Friday, November 25, 2005

Give Blessings...Kiss Reprimands Good-bye

by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com

Each person has an invisible dipper. We can fill a person’s bucket or empty a person’s bucket with our dipper.

By saying and doing things which increase positive emotions, we fill a person's bucket. When we do things that affect a person’s emotions negatively, we empty their bucket.

How Full is Your Bucket emphasizes the value of positive psychology when working with people. The authors, Tom Rath and Donald Clifton, reported a study on Korean prisoners who had the greatest success in psychological warfare. They didn't use physical torture but emotional deprivation systems. It was so effective, soldier prisoners become emotionally lifeless and many just died, due to what they called "Give up-itis."

To totally defeat a person they used this formula...
develop a “snitching” culture, cultivate self criticism in front of peers, break loyalty to leadership and withhold any kind of emotional support.
This negativity created total passive, self-defeating prisoners who had absolutely no spirit or hope.

From this they found if you do just the opposite of this, you create a very motivated workforce that excels exceptionally in all they do.

They coined the phrase “fill a person's bucket”:
regularly tell people what they are doing right,
build each other up,
give to each other in unexpected ways.

Their rule of thumb in keeping a person's bucket full is to give at least two compliments to a person daily… verbally, in notes, emails, or a surprise which shows gratitude for their gifts, talents, or job well done. To maintain a healthy business team, Rath and Clifton recommend the ratio of 5 positive interactions to 1 negative interaction.

For more and research on increasing people productivity note:
http://www.bucketbook.com/

In The Blessing by Gary Smalley and John Trent they pointed out we can actually give people a blessing by positive comments that forecast a person's accomplishments they will make. A blessing actualizes the prescribed behavior in that person's life. They suggested this formula when giving a blessing:

--Meaningful Touch
--Spoken message
--Attach high value to one being blessed
--Picture a Special future for the one being blessed
--Actively commit to support the person being blessed.

For the Biblical origins of blessing note:
http://bible.crosswalk.com/Dictionaries/BakersEvangelicalDictionary/bed.cgi?number=T97

Jesus “Proclaimed” His message of personal freedom. Proclaim means to "declare someone to be something." He touched the blind person and proclaimed his ability to see. This boils down to two power forces in Spirit.

What we tell people is either a blessing or curse. (When we don't bless, we can be unintentionally doing what the Korean's did to our soldiers... kill one's spirit.)

What we say, people become
and even more so when coming from a boss, a leader... someone of a position of power or respect. Then when we touch, Spiritual Power is transferred through us.

If we do a Jesus Thing and take an active positive approach in our business and with all we work with, we can drastically decrease the need for reprimands.

People will live out the blessings we give, become what we tell them. Some times called a "pat on the back" or a "that-a boy," when done strategically and meaningfully will turn the people and culture mindset around. A hand on the shoulder as you express gratitude or give an important direction with an attitude of confidence in them, increases impact of the message.

Touching, speaking blessing (positive I-believe-in-you tone/comment) with value to that person recognized, and efforts appreciated is what Jesus recommended.

Jesus “Proclaimed” people to do great things.
“I tell you the truth… you will do Greater things than these.” (John 14:12)
“I will give you whatever you ask, using my name.” (John 16:17)

This spiritual power went through His followers to do this.

He spoke, touched them… they excelled.

God spoke what happened. Jesus spoke healing. He saw value in people as God's unique creation and in love, wanted everyone to be well, do well!

In His Love, Jesus transferred the Power of God’s Spirit in to them.
Do the same…
in faith, in love …you bless your people.
Begin creating a new atmosphere in your business culture, with your customers, suppliers. The Power of Spirit goes into that person when you do it in love, so they continually know that you appreciate them for who they are. This actualizes their gifts, and enhances ability to perform at higher levels.

Spiritual Power resides in you and waits to be released. When you praise others, encourage in love, Power goes into others.

As God created, you create.
It’s in your hands.

Give a blessing to all you meet and begin changing the world today one person at a time.

What you sow, you will reap and the blessings will boomerang back to you.

What you want, give to others (Luke 6:38)

Make it a practice to keep everyone's bucket full.

“Proclaim” freedom to the captive minds and hearts around you… and you will set them free.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim
that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors,
and that the time of the Lord's favor has come.
"
Luke 4:18-19

Friday, November 18, 2005

Spiritual Gifts surpass Birth Gifts

By Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com


When people work, supporting each other, their advanced gifts begin to surface.

