Thursday, December 30, 2010

Think and Grow Rich basic concepts ... it's about faith

by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com


Think and Grow Rich
by Napoleon Hill (the Gold Standard Collector's Edition) states in their edition
that Think and Grow Rich covers five basic concepts. 
1. The Carnegie secret. If you hold a thought in your mind, focus positive thoughts toward it,  the thing you desire in your mind will be drawn to you and become a reality for you.
2. Infinite Intelligence.
When an idea comes to you out of the clear blue, your subconscious mind has presented the idea to you. These hunches, intuitions may have a Spiritual origin giving you insight beyond your natural mind. These are intertwined with others and you have a supreme intelligence at work picking up information you may not consciously be aware of.

3. The Master Mind Alliance. When two or more people put their minds together to solve
a problem, they form a master mind that finds superior solutions for a problem. They tap into infinite intelligence, when empowered by harmony, to come up with ideas and solutions that the individual minds would not have come up with on their own.
4. The Ether. It's the belief that all things are interconnected. Since everything is interconnected, your thoughts will find their way to what you strongly desire and think about. Ether
then is a powerful connecting source to deliberately use within our mind.
5. Everything is vibrating. Since all material is vibrating, when our mental thoughts or
vibrations line up with the material thing, which is also vibrating, these will connect. The deciding factor is the degree and intensity of our thinking that draws them. Hill refers to our ability to concentrate in our imagination is what draws that to us.

This is from Think and Grow Rich: Gold Standard Edition by High Roads Media.

http://www.amazon.com/Think-Grow-Rich-Gold-Standard/dp/1932429654

In the Scriptures, Jesus targeted faith as the key Spiritual virtue, a living benchmark
of where we should all live, and when we live at this level we are Spiritual people.

In Matthew, Jesus said with faith we can say to the biggest obstacle in our way to move from
us and it will. "You can say to this mountain move, and it will, if you have faith.You can pray for anything and if you have faith, you will receive it." (Matthew 21:21-22)

This is true infinite power. It comes as intelligence, within our strategies. We get
miracle producing ideas. This is especially true when two or more agree in Spirit. What we ask for will happen with unity of the same Spirit. In Matthew 18:18-19, the focus is on being centered in the Spirit of God and Jesus. Jesus said He would send the Spirit of God to be with us, when two or more unite in Spirit. The key to this is a quality relationship between each other in Spirit.... that's love, joy and harmony as one. That each person sees the other as more important than himself.

Matthew points out that when a man and wife are united in Spirit
they become one. The importance of this (Matthew 19:5) is that the key to all power is an intimate relationship. A married couple should have this depth of an intimate relationship. When two are united in Spirit, intimate in Spirit, it produces a God creating result of power. This applies too to others united in prayer. When two or more, with this Spiritual intimacy, unite in prayer the same result is produced. 

The ether as Hill refers to is really the Spirit. When one in Spirit, the Spirit connects us to all things. People may not know from where an idea may come or a person it is directed toward. In many cases, the Spirit of a person in prayer will reach out to or touch another person who responds with the answer to that person... when God's Spirit is in those tapped into His Spirit. The Spirit then communicates, like an ether which is invisible and undefined as to what it is, to create material contact and solutions to our prayers. The Spirit connects all things and intervenes for us in all things. It's a powerful principle, but must be approached with faith.

So a Spiritual intelligence is at work for us, with us, driven by connecting minds
in Spirit, using the Spirit to communicate. It is all done through faith as the things we pray for may not be a reality yet. As we intensify prayer, the fervent prayer of a person with great faith will be answered. This too may cause vibrations in the heavenlies, through Spirit, to produce the answer we seek.

This is such an empowering concept.
All of Hill's concepts are originated in the Scriptures
underlined in the teachings of Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew alone reinforces this character of Spiritual power. Note Matthew 18, 19, 21. The power of faith and two or more in the same faith produces monumental results. It is a Spiritual skill to be developed and employed in our regular routines of life to get those extra ordinary results. Applied as a personal discipline in life we can expect faith, harmony in prayer with another, to produce "the exceptional" in our lives... created Supernaturally by the Spirit.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Now... Build a Great Business ...Joshua's Principle

by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com


Now... Build a Great Business by Brian Tracy and Mark Thompson says now is a
great time to build a great business. Times have changed and new doors are open to great opportunities. Many of the best businesses we see today were birthed out of very difficult economic times. Timing is overrated. Opportunities are numerous in a crisis. Instead of gloating over past downturns, find the new opportunities they produce. Now is the time to build a great business.

The authors feature seven steps to maximize a business in any market.


Becoming a great leader is the first step. The three P's of leadership are
purpose: why does what you do matter to others; passion: what turns you on and your passion ignites the interest of those you know; performance: create action, goals and keep score.

