I was watching The Oprah Winfrey show yesterday and she was talking about battling her weight problem.  She said something that struck me as being true for many people.  She said she was not hungry for food.  What she was really hungry for was balance.  Essentially work had taken over her life and she’d stop scheduling time to take care of herself.  Her life was out of balance and that lack of balance reflected itself in the form of weight gain.

Whenever we’re out of balance, putting work before other important areas of life, something will suffer.  It may not be weight for you; it may be rebellious children, a broken marriage, or stress-related health challenges.

So I pose the question to you, what are you hungry for?  Are you hungry for balance also?  Are you hungry to live your dream instead of grinding away at a job you hate?  It’s time to get what you’re really hungry for.

Until next time…

Seek God–Live Balanced

I hung out with a couple of my sorority sisters last week, reminiscing and discussing what we really want out of life.  Both of them talked passionately about what they would love to be doing for a living.  When I asked them why they weren’t doing it, their answer (spoken in unison, I might add) was “fear.”  What were they afraid of?  Why are people afraid to pursue their passion?

I would submit to you that it’s because of money.  If you quit your job to pursue your dream, how will you make money?  It’s that “how” question that stops people from pursuing their dreams.  Instead of asking how, we should ask why.  Why do we want to start a non-profit to help teen girls (for example)?  If it’s your purpose (What God has created you to do) and you’re doing it in obedience to Him, then God will make sure your needs are met.  As Andy Stanley wrote in his book, Visioneering, “What God originates, He orchestrates.”  In other words, God will take care of the how.

So, if you’ve got a dream that you’re afraid to pursue, I encourage you to begin pursuing that dream even if you have to do so while you still have your job.  As you start on your journey, I recommend you read two books, Visioneering: God’s Blueprint for Developing and Maintