You probably feel you have learned to master the art of Listening. Or at least feel good about practicing this art. You have most likely mended many a situation and set it right using your skills of listening. What I would like to ask is ‘Do you listen to yourself?’ We are told that that which annoys us in someone else is often that which also is in ourselves. I personally have appreciated this practice over the years. Before I open my mouth I turn inside and look for the ways that I portray or support the same activities that seem to be getting under my skin at the moment. With all that is spread through the media of ratings seeking networks we are bombarded with highly emotionally sensitive attacks on anything from planting a garden to civil rights. We are tossed about into opposing teams to rally mob like actions. I hear the screaming of accusations and rallying cries to tear down the opposing opinions and lifestyles. The cries are coming from the mouths of people doing exactly the same as the people they are working to defeat. Yet, the masses do no listen to themselves. So I ask, “Do you listen to yourself as often as you should?”

‘Being’….a rather open ended word. One that people use to be cleaver when they are about to go into some kind of effort to be philosophical. For the most part people using this word don’t dig deep enough to make any kind of difference other then the ego of the person filling the air. So….here I am with ‘being’. Am I any different then anyone else at this point? No. All I ask is that we start with a foundation of our being….and our being be love. Do you ever analyze God Love? We have a personal relationship with God. Therefore do we know Love in His terms? If we turn that around so that we are being His Love how then would we demonstrate Love?

When this theme first hit me I was thinking mostly of enjoying the talent that is ours. Like many mustard seeds it grew and spread to other aspects in my life. As I enjoy and celebrate what is my talent… use it and share it….then I will enjoy everything else. When this happens there is no room to consider anything else that is not of God’s doing. I put this into my life, the life of my relationships and the life of my business. What do you think the results have been? Go ahead give it the time needed to appropriately wrap your thinking around every aspect of life. I ask ‘What is yours?

Over the years of being involved in a variety of businesses we tend to gather along the way a treasure of vital usable information. So much so we find that while we continue to study we are reminded of some useful bit of information that helps us in some way. Recently one of my projects was to turn a room in my home into a more functionable storage room which I now call my walk in closet. While in the process of moving items around I discovered several that were forgotten. One of which was needed by a friend.

There is a difference between having an item being forgotten and missing a piece of a project. Sometimes when we get into a project and discover it is not functioning up to expectations we seek out solutions. More then likely we listen to or read materials that remind us of something we have already heard and maybe even practiced and forgotten it or had not been practicing it for awhile. We dust off the insight and add it to our routine only to find that our enthusiasm had increased but our productivity had not. So we go back to reading and listening and repeat the cycle.

Because of becoming involved with a new company I discovered that sometimes it is not merely something we had forgotten that keeps our productivity from developing but that there is a piece that is missing. This reminds me of the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. If it was not for people along the way who searched out the missing piece we would still be crossing the Atlantic in the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.

Innovations come along that change the productivity in our lives. These innovations are offered to us and eventually then become the norm. Some people may get stuck in the cycle of searching out forgotten bits of wisdom and avoid the innovations. Some people are out there developing the innovations that provide the missing piece. Often we don’t know what piece we are missing until we find it. I simply ask, “Where will you find the missing piece you are needing?”

Have you ever witnessed a pro-golfer standing at the tee…prepare is swing and then start is final swing only to stop a fraction of an inch before the club strikes the ball? What happens when a golfer doesn’t follow through? What happens when a batter, in baseball, doesn’t follow through? What happens when a tennis player runs for the returned ball prepares their swing and they too stop that moment before the ball hits the strings of the racket? You get the picture. Each practices hours for years on more then preparation or striking the ball. They work just as hard on the….. ‘Follow Through.’

So what does follow through have to do with us?

Through the years we have heard the question, “Are we there yet?’ If we are driving our reaction is different then if we are the passenger. Most everything is defined from our personal point of view. Which is often only one of many views. My suggestion is in business and our personal lives that we sit in the driver’s seat when we are the passenger and sit in the passenger’s seat when we are driving when it comes to seeing the view.

That being put out there for us to practice I would also like to remind us that the Bible is a guide to getting us Home. Along the way there is a most glorious scenic view that we are being afforded. Is it not then not then that the destination is purposely set for us to travel to get there? If so then is there not a purpose for which this road is there for us to travel? Accepting the Wisdom of such then instead of us asking ‘Are we there yet?’ what then would you suspect would be the desired hope of the Driver?

Once we have this practice down we may find our hearts lifted a bit more in all our endeavors and in such practice better skills in all that we do….and how we approach all aspects of our lives.  “Are you there yet?”

Wishing you much success in all aspects of your life….

Got an inch you scratch it. A thought that comes to you is the same. Sorting through the sources of our thoughts helps when we follow through. Some thoughts are filled with fear, prejudice and hate often these are out right up front and sometimes they hide behind supposedly ‘good Godly intentions.’

How does someone sort through the sources of our thoughts? I learned something from a multilevel marketing green company I just discovered. They base all their decisions on two questions when facing a project. 1. Is it good for the independent representatives. 2. Is it good for the company. There must be a ‘yes’ ‘yes’ answer to these questions before they will proceed with the project or concept. The independent reps come first. The foundation of the company is ‘green.’ Upon that foundation they place the good of the people and then the good of the company. So far this looks like something of value.

