Shine your positive light

Does the world around you seem too hectic and frenzied? Then your best response is to be extra calm, peaceful and patient.
Does the world around you seem too greedy and selfish? That’s your opportunity to be extra loving, giving and sincerely compassionate.
Does the world around you seem too confusing and aimless? Then choose to be extra focused and purposeful.
The world outside reflects back to you the energy you give it. If you don’t like what you see, you have every opportunity to change it by changing the way you are.
When you’re a beacon in the darkness, your light will shine for a long, long way. When you’re the difference that makes the difference, your efforts will bring abundant fruit.
If things around you seem to be at their worst, that’s when you can accomplish the most by being your best. Shine your positive light in the face of negativity, and you will change your world.

WE REAP WHAT WE SOW

I welcome you all to a new dawn!

How do you want your harvest to look like this year? Are you setting goals or resolutions you would like to achieve this year? It takes a keen understanding of the Law of the Harvest that states, “We Reap What We Sow”, in order to achieve our goals.

This is the time of year where many of us are dreaming of what we want to accomplish in the next 365 days. 

We desire a better life, but in the process we often fail to recognize and correctly utilize the timeless principles necessary to get us where we want to go.

This is a perfect opportunity to review the Law of the Harvest and how it applies toward achieving our goals, whatever they may be. These aren’t just theories.  They are the time-tested truths that are the keys to achieving your goals.

Illustration of this law

A farmer that desires a bounty of corn has to do many things just right to be able to sink his teeth into a fresh, juicy ear after harvest.  He has to:

• Carefully prepare the soil.
• Plant the seed correctly at the proper time.
• Guard the tender new plants against weeds and pestilence.
• Water faithfully.
• Fertilize in just the right amount.
• And eventually gather his harvest, but not too late or too early.

A good farmer knows that he doesn’t have full control over the process.  He can’t direct the weather or the growth of the corn.  He just does his best to work within the system of nature. He also knows he can’t rush the process.  There is a time for planting, a time for care and growth and a time for harvesting.  Any deviance from the natural cycle will result in a less than stellar result.

Furthermore, the farmer knows he has to plant the right kind of seed to get the crop he wants.  He can’t plant thistle seeds and expect corn to grow.  This is ridiculous.  He knows he will reap exactly what he sows.

This is the Law of the Harvest.  It is a law of nature and from it we can collect a lot of valuable information that will help us achieve our goals in life.

 Ten (10) Lessons From the Law of the Harvest

Correctly applying the Law of the Harvest will mean the difference between success and failure.  It is extremely powerful and applies across the board in life.

Here are some of the most important lessons we can learn about reaping what we sow:

1. We have to know what we want before we begin.

The Law of the Harvest says we have to begin our endeavors knowing exactly what we want in the end.  You have to prepare properly and plant the right seeds to reap the expected harvest. 

Write down your goals plainly and clearly.  Refer to them often to keep you on track.  Be specific about what you hope to accomplish.  The better you define your goals, the more likely you are to achieve them.  Paint a clear picture in your mind of what your life will look like once you reach success.  Focus and reflect on this picture often to achieve it.

2. We have to be adequately prepared before we even start.

Some goals require a good deal of preparation before they are even plausible.  We might have to go to school or complete some training in order to become qualified.  Don’t try to skip this part of the process.  It will almost surely lead to failure.

The farmer can’t just go out and throw seed on unprepared soil.  There is a lot of work that has to be done before he can even put the seeds in the ground.  It is unrealistic to expect success before we prepare adequately.

3.  There is a proper time to sow seeds of change.

Timing is everything.  Farmers spend a lot of energy trying to discern exactly when to plant their crop.  Bad timing often results in disaster.  The climate has to be right for the seeds to take root and to thrive.

Often, we get an idea and then immediately try to implement it without giving any thought to the environment around us.  Taking some time on the front-end to do proper research and evaluate how our ideas might be received can save us a lot of heartache.

4.  There is a right way and a wrong way to sow seed.

Planting is a careful operation that must be done just right for the seed to flourish.  It must be planted deep enough, but not too deep.  There must be proper spacing between seeds and they must be sown in the right kind of soil.  Farmers are very careful to be sure their crop goes in the ground correctly to optimize the results.

In the same way, we have to be careful about how we launch our new ventures.  Our efforts can die if they don’t get off to a good start.  Plan exactly how to start your march toward your goals to maximize your chance of success.  A good start often leads to a good finish.

5.  Many things will come and try to rob us of our harvest.

Negativity, doubt and external forces will be obstacles to our success.  Things seldom go exactly as planned without any opposition.  It is how you deal with these challenges that will determine the outcome of your effort.  Be ready and expect to have to guard your endeavor from these thieves!

