Achieve Your Dreams Through Faith and Commitment

17 Jul

The process to success begins with a dream, a vision, a destination. It encompasses desire, commitment, and tenacity. Fulfilling you most desired ambition in life will require the use of the most powerful force and that is spiritual force. Spiritual force entails faith, belief, positive thinking, faith in life, faith in other people, faith in oneself, and faith in God. The word of God teaches us that, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible…” This centers around expecting the best instead of the worst. Which means that you put all of you, your whole heart into what you truly want to accomplish.

Norman Vincent Peele in his book, “The Power of Positive Thinking” said, “…whatever you are doing, give it all you’ve got. Give every bit of yourself. Hold nothing back. Life cannot deny itself to the person who gives life his all.”

Jim Rohn said, “If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.”

Another quote by Norman Vincent Peele said, “Throw your heart over the bar and your body will follow.”

John Maxwell said, “If you don’t change the direction you are going, then you’re likely to end up where you’re heading.”

Helen Keller said, “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”

Did you know that the word hope means having a confident expectation of a positive outcome. It’s more than a mere wish, it involves faith and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

Once you’ve settled in your heart your dream, vision, and destination for your life, put faith into action. Believe that all things are possible, believe in people, yourself, life, and positive thinking. Get the ball rolling, invest in yourself (body, soul, and spirit) by reading good books, and education like seminars, podcast, ted talks, anything that will help you develop into the person that will fulfill your greatest dream!

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Revive Your Dreams: The Key to Future Success

16 Jul

The power of a dream… Many have forgotten how to dream. Growing up through adolescence as children we all had powerful imaginations. We all would dream of someday being a doctor, lawyer, policeman, fireman, soldier, etc. We would dream of having more and being more. Maybe of being the wealthiest person in the world. But no matter, we all dreamed of something or becoming someone. The reality of those dreams seamed to fade as we got older. Some dreams were stolen by others, circumstances, or maybe unbelief. But no matter, a dream can become renewed, it can become ignited again, or it can be a brand-new dream. What’s important is that we dream again!

Below are a few quotes that hopefully create in all of us the will to dream again. For without a dream, a vision of what we desire in life, we will remain stagnant. But having a dream starts the engine that could lead us to what our imaginations have wanted for us all along. Having a dream is where it all begins and is most powerful.

“Your dream is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” Albert Einstein

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-down horse ridden into the ground.” Langston Hughes

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Abraham Lincoln

“Shoot for the sky, because even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” Les Brown

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer.” Harriet Tubman

“If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can achieve it, you can become it.” William Arthur Ward

“Dare to dream.” unknown

Hopefully these quotes encourage us all to believe in our dreams, pursue them with courage, and then turn our dreams into reality through action. For our dreams are powerful and are the launch pad for our future success!

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Daily Quotes for Motivation and Strength

15 Jul

The GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English defines encouragement as: The act or encouraging; incitement to action or to practice. Hopefully these quotes will help you personally and professionally excel today!

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

“You don’t have to have it all figured out, but don’t give up. Slow if you need to, but don’t give up.” Leanne Hainsby-Alidis

“Energy and persistence conquer all things.” Benjamin Franklin

“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” Arnol Schwarzenegger

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” Mark Twain

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” Mahatma Gandhi

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” Walt Disney

“Change your thoughts and you change your world.” Norman Vincent Peale

“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (the words of Jesus)

May God richly bless you today!

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Finding Love Beyond Religion: A Bigger Truth

13 Jul

Mention RELIGION as a means to an end and people lose their minds. The reason is quite simple because RELIGION cannot solve mankind’s problems. RELIGION is man’s attempt to control another. It’s also man’s attempt to reach a Holy God through one’s behavior and neither end well.

There are around 4200 different religions in the world today. Amazing as that is, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Roman Catholicism and Judaism make the world news more than any others. But there is a commonality amongst all religions and that is behavior modification, control, a belief in a higher power, stories, teachings, and moral and ethical instructions, and some form of worship. It all sounds pretty good, but its man’s attempt to control another and or anyone who differs with them, along with being good enough to be excepted by the Higher Power into the afterlife.

Now, is religion a good thing? It depends on one’s perspective. Within the confines of each religion the answer would be yes because it gives a society a guide on how people should live and get along within the religion. However, when one religion attempts to impose their religious views on another, angst takes root with the fallout leading to fundamental disagreements, and even volatility.

So, is there truly an answer to man’s dilemma? Sure, there is! Let’s just look at the dilemma from the premise of 4200 different god’s over 4200 different religions. What a mess! Each god vying for position to be the number one God of all religions. There would be so much confusion and debate. All these religions believe they’re the answer to the world. But the answer is not found in a religion, for all religion is based on one’s self-righteousness. The do good, get good premise. Religion in and of itself is man controlling another man through rules and vain philosophies, which takes people captive, steals, kills and eventually destroys them.

Think about your own religion for a moment. I mean really and honestly think! Does the god of your religion love you unconditionally? Does he offer you a permanent solution for your bad behavior, other than some form of punishment or even death? Is he kind, full of mercy and forgiveness? Is he compassionate? Can you say, “my god really loves me”? He loves me so much that he would give his own life for me? Would my god adopt me as one of his own and call me his child and his friend? I’m sure you could think of many more questions and if so, ask them and think on them. Then ask yourself, is there truly a god of love, is he even real? Then ask the God of Love to reveal himself to you, if and only if you are looking for truth! For you see, the God of Love is longing for you to call on Him. He wants you to know the Truth so you can be set free from religion, and He is not a God who lies!

He is a God who loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, (Jesus Christ), that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Jesus, himself said, “I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly”. He also said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no man cometh unto the Father (God) but through me”.

If you would like to have a personal relationship with the God of Love, you must first understand that everyone who has ever lived has been separated from him because of sin and the consequence of sin is death. However, Jesus, God’s son, died on the cross for us taking the penalty and punishment for our sin. He was then raised from the grave, from death itself on the third day, after paying our debt for our sin, so that anyone who repented of their sin and believed in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For whosever calls upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For by grace are you save through faith, it is a gift of God lest any man should boast.

Receive God’s gift of everlasting life and become a child of His, inheriting the salvation He offers and promised!

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3 Essential Responsibilities of Effective Leadership

27 Feb

If you’re in leadership in any way, shape or form, regardless of position, be it CEO, midlevel manager, overseer of a project, or parent. You will want to reread, review, and meditate on what you are about to read. It’s my humble opinion from holding numerous and various leadership roles and positions there are three core responsibilities of any leadership role.

Leadership is defined as an action of leading a group of people. In writing about this subject or topic, the information could go on for pages. But my intent is to drill down to what really matters, the core responsibilities of leadership and what leaders need to know and to put into practice to be highly successful in their leadership role. There are three areas, once mastered that will create winning teams, develop other leaders along the way, build a culture of integrity, and create an incredible environment for continued success. However, you must remember as a leader being anything other than an exemplary example to the people you lead in these three areas is non-negotiable.

I’m going to take for granted that as a leader the end goal has already been created either for you or by you and thus, you are at a point of implementation or maybe somewhere in between the beginning or the end. No matter, these three areas of the core responsibilities are but a framework to be studied in more detail and expanded upon at your leisure. The more of an understanding you have of each will lead to greater success. Let’s get started!

First, understand that in order to be effective in leading, you must know and I mean know the people you are leading. Their strengths, weaknesses, personalities, hopes, dreams, hardships at home and in life, children, etc. Knowing the people you lead thoroughly really matters and being fair and just with each will create loyalty, trust, and a culture of caring for one another. This and this alone will lay the foundation for all things related to the success.

To begin with you must create belief in what you and your team are pursuing. If a positive expectation of a desired outcome is not encapsulated in belief, struggle and frustration are imminent. To be clear, creating belief can be challenging especially with the different personalities you are leading, so preparation is a must, which includes:

  1. The motivation for the goal… the team or company must understand the why. Why the goal and what will it mean for them, the target objective, and the future upon completion.
  2. Information and evidence that the goal matters.
  3. The goal resonates with those involved. There should be evidence presented arousing curiosity and belief.
  4. Overcoming and acknowledging the skepticism. Challenge the doubt. Address the issues with solution and answers that promote success.
  5. Creating a culture of belief by reinforcing your belief.

Next, there must be a confident expectation of a positive outcome. This expectation must consistently be feed to build confidence through:

  1. Stories… like the great adage says, “Facts tell but stories sale”. Always be prepared with stories that motivate, inspire, are positive, overcome doubts, are easily remembered, and that assurances a positive outcome.
  2. Goals that are realistic but challenging
  3. Managing the difficulties that arise, step by step, minus the trepidation.
  4. Celebrating the small victories along the way.
  5. WORDS… WORDS MATTER! There’s an old proverb that says, “Life and death are in the power of the tongue”. So, watch what is being said, from your mouth and the mouth of others. Words can either build up or tear down. If the words being spoken are not reenforcing a confident expectation of a positive outcome, you’re hindering your possibilities for success. ALWAYS be positive in your words, the stories told, and the difficulties that may arise.

Last and the final core responsibility, A FLURISHING CULTURE, which is consistent reveals itself through:

  1. Transparency… nothing should be kept from the team or group. To do so would create a negative environment. One of gossip, innuendos, weak relationships, and reduced trust. There must be transparency to build trust, relationships, and improve all aspects of the culture.
  2. Patience in reaching the intended goal, and with one another.
  3. Kindness toward one another.
  4. Not demanding its own way.
  5. Not letting jealousy, boastfulness, pride, or being rude dominate.
  6. Never giving up, losing belief, or sight of the confident expectation of a positive outcome.
  7. Enduring to the end, no matter the circumstances encountered.

A Leader that incorporates these three core responsibilities into their style of leadership. Along with complete preparation for each of these responsibilities and the actions required, will increase their opportunities for success. When implemented, a confident expectation of a positive outcome is assured.

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How Your Character Shapes Your Life Success

26 Feb

Did you know that your character matters? I mean seriously, those mental and moral qualities which are distinctive to humanity, to us as individuals, truly matter. I’m not sure we realize the importance of our character. I happened to be reading from a wonderful book, one that many love and others reject, but the importance of character really made me reflect on my life, past and present. The more I reflected, the more I realized some of my thoughts and actions, let’s just say, didn’t meet the standard. Many of you reading this post, if your honest, could or would say the same. Staying true to the truth can be rather difficult. So, to remind us of the importance of our character, let’s look at an example and see what we can learn and apply in our lives.

First, there was a man named Joseph, who lived sometime around 1800 BCE, or approximately 3,600 years ago, during the times of the Pharoh’s. That’s a lot of years ago. However, the qualities of character remained the same throughout time. In Joseph case, when his character was tested, he passed with no exceptions. His loyalty to family, friends, leadership, where unmarked. He was honest, moral, patient, kind, tolerant, and forgiving. Even when he was sold into slavery by his brothers, lied about concerning moral behavior, kind to those who would forget about him or betray him, along with forgiving others, he never held a grudge. He actually blessed those who had betrayed him and was patient and tolerant when treated as a slave and imprisoned because of a lie. The benefits and outcome of passing the character test was co-ruling with the Pharoh’s for 71 years, which gave him opportunities to help those he loved and lavish all the benefits he could on those he ruled.

What about those who did not pass the character test. Those who were dishonest, full of greed, mean, petty, selfish, and disloyal. There are more who failed than have ever passed. Unfortunately, they brought disgrace to their families, destroyed people and companies, compromised themselves for selfish and greedy reasons, were only loyal to their interest and many experienced moral failures. But there’s more, like unmerciful, unforgiving, unreasonable, intolerant, and dishonest in their dealings.

You know the question really boils down to, have we missed opportunities for greatness because of the quality of our character? I think it just might be true for most of us. However, there is hope! You and I can turn from those qualities that are less than desirable and destructive to qualities of character that would pass the test:

  1. Identify those areas that are less than attractive, that cause destruction in one’s life and the life of others. Once identified do the opposite. If there is dishonesty become honest no matter the price. If your morally tempted to cheat in anyway run in the other direction. These are just a couple of examples.
  2. Identify the characteristics that add value to one’s life and others, like patients, kindness, honesty, tolerance, and loyalty. Become a person of value and like Joseph it will pay off.
  3. Never give up! If a character failure occurs forgive yourself, learn from the error and move forward. You were created for more, so go after it with the foundation of your character.

After reading this post and you realize you could use some help, let me encourage you to turn to the only one who can help you. His reign is from our beginning to the end; his character is flawless and he will help anyone who calls on him for help. He is the Almighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. He gave all of his love so you could have an abundant and everlasting life. His love was His Son, Jesus Christ, who died in our place to pay the debt for our sins and take all our sins away. He was buried and resurrected from the grave on the third day. He is alive and the witnesses are many. Take the time to call out to Him. “For whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.” Go ahead call out to Jesus and you will be saved. Oh yea, and the quality of your character will change.

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4 Daily Habits for Lifelong Success

26 Jan

If you can develop four, just four simple daily habits, you have just created a great recipe for success. Let me explain. First, we all are creatures of our habits. Second, our habits determine our success and failures in life. And third, our habits will dictate our destinies. For example, bad habits like smoking, excessive screen time, procrastination, and a poor diet are a short list of the many habits that can undermine our desire for any type of success in your personal or professional life. But there is hope for success in our personal and professional life. Success that others can obtain but will envy unless they too are willing to put in the effort of creating habits for the life they truly desire.

Here are the four simple habits, when put into daily practice that will change your entire life and the lives of others.

  1. Gratitude: “Gratitude will unlock all virtues and is something you can get better at” (Kevin Kelly). If, when you first awake you think of one thing you are grateful for and then verbally expressing that gratitude before you get out of bed, you will be happier, healthier, and have a better positive outlook on life. Just a simple statement of gratefulness for the new day, or a relationship, or life itself has wonderful benefits. For instance: Psychologytoday.com say, gratefulness improves of our physical and mental wellbeing, along with strengthening our relationships. And has also been shown to lower blood pressure, strengthen our immune systems, reduce symptoms of illness and make us less bothered by aches and pains. So, developing the simple habit of gratitude before our feet hit the floor in the morning will change everything.
  2. Exercise: “Movement plus variety equals health” (Kevin Kelly). Did you know that creating the habit of exercise will boost your energy and enhance your mood. The Mayo Clinic and healthline.com say, “regular physical activity can improve muscle strength, boost endurance, helps maintain a healthy body weight and reduces the risk of chronic diseases. It also has a positive effect on our mental health by reducing stress, anxiety and depression.” So, if you want to feel better, look better, fight off possible illness and have a heathier overall attitude about life, exercise! Start by just going for a walk but make that walk a habit. Robert Collier said that “Little Steps can lead to great things when taken consistently and with determination.
  3. Reading: The habit of reading everyday develops knowledge, improves focus, strengthens memory, and vocabulary. It also makes you interesting to talk with during friend and colleague conversations. Jim Rohn said, “Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary” and Frederick Douglass said, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” Many say if you want to standout, become extraordinary, and create a better future for yourself, develop the habit of reading at least 10 pages of any good book each day. Then take would you learn and make application about what you read.
  4. Helping Others: Every day look for some way to help someone. Be it a smile, a lending hand, or a positive remark. This habit alone will change their world and yours. Ann Frank said, “No one has ever become poor by giving” and Jesus said, “It is better to give than to receive”. Many have said that in putting others ahead of oneself one becomes rich. The habit of helping someone in some way daily will positively put you in a better mood, help with understanding your purpose, strengthen relationships and make new relationships. It even helps with your overall health.

Developing these for habits would be a life changer and very satisfying to say the least. The amount of time could be anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour a day, with exercising and reading being most of that time. Start today with developing the habits, stay consistent and preserve. Remember keep your eye and the prize and you will reach your destination.

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Transform Your Life with Hope: Believe, Speak, Help

9 Jan

As we enter the new year, the world seems to be in a mess. Maybe, your personal world is a mess, or others you know are living in or through a mess. Throughout the existence of mankind things have been messy at times, but history is quick to remind us there are good times and bad times. There are joyful times and miserable times. There are times of abundance and there are times of poverty and famine and yet we (mankind) survive, we struggle through, we emerge out of the darkest times into the light of glorious times. One thing is for sure; times and things will change.

So, how do we survive when we find ourselves in the quagmire of a mess. When bad news affects us, mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. It seems the darkness is so thick, it’s like being encapsulated in the deepest darkest mud of all times. What do we do? The answer, Hope! Let me explain.

Hope is a confident expectation of good, or you could even say a good future. Having hope can release and even catapult us from the deepest, darkest, and even lightlessness of times to a good future and there are three exercises that are sure to help. Believe, Speak, and Help others.

First, Believe! Start by thinking, “For as a man thinketh so is he”. Change your thoughts by turning away from negative inputs. These inputs could be friends, news media, social media and such and begin to input positive thoughts through reading biographies, watching media that uplifts, associating with people who are more positive and reading good books. A great book to start with would be, “The Power of Positive Thinking”, by Norman Vincent Peele. Once you start changing your thinking, you will begin to believe and having a confident expectation of good will begin to gain traction.

