There are four concepts that relates to the Olympic Games. Although these principles apply to every game in the Olympics, let’s consider the finals of the men’s 100-meter sprint. Each time I watch this race. I am thrilled at the suspense and emotion that characterizes it. The whole world waits in suspense to see who will become the next fastest man in history. Will a new record be set? Will there be a new champion? No one can truly predict the outcome of the race until it is finished. On your marks. Gets set. Go!
1. GO – Prove Your Worth
The blast of the whistle gives us an insight into the lives of the athletes. Those who have spent time preparing are immediately distinguished from those who did not prepare adequately. Similarly, it’s your turn, GO – prove your worth and show the world the stuff you are made of. You have been learning about preparing for greatness. Greatness is achieved through action not through continuous planning to take action. Now is the time to begin, to prove to the world that you are the new kid on the block.
2. GO - Equal Opportunity
GO gives each athlete an equal opportunity to accomplish greatness. Not only does it give them this opportunity to those on the touchline, it also gives them the same opportunity as those who ran the race four years earlier. In the same way, the race of life not only gives us equal opportunities to succeed, it also give us equal opportunities as those who have gone before us. Don’t ever believe that the days of opportunities are gone. You are on the threshold of history until you die. Guess what? Never in the history of human existence have we had the kinds of opportunities to succeed as we do now. Stop complaining and begin your race. It’s your turn, GO!
3. GO – Golden Opportunity
The Olympic race is run once every four years. GO, therefore, signifies a golden opportunity for every athlete, an opportunity they will not have again for another four years or possibly, in their lifetime. It’s an opportunity too good to miss. When it is missed, it is success delayed, destiny postponed, and greatness buried. And just like the Olympics, life gives each of us a golden opportunity. Each tick of the clock is life urging you to GO. It’s your golden opportunity to maximize your day and accomplish your dream. Go means you appointed time has come. There cannot be any other time better than now to begin your race. The future does not begin tomorrow, the future is now. Therefore, GO!
4. GO – You Can Do It.
The blast of the whistle means, you can do it, you can become your dream, you can create a new record, and you can make it. If someone is supposed to win the race, that person is you. Life believes so much in you to put you in the race. Had life not believe in your ability to win, either of these two scenarios would have occurred:
- You would not have been short-listed for the race: The fact that you are now running the race implies that life has confidence in your ability to win. Think about it. Your existence is the proof that you have the ability to win. The day you were conceive, there were more than a hundred million contestants I race to reach the ovum, but the strongest, fastest, and most virile sperm made it to the crown and that product became you. The life of a success story began the day you were conceived. And guess what? Your birth is the proof that God believes so much in your ability that He short-listed you instead of the 100 million others that were possible. Literally, He gave up a million other possibilities, for you!
- The race would have been awarded to someone without being run: The fact that there is a race means that there is a possibility of your wining it. GO, you can do it and win the race of life. If you won the initial race with more than 100 million contestants, what makes you feel that you cannot win it now? GO, the world is about to celebrate the success of a new champion, and the person is you!
QUOTE FOR TODAY
“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal. Nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” - E. Joseph
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
PREVENTING SELF-DELUSION
Remember Paul, the apostle. We reap what we sow. He went on to warn Christians in the Roman Empire to avoid the worst form of deception, which is self-deception, to think you can reap results different from the seeds you have sown or are sowing.
There are two common types of self-delusion that can be avoided by playing back the past.
1. Blaming circumstances for your present position
When we blame other entities, parents, society, race, what have you, for our current circumstances, we blind our selves to the fact that, ultimately, we are responsible for our own position in life. Remember the great Law of this Universe as it applies to human behaviour, and take responsibility for your life. Play back your past with an objective mind, and you will be able to identify behavioural patterns, attitudes, lifestyles, and habits that have led you to where you now are.
2. Assuming that tomorrow will be better without making changes.
To convince yourself that tomorrow will be better if you just wait out today, “Ah everything will be fine, whatever will be, will be.” Is to breed disappointment, or worse failure. Tomorrow will be a repeat of today if you do not change your present behaviour.
Newton, in his first law, also stated the following;
“An object continues in its state of rest or in uniform motion in a straight line until a force is applied to it.”
The threefold implication of the law:
- If an object is motionless, it will remain in that state until acted upon by an external force.
- If an object is moving at a constant speed, it will continue to do so until acted upon by an external force
- If an object is moving, it will continue to move in a straight line until acted upon at an anle by an external force.
As applied to human behaviour:
- If you are struck, motionless in life, you will remain so..
- If you are moving along a certain path, you will continue to….
….until acted upon by an external force.
That is, life will continue to produce exactly the same results you see today until a change is made or until you make a change. And the first critical step to position yourself for a better tomorrow is to play back the past.
Consider the following article I stumbled across…
“An Elderly, carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plan to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the pay check, but he needed to retire. They could get by.
The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one house as a personal favour. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.
When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front door-key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.”
What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.
So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do give the job our best effort. Then with a shock at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized, we would have done it differently.”
We are responsible for our present states. When you sit down to play back the past, you will make these three major discoveries about your life:
- Your present position: Where you are (the results your life is currently producing).
- Your problems: Why you are where you are (the actions responsible for the results).
- Your promise: How to get to where you want to be in life (the corrective measures needed to change the course of your life).
QUOTE FOR TODAY
“The world has the habit of making room for the man whose actions shows that he knows where he is going.” – Napoleon Hill
There are two common types of self-delusion that can be avoided by playing back the past.
1. Blaming circumstances for your present position
When we blame other entities, parents, society, race, what have you, for our current circumstances, we blind our selves to the fact that, ultimately, we are responsible for our own position in life. Remember the great Law of this Universe as it applies to human behaviour, and take responsibility for your life. Play back your past with an objective mind, and you will be able to identify behavioural patterns, attitudes, lifestyles, and habits that have led you to where you now are.
2. Assuming that tomorrow will be better without making changes.
To convince yourself that tomorrow will be better if you just wait out today, “Ah everything will be fine, whatever will be, will be.” Is to breed disappointment, or worse failure. Tomorrow will be a repeat of today if you do not change your present behaviour.
Newton, in his first law, also stated the following;
“An object continues in its state of rest or in uniform motion in a straight line until a force is applied to it.”
The threefold implication of the law:
- If an object is motionless, it will remain in that state until acted upon by an external force.
- If an object is moving at a constant speed, it will continue to do so until acted upon by an external force
- If an object is moving, it will continue to move in a straight line until acted upon at an anle by an external force.
As applied to human behaviour:
- If you are struck, motionless in life, you will remain so..
- If you are moving along a certain path, you will continue to….
….until acted upon by an external force.
That is, life will continue to produce exactly the same results you see today until a change is made or until you make a change. And the first critical step to position yourself for a better tomorrow is to play back the past.
Consider the following article I stumbled across…
“An Elderly, carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plan to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the pay check, but he needed to retire. They could get by.
The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one house as a personal favour. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.
When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front door-key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.”
What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.
So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do give the job our best effort. Then with a shock at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized, we would have done it differently.”
We are responsible for our present states. When you sit down to play back the past, you will make these three major discoveries about your life:
- Your present position: Where you are (the results your life is currently producing).
- Your problems: Why you are where you are (the actions responsible for the results).
- Your promise: How to get to where you want to be in life (the corrective measures needed to change the course of your life).
QUOTE FOR TODAY
“The world has the habit of making room for the man whose actions shows that he knows where he is going.” – Napoleon Hill
MOVING IN PRESUMPTION
"Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the high hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord's covenant moved from the camp." - Numbers 14:44
The people of Israel were brought out of Egypt to enter a new land-the Promised Land. This land was not handed over to them freely; it required the removing of God's enemies through battle. It required a partnership between God and the people. As long as the people remained true to God, they were victorious.The people were camped at Kadesh Barnea, near the border entrance to the long-awaited Promised Land. All the hardships of their journey from Egypt were now culminating at this important crossing. However, Joshua and Caleb were the only scouts who proclaimed faith in God to take them into the land and conquer their enemies. The other spies saw all the dangers and refused to take the risk. The people of the camp shrank in fear because of their report. They decided not to enter in.God was angered at the people for their lack of faith. Moses had to intercede on their behalf. Once they realized what they had done, it was too late. But they thought their repentance was enough to right their wrong.
They presumed this was all that was necessary.Moses informed them they were deceived in their presumption of God's favor. They went to battle against the Amalekites only to be soundly defeated. Those who returned did not understand why they lost the battle.It is important for us to know whether we have God's hand upon our endeavors. Presumption leads to failure. God's favor leads to success.
Ask God to confirm His hand on your endeavors...."If Your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here" (Exodus 33:15).
The people of Israel were brought out of Egypt to enter a new land-the Promised Land. This land was not handed over to them freely; it required the removing of God's enemies through battle. It required a partnership between God and the people. As long as the people remained true to God, they were victorious.The people were camped at Kadesh Barnea, near the border entrance to the long-awaited Promised Land. All the hardships of their journey from Egypt were now culminating at this important crossing. However, Joshua and Caleb were the only scouts who proclaimed faith in God to take them into the land and conquer their enemies. The other spies saw all the dangers and refused to take the risk. The people of the camp shrank in fear because of their report. They decided not to enter in.God was angered at the people for their lack of faith. Moses had to intercede on their behalf. Once they realized what they had done, it was too late. But they thought their repentance was enough to right their wrong.
They presumed this was all that was necessary.Moses informed them they were deceived in their presumption of God's favor. They went to battle against the Amalekites only to be soundly defeated. Those who returned did not understand why they lost the battle.It is important for us to know whether we have God's hand upon our endeavors. Presumption leads to failure. God's favor leads to success.
Ask God to confirm His hand on your endeavors...."If Your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here" (Exodus 33:15).
Friday, November 9, 2007
TO BUILD A BRIDGE
The Brooklyn Bridge that spans the river tying Manhattan Island toBrooklyn is truly a miracle bridge. In 1863, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea for this spectacular bridge.However, bridge-building experts throughout the world told him to forget it; it could not be done.Roebling convinced his son, Washington, who was a young up and coming engineer, that the bridge could be built. The two of them developed the concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With unharnessed excitement and inspiration, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.
The project was only a few months under construction when a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling and severely injured his son, Washington. Washington was left with permanent brain damage and was unable to talk or walk. Everyone felt that the project would have to be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built.Even though Washington was unable to move or talk, his mind was as sharp as ever, and he still had a burning desire to complete the bridge. An idea hit him as he lay in his hospital bed, and he developed a code for communication. All he could move was one finger,so he touched the arm of his wife with that finger, tapping out the code to communicate to her what to tell the engineers who werebuilding the bridge. For thirteen years, Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger until the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge was finally completed.
The project was only a few months under construction when a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling and severely injured his son, Washington. Washington was left with permanent brain damage and was unable to talk or walk. Everyone felt that the project would have to be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built.Even though Washington was unable to move or talk, his mind was as sharp as ever, and he still had a burning desire to complete the bridge. An idea hit him as he lay in his hospital bed, and he developed a code for communication. All he could move was one finger,so he touched the arm of his wife with that finger, tapping out the code to communicate to her what to tell the engineers who werebuilding the bridge. For thirteen years, Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger until the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge was finally completed.
FACE TO FACE
"I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete." - 2 John 12
It is easy to fire off a letter to someone in this age of electronic communication because of its expediency. In business we call this being efficient. However, there are times when nothing but a face-to-face meeting is the appropriate means of communication. We know that verbal skills are a very small portion of communication. Body language, voice tone, and our expressions make up the majority of our overall communication. This cannot be seen through a letter or electronic medium.
John knew that being face to face with those he ministered to be important. And for John, it meant some major trouble to get from one place to another. It wasn't as simple as getting into a car or hopping onto an airplane. John's desire and determination to visit and talk face to face reinforces the importance of one-on-one personal communication.I once had to confront a businessman about some problems we were having in a business deal. He lived in another town. The negotiations had stalled to some degree. I could have attempted to solve the problem over the phone. But I realized the serious nature of the issues required a face-to-face meeting. I drove two hours to his office and met with him face to face. It meant all the difference. It demonstrated to my friend I was serious enough about solving the problem to take a day to come see him. It also showed I valued him and he was worth the effort. This resulted in him giving greater emphasis to the issue.
Next time a situation arises that requires more focused communication, consider whether the situation requires a personal visit. You may find this will be the key to resolving issues that otherwise might end in a stalemate.
It is easy to fire off a letter to someone in this age of electronic communication because of its expediency. In business we call this being efficient. However, there are times when nothing but a face-to-face meeting is the appropriate means of communication. We know that verbal skills are a very small portion of communication. Body language, voice tone, and our expressions make up the majority of our overall communication. This cannot be seen through a letter or electronic medium.
John knew that being face to face with those he ministered to be important. And for John, it meant some major trouble to get from one place to another. It wasn't as simple as getting into a car or hopping onto an airplane. John's desire and determination to visit and talk face to face reinforces the importance of one-on-one personal communication.I once had to confront a businessman about some problems we were having in a business deal. He lived in another town. The negotiations had stalled to some degree. I could have attempted to solve the problem over the phone. But I realized the serious nature of the issues required a face-to-face meeting. I drove two hours to his office and met with him face to face. It meant all the difference. It demonstrated to my friend I was serious enough about solving the problem to take a day to come see him. It also showed I valued him and he was worth the effort. This resulted in him giving greater emphasis to the issue.
Next time a situation arises that requires more focused communication, consider whether the situation requires a personal visit. You may find this will be the key to resolving issues that otherwise might end in a stalemate.
Monday, November 5, 2007
LIVE STRATEGICALLY
Strategic, by definition, is big picture thinking. It is large-scale and long-range in nature, but it must be lived out in the tactical here and now. A great example of strategic planning and tactical living was Noah and the building of the ark. It’s the epitome of long-range planning as it took one hundred and twenty years to complete the project and it would impact the future course of recorded history. It definitely qualifies as large-scale, due to the dimensions of the boat and the number and variety of its occupants.
The account of Noah receiving instructions from God for building the ark serves aas an extraordinary model for strategic planning.
Strategy 1 – Evaluate the Situation. “So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt..” (Genesis 6:12)
- Research the situation-Before proceeding in any endeavor, do your homework! Check things out for yourself. When I was young and had more desire than brains. I sent a man I barely knew to check out a business opportunity. Based on the strength of his report, I committed myself to a business which I knew little about. It turned out that the information he provided was deliberately falsified by him to prove himself an opportunity. It took me time for me to financially recover.
- How thoroughly have you investigated the problem or opportunity you wish to address?-Don’t rely just on one source. One credible source is still only one view. It’s better to have your information confirmed through multiple sources than to put all your eggs in one basket, only to find out the basket has a broken handle.
- Make sure the information you based your decision on is accurate-If you are unsure that your information is accurate, make generous allowances for error or don’t proceed at all. I was asked to do.
Strategy 2 – Make a Decision. “Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” (Genesis 6:13)
- You will never have all the facts-it has been said, “In every person’s lifetime there comes an opportunity to do a very special thing, unique to that person and fitted to his or her talent. What a tragedy if that moment finds the person unprepared and unqualified for that work.” You should prepare yourself for opportunity; analyze the facts as you can accept the reality that you will never have all the information. Sometimes you have to act with less information than you would like. It’s hard to know when you have sufficient facts, so get the counsel of others and search the scripture for any indicators of direction, then make the best decision you can.
- Don’t be snared by the “paralysis of analysis”-In the mid-seventies some had an idea for a real estate magazine, which he thought was a superb concept. I analyzed and eventually did nothing. A few years later, the concept surfaced in his city and ultimately in cities across his country. His paralysis of analysis cost him an opportunity. He discovered that “in the valley of indecision lay the skeletal remains of many a worthy plan.” The bottom line to make a decision is this: don’t rush and don’t delay.
Strategy 3 – Summarize the Vision. “Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.” (Genesis 6:14).
- Before God gave Noah the specifics. He gave him an overview. Do you have an overview of where you are trying to go with your life? Moses had a simple overview of his purpose: to “set my people free,” Nehemiah had a simple understanding of his primary goal: to “rebuild the wall.” Jesus gave an overview of His purpose: to “seek and to save that which was lost.” What’s the overview of your purpose?
- Is your vision clearly defined? If you can’t outline your vision in 25 words or less, you probably don’t understand it. Take time to think through your vision, whether it be your life vision or your vision for specific project, then try summarizing it on the back of a business card. If you can’t do that, it’s probably not clear enough.
- Can others read it and run with it? Ask those who have a stake in your vision if they know what the vision is. See how many people give you the same answer. If you get different answers, you know you’re not communicating clearly and it may be because you haven’t got it clear in your own mind.
Strategy 4 – Establish the Boundaries “the length of the ark shall be 450 feet, its width, 75 feet, and its height 45 feet” (Genesis 6:15)
- Formulate a plan and put it in writing. A goal without a plan is only a dream. When I was new to the selling business, I realized that in order to reach my goals, I would have to accomplish a certain amount of activity. And to accomplish that activity, I was going to have to plan and act differently than I had in the past, I created a simple flowchart of required activity and monitored my progress, knowing that if I had the right things well, I would have the desired result. A simple plan, but it yielded extraordinary results.
- Stay within the sphere of your calling. Not everyone is called to the same position in life, though we are all called to accept the challenge of greatness. Greatness is measured by our service to others. Find a way to out serve your competition and you will be exalted in the market place. Let God give you the promotion, not yourself, lest you find yourself promoted to a position of incompetence. When you step into realm God hasn’t equipped you for, disaster is just around the corner. Sometimes we don’t know the boundaries of our calling until we step outside and find ourselves fighting for survival with no backup in sight. God is gracious and patient and will lead us back to the sphere of our calling.
- Don’t mistake comfort zone for calling. You may be comfortable in your world right now, but that doesn’t mean you are called to remain there. Don’t mistake the lack struggle for the leading of God. In fact, if you’re not experiencing opposition, there’s a good chance you’re headed in the wrong direction! You may be in the center of the sphere of your calling, while simultaneously being in the fight of your life. Without doubt, the Apostle Paul endured much hardship and many trials while functioning within his sphere of calling.
Strategy 5 – Define your Strategy. “make a window for the ark…set the door of the ark in its side…make it with lower, second and third decks” (Genesis 6:16)
- Make your plan a series of steps, which taken individually are manageable. Break your plan into bite-size pieces. Many goals or projects seem overwhelming at the beginning. Break them down into their individual components, then break the components down into individual steps that you can see yourself accomplishing.
- Prioritize the steps. Stand back and look at the big picture. Ask God to help you prioritize then list the steps in the order you will need to accomplish them. Without prioritization, you may find yourself having to redo one or more steps as the project unfolds.
- Identify and implement daily success habits. Ask yourself “What one thing can I do on a daily basis that would make a tremendous difference in the achievement of my goals?” Think of a few more and begin implementing them. They may be simple things, like proper diet and exercise, or more specific to your sales career like a disciplined regimen of prospecting, practicing your questioning techniques, or choosing to keep better records. Pick anything you want, but always remember to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).
Strategy 6 – Envision the Reward “I will establish my convent with you.” (Genesis 6:18)
- Look to the reward. Any dream worth embarking on and any goal worth pursuing will exact a toll from you. In the challenging times, when you question your own sanity for ever setting out on the path you chose, it helps to remind yourself of the reward of accomplishment. Moses rejected the life of privilege under Pharaoh and chose to suffer affliction with the people of God, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt because he looked to the reward (Hebrews 11:24-26).
- Endure hardship. Just as Jesus endured unspeakable horrors at the hands of those whom He sought to save. He endured it all for the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). Don’t lose sight of reward and don’t feel guilty about wanting the reward. Consider young David before he became king. He inquired three times concerning the reward for killing Goliath before going to battle against him. He was told each time that the reward was great riches, the king’s daughter in marriage and permanent tax-exempt status for him and his family. This does not mean that these were the only things that motivated David, but they clearly held a keen interest for him, and after killing Goliath, he collected on all three promises’
Strategy 7 – Define your Primary Responsibility “Go into the ark; you, your sons, your wife and your sons’ wives with you. And…two of every sort…to keep them alive with you.” (Genesis 6:18-19).
- Don’t lose sight of your original goal. When you’re up to your neck in alligators, it’s hard to you were there t drain the swamp. In the heat of the battle, you lose sight of the original purpose or goal. Understanding that it is can happen and be on the lookout for it.
- Watch out for rabbit trails. This is especially true for visionaries. They rarely see an idea they don’t like and it’s easy for them to get distracted. Keep your primary focus. Focus on the task at hand and don’t look back.
- Avoid worthy looking but not God originated tasks. Everyone is offered business deals, many of which seem good, honorable and worthy enterprise, but if they are not part of your life’s calling and destiny, don’t waste your time. Get rich quick schemes are plentiful, but we must recognize that though our efforts should pay well, money should not be our deciding factor. Diversions will come, so you must do your best to be in the right place at the right at time right time, and then you will be ready for a God-originated opportunity.
Strategy 8 – Count the Cost “take for yourself of all food that is eaten.. for you and for them” (Genesis 6:21)
- Determine your investment ahead of time. If you want to succeed in sales, you’re going to need to invest time, effort and money in the acquisition and refining of your skills and in doing the things most people won’t do that are necessary for success. If you don’t count the cost ahead of time, you may be surprised at what is required to succeed and you may turn back. Noah had to calculate the quantity of food necessary for him and all the animals represented on the ark. It was a big and necessary project, for without counting the cost ahead of time, he could have found himself on a ship with a bunch of starving animals.
- Be prepared to take responsibility for the consequences of your plan being executed. You do your best to count the cost and prepare for the unexpected, but in the end you will be held accountable for your choices. If you attempted more than you are able to achieve, you will only attempt great things. You will find that those who have attempted great things will not be quick to criticize you. Instead, they will come alongside and instruct you from their experience. Accept their seasoned insight.
Strategy 9 – Begin the Work “Noah did according to all that God commanded him” (Genesis 6:22)
- Break the inertia! No matter how good the plan and no matter how substantial your network of contacts, there will be no result unless you get started. In sales, doing the presentation and writing proposals can be a lot of fun, but getting the ball rolling with prospecting can be a very different thing. Most sales managers agree that the biggest challenge they have with their sales reps is breaking their call reluctance. Once a prospect has expressed interest, the flow of the call is much easier. To make breaking the inertia easier, set aside a block of time when you will launch out, then commit yourself to that time frame and step out. Most people only talk of their great ideas. You can’t steer a parked car, so get out on the road and start driving. And always ask God for wisdom.
- Get started. The research was interesting; the planning was fun, now it’s time to get to work. The most difficult thing for me to do in sales was to cold call, so I would set entire days aside to do nothing but that. After a while, my discomfort with the process and my reluctance to make the next call evaporated. I began to enjoy it. If I had to make twenty cold calls to secure one sale and earn a $500 commission, I would tell myself that each “No” I receive actually earned me $25. That put a little pep in my step because I knew there was a direct relationship between activity level and actual results. Soon, I was welcoming the opportunity to cold prospect, but before long, my pipeline filled up and I was spending more time serving customers. My base of customers provides me the leads for new customers and the need for cold prospecting diminished.
- When Paul had a vision of Macedonia, he went there immediately. By getting started now, the difficult tasks become amazing doable. We cannot “monetize” our problems someone said. We must cut the excuses, face our fears and slay the monsters in our way.
Strategy 10 – Adjust to Unfolding Details “take with you seven each of every clean animals, a male and his friend; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female: (Genesis 7:2-3)
- Your circumstances will change. Noah was originally told to bring only two of every animal onto the ark, but then God told him to bring seven of certain species. Apparently it wasn’t a problem but it was a change. In sales, things are always changing. One day it’s a price increase or a new product launch, the next day it’s an aggressive new competitor or your territory has been cut. The game is always changing, but the fundamental principles never change. Dr David Oyedepo said “principles don’t change but priorities may change.” Learn to roll with the changes and adapt quickly. If you don’t, you might find yourself replaced by someone who didn’t know what the old price was or never had a larger territory. Learn to adjust.
- You will never know everything. It is impossible to know the end from the beginning when you start. If you did know, you probably wouldn’t start!
- You can expect the unexpected. Instead of responding to the unexpected with dread, look for the possibilities it represent. You can’t prepare for eventuality, but you can prepare your attitude to handle whatever comes your way. Starts now by determine that you will find the opportunity in every adversity. You win either way. Knowing that the unexpected will come and being prepared emotionally for the challenge will better equip you to complete the task.
Strategy 11 – Execute Faithfully “Noah did according to all the Lord commanded him” (Genesis 7:5)
- Quitters are forgotten. We remember the name of the first man to climb Mt. Everest (Sir Edmund Hillary), not the name of the first man to attempt it. Nehemiah was remembered not because he got financing to rebuild the wall or because of his lofty position as cupbearer to the king. Instead, he was remembered because he oversaw the building and completion of the wall around Jerusalem. If the wall hadn’t been finished the entire project would have counted for nothing.
- Commitment is required. We must be committed to finishing what we start. Jesus said,” No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom” (Luke 9:62). Resist the temptation to quit half way through. It’s one thing to aim for a goal and miss it. It’s quite another to start out towards a goal and then turn back.
Strategy 12 – Share the Reward with Others “God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth” (Genesis 9:1)
- Never forget the source. It is God who gives the power to obtain wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18) He provides the talent and the opportunity. It’s our job to use the talent He has given us on the opportunity (which may be disguised as a problem) He has put before us and to trust Him for the outcome. His purpose in helping us obtain wealth is to establish His covenant on earth. I don’t pretend to understand all the ramifications of that, but one thing is clear it does include feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, helping widows and orphans, and spreading His gospel to the entire world. Think of God as an investment banker and ask yourself what it is about your plan that benefits His agenda? Why should He get excited about your project? What’s in it for him?
QUOTE FOR TODAY
“If you want to be successful, it’s just this simple: know what you are doing, love what you are doing, and believe in what you are doing.” Will Rogers
The account of Noah receiving instructions from God for building the ark serves aas an extraordinary model for strategic planning.
Strategy 1 – Evaluate the Situation. “So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt..” (Genesis 6:12)
- Research the situation-Before proceeding in any endeavor, do your homework! Check things out for yourself. When I was young and had more desire than brains. I sent a man I barely knew to check out a business opportunity. Based on the strength of his report, I committed myself to a business which I knew little about. It turned out that the information he provided was deliberately falsified by him to prove himself an opportunity. It took me time for me to financially recover.
- How thoroughly have you investigated the problem or opportunity you wish to address?-Don’t rely just on one source. One credible source is still only one view. It’s better to have your information confirmed through multiple sources than to put all your eggs in one basket, only to find out the basket has a broken handle.
- Make sure the information you based your decision on is accurate-If you are unsure that your information is accurate, make generous allowances for error or don’t proceed at all. I was asked to do.
Strategy 2 – Make a Decision. “Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” (Genesis 6:13)
- You will never have all the facts-it has been said, “In every person’s lifetime there comes an opportunity to do a very special thing, unique to that person and fitted to his or her talent. What a tragedy if that moment finds the person unprepared and unqualified for that work.” You should prepare yourself for opportunity; analyze the facts as you can accept the reality that you will never have all the information. Sometimes you have to act with less information than you would like. It’s hard to know when you have sufficient facts, so get the counsel of others and search the scripture for any indicators of direction, then make the best decision you can.
- Don’t be snared by the “paralysis of analysis”-In the mid-seventies some had an idea for a real estate magazine, which he thought was a superb concept. I analyzed and eventually did nothing. A few years later, the concept surfaced in his city and ultimately in cities across his country. His paralysis of analysis cost him an opportunity. He discovered that “in the valley of indecision lay the skeletal remains of many a worthy plan.” The bottom line to make a decision is this: don’t rush and don’t delay.
Strategy 3 – Summarize the Vision. “Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.” (Genesis 6:14).
- Before God gave Noah the specifics. He gave him an overview. Do you have an overview of where you are trying to go with your life? Moses had a simple overview of his purpose: to “set my people free,” Nehemiah had a simple understanding of his primary goal: to “rebuild the wall.” Jesus gave an overview of His purpose: to “seek and to save that which was lost.” What’s the overview of your purpose?
- Is your vision clearly defined? If you can’t outline your vision in 25 words or less, you probably don’t understand it. Take time to think through your vision, whether it be your life vision or your vision for specific project, then try summarizing it on the back of a business card. If you can’t do that, it’s probably not clear enough.
- Can others read it and run with it? Ask those who have a stake in your vision if they know what the vision is. See how many people give you the same answer. If you get different answers, you know you’re not communicating clearly and it may be because you haven’t got it clear in your own mind.
Strategy 4 – Establish the Boundaries “the length of the ark shall be 450 feet, its width, 75 feet, and its height 45 feet” (Genesis 6:15)
- Formulate a plan and put it in writing. A goal without a plan is only a dream. When I was new to the selling business, I realized that in order to reach my goals, I would have to accomplish a certain amount of activity. And to accomplish that activity, I was going to have to plan and act differently than I had in the past, I created a simple flowchart of required activity and monitored my progress, knowing that if I had the right things well, I would have the desired result. A simple plan, but it yielded extraordinary results.
- Stay within the sphere of your calling. Not everyone is called to the same position in life, though we are all called to accept the challenge of greatness. Greatness is measured by our service to others. Find a way to out serve your competition and you will be exalted in the market place. Let God give you the promotion, not yourself, lest you find yourself promoted to a position of incompetence. When you step into realm God hasn’t equipped you for, disaster is just around the corner. Sometimes we don’t know the boundaries of our calling until we step outside and find ourselves fighting for survival with no backup in sight. God is gracious and patient and will lead us back to the sphere of our calling.