Farmers know they’ll have to deal with pests, drought, freezing temperatures and many other hindrances to have a successful harvest.  If they ignore these attacks, then the battle will be lost.  They know that every season presents its own unique set of barriers that must be overcome.  Get ready to defend your sprouts!

6.  It takes a lot of diligent work to realize a good harvest.

Don’t underestimate the task at hand.  Any goal worth setting is going to require a great deal of work to bring it to fruition.  Many people start out strong at first, but fizzle out before they reach the finish line.  Thomas Edison said, “There is no substitute for hard work.”

Farmers know that Mr. Edison was right.  They are up before dawn and don’t come in until after sunset.  They rest after the harvest is in the barn.  We should expect to do the same.

7.  Our effort may require a little outside assistance.

Modern farmers use fertilizer and pesticides to assist their crops in growing to peak maturity.  These aides help to protect the plants during their critical phases of growth and they ultimately increase what is gathered at harvest.

We shouldn’t ignore the need for similar assistance with our goals.  We often fail because we try to go it alone.  Don’t be afraid to talk to others about how they succeeded.  Also, bringing in an expert to help with critical phases of your endeavor can really help.

8.  We can’t force it and achieve the results we want.

There are no shortcuts!  If you’ve made it this far in my list, then you must really want to succeed.  Your enthusiasm makes you vulnerable to trying to speed things up.  Don’t let yourself be sweet-talked into selling out to a shortcut.  If it sounds too good to be true, then it is.  Always use this as a filter to protect you from scams.

Farmers know that there is a season for planting, growing and harvesting.  They are each separate and distinct from one another.  They also know that you can’t rush or force nature.  She is going to work at her natural pace.  This same thing applies to our undertakings as well.  Don’t try to force things to happen out of sequence or before the proper time.

9.  We will reap a bigger harvest than we sow.

If you’ve ever planted a garden, then you know you can expect a much larger harvest than what was sown.  A farmer puts a handful of seeds in the ground and gets back baskets full of corn.  He is patient and attentive to the natural process because he understands this lesson.

We have to believe this too so we can remain committed to our goals.  Again, picture in your mind the best possible outcome from your endeavor.  Yes, it will take a lot of work, but the rewards will be worth it!  Be able to summon up this positive picture in your mind when the going gets tough.  The harvest will be worth the effort!

10.  The harvest comes at the proper time.

The farmer waits.  He knows that even though he can’t see his plants growing beneath the soil that they will soon sprout.  He has realistic expectations for when the harvest will occur.  This helps him from becoming impatient and giving up.  Can you imagine if he walked away too soon?  He’d miss everything!

We too must have proper timelines defined for our goals.  You can’t expect too much, too soon.  If you do, then you’ll become disillusioned.  Set milestones at proper intervals to gauge your progress.  You can always adjust your sights along the way.  This will help ensure you don’t give up before the harvest season has arrived!

There are many helpful lessons we can gather from the Law of the Harvest.  We will be much happier with our results if we apply this valuable wisdom to the accomplishment of our set goals for the year.  

We really do reap what we sow!

 MEET YOU AT THE TOP!!!

Don't Give Up

What are the secrets that can help you to achieve anything that you want in your life? One of the secret is to never give up. What this means is that you must decide exactly what it is that you want to do, or to have, in your life and give your complete focus and attention to that thing. Talk about it, write about it, meditate about it and think about it until you can visualize it clearly in your mind quickly and easily.

By giving so much time and energy to what you want in your life, you are bringing it closer to your reality. Most people never write down what they want to achieve and rarely speak about it to others. The people who are successful in getting what they want engage in behavior that surrounds them with people and ideas and thoughts that are directly related to getting what they want.

1. Think about what you want to do or have in your life. Spend some time each day meditating and visualizing exactly what it will be like when you have achieved your dreams and goals.
2. Tell others about these dreams and goals and hear yourself as you speak out loud about them
3. Write down what you want and give detailed explanations and information about how it will be when you realize and achieve these things in your life.
Most of all, never give up. It may take some time for you to do and have the things you want in your life, but they will come much more quickly if you are clear about your intentions and never, ever give up on them.

Leadership Principles That Can Change the World

There are seven universal principles at work behind every choice, every interaction, every word that is said and every action that is taken. Understanding these underlying principles will help you grow and prosper as a leader and as a person.

1. Fairness

Fairness is a principle that's understood by children everywhere, but as we grow up, we each may develop our own individual concept of what is and isn't fair. On your team, there needs to be a common understanding of fairness, and it needs to be defined, communicated and demonstrated by you as the leader every day.

When you make decisions, be open and honest with your team about how they were made and why. People may be resentful or mistrusting of decisions that have been handed down arbitrarily or without input and explanation.

2. Honesty, Integrity and Trust

The people on your team want and need to trust you. They want to know that you've given them all of the facts and that nothing is being hidden from them. The way to gain that trust is by being honest and living with integrity.