Second, Speak Hope! Did you know that life and death are in the power of the tongue? You see, your words matter. Take a moment and think about how you talk about yourself. Is it positive or negative? If your words tend towards the negative, STOP and begin speaking positive about yourself. Be kind in speaking to and about yourself.

Psychologists tell us that there is an advantage in choosing positive words over negative words. For instance, our cognitive reasoning strengthens, we make better decisions, and we’re more forward thinking when we use positive words in our speaking. Positive words even impact our quality of life, from relationships to our overall health. Negative words on the other hand cause stress, anxiety, anger, depression, hopelessness and severe effects on our health.

Without going into a deep dive about the power of our words the picture is clear, our words matter. So, change your words to those of HOPE, a confident expectation of good about yourself, the future, and others, which brings us to the third exercise of speaking hope into others.

Third, Be Hope! You do this through a couple of ways. The first, choose to speak words of life into others. Words that will give them a confident expectation of good in their lives. You will need to be intentional with your words. Always remember your words matter and will and can affect the lives of others. Second, and lastly, help others as often as possible. Put them first. Be concerned about their wellbeing. It will chang you and them for the better.

In conclusion, if your personal world is a mess and you have a negative worldview it can all be changed with HOPE. That is having a confident expectation of good, of a good future. Just remember what you believe, the words you say, and helping others can make all the difference in your life and the world. So, decide today to put into action what you have read and make a difference!

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So how do I Know God’s Voice?

30 Dec

Yesterday, was about turning to the Creator, God, for our wisdom. Today, it will be hearing God once we’ve asked for his wisdom, for he speaks in a still small voice or in a gentle whisper. As the story goes, the prophet Elijah needed to hear from God. God told him to go, “Go out and stand before me (him) on the mountain… And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave” and the Lord spoke to him (see 1 Kings 19:11-13).

Life is loud, self-serving, relying on the wisdom of others and our own experiences. It is bombarded with all sorts of information and a sprinkling of truth to make us gravitate towards a faulty discission, that usually ends with a less than desired outcome. So, what do we do?

For starters, we slow down; by dismantling the habits we’ve acquired of information overload. Then we take the additional time we had previously allotted for binging on all the information produced through technology and get still. Once we are still, we dismiss all the chaos around us, putting it aside, so we can hear the gentle whisper of God. For God truly wants to talk with us and develop a relationship with us. He says, “Be still and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10. And it’s during these times of stillness that we can hear from the Lord, God and ask our questions, seek answers, and hear his wisdom as it pertains to anything we ask. For in the book of James, chapter 4, verse 2, it says, “You do not have because you do not ask God”. So, get still and ask! Ask God for the wisdom you need in any given situation. Call on him and he will answer you.

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Today is the Day!

29 Dec

As the end of the year approaches, the Creator of all the heavens and the earth, says, “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:22). I’m sure most of us have ignored the words of Isaiah for most of this year. Yes, we may have had spits and sputters along the way of calling out to the Creator for help and wisdom, but mostly we have ignored His help, leaving us short of where we wanted or hoped to be by the end of the year. However, today could be the day all that changes for our coming year, if we but open our ears to what the Spirit of the Creator is saying. Let me explain through a story.

There once were two kings. and each sought the advice of their counselors on how they should lead their respective countries or people. Both knew there was only one Creator of all things, but neither of them would turn to him for help. One rejected the wisdom of the older advisors and sought out the wisdom of younger men. The other, also sought the advice of his counselors, but neither, sought out the wisdom of the Creator. The result, destruction, defeat, and a terrible legacy. (You can find the complete story in 1 Kings 12-14, 2 Chronicles 12, and the books of the kings of Isarel and Judah). Maybe you have experienced the negative effects of relying on your own wisdom, experience, and advisers without consulting with the Creator. He, the Creator says, to turn to him and you will be saved.

Do you need to be saved? The Creator says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). Call out to him! Who is the Creator, “The Lord Almighty, the Creator of Heaven and Earth. The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. The Savior of the World, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace”. For He alone is God, the Creator! Call out to Him for wisdom for the coming year. Turn to Him, ask Him to reveal truth to you, obey His leading and instructions. For his “burden is easy and his yoke is light” (Matthew 11:13). He says to, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it” (Matthew 7:13).

You see, salvation and prosperity are found in the Creators wisdom. In turning to Him and calling out to Him to be saved. If you want your new day and year ahead to turn out better than this past year, then turn to him, not to your own self, or the wisdom of this world. Call out to Him and be saved!

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