FOR BOOK SCOUTS AND ONLINE BOOKSELLERS: BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS IS PARAMOUNT TO EXTRAORDINARY SUCCESS7/4/2018 All good businesses are built on relationships. It is who you get to know that will propel your growth. Relationships are built on trust; and the easiest and fastest way to build trust is to make yourself seen and heard regularly, and to do what you say every time. Trust is also built by being consistent with your words and actions.
There are many different types of relationships you want to build. You want to build relationships with the following people—here is your quick hit list:
All relationships are built on being liked first. Before anybody agrees to help you, they first have to like you. People like people who are honest, pleasant, happy, sensible, professional, well groomed, respectful and fair. If you want to receive favors be more likable and then ask for the favor. Many times you will not have to ask at all. People like to do favors for people they like and respect. Integrity in everything you do shows—so, make yourself seen. Be out and about and show the world what you are doing and what you are all about. It is the only way people will take notice of you. Ask questions, take mental notes and remember names. All great businesses grow by building strong, honest relationships with customers and vendors. To learn more about successful book scouting and online book selling get your copy of How I Make $4,000 a Month Part-Time Selling Used Books Online and for book scouting, How to Make $1,000 a Month Online as a Part-Time Book Scout.
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"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me,... give me liberty or give me death!"—Patrick Henry.
The colonies were never the same, because Patrick Henry exclaimed fighting words for the cause of liberty. Stand up for what you believe in and make your voice heard. America is the greatest country the world have ever seen. We are the pacesetters in every field. Support the conservative cause--the alternative will be disastrous. People forget that Abraham Lincoln was a Republican. And he fought the moral fight and won. All of the great empires of the world crumbled because of liberal thinking, liberal policies and liberal leaders. History does not lie. Where are the great civilizations of the past today? Liberal thinking, liberal policies, and immorality destroyed them. Isn't it time we harness our intelligence and stop pandering to the rest of the world. We are a Republic. We don't start fights--but we finish them. A nation that believes in small government, low taxes, and incentivizes small and large businesses alike, is a nation that believes in its people, their creativity, diligence, commitment and discipline. Let's not forget this. America was, and will continue to be built on discipline entrenched with Biblical values. "But hospitable, lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined."—Titus 1:8 The liberal left is not hospitable; they despise good; they have no self-control; they are certainly not upright; they are not holy; and they are not disciplined. This is sad. And I pray for them that they see the light. Why would anybody be part to this? Because they are afraid of what America is: We are one nation under GOD. "He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding."--Proverbs 15:32 America is the greatest humanitarian country since the world began, and we are only 242 years new. God Blessed America with our Founding Fathers—and Patrick Henry for saying it like it is. Can you answer the following questions?
If you are bewildered on how to answer some of the question noted above, you are not alone. These are tough questions to answer when you are playing in live cash games and most of us do not keep a record of what we are doing. However, if you want to improve your game, and you want to learn how to barrel correctly and without fear of getting called or raised, you will learn how to answer these questions, because you will learn how to barrel for money. You will also get a first hand education on almost everything there is to know about playing winning poker using tactical barreling. Whether you play $1-$2 no-limit Hold'em or $10-$20, barreling is a profitable part of any smart players game. When barreling is executed correctly, against the right opponent(s), at the right time, it will produce positive results, time and again. Against the wrong opponents, it will produce problems and likely losses. But, even when you cast a barrel blunder and get called with a hand that is likely not the top hand, you can still take the pot when the turn card falls and your hand improves, or when scare cards come and you bet, or your opponent gives you tells of weakness and it is likely he will fold when you bet. You could also have enough outs to produce a win rate given that the pot is offering favorable odds, and perhaps good implied odds to boot. Do not underestimate the power of barreling. You have a chance to win on multiple fronts and lose on one. To learn more about the benefits of barreling get your copy of Cash Poker: How to Make $250,000 over the Next 5 Years Playing Small Stakes Poker. Did you know that honesty with yourself and others is a great long-term
wealth builder? Be fair and honest with everybody and yourself. This should go without saying, of course. I want to make it absolutely clear, that honesty is now and will always be the best policy. True wealth is build by true and honest intention and by honest effort. Treat everyone fairly in your organization and reward those who go beyond what is expected of them. And even when there are those who try to take advantage of your fairness, be fair and open with them anyway. Honesty is a great long-term wealth builder. Do not do business with anyone you suspect of being dishonest or untrustworthy—no matter how high the projected profit might be. Your integrity is worth more than the price someone could pay you for it. And in time, it is your integrity and honesty that will make you the money you need to fulfill your dreams. The True Way to Riches It has often been said that the true way to riches is honesty. It is hard to image for many, but most of the riches people in this world, the business men and woman who have started and succeeded in business are some of the most honest people around. Sure there are dishonest business people, but they do not last long and their dishonestly is always unveiled and their lives are usually set to misery. But the real person with integrity will shine. Your mini habit goal is to be honest with yourself first. Second, be honest with everybody you deal with. Be upfront. Hold nothing back (but be tactful, with delicate situations or topics). Show the world now and forever, that you are a person of integrity. You might be surprised of what your honesty will bring. The benefits are enormous. What can be learned of Adam regarding leadership? Is the leadership message of Adam more powerful than what most believe?
Let's look at a couple of facts regarding Adam and why he was a born leader as God made him:
Adam led all the animals and cared for the garden of Eden. This was the power given to him by God. When God created a companion for Adam (Adam named her Eve after they had sinned against God), the woman was beguiled by the serpent (Satan). The woman ate the fruit from the tree that God told Adam not to eat from and Adam ate from the tree when the fruit was offered to him by the woman. What can we learn from this about Adam's leadership ability? Adam was apparently not clear with the woman regarding the danger of eating from the Tree of Good and Evil. The woman believed Satan over Adam. Adam did not convey God's word to the woman regarding the tree. Adam failed as the leader of the Garden and as the leader of his woman. And God drove him and Eve out of the garden of Eden. God gave Adam the ability to lead. But, Adam, having free will, did not use his ability well. A strong leader must communicate clearly to others. Adam did not communicate clearly to the woman, or she would not have fallen to Satan's words. Because of Adam's faulty communication to his wife, all mankind has been punished. To the woman He (God) said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you." Then to Adam He said: "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistle it shall bring forth for you. And you shall eat the herb of the field, In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return." (Genesis 3:16-19) God was angry and saddened by Adam's disobedience and as a father who loves his children, He punishes his disobedient children. Don't make the mistake Adam made. As a leader, you must communicate clearly with your followers. Adam made the biggest blunder of mankind when he did not express himself clearly to his wife. Unclear or lack of communication is the cause of more strife in families, relationships and businesses than any other cause. Many people make oatmeal a meal for breakfast, but you can also make it a midday snack or an evening meal. Oatmeal is low in calories and low in fat and high in soluble fiber. You can cook it in the microwave or in a pan on the stove.
I enjoy alternating from oatmeal to oat bran. You can also take raw oatmeal, blend it into a powder and make cream of oatmeal. Just add water and cook for a few minutes. To make either one of these, oatmeal, oat bran, or cream of oatmeal, into a more fulfilling, interesting meal, you could add all kinds of good things to your bowl. Here is a list of items I incorporate into my oatmeal or oat bran:
I usually use one or two items (fruits or nuts) at a time. For instance, I will use walnuts and a banana or raisons and sunflower seeds. On other times I’ll use blueberries or strawberries alone. You can cook all the nuts, fruits and other foods with your oatmeal or mix them in, uncooked, into your bowl after your oatmeal is cooked. It's a very easy meal to prepare and it is good for you. Note: The seeds and nuts are unsalted and many are roasted. You can purchase many from Trader Joe’s if you have one near you. I get my shelled walnuts, pecans, raisons and berries from Sam’s Club. You can also visit 99 Cent Only stores for Strawberries, Blueberries and Blackberries. Another great oatmeal meal is a mixture of milk or almond milk with oats. This recipe is a version of Swiss muesli. Put oats in a bowl. Pour in milk. Chop up a few dates or sliced apple. Microwave for three minutes. You now have a tasty, fulfilling meal. Another recipe that is said to be Swiss muesli is to put raw oats in a bowl with milk, let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. The milk will be absorbed into the oats. Slice an apple and add it to your bowl. This is a refreshing, filling (not blotting) breakfast for warm summer mornings. Oatmeal is inexpensive compared of other foods. I have found that Wal-mart (online only) has the best prices for their Great Value brand (42 oz canister $2.48 as of this writing with free delivery of $35 order.) If you are interested in organic oatmeal try Sun Organic Farms (www.sunorganicfarm.com). They have rolled oats, 3lbs. for $4.95 and economical 25lb. bags. They also have steel cut (Irish) oats and organic oat bran. Stay healthy with this oatmeal mini habit. The nice thing about oatmeal and oat bran is that you can add all sorts of good, nutritious foods to your meal. Good things happen to us all. The problem we have is that we do not fully recognize the good—because it is right in front of us.
Do you believe in positive expectations? You should. What is it you expect out of yourself, out of your life? Produce your life by loving thy neighbor. The good that comes out of this will surprise you. Do not look for gratitude, or thanks—it might take years before you get it. Be true to yourself—you are not in it for the accolades—you are in it because it is the right thing to do. Think of it this way: What would please God? During Christmas, my neighbors give one another plates of cookies and other baked goods; but during the rest of the year we rarely, if ever, speak to each other. We are all busy doing our own thing, moving along in life with our families and our inner circle. We do not intentionally want to hurt anyone, but we are, at times, neglectful of others, we are careless, narrow minded, focused on jobs, careers, family issues and problems that appear to pop-up one after another without much of a break in between. So, what are we to do? You do not have to go out of your way to help others in need, you only have to be true to yourself and this will lead you in the right direction. Action Step: One day this week, after work, do something nice for somebody. God is always watching and He knows when you do something from the heart. Helpfulness is more than doing an act of kindness; it is knowing that you are there—that you are available—that you are willing to take the time to care about another human being. What if you went to a co-worker, neighbor or somebody you know and said: “I was thinking of you. How have you been doing? Here are some chocolates for you and your family? My family loves these? And I think yours will too.” Is doesn’t matter if you understand the situation others are in; the only thing that matters is that you love one-another without prejudices. And do not ever judge another human being. Each of our lives is different and God did not intend to make us into anything that we cannot be made into without his help. He knows what we are capable of. A first step could be to start right at home, on your own block. Do something nice for your neighbor. It can be as simple as bringing in their garbage cans or putting their newspaper on their front porch. Maybe you would like to bake cookies or make a cake or cut some flowers from your garden, or fruit from your fruit trees and present them to your neighbors or co-workers. When I had mango trees producing more mangos than my family and I could ever eat, I would fill dozens of bags of mangos and take them to my employees. They loved it. What if you baked something once a week for a different neighbor? Would it really take much out of your time? You can do it while you cook your own dinner. Showing that you have been thinking about them and that you care means more than you think, especially during hectic times. Little things do indeed go a long way. In Genesis we know that Noah was chosen by God to build an ark to save himself, his wife, his three sons and their three wives and every living thing of all flesh, birds and every creeping animal in pairs (male and female). Noah was chosen by God because he was a righteous person. God also loved mankind, but mankind had become sinful, and evil and the Bible says: "And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart." (Genesis 6:6). God decided to destroy man, "....everything on earth shall die." (Genesis 6:17) God would start over again and He chose Noah and his immediate family to make humankind over again.