If you meet this need for them, you'll gain their trust, understanding and faith. This can't be accomplished by what you say; it needs to be proven by how you live.

When you do make a mistake or a bad decision, disclose it. Don't blame someone else, lie or pretend it didn't happen. Be honest about it and move forward.

3. Potential

Everyone is capable of being and doing more than they are now. Everyone on your team - whether they're a rookie or a subject matter expert - needs to feel that you see his or her potential to grow, acquire new skills and develop.

People look to a leader to evoke that from them, inspiring and allowing them to grow, evolve and fulfill their potential so they're constantly improving and learning new things. Don't restrict their growth by assuming they'll adhere to your predictions of how they'll act, think or talk.

See each person's potential and not their limitations. Assume they're growing and evolving all the time, and this will empower them to grow into the next phase of their development, instead of stagnating where they are.

4. Growth

When you're tuned in to each individual's potential for growth and change, you can help that along, actively supporting the new skills they have acquired that will fulfill their potential. You can accelerate their growth by offering them concrete opportunities such as training and upgrading of skills or connecting them to a business coach or mentor.

Growth will occur through both positive and negative experiences, so encourage your team members to try new things and to learn and grow even through failure and mistakes.

5. Respect and Dignity

Respect is difficult to earn and easy to lose. Adopt the "golden rule" – treat people how you want to be treated. Treat each team member with respect and dignity for who they are and for the work that they're doing. Recognize and embrace their differences and diversity.

Earn respect by acting with dignity and showing that you have respect for yourself. Be a role model and hold yourself to a higher standard on a daily basis.

Reward people in public and correct them in private. This will protect their dignity and reinforce that they can take risks. They'll know that if they do make a mistake or fail they won't be publicly disgraced for it.

6. Service

"For he that is least among you all, the same shall be great" Luke, 9:48. A good leader not only leads the group, he or she is also a servant to the group - a champion for their cause; someone in their corner that will back them up, support them and mentor them.

It's about not just being a figurehead leader, but being of service, working WITH the team and meeting their needs. Examples include making sure they have the equipment they need to fulfill their roles or helping them to cut through the red tape of bureaucracy.

In his book, "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People", Stephen Covey advocates that you "seek to understand rather than be understood". Aim to understand the needs of your team members, and to serve them instead of just leading them.

The leader has to create the sense of a team or a family, adopting the mentality that, "We succeed or fail as a team". Leaders who don't understand this are the ones who take the credit when things are good and blame others when things are bad.

In difficult times, teams need to have a leader they can rely on to act as their champion. It is the leader's job to wear the target and shield the team if they come under fire. That may mean taking ultimate responsibility for a failure or mistake, or fighting to keep funds or people. When the outside world is taking shots at the project, or if there are roadblocks to the project, it's the leader's job to shelter the team, take the shots and get through the roadblocks, so the team can focus on getting the job done, and not get distracted by these outside challenges.

7. Quality

"On my Honor I will do my best". Understand that people want to do their best and put out a good product, no one shows up at work to screw up. As a leader, strive to always exemplify that, "quality is job one".

Establish a culture where going above and beyond expectations is the standard; not just for the products or services you create and deliver, but for how you live and work. "Walk the walk", and exemplify this standard in how YOU live and work, and also in how you lead. Don't cut any corners. Always doing your best is a SACRED PLEDGE that you make to your team.

By recognizing and nurturing these seven universal principles, you'll capture the hearts and minds of everyone that you interact with. We are all looking to have the universal principles of Fairness, Honesty, Potential, Growth, Respect, Service and Quality fulfilled in our lives. If you can fulfill them for your team members, you'll connect at a deep level.

You can achieve anything together if you can connect at this basic human level, and your team will work harder for you when they feel that connection. And vice-versa, you'll connect and feel supported by your team if you recognize these needs in them and in yourself.

Steve Farmer is a leader in the field of Coaching. As a skilled professional coach, inspirational speaker and author he brings the power of individual coaching to everyday living. In our frequently over stressed and under involved society, he empowers individuals to follow their dreams, achieve more in their current careers, and maintain a balance between their personal and professional lives.

A busy entrepreneur himself, Steve understands the many demands and challenges facing today's busy adults. He also knows that amidst the chaos, people sometimes need support in maintaining both their sanity and a balanced life. With his innate listening and problem-solving gifts, Steve helps individuals find solutions to their difficult problems. Whether through one-on-one coaching, workshops, courses or keynote addresses, he helps people to better develop their personal talents and skills so that their journey to success and happiness is easier, more rewarding and less frustrating.