The first level is in the natural....gifts we are born with, the ones that begin emerging throughout one's life time.

The second level are the Spiritual Gifts. Spiritual gifts are truly "gifts". Given from Jesus Spirit in response to the need of a group and for the need that a group is desiring to meet… regardless of a person's natural or trained abilities.

Talent Birth Gifts

Today's world is recognizing that discovering natural talent is important as it affects people's contribution and motivation they have at work. Recent research is showing businesses and people how to discover their birth-gifts and put them to use.

One study by Gallup Poll came up with 34 talent strengths people may have.
The book, Now, Discover Your Strengths, provides a way to find these through a talent discovery test on the Internet. (www.strengthsfinder.com)

The following lend clues to what yours may be.

Spontaneous, top of the mind reactions
In a given situation, what comes to your mind first… how to solve the problem, an emotional reaction, ways to explain it to someone else…etc. Observe how you think. This is the first sign of a natural birth gift.

Yearnings
What you yearn for, really would like to be part of your life is another gauge to use. An intense desire and something you feel strongly about doing. Some refer to this as your passion or what you love to do.

Rapid Learning
What comes easily, naturally without conscious effort may be traces of talent. When you notice others may struggle with something, but it comes easy for you. When you seem to grasp certain information quickly, may reveal a true underlining talent.

Satisfactions
What gives you a great amount of satisfaction. Note what you really enjoy doing that gives you a great amount of fulfillment doing it.

(Gallup has additional information on this at:
http://gmj.gallup.com/book_center/NDYS/ )

"How has God uniquely gifted you in (1) skills and abilities, (2) personality traits, (3) values, dreams and passions? Finding the work you love is not a self serving goal, it is a required component of fulfilling our true calling.” 48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller
http://www.48days.com/

This can lead us to our natural birth talents which everyone has. We are now just recognizing the importance of knowing these and getting people involved in their strengths...birth talents. This adds the most to being effective, motivated and making one's best contribution in what we do. When we force people out of these, research has shown people perform poorly, are unhappy, lose hope, and may even be led to self-defeating behaviors.

The highly-effective business is finding it is better to mold a position around someone's natural talents than try to make a person fit a position. Every person has unique, exceptional abilities. Find them, develop them and your growth will expand exceptionally as well.

Beyond Birth Gifts are Spiritual Gifts

There are Gifts of a level higher, greater, and move advanced than our birth talents. If our natural talents were discovered in each person and then we each add Spiritual Gifts, we would function at Super-Natural Levels... if I may be bold enough to say... beyond anything we have ever seen in a society yet.

The Spirit gives Spiritual gifts regardless of intelligence, age, education, position....so be open to them coming through members of a group where these are not naturally characteristic of them. Here are some supernatural gifts that may surface above natural gifts in a group that supports, respects each other and works for the good of all present.

Wise Advice
This is a thought, idea that has great depths in wisdom in that it solves a problem both short-term and long-term, relationships are built up and each person saves face.

Special Knowledge
With this gift the person just “knows” or gleans information, through Supernatural awareness.

Faith
Some have great faith and without seeing the evidence of a potential result will just believe, without the least doubt, that it will happen. We have power over nature's events with just pure faith.

Healing
A person is healed Supernaturally through other’s prayers and faith. Be open again to unlikely sources who many have this gift. It may not be the most distinguished one in a group.

Performing Miracles
Miracles can be the common activity by groups united, One in Jesus Spirit and following the pattern of lifestyle Jesus taught.

Knowing the Difference between True Spirit and False spirit.
To have an accurate sense if someone is telling the truth and making up something. When dealing with others within and outside of a business, this spirit of discernment is a tremendous asset.

Predictive Intelligence
This person gets clear picture on what will happen and literally can predict, foretell, future events. These people are sometimes called prophets as they hear from Jesus Spirit on what will happen. They have a keen connection to the Spirit of the Universe that goes through everything and knows everything. It takes a lot of integrity for this Gift. A person has to be proven to be a very trustworthy person, humble, not self centered, also having exceptional wisdom.

Jesus said He would tell us what is to come.
It is an incredible thought that we all, as the Great Apostle Paul suggested, should have this Gift.

