then the outcome is up to Him if we have done our part." He went on to explain how he learned this lesson in a similar way a few years earlier.

He and a friend were led to host a Bible study group. His friend was to speak. It was nine o'clock and they were the only two people there. His friend was discouraged and was ready to leave.
"No," said my friend. "We have done what the Holy Spirit directed." He then stood up and began to welcome people as though there were many in the room. (No one was in the room.) He introduced his friend and they began the meeting. A few minutes later, people began to straggle in. By the time the meeting was over, ten had shown up, and one man in particular was impacted by the meeting.

Being led by the Spirit often means we must not use the world's standard for success as our measuring stick. You never know what an act of obedience will yield at the time. We must leave results to God. Our role is to obey. His role is to bring results from our obedience.

Do you make decisions based on the potential outcome or by the direction of the Holy Spirit in your life? Do you overly evaluate the pros and cons without consideration to what the Holy Spirit might be saying deep inside? We are all prone to make decisions based on reasoning alone. Ask God to give you a willingness and ability to hear the Holy Spirit and to obey His promptings.

Labor That Works Miracles by Jim Rohn

2007-08-28T09:57:00.000+08:00

Two thousand years ago on April 15th one of Jesus' disciples came to him and said it was time to pay taxes (that's how I know it was around April 15th), but they had no money. In response to his disciple's statement Jesus said "no problem". Now why could he say "no problem"? Well, word had it that Jesus was a miracle worker. If you hand a problem to a miracle worker what they are inclined to say is "no problem". You've got to hang out with people like that.

I belong to a small group and we do business around the world. These guys are all miracle workers. What an incredible group. If you hand any of them a problem guess what they say, "no problem". How many books will they read to solve a problem? As many as it takes. If they need to consult - how much consulting will they do? As much as it takes. How early will they get up? As early as it takes. "No problem"... you got to hang out with people like that. You cannot believe the thrill of being associated with miracle workers, people who will do whatever it takes to get the job done and perform miracles.

When asked about paying the taxes Jesus said it was "no problem". In fact, he said it was going to be easy - he told the disciple to just go fishing. Now it couldn't have been any easier than that, especially for this disciple whose name was Peter, because Peter was a fisherman. Now if you can fish and you should fish and you don't fish - then that is why you do not get a miracle. But Jesus told his disciple to go fishing and the first fish that he caught to look in its mouth. Peter, who was used to strange things happening, agreed. Well, the first fish Peter catches, he looks in its mouth and finds coins. Peter then adds up the coins and they are exactly enough to pay his and Jesus' taxes.

"Wow!", you might say, "That is a miracle!" Here is why we call it a miracle - simply because we don't quite understand how it works. That's all. Doesn't mean it doesn't work, it just means we don't quite understand how it works. Which is true of all miracles. In fact, for most of us – our whole life is a miracle.

How about this miracle... God says if you plant the seed I will make the tree. Wow, you can't have a better arrangement than that. First, it gives God the tough end of the deal. What if you had to make a tree? That would keep you up late at night trying to figure out how to make a tree. God says, "No, leave the miracle part to me. I've got the seed, the soil, the sunshine, the rain and the seasons. I'm God and all this miracles stuff is easy for me. I have reserved something very special for you and that is to plant the seed."

I have found in life that if you want a miracle you first need to do whatever it is you can do - if that's to plant, then plant; if it is to read, then read; if it is to change, then change; if it is to study, then study; if it is to work, then work; whatever you have to do. And then you will be well on your way of doing the labor that works miracles.

To Your Success,Jim Rohn

Consistency

2007-08-25T21:21:00.000+08:00

Recently, I just pondered upon the fact that our walk with God can sometimes be one turbulent affair.. Sometimes, we can be so on fire for God, then at other times, we can get tired and don't feel like worshipping God.. But God is merciful and His grace is sufficient for us to seek His forgiveness... and we can get back to His presence once again..

My question during this time is: How can we stay consistent, and constantly on fire for God.. to hunger for Him, to know Him more and more, to want to experience Him everyday of our lives, so much so that we can't live a day without Him...??

The answer came to light as I was having a chat with Pastor Mark before he left for Haggai Institute on a leadership training program.. He says to surround ourselves with excited people all out to seek God.. His youths were what kept him and Aye Lan going.. And from there, i understood the point he's making..

I have learnt that before, but somehow discouragement sets in from time to time and I have to constantly remind myself to stay focused on God.. Then i realised i have been trying to do it on my own.. To a certain extent, I am able to control my thoughts to put a godly perspective to negative situations and circumstances in my life.. but i guess in the long run.. i might burn out.. So to keep myself always pumped up.. I have to surround myself with excited godly people who are on fire for God.. and wants to see more of God in their lives...

Excitement feeds on excitement... Enthusiasm feeds on enthusiasm... and i know that the most important step right now is to commit my ways to Him, and then work on improving myself one step at a time.. to make it a habit to guard my heart and my thoughts by focusing on the positive.. to dwell on the holy, the noble things of God.. (Phil 4:8).. and i know that by doing so, i can bring excitement to the cell group.. and from there they get fed by this enthusiasm.. and we keep one another motivated to run the race for Him!

i truly desire to see the Great Commission fulfilled.. the salvation of more people.. that i can serve alongside more disciples for His Kingdom.. that we are strengthened in the knowledge of the Word of God.. and filled with His Holy Spirit.. that we live an abundant life in Christ Jesus!

So thank You O God for this renewal of heart.. may this body of mine be used for the glorification of Your Name.. as I devote my life to stay consistent and be hungry to seek You everyday.. that You grant me strength so that I can soar on wings like an eagle.. and most important of all, that more people can experience Your great love for them.. Amen!

As A Deer by Joe Stowell

2007-08-07T12:22:00.000+08:00

Wow.. This is one great article that opened up my mind why King David chose a deer to identify his hunger and thirst for God...

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God." Psalm 42:1

Several years ago my wife Martie and I had the unique experience of going on a camel safari in the desert of the United Arab Emirates. We rocked back and forth on top of those ugly beasts for an hour as we perused the quiet of the desert. In the course of describing the attributes of camels, our guide mentioned that they could live for 3 months without water. They are obviously built for the desert.

What a contrast to the sleek, “type A” gazelle the writer had in mind in Psalm 42. Bounding through the meadows and the forests, the deer is satisfied and sustained on a regular basis by water. He needs it and yearns for it in his fast-paced existence.

How easy it is in the midst of our abundance to be far more like the camel than the deer. Rarely sensing a need for God, some people can go for months without desiring Him. For some of us, life has been a long stretch of religious and secular activity without any sense of utter dependence on Him or sincere desire to know Him. The problem is that we weren’t built for life in a spiritual desert. We were built—redeemed, in fact—for regular, satisfying access to the refreshing presence of God in our souls.

So what is it that keeps us from really longing for and seeking Him? Of all the things that make us like the camel, none is so glaring as the sin of self-sufficiency. We have relegated Jesus to the sidelines, while we go about our business. Cultivating him as our soul mate and supreme necessity for life has somehow escaped us. But it hasn’t escaped Him. He still knocks at our heart’s door to offer the sweet fellowship that only He can bring (Revelation 3:20).
Let’s drink deeply, living in Jesus more like a deer and less like a camel.

YOUR JOURNEY…

Am I more like the camel or the deer? Why?

*A deer, I can't live without God.

Do I spend time in the Word daily? If yes, what have I been learning? If no, why have I been neglecting this time with God?

*Yes.. daily! This past week, I have been praying about the great commission given by Lord Jesus: church growth, cell group growth, personal growth.. I think this is our number 1 purpose in life.. and that's why I focus myself to look into my personal mission statement - to make disciples of all nations, help us all grow strong in God's Word, to be full of Holy Spirit's fire, that we can live an abundant life in Christ!

What have I just learned about my self-sufficiency? How has God’s Spirit and Word refreshed me today?

* There were times i want to feel like a camel, to be self-sufficient in terms of finance, but I realised if I put my focus on You O God, and seek Your Kingdom first, You have always blessed me with more than enough. So dear Lord, may You reign in my life, even as I grow in wealth, help me to remember that it is You who has given me the ability to create wealth.. that i apply the parable of talents correctly, to be a good steward of all that You have given me.. to do good, to honor dear2, to honor parents, to bless Your church, to bless others, to remember the poor.. that we can all live an abundant life where You are glorified beyond measure. Praise You O God! Amen!

Mission Statement

2007-07-30T12:51:00.000+08:00

To make disciples of all nations, that we all be strong in God's Word, full of Holy Spirit's fire, and live an abundant life for Jesus Christ, our Lord.

1 More Day!

2007-07-06T23:21:00.001+08:00

I am so excited that I can't sleep... haha... i see our helpers putting so much effort and prayers into getting our wedding logistics up and ready.. I appreciate you all so much!

The best part is they have a round the clock prayers to cover esther and i...
that is so unexpected and we feel so honored...

Thank you Lord for bringing them into our lives.. i really treasure this relationship with them..

Starting with the guys, there's andrew (my coordinator and former NTU room mate), there's roland (the big guy who run all the logistics in church, wow), tuanyee, patrick, anderson, alan, jeremy, ben, jeremiah, lupin, jason... and not forgetting shiming... whom i pray will soon be able to join us...

Then the girls.. charlotte, chellie, audrey, soks, gwen, rachale, eileen, lyme, rouhphin, jiamin...

There.. the fellowship of the believers.. thank you all so much.. and the priviledge to serve alongside all of you for our Lord.. =)

Today is the last day I am to be a bachelor, but even before esther and i were to get married, our courtship was one where when people see me, they see esther, and when they see esther, they will see me... so i never really felt like i was a bachelor, because esther is always a part of me and a part of my life during our courtship days... praise you Lord!

So tomorrow, that same feeling will continue, except now our relationship is now enhanced by the fact that we are now married to each other, two becoming one flesh, and a marriage ordained by God.. wow so exciting!

Dear Lord, may esther and i continue to serve You as one for the rest of our lives, to be part of the body of Christ who is in us.. that we can please You in living out our married lives together, to honor You, to praise You always, to worship You, our God, our Saviour, our King.

Bless You O Lord... Thank You for this special day You have made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.. Hallelujah!!

2 more days!

2007-07-05T23:16:00.001+08:00

2 more days to wedding.. Getting excited.. I pray God can help me be a good husband.. because I am really blessed to have a great girl like Esther, warm, friendly, encouraging, trusts in me, and loves me for who i am.. Yeah!

To Live Life to the Fullest

2007-06-17T22:20:00.000+08:00

I guess this will be my first blog entry where I share my thoughts, opinions, and feelings... haha:p

All this while I have been thinking on what to share, but somehow I kept procastinating about it.. so I took my time to blog articles that I had read and was inspired by.. to keep a collection of articles that has made an impact to my life, and that I want to apply them, so that I can live life to the fullest.. making the most of my abilities and being satisfied by the rewards that come from doing so..

Sometimes, I wonder... so what if I share my thoughts here on the web? Who's going to read it? I know for sure my dear2 will... (wink:P)... besides her, who else? Maybe tuanyee and min.. cos they are the two I know who knows that I have a blog.. haha:P

Then again I wonder.. what do I want to share... I know for sure I will not want to blog about gossips, complaints, miserable stories, sacarstic remarks about our Singapore government that I read in some blogs.. Cos I know in our lives, we already have so much burdens and struggles, so why make it even worse? And besides, I really love Singapore.. I am grateful for our government who set the vision and puts the various systems in place that has helped our country prosper, and this is a place I truly call home...

Then comes the next most important question.. why do I want to blog? Why spend time writing down my thoughts for people all over the world to see, where I could have some privacy to my life, and time for my other interests like reading, exercising, watching movies with my dear2..

As I began to ask these questions, the thoughts become clear.. and everything I learned in the past start to surface... and on this Father's Day, I want to dedicate my 1st blog entry to my loving God the Father in heaven, and to my Lord Jesus Christ!

Ever since I accepted Him into my life.. my life has truly been transformed.. And on baptism day, I remembered saying that.. my life will not be wasted from now on.. I want to hold on to those words.. My desire is to truly live life to the fullest and I know now that it can only happen with Jesus in my heart..

Because all this while I have been searching for meaning in life, I really don't like the idea of just going to work, coming home, eat, sleep, grow up, get married, have a baby, then a 2nd baby, see them grow up, retire, go back to dust... There must be something more than this.. yes I know all these are part of life, and a process that I have to go through, but then behind all this, is there something else? Something beyond this normal way of living... what would that be??

And all the answers came as Jesus came into my life... the meaning in life becomes clear.. that as I grew in the knowledge of the Bible, God's Word, I understood why I had been so restless in the past, because after attending countless seminars before I was a Christian, wanting to improve myself, to become a better person but yet still not seeing results.. I realised the missing link... And it is that all those knowledge and the meaning in life that I was seeking are actually from the Bible itself.. and I just need to go to the 'source' and all my questions about life would be answered!

Once I got clear on that, I began to hunger for more.. I studied the Word, I listened to audio sermons, I paid close attention during Sunday service, I joined a bible study group.. wow! And my life began to change for the better.. I am not as confused as before, I know what to focus on.. And I truly understood what it means to live life to the fullest..

And it all has to start from having a great relationship with God, with Jesus.. In the past, I used to think it's something that I am seeking in life, perhaps money.. but now I realised even with all the money in the world, I won't be happy at all.. so now I learn to seek God first, and it's through prayer that I have a heart to heart talk with Him, that I know He loves me and wants the best for my life.. that when I walk right in His ways, according to the righteous standard set in the Bible, that He will bless me with everything that I have ever needed for in life.

I have learned to be dependent on Him and I am truly grateful that He found me. From now on, I want to live out the rest of my life to serve Him, that I do the things that please Him, and to use the gifts and talents He gave to me to make a difference in other people's lives, to be a good steward of the money He provided, and in my daily tasks I perform, my way of conduct, my speech, my actions, will all reflect the character of Christ...

And the next important event happening in my life right now, is Esther and me getting married. I thank God that He has blessed me with such a wonderful girl in my life, who is always so encouraging, so loving, so playful (haha:P), like a best friend in my life and she completes me. (Thank you dear!)

I really want to be a good husband who loves my wife, a good father in future, a good servant of God and I pray O God, that you help me be one, if I may ask, that you give me more of your Spirit, so that I can have the wisdom to be the man worthy of your calling. Thank you Lord, in Jesus' name I pray, Amen!

I don't know if there's anybody out there who's going to read this, but I pray that each message I write from now on, will somehow be found by a person who is searching for it and needs it at the right time... and if it's you.. that the message can touch your heart, that you can be, like me, find the true meaning in life.

May you be blessed,
Victor

God The Father by Derek Prince

2007-06-16T16:33:00.001+08:00

God the Father has ever been the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Christ has ever been His Son. In Ephesians 3:14-15, Paul says: “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.”

This passage shows us not only that God is the Father of Christ, but also that the office of fatherhood in all the earth is derived from and established on the pattern of the office that God the Father holds within the Godhead. All fatherhood is a projection of the nature of God the Father.

A Pointed Challenge

In his influential and very practical teaching, “Husbands and Fathers” (in a moment I’ll tell you how you can receive a copy on DVD), Derek points out that, because of the principle stated above, every father is called to function in three important spiritual roles in the home — that of prophet, priest and king (or governor).

At one point in that teaching, Derek presents a pointed challenge:

Check your performance in each of these three areas, and ask yourself some relevant questions:

1. As priest of my family, am I faithful in regular, daily intercession for them? How often do I thank God for them?

2. As prophet, how well have I represented God to my family? Have I given them a picture of the loving Father in heaven? Or must I acknowledge that the picture I have given them of our Father God is actually an unattractive caricature?

3. As king [head of my household], have I ruled my children with a discipline that combines love and firmness and that prepares them to take their place in society as responsible citizens? Have I set boundaries for my children that protect them from the evil forces at work in the world today?

What is your response to these questions? Do you recognize that you have indeed “sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”? That is no reason to be discouraged or to give up. God convicts us of our sins not in order to condemn us but to direct us to the remedy He has provided for us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Clearly, as we approach this Father’s Day, every Christian man (and every person who loves one), needs more spiritual insight about this vitally important three-fold role.

The Art of Being, Doing and Having by Zig Ziglar

2007-06-06T09:58:00.000+08:00

One of my favorite phrases is, "You've got to be before you can do and do before you can have." In short, you have to be a person of character and do the right things, and then you can have the things you really want. To make the "be, do have" theory valid, look at some examples in your own life.

1. Draw two vertical lines to make three columns on a sheet of paper.

2. At the top of the left-hand column, write BE; in the middle column, write DO; and over in the last column, write HAVE.

3. In the right-hand column list all the things you really want in life, whether it's an education, good family relationships, a beautiful new home, a luxury automobile, a trip around the world, to lose weight--you name it.

4. Work your way down the center column identifying the things that you have to do in order to have the things listed in the right-hand column. As an example, let's say you want a successful marriage. To do so, you must be willing to share your innermost thoughts and concerns with your mate. You must carry more than your share of the workload, encourage your mate when he or she is down, and defend your mate against criticism. You need to remember special occasions. Be particularly helpful when your mate is having a bad day or is not feeling well, or has had a tough day at work. Apply the philosophy that "you can have everything you want out of this marriage if you just help your mate get what he or she wants." Everybody's list varies because each of us has unique needs, beliefs, and interests. However, the formula remains the same.

5. Go to the left-hand column and identify what you have to BE in order to DO so that you can HAVE. To have a successful marriage, some of the things that you must be are faithful, attentive, loving, caring, helpful, empathetic, encouraging, persistent, committed, kind, thoughtful, considerate, and responsible. Not having all these qualities at this moment is okay, because they're all skills, and skills can be developed.

You can use this basic formula for whatever it is you want to have. Look at what you have to do in order to accomplish your objectives, and then examine yourself and determine what kind of person you have to BE in order to DO so that you can HAVE.

What in the World Are You Doing? by Chris Widener

2007-05-29T12:31:00.000+08:00

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!

God's Promises by Derek Prince

2007-05-21T16:15:00.000+08:00

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

Overcoming All Odds by Os Hillman

2007-05-19T21:31:00.000+08:00

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.

Cash In On Your SKills by Loral Langemeier

2007-05-17T12:26:00.000+08:00

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.

Psalm 119:92 by Derek Prince

2007-05-07T16:44:00.000+08:00

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

Hehe..I am here again dear!

2007-04-26T05:24:00.000+08:00

And I ate Tim Tam for breakfast.. one only! haha:P

All the best for your job interview dear.. God is with you and be blessed! Yeah!

Good Morning Dear!

2007-04-25T04:38:00.000+08:00

If you are looking for me, I am right here! haha:P

Wedding Invitation!!

2007-03-28T23:26:00.000+08:00

Hi my fellow friends,

Esther and I will like to invite you

to our church wedding ceremony on

07-Jul-2007 Sat 11am

followed by a scrumptious buffet lunch!

You are most welcome to RSVP with us

with your postal address and contact no.

through my email below:

vcrfong@yahoo.com.sg

Hope to see you then!

God bless each and everyone of you!

Warm regards,

Victor Fong & Esther Poh

Weekly Devotional from Derek Prince

2007-03-26T22:25:00.000+08:00

Psalm 119:49-50

Here is a word for you from the Word.

Remember the word to Thy servant, in which Thou hast made me hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, that Thy word has revived me. NAS

Has it ever occurred to you that there are times when we can remind God of something? The psalmist says here, “Remember the word to Thy servant in which Thou hast made me hope.”
You see, God gives us promises. Sometimes they come straight from the pages of His Word, the Bible. Sometimes God gives them to us in another way. It may be through a situation, it may be through a fellow Christian. But in one way or another, God makes Himself available to us in the form of His promises.