"And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him." (Genesis 7:5). God is the supreme leader, and He chose Noah (a righteous man) to lead as God instructed him to lead. So, Noah as the leader of his family, instructed his wife and sons and their wives of what God told him to do and they all obeyed him. Why did they obey him? Everybody else must have thought he was crazy. They obeyed Noah because they also knew him as a righteous man, a good man, a moral man, a virtuous man. There was no reason for him to make up stories. A strong leader leads by example, not just words. Noah did what God (the supreme leader) said to do, and Noah's family did what he told them to do, at God instructed. The ark was built. All the animals, the creeping things on earth and the birds were collected. Food was gathered, and everything God said to do was done. Noah was not a perfect person. But God does not choose perfect people to lead others (David, Moses, and Solomon all were not perfect). But the Bible says, "Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God." (Genesis 6:9). God chooses people that are best suited for getting the job done. Noah would end up leading a new generation. And here we are today. Noah led his family to start a new life as God instructed: "So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth." (Genesis 9:1). And they did. What can we learn from Noah as leaders? First, a good leader leads by example. If you are the head of your household, do the right things. Show your children and other family members that you are trustworthy and virtuous. Show them that you are a person of integrity. Show them that you love God and that you obey His laws. If you haven't done this in the past, start today. God wants you to be a strong leader. Good leaders are respected not feared. Second, Noah made sacrifices. A good leader has to choose. Not every decision is an easy one. Your decisions may be unfavorable among your family members, employees or others in your organization; but as long as the decisions are for good and benefit God (a decision God would be proud of), then they are good decisions. A good leader, asks God for help with any tough decisions. Noah chose to do what God told him to do. A good leader listens and carries out the tasks that are required of him. A good leader is obedient. Noah conveyed God's instructions to his family as a good leader and as a man that can be trusted. Third, leadership is influence. The task at hand of building a massive ark and gathering the food and animals must have been an overwhelming thought at first. But Noah was an influential person with his family; he had to be. Again, a leader is one who's word is trusted because he has led by example as living a life as a virtuous man, following in God's word. Following in Noah's footsteps. It is not too late. Leadership is the hallmark that keeps a family together. And good, strong leadership is what holds a family together through tough times. Successful leadership breads growth. So, lead with righteousness, walk with God, and go out and be fruitful with all of your endeavors. "The biggest things are often the easiest to do
because there is so little competition." --William Van Horne Believe it or not, there is no competition; there is only you. There are people who invest in their business, both capital and time; they invest in service, fairness and quality of product. And they invest in honesty and integrity. And there are those who do not. True competition is all about competing with yourself--doing what you know is the right thing to do. There are those people who will always say: “There is a lot of competition in this business,” that is completely false. You are competing with yourself. Great investors and businessmen and woman and entrepreneurs make money and grow companies in all market environments. Whether the economic climate is down, sideways, booming, busted, peaking, bottoming, stagnating, contracting or depressed, you make your market, whether times are confusing or not. Let others be confused with the market, you don’t have to be. You have a plan and a go-getters attitude. The Perspective Have you ever had a burning desire of wanting something bad enough—a new car, a home for your family, a pair of shoes or a grand vacation to relax and enjoy yourself. Did you finally get what you wanted? If you did, did you realize there was no competition to your wants or acquiring what you want. This is true with everything you do—everything in your life and in business. The word “competition” is no more than the barrier or wall you place in front of yourself as an excuse to fail. The “go-getter perspective” is an idea that you can do anything or acquire anything which you desire bad enough. You can accomplish small things or great things; it all depends on what you truly want from yourself and from life; what you truly desire is what makes the difference. Reflect back: Was there really any competition in your life or business? What could you have done to be better? In retrospect, we could have always done better. Think about how you can be better now and write down ways in which you can fight your own personal competition. There really is no competition; understand this now and believe in yourself and your abilities to attain all that you want.. It is not enough just to want, you must truly believe you will receive all that you desire. Competitive Strategy Have you designed your own competitive strategy? You can do this simply by writing down who or what you believe is hindering your sales or business and write down ways in which to solve the problem. If your product needs changing—change it. If you need to increase service, customer satisfaction or better, customer loyalty, design a loyalty program. Becoming competitive means becoming more proactive in the way you do your business. It means thinking and acting in ways to build relationships. Long-term relationships breakdown competition; and competition is nothing when your customers are loyal and you service them on the right side—the side of integrity. Give more than what is expected and you’ll receive more than you expect over the long run. This is a simple truth that you may have heard before. You have to keep at it in a proactive way. Many restaurants these days serve large portions. If you cut your meal in half and save the other half for another meal, you have created two good mini habits. The first habit is eating less at each meal and the second is saving money because now you have another meal. You have cut calories and saved money.
When I eat out I will rarely try to eat my whole meal at one sitting—unless the portion is very small. Eat until you are satisfied and visualize eating the other half at home. This is great to do with sandwiches since most sandwiches are already cut in half. This mini habit has lots of benefits: (1) you eat less—you do not get blotted (2) you consume less calories—this is better for your waistline and your health (3) you have an extra meal—you save money (4) since you have an extra meal, you do not have to prepare or purchase another one—it is convenient to have food already made, sitting in your refrigerator. (5) By eating only have, you minimize the chance of feeling sleepy or tired if you eat too much of the wrong foods. (6) Your body processes the food a lot faster into energy when you eat have as much (7) No more sluggishness after lunch (8) Your afternoons could become more productive with increased energy When preparing food at home you can do the same thing—and this introduces us to the next mini/micro habit of minimizing meal size. Your body does not need a lot of food to do its job; it only need the right food. Exercise Habit: Start today by cutting your meals in half. Start with breakfast. When you eat out for lunch and dinner separate the portions on your plate and ask your server for a takeout container. Eat only to satisfy your hunger. Do not eat to get full. And remember food is to nourish your body. If you can lose that tire around your mid-section by cutting your meals in half, doesn't it make sense to start this mini-habit today? The benefits are great and you will feel wonderful from the results. In Psalm 23 God is explained by David as a Shepherd. The Shepherd is the leader. David also sees himself as a Shepherd, a leader. Let's go through Psalm 23 and discover how leadership is carried out as the Shepherd.
Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; For thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou anointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever. In verse 1: The Lord, our Shepherd, our Leader provides everything we need. (The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.) In verse 2: The Lord, our Shepherd, our Leader gives us rest and peace. (He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters.) In verse 3: The Lord, our Shepherd, our Leader leads confidently, restores, energizes and makes us new again. The Leader (Shepherd) guides us in the right direction. (He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.) In verse 4: The Lord, our Shepherd, our Leader protects, comforts and corrects us. (Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff; they comfort me. In verse 5: The Lord, our Shepherd, our Leader feeds, honors us, anoints us, giving us more than we may need. He gives us abundance. (Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou anointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over.) In verse 6: The Lord, our Shepherd, our Leader gives us love that is guaranteed for life. Our Leader gives us a house to live in, with Him, forever. (Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.) God, the Supreme Leader, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Mosses, David, Isaiah, and Father of Jesus is the Shepherd to all those believing in Him. Are you the Good Shepherd? Are you the leader in your family? Every family needs a strong leader. Every community, business, and organization needs a strong leader with integrity. You can begin the leadership journey by becoming the Good Shepherd. Follow each of the examples of leadership from each verse in Psalm 23. If you are head of your household, become the Shepherd of your flock. The Shepherd takes responsibility for the complete wellbeing of his flock. If you do not have a flock, look to your business, place of employment, or school. Now go out into the world and lead as the Shepherd. Get your FREE REPORT AT www.MitchFreeland.com (click Poker menue).
In Mini-Habit #1, I introduced going to sleep 15 minutes earlier. This week, in good Mini-Habit #2, we extend the subject of sleep with mid-day napping. Studies have shown that even a short 15 to 30 minute mid-day nap produces great results for energizing your mind and body for a productive second half of the day. Typically, after lunch many people feel tire or sluggish. This is usually the cause of eating the wrong types of food for lunch. If you were to let yourself take a short nap freely, without hesitation or without feeling guilty, would you take it? If you have an hour for lunch could you fit in a 15 or 20 minute snooze?
The next question, where to nap? Try your car. You can drive to a local park or quiet area. A covered parking structure is also a good choice. You can keep a set of eye coverings and ear plugs, or cotton balls in your car to help make falling asleep easier. Recline in your seat, cover your eyes, and fill your ears and your set, ready to snooze. You can also use soft, slow paced music with ear plugs. Meditation music may be helpful or classical arrangements with violins, cellos, guitar, harps and piano. Just make sure the music is slow and soft and puts you in a relaxed and sleepy mood, drowning out the world outside. If you work at home, you probably work at all hours of the day. Since you do not have a daily commute, you have the luxury of napping when you feel the need. One thing you have to be concerned about is spending half your day in bed or on sofa. Here you can take one hour naps. Since I work at home, I find that any time I need to take a break, I lie down and read something. In a few minutes I usually find myself falling asleep with the book in my hand. I will sleep for about 30-45 minutes. I wake up refreshed and usually have a spurt of energy to get back to work on the computer with a good idea to add to my work. If you only have a 30 minute lunch break and it is hard to snooze at work, try a nap during your daily breaks. During the day you might have two 15 minute breaks. Take both of your breaks for snoozing. It may not seem like much time, but if you are able to drop off quickly, then you’ll have a chance to get a little rest. You can tell your manager what you want to do. You can also combine your break time into one 30 minute nap. Your manager will usually be up for the idea because she will understand that a well rested employee is more productive. What about napping on the weekends or holidays? I bet you probably already do this to some extent. I would assume that almost everybody takes a nap on Thanksgiving or on Christmas day. The idea of napping is to restore energy to be more productive later. Therefore, napping should not bear a negative connotation exclusive to the very young or very old. Now, if you need to nap because you stay up late and do things you shouldn’t, then you are napping for the wrong reason. Exercise Habit: Begin this habit of good napping today. Fit in a 45-60 minute nap each day. If you find this to be impossible, use 30 minutes. It has been studied that even a short nap in the day will increase brain function and give you much needed energy for a more productive second half of the day. Happy dreams. 10 BEST ANCILLARY INCOME STRATEGIES FOR LANDLORDS TO EXPLODE CASHFLOW is available under Real Estate at MitchFreeland.com
Everyone loves consistency. Being on time every day at the office, closing a sale every day, always on time for meetings and appointments, and always being home at a certain time for family and friends—this shows consistency. These are a few ways you are measured by others—it’s your consistent behavior. When you lead yourself first, you set an example—and the example here is consistency.
Did you know that eight productive hours of work each day make a successful day, five productive days make a successful week, four productive weeks make a successful month and twelve productive months make a successful year? Now the logic behind this is simple, yet too many intelligent people do not understand the basic process that intelligent work carried out daily, and I mean every day, will result in a successful week, month, year, career and life. You have to think about your daily activity and the time you spend working. Do not fool yourself by substituting activity for real, productive work that creates results. Are you working all the time when you should be working? It is a simple question to answer and most of us would answer: “Not always.” Every day we fall into traps--traps with phone calls that are not work related, unexpected guests popping into the office, chit chat with coworkers, vendors or others who do little for out business improvement and career advancement. Remember the little words of cause and effect--you reap what you sow. There is no simpler truth than this. Do you reap much at the office by chit-chatting about the big game last Sunday? No. When at work, do your work—and do more than your work. If you want to advance in any organization, you’ll have to do more than what is simply expected of you. Do more, and in time, you will receive more. And that’s guaranteed. That is the natural law of cause and effect, it is real and evident in every part of your life. Successful men and women the world over do not just wake up successful. They work at it hour after hour, day in and day out, year after year, decade after decade. They understand the more they put in the more they’ll get out. This is a natural law of order--the laws of cause and effect. The great statesman, inventor and businessman Benjamin Franklin said it best in His Autobiography: “I spent no time in taverns, games, or frolicks of any kind; and my industry in my business continu’d as indefatigable as it was necessary. I was indebted for my printing-house; I had a young family coming on to be educated, and I had to contend with for business two printers, who were established in the place before me. My circumstances, however, grew daily easier. My original habits of frugality continuing, and my father having, among his instructions to me when a boy, frequently repeated a proverb of Solomon: “Seest thou a man diligent in his calling, he shall stand before kings, he shall not stand before mean men.” I from thence considered industry as a means of obtaining wealth and distinction, which encouraged me, tho’ I did not think that I should ever literally stand before kings, which, however, has since happened; stood before five, and even had the honor of sitting down with one, the King of Denmark, to dinner.” Ben Franklin knew what he had to do. Do you? I was asked one evening at an event, “How did you write fifteen books in three years? My response was, “It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t hard either. All I had to do was be consistent; five pages a day, six days a week—sometimes seven days a week.” There is no mystery behind productively that isn’t the result of diligence and consistency. All great achievement is born by these two words, by these two actions. Many years ago had the privilege to hear Dr. John C. Maxwell give a sermon at Christ Fellowship Church, in West Palm Beach, Florida. In a couple to the sermons he spoke briefly about how he had written so many books. “One word at a time. Every day I read, I write, I file, I think; every day I read, I write, I file, I think; every day I read, I write, I file, I think--every day, every day, everyday.” Doing the right things every day, doing the things you know you should do every day, might appear mundane or boring, but when you have a passion, a deeply rooted desire of joy in doing the tough things, knowing exactly what the end result is going to be, then the good work you do day after day after day is not boring or mundane. It is interesting. It is learning. It is constant learning--discovering new ideas and developing inner joy through consistent daily effort. Find what gives you joy. Find your greatest passion and pursue that passion every day. * * * To lead yourself first, to succeed in any venture, you’ll have to focus on your work. Working diligently and consistently is the true way to lead yourself in the direction you want to go—the right direction SPRING SALE
25% OFF ALL ORDERS OF $98+ on Real Estate Books FOR A LIMITED TIME. RECEIVE 25% CASHBACK OF YOUR ORDER WITHIN 24 HOURS OF PURCHASE OF $98+ STARTING APRIL 28 ON orders from www.MitchFreeland.com (CREDITED BACK TO YOUR PAYPAL OR CREDIT CARD) ---------------------------------- $5 CASH BACK ON FIRST ORDER OF $20 $10 CASH BACK ON FIRST ORDER OF $35 The California Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, has a wall of plaques dedicating craps players who have had long rolls. The long roll players are called Golden Arms. This illustrious handle started in 1989 when Stanley Fujitake held the dice for over three hours for 118 rolls. There is also a cast of Fujitake's arm on the casino floor.