(For more note: Supernatural Gifts exceed natural Birth Gifts, by Geffry Fields, August, 19, 2005, at JesusIsUs.blogspot.com
http://jesusisus.blogspot.com/2005/08/supernatural-gifts-exceed-natural.html

Through love to each other, ALL the Indefinable Powers of creation can be part of our every day life. Spiritual Gifts are for a Spiritual purpose, providing what is needed Super-naturally, when natural talents are inadequate to meet challenges above our human abilities.

When any task force, partners, staff commits to a Jesus Spirit life, these can be manifested through individuals in the group. It may come from unlikely sources demonstrating a dramatic display of Supernatural ability…not normally seen in that person before.

When love abounds, generosity is rampant, kindness and humility prevail,
miracles can be the every day part of our lives.

Remember, for Spiritual power, small is better. The Power comes out of close knit relationships. Take time to build relationships and acknowledge gifts in others. Put them where they serve a valuable purpose in your business... where birth and Spiritual gifts can be used at its greatest level.

The miraculous and Supernatural Gifts are all accessible to every group who lives in Jesus Spirit and seeks His Power. Those who depend on human institutions have limitations.

Although Jesus said of those in His Kingdom,
“humanly speaking, it is impossible.

But with God everything is possible."
(Matt. 19:26)


Saturday, November 12, 2005

One Voice Produces Greatness

by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com

Having One Voice is the keynote theme in Stephen Covey's The 8th Habit. To manage and run business in this coming Hi-Tech, Hi-Touch world, blending each "voice," to become one voice greater than the sum of all voices, will move us from Effectiveness to Greatness.

"Helping people clearly understand and get committed to significant goals requires you to involve them in decision making. Together you determine the destination of the organization (vision and mission). Then everybody in the organization will have ownership in the path that leads to the destination (values and strategic plan)." (Covey)

Merge ideas, don't just pick the best one, and combine them all to form a bigger idea. When you do this you create "cutting edge" concepts, Inspired Ideas. By blending ALL voices, you will see a higher order of power at work for you.

James Surowiecki in The Wisdom of Crowds (Why the Many Are Smarter Than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economies, Societies and Nations) states that "groups are remarkably intelligent, and are often smarter than the smartest people in them."

When one voice, including the many, is formed... we are hearing from God. Dr. J. Robert Ashcroft, college president, felt the most significant event left out of many efforts is the power of a joint voice. His view was that each person hears from God and has part of the total picture of Divine Thought. When we collect ALL views, we then are Hearing Directly from God Himself.

Dr. Ashcroft was adamant on this one point with me, my college president and later mentor. Each person has the Voice of God working in them. Hear and combine all you hear. Respect ALL that talk with you... even the unattractive, uncool, the uncouth... and those you don't like. Learn to recognize and trust their voice as part of God's Complete Voice.

As a whole, we make up, become the Very Mind of Jesus Spirit. Combined thinking, harmonizing diverse ideas, produce a Supernatural power in fulfilling the ideas. Get in harmony with ALL you work with and interact with. Listen, combine and raise what you hear to another level. Then you are into hearing from the Supernatural... the very voice of God Himself, in Spirit, In you.

(Note: "Magnitude of Being One..." by Geffry Fields, posted July 9, 2005 www.JesusIsUs.blogspot.com)
http://jesusisus.blogspot.com/2005/07/magnitude-of-being-one.html

As a business person, don't get so caught up in just your own ideas. When you do, you overlook the extensive power of Collective Wisdom.

In The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer, he says that God is speaking all the time to everyone. This is a Supreme intelligence, all knowing from Spirit who is in all things, searches all things and knows everything. This Spirit of God speaks to man continually and through all aspects of our lives... what we see, hear, do. All of earth and all of people’s minds are expressing God's thoughts. This Supreme intelligence is available to everyone.

"The voice of God is the most powerful voice in Nature, indeed the only force in nature, for all energy is here only because the power filled Word is being Spoken."

It's in the Bible, Plus around you, and in you . Consider all. God is speaking 24-hours a day, every single mille-second, through every circumstance, occurrence, and many times through the most unexpected circumstances. God is in all things and speaks through all things.

Voice... God's Voice is speaking to you all the time.

Listen... Listen to the inner voice and the voices around you.

As Jesus said, My sheep Hear My Voice and follow Me as I lead them.
(Note: Gospel of John, chapter 10 in the Bible.)

When you listen to ALL,
create One Voice, you will be led to greener pastures.