And they are given that we may have hope, that we may have comfort. They’re given to bring us renewal. The palmist says, “Thy word has revived me”—has renewed me.

So when you get a promise from God, hold onto it, don’t let it slip, don’t let it pass out of your mind, don’t forget it. And not merely should you not forget it, but you have a right to remind God of it. You can say to God, “God in your Word You said so-and-so. And I’m trusting in that Word and I’m asking You to make that word good. The word which gave me hope, the word that gave me comfort even in my time of trouble. Lord, I’m holding that word up to You now. I’m believing that You are faithful, that You’ve never made a promise that You will not fulfill.”

So remind God of His promises.

Seeing the Sacred by Cecil Murphey

2007-03-26T12:33:00.000+08:00

I've learned something significant about marriage through watching you and Shirley," Todd* said.

My three-times-divorced friend had lived with Martha* for eight years. Periodically she pressured him to marry her, he refused, arguments ensued, and days passed before they made peace. Todd (who called himself "an unspiritual believer") admitted he was afraid of marriage.

"After three bad trips to the altar, I don't want a fourth failure."

Recently, he said, "I envy the relationship you and Shirley have. You two are committed to the covenant of marriage."

I asked what he meant.

"You love each other. But it's more than love, or even commitment. You're devoted to the covenant—the principle—of marriage. I've always given myself to the person. I loved the three women I married, but eventually arguments became serious and one of us walked out. But I've seen that no matter how difficult things get in your marriage, neither of you leave." He mentioned several problems Shirley and I had faced over the years, especially her serious health concerns. "I've watched you survive things that would have broken any of my marriages. You've put your relationship above your personal feelings."

The more I pondered Todd's words about commitment to the covenant of marriage, the better I understood. It all comes down to the difference between a promise and a vow. When I promise, I'll do the best I can to fulfill whatever I said I would do. If I promise to pay my mortgage every month, I'll pay it. Yet if serious or prolonged illness comes, or I'm downsized, I might not be able to keep that promise.

A vow, however, is sacred. It's a word we need to use cautiously. In the Roman Catholic church, priests or nuns make vows that go beyond their feelings. I'm sure some days Mother Teresa functioned better than others. But she didn't give up; she had vowed.

For me, a vow is like staking our lives on something so powerful only death can put an end to it. My faith in Jesus Christ is like that. Some days I don't feel spiritual, and at other times doubts plague me. But I don't turn away from God. Despite how I feel today, tomorrow my emotions may be different.

Good marriages are built on the same principle. The partners are devoted to each other, but they also have a commitment to something higher than themselves.

When I was a pastor, I saw many couples try to sustain a fantasy relationship. They pursued an ideal of unceasing love, expecting always to satisfy each other's needs for the rest of their lives. But feelings don't remain constant. People are passionate today and cool tomorrow. Eventually, reality sets in.

For example, a man called me six months into his marriage. "My wife snores," he complained. "I can't stand it." Obviously, the issue was more than her snoring. He'd awakened from a long-held fantasy; he finally understood she was human. I warned him that unless they'd built their relationship on more than mutual attraction, their marriage was doomed. (They later divorced.)
Todd also bought into the fantasy marriage—three times. "Every time I said, 'I do,' I held ideas of how marriage should function," he admitted. "I loved my wife—then." After several years, both became disillusioned. She wasn't living up to what a wife "should be" and he no longer felt the way he had when they first married.

"I understand one part in the wedding ceremony—finally," Todd said. "When you and Shirley promised to stay together 'for better or for worse, in sickness and in health,' you could do that because you have something else—something beyond your love for each other that keeps you together."

"For an unspiritual believer," I said, "that's amazingly insightful."

The commitment to God's principle of a relationship severed only by death transcends earthly things. It's powerful because it surpasses feelings and situations. It's a relationship that says, "Even though, and no matter what … we're still together." When two people are both bound by the same, unwavering vow, the marriage lasts.