The Fujitake roll started shortly after midnight on May 28, 1989. The quiet man from Hawaii was to set in motion the Golden Arm. The California had a rule that the casino manager, John Repetti, was to be called (at anytime) when excessive losses were incurred on any casino game. After shooting the dice for an hour, Repetti got the first call at home. The casino was down over $200,000. Repetti advised the pit to call when losses mount to $100,000 intervals. The next call came fifteen minutes later, then another fifteen minutes later, and then another fifteen minutes later. After the fifth call Repetti decided to get dressed and go to the casino. The numbers on the crap table were completely packed with chips that the numbers could not be seen. Naturally, the table was also packed four deep. The action was heavy and the casino was now out of $1,000 chips. Fujitake's roll finally ended after three hours and six minutes. The California had lost over a $1 million from that table that night. If you are heading to Las Vegas this weekend and you have been prepping your shooting arm, get plenty of rest--you just might be the next Fujitake. Your mission: 119 rolls. To learn more about winning at craps, get your copy of Winning Craps at www.MitchFreeland.com Our lives are based on habits—good and bad. The decisions we make daily have consequences and it is the habits we choose that create these consequences whether they are beneficial to us or hurt us. We have choices and what we eventually do with our choices will produce an outcome—an outcome we are pleased with or one that may need a little more attention. Unpleasant outcomes can often be changed. The choices we have made have put us in the place we are in now.
With proper habits we could set in motion results that could be good for us and with mini and micro habits we can make the journey easier and more fruitful with a higher degree of achievement and with a well deserved feeling of accomplishment. And this accomplishment could make for a peak experience that catches momentum. So what is a habit and why should I be interested in them? A habit is simply a behavior that repeats itself regularly. In many cases it can be an unconscious behavior or routine. Habits are developed over a period of time. Everyone has habits of some form and you should be interested in habits for the very fact that habits form and structure your everyday life. Some people have formed habits with eating, drinking and exercising: An unhealthy habit can be stopping in at your corner doughnut shop and getting a doughnut and coffee every morning. An expensive habit can be stopping in at your local Starbucks or Panera Bread and getting a fancy coffee, bagel or breakfast sandwich. Done regularly, this stop can be a habit which can be hard to break because it fills many comforts. And over the course of a year, this habit can be an expensive one and an unhealthy one high in fat and calories your body does not need. Why 40 habits in 40 days? There is something very good and very special about the number 40. In the bible God used 40 days to transform people: It rained for 40 days and 40 nights after Noah and his family were saved from the flood—and the world was transformed; Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai—and He was transformed; Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness—He was tested; God gave Elijah one meal that gave him strength for 40 days—and He was transformed. Yes, the number 40 is significant because it is evident that God uses 40 days to transform people—and this is why we will use 40 days as well. How are Habits Formed? Habits are formed by the regular repetition of a behavior; this behavior becomes automatic—the behavior or process becomes habitual. The process can be slow, ranging from two weeks of repetition to almost a year. Studies have shown that there are three parts to a habit: (1) the cue; (2) the behavior; and (3) the reward. The cue is what causes the habitual behavior. The behavior is the habit itself. And the reward is the feeling you receive. This is usually a good or positive feeling. An interesting thing about the reward is that the habit is usually triggered with a set goal in mind. Therefore, the habit is formed to procure a specific goal. (For learning about goal setting get a copy of Mini Goals: Huge Results). Here is an example: every morning when you wake up you might go to the kitchen and make a pot of coffee. You do this every day, every morning—and usually around the same time. Even when you have gotten plenty of rest you still make the coffee. When you are tired, coffee peps you up—there is a recognized benefit. When you are already well rested you probably do not need the coffee to pep you up but you make it just the same and take a cup as you do every morning. Your morning of making coffee has formed into a habit. This can also be said for those of you who visit Starbucks or get your coffee from a local place on the way to work. Habits have now been formed and when you alter the habit by missing a day you might feel physically or mentally different, or you may feel that something is wrong with your day. Breaking habits are hard when you have conditioned yourself over a long period of time. Habits and Goals Many habits are formed by having a goal in mind. The goal is what motivates a habit to form by the response repetition of a process to form a habit. Behavior prediction is also derived from goals. Behavior prediction is to acknowledge a habit will form, but in order to form that habit, a goal must have been initially present. The influence of goals on habits is what makes a habit different from other automatic processes in the mind. (Neal, D., Wood, W., Labrecque, J., & Lally, P. (2011). How do habits guide behavior? perceived and actual triggers of habits in daily life . Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, (48), 492-498) Why Mini and Micro Habits? Since habits have to be formed, isn’t it easier to form good, healthy, small habits as opposed to trying to form big habits? Habits can change your life and make you into the super productive person God made you to be. Can you form good mini and micro habits quicker with less stress and with a higher degree of accuracy? Yes, you can and in this book I am going to outline a few habits that can be easy to form and that will have the potential to make you into a super productive force of unabashed accomplishments. All of us want to be more productive in life, whether at home, the office, in sports, or out in the field. If you are actively in sporting competitions then you will need to be producing to keep your position, and this really goes for everybody who wants more and wants to progress in life at a pace that is noticeable. I have found that forming good mini and micro habits have the power to transform a life filled with fear and uncertainly into a life filled with confidence and one with success obedience—that is, a life built to produce positive results with an optimistic, hope-filled future. Good habit building can only lead to success—there is no way around it—it is definite. And the successful have always gotten to the top by forming and following habits that move them in the direction they want to go. Now that you have a little background on habits, let’s begin. In the weeks to come (every Thursday), I am going to give you ideas of good, healthy habits. If you are committed, you can follow along and initiate the habits into your life. We are going to call these habits mini and/or micro habits because they will be small changes or activities that will not require much time or much effort. By making small changes you will magnify the results. Mini Habit Are Simple to Start But Fear Could Hold You Back Some habits may appear simplistic or even obvious. Don’t let this prevent you are trying it for your 40 day journey. All habits that are good habits will build you into the person you want to be. What do you tell a child when it is ready to stand and walk? You say “baby steps.” That’s right, you need to start off by taking baby steps. A progression of baby steps over many weeks will get you from where you are to where you want to be. It is a matter of getting started and then finishing. Many people may start with honest intentions of finishing, but few actually finish. This is not because we do not want to finish, it is because of three things that get in our way: 1) Procrastination; 2) Disorganization: and 3) Not truly wanting to change. We can contribute “fear” to each of the three responses. Fear is the emotion that binds all three together. We procrastinate because of an inner fear. This fear could associated with the fear of accomplishment or of growing into a mature adult. When we are disorganized in our lives are build walls around us. Have you ever seen the television show “Hoarders”? These people have buried themselves in their house because of fear. Usually, a traumatic event or a perceived traumatic event has occurred in their life. Unable to adequately deal with the situation, the person has build physical barriers to help protect them from the fear of the situation happening again. Whatever fears you have that are preventing you form forming good habits will have to be dealt with sooner or later. Let's work on the sooner now. Our first good habit this week is: Good Mini Habit #1: Go to Sleep 15 Minutes Earlier Sleep is important. Most of us know this. However, most of us are not getting enough of it. Do you go to bed when you are tired or do you go to bed at a certain, predetermined time? Perhaps both; you go to bed tired at a predetermined time because your biological clock is set somewhat permanently after years of conditioning of going to sleep and waking up at around the same time day after day. Getting enough sleep can make you more alert and productive, there are also health benefits. This section could also be categorized under health/fitness—so getting adequate sleep is minimum twofold for beneficial purposes. If you sleep for eight hours and wake up tired, you are not getting enough quality sleep. There could be many reasons for this: bad diet, worry and stress, overweight, money issues, or other medical reasons. You probably know the problem causer or have a good idea of the culprit. But whatever the case, you need more sleep. By hitting the hay fifteen minutes earlier you might get the extra sleep needed to be refreshed, rejuvenated and invigorated. Try it and see what happens. Changing habits is experimental. You change to better yourself, but with many new changes you never know the extent of the change until you try it. If after a while you find that it isn’t working for you, you try to alter the process or try something different altogether. Perhaps you will need an extra 30 minutes of sleep? If you have been conditioned to sleep at a certain time, it may be hard to fall asleep at first. Try reading in bed a novel that you have already read. By changing your sleeping habits you might benefit greatly with a well deserved night’s sleep. I have found that just an extra few minutes of solid sleep can mean a world of difference from waking up fresh and rested to groggy and tired as though I’ve been running in my sleep. Yes, the proper amount of sleep makes a world of difference. Exercise Habit: Do this habit for a week and see the change in you. If you find that it is working well and you are feeling better rested, try 20-30 minutes. Your body and the clarity of your mind will let you know the results. When you play with many of the same players regularly, you will be able to observe their playing style, habits and if you pay close attention, you may be able to pick-up on any tells they have. This is a good thing about playing with regulars. You can take notes and really study your opponents.
Taking notes on regular players is a task that will increase your win rate significantly. When you are alert, and pay close attention to these players, day after day or week after week, you will realize that your regulars, even though they put in a lot of hours playing, do not have the discipline to be good players. What has always surprised me was the undisciplined nature of poker players who seemed to put in a lot of playing hours, yet have never learned the game or how to play it to win. It is easier than ever to take notes on players. All you need is a smart phone to begin journaling. You can journal between hands. Writing about players habits and tells you might have detected. And if you do not have a phone are or do not like using it for this purpose, you can do it the old fashioned way with a pen and a little black writing book. What do you write down?
Get the idea? This list can be extensive. Nearly anything your opposition does is a clue to the strength or weakness of their hand. To learn more about winning poker get your copy of The Small Stakes Poker Hustle. To learn more about studying poker reserve your copy of How to Become an A+ Student at Poker (coming soon) at www.MitchFreeland.com. How many of us in school, whether in grammar school, junior high school, high school, or college have read and followed the examples set in Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography. His simple truth of self-examination is outlined in this book.
