Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Start Something that Matters ... the least of these

by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com
www.spiritsavvy.net

Start Something that Matters by Blake Mycoskie is about looking for solutions in the world by using business and entrepreneurship. Solve problems creatively. Mycoskie created a social entrepreneur business concept to sell a pair of shoes today, give a pair of shoes tomorrow. So, Tomorrows Shoes, became Toms. In his book he tells his story and provides encouragement and personal guidelines for others who will do the same... start something that has an impact on the world.

Toms is more than about shoes. It's a story of how with three interns, in a Venice apartment, a website, Mycoskie began selling shoes so that for every pair of shoes he sold, he would give one away. It was a story that began grabbing people's attention. Fist the LA Times published a story, then Vogue magazine. By the end of his first summer Toms sold 10,000 shoes, and then made 10,000 more shoes to give away in Argentina at clinics and schools.

Why did he do this. "This provided me a sense of fulfillment unlike anything I felt before," stated Blake Mycoskie.

Today as the world is mutating, you must play by a new set of rules. Here's Mycoskie's guiding principles behind Toms, doing something that matters and makes a difference.

The six traits of starting and sustaining something that matters.

Find Your Story
Conscious capitalism is about connecting supporters to something that matters. You are competitive, with superior quality, competitive pricing, fashionable, but something that your supporters believe in .

What's your passion?
What would you do if you didn't have to worry about money?
What kind of work would you want to do?
What cause can you serve?

Always be thinking of ways to tell your story. Share your story with everyone you can. Find story partners with a contact base who will tell your story with you. Carefully manage your online story. Find influence makers who love your story. Be specific about your idea, product, expertise. Craft it so it appeals to those you want to be your supporters.

Face your Fears
Explore. Dream. Discover.

Face up to your fears in business. It won't kill you if you fail. Create a plan to overcome what you fear. Everyone who succeeds battles through adversity. In a new endeavor you will inevitably wake up in fear thinking no matter how hard you work, you are doomed. You must face it and keep learning. The question: What will you do with your fears at this time. The key: Focus on what you can control. How you react to negative emotions will be the key to your success.
 

How to fight off fear.
No matter what happens, win, lose, draw, never forget life goes on. Don't fear the  unknown. Start. Learn as you go.  Everyone makes mistakes. Your boat may have a whole in it. But you will not sink.
Don't be too concerned about what other people think. And don't get trapped in the "best idea" freeze. It is execution that matters not necessarily the best idea. When you start something noble, frequently you feel alone. Surround yourself with great biographies of those who did great things, stories that inspire you. Timing is never right. If you wait for the right time, you may never make a move at all.

Be Resourceful without Resources
The truth is we don't know if something will work, so it is difficult to raise money like a traditional business does. "With no money, no likelihood of raising it, and no proven business model, we had to cut more corners than corners existed."

Lack of resources makes you become resourceful and creative. Entrepreneurs are innovatively successful. Too much capital can hinder the expansion of these qualities. Even without resources you should do it. You need a lot of people's help. To get help you stand for something bigger than just yourself and your business.

Make What You Have Count
Develop a presence where it's free. Take full advantage of social media. For Toms it was the DNA of their business.

Space matters. Toms made a deal to use an address of an established business to receive their mail there. Cost of office space is an unneeded expense for a start up business. Forget titles. Toms had creative and flexible titles. Be what intrigues others and/or gets you in the door. Business cards mean business. Business cards are great means to gain attention, and low cost to make. Reward employees. Employees with full stomachs are happy and productive. Be creative with gifts and prizes. The age of free. From web development to public relations, there's a lot of free services out there. Try Googling "free(and what you need)". You will be amazed how much there is that is free.

Keep It Simple
Product design, simplicity of business model, Toms used a hundred year old Argentina shoe design.
A simple operation. Do one thing and do it the best you can. Unclutter your work space. Have a notebook, electronic or paper, with you all the time. Own as little as you can get away with. Schedule everything, combine as many things as possible to one thing.
 

The simple plan. Write it in one sentence. 1. What is your business? 2. Be known for what personally? 3. Why should someone hire you? 4. Social cause you are seeking to serve? 5. What can you remove from your product or service and still keep its function intact?  Answer your appropriate questions in one sentence.

Build Trust

You need to build internal trust, with those in your organization, and external trust  with your customers, vendors, your donors or investors. A leader is to create a company, but  community creates a movement. Truly great servants are inspiring. Servant leaders make it a community affair to advance. No tolerance for breaking trust; making mistakes, yes, breaking trust, no.

External trust: make a powerful promise and fulfill it. Be forthright to where your money goes. To foster trust, be open with your staff, give away autonomy, trust employees that they will grow into their role, follow the Golden Rule and be as open as possible.

Giving is Good Business
It's good because it helps people; it's good because it makes money. More and more who make giving part of their business model are finding this out. Giving not only helps you attract great employees, it helps you attract great partners as well. People want to partner with those who are doing something good. The old school of business is for profit only. The new school is to do what is right with social responsibility.
Don't make giving an after thought. Give more than money. Donate skills, incorporate giving anywhere you can. Give early. Don't get overwhelmed, there's something you can give. It is better to give than receive. Listen to those you give to.

Final Step
Go out into the world and have a positive impact, inspire others to start something that matters whether for profit or not-for-profit.
Start something. It doesn't have to be big. You don't have to have a lot of money. You don't have to save the world.
Take the step. Start. Start something that matters.

http://www.startsomethingthatmatters.com/

Jesus said whatever you do to the least you do to me.
In His teachings, Jesus emphasized that we are servants to each other. Whoever serves is the greatest. The Apostle Paul talks about submitting to each other, put others before yourself, and confessing our shortcomings to each other.

So much of the Scriptures point to this. That we are to consider others as more important than ourselves, and what we do to the less fortunate is the earmark of true Christianity. The Spirit is motivated to move when this is done. We see that this impacts everything else we do.
In any endeavor this applies, whether it's an entrepreneur venture, or a social improvement organization. It is difficult to see how this works as it may defy logic of a for-profit business. Toms points this out that it works in business. Be a servant, be a giver, help those with what you have. 
It's a new philosophy in the business world. But it appears to be grabbing the attention of more and more business people.

