"I wish I would have ______."

"Can you imagine if I would have ______! Things would be so much different for me!"

I know this is a question we often say. In fact I bet that we "say" it all the time, more than we even would care to acknowledge. It's not just what you speak, but it's in your actions as well and of course action speaks louder than words. When ever you say something like "That's just not for me" or "I couldn't do that, it's not my personality" or "I can't do those things", essentially you are stating that question . . . only it's a statement. Catch it, if you say things like that are, you not telling yourself that you cannot do that? Did somebody else tell you that you couldn't do that? Either way, decide not to listen to whoever it is that is telling you that you can't do that. You are going to have to be prepared to piss off somebody every now and again because you didn't take there advice. Chances are that it's you that you'll be pissing off so get over it and go do it. I challenge you to ask that question of yourself again. This time think about your answer and from where it originates. It probably has some big roots in fear. Minimize and move past that fear and get to the answer and make it real.

New Glasses

Everybody has a point of view. These points of view are shaped by our life experiences as well as experiences of people that are close to us, not to mention the media on the peripheral. Consider these experiences to be your "glasses". The way you see the world around you is a direct reflection of what is on the inside of you. I had the opportunity this evening to learn more about this concept first hand.

I was checking in at a hotel in Tucson. As I was checking in, a guy came up beside me at the counter. He was not menacing or anything, but he was definitely in my personal space and looking directly at my ID and credit card as the front desk agent was checking me in. I reached across the counter and turned the ID and card over and asked him to step back a little. He then unleashed a torrent of comments about race and how I, as a white man, had only done that because he was black. Now, if you know me at all, you know just how ridiculous this is. I could not believe that I was being blamed for all that was wrong with this country, racially anyway, by this man. All I wanted was for some random person not to be looking over my transaction which does involve personal identification and financial records. I really could care less what color that person is. Personal space is personal space and he should have stayed out of mine.

The lesson I learned here is this. It became instantly evident that this man sees with his "race glasses". While I was seeing with my "personal space glasses". Everything this man sees has racial implications, you can be sure. Taking an instance so far out of context is the biggest sign of what type of "glasses" someone is wearing. Losing control of your emotions at the drop of a hat like that and threatening to "beat someones @$$ if they were back in college for that" is a tell tale sign of how this man in particular views his circumstances. Let us take a look at this kind of thinking:

1: Blame- He sees what is happening to him, or around him, as the fault of someone else. This person will not take responsibility for his own actions.
2: Narcissism- He thinks this is all about him. And of course, only the way he feels (which is a result of how he sees things) is important here. No other valid points of view are relevant at all, they are not even heard.
3: Racism- Somewhere in this mans past, there is a sad event that took place. He now views every situation in relation to that one (perhaps multiple) incidents from earlier in his life.
4: Incompetence- The kind of outburst displayed this evening can be partially attributed to this persons incompetence in other areas of his life. Perhaps he thinks he should be the one getting the big pay raise or whatever, just like this situation, he is incompetent in the area of emotional control. There is always somebody out-doing him.

In conclusion, try to take notice what kind of "glasses" you are wearing. If you don't like the things you are seeing, or even worse, everyone around you is running like rats from a ship away from you, it is probably time to change the glasses. It is really easy to do with a little effort. Just get into the routine of learning more about how you want to see things. In the example above, this man could take a look at some of the monumental positive changes in race relations this country has experienced in the last 2 decades alone. It's my belief that the passing of each day, people are getting negative issues of race out of their "glasses". It is less important now as it ever has been. Are there exceptions to the rule? You bet. So what, don't see the world through their glasses. Am I a bit to ahead of what is really going on out there? Maybe, but I will tell you this - race has no part of how I view people or what they do or how they do it. I don't even see the racism because I refuse to let it into my life. If you wish to eradicate racism, then refuse to see it. Simple as that.

I hope this was helpful to someone out there. I know for me, it was an invaluable lesson to learn. Whenever you talk to someone, try to figure out what kind of "glasses" they're wearing. I am a little sad for this man, he gets to wake up tomorrow and the rest of his life with those glasses on. Sad, sad, sad. Pray for that man, I know I am.