- Don’t mistake comfort zone for calling. You may be comfortable in your world right now, but that doesn’t mean you are called to remain there. Don’t mistake the lack struggle for the leading of God. In fact, if you’re not experiencing opposition, there’s a good chance you’re headed in the wrong direction! You may be in the center of the sphere of your calling, while simultaneously being in the fight of your life. Without doubt, the Apostle Paul endured much hardship and many trials while functioning within his sphere of calling.
Strategy 5 – Define your Strategy. “make a window for the ark…set the door of the ark in its side…make it with lower, second and third decks” (Genesis 6:16)
- Make your plan a series of steps, which taken individually are manageable. Break your plan into bite-size pieces. Many goals or projects seem overwhelming at the beginning. Break them down into their individual components, then break the components down into individual steps that you can see yourself accomplishing.
- Prioritize the steps. Stand back and look at the big picture. Ask God to help you prioritize then list the steps in the order you will need to accomplish them. Without prioritization, you may find yourself having to redo one or more steps as the project unfolds.
- Identify and implement daily success habits. Ask yourself “What one thing can I do on a daily basis that would make a tremendous difference in the achievement of my goals?” Think of a few more and begin implementing them. They may be simple things, like proper diet and exercise, or more specific to your sales career like a disciplined regimen of prospecting, practicing your questioning techniques, or choosing to keep better records. Pick anything you want, but always remember to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).
Strategy 6 – Envision the Reward “I will establish my convent with you.” (Genesis 6:18)
- Look to the reward. Any dream worth embarking on and any goal worth pursuing will exact a toll from you. In the challenging times, when you question your own sanity for ever setting out on the path you chose, it helps to remind yourself of the reward of accomplishment. Moses rejected the life of privilege under Pharaoh and chose to suffer affliction with the people of God, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt because he looked to the reward (Hebrews 11:24-26).
- Endure hardship. Just as Jesus endured unspeakable horrors at the hands of those whom He sought to save. He endured it all for the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). Don’t lose sight of reward and don’t feel guilty about wanting the reward. Consider young David before he became king. He inquired three times concerning the reward for killing Goliath before going to battle against him. He was told each time that the reward was great riches, the king’s daughter in marriage and permanent tax-exempt status for him and his family. This does not mean that these were the only things that motivated David, but they clearly held a keen interest for him, and after killing Goliath, he collected on all three promises’
Strategy 7 – Define your Primary Responsibility “Go into the ark; you, your sons, your wife and your sons’ wives with you. And…two of every sort…to keep them alive with you.” (Genesis 6:18-19).
- Don’t lose sight of your original goal. When you’re up to your neck in alligators, it’s hard to you were there t drain the swamp. In the heat of the battle, you lose sight of the original purpose or goal. Understanding that it is can happen and be on the lookout for it.
- Watch out for rabbit trails. This is especially true for visionaries. They rarely see an idea they don’t like and it’s easy for them to get distracted. Keep your primary focus. Focus on the task at hand and don’t look back.
- Avoid worthy looking but not God originated tasks. Everyone is offered business deals, many of which seem good, honorable and worthy enterprise, but if they are not part of your life’s calling and destiny, don’t waste your time. Get rich quick schemes are plentiful, but we must recognize that though our efforts should pay well, money should not be our deciding factor. Diversions will come, so you must do your best to be in the right place at the right at time right time, and then you will be ready for a God-originated opportunity.
Strategy 8 – Count the Cost “take for yourself of all food that is eaten.. for you and for them” (Genesis 6:21)
- Determine your investment ahead of time. If you want to succeed in sales, you’re going to need to invest time, effort and money in the acquisition and refining of your skills and in doing the things most people won’t do that are necessary for success. If you don’t count the cost ahead of time, you may be surprised at what is required to succeed and you may turn back. Noah had to calculate the quantity of food necessary for him and all the animals represented on the ark. It was a big and necessary project, for without counting the cost ahead of time, he could have found himself on a ship with a bunch of starving animals.
- Be prepared to take responsibility for the consequences of your plan being executed. You do your best to count the cost and prepare for the unexpected, but in the end you will be held accountable for your choices. If you attempted more than you are able to achieve, you will only attempt great things. You will find that those who have attempted great things will not be quick to criticize you. Instead, they will come alongside and instruct you from their experience. Accept their seasoned insight.
Strategy 9 – Begin the Work “Noah did according to all that God commanded him” (Genesis 6:22)
- Break the inertia! No matter how good the plan and no matter how substantial your network of contacts, there will be no result unless you get started. In sales, doing the presentation and writing proposals can be a lot of fun, but getting the ball rolling with prospecting can be a very different thing. Most sales managers agree that the biggest challenge they have with their sales reps is breaking their call reluctance. Once a prospect has expressed interest, the flow of the call is much easier. To make breaking the inertia easier, set aside a block of time when you will launch out, then commit yourself to that time frame and step out. Most people only talk of their great ideas. You can’t steer a parked car, so get out on the road and start driving. And always ask God for wisdom.
- Get started. The research was interesting; the planning was fun, now it’s time to get to work. The most difficult thing for me to do in sales was to cold call, so I would set entire days aside to do nothing but that. After a while, my discomfort with the process and my reluctance to make the next call evaporated. I began to enjoy it. If I had to make twenty cold calls to secure one sale and earn a $500 commission, I would tell myself that each “No” I receive actually earned me $25. That put a little pep in my step because I knew there was a direct relationship between activity level and actual results. Soon, I was welcoming the opportunity to cold prospect, but before long, my pipeline filled up and I was spending more time serving customers. My base of customers provides me the leads for new customers and the need for cold prospecting diminished.
- When Paul had a vision of Macedonia, he went there immediately. By getting started now, the difficult tasks become amazing doable. We cannot “monetize” our problems someone said. We must cut the excuses, face our fears and slay the monsters in our way.