We all have a personal mission and this is expressed many times in a business venture we take on. The key is to serve others, and consider doing things for others who can't pay you back. The Spiritual cycle ignites when we focus on doing things, but not for personal gain.

The more we give without expecting something in return, the more The Spirit works to bring you back more. Whatever you give is given back to you many more times the amount given. Start something that matters and apply the teachings of Jesus to it and see what God does through it.


Friday, November 29, 2013

The Industrial Marketing Revolution ... small prayer big power

by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com  
www.spiritsavvy.net


The Industrial (marketing) Revolution is an industry specific book for industrial marketing. Although, many of its principles have value in a product or service-based business.

The trend is toward lean marketing with a grand focus on technology. The old way of hitting the trade shows, targeted direct mail, getting in the industry specific trade magazine is going the path to the website as your core  platform, e-based information such as e-books, e-newsletters, blogging that is constantly updated and current to the latest information. 

The goal is to be simple, predictable, and repeatable. The company must embrace technology. It's about the speed of the mouse and immediacy of reporting, quick adaptability and be the one in front doing it. 

Measurability matters. Technology can provide real time reporting of what is going on. Online marketing goes beyond the basics. Targeted e-newsletters need constant delivery, searching online catalogs need updated and reported as it happens, technical descriptions need to be close by, as well as offers constantly showing up, so the customer can take advantage of immediate best deals. With an online presence you can have trade shows web-based with live chat interactions... with all media options. 

Seven steps for successfully navigating your marketing plan. Think long and hard before mounting a campaign.
1. See the finish line first. Be specific.
2. Keep your hands on the steering wheel. Trends change and you must
turn quickly to the better direction when needed.
3. Stay in the right lane. Know where your target audience lives and stay
in their lane.
4. Keep hitting your target. How often are you teaching them... with the
strategic best choice of technology resources, i.e., Facebook, Twitter, online
trade shows, websites, blogs, white papers, e-books....
5. Less miles equals more mileage. Refine the message with valuable, personal
connections.
6. Take the carpool lane. Be in line with all others in your marketing efforts.
7. Follow the speed limit. Know the rhythm, pace they move at. Know what the
speed limit is so you are where you need to be when opportunity presents
itself. Some things take several impressions before it is considered... know
the speed and pace at which that happens. 


Your website should have the same ingredients as a trade show booth.
1. Exposure. An attractive, easy-to-navigate, and graphics to make it an
initially a positive experience.
2. Hands-on sampling of product. Photos that make it feel like you are
physically handling the product.
3. Personal interaction with sales reps and staff. So that you can virtually
having a meeting place for customers to interact with you in a real,
genuine manner.
4. One-on-one introduction to a company, idea, or brand. Make a clear
strong message who you are. 


What makes a powerful website.
The hub effect. It is an online link to all your internet activity... the blog,
free e-book, online catalog, etc.
Expect to change. What you are happy with today, may need changed
tomorrow. New products, new clients, testimonials, etc.
Click a mile in your user's mouse. Navigate your website yourself to see
how you feel.
Less is more. Streamline and make it simple.
Lead with the headline. Make the headline the most important message you
have.


Effective Website redesign.
1. Less is more.
2. Metrics, measurement and meaning. Be able to measure its performance
and quickly.
3. Content is king. Focus on creating quality content that is engaging,
powerful, unique and inviting.
4. Content is constant. Update content continually.
5. Don't fix what is not broken. If it is working, stick with it.
6. Do it for the right reasons. Do it to increase performance, not just to
do it.
7.Blogging for fun and profit. Remember content is king and constant. The blog
will do this. 

Five things about content
1. Fresh
2. Unique.
3. New
4. Original
5. User driven 

Stock your content with
White papers, i.e., comprehensive, concise descriptions of how things work.
More information so they can judge against you competitors.
E-books, articles, blog posts, social media posts. 

Blogs are now the modern trade journals. A blog can have greater
frequency and updates on new advances. 


How to get Google to find you? Write keyword rich copy. Find the keywords
people go to to find what you offer. Google looks for those who are an
authority, topics frequently look for, the more people link to you and
you link to them, the more others will find you.
Create captivating titles, write backwards(being short and sweet with key
idea up front), be likeable, have a site map, focus on quality.

Fabac goes on to share how to engage with people and convert contacts to customers. 

More at
http://www.industrialmarketingrevolution.com/ 

 A song's lyrics says "it only takes a spark to get a fire a going."  There's probably more truth to this than we realize. It is found that when we have lightning storms that way up in the clouds, high in the atmosphere, at the very tip of the lightning bolt, a small puff of light is emitted. Scientists became intrigued by what this was. They found this tiny burst of light gave out an energy and it extended all around the world. These little bursts of energy  gave the atmosphere a protective shield. What seemed so small was a huge energy producer for the whole whole. 

This is what prayer is. It is like that little spark in the song, or that small puff of light that comes out at the very tip of the lightning bold. 

Prayer seems small, although its influence is huge. The small prayer can bring all of God's Power into play and extend all around the  world.

 Prayer brings intelligence. We can glean from God's information thousands of miles away, or hid away in the deep hiding places some may have. 
Prayer instills love. When communication breaks down, love can penetrate the hardest person's heart, and soften their feelings toward us. We can create favor with someone, we don't even know. Prayer perseveres. When things don't seem to be going well, prayer keeps us going and gives us the strength to handle things we feel are overpowering or overwhelming us.

Prayer is the the tip of the lightning bolt that gives out an energy we have no way of explaining its power.

 So the Apostle Paul says to pray without ceasing. Why?  Ever increasingprayer is what protects us, empowers us and makes us strong tolove when in the human will, we don't feel we can.

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Business of Belief ... having faith in God's Power

by Dale Shumaker
www.spiritsavvy.net
4spirit@gmail.com

The Business of Belief by Tom Asacker is about understanding belief, what it is and how it is created.

Those who inspire and move others practice the business of belief. Here are some key thoughts in the Business of Belief. It is much like a compilation of proverbs on belief and what you can do.


 What They Know
Belief starts with our choices. We believe so then we choose. They are many times no more than our assumptions. Belief is opinion, so our opinion becomes our reality. Our beliefs make the work convincingly real to us. Our unique perspective on things form our belief about what is around us; it drives our decisions.

 Everything is inherently without meaning. Except for the meaning we create. We think in stories and stories steer our lives. We ultimately expect to find meaning in our lives by editing our stories, by freely mixing and  matching our decisions to create a narrative authentic to us.and others. Our minds crave control, so we direct our stories so we can feel safe. We want guided control along with freedom to create our own meaning, our own story; we want the illusion of control. 

People believe in things as long as there's a reason and evidence to  believe them. For entrepreneurs and other risk takers desire fuels belief, especially in their ability to control their destiny, and through thoughtful and determined action. Desire drives belief which motivates people to seek out information and act in certain ways that help them attain those desires. What we believe is what we desire, and what we desire is ultimately what we do. 

What They Do
The essential first step to changing people's behavior is to understand their perspectives and embrace their dreams and beliefs. Everything else flows naturally from there. It takes having an intuitive sense for the reality in which people live. Great designers design new beliefs. 
People are drawn across the bridge to belief by their anticipation of a better experience and a better life.  

Effective leaders ignite people's imaginations. If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more you are a leader. Simplify the belief process by eliminating difficulties and competing options on our attention. 

Belief is a result of experience and repetition, both within and without, which makes our actions feel familiar and safe. We teach belief by believing in others, and they in turn increase belief themselves. It's behavior rather than understanding that best influences our beliefs. We must not only know we are on the right path in life, but we must feel and be affected by it. Your best argument is always yourself, your exuberance, your vitality, your passion, your belief. The person most confident in himself gains the confidence of others. Be willing to express confidence with boldness and passion. 

Learn to control emotional impulses, when to speak or not, when to respond to an email or not. Conceal the how, and keep that a mystery.  People despise reality, but love what appears to be true. Make us feel comfortable, invested, and in complete control... a blend of passion, creativity, self-awareness and impulse control. So when the task is accomplished people will say, we did it ourselves. 

What You Can Do
We must believe everything we think, and question the validity of our lazy assumptions. We must break the happy trance of our present beliefs and create new thinking. Insanity may be doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same results. If it ain't broke yet, it may be time to fix it. Watch and really wonder. Question and fully explore. Be driven by curiosity and passion. Have the wisdom and courage to follow your heart. You are not your history. Forget what you have done; forget what others are doing. What are you passionate about, now go do that. That's who you are. 

We are moved by our perceptions, by our immediate concerns and desires.
Made the choice first and allow that choice to direct your thoughts, inform your instincts, your feelings, your perceptions. Those who surpass a reality, begin with belief. Driven by a sense of purpose.

 In baseball the batters response to seeing a pitch and his physical response is about 450 milliseconds. Whereas, a major league pitcher's throw from hand to catcher is about 400 milliseconds. So how can a batter hit a ball as the speed exceeds the batters ability to see(perception), feel, think(cognition) and swing(decision and action). Instead of allowing perception, their present reality, to drive their actions, they begin with belief. Belief surpasses natural ability.

Breakthrough thinking is about belief, then a person's perception. Conviction then action, heart then head. Seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing. Act as if you already have it. Your actions will convince your mind. Influence your attitude by controlling your actions. Change your behavior and your behavior will change your mind.

 You never change things by fighting your existing reality. To change something build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete. To change your beliefs change your behavior. Comfort is an illusion, a fantasy that imagines freedom from pain and suffering if only we stay still and avoid change. Say no to short-term comforting activities and say yes to fear, passion and leadership.  A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities. Reality is for wimps.

More from Tom Asacker: 

The Scriptures tell us to put our faith and trust in God. We can believe the promises He has for us in the Bible and put our hope and trust in His Promises
By making this the basis of our belief we rely on God's Power beyond our own. So our faith combined with faith in God and counting on His Spirit at work, we can live very hope-filled lives. We can expect results beyond our own abilities and skills.

When we combine our faith with the faith of others, it compounds again. In Leviticus is says five will chase a hundred and a hundred will chase ten thousand (Leviticus 26:8). Jesus said where two or three agree or work in unity of minds and Spirit, we can expect what we believe for and agreeing together it will happen (Matthew 18:19).

So then no matter how bleak our circumstances may be, or how big the vision is we have, God can turn the most difficult circumstance around or make the biggest dream come true. It's believing in the One who makes everything, the One whose power is unmatchable by anything.  God tells Isaiah that you will not be called the city of desolation, but the city of God's Delight (Isaiah 62:4). The city will change from desolation to joy and laughter in the streets.

God is faithful and you can count on Him and He will turn ruins into prosperity. The Lord is Good and His faithfulness endures forever (Jeremiah 33:10-12).

With belief in God, who's goodness lasts always, His Spirit can take complete failure and loss and transform it into a joy, happiness, and abundance of every kind.

 His Spirit will open our graves and take what was dead and dried up, and turn it into life. He will take where hope has vanished, and rebirth new life of greater proportions than ever before. The Spirit of God will come alive in us and we will have a whole new, a completely whole life. Then you will know the Lord has done this and He has done what He said (Ezekiel 37:11-14).

When His Spirit resides in us, and we believe as teams, we can see big dreams fulfilled. What others see as pipe dreams, God's Inspired vision of grand ideas are possible for those who believe.

 It centers around our faith, unbending belief in God's Spirit at work in our lives. He constantly watches over us and everything He says in the Bible is true.

 We can count on every promise He has made in His Word. Every day read the Bible until you find a promise that seems to leap out at you... note it and recite it to yourself throughout the day. Do this everyday.  Faith, belief as solid as steel will encompass you.

Jesus summed it up, "Anything is possible if a person believes." (Mark 9:23) "Where two or three agree, what you ask will be done for you." (Matt. 18:19) Nothing is too big, too hard, too complicated for God.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

When You Pray.... always pray before decisions

by Dale Shumaker

When in a business venture of any kind, prayer will add an additional substantial dimension to your business decision making and power to resolve critical situations
 
Isaiah said to Hezekiah that because he prayed to the Lord of Heavens Armies, God will respond with His might to come against his enemies (Isaiah 37). This is the lesson for all of us when faced with a decision. Ask God first, and He will respond to our requests. How do you pray... here's how to make prayer work in all we do, and see His Power at work in our efforts. 
 
When You Pray by Dr. J. Robert Ashcroft is a great fundamental study on learning the art of prayer. It is easy to follow and practical in how he explains it. It is a teaching manual intended to train the reader in the skill of prayer, and live in the prayer experience as a working part of life, and seeing results actualized in your life, business, career, relationships. 
 
 In this summary, be sure to note the last couple chapters on group prayer and the Power of the Holy Spirit in prayer. 

1. Think about God when you pray.
God will teach you to pray. It starts by doing it. God is good and he wants to answer your prayers and wants you to come to Him in prayer. God loves you and responds as a Father. God can do anything, and wants to help you regardless how difficult of a situation you may be in.
2. Come to God the right way.
Pray in Jesus' Name. Jesus tells us to use His authority in prayer. We should hold an attitude of respect, thankfulness, confidence, humility and repentance, forgiving and loving others, sincerity and earnestness. We can pray anywhere and in any position... kneeling, standing, laying down. A pattern to follow is the Lord's prayer using it as an outline for addressing current conditions of your life.

3. Listen to God when you pray.
God wants to talk to you. He speaks through life experiences, people, circumstances, visions, dreams and messages by others. Especially listen for God when you read the Bible. And when you feel God is speaking to you through people, places or events, always go back to the Bible to make sure it is consistent with the Bible.
4. Use God's Word when you pray.
Use the Bible as a guide. Many times when reading a verse it will come alive as meant for you. This is a way God speaks to you. Use the Bible to strengthen your faith, so you believe He will answer you. Use Bible verses when you pray and make them personal by using your name in them. God's promises are like a promissory note or bank check from Heaven... pay to the order of (every believer) the sum of (your needs). Act in faith as you believe He is answering your prayer, and keep on believing it is so.

5. Think about others when you pray.
Look at the needs of others. Pray for your family and others. He tells us what to do, tells others what to do, tells angels what to do, He works in nature, circumstances, in us and defeats evil powers. He works miracles.

6.Join with others when you pray.
Pray with a friend. Pray with you family.

Pray in a group. When praying in a group keep this in mind.
--Begin by singing together or listing to worship music.
--Have a brief time of reading the Scriptures, especially that encourage faith.
--Have some share testimonies of how God has answered a prayer in their life. This encourages us to pray for the needs of others.
--Encourage those with special needs to share them with the group.
--Then encourage everyone to take part in praying for needs and praying for others as the Lord may lead.

Small groups of around 10 or less work well so everyone can participate. These groups can be held at home, an office, or any place where there is privacy and people feel comfortable.  Many find a small group has great benefits for prayer as needs can be shared, prayed for, and faith is enlarged to see miracles in lives.  
 
 7. Let the Holy Spirit help you.
Listen to the Spirit's voice. The Spirit speaks to us in a two-way conversation. When in Spirit we can trust our thoughts to be of Spirit as we converse. Of course, Scriptures come alive too as if talking just to us. 
 
 In many cases we may let the Spirit speak through us. Some call this a prayer language as we feel a language moving through our lips. When your Spirit prays, it many times is this expression. "Speaking in Tongues" is what the Bible calls this. Let the Spirit pray through you in this way. Then as you get mental impressions, act through God's power. 
 
 Live by the Spirit and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. Seek His will in all matters. The Holy Spirit will give you victory over Satan. Know The Spirit demolishes all earthly strongholds, so be obedient to what the Spirit is telling you. Jude 1:20 says to build yourself up in your holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 
 
When Your Pray is a publication of Global University. 
and available as part of their Christian Life series.

Monday, September 23, 2013

One Minute Millionaire ... making minutes matter

by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com

www.spiritsavvy.net


Every Minute Matters

What if our thoughts were captivated with productive creativity, hope-filled thinking all day… every single minute?

This is the underlying theme behind the One Minute Millionaire… an emerging classic for building any individual or group venture. It is what you do mentally, every minute that fosters results. The authors’, Mark Victor Hansen and Robert Allen, say, “The entire process of becoming a millionaire is broken down into bite-sized, one-minute techniques… you can become a millionaire one minute at a time.”
They researched over 100 millionaires to come up with a book of principles, processes and personal systems for anyone to reach this goal. The secret they say is managing principles, patterns, processes common to millionaires. The four areas, they say, where wealth is built include investments, real estate, business, the Internet.

The book is divided into two main sections: The Aha’s… 24 principles or regular patterns of thinking wealth-builders use. And how to effectively use leverage…a cornerstone component… to accomplish excessively more. Leveraging is the art of getting multiple results with one step, doing it constantly, applying it in everything. It’s about strategically using less time and effort to increase results… leveraging everything. 

The 24 Aha's, when they become a minute by minute way of thinking, will become transformational. A person must be transformed to a new way of thinking... to Be what you believe, not just Know what you want to be. When you Become the 24's Aha's as who you are, life begins a transformational experience.

1. What you think forms patterns in your brain for actions. You eventually follow those actions as a normal course of behavior.
2. Before you Do, you must Be what you believe. Do what you love, Become what you believe and you will have what you believe for...  Be, do, have.
3. Live above the blame line. Turn what goes wrong into beneficial learning experiences. Don't blame others, yourself or feel ashamed, make everything an opportunity to learn.
4. Abundance is your natural state. There is more than enough to go around. Embrace abundance and abundance will embrace you. God gives life... abundantly.
5. Givers get. When you give, what you give, is returned abundantly. More than you gave. Give unselfishly, as a way of your natural behavior.
6. Change your way of thinking by snapping yourself when you think negatively, without hope or belief. Cheer for yourself, "you can do it," "go for it," good for you."
7. Your words transform. Speak hope, the potential of positive outcomes, as if it exists now. If it doesn't serve a good purpose, don't say it.
8. You are already wealthy. Add up your internal assets, compare to your internal liabilities. Your can-do potential outweighs your internal liabilities. Begin with a good idea, commitment to do it, and the contacts you have to make it happen.
9. Wealth is freedom. Have enough that your future is prepaid, that you have time to do what you want to do, relationships you desire, ability to pursue your spirituality, and physical health you want.
10. It all starts with a dream. Give yourself permission to dream big dreams. For 90 days straight dream your dream when you go to sleep, wake up, between things in the day.
11. Clarity is power. See in detail yourself living in your dreams. Don't think about your goals, think from your goals. Visualize your goals clearly.
12. The more clarity, the more power. Write down your top six goals daily. Out loud affirm your goals every day. Say it happily and enthusiastically. Think of only what you want (not what you don't want). Write it, read it, say it, see it.
13. Tap into your genius. The four characteristics of your genius are your passion, talents you have, values you live by, and the destiny you desire or what is the unique contribution you desire to make. Do a personal inventory of what you love, are really good at, is important to you, and what you were born to be/do.
14. Live in Loverage. You need to be in-love with what you do and unshakably passionate about it. It must express your values. Practice "heartstorming" not brainstorming. Life is more about what you feel than what you think.
15. Imagination surpasses will. When your imagination comes in conflict with your logical brain, the imagination side wins. Imagine best-case scenarios.  What occurs in our imagination is planted in the subconscious mind, which is transmitted to many.  What we imagine comes into being somehow, somewhere.
16. The size of the question determines the size of the result. What you ask requires an answer from our mind. Ask empowering questions, that enlarge your vision, that get bigger results.
17. You already know the answer. Your subconscious data base is enormous. Keep asking it for answers and they will come. It also ignites your intuition.
18. Be congruent. Bring your desire in alignment with your belief and your self-acceptance in-line with them. You deserve wealth for doing good things.  Accept that.
19. You are a money magnet. Become that electromagnetic field for what you desire. This includes your dominant thoughts, being around people like you, being congruent with yourself and others. Being fully congruent you are like a magnet.
20. Knock and it shall be opened. When you are committed and your whole being knows it and others know it, you send out signals energized by your passion and purpose. People of the same frequency tune into you.
21. Sharing is having more. Giving combines faith with action. When we give we express faith for more. Giving expands money. What is given is multiplied 30, 60, 100 fold. Money expands spiritual dimensions. Giving is a seed that multiplies infinitely.
22. God knows where the gold is. Ask Him. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and He will respond. God knows where the gold is and He delights to show you.
23. Hysteresis is the tendency of materials to snap back to their original form after being stretched. To create change we must exceed elastic limits. Focus on the vision stubbornly, set new targets with new patterns of behavior. When you fail, focus again on your vision, add new off-limits tasks, and on-target behavior.
24. Put it all together. Your someday is now. Desire it daringly, believe in it beyond what you ever have, and be determined that you deserve it with a higher level of personal value. Learn what to do, and do it... never quitting, learn and grow.

Master the Aha's to make them you
. Then use the six components of leverage to lift the million-dollar idea to become a million dollars. To do this include collaborating with other’s resources, experience, ideas, time and work. Every minute counts as you build it one minute at a time.

Leverage takes on six forms
Mentors, teams, networks, infinite networks, tools and skills, and systems.

The formulaapply the 24 Aha principles with the six components of leverage as your power-train and you are on the road to building massive results.

The six forms of leverage:
Mentors: They may be people, books, Internet newsletters… information from those who have done it before and share their wisdom and knowledge with you. Mentors give you perspective, proficiency and patience. You benefit from their learning curve.

Teams: Build teams that are diverse in skills, complement each other, function as one and align with each other, with balance in the unit. Teams create supreme ideas and superior power to get bigger things done.

Visionaries, processors, people developers, detail compilers, analytical thinkers all make strong team partners… when functioning as interactive, harmonious cells. Begin your ideas with visionaries and processors... then use the analytical thinkers to refine the idea, detail compilers to put it together and people developers to advance it


Networks: Some people have influence with many. These contacts, or networking associations, can then bring you in contact with many more. They can be “weak ties”(just acquaintances) who like you, value what you are doing, and will work in concert with you. 

Infinite networks
: One accord in thinking produces a spiritual factor that goes to work on our dreams, thoughts, ideas. Those who believe with you like this create an “incalculable” extra dimension of power. The Infinite power of God is at work when you have "belief" partners around you. It touches what man can't reach.

“The Spiritual Internet works when a team has a big, purposeful dream and everyone stays positive about its accomplishment." 

Skills and tools: Personal Thinking systems, persuasive, interpersonal relationship skills, writing, talking along with advancing technology spawn a prevailing force to get action and results. Master activity management and the money skills of knowing its value, controlling it, saving, investing, earning, shielding, and sharing it

Systems
: Use effective people organization, processes, methods, technology to systematize. The secret is to create self-generating systems in all you do. Include both hi-touch and hi-tech. Automate systems that work as you sleep and create residual income streams.

They espouse this system acronym:
Save-Your-Self-Time-Energy-Money.

When you are congruent, motivated, begin climbing one of the four millionaire mountains
They are...
Business: create your plan as a system. Build a one minute marketing plan and the mystery of anti-marketing.
Internet: the internet has the new streams of gold veins in them. Sell information and knowledge to those who want to know what you know. Everyone has a book in them, the Internet can publish it rapidly, and share it quickly.

Real Estate
: knowing how to buy with partners, and sell to niches keeps real estate as an always premium way to wealth.
Investments: many have investment insights in all economies. Get advice from those who know and include others in securing them.

In everything learn the skills of presentation, writing, speaking, selling, negotiating. Those who sell well, advance farther.

Hansen and Allen explain more on how to create wealth from the four millionaire mountains.
Today the Internet is the new frontier.  All media are merging there. Keep up on these advances, and how people are using it. www.oneminutemillionaire.com


One Minute Miracles

We literally co-create with God in Spirit and all things are possible with the connections this makes.


What if minute-by-minute we lived in “Power Thoughts” that could change all things, move matter, and create from nothing.
What if we searched out the thousands of “Power Thoughts” in the Bible and integrated them into our thinking one minute at a time. In a single work day that would be around 500 “Power thoughts” with Eternal precedent to change all things, move matter and create from nothing.

Do you think we would start to see Miracles… one minute at a time? There is an Infinite leverage of a Proactive Higher Power... of a Super-Natural kind.

Consider this Spiritual system to mobilize Super-Natural leverage.
Prayer... seek God for His insight and direction.

Revelation
... note all inspired ideas that are Divinely communicated.
These are revelations from God's Spirit directly to you.
Obedience... follow through and do what is directed
(even the small stuff is important).
The Cross... be willing to make sacrifices in love to do what you need to do.

Then if we added in a business the prophetically gifted (seers into the future), the spiritual gifted who could tap into Spiritual intelligence, and hear God inspired directives… like Joshua in the Bible.


And even more so make intercessory prayer as a hub of its functions in all things... And make it the hub of all activity in a business.
As a core part of a business/ mission group these characteristics would manifest.
Apostle-like direction... vision of new territory to move in to.

Prophetic voice
... hearing what God is saying to you.
Evangelists… advanced skills in influencing others, getting buy-in and persuasion skills.
Healers... those with gifts to heal emotions and our physical bodies.
 
Teachers
... develop people's gifts to their human and Spiritual potential.
Worship... praise to God with music, prayer and intercession that would stir these Super Spiritual giftings up to Ultra-High levels.

Intercessory prayer
... interactive in Spirit with Spiritual Intelligence, saturated with Power and an unexplainable depth of Love for others.

When one with God, these naturally, in Spirit, show up. Think on these things...minute by minute. Think on the power of Spirit, ”Power Thoughts” in your life and all the Infinite connections it has.

Live lives of miracle-expecting activity, which may come from, at times, the smallest actions... as devised by Spirit. In a Spirit-saturated workplace you have:
Aha's... outstanding principles of Spirit at work.
Leverage... Spirit of the Universe doing incredibly great things.
Mentors... those who hear from Spirit to teach you Greater insights.
Teams... when united as one in Spirit a core of Spiritual Power is formed, Jesus Himself is manifested. …the One who creates everything.
Systems... New, Revelatory Spiritual process, a constant, reforming, re-newing, re-creating of Dynamic Spirit Systems to accomplish things.
Skills and abilities... of a Super-Naturally Gifted level, above human ability. Gifted trainers/coaches ignite the gifts in others. And endless Networks... tapping into the connections of the Universe, into the Heavenly realms that control all things on earth.


What if we took each day and re-created in Spirit, minute-by-minute,
a new Spiritual synergy in relationships,
expanded into Spiritually-charged networks
and re-designed more effective, but especially, Spiritual Systems
...can you imagine what would happen.

This is a Super-Natural system of extraordinaire...
a phenomenal lifestyle...
exquisite inner presence of love and joy in Spirit.

“Power thoughts” from the depth of Spirit
producing an endless flow of one-minute miracles every day.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Decisive ... Hearing God's Voice

by Dale Shumaker
www.spiritsavvy.net
4spirit@gmail.com

Decisive is about making better choices in life and work. The authors, Chip Heath and Dan Heath, describe a process using their WRAP formula:  widen options, reality test assumptions, attain distance and prepare to be wrong.

Most, when making decisions, encounter a choice, analyze options, make a choice and live with it.

Although villains face each of these phases. Villain one is we "narrow frame" our choices by limiting how we do go about them. Villain two is confirmation bias, where we accept confirmation for decisions based on biases we have. Villain three is that short-term emotions tempt us to make the wrong choices. Villain four is over-confidence about the future and how things will play out. 

They advocate that process matters more than analysis... by as much as a factor of six. A pros and cons process is too limiting; it won't correct these problems. The WRAP process will. 

Widen Your Options 
Reality Test Your Assumptions 
Attain Distance before Deciding 
Prepare to be Wrong 

Widen Your Options.

Learn to distrust "whether or not" decisions. Being too focused can cause us to not see other options. What if your current options disappeared. What would you then consider?
Compare alternatives and consider multiple alternatives. 
It keeps politics and ego's at bay. This is called multitracking. Always try to consider one or two extra choices beyond what you feel you have. Considering multiple choices simultaneously helps to shape the problem. If people on a team disagree on options, you then have real options. Toggle between prevention mindsets and promotion mindsets. A prevention focus avoids negative outcomes. A promotion mindset pursues positive outcomes. Push for "this And that," rather than "this Or that." 

When you look for options and feel stuck, look to someone who has solved your problem. Look out side... competitive analysis, best practices; look inside... your bright spots. Create a great decision playlist. The "what you did right" and "how you did it." It opens up new ideas. Why generate your own ideas when you can sample the world's buffet of options

Reality Test Your Assumptions.

Consider the opposite.
Watch out for confirmation bias where we seek out information that already favors our opinion, which is also self-serving.One exercise is to try to murder an idea to test its strength. Play devil's
advocate, the gong show game.
To gather trustworthy information we can ask discomforting questions. Try to come up with questions that that force ourselves to consider something opposite of our instincts. Test our assumptions with a deliberate mistake and see how it handles it. It takes discipline to challenge self-confirming information
.
Zoom out, zoom In.
Compare the inside view... what is in our heads... with the outside view... what is going on outside. The outside view is usually more accurate. Although most people gravitate to the inside view, what is in their heads.
What are the base rates... what usually happens in a given scenario. How far are you from these. Zoom in to examine the details to give it texture. The two are needed to balance the decision

Ooching 
Ooching is running small experiments to test our theories, rather than jumping in head first.  It slows the decision process down. In ooching we dip a toe in first.  Most are terrible at predicting the future. Entrepreneurs go out and try things, and then decide on the next steps based on  what they found out. Now, things that require commitment, like entering a college program, ooching is not the best plan. You don't take one class at a time and see what you want to do next. But when working with new people ooching is probably better... to try them out steps at a time, versus  trying to figure  them out if they will work out all up front. This makes a case for contracting with others on a short term arrangement. Ooching finds out first. Why try to predict when you can know. 

Attain Distance Before Deciding.

After reality testing your assumptions, many go ahead and make a decision. They feel it is time to choose. But what needs to be looked at is their feelings on the decision. Fleeting feelings tempt us to make decisions that are bad in the long term. To overcome distracting short-term emotions, we need to attain some distance.
One method is applying the 10/10/10 framework. Ask how you will feel about this decision 10 minutes from now, then what about 10 months from now, then what about 10 years from now. This tends to pull us out of the emotional side to a reality side.
Our decisions are often altered by two subtle short-term emotions: Mere exposure... we like what's familiar to us. Loss aversion... losses are more painful than gains are pleasant.  Look at it from someone else's perspective. What would our successors think?  Or ask  yourself, "What would I tell my best friend to do in this situation?"  

Honor your Core Priorities.
Quieting short-term emotions won't always make a decision easy. Agonizing decisions are often a sign of conflict among your core priorities.
Core priorities: long-term emotional values, goals, aspirations. What kind of person do you want to be? What kind of an organization do you want to build? The goal is not to eliminate emotion. It's to honor the emotions that count by identifying and enshrining core priorities. It is easier to resolve present and future dilemmas

Prepare to be Wrong. 

Our certainty about what will happen in the future is usually wrong. We really don't know.
Bookend the future.
Bookending is eliminating two different scenarios.  The dire scenario (the lower bookend), where things go badly for an enterprise. The rosy scenario(the upper bookend), where the enterprise gets a lot of breaks. It is looking at a range of possible outcomes from bad to very good.
To prepare for lower bookends, use a premortem. "It's a year later, our decision has failed. Why?" Prepare for the upper bookend of beyond belief success. Have a pre-parade. Will we be ready for success? What do we need to do now to be ready if it happens? 
To prepare for what is not foreseen, have a safety factor. Anticipating problems helps to cope with them if they occur. By bookending, anticipating and preparing for both adversity and success, stack the deck in favor of our decisions

Set a tripwire.
What can signal that we need to look at our decisions and make new ones. What can snap us awake to reconsider, that will grab our attention. Create an engine warning light.
Consider deadlines or partitions... where we hit a wall and we need to take a look. Tripwires can cap risks, quiet your mind until the trigger is hit. Many tripwires are patterns rather than dates/budgets... unexpected problems, unexpected success. They tell us we have a choice to make.  

Trusting the process
The most difficult way to make fair decisions is to involve as many people and get them to agree. To compromise is valuable in that it demonstrates you made use of diverse opinions. Most in business want decisions quickly, but you can't build consensus quickly.
Bargaining, horse trading, until all sides can live with the choice, makes for good decisions that
are fair. It is important to make sure those involved feel the decision is just. Trusting process is important. It isn't glamorous but the confidence it provides is precious. 


More at the Heath brothers' website. 
http://heathbrothers.com/ 


Hearing God's Voice. 

 When making decisions, we can ask God for direction. Many have wondered how to hear God's voice. Here are a few things to keep in mind

First, as believers we have the mind of Christ, when after time in  reading the Scriptures, listening to Worship music, I sense a keener feeling to hearing His voice.  The thoughts and ideas I get at these times I have taken them as direction from God's Spirit.

When I get an impression, and later on while still contemplating a decision, if I read something or someone shares something with me that re-enforces the impression I am getting in my mind, I take it as God's voice confirming what I am thinking. 

Another individual may share something with me and a phrase in what they say may jump out at me that relates to what I am thinking. I take that as God's voice.
The issue in many cases is confirmation. What I have learned to trust are the quiet times when contemplating while reading the Bible. In those moments, I take those as God speaking to me. The ideas and thoughts in those sessions, I have learned to trust and value. 
Here is an excerpt from what I wrote from my experience with a mentor I had on trusting God's voice.

Dr. Ashcroft always encouraged me to hear from Spirit directly and
trust the voice of Spirit through my mind...
To be bold, in what I was led by the Spirit Voice to do;
Use the Bible to double check to make sure it was consistent with Spiritual principle;
To follow my heart and not man's voices.

I have learned to read the Scriptures and trust the impressions I get from them. “That’s how God speaks to you, learn to trust that,” Dr. Ashcroft encouraged me. In this one area Dr. Ashcroft had the greatest impact on me. I struggled to believe that I could trust these impressions, ideas as from God. I always felt I had to defer these thoughts and find out what God was saying through someone else.  


 Also, here are a few more thoughts. 
--Hearing God's voice can sound like a series of spontaneous thoughts.
--Be still so you can sense God's flow of thoughts and emotions.
--Double check the emotions against the Bible... love, joy, peace, understanding,
etc. If they stir anger, strife, anxiety, you may want to re-examine the thought.
--Think of the character of Jesus and would this be something you would
hear from Jesus, His Spirit.
--Write out what you hear, and look at it later. God's voice will carry a Spirit
of genuineness and continue in a Spirit of excitement. It grows in stature
and significance and importance.  

 Some common ways God speaks to us are through The Bible (His Word), words of other people, circumstances and a message you get from them, and the notable still small voice. 
Being quiet and learning to listen is a skill to be developed where after several confirmations of hearing and knowing it is God's Spirit speaking, we learn to recognize the voice as His voice.

Again, it is in most cases He uses our mind and thoughts, and we learn to recognize when it is His voice speaking.


Monday, July 29, 2013

The Energy Bus ... what keeps it going

by Dale Shumaker
www.spiritsavvy.net
4spirit@gmail.com


  The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon is about how to cultivate energy, maintain it in all circumstances, and then share it with all others.

In life, you can choose to see the curse or choose to see the gift. On Joy's bus, she encourages the riders that it's their choice, so choose wisely. 

 
George had a flat tire, so he had to take the bus. There he met Joy, the bus driver, who always was smiling at him. George found out his car had a defective brake system, was part of a recall, and that it would take two weeks for the part to come in. He decided to take the bus the next two weeks.


His job was on the line. George had lost zeal for life. What he learned from Joy turned his life around. Joy had "10 rules for the ride of your life" posted on front of the bus. The next ten days, Joy and her joyful bus riders explained the importance of these rules to George.

Rule #1. You're the Driver of Your Bus. Take responsibility and control of your life. Take it where you want it to go. You must decide what you want, then create it. Don't let the world create it for you. What's your vision for your life, your work, your relationships. The laws of physics point out it's all about energy. What and who increases your energy. Sometimes by seeing what we don't want we see what we do want. Use crisis to create opportunity.

Rule # 2. Desire, vision, and focus move your bus the right direction. Stop thinking about what you don't want and focus your energy on your vision and what you want. Live in your energy field of dreams.

Rule #3. Fuel your ride with positive energy. E + P = O. Events in your life plus your perception creates your outcome. Make P a positive energy perception. You control that. This fuels your vision and puts energy behind your focus and creates positive results. It's like remembering the excitement of a great golf shot. You review it in your mind, tell others about it. Recall the exciting events of the day. Think about your vision, replay it in your mind daily and tell others.

Rule #4. Invite people on your bus and share your vision. Remember you're driving the bus, but you are also asking people to get on. It's too much to do it all yourself so you need an organized, energized team to deliver a successful product launch. When you invite people to get on they need to be excited about your vision too. And don't forget to tell your wife and family... it is indispensable that they be kept in the discussion of your vision.

Rule #5. Don't waste your energy on those who don't get on your bus. You may have some negative team members already. You may have to ignore them and not take it personally. Don't worry about those who won't get on your bus. The less energy you spend worrying about them, the better off you'll be.

Rule #6. Post a sign that says No Energy Vampires Allowed on your bus. Some who are negative and won't be positive with the vision may need to be asked to get off your bus. Your positive energy and vision must be greater than anyone's negativity. Your certainty must be greater than anyone's doubt. Lead with your heart. The heart is your power center.

Rule #7. Enthusiasm attracts more passengers and energizes them during the ride. Everyone around will be in beat to the frequency of your heart. Your positive energy will radiate to everyone's around you.

Rule #8. Love your passengers. Share love generously and you will become a love magnet to everyone around you. What people really want is to be loved and appreciated. When they feel loved employees will do more, and customers will send you more business.
Five ways to love your passengers. 1. Make time for them. 2. Listen to them. 3. Recognize them. 4. Serve them. 5. Bring out the best in them.

Rule #9. Drive with purpose. When you fuel up with purpose you find excitement in the mundane, the passion in the everyday, the extraordinary in the ordinary. Find your bigger purpose in the here and now and your purpose will find you. Shared purpose keeps your team energized. It is more powerful, meaningful, and inspiring if the team formulates what they want to be. They will be an energized, purpose-driven team.

Rule #10. Have fun and enjoy the ride. Live young, have fun, arrive at your destination as late as possible, with a smile on your face. Put these rules in your bus and the energy bus will give you the ride of your life.

In summary: 1. Create your vision. 2. Fuel your vision with purpose(it's benefit to others). 3. Write a vision/purpose statement. 4. Focus on your vision. 5. Zoom Focus. 6. Get on the bus. 7. Fuel the ride with positive energy. 8. Post a sign "No vampires allowed." 9. Navigate adversity and potholes. 10. Love your passengers 11. Have fun and enjoy the ride. For more go to...

http://www.jongordon.com/theenergybusbook.html


J
esus said when you remain in My Love you obey my commandments. His commands are not burdensome. We are to love God with all our heart and love each other.

In The True Vine by Andrew Murray, he writes about abiding in God's love. (Note John 14 and 15.) Abide in My love Jesus says. We speak of a man’s home as his abode. Our abode, the home of our soul, is to be the love of Christ. We are to live our life there, to be at home there all the day: this is what Christ means our life to be, and really can make it. Our continuous abiding in the Vine is to be an abiding in His love. The love of the Father to the Son is not a sentiment—it is a divine life, an infinite energy, an irresistible power. It carried Christ through life and death and the grave. The Father loved Him and dwelt in Him, and did all for Him.

So the love of Christ to us too is an infinite living power that will work in us all He delights to give us
. The feebleness of our Christian life is that we do not take time to believe that this divine love does really delight in us, and will possess and work all in us. We do not take time to look at the Vine bearing the branch so entirely, working all in it so completely. We strive to do for ourselves what Christ alone can, what Christ, oh, so lovingly, longs to do for us.

And this now is the secret of the change we spoke of, and the beginning of a new life, when the soul sees this infinite love willing to do all, and gives itself up to it. “Abide in My love.” To believe that, it is possible so to live moment by moment; to believe that everything that makes it difficult or impossible will be overcome by Christ Himself; to believe that Love really means an infinite longing to give itself wholly to us and never leave us; and in this faith to cast ourselves on Christ to work it in us; this is the secret of the true Christian life.

And how to come to this faith?
Turn away from the visible if you would see and possess the invisible. Take more time with Jesus, gazing on Him as the heavenly Vine, living in the love of the Father, wanting you to live in His love. Turn away from yourself and your efforts and your faith, if you would have the heart filled with Him and the certainty of His love. Abiding means going out from everything else, to occupy one place and stay there. Come away from all else, and set your heart on Jesus, and His love, that love will waken your faith and strengthen it. Occupy yourself with that love, worship it, wait for it. You may be sure it will reach out to you, and by its power take you up into itself as your abode and your home. 

Murray continues in Abide in Christ.
"This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you." Let us try in all simplicity and honesty to go out to our home to translate the language of high faith, so that all men can understand it.

--Let our temper be under the rule of the love of Jesus
: He can not alone curb it--He can make us gentle and patient. Let the vow, that not an unkind word about others shall ever be heard from our lips, be laid trustingly at His feet.
--Let the gentleness that refuses to take offense, that is always ready to excuse
, to think and hope the best, mark our intercourse with all.
--Let the love that seeks not its own, to give its life for others
, be our aim as we abide in Jesus. Let our life be one of self-sacrifice, always studying the welfare of others, finding our highest joy in blessing others.
--And let us, in studying the divine art of doing good, yield ourselves as obedient learners to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.


By His grace, the most commonplace life can be transfigured with the brightness of a heavenly beauty, as the infinite love of the divine nature shines out through our frail humanity.
Fellow-Christian, let us praise God! We are called to love as Jesus loves, as God loves.