So, What's Next?

Have you ever had an idea that you thought would be so great that its a wonder the world has gotten along so far without it? Have you had the complete process worked out in your head, from beginning to end, from start-up to the final product? It seems lighting fast, the power of that one seed of an idea. How many of those ideas have you had? How many have you made into a reality? First let me address one thing, if you haven't had "ideas" then you have got to get out of your thought routine and get some kind of creative influence in your life. "Well, I just can't think creatively." B.S.! Just like anything else, if you exercise it, it will grow. Exercise your creativity through music, drawing, painting, singing, whatever it takes. Even if you are horrible at it you can at least start. The point here is to get your mind thinking in a wider array of thoughts and ideas. If you need further help in this area you may give me a call and I'll help any way I can. Okay, now that we've handled that, let's move on to the meat of this dinner shall we? Now, you've had ideas, probably hundreds, like this and you've nothing to show for it. Do you know that God has made you a steward over all that He has given to you? Do you know He gave you those ideas? What have you done with them? Just like money or volunteering at a charity, your ideas are the expression of God's presence in your life. If you are not doing something with those gifts, then you can rest assured somebody else will pick it up and run with it. Why? God gave you freedom of choice, to do and not to do. He broadcasts ideas out that He wants accomplished until somebody feels "called" to follow it through. Now that you know this, I would expect that you will be more inclined to act on the next one. How do you act on it though? All your circumstances might tell you that you're too broke or don't have enough education or that your hair is too curly. You'd better get over yourself and get moving! Speaking of hair, have you seen Donald Trump's hair? Could you imagine that stopping him? No, I don't think so. Okay, so you may now ask "How do I make my idea into a reality?". Are you ready for this? It is going to blow your socks right off of your feet, you may even want to be near a restroom when you read this in case you make a mess! READY?................................




Simply do what's next. Maybe what is next is calling somebody who has a specific knowledge about a product type you wish to develop. Who knows for sure exactly what "next" is, I'll tell you it doesn't even matter as long as you do something towards the attainment of the realization of that idea. Start with a patent search on Google. Go to the library, you know, where they store books that you can borrow. Call the Small Business Association, talk to somebody who has experience, somebody you trust of course. The theme here is just to do what's next. There will always be a "what's next". Find out what it is and do it.

On The Level

If you want to grow in any area of your life, you will be required to look at yourself very closely. What are you going to look for? I would suggest you look for the things that stand between you and where you desire to go. If you are looking for excuses then you are missing the point. It is okay to see the excuses but, you have got to find a way to get past them. Identifying them is only the first step. Your next step is to acknowledge that you are the only one that can change it. Here is an example in my own life. I recognize that my mind tends to wonder from subject to subject and seemingly all over the place. This is valuable tool for me because it enables me to attack objectives at many different angles . . . if I remain focused. If I allow it to run rampant, without any sort of boundaries or self imposed guidelines, then I can get distracted very easily. This came up just the other day when I had an idea for a new business venture. I'd thought of all the aspects of it from the first call for the licensing that would be required to the time when I would sell it as a franchise. All of this took about 2 days of thought and planning. And for what? After all that, I came to realize that business, while it will be enormously successful, would be a massive distraction to my real objective in life. At least for now. My objective in life is more important to me than that business. All I had to do was to line it up with that objective and see if they would compliment each other. They same can be done with you. First identify what your objective is, then eliminate with extreme prejudice all that stands as a distraction to your attainment of that objective. Just make sure that your objective stands to better the lives of others. Take a look at the visual aid for a better look at what I'm trying to convey.