Weekly Devotional by Derek Prince

2007-03-22T12:55:00.000+08:00

Psalm 119:32

Here is a word for you from the Word.

I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free. NIV

What does it mean to be free? Does it mean that you just do anything you please at any time? That you throw off all order and restraint, you’re just self-indulgent, self-pleasing, self-willed. Let me tell you, friend, and I speak from personal experience, in my own life and in the lives of many others whom I’ve counseled from time to time, that’s not real freedom. That’s slavery. It’s slavery to self and it’s slavery to sin.

But there is a kind of real freedom that comes when God sets our heart free. The psalmist says, “You’ve set my heart free.” What’s the evidence? “I run in the path of your commands.” When we are truly liberated by the grace of God and the power of God, it’s not to please ourselves, it’s not to do our own thing, but it’s to be able to obey God and be able to obey Him with delight, to obey Him with readiness, not reluctantly, not grudgingly, but freely and joyfully.

The psalmist says, “I run in the path of your commands”: I’m not trying to find excuses for disobeying. I just long to know what you will is. And when I discover your will, I run in that pathway. There’s a note of eagerness, a note of excitement, that comes not from pleasing self, but from seeking to please God, from doing His will. The Bible says, “He that does the will of God abides forever.”

Cheeky Boy and Lovely Gal

2007-03-15T13:26:00.000+08:00

Using Your Time by Zig Ziglar

2007-03-06T23:02:00.000+08:00

The question often asked is do we really use our time to our own best interests? To the best interests of our family, and the best interests of our employer (or employees, if we happen to be the boss)?

A study was done at a typical American plant and it was discovered that the people working on the line and paid an average wage watched an average of 30 hours of television each week. The person in charge of the line watched an average of 25 hours of television a week. The foreman watched an average of 20 hours of television a week; the plant superintendent watched an average of 15 hours of television a week; the vice president of the plant watched an average of 12-15 hours of television each week. The president watched an average of 8-12 hours of television every week. The chairman of the board watched an average of 4-8 hours of television a week, and 50% of that time the chairman was watching training videos.

Apparently this study reveals that those with fewer television hours are those who climb higher, further and faster.

Could this be because much of the time spent watching television is either for entertainment or just to relax? Now all of that’s not bad, but I’m wondering if we were to reduce in the average person’s life the time spent watching television by only 20%, what would the family and financial, as well as health, benefits be? Chances are good there would be more time for relating with others within the family, more time for exercising, and more time for taking care of other important things that are always there for families to do together.

What about the contributions we could make to society if we reduced our television watching time by only 20%? Research shows that people who get involved in voluntary activities for the betterment of others invariably do better in their own careers and personal lives. There is just something inspiring about doing something for others.

Perhaps you are familiar with my quote, You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want. It’s certainly something to think about, isn’t it? So, think about it – follow through and structure your time in such a way that you are learning and doing instead of just laughing and looking. Don’t misunderstand. Some laughing and looking is good. Too much of it will not take you from where you are to where you want to go.

Performing Miracles With Your Staff by Os Hillman

2007-03-01T23:55:00.000+08:00

Exodus 4:17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it.

What is the staff God has put into your hand? Is it being a builder? Is it being an office worker? Is it being a doctor? Moses' staff represented his vocation as a shepherd. God had something in mind for his vocation-to perform miracles. And awesome miracles He did! God turned the Nile river into blood with the touch of the staff. He turned the staff into a snake. He parted the Red Sea with it. These are just a few of the miracles God did with that staff.

When we yield our talents and abilities to the Lord, God can perform miracles through them. First, Moses had to yield what He had in his hand to God. Only after this took place could God use that staff. As long as Moses held onto it, God could not and would not perform miracles through it.

Until we come to this place with our heavenly Father, we will fail to see miracles performed in our work. He delights in showing His power through us. When we become an open vessel, we can expect to see things happen.

Have you given your staff to the Lord? Offer it to Him and see what He might want to do through it. Your life will never be the same.

Nice Hats

2007-02-20T13:00:00.000+08:00

Protect the neighbourhood!