Moreover, in His Autobiography, Benjamin Franklin explains through self-examination his desire to design a plan “of arriving at moral perfection.” He then went on and named a list of thirteen virtues that were most important to him in achieving this goal. His desire was to live day to day by these virtues. “The names of virtues, with their precepts were: 1. Temperance. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation. 2. Silence. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation. 3. Order. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time. 4. Resolution. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve. 5. Frugality. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; waste nothing. 6. Industry. Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unicorn actions. 7. Sincerity. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly. 8. Justice. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty. 9. Moderation. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve. 10. Cleanliness. Tolerate no unseemliness in body, cloaths, or habitation. 11. Tranquillity. Be not disturbed at trifles, or a accidents common or unavoidable. 12. Chastity. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation. 13. Humility. Imitate Jesus and Socrates. Franklin then measured his daily activity and marked in his “little book” each time he violated one of his virtues. Coming to truths with yourself and being completely honest with yourself is a difficult task at first if you’ve never done it. You must open your mind and see yourself as an independent being and a subject of critical study. You are your guinea pig. This is an exercise you can do yourself and all it takes is a little thinking on your part. Sometimes thinking is difficult when you haven’t done it for a long time. But the more you think, the easier the act of thinking becomes. Open your mind and use all the creative juices you possess. Now begin by practicing this exercise; make a list of your virtues and mark down each time you violate your virtues. For further study, you can even write down why you violated a virtue. For a week or longer assess yourself as you would any objective task of study. There is one misconception that the achievement of ones goals brings a state of happiness to the goal achiever. This is typically not the case. Some goals take a longtime to achieve and as we work toward the achievement of a particular goal the actual journey to achieving the goal is generally a happier experience than the actual achievement of the goal. This might appear strange, but it is true and if you have ever achieved a meaningful goal you’ll understand what I am referring to.
Earl Nightingale, in his masterpiece course Lead the Field, explains this phenomenon. It is the purpose driven desire to achieve a particular goal that brings happiness because it gives one a purpose. Once a goal is achieved it is simply a product of your thoughts and activities that generated the goal to be achieved over a period of time—time devoted to constructive, earnest, diligent, effort. A rather simple explanation, Nightingale illustrates that we are happier in the car going to dinner than coming back from dinner. We are happier going on a trip than coming back from a trip. It is the expectation of accomplishment, rather than the accomplishment itself that offers us the greatest excitement, joy and escalation. We are happier in pursuit of a worthy goal than its achievement. This, I can say is indeed true. Since many goals take a long time and a lot of persistent work to accomplish, once you’ve finally accomplished what you have set out to accomplished, you have already accomplished it. The goal, in your own mind has already been accomplished. You saw the end. You knew it would be a matter of time, but you knew the result, you saw it as the light at the end of the tunnel. You already saw it in your minds eye being achieved—being completed, accomplished. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” Expanding on Emerson, I would say happiness is achieved by a life with purpose—a life filled with meaningful goals. Happiness is driven with a purpose in mind—a goal, vision, or thought of the future and how you see yourself in it—how you are making, planning now, and following through with those plans to make your life, your world, and the world of others around you, better. Happiness is not based on the end result or achievement of a worthy goal, but the journey towards accomplishing a worthy goal, a meaningful goal. Brian Tracy, in his book Maximum Achievement says it this way: “Perhaps 80 percent of all the problems and unhappiness that you experience occur because you are unclear about where you’re going and what you want to accomplish.” He further sites an “old saying”: “Feeling listless? Make a list!” This is sound and simple advice. Make a list of your goals, the things you want to achieve in the next month, year or next five years. The list you make will put you on the right path, right direction and give you focus. And it is this list that will remove your “listless” state. You will become motivated because now you have a plan—something to reach for, something to accomplish. You have that target to shoot at. But what is a worthy goal? Any goal that benefits humankind, animal kind and you is a worthy goal. Any goal that makes life and the act of living better, easier, and happier for others is a worthy goal. A purpose to do good, to strive for goodness, and to follow a vision of goodness is a worthy goal. Any goal that pleases God is a worthy goal. To learn more about setting and achieving your goals get a copy of Mini Goals Huge Results. Everything lies on customer satisfaction. To be in business and to remain in business you have to satisfy your customers. You need happy customers. There is an old Chinese custom that comes to mind here: It goes something like this: “If you plan to open your doors for business, open your heart with a smile.” Now I’m quite certain the quote is not exactly accurate word for word—but I think you get the idea. Basically, you’ll have to bite your upper lip a few times—because you know the customer is not always right. Be nice, be level headed and do not do something or write, email, text or correspond in a way in which you might regret later. Always keep in mind that negative feedback is damaging and even if it causes just one potential customer to buy from someone else because of a comment and unfavorable rating made by a customer, you have lost the battle. Would you buy a book from a vendor with 92 percent positive feedback or one with 99 percent positive feedback? Who would you feel is the more reliable seller? Who appears to be more dependable? Get the idea? It is critically important that you maintain a high positive feedback rating—99 to 100 percent should always be your goal.
It is often the case that pride gets in the way of doing good business. Although, the saying "the customer is always right" is not always correct, it is, nonetheless, that business owners still preach today. We know that the customer is not always right, but it is still your responsibility to satisfy your customer. You must become and remain, as long as you plan to sell books online, to be customer centric. Your customers are the center of your business; for without them, you have no business—and no hope. What defines a customer centric organization? First of all it is creating a positive experience at the time of sale and after the sale. It is said that this experience can be leveraged against competitors who do not offer the same benefits or service, or offer the same buying experience. This differentiates you from the others with their 95 percent positive feedback and your 100 percent positive feedback. Proven customer service to combat potential negative feedback
Once in a while you will be face to face with an unreasonable customer. She could also be a thief, a liar and all around despicable character. So do not be too surprised when you get one of these types. And even after you have gone out of your way, loss money, time and energy to resolve a problem, you may still get nasty feedback. Remember one thing: there are nasty people still around. On that note. Good luck. If you would like to know more about making a good income from selling used books online, get a copy of my book "How I Make $4,000 A Month Part-Time Selling Used Books Online." If you are planning to get anywhere in life, you’ll have to take risks. Remember the old saying “Nothing ventured, nothing gained?” Well…it’s true. You’ve got to have bet something, gambled, put something on the line, something of importance and something worth a great deal to you. If you are to succeed, you’ve got to believe enough in your venture to put it out on the line, winner take all attitude.