Living "Lesson Minded"

In life there are things happening all around us, to us, and by us. How do you look at those things? What do you see when you observe something taking place? Are you seeing whatever is happening as just an event or a circumstance? When you watch a movie, are you just being entertained or are you looking for something important to take away from it, a lesson to be learned? Here is an exercise that will add value to whatever it is that you see happening around you. Start looking for "lessons" in everything you see. For example, when you watch an interaction between two people, you will see all kinds of things that will help you to become a better person. Start with noticing who is the dominating force of that interaction. Why are they the dominating force? Is it positive or negative? What do you notice that will help you to interact with others more effectively and efficiently? Maybe you are seeing things that are turn-offs in their interaction. Make note and try avoiding such things in your next interaction. Take the good lessons with you and let them add to you. Take the bad and get rid of it from your life.

Fear part 1

Fear: (as defined on dictionary.com) 1. a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.

I am going to break this study on fear and how it applies to your life into several parts. The first part we will examine the meaning of "fear". We know for a fact that if you do not understand the definition of a word, then you cannot use it to your advantage. When you grasp the meaning of a word, it loses it's power to control various parts of your life anonymously, as a mysterious force. Once you know, you can control, it is knowledge and it's application that will gain increase in your world. In Hosea 4:6 we learn "my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.". So, gain knowledge.

As defined above in the first paragraph, we can see that fear is an emotion. You would be wise to study on your own about how to take control of you emotions. The fear that you carry around with you in your daily life is there because some external event, suggestion, experience, or even a story that somebody shared with you. It is designed to protect you from harm. If most of what we actually fear can be looked at objectively, with solid facts to support it, with emotions set aside, we will often find that fear has no base at all for operating in our lives. It's roots are often deep in our subconscious mind and are a default setting for decisions we make every day.

Look at this example of fear controlling somebody's life, every day. In Arizona, we have more photo enforcement cameras than exist in all the rest of America. They are at all major intersections, on the freeways, on the arterial roads and even in some neighborhoods. I know a person who feared so much being caught running the red light at these intersections. That fear of getting caught running the light caused their mind to seek a solution to this problem. That solution was to speed through the intersection as fast as possible, white-knuckled and gazing at the light to ensure that it didn't turn red. Some weeks later, this person received a citation in the mail for speeding through that intersection, with some wonderful portraits and video showing the offense. Now, this person, avoids intersections with cameras at every opportunity. Routes to a fro have been changed, time to get to and fro has changed. This fear while having some kind of real foundation, through experience, is now a part of this persons life. The decision of which way to go is made before the car is even started and headed for the destination. This fear controls a part of their life everyday.

What "photo enforcement cameras" are laying out the route for your life? What do you avoid everyday and why is it that you avoid it? What fear has kept you from your real desires? I will bet with absolute certainty that you know what it is because I know what mine is. Even the act of thinking of that which we fear causes your heart to race and your mind to look for a way around it. That is a power over your life that you have got to gain control of.

Line up with God

When you communicate with God, it is by definition, the communion between two parties; you and God. It is a time when He listens to you and in turn, you listen to Him. It is also a time for Him to direct your way to make you prosperous. When you ask something of God, you had better make sure that it lines up with His will for your life and that it does not contradict what you are set out to accomplish. That is basic knowledge right there. Think of it like this; if I were trying to lose weight or get in better shape, I would be contradicting my purpose in that situation to go out and load up on a gloriously delicious Snickers ice cream bar. Does that line up with what you are trying to accomplish? God is not an enabler. He will correct you when you need correcting and reward you when obedience to Him is shown. He may not tell you directly not to have that Snickers bar but, He probably has an arched eyebrow and a puzzled look on His face. Why? It is because you know better, you know that what you are doing is outside of the parameters that are conducive to weight loss. Just like in that example, you can utilize that communion with Him to get where you need to go, where you are designed to go. When you ask, do yourself and God a favor, be specific. If you say "God, increase my territory!", He will comply but because you weren't specific, your increase was barely recognizable. Why? You gave a vague request, you got a vague return. Ask like this, "Lord, I expect that you will enlarge my territory, to bring in 7 new clients today.". That is specific, when you are specific you give God something tangible to work with. He operates out of the spiritual to create that which we see in the physical. BE SPECIFIC, I dare you.