Strategy 10 – Adjust to Unfolding Details “take with you seven each of every clean animals, a male and his friend; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female: (Genesis 7:2-3)
- Your circumstances will change. Noah was originally told to bring only two of every animal onto the ark, but then God told him to bring seven of certain species. Apparently it wasn’t a problem but it was a change. In sales, things are always changing. One day it’s a price increase or a new product launch, the next day it’s an aggressive new competitor or your territory has been cut. The game is always changing, but the fundamental principles never change. Dr David Oyedepo said “principles don’t change but priorities may change.” Learn to roll with the changes and adapt quickly. If you don’t, you might find yourself replaced by someone who didn’t know what the old price was or never had a larger territory. Learn to adjust.
- You will never know everything. It is impossible to know the end from the beginning when you start. If you did know, you probably wouldn’t start!
- You can expect the unexpected. Instead of responding to the unexpected with dread, look for the possibilities it represent. You can’t prepare for eventuality, but you can prepare your attitude to handle whatever comes your way. Starts now by determine that you will find the opportunity in every adversity. You win either way. Knowing that the unexpected will come and being prepared emotionally for the challenge will better equip you to complete the task.
Strategy 11 – Execute Faithfully “Noah did according to all the Lord commanded him” (Genesis 7:5)
- Quitters are forgotten. We remember the name of the first man to climb Mt. Everest (Sir Edmund Hillary), not the name of the first man to attempt it. Nehemiah was remembered not because he got financing to rebuild the wall or because of his lofty position as cupbearer to the king. Instead, he was remembered because he oversaw the building and completion of the wall around Jerusalem. If the wall hadn’t been finished the entire project would have counted for nothing.
- Commitment is required. We must be committed to finishing what we start. Jesus said,” No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom” (Luke 9:62). Resist the temptation to quit half way through. It’s one thing to aim for a goal and miss it. It’s quite another to start out towards a goal and then turn back.
Strategy 12 – Share the Reward with Others “God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth” (Genesis 9:1)
- Never forget the source. It is God who gives the power to obtain wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18) He provides the talent and the opportunity. It’s our job to use the talent He has given us on the opportunity (which may be disguised as a problem) He has put before us and to trust Him for the outcome. His purpose in helping us obtain wealth is to establish His covenant on earth. I don’t pretend to understand all the ramifications of that, but one thing is clear it does include feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, helping widows and orphans, and spreading His gospel to the entire world. Think of God as an investment banker and ask yourself what it is about your plan that benefits His agenda? Why should He get excited about your project? What’s in it for him?
QUOTE FOR TODAY
“If you want to be successful, it’s just this simple: know what you are doing, love what you are doing, and believe in what you are doing.” Will Rogers
OPPORTUNITIES ARE GUIDED BY PROBLEMS
Albert Einstein said, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” This principle of opportunity knocking at the least likely moment is something that must be learned by firsthand experience. You can take someone’s word for it, but when it happens to you, it’s a revelation that you will never forget.
Opportunity 1 - Every situation, properly perceived, becomes an opportunity.
Did you hear about the employee who used to walk his dog in the woods? By the end of the walk, the dog’s fur would be full of burns, stuck securely in the tiny hairs. One day he looked closely at the annoying little burrs and saw something truly inspiring. As a result, he invented what we now call Velcro!
Another employee apparently had a bad day in the glue factory and had made up what everyone thought was a bad batch of glue. The problem was that it had only marginal stickiness. A little thought into the matter and “sticky notes” were born!
Another gentleman, who sold potato chips to grocery store chains, was having marginal success in getting the store to allocate much shelf space for his product. One day his daughter came home from school with her science project. She had to go in the forest and collect leaves from the various species of deciduous trees, and when she returned, she had the leaves neatly stacked one upon the other. It gave him an idea that would change the balance of power in the potato chip wars. He came up with the idea for stacking potato chips in a can. The can took up less space than bulky bags filled with air and he was able to get more products in the smaller space than his competition. The wave of Pringles was born!
Opportunity 2 – Improve skills removes barriers, while shifting paradigms moves mountains.
You can wait for something to come along to shift your paradigm, but chances are you won’t like it, or you can artificially shift your paradigm to help you see other options. Though some artificial shifting of paradigms may appear silly to some, the effects are helpful. For example, when I was selling printers I would sometimes ask my self what I would do if I got a call from a kidnapper who had kidnapped my wife. I would then tell myself that the ransom was of the day and it had to be within normal profit margins and no one could know about the kidnapping. Failure was not an option, so I came up with prospects who I hadn’t thought of in months and other opportunities that might be worth pursuing. I would then go after those opportunities like my life depend on it, and regardless of whether I made a sale that day, I got myself out of any ruts and started the pipeline moving again. Try shifting your paradigms artificially. You might be surprised what you come up with.
Opportunity 3 – The bigger the problem, the greater the opportunity.
Here is a testimony of someone whose first daughter was born with a down’s syndrome and a sizable hole in her heart. They didn’t tell us any of this until we had her home for a few days and being new parents we really didn’t know anything was wrong. When I finally found out, I was devastated! It completely took the wind out of my sails. For me, it was especially frightening because it was the only thing that I knew I feared might happen to me, and it did.
Suddenly, I was parent of one beautiful but handicapped little baby girl. Early one morning I laid her on the living room floor and just looked at her while I asked God for His perspective on things. Immediately I realized that God loved me regardless of my level of perfection, or lack thereof. He loved me unconditionally and I had no right to do any less for my daughter. Second, I realized that this trial felt as though someone had taken a backhoe and dug a huge hole in my heart. I knew the hole would fill with water. The question for me was. “Am I going to let it make me better or make me better?” I chose the latter. I believe that the adversity had the potential to give us wisdom beyond our years if we would embrace the package it came in. So I embraced my little one and cherished each and every day of the eighteen months we had her. She died six days before Christmas in 1979 and great was the loss of her beautiful life.
Opportunity 4 – You rarely exceed your own expectations.
I often tell salesmen not to let their company limit them with their sales quota. Always set your own expectations and reach for those. The computer company I worked for used to have sales quota of four major orders per month, though the national average was 3.2 per month. I set my goal for twenty orders per month, and though I never hit it, nobody ever got upset with me for getting twelve to sixteen orders in a month. Before my first year was over I was asked to be a manager, so I never got to hit my goal and often I wished I had stayed on a little longer just so I could have hit the goal.