How Successful People Think

 By : John C Maxwell
What’s a successful person’s greatest resource in difficult times? Good thinking!
Good thinkers are always in demand. A person who knows how may always have a job, but the person who knows why will always be his boss.
Good thinkers solve problems, they never lack ideas for building an organization, and they always have hope for a better future. Good thinkers rarely find themselves at the mercy of ruthless people who would take advantage of them or try to deceive them, people like Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, who once boasted, “What luck for rulers that men do not think.”
Those who develop the process of good thinking can rule themselves – even while under an oppressive ruler or in other difficult circumstances.  In short, good thinkers are successful.

***

I’ve studied successful people for forty years, and though the diversity you find among them is astounding, I’ve found that they are all alike in one way: how they think!
That is the one thing that separates successful people from unsuccessful ones.  And here’s the good news.  How successful people think can be learned. If you change your thinking, you can change your life!
HOW TO BECOME A BETTER THINKER
Do you want to master the process of good thinking? Do you want to be a better thinker tomorrow than you are today?  Then you need to engage in an ongoing process that improves your thinking.  I recommend you do the following:
1. Expose Yourself to Good Input

Good thinkers always prime the pump of ideas. They always look for things to get the thinking process started, because what you put in always impacts what comes out.

Read books, review trade magazines, listen to CDs, and spend time with good thinkers. And when something intrigues you-whether it’s someone else’s idea or the seed of an idea that you’ve come up with yourself-keep it in front of you. Put it in writing and keep it somewhere in a favorite place to stimulate your thinking.

2. Expose Yourself to Good Thinkers

All of the people in my life whom I consider to be close friends or colleagues are good thinkers. Now, I love all people. I try to be kind to everyone I meet, and I desire to add value to as many people as I can through conferences, books, audio lessons, etc. But the people I seek out and choose to spend time with all challenge me with their thinking and their actions. They are constantly trying to grow and learn.

The writer of Proverbs observed that sharp people sharpen one another, just as iron sharpens iron. If you want to be a sharp thinker, be around sharp people.

3. Choose to Think Good Thoughts

To become a good thinker, you must become intentional about the thinking process. Regularly put yourself in the right place to think, shape, stretch, and land your thoughts. Make it a priority. Thinking is a discipline.

Recently I had breakfast with Dan Cathy, the president of Chick-fil-A, a fast food restaurant chain headquartered in the Atlanta area. I told him that I was working on this book and I asked him if he made thinking time a high priority. Not only did he say yes, but he told me about what he calls his “thinking schedule.” It helps him to fight the hectic pace of life that discourages intentional thinking. Dan says he sets aside time just to think for half a day every two weeks, for one whole day every month, and for two or three full days every year. Dan explains, “This helps me ‘keep the main thing, the main thing,’ since I am so easily distracted.”

You may want to do something similar, or you can develop a schedule and method of your own. No matter what you choose to do, go to a special thinking place, take paper and pen, and make sure you capture your ideas in writing.

4. Act on Your Good Thoughts

Ideas have a short shelf life. You must act on them before the expiration date. World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker said it all when he remarked, “I can give you a six-word formula for success: Think things through-then follow through.”

5. Allow Your Emotions to Create Another Good Thought

To start the thinking process, you cannot rely on your feelings. In Failing Forward, I wrote that you can act your way into feeling long before you can feel your way into action. If you wait until you feel like doing something, you will likely never accomplish it. The same is true for thinking. You cannot wait until you feel like thinking to do it. However, I’ve found that once you engage in the process of good thinking, you can use your emotions to feed the process and create mental momentum.

Try it for yourself. After you go through the disciplined process of thinking and enjoy some success, allow yourself to savor the moment and try riding the mental energy of that success. If you’re like me, it’s likely to spur additional thoughts and productive ideas.

6. Repeat the Process

One good thought does not make a good life. The people who have one good thought and try to ride it for an entire career often end up unhappy or destitute. They are the one-hit wonders, the one-book authors, the one-message speakers, the one-time inventors who spend their life struggling to protect or promote their single idea. Success comes to those who have an entire mountain of gold that they continually mine, not those who find one nugget and try to live on it for fifty years. To become someone who can mine a lot of gold, you need to keep repeating the process of good thinking.

***

This article is an excerpt from the introduction to the book, How Successful People Think. It’s derived from the book, Thinking for a Change.
Edited and distilled down to the bare essentials, this book is designed to help you expand your thinking and achieve your dreams with the following…

11 keys to successful thinking:

1.         Cultivate Big-Picture Thinking
2.         Engage in Focused Thinking
3.         Harness Creative Thinking
4.         Employ Realistic Thinking
5.         Utilize Strategic Thinking
6.         Explore Possibility Thinking
7.         Learn from Reflective Thinking
8.         Question Popular Thinking
9.         Benefit from Shared Thinking
10.       Practice Unselfish Thinking
11.       Rely on Bottom-Line Thinking