You will have heard from God
and the Power of God Walks before you.

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Spirituality in Business Getting Serious Attention!

by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com

Spirituality in Business
"... the next major business trend"

Patricia Aburdene, Megatrends 2010

As an entrepreneur with a visionary spirit, I look for what is missing that could make a superb difference in the way we do business.

Here is what I have observed. Stephen Covey (The 8th Habit) has expressed it as well. He says we have four intelligences:
Mental intelligence... ability to analyze;
physical intelligence... our body's operational wellness;
emotional intelligence... ability to adjust psychological response;
and Spiritual intelligence... ability to know and create from nothing.

The one intelligence that is extremely underdeveloped is Spiritual Intelligence states Covey. One Spiritual visionary told me we as a society have a Spiritual intelligence at a moronic level... basically not developed at all compared to its intended potential in society by our Creator. It is the most important for the other intelligences to function exceptionally.

Megatrends 2010, says the next major mega-trend will be Spirituality in Business.
According to Megatrends 2010, the benefits are numerous.
--Predictive Intelligence
--Emotional and Physical Healing Power
--Inspired Creative Ideas
--Supernatural Problem Solving
--Powerful, Productive teams
--Expanded Gifts and Abilities
--Heightened Satisfaction and Inner-Peace
Total abilities, well-being and productivity are expanded to advanced levels

(Megatrends 2010 lists case studies which support this).

God created everything from nothing. Jesus showed us how to use what is created Super-Naturally. Spirit is made available as an exceptional intelligent, proactive resource we all can use.

Very few, says Covey, use the Spiritual Intelligence we all possess and it remains relatively under-used, and undeveloped in business process. Following the 90's technology boom, Spirituality is predicted to have the greatest impact on our abilities used for growing businesses.

How do we activate this dormant potential in our lives?

It has to start with you.
Each person must take it upon himself to cultivate interactive Spiritual communication. The Spirit of God Lives in you.

When you give time to develop this Spiritual relationship, within your soul and tie it to your intellect and psychological makeup, you will begin to develop the above qualities. These will become a natural part of you daily. They will be more evident in your daily life.

Take just 15-30 minutes a day and focus on this reality...
The Spirit of God is in you... the same Spirit that created the world and worked the miracles through Jesus' life. This Spirit is part of you.

As you increase awareness of this One Quality, In You, part of you, you begin opening the door for All of God's Potential, which is infinite, to be part of you.

Read the Psalms in the Bible... This will help. Make them a part of your daily reality. David and the other Psalm writers did this. David was a powerful King, a superior warrior, a sensational songwriter and captivating romantic. He took time to reflect, think, meditate on who He was with God. This gave Him great power, wisdom and stamina through all things.

Life can become a place where you see "beyond the natural" experiences part of all you do. You will carry the Supernatural power of God in Spirit in you, through all you do.

Think on this... and integrate it into your self image and encourage others around you to do the same.

Remember.... The Spirit of God actively lives in you.

Recognize what this means.
"His mighty power, Spirit, works in us, and accomplishes even more than we can imagine." (Eph. 3:20)


Saturday, November 05, 2005

The Art of Spirituality in Business


By Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com

The Spirit Savvy Business is about Creating Processes and Systems that are powered by Spirit... Integrating Spiritual forces that change the normal to exceptional.

The Spirit Savvy Business will build lives of greater value.
It will move your business from being a great performer
to constantly create Super-Natural results.

It's not an out-there thing.
It's within you.
The Spirit Savvy Business takes
the most current business principles
that are working in today's business world,
and slides beside them
foundational Spiritual principles....

Biz principles with a Spiritual Spin.

The goal is to inform, inspire,
equip you with Spiritual Power.


What does the SpiritSavvyBiz do?

We share great ideas from current
great business books, magazines, blogs.
We search and find relevant business/Spiritual principles for you.
We read them for you and share some of their best ideas
in a summarized, straight-to-the-point form.

We all are busy.
We want the facts, insights as fast as possible.
Rainy-day reading is great when we have the time.


The Spirit Savvy Business gets to the heart-of-the-matter quickly.
It shows you ways to use Spiritual Principles within solid-business principles.
You get tried-and-proven business ideas in a nutshell,
plus we may put you on to a book, magazine, web info

you may want to look at in more detail.

We can also help you on a more personal basis.
Feel free to contact us...
4thdaynet@interlinc.net