Conceive and Believe

The bedrock of the Christian faith is the good news about God’s love. Christian teachings about who we are and about our relationship with our Lord and each other is rooted in the fact that God is love and that He loves His creatures. “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16.

When we are really hurting, we put up our defenses, become rebellious, and may even feel victimized. We keep trying to lighten the burden by using our own meager resources. We try all sorts of escape mechanisms, only to discover that we feel more and more isolated, lonely, and lost. Our greatest need is to let God into our life.

Do you realize that God really loves you and His love is there to heal you, renew you, restore you, and lift you up? You may be carrying a heavy burden. Let God remove the load. You may be experiencing a broken relationship. Let God mend your heart. It may be job dissatisfaction, financial difficulties, or a deep concern for a world possessed by unspeakable evil and destructive powers. But right now, in this moment of grace, in this moment of spiritual renewal, discover God’s gentle healing power in your life.

God is reaching out to comfort you as you have never been comforted before. Why not allow God to hug you right now? Let Him put His loving, compassionate arms around you right now. Experience the dissipation of all your hurts and disappointments as you permit yourself to be soothed, massaged, and gentled by your gracious loving Father.

Prayer:
Gracious Father, in this moment of grace, in this moment of spiritual refreshing, lift my burdens and bring your gentle healing power into my life. Support me, O Lord, through this troublesome life, until the busy world is hushed, the fever of life is over, and my work is done. Then Lord, in your mercy grant me a safe lodging, a holy rest, and sweet peace at last; for the honor of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, veteran social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach which can be reviewed on her site. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, is expected to be available soon.

You are welcome to visit AMEN Ministries: Your Soul’s Service Station for spiritual refreshing, soul edification, browse our newly expanded mini shopping mall or review our recommended books you may want to add to your personal library.

Blessings to all!

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There are three facets of openness that we must embrace in our lives in order to have and enjoy a truly great life.

The first is experiential openness. By remaining open to the joys and passions of life, it’s unforeseen discoveries and its predictable ebbs and flows, we are able to include and enjoy all the joyous treasures that this life has to offer. However, in order to be open to the good, we also have to risk leaving ourselves open to the bad, the hurtful and the unhappiness as well. It is fear of this side of openness that encourages many of us to close off and retreat from the full experience of life. But that way lies death, of the spirit if not of the body - although science has show again and again that the presence of a rich and varied life, complete with highs and lows, is a strong and pervasive indicator of long life and strong health.

A second facet of openness is the openness of the mind, the ability to think clearly, to see all sides of an issue and to remain capable of understanding, respect and tolerance even in the midst of disagreement and debate. Of course, there are some who claim that an open mind risks “losing the brains it holds” and there is some small grain of truth to that maxim in that you don’t want to blind yourself to critical thought and perception in your desire to remain open. But that is rarely the case if you have taken steps to cultivate a strong mind and good thinking skills. In reality, this statement is born of fear, often given as an excuse by those too afraid to see the other side of an issue (or to even be seen considering it) for fear that such questioning and consideration might injure their status, their standing or even their identity as a person. Some of us are just too tightly attached to, and too personally invested in, our stand on certain issues to risk a change of heart or of mind. Do not fall into this trap, for it gets snugger and more strangling the more we fidget in its grasp. Keeping an open (but well-trained mind) at all times is just good mental hygiene.

The third facet of openness is that of spiritual openness - being open to the Divine everywhere and at anytime, being capable of losing yourself in the embrace of spiritual ecstasy and being able to see the core of the Divine in the mundane or even the profane around us. When you are spiritually open, you can feel the hand of God in the light streaming through a stained glass masterpiece - or through a broken and dirty window in a bullet-riddled flophouse. You can recognize the face of the Creator in the beatific smile of a child - or in the haggard and degraded grimace of a drunk in an alley. You can embrace the Divine will in a sudden unexpected boon - and in the face of unrelenting tragedy and inescapable pain. The Spirit is everywhere - there is no place (and no face) where God is not. All such pretensions to the contrary are simply the artifacts of the limited and poorly attuned human mind unable to make that last final leap of faith.

Where are you open in your life? Where are you closing off or filtering life? Open your life to all that it has to offer and you will trade in a so-so life of safe and predictable flatness for a ride on the thrills-and-spills roller coaster of a truly great life.

(c) Soni Pitts

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Soni Pitts is the Chief Visionary Butt-Kicker of SoniPitts.Com. She specializes in helping others reclaim “soul proprietorship” in their lives and to begin living the life their Creator always intended for them.

