How To Get Fast Results

In my previous post, I discussed a powerful prayer by Nehemiah in his book in the Bible. It is very powerful because if you use this method of prayer, you are incorporating praise, thanksgiving, supplication, and positive and powerful focus on what you want. If you would like to view the article, here’s the link…https://powerofpies.wordpress.com/2013/08/07/a-powerful-and-effective-prayer-that-works/

I have always been intrigued by this story of Nehemiah. If you are not familiar, I will provide a quick review. After Jerusalem was destroyed, exiles remained in Babylon/Persia for many years. After a while, some were permitted to return. The city remained in ruins for all of these years. Several years earlier, they had the holy temple rebuilt, but that was it. Nehemiah felt the need to go and rebuild the city walls. At the time, he had a prominent position working for the Persian king. However, he felt the calling to go. This is when he prays the powerful prayer that is written. He prays that he can convince the king to let him go, and for the strength and power to rebuild the walls.

Several awesome lessons are presented as the story continues. He easily receives permission from the king. As he arrives, he continues to pray through everything, and acts upon whatever inspiration he receives. As a result, a project that could have taken several months or even years is completed in 52 days.

I don’t know about you, but this is the type of example I want to follow. This was a man who simply knew how to get things done. Luckily, everything went smoothly, right? Wrong! During this process, Nehemiah encountered much resistance. Several plots were formed against him, and even his life was threatened. However, he remained focused and completed the project in just 52 days.

What are some of the lessons from this and how was he so successful? I present some reasons now:

1. Prayer – As mentioned, Nehemiah prayed before every situation and during the time he worked as well. For more results on the power of prayer, please check out my previous post.
2. He was an excellent example – Not only was he in charge of the project, but he dug in with everyone else and did the work as well. Not only was he a leader, but he was a server as well.
3. Focus – This is the key…he knew what had to get done, and remained focused solely on the goal. He faced many obstacles, but always prayed and found solutions to overcome them.
4. Action – As soon as he knew what to do, he acted immediately. The word procrastination was not in his vocabulary!

Every time I read this story, I am inspired. You may have something that you want accomplished like yesterday, but it seems like it’s a long way off. If you are looking to accomplish a goal sooner than later, I strongly recommend you follow these guidelines above. There is no reason you should have to wait to receive what you want. The only reason would be that God has something better for you in the meantime.

What is it you want to accomplish? Determine a clear answer, pray about it, and stay focused, doing all you can and letting God do His part to let it happen. And know that it will happen. Enjoy the blessings : )

Who Can You Help Today?

Are you looking for a great way to make a difference and be the best person you can be? One of the best ways to be your best is to help others. This is nothing new, but I am realizing more and more how helping others has extreme benefits. Please allow me to share:

1. You positively impact others – This is the most obvious benefit. Other people benefit from your generosity and the time you give them.

2. You fulfill your purpose – One of the great reasons you are here on this earth is to share the love God showers upon you. We are commanded to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. When you focus on helping others you are fulfilling this command.

3. You feel better about yourself – Doesn’t it feel great to know you’ve given your best to someone else? The positive emotions you feel empower your own life, and give you more power and incentive to impact others in greater ways.

4. You get what you give – It’s amazing how, the more we we give and life, the more we are given. The more help we provide, the more help we are provided. It’s wonderful how many sincere friends show up to help when you regularly offer your services.

I don’t want to advocate helping others just so we can get things in return and solely to feel good about ourselves. However, there’s no denying that those are wonderful incentives.

I challenge you to ask yourself..who can I help today? If you think about it long enough (although it usually only takes  a short time to receive the answer) you will find plenty of people to help, and plenty of ways to do it. Even if it’s just one or two people to assist, and can make a great difference for that person and for yourself.

So who can you help today? Your opportunity awaits. Take advantage of it today. Enjoy the blessings : )

A Quick Recipe For Success

“You can move much more swiftly and effectively toward the joyous success you seek in life by giving your attention and emphasis to the way you want to feel, or to your state of being, rather than to the action”. – Jerry and Esther Hicks.