Develop a business plan. What will you focus on and keep your
concentration on? Alexander the Great was extensively outnumbered 5 to 1 in facing his opponent in battle. He was a master strategist. He had skills in keen focus. He followed these seven key principles to out-maneuver his opponent in battle while being tremendously outnumbered.
1. Objective: he had a clear vision on exactly what he wanted
to accomplish.
2. Offensive: he initiated attack while using his ability
of strategic planning. He launched his plan like throwing a javelin into the heart of the market.
3. Concentration: he concentrated his
forces and resources on one key objective.
4. Economy: using
brain power, creativity and efficiency of timing and money to achieve his market goals.
5. Flexibility: be ready to quickly change when a
new opportunity arises or circumstances change, to meet the changing demands of the market.
6. Surprise: Keep your competition off balance,
on their heels with quick maneuvers of price, marketing methods, etc. that your competition isn't expecting. Stay ahead of them and be the one doing it first.
7. Momentum: seize the day and keep moving
aggressively forward.

Make your plan practical, measure progress, and be honest in where you
really are.
Strategic planning answers six key questions.

1. Where are you now? What is your current situation... sales, productivity,
profits, cash available.
2. How did you get to where you are today? Be brutally honest as you
reevaluate all your business.
3. Where do you want to go from here? Describe ideal outcomes, earnings,
people you'll need, organization and flow of activity, customers, who, where, what are they like.
4. How do you get from where you are today to where you want to be in
the future?
5. What obstacles will you have to overcome? What problems will you have
to solve?
6. What additional knowledge, skills, resources will you have to acquire
to achieve your strategic objective?

Turn cost centers into profit centers. Outsource skills you have in your business to other businesses who can use them too. Peter Drucker suggests five questions to answer. What is your Mission? Who is your customer? What does your customer value? What results are you trying to accomplish? What is your plan?

The business plan process is

1. Your business vision

2. Values you believe in

3. Strategic objectives... activities to get results, sales, profitability,
rate of growth.
4. Tactical objectives. Specific products/services, marketing, sales
plan, finances, people needed.
5. Strategic variables. Policies for your product and services, customer,
promoting, distribution, competitive analysis, pricing, financing, reinvestment.
6. Business plan summary. Executive summary(one page outline of all areas),
the business concept, objectives, market analysis, production, marketing, organization/people, financial projections, ownership.
7. Carefully analyze all components, check assumptions. Remember,
new things cost twice as much and take three times as long as you may think. Don't trust in luck, be deliberately strategic, proactive, finding your fatal flaws.

The next step is to surround yourself with great people. Find people who
are team players, concerned with what's right, results oriented, accept responsibility for outcomes, and see the business as a great place to work with.

Offer a great product. Be obsessed with quality. Don't follow the leader, create exclusivity, keep in continuous contact with the customer, constantly test the product/service.

The fifth step is design a great marketing plan.
Is there really
a market?
Is the market big enough?
Is it concentrated enough?

Who's your real competition?
Is your product easier to use, does it provide
additional benefits with comparable pricing, cheaper than the competition product/service, does it inspire deeper trust than others, and how does it appeal to your customer's desires?
Who exactly is your customer?
Create a profile of what your customer
looks like.

The Seven P's of a marketing mix are product/service (what it does), price,
promotion (all the ways to advertise), place (where do you sell it), position (image others have of you), packaging (its visual appeal), people (who will carry out your strategies).

Stick within your core competencies. What are your core products/services,
core markets, core advertising methods, selling methods, core people?

The marketing plan then should answer these questions.
What exactly
do you sell?
What is your competitive advantage, core competencies?

Describe your ideal customer.
What are your most effective marketing
methods?
How do you differentiate your product/service from your
competition?
How do you create a community for your customers?
Of the seven P's
what changes can you make to make the product more desirable?

Steps six and seven include the sales and customer services process.
Perfect a great sales process and create a great customer, and build a great life.

For free resources on the seven steps go to Brian Tracy's website
and look up Now... Build a Great Business.
http://www.briantracy.com/squeezepage.aspx?sqid=22&cmpid=2253

Follow the Joshua Principle
.
A daily discipline of fixing our minds on God's principles, renewing our minds, rebuilding our minds, and taking disciplined action every day with the Power principles of Spirit is our driving force.

The first chapter of Joshua and the Psalms emphasize the power behind constant meditation, sharply focused thinking to concentrate on the precepts, principles of the Bible. In Joshua, God guarantees success in efforts that follow this method:


"I promise you what I promised Moses: 'Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you. No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1: 1-9, NLT)


"But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
They are like trees planted along the riverbank,

bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do." (Psalm 1:2,3, NLT)

The Lord told Joshua to check out the territory... get intelligence on what is going on where he was to take the land. " Then Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove. He instructed them, "Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho. So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night." (Joshua 2:1, NLT)

And sometimes His methods are unorthodox, out of the ordinary
, even a little bizarre. Think of it, God has His Servants stay in a prostitute's house. That definitely would raise a few eyebrows, but the cleverness here is the enemy most certainly wouldn't expect that as Children of God.


With this intelligence, He guarantees that we will be effective when we follow what he tells us strategically to do.


"So Joshua and all the fighting men set out to attack Ai. Joshua chose 30,000 of his best warriors and sent them out at night with these orders:" (Joshua 8:3,4, NLT)


Whenever they followed the orders of the Lord, the Angel of God's Spirit went before them and they had overwhelming success. When they didn't, they had humiliating defeat. The only defeats came when they failed to follow His instructions to the finest detail. We can be assured He, the Spirit, will give us instructions to the finest detail if we seek his strategies first. And then follow them precisely.

The important thing is seeking His Strategies, first.
We then are assured overwhelming victory.