What I ask then is, “How do they define as ‘good’?” Until we know how someone personally defines a word we can not evaluate their intensions. Same for the sources of our thoughts. Just how do you define what is ‘good’?” Once we define ‘good’ I believe we then would find our thoughts inspired by ‘Good.’

Recently someone sent me one of those ‘fear’ emails. You know those emails that are ‘fwd’ type hype lacking intelligence that still manage to instigate mob anger with the intent of creating thoughtless action. I felt I needed to put a pause in this kind of war like strategy. Yes, war. Over the years we have stepped farther and farther away from the frontlines of battle. Sitting at computers sending out bombs from anonymous sites. Now this same mentality is growing among thousands upon thousands of people sitting at their home computes fwding bombs with glee feeling protected by the distance not needing to take responsibility for their actions.

My reply to my friend is as follows….

I do appreciate all the emails you send. Isn’t it amazing all the little fires of ‘fear’ that people are running around starting….Even people who claim and advertise that they are ‘good’ people are getting caught up in it. Fear Fear FEAR…Yet, if the good people actually believed in God…in our Lord and Savior Jesus….would they be running around with fear as their partner?

My thinking is…I am expected to focus on, nurture and cultivate the good of God’s love. In His love I do not remember being taught or shown any example of propagating fear, and its often by-products of hate and prejudice. I know that the kinds of words that you have read and then pass along to me have you with these same thought. There are many of us out here who do keep our focus on the Good.

May each of us build a foundation upon which inspiration of thought comes to us and directs us all in the ‘Good’ of all our projects.

Recently I ran across a concept that stimulated my mind in such a way that I thought you might appreciate my sharing it with you.

The Afformation Factor….

For years we have read, been told, seen examples from the experts, in just about every field of endeavor out there, informing us that we need to picture our success. Saying our ‘affirmations’ daily. In some cases even being told to say our affirmations ‘hourly.’ Focus our winning or gaining in our minds and repeat this over and over in our mind. We are told that this is what the successful people do…this is what winners do. The big question is, “Does it work?” The answer is, “Sometimes.”  

If we remember how the mind works we may be able to increase the effectiveness of this practice. Many times when we hear a statement we hear it and then set it aside ready to continue on to something else. On the other hand, most of the time when we are asked a question our mind will keep working until there is an answer. Take for example someone asks you who acted in a particular movie and you can not immediately come up with the name. You may walk away from the conversation but your brain will continue to search out that name. Your brain will work on locating an answer until hours later you are struck with the answer. Your brain automatically goes into the search mode and will remain active on that question until comes up with the answer.

Let us take that same process to help us with our success in whatever field we are wanting to focus on at the moment. People are told to repeat “I am rich.” Let us now take that and turn it into an afformation. “What makes me rich?” or “What makes me wealthy?” or “Why am I wealthy?” Now your brain is searching out positive reasons why you are wealthy. Could be that you have a great plan, a great support group, a great faith in God’s plan for your prosperity and so forth. Your mind has wrapped itself around the idea, the picture of your state of wealth and supported your belief.

 For me I consider including affirmations and afformations in my daily routine which helps me keep that connection from breaking less frequently.

My Personal Tip of the Day

Back in my youth I would come up with gems such as while watching my mom vacuuming, “Gee Mom, they should invent something to vacuum out people’s fat.” The response was, “That’s stupid and it would be much too dangerous.” Some years later when videos first came out I said to my parents, “Gee someone should come up with some kind of lending business, like a library, for videos.” The response was, “Oh that is stupid. Besides videos will never last.” A couple years later I said, “That old saying ‘The squeaky wheel gets the grease…People should be reminded that the squeaky wheel gets replaced.” I was told I was silly….of course years later I spotted a sign “The Squeaky Wheel Gets Replaced.” Around the same time as the Squeaky Wheel I said something to my parents about if tea can come in tea bags why couldn’t coffee be in little bags. My parents’ response, “That is stupid.” What I learned, with humor in mind, was not to share with my parents any of my ideas.

With that in mind I would like to share with you something I have been saying for years as a twist to the old saying, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.”….my twist…. “If you lead a horse around long enough he will drink.”

There are two points here in this twist of an old saying. The first is if you remain persistent and approach a situation from a different view you can come up with a profitable solution. The second is….be careful about what you are accomplishing by leading someone around.

Wishing you much success in all your positive endeavors….James

This long campaign of Business Tips for the Day may seem to be going on and on. What I have discovered is that at this moment people only have a moment to make a decision whether to hang on to something or let go. “Quick” is the pace they are in as they look about tying to latch on to something that will be their life jacket. With this in mind I had decided to provide ‘short’ bits of wisdom from the experts in the field and pass them along. Something that people can hold on to for an hour or a couple of days that can be the life jacket they need for the moment.

From Biz Tip of the Day

If you’re pursuing your own business then you know about dreaming. Most likely your dreams of financial freedom, time freedom and being your own boss were what prompted ou to investigate owning your own business I the first place. All we’ll add is to cling tenaciously to those dreams. Don’t ever let them go. All of the great discoveries this world has ever known were once dreams.