As I asked for divine guidance for my day today, I was led to this quote. And it’s amazing how, when I am led to a particular quote, it’s along the same lines as other quotes I’ve been led to. In other words, God is trying to tell me something!

For several years, I have read about the importance of monitoring my feelings and my state of being. I strongly believe in this philosophy. It’s a simple fact that the more positive you feel, the more you open yourself up for blessing. When you feel negative about something or someone, the negativity only increases, and things get worse. I completely understand that you can’t have positive feelings all of the time. You can’t be expected to. Bad things happen, and it is natural to feel bad or sad when they do. However, the key is to replace the negative thoughts with positive as soon as possible.

I often share in this blog how important it is to maintain positive thoughts. Your feelings and emotions are the indicators to use for how positive your thoughts are. If you are feeling good and happy, you are thinking positive thoughts. If you are down and out and not feeling well mentally, it is an indicator that you need to change your thoughts.

Another part of this quote I find important for success is about state of being. When you feel the state of being you would have if you already reached your goal, you are helping to bring it into your life. For example, if you are seeking greater health, be healthy. Deliberately eat more healthy foods, do more exercise, and feel the extra energy. If you want more wealth, feel wealthy. Treat yourself to something good and be thankful for all the things you already have. If you are seeking a new relationship, be the ideal partner that anyone would want to be with. Whatever it is you are seeking, be the person you would be if you already had it, and act like it’s already yours.

The part of this quote that may bother some is the part that says to feel and be rather than acting. I can certainly understand that because many people feel like they have to do something all of the time. It’s also true that, if you want to accomplish something, you have to take some action. I believe the authors of this quote are not advising you to avoid action. Instead, they are saying to feel and be first. When your emotions are as positive as they can be, and you are being the person you desire, it is much easier to take action, and the action you take is so much more effective.

I will provide a short example. Let’s say you have a goal to lose 20 pounds. You will not accomplish it by just sitting around and thinking about it. However, the first thing to do is to picture yourself at the ideal weight. Think of how much better you look. Reflect on how much better you will feel about yourself. Imagine doing things you want to do that you can’t do now. When you do that, your emotions automatically become more positive. At this point, you begin attracting success to you. Now, look in the mirror and see yourself as healthy. Repeat to yourself how great you feel. Even though you’re not there yet, your subconscious mind starts to take hold of it. Now you believe you can lose the weight and be healthier. When this happens, you are driven to take actions to match the picture in your mind. You automatically think, “what I can I do to get me to my goal”? You think of eating healthier, going for a walk, taking vitamins, or whatever. Since the picture in your mind has changed, you take the actions necessary to make it come true. So you do eat healthier, exercise, etc. Then when you see the weight coming off, you are only inspired more until it happens.

I challenge you to focus on the aspects of feeling and being. Feel as good as you can as much as you can. Be the person you want to be, living life as much as you can as if you already have what you want. Then take any necessary action you are inspired to take. If you follow this formula, you will see the blessings in your life multiply, and you will continuously reach your goals. As always, I invite you to share your success stories here. Have an awesome day!

10 Ways To Increase Your Confidence

I have done an extensive study into the power of the mind to enhance the quality of life. One of the most helpful resources I’ve encountered is the book, “The Power of Positive Thinking”, by Norman Vincent Peale. The book is loaded with information to help increase positivity and power. He also provides simple, easy to use action steps to carry out in order to reach your desired goals.

One of my favorite parts of this powerful book is a list of tips to increase self-confidence. I can testify first-hand that these steps work if used on a regular basis. As mentioned, they are simple, logical, and easy to carry out. Here are the 10 steps:

1. Hold a picture of you succeeding in your mind. In every situation, view yourself as successful, and avoid doubting the success that you are seeing. Instead, hold onto it and continually watch these scenes of success.
2. Whenever a negative thought about yourself enters your mind, immediately replace it with a positive one. Be sure not to fight the negative thoughts. That only seems to make it worse. Instead, acknowledge it, but remind yourself that the positive thought is the real truth about yourself, and let it gradually take over.
3. Do not build up obstacles in your mind. Deal with them accordingly, but instead of seeing them as mountains, see them as a temporary challenge that will only increase your confidence and character.
4. Be your best self. Avoid comparing yourself to others.
5. At least 10 times a day, affirm “God is for me so no one can be against me” (Romans 8:31).
6. Seek help when you need it. No one ever said you have to do everything on your own. Know that people are there to help, and utilize their services.
7. At least 10 times a day, affirm, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philipians 4:13). This is an extremely powerful statement, the most helpful for me. When this is drilled into your head, you will feel virtually unstoppable,
8. Make a true estimate of your ability, then raise it 10%. Do your part the best you can, then let God help you go above and beyond.
9. Affirm the following, “I am completely in God’s hands. Then actually put yourself there, knowing He is fully in control. His outcomes are better than anything you can come up with.
10. Believe that you now and constantly receive power from God.

Honestly, how difficult are these to do? They don’t take much time, and when done consistently, they put your mind in a positive, powerful state, helping you firmly believe you can accomplish anything. I certainly recommend you take a few minutes a day to affirm and visualize these thoughts. As always, I would love to hear about how this information helps you. Have an excellent day : )

5 Step Visualization Process

Dreams and wishes. We all have them. If only they would come true.

I regularly stress on this blog that we possess much of the power in helping bring these dreams to reality. It is important to pray and let God do His work in our lives. However, He has given us free will to use responsibly to play our part. That responsibility includes keeping our mind and heart right, and focusing on positive, faithful thoughts.

One effective way to develop and maintain a positive frame of mind is by creative visualization. When we visualize the success we are longing for, we set up an entire chain of positive events. We develop the faith necessary to make it happen; we train ourselves to believe in the possibilities; we take the positive action necessary to make it happen. These are just a few of the many positives.

The problem with visualization is that it is sometimes easier said than done. Sometimes it is difficult to focus and concentrate, while some may not know exactly what to do. I will say that there are many ways to visualize. It’s a matter of finding what works best for you. However, as I researched the internet for some helpful information, I found an excellent article that I believe is a great guide in starting the visualization process. The article outlines 5 simple steps:

1. Set yourself a clear goal.
2. Maintain a relaxed posture.
3. Visualize your goal being achieved.
4. Feel the positive feelings as if it were really happening.
5. Take immediate action.

As you can see, this is not a difficult process. You don’t have to spend a long time doing it. It’s just a matter of doing it consistently. When this process is followed on a regular basis, it usually recent in noticeable results in a short period if time. I recommend you try it and see for yourself. For more information on this process, I have attatched the link to the article I obtained this information from. Have an excellent day : )

http://applying-the-law-of-attraction.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-to-use-law-of-attraction-5-steps-to.html

What Are You Worried About? – 3 Ways To Turn Worry Into Faith

Many of us do it. It’s a fact and a reality that many of us worry. Even those of us who look on the bright side of things and whose lives are under control still sometimes spend time worrying. Is it wrong to worry? I don’t know if I would say wrong, but I do know that it does us no good at all. Matthew 6:34 says…”Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it’s own.” If you go back to verse 27 it says…”who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

I have found that it does not pay to worry. Instead, there are numerous verses throughout the Bible that describe how faith (the opposite of worry) can add so much to our lives and to those around us. As I continue to study ways to bring life to a higher level, I have found several ways to turn worry into faith. Here are the top 3:

1. Seek God first – In my opinion, this is the key to all success in life. In the same Bible chapter, verse 31 says…”So do not worry saying ‘What shall we eat or what shall we drink?’ …For your Heavenly Father knows that you need these things. But seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be given to you as well” When we focus on God and His power that is in and around us, we focus on the positive things instead of the negative obstacles in front of us. Instead of worrying about the negative things that may happen to us, we focus on the accomplishment of the goals we have in our lives. Also, when we are consciously aware of the presence and power of God, we have an enormous peace, and we will be led to the right people and the right areas to take action. More about that coming up shortly.
2. Focus on the present – If we are placing our full attention on the present moment, it is impossible to worry. This is because we are not thinking about things that can possibly go wrong in the future, even if that future is only a few minutes away. The present moment is what we have to work with, and is the only time frame that is fully in our control. If we make the most out of every present moment, it secures our future, giving us even less of a reason to worry. It is the people who best take advantage of present moments that receive the greatest future rewards.
3. Take action now – This step goes had in hand with the first two. As mentioned, when we seek God first, He leads us to the people who can help us and places and situations where we need to act. However, it is up to us to follow through and take that action. As mentioned in step two, it is when we focus and act fully on the present moment, and do the best we can at that time when great blessings take place. The even better thought is this…when we follow the first two steps, taking action is so much easier. This is because we are taking God-inspired action, we know His power is with us, and we have the peace of knowing it is His will because it is for His kingdom and glory. This is when miraces happen.

In my opinion, these are three very simple steps to take, especially knowing what the rewards are. This philosophy is great too because it doesn’t take weeks or months to implement. It can be done in minutes, and as we continue to focus on God first, keep our eyes on the present, and do our best in everything at that time, it will be a habitual way of life. The result is great faith and blessing instead of worry, doubt, and procrastination. It can be effective for anyone. Let it be you today. Have a blessed day : )

The Power Of a Clear Goal

I invite you to listen in on a conversation that occasionally occurs in my home. Usually, my wife is the one who cooks dinner. She has everything in line and doesn’t need to ask questions. There are some occasions where she is not home, and it is up to me to make dinner. The normal routine is me asking my kids, “what do you want to eat”? The normal response…”I don’t know.” This of course makes things difficult for me. I want to please them, but if I don’t know what they are looking for, it is difficult to do. I may need to make several considerations before a decision is made. Even then, it is possible that someone won’t be satisfied.

In the above example, things would be made much easier if one of us would just set a goal, settle on it, and act upon it. If my daughter gave me a direct answer and said she wanted spaghetti, I would make spaghetti without hesitation. Or, if I told them they were having chicken, it would be a done deal and I would make the chicken.

This situation reminds me of the importance of having set goals. I hear it very often. Have a clear idea in your mind about what you want. Keep the thought fixed in your mind, along with a picture of it’s accomplishment. Then take the necessary action.

In the example of my kids’ dinner, time is wasted by the indecision. The kids then get hungrier, and we both become less patient. The same is true for our personal goals. If we are not perfectly clear on what we are trying to accomplish, we procrastinate and become frustrated as time goes by without our goal’s accomplishment. When our goals are clear, the opposite is true. We have direction and we are more likely to take action. And the action we take is more focused and effective, usually resulting in a successful completion of our goal in a shorter amount of time.

It is often said that it’s difficult to shoot when we don’t have a target. When you are looking to accomplish something, determine exactly what you want to accomplish. Set a measurable goal and keep it fixed in your mind. You don’t even have to spend lots of time thinking about how you will accomplish it. If you keep your mind fixed on the final outcome, those ideas will come to you, and then you can act on them effectively.

In conclusion, I strongly recommend you follow this guideline. Take some time to determine exactly what it is you would like to accomplish in the different areas of your life. Stay focused on them and work towards their completion. I believe you will see excellent results. Now please excuse me. Our dinner is ready. Have an excellent day : )

A Helpful Time Management Tip

Are you looking for ways to manage your time more effectively? If you are like me you can always use some extra help in this area.

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received recently comes from Jim Britt in his book, “Do This, Get Rich”. In one of the chapters he suggests breaking the day down to 15 minute blocks, trying to accomplish as much as possible in each of these blocks. This is in line with his theme that the most successful people are given no more time in a particular day than anyone else. It’s just that they use their time more effectively.

After taking a closer look at this theory it makes sense. The author points out that in an average day we have about 60 of these blocks. By focusing on each of these 15 minute blocks, it helps us become more aware of the time and using it effectively. He mentions that 15 minutes is enough time to accomplish something, and short enough that, if we are moving off track, we can take corrective action quickly without wasting a great deal of time.