Another example was Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. He was going for a world record and a goal medal in the long jump. On his first attempt he committed a foot fault and had to try again. He committed a similar fault the second time and only had one more opportunity to jump. He slowly walked down to where he would need to land to win the gold medal and placed a red scarf on the sand, and then slowly walked back to the starting point. Unbeknownst to him, his coach kicked the scarf a foot further. Jesse took a good run and jumped without committing a foot fault, landing right on the scarf, a full foot further than was necessary to win the gold and set a world record. I can’t prove it, but I bet he would have landed on the scarf if his coach hadn’t moved it because you rarely exceed your own expectations.
Opportunity 5 – Others see us the way we see ourselves.
When the twelve spies returned from their reconnaissance mission in Canaan, ten of the spies from were spooked by the giants and said, “We were like grasshoppers in our own sight” (Numbers 13:33). They saw themselves as grasshoppers, so the people of the land saw them that way too! If you walk into a room with a confident, successful individual, others are more likely to see you in the same light also. Learn to see yourself the way God sees you. If you don’t know how He sees you, consider what He did for you in the work of the cross. You will find that the father has a profound love for you and created you with a destiny. Get a hold of that and carry that perspective into the day!
QUOTE FOR TODAY
“Each problem I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems.” – Rene Descartes
Opportunity 1 - Every situation, properly perceived, becomes an opportunity.
Did you hear about the employee who used to walk his dog in the woods? By the end of the walk, the dog’s fur would be full of burns, stuck securely in the tiny hairs. One day he looked closely at the annoying little burrs and saw something truly inspiring. As a result, he invented what we now call Velcro!
Another employee apparently had a bad day in the glue factory and had made up what everyone thought was a bad batch of glue. The problem was that it had only marginal stickiness. A little thought into the matter and “sticky notes” were born!
Another gentleman, who sold potato chips to grocery store chains, was having marginal success in getting the store to allocate much shelf space for his product. One day his daughter came home from school with her science project. She had to go in the forest and collect leaves from the various species of deciduous trees, and when she returned, she had the leaves neatly stacked one upon the other. It gave him an idea that would change the balance of power in the potato chip wars. He came up with the idea for stacking potato chips in a can. The can took up less space than bulky bags filled with air and he was able to get more products in the smaller space than his competition. The wave of Pringles was born!
Opportunity 2 – Improve skills removes barriers, while shifting paradigms moves mountains.
You can wait for something to come along to shift your paradigm, but chances are you won’t like it, or you can artificially shift your paradigm to help you see other options. Though some artificial shifting of paradigms may appear silly to some, the effects are helpful. For example, when I was selling printers I would sometimes ask my self what I would do if I got a call from a kidnapper who had kidnapped my wife. I would then tell myself that the ransom was of the day and it had to be within normal profit margins and no one could know about the kidnapping. Failure was not an option, so I came up with prospects who I hadn’t thought of in months and other opportunities that might be worth pursuing. I would then go after those opportunities like my life depend on it, and regardless of whether I made a sale that day, I got myself out of any ruts and started the pipeline moving again. Try shifting your paradigms artificially. You might be surprised what you come up with.
Opportunity 3 – The bigger the problem, the greater the opportunity.
Here is a testimony of someone whose first daughter was born with a down’s syndrome and a sizable hole in her heart. They didn’t tell us any of this until we had her home for a few days and being new parents we really didn’t know anything was wrong. When I finally found out, I was devastated! It completely took the wind out of my sails. For me, it was especially frightening because it was the only thing that I knew I feared might happen to me, and it did.
Suddenly, I was parent of one beautiful but handicapped little baby girl. Early one morning I laid her on the living room floor and just looked at her while I asked God for His perspective on things. Immediately I realized that God loved me regardless of my level of perfection, or lack thereof. He loved me unconditionally and I had no right to do any less for my daughter. Second, I realized that this trial felt as though someone had taken a backhoe and dug a huge hole in my heart. I knew the hole would fill with water. The question for me was. “Am I going to let it make me better or make me better?” I chose the latter. I believe that the adversity had the potential to give us wisdom beyond our years if we would embrace the package it came in. So I embraced my little one and cherished each and every day of the eighteen months we had her. She died six days before Christmas in 1979 and great was the loss of her beautiful life.
Opportunity 4 – You rarely exceed your own expectations.
I often tell salesmen not to let their company limit them with their sales quota. Always set your own expectations and reach for those. The computer company I worked for used to have sales quota of four major orders per month, though the national average was 3.2 per month. I set my goal for twenty orders per month, and though I never hit it, nobody ever got upset with me for getting twelve to sixteen orders in a month. Before my first year was over I was asked to be a manager, so I never got to hit my goal and often I wished I had stayed on a little longer just so I could have hit the goal.
Another example was Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. He was going for a world record and a goal medal in the long jump. On his first attempt he committed a foot fault and had to try again. He committed a similar fault the second time and only had one more opportunity to jump. He slowly walked down to where he would need to land to win the gold medal and placed a red scarf on the sand, and then slowly walked back to the starting point. Unbeknownst to him, his coach kicked the scarf a foot further. Jesse took a good run and jumped without committing a foot fault, landing right on the scarf, a full foot further than was necessary to win the gold and set a world record. I can’t prove it, but I bet he would have landed on the scarf if his coach hadn’t moved it because you rarely exceed your own expectations.
Opportunity 5 – Others see us the way we see ourselves.
When the twelve spies returned from their reconnaissance mission in Canaan, ten of the spies from were spooked by the giants and said, “We were like grasshoppers in our own sight” (Numbers 13:33). They saw themselves as grasshoppers, so the people of the land saw them that way too! If you walk into a room with a confident, successful individual, others are more likely to see you in the same light also. Learn to see yourself the way God sees you. If you don’t know how He sees you, consider what He did for you in the work of the cross. You will find that the father has a profound love for you and created you with a destiny. Get a hold of that and carry that perspective into the day!
QUOTE FOR TODAY
“Each problem I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems.” – Rene Descartes
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