It takes courage to venture out, to put your money, reputation and time into your new venture. It takes courage when everybody else is telling you, "you are wasting your time." But is it necessary? Yes, every time it is necessary. You must believe wholeheartedly in your project, business or new venture. You should ask this question and ask it frequently. Am I willing to risk my money and time? Over the years I have been asked to participate (invest my money) in projects others have proposed to me. Some of the people were businessmen, entrepreneurs you could say, some young, some middle aged and some old. The first thing I ask someone who wants me to put up my money into a project is: “How much of your own money have you invested? When the investor says, “I have a lot of time in it.” I say, “Goodbye.” If the investor gives me a miniscule number, a low number that wouldn’t hurt if he lost his investment, I usually say, “Goodbye.” When an investor comes to me and has a significant amount invested, which is his own money—this tells me he believes in what he is doing and he is willing to put it on the line to make a success of it. This deduction is more commonsense than anything else. It shows confidence, faith in his abilities to deliver the goods, a good attitude that he is willing to take personal financial risk to better himself. By investing your own capital and a great deal of time, working day and night, you show the world you are serious—you show the world that you believe in what you are doing. “People think landlording is dealing with people—but I deal with machines too. The only difference is, is that machines can be fixed quickly—with people it takes years.”
In the real estate business, it’s called ancillary income—income derived from other sources outside of rental income. Ancillary income can be many things: coin-op laundries, soda or vending machines, cleaning service, pet fees, and almost anything you have the imagination to charge a fee for—including late fees. A common add-on fee is caused by late payment of rent. You can charge 10% after the fifth day. You could also collect the interest from deposits—and of course, you charge an application fee. All states are not the same, so check with your state regarding how much you can charge for late fees and whether tenants are required to receive interest on their deposits. I had a tenant who did not get her pay check until the 15th of each month. Since rent was due on the 1st of the month and late after the 5th, this tenant could never save enough money to pay by the 5th of the month. She always paid her rent every month on the 16th. The tenant’s rent was $750 per month and a 10% late fee of $75 was routinely charged each month. She paid the late charge every single month—like clock work. It was paid each month for over a year this way. She was so consistent about paying on the 16th of the month, we stopped notifying her of her late rent—it always came in at the same time each month with an extra $75. That is an extra $900 at the end of the year for those of you counting. She was a good tenant who paid up, albeit late, each month. There are many ways to increase your cash flow and to collect more than 100% rent. Here are a few common ways to make more than just rental income: (1) Application Fee. An application fee should be charged to everyone who wants to rent from you; a $50 minimum fee with an additional fee of $25 per adult (18 years of age) living in the unit. This fee is nonrefundable and part of it will be used for credit checks and your time to call references and employers and to verify other information on the application. (2) Late rent fee. This was noted earlier with an example, but typically, you should charge a late rent fee of 10% of the total amount late. Hopefully, you will never need to collect a late rent fee—but this would be highly unlikely. Late rent fees do add up, so don’t neglect to collect them and make it a business practice that your tenants know they have to pay up when they are late with the rent. Notify tenants that you have to pay your billed by the first of each month, as well. And if you do not pay your mortgage and utility bills on time, you are charged a late fee. (3) Pet fee. Nearly 50% of all households have pets. If you decide to not allow pets, you will alienate a large possible tenant population. You will also eliminate the possibility of receiving a monthly pet fee. Pet fees can range from $10 to $50 per month or more, depending on the pet and the number of pets per household. Pets can also cause damage, so we take on an additional security deposit of $25—with large dogs you can charge $250 per dog. The extra income you make by accepting pets is well worth the damage they may potentially cause; this is especially true when you have the same tenant for many years. The nice thing about charging pet rent is that it costs you nothing to implement. (4) Soda Machine. With an apartment building of 15 or more units, a soda machine can gross between $150 to $200 per month. You can purchase soda from 23 to 28 cents each and charge 75 cents to $1 per can. Electricity to run the machine will cost $30 to $50 per month depending on your location. Soda machines are free from Coke or Pepsi distributors as long as you buy your sodas from a distributor. A distributor will also deliver to your location. Operating a machine, however, does require some work and may not be worth the hassle for a monthly net profit of $100. If you have a larger apartment building of 40 or 50 units, then you could show a monthly profit of $300 to $500 per month. You will need to stock the machine about once per week. You will also need a place to store the sodas. You can use a storage closet at your apartment building. Make sure to put a good lock on the door to prevent break-ins. Increasing cash flow is one of the most important concepts to the proactive investor. The ideas presented here are from the book High Engagement Landlording. Investors serious about making money in real estate and increasing cash flow should obtain a copy of the book Cash Flow & Co.: A Super-System for Real Estate Investors; this is a book designed specifically for the aggressive investor looking for ways to increase cash flow and receive more than 100% rental income. With seventy proven ideas, this book is referred to as the “Bible” of ancillary income and is scheduled for release in Fall 2018. What role does God play in your life? Is He in your thoughts? Is He in your thoughts daily, whenever good things happen and when bad things happen? Do you thank Him? Are you grateful for all that you have and will have? Is your hope for a wonderful future overwhelmingly high? I certainly hope it is. Did you know that people who are passionate about God, Jesus, are more optimistic about life? The current problems and troubles that face us in our daily lives are temporary and pass like a summer breeze—and some like a tornado. Why is this? For one thing, Christians believe in life—a better life beyond this one, in this world.
This life on earth is not the end of your life when you are a Christian. This life is the beginning of your life, and when this life is over, a new life with Christ begins. How could anyone then be a pessimist when the good life is waiting for you in the future? Does this make sense to you? You do not know what God’s plans are for you. You are on his schedule not yours. Ten years of struggle may seem like a long time for you, but for God it might not even be a second. I have noticed that solid Christians live happier, healthier, more fulfilling lives than others. This doesn’t mean they do not have problems. Some have extremely serious problems. Why do you think this is? Many are pillars in their community. They are resoundingly helpful, confident, inspired and at peace with themselves, with God and the direction they are going. I think this is because a solid Christian knows the outcome. In the end, they believe in heaven and that all will be well in the end. Eternal life begins with death. Our time on earth is short, but our time with the Father is eternal. Life is filled with hardships and sorrows, tribulation and uncertainties. But with Christ one thing is certain: a life beyond this one. Is this a reason to be eternally optimistic? It is. How do you become eternally optimistic? Here are a few ways.
If you haven’t opened the Bible in a while or attended church, it’s time. This is the most important Step to an optimistic outlook. |