Since I need much help in managing my time this classic procrastinator and time waster decided to give it a try. I will admit that focusing on every 15 minute block is not an easy task. In the first weeks I tried this it was difficult to make it through a whole day of managing each 15 minute time frame. However, gradually improved efficiency by one or two blocks a day. I’m still not perfect at it, but I believe I am setting the tone for greater efficiency that eventually will become routine.

I have mentioned this information to some of my family and friends who have said they noticed an immediate difference in time awareness and efficiency. Overall, I love this philosophy because it can help us become more aware of our actions, time spent on them, and the results we are actually producing. I recommend giving it a try. Please let me know how it goes.

Enjoy the blessings : )

A Great Way To Improve Your Focus

As I begin to write this article, I am hearing voices in my head. No, I don’t think I am going crazy (yet). I am hearing the voices of my wife, parents and past teachers. They are all telling me the same thing they always did when they told me something important.

What did they say? I’ll share in a moment. Before I do, I will say that this same advice is very helpful in several ways when it comes to assisting us in reaching our goals. Here’s the advice…write it down!!!

I have seen the importance of writing things down. First, when we write our to-do list down, it helps us know exactly what we need to do. For those like me who often forget, it helps us to remember. However, I have found that it goes beyond this. For some reason there is power in seeing something in writing. For example, it is very helpful to state our affirmations and intentions for the things we want to accomplish. If you want to add some extra power to them, write them down, and then affirm them. It is very effective. There is also power in visualizing our goals being achieved, and feeling the corresponding emotion. Recently, I was challenged to actually provide a written description of this vision and corresponding feeling. I have done it for a few days now, and it definitely adds power to the desire and belief of my goals being realized.

If you are looking to add focus to accomplishing your goals, I recommend you write down your goals, affirmations, visualizations, feelings, and courses of action. It is a powerful and effective way to bring about the desired results much faster. I will share the link below (it’s from the same author in the link I provided in my previous post) which provides an example of writing down our affirmations. I believe writing things down can be great help in getting you to where you want to be. Enjoy the blessings : )

http://www.nelsonberrysubliminalblog.com/free/

Is It Right To Live For Today?

You’ve heard the phrase “live for today” many times. This phrase has always created controversy. Why? Because living for today is often associated with disregard for the future. There are many that live their lives this way. They live their lives recklessly with no concern about how their actions will affect their future. We see the negative results, and draw the conclusion that it is wrong to live for today.

There is also the opposite extreme. Many people don’t enjoy the present day because they are too worried about what the future may bring. They miss out on so much in life because their fear of the future prevents them from taking present day steps towards their goals and the life they want to live.

So what’s the answer to the article’s title? I believe it’s a matter of combining the information presented so far. I strongly believe we DO need to live in a present moment mentality….with an eye on, but not fearing the future. Why it is important to live in the present moment? Because the present moment is all we have. The past is gone forever. So many times we don’t move ahead because we are still caught up in the mistakes of our past. We need to learn from those mistakes, but we cannot spend our present days living in the past. As mentioned, we must spend some time planning for our future, but we cannot fail to act in the present because we are worried about something in the future. Just as we can’t live in the past, we also cannot live in the future. Jesus Himself stressed that we are to avoid worrying about the future. In Matthew 6:34 He says..do not worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The bottom line is that the present is the only time where you have complete control of the outcome. Can we change the past? Sorry, but that’s a no. Are we in the future yet? Not unless we are talking about the past, and again, we can’t live in the past. We have full control of the present. And here’s a great thought. The more you take advantage of your present day opportunities, the better your future will be! So spend time perfecting your relationships; going after your dream job; taking care of your health; and doing anything that will help you get to the person you want to be and life you want to have.

 I will conclude by saying again that, as long as we don’t completely disregard our future, it is right, and I believe necessary to live for today. If we do all we can possibly do each day to be a better person, to serve others, and to make this world a better place, we will find life more rewarding than ever before. We will enjoy the present moments to the fullest, and we will have no reason to fear our future. That’s the type of life I want to experience. Enjoy the blessings : )