She is the author of the free e-book “50 Ways To Reach Your Goals” and over 100 self-help and inspirational articles, as well as other products and resources designed to facilitate this process of personal growth and spiritual development.

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If you were to evaluate the major influences in your life that have shaped the kind of person you are, this has to be high on the list: the people and thoughts you choose to allow into your life. Mr. Shoaff gave me a very important warning in those early days that I would like to share with you. He said, “Never underestimate the power of influence.” Indeed, the influence of those around us is so powerful! Many times we don’t even realize we’re being strongly affected because influences generally develop over an extended period of time.

Peer pressure is an especially powerful force because it is so subtle. If you’re around people who spend all they make, chances are excellent that you’ll spend all you make. If you are around people who go to more ball games than concerts, chances are excellent that you’ll do the same thing. If you are around people who don’t read, chances are excellent that you won’t read.

People can keep nudging us off course a little at a time until finally, we find ourselves asking, “How did I get here?” Those subtle influences need to be studied carefully if we really want our lives to turn out the way we’ve planned.

With regard to this important point, let me give you three key questions to ask yourself. They may help you to make better analysis of your current associations.

Here is the first question: “Who am I around?” Make a mental note of the people with whom you most often associate. You’ve got to evaluate everybody who is able to influence you in any way.

The second question is: “What are these associations doing to me?” That’s a major question to ask. What have they got me doing? What have they got me listening to? What have they got me reading? Where have they got me going? What do they have me thinking? How have they got me talking? How have they got me feeling? What have they got me saying? You’ve got to make a serious study of how others are influencing you, both negatively and positively.

Here’s a final question: “Is that okay?” Maybe everyone you associate with has been a positive, energizing influence. Then again, maybe there are some bad apples in the bunch. All I’m suggesting here is that you take a close and objective look. Everything is worth a second look, especially the power of influence. Both will take you somewhere, but only one will take you in the direction you need to go.

It’s easy to just dismiss the things that influence our lives. One man say’s, “I live here, but I don’t think it matters. I’m around these people, but I don’t think it hurts.” I would take another look at that. Remember, everything matters! Sure, some things matter more than others, but everything amounts to something. You’ve got to keep checking to find out whether your associations are tipping the scales toward the positive or toward the negative. Ignorance is never the best policy. Finding out is the best policy.

Perhaps you’ve heard the story of the little bird. He had his wing over his eye and he was crying. The owl said to the bird, “You are crying.” “Yes,” said the little bird, and he pulled his wing away from his eye. “Oh, I see,” said the owl. “You’re crying because the big bird pecked out your eye.” And the little bird said, “No, I’m not crying because the big bird pecked out my eye. I’m crying because I let him.”

It’s easy to let influence shape our lives, to let associations determine our direction, to let pressures overwhelm us, and to let tides take us. The big question is, are we letting ourselves become what we wish to become?

Next week we’ll take a look at the three forms of disassociating from negative influences. Until then,

To Your Success,

Jim Rohn

Reproduced with permission from Jim Rohn’s Weekly E-zine.
Copyright 2005 Jim Rohn International. All rights reserved
worldwide. To subscribe to Jim Rohn’s Weekly E-zine, go to
http://Jim-Rohn.InspiresYOU.com

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Why do organizations come together every year at the 2005 Excellence Fair held by the Professional Association for Computer Training?

It is because something worked well for an organization and valuable information needs to be shared. This year at the 2005 Excellence Fair it was Cargill, the international food provider (located in over 59 countries), that was recognized for their Transition into Leadership curriculum that helps employees transition into leadership roles.

So, what is it about Cargill’s leadership curriculum that has led to such great success? It began when Cargill recognized that great team members also make great leaders. But, the insights, skills, and vision needed to be an effective leader must be developed, practiced, and learned over time.

As such, the focus of Cargill’s leadership development program is to provide new and aspiring leaders with the skills required to confront the challenges and opportunities that a leadership role entails. In the program, aspiring and new leaders learn how to guide, empower, and assist the efforts of others towards greater success. These newly developed leaders are instructed on how to lead people, make a difference in their work, and fulfill leadership expectations.

So how is this leadership development program different from all of the others? This program provides new leaders with the key tools for leading effectively, while at the same time making the program specific to the development needs of each attendee. Most programs on the market do not focus on the transformation process aspiring leaders must go through to maximize their effectiveness.

