One day, a professor entered his classroom and asked his students to prepare for a surprise test. They all waited anxiously at their desks for the exam to begin.
The professor handed out the exams with the text facing down, as usual. Once he handed them all out, he asked the students to turn over the papers.
To everyone’s surprise, there were no questions–just a black dot in the center of the paper. The professor, seeing the expression on everyone’s faces, told them the following:
“I want you to write about what you see there.”
The students, confused, got started on the inexplicable task.
At the end of the class, the professor took all the exams and started reading each one of them out loud in front of all the students. All of them, with no exception, defined the black dot, trying to explain its position in the center of the sheet.
After all had been read, the classroom silent, the professor started to explain:
“I’m not going to grade you on this, I just wanted to give you something to think about. No one wrote about the white part of the paper. Everyone focused on the black dot – and the same thing happens in our lives.
However, we insist on focusing only on the black dot – the health issues that bother us, the lack of money, the complicated relationship with a family member, and the disappointment with a friend.
The dark spots are very small when compared to everything we have in our lives, but they are the ones that pollute our minds. Take your eyes away from the black dots in your lives.
Enjoy each one of your blessings, each moment that life gives you.
Praying to Our Heavenly Father that He sends His angels as a hedge of protection around each of you and your families and that you have a happy and fantastic weekend as well.
Years ago, there was an older guy who was broke. Now that may not seem unusual as this happens way too often. However, at 65 years of age, living in a tiny house, driving an old jalopy, and living off of his Social Security check of $99 he decided that he had better change things.
He pondered what he could offer to sell and the only thing that came to mind was a recipe he used when he cooked. His buddies seemed to like the taste of it, so he thought “Why not?”
He left home and began traveling over his neck of the woods. He even traveled over several states trying to convince restaurant owners to try his concoction.
He offered to give them the recipe for free as well! Just give him a small percentage on what they sold. I mean c’mon, what did they have to lose? He went to cafés, to restaurants, to lunch places all in the hopes of getting someone to agree to give his recipe a try. He heard “No” over 1,000 times! Amazingly though he didn’t give up. He thought his recipe was that good. Actually, he heard No 1,009 times before someone said “Okay!”
When you’re in sales, you know the importance of persistence. If you TRULY believe in your product, you just know that there is someone, somewhere who will want what you have to offer. Of course, you want a lot of people to want what you have to offer but the next time you feel dejected, angry, down, depressed, well you get the idea….
I hope you’ll remember this little story because the old man that was rejected 1,000+ times changed the way Americans eat chicken. Colonel Harland Sanders believed that his recipe could catch on and he believed it so strongly that it did!
I hope that from now on when you see his face up on display at Kentucky Fried Chicken – KFC – you’ll remember to never give up and to ALWAYS believe in yourself no matter how many No’s you hear! Have a blessed day..............
There was once a King who had a wise advisor. The advisor followed the King everywhere, and his favorite advice was, “Everything happens for good”.
One day the King went hunting and had a little accident. He shot an arrow at his own foot and was injured. He asked the advisor what he thought about the accident, to which the advisor replied, “Everything happens for good”. This time the King was really upset and ordered for his advisor to be put in prison. The King asked his advisor, “Now, what do you think?” The advisor again replied, “Everything happens for good”. So, the advisor remained in prison.
The King later went on a hunting trip, this time without the advisor. The King was then captured by some cannibals. He was taken to the cannibals' camp where he was to be the evening meal for the cannibals. Before putting him into the cooking pot he was thoroughly inspected. The cannibals saw the wound on the King’s foot and decided to throw him back into the jungle. According to the cannibals' tradition, they would not eat anything that was imperfect. As a result, the King was spared.
The King suddenly realized what his advisor said was true. The advisor also escaped death because had he not been in prison, he would have followed the King on the hunting trip, and would have ended up in the cooking pot.
When you look back at the events of your life, you will notice that everything happened to bring you where you are today. If you look hard enough, you will find that it happened for your good. You are a better person because of the trials, unexpected turns, and disappointments. Enjoy every moment granted to you by God. And know that no matter what – things truly happen for your good……..Have a blessed day!
I find it amazing that we’ve just passed the 4th of July! It seems that last week it was Easter and just a few weeks ago was Christmas. Yet, we are now closer to Christmas 2022 than we are to Christmas 2021! That seems crazy! As we grow older, time will seem to go even faster.
How you utilize that time, therefore, is one of the most important decisions you make in life. Yet, it is so easy to “put off until tomorrow” the dreams you hold in your heart today.
The warp-speed pace of today’s living gives all of us an easy way out. We can put off our aspirations in order to cope with our everyday tasks. Personally, I find this to be especially true in exercising. As each month goes by, I find myself becoming busier and busier.
I try to prioritize between “what I want to do” and “what I must do”. Now, instead of working out 6 days a week (as I’ve done for many years), I am relegated to 3, and if I’m really on top of things, 4 times a week! It’s easy to tell ourselves that we will find time to pursue our dreams after we have accomplished our lesser goals. Usually, it’s our fears that keep us from plunging into any greater works, as we view failure as a real possibility.
Why can’t we realize that we can gain knowledge, fortitude, and determination in times of failure? It’s these experiences that should spur us on in furthering our goals. “It’s too late” can drain you of your power to attain those ambitious goals. Don’t be concerned with the idea that you are inadequate, unworthy, or undeserving. You were born for greatness! The only person that can talk you out of that is….you! When you affirm yourself by saying, “I intend to do” or “I intend to have”, you will be empowered to reach out and decisively change your mindset.
A positive attitude will enable you to overcome your deficiencies or lack of self-belief, worthiness, and self-confidence. The real truth of the matter is in KNOWING you will achieve the outcome you desire. Whatever you aim to accomplish in life, you will achieve it more quickly, when you seize the day! The Romans spoke that phrase – “Carpe Diem”. All of life’s joy, passion, and contentment can be yours. You only need to remind yourself that there is nothing that stands between you and attainment. Now is the time. It’s up to you.
Know that God is on your side. You are here for a purpose -NEVER DOUBT THAT! Fulfill your life’s purpose by allowing God to mold you into the very best you can be!
Have a blessed day and a productive week……….
Yesterday I wrote about forgiveness. I also wrote that I would share a story, one that I know will resonate with you, about what forgiveness takes. Herewith is an excerpt from my book, "Chrysalis: Awakening to God's Path, Protection, and Power in Our Lives" due out later this summer. The amazing realization is that it is true........
Corrie ten Boom and her family became involved in the Resistance efforts in the Netherlands during the Second World War. Along with her sister Betsie and her father Casper, Corrie decided to hide Jews in their home in Haarlem. As Christians, their conscientious’ would not allow them to stand idly by, feeling that persecuting the Jews was an affront to God.
In 1944, a few years after they began their defiance of the Nazis they were arrested and imprisoned. In September of that year, Corrie and Betsie were sent to the Concentration Camp at RAVENSBRUCK in Germany where Betsie died that December. A few days after her sister died Corrie was, incredibly, released.
In a camp, people were just not “released” – at least not in a physical sense – but due to a “clerical error” that is exactly what happened. Corrie, who died in 1983, devoted the remainder of her life to spreading the message of God’s Mercy and grace. After the war, she returned to Germany to declare Christ’s love for a broken world.
Carrie's own words, she recalled the following: “It was 1947 and I’d come from Holland to defeat Germany with the message that God forgives. It was the truth that they needed most to hear in that bitter, bombed-out land, and I gave them my favorite mental picture. Maybe because the sea is never far from Hollander’s mind, I liked to think that that’s where forgiven sins were thrown.”
“When we confess our sins,” I said, “God casts them into the deepest ocean, gone forever, and even though I cannot find a scripture for it, I believe God then places a sign out there that says ‘NO FISHING ALLOWED’.” “The solemn faces stared back at me, not quite daring to believe. And that’s when I saw him working his way forward against the others. One moment I saw the overcoat and the brown hat; the next, a blue uniform and a cap with skull and crossbones.
It came back with a rush, the huge room with its harsh overhead lights, the pathetic pile of dresses and shoes in the center of the floor, the shame of walking naked past this man. I could see my sister’s frail form ahead of me, ribs sharp beneath the parchment skin. “Betsie, how thin you were!” That place was Ravensbruck, and the man who was making his way forward had been a guard – one of the cruelest guards.
“Now he was in front of me, hand thrust out: “A fine message, Fraulein! How good it is to know that, as you say, all our sins are at the bottom of the sea!”
Forgiveness is one of the most difficult feelings to offer. I say 'feelings' because on personal level money or goods are not exchanged. When someone hurts you, or someone you love on a nuclear level, it takes more than saying "Aw, shucks" and forgetting about it. This is the rest of Corrie's ten Booms story that began yesterday. I myself have often wondered "Could I have done what she did?".............
“And I, who had spoken so glibly of forgiveness fumbled in my pocketbook rather than take that hand. He would not remember me, of course, how could he remember one prisoner among those thousands of women? “But I remembered him. I was face-to-face with one of my captors and my blood seemed to freeze. “You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk” he was saying. “I was a guard there.” No, he did not remember me. “But since that time” he went on “I have become a Christian.
I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well, Fraulein.” again the hand came out “will you forgive me?” “And I stood there, I whose sins had again and again been forgiven and could not forgive. Betsie had died in that place. Could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking?
It could have been seconds that he stood there hand held out, but to me, it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do. “For I had to do it I knew that. The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us. “If you do not forgive men their trespasses,” Jesus says “Neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” And still, I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart. “But forgiveness is not an emotion I knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. “Jesus help me!” I prayed silently.
I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling. “And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust out my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulders, raced down my arm, and sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes. “I forgive you, brother!” I cried. “With all my heart!”
For a long moment, we grasped each other’s hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God’s love so intensely, as I did then. But even then, I realized it was not my love. I had tried and did not have the power. It was the power of the Holy Spirit.” Corrie ten Boom went on to touch millions of lives, a living testament of one who’d literally been through Hell on Earth and what God can do when you ask for His guidance.
As most of you know, I am a Certified Fitness Trainer as well as a Certified Life Coach. Now some may wonder why to be certified in both. Actually, there are, in my opinion very significant reasons. Let me share them. When someone begins to weightlift or Cardio train for that matter, it is important, to begin with, the fundamentals. When I weight-train someone, I have them start with a broomstick! Why, because it’s important to learn and maintain good form.
At times I’ve noticed that trainers at a fitness gym will pile on the weight on a newbie or have them exhaust themselves doing cardio. That never made sense to me. Human beings are motivated by two basic instincts – and everything boils down to these two – pain and pleasure. Most of us will strive for pleasure (whatever that pleasurable experience happens to be) but all humans will do anything to avoid pain! Think of a toothache. The cavity hurts but most people will avoid going to the dentist until the pain becomes unbearable.
You just don’t continue to live in pain if you are physically able to correct the situation. When the newcomer to the gym goes home, lactic acid begins to build up in the muscles used. They were, for want of a better word, beat up by their ‘trainer’. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) becomes prevalent and they, like most, say -forget this!! And never return to the gym! Now, if they were taught to use an empty bar, or they were given a certain number of seconds on a cardio machine, they will build up gradually, increase their stamina as well as the poundage and eventually increase muscle mass. This is known as foundational work. That is learning to do the move the right way as well as the smartest way. This is the most intelligent way.
Now, let me ask you to replace the word weightlifting with selling. Handing over a bunch of house accounts or new leads to someone just entering the business is a recipe for disaster – unless they have been foundationally prepared for selling. Learning sales is a calling. It becomes art and eventually becomes a way of life. But this all is possible by learning, and expanding upon, the basics. In other words, foundational.
The crazy thing is that many who have been in business for a long time sometimes begin to take shortcuts again. The methods work so well they stop doing them. They ditch the fundamentals, having the mindset of “I don’t need to do this stuff.” Take a look at their production numbers after a while. If you are not foundationally prepared, sales become brutal because….you don’t make any! Dry spells are common, however, they can at least be minimized somewhat with proper training and having a strong foundation. I know how similar weightlifting and sales are because you need to be committed to doing things right as well as being consistent. You need to have inner strength. Weightlifting is a lot about your mind. If you walk up to the Squat rack saying, “I’m not in the mood today”, or “this is really heavy” I promise you won’t accomplish the move. In fact, with that mindset, you could get hurt, maybe even seriously injured. Now, if you get up tomorrow morning saying “I’m not in the mood today” or “It’s’ gonna be a tuff day. I don’t think I will do much today” What do you think will be the results? Am I saying that to be good in sales you should weight train? No. But I can tell you without a doubt the two mindsets are entwined. Both take tremendous focus, and I can assure you that if you decide to begin training it will enhance your sales abilities. When you accomplish a difficult move, lift what was once a too-heavy weight, or see the results (after a few months) in the mirror, you will say to yourself “If I could do this, I can do anything.” I am not writing this through research BTW. has done and continue to apply this principle in my life, so I know it works.
Over these past months, I have not written much about exercise, weight training, or body building but I will begin to do so periodically because I just cannot overstate the importance of doing one and it has a totally beneficial effect on the other. Not everyone will adhere to this of course, but I promise you that those that do will see an increase, not only in their musculoskeletal system but in their commission check as well…..I promise! Asking God’s blessings over you today……..