The Transition into Leadership curriculum was designed to:

• Introduce the best ideas and practices in leadership today

Cargill’s leadership development program places great importance on their employees and know that they are the key part of a successful future. As a result they seek the best programs in order to create development opportunities for their employees and leaders around the world.

Cargill selected CMOE to partner with them in the development and implementation of the Transition into Leadership program. At the Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness we have been helping Cargill to create, develop and implement their Transition into Leadership program and fulfill a variety of training needs.

The past 27 years CMOE has been instrumental in designing leadership development programs for multinational organizations. We help our clients improve the leaders of today and help create the leaders of tomorrow.

Chris Stowell is the International Manager at CMOE. He has assisted Pfizer, Toppan, Canadian Space Agency, and many other multinational organizations in the development of their employees.

If you would like to learn more about Transition into Leadership and other leadership development programs please contact CMOE toll free at (888)262-2499

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Do you remember when you were a child and no dream seemed too big? Some of us thought we would walk on the moon; some dreamed of riding with Roy Rogers; others imagined stepping to the plate in a big-league game. Every one of us, when we were young, had a common trait - we were dreamers. The world hadn’t gotten to us yet to show us that we couldn’t possibly achieve what our hearts longed for. And we were yet still years from realizing that in some cases we weren’t built for achieving our dream (I realized about my junior year of high school that I was too short and to slow to play professional basketball. The dreamer is always the last to know).

Eventually we started to let our dreams die. People began to tell us that we couldn’t do the things we wanted. It was impossible. Responsible people don’t pursue their dreams. Settle down, get a job, be dependable. Take care of business, live the mundane, be content.

Do you know what I say to that? Hooey!

It is time to dream again!

Why? Here are just a few reasons:

Avoiding regret. The facts are in, and someday we will all lie on our deathbed looking back through the history of our lives. We will undoubtedly think about what we wished we had done or accomplished. I for one don’t want to regret what could have been, what should have been. So I am deciding today to pursue my dreams.

* Making the world a better place. All of the great accomplishments that have ever happened began with a person who had a dream. Somebody rebuffed the naysayers and said to himself or herself, “This can be done, and I am the one who will do it.” And in many instances they changed the world for the better. It isn’t just the Martin Luther King’s and the J.F.K’s either. Think of all the people we have never heard of who have started things large and small that help people world-wide every day.

* The world needs people like you to dream of something great and then to pursue it will all of your heart. Maybe you belong to a business, school, or organization that started out with good intentions but has settled into the same ol’ same ol’. Shake them up and remind them of how they could really help people if only they would dream!

* Personal and family fulfillment. One of the things that happens when we stop pursuing our dreams is that a little piece of us dies and we become disheartened, if only in that area of our lives. Stepping up and pursuing your dream rekindles that passion and zeal that everyone has the capacity for and lets us experience fulfillment. Having a purpose puts the zip in our step and the zing in our emotions!

* Leaving a legacy. How will your children remember you? As one who sought all that life had to offer, using your gifts and talents to their fullest extent, leading the family with a zest for life, or as an overweight couch potato who could have been? Our children need to see that we dream; that we search for something better. They in turn will do the same!

So where do we start? Here are some ideas:

* Reconnect with your dream. Set aside some time to let yourself dream. What have you placed on the backburner in order to live the status quo? Settle on one or two dreams that you can and will pursue. Don’t come up with too many. That will only deter you further.

* Decide that you will do it. This may seem elementary but many people never decide and commit fully to their dream. They simply keep “thinking” about it.
Tell others that you are going to do it. This puts you on the record as to what you are dreaming about. It makes you accountable. It will help you do it if for no other reason than to avoid embarrassment!

* Develop a step-by-step plan. This is absolutely essential. You must sit down and write out a few things:

* A timeline. How long will it take to the end?

* Action steps. Point-by-point what you will do and when you will do them.

* Resources you will need to draw from. What will it take? Who will need to be involved for help or advice?

* An evaluation tool. You need to evaluate from time to time whether you are progressing or not.

* A celebration. Yep, when you are done you should already have planned what you will do to celebrate. Make it big!

I have found that there is no better time than now. So, set aside some time today to get started on your dream. Follow the action plan and set your sights for the top of the mountain! You will be glad you did!

About The Author:

Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of
Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn
their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and
achieve their dreams.

To see Chris “live” at the upcoming Jim Rohn Weekend Event as he speaks on
the subject of Secrets of Influence go to
http://Chris-Widener.InspiresYOU.com/ or call 800-929-0434.

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“Acts 26: 24-28 And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

Here is a letter I received the other day. “I believe this is one of saddest stories in the Bible. The king was almost Home. He was almost persuaded to make a heart commitment to Jesus and live with Him eternally in Heaven. Many of us have loved ones and friends who are almost persuaded to be a Christian. We need to search our heart and see if our actions and words to our family and friends are turning them away from Jesus. If we want our loved ones to make that final commitment to Jesus, then we need to pray for them and extend the Love of Jesus to them on a daily basis. Sometimes we get so busy with our schedules during the day that we don’t make the time to fellowship with our loved ones and friends. How would we feel if Jesus didn’t make time for us on a daily basis? Let’s live so that others will never say to us, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” Joanne Lowe. September 3, 2005.

King Agrippa, believed the prophets but he couldn’t bring himself to believe that the words of the prophets had come true in his lifetime. Thats the way it is today. Many are almost persuaded to believe in Jesus but because of one thing or another they have decided to wait. Politics, religion, peer pressure are all getting in the way of many that otherwise would be persuaded to join in on the Family of God. I’ve heard from many around the world that are confused by their friends, and religious people that know nothing of the intent of God in the lives of mankind. This world is not what it used to be and never will return back to that place and time that many of us remember. Too much has changed, too much has happened, to ignore the signs of the times. We preach love and compassion but there comes a time that love and compassion will not work. Fear and dread of the destruction of this earth will have to be used.

Jude 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Can this happen? It already is happening, there are many that preach the Bible that denigh the Jesus Christ actually exist, some preach God only, some preach Jesus only and others preach what their congregations want to hear to appease man. Not accounting for the salvation of their listeners. We cannot persuade anyone by preaching one above the other, for as with Jude, he states, ”denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Here we see again the separation of the two even thou they are one. We must persuade those that are lost by using the entire Scripture.

Telling the truth and getting by man made doctrine. We have, The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost, as was stated by Jesus. How can we denigh this? The plan of salvation come to us in three steps, The Father sacrificing His Son, The Son Sacrificing His Mortal Life and The Holy Ghost leading us into all truths. Jude 1:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: Jude 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. [1Co_9:19-22.] Mat 19:21-22; Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Almost persuaded, riches became this mans god, his idol, his life, and rather to give heed to the will of God by distributing all that he had to the poor he chose to keep his type of religion and go about his ways. Observing religious practices from his youth up was by no means salvation.

Many get into habits that become second nature to them and become more of a spectacle than worship. If a man is not born again of the spirit he has not attained salvation. If he has no circumcision of the heart there is no change. Religious practices are not what Jesus wanted from this man and neither from us. He wants mankind to worship God in Spirit & Truth. Baptism without repentance is useless. What was this young ruler actually missing? The Love of God over all, he was violating the first two commandments, Mat 22:37-40; Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Isa 1:11-15; To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Again; We must persuade those that are lost by using the entire Scripture.

Bring no more vain oblations, for what kind of sacrifice can you bring before God? There is none that can satisfy Him except the Blood of the Lamb. Persuasion of the lost by the word of God, not choosing what you want and letting the rest go, but using all, showing a pattern of useless situations that God will no longer accept, false religious practices, false religion, false doctrine, false prayers, willing to be heard above the crowd but not meaning any of the words coming from your mouth. We must persuade by example, by acts, by faith, by demonstration of Power of the Holy Ghost. Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Are you almost persuaded or are you still in-doubt, God says come to Him and reason with Him, ask Him any question on salvation, tell Him the reason that you refuse to serve Him and He will answer all your questions.

God is willing to go another step with you if you are willing to listen. All the answers to all the questions are in the Bible. There is nothing covered that will not be shown, nothing hidden that will not be reveled and nothing said that will not be shouted out from the house top. Its all there. Are you listening to your friends, do you believe that everything is one big party, do you believe that you can escape the judgment, or have you listened to Satan telling you that, there is no God, no Heaven, no Hell, no Judgment? Who are you listening too? Seek out your own salvation, seek out the God that has created and can destroy. Don’t die and wake up in Hell saying,”I was Almost persuaded.”

Temple of Spirit & Truth Ministries
A.R. Smith Sermons International
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/a/arsmithsermons/

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Oprah and Harpo Productions, consistently reap awe-inspiring progress and record-breaking profits even after 25 years. While Oprah consistently soars with stellar growth, the rest of the industry seems to stumble, tumble or even disappear. So, just what is it about Oprah that has her consistently reaping hilacious growth for more than two decades and still remain fresh and vivacious as ever? Oprah Winfrey has reinvented herself so smoothly, so successfully and with such precision, very few have consciously noticed! I believe Oprah is aware of the fact that annuals are-by nature-dormant for seasons at a time. She innovatively capitalizes on this truth and remains a “perennial classic.”

You Grow, Girl! Oprah consistently manifests phenomenal growth professionally, intellectually, spiritually, financially and socially every “season” of her year. Whereas others, seem content to rely primarily on the harvest of their “falls.” Oprah is not only acutely aware of her environment, but she plans (and plants) so well, so meticulously … she evens reaps harvests during her “winters!”

What’s Inside Really Never Changes! Chinese gooseberries didn’t sell well at all until they were renamed, Kiwi fruit. Seemingly overnight, this humble, quaint-looking, fuzzy fruit was “reinvented” into an exotic, all-of-a-sudden-much-desired, green intricacy. The “Queen of Personality” went from “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” to “Oprah!” and now owns O! magazine. Her reinventions are powerful, yet short and simple. But her core and all that’s inside, has never been compromised. The Key to Reinvention is Real Simple. Keep it short; but powerful! Even Einstein kept it down to:E= mc2 (yet he reinvented and rocked the science world). Tend to Your Garden; But Don’t Pull Up All the Roots! Don’t limit yourself to just replanting your life. Learn how to identify which sections need to be up-rooted; which sections need to be cultivated and which sections need to be left alone.

Now, while you’re reading this, Oprah is hard at work cultivating her next “row.” Isn’t it time you got busy, too?

Fran Briggs is the founder of The Fran Briggs Companies and is “a motivational speaker of the inspirational kind.” She is the author of several articles, manuals and books including her latest, Seeds for Success. This prominent voice of motivation speaks to audiences of children and adults of all ages and backgrounds with the aim of inspiring them to their respective levels of greatness. Contact Fran and sign up for your free successzine newsletter. http://www.franbriggs.com

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When traveling down the road it is always good to beware of roadblocks! You don’t want to crash and burn do you? The same is true in our journey toward success. We need to beware of those things that will keep us from our destination!

What are the most common? Here they are:

1. Fear. Fear is one of the worst enemies of success. When fear wraps its tentacles
around you and keeps you in bondage, you will never be able to reach for your dreams. We must confront our fears, see them for what they are, toss them to the side, and pursue our dreams with relentless passion. Conquering fear and stepping forward to reach new lands and new ideas is what makes success possible. What are you afraid of today? What fear must you conquer to be able to achieve your dream? When you realize what it is, take an action that is diametrically opposed to that which you fear. This will confront and conquer the fear by giving you the first step in the right direction.

2. Lethargy. Quite frankly, what keeps most people from success is that they simply don’t have the energy, or make the energy, to do what it takes to move to the next level. They get to a point that is comfortable and then they settle in for a nice, life-long nap! Don’t get lethargic; get going! Force yourself to wake up from the slumber and move!

3. Lack of perseverance. Often times the race is lost because the race is not finished. Success is often just around the sharpest corner or the steepest hill. Persevere. Keep going. One more hill. One more corner! In real estate they say the three most important things are “location, location, location.” In success the three most important things are “perseverance, perseverance, perseverance.”

4. Pessimism. The saying is that you can achieve what you believe. Ask yourself what kinds of beliefs you hold. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? If you don’t believe that you can achieve than you won’t. Your pessimism will prove yourself right every time. You will find that you subconsciously undermine yourself. Develop your optimism. Look for ways to believe that you can achieve success.

5. Not taking responsibility. I am the chaplain for the local police department. The other day I went with an officer as he took two prisoners to court. Time after time the prisoners made excuses as to why they hadn’t yet done what the judge had ordered (she didn’t buy it, by the way). After dropping the prisoners off, I said to the officer that unsuccessful people and prisoners have the same bad habit - they won’t accept responsibility for their lives. You are responsible. When you accept that, you are on the road to success.

6. Picking the wrong people to hang out with. We can easily become products of our environment. This is why it is essential to hang around people who will spur you on not hold you back! What about the people you have surrounded yourself with? Are they quality people who will encourage you and strengthen you in your quest for success? If not, move on!

7. No vision. Those who succeed always see their success months and years before they live it. They have the ability to look ahead, see the future, imagine the good that can and will come from their lives, families and work. To not have vision is a tremendous roadblock. Sit down and work on seeing the future - and make it good!

About The Author:

Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of
Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn
their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and
achieve their dreams.

To see Chris “live” at the upcoming Jim Rohn Weekend Event as he speaks on
the subject of Secrets of Influence go to
http://Chris-Widener.InspiresYOU.com/ or call 800-929-0434.

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The following procedures will insure an organized and well run office.

1. Have a daily To Do sheet. This is made up at the end of the day. You might have items left over from the previous day, put those items first and work from there. If you make deposits on a daily basis, add them to the list. Plan to file at the end of the day or before/after lunch breaks. Doing this daily will avoid the “pile syndrome”. This list should also include any marketing strategies you employ. This will insure you set time aside to implement them.

2. Have a weekly goal sheet that you review at the end of the work week and finish off any projects hanging, check supplies, make deposits, do invoicing, review the goals you set up in your business plan. This sheet will also include phone calls left to make, marketing or mailings you need to finish.

3. Your monthly goals and routines should include: making deposits, invoicing, bank statement reconciliation, mileage costs, copier costs, postage costs, and income and expenses for the month. Check your supplies and order, if necessary. Comparison of your income and expenses for the month will indicate whether or not you need to make any changes or adjustments to your marketing plan for the following month. Calendar any upcoming events. Make up new income and expense envelopes. Pull your tickle for the following month and place materials in the appropriate day. Make up your chron file for the month.

4. At six month intervals check on your competition. Are they increasing their prices? What kind of marketing are they employing? Are they offering new services?

5. Do one of the following things with each piece of paper that crosses your desk: act on it, read it, file it or toss it. Be sure you need it, before you file it.

6. Set up a mail system. Use different colored folders to categorize the mail you receive. For example, Red - you need to act on (write a letter, make a telephone call, etc.); Gray - for your information; Yellow - meetings, upcoming events; Green - minutes of other meetings, newsletters, reports, etc.; Black - flyers, advertising materials. Remember stamp the date received on all mail, and follow up as quickly as possible, if necessary. This system can be modified for those companies that do not receive a large volume of mail. This system will help staff members set up work priorities.

7. Make up a reading folder. Read or browse this material during lunch, breaks, during slow or off hours. Make up files with specific categories for those articles you want to keep as a reference. Check on these periodically (every 3 months) to see if the information is still up to date.

8. To cut down on filing and paper costs. Set up a chron filing system. A chron file contains any correspondence you have generated for a specific period of time. They are usually made up on a monthly basis. For example, label a file January Chron, and place any correspondence you generated for that month in the file. For most offices, this system avoids having to make up client files with one piece of paper in them. However, some offices keep an additional copy in the client file. Do this only if you have to.

Part 2 of this article will discuss what you will need to implement this system. For more organization and time management strategies for your business, check out our Home Business Manual at www.homebusinesssolutions.com/products/products.htm

Copyright 2000, DeFiore Enterprises

Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our “how to” Home Business Solutions Digest, it’s like having your own personal coach: mailto:subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com

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Medical and other scientific studies agree - people who have strong spiritual or religious beliefs are healthier, happier, heal faster, enjoy life more and suffer less pain and degeneration in their later years than do their unbelieving counterparts. And the interesting thing is, it doesn’t matter what religion or spiritual system you believe in, so long as you believe in it fully and deeply, and that it is meaningful and personal to you.

People who believe and who worship, socialize or otherwise congregate with their fellow believers bring even more positive energy into their lives - and what’s even better, if those around you believe as well and you are aware that they are actively praying or otherwise working for your benefit, then that betokens even greater wellness and happiness for you on top of whatever benefits accrue to you from your own activities.

Having a strong belief system is a major factor in remaining strong, healthy and vigorous throughout life and up until the very end. Some may shrug it off as a placebo effect (the mind “fooling” the body into better health and happiness) but most agree that in the end it really doesn’t matter what the “true” cause is - the results are measurable, provable, consistent and nothing short of amazing in their effectiveness.

So what do you believe in and how do you nurture that belief? Finding a system of belief and devoting time and energy to maintaining and growing that in your life can pay big dividends in your life. Consider it health insurance of a sort - insurance for which the premium is paid in faith and you are the “soul” benefactor.

(c) Soni Pitts

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Soni Pitts is the Chief Visionary Butt-Kicker of SoniPitts.Com. She specializes in helping others reclaim “soul proprietorship” in their lives and to begin living the life their Creator always intended for them.

She is the author of the free e-book “50 Ways To Reach Your Goals” and over 100 self-help and inspirational articles, as well as other products and resources designed to facilitate this process of personal growth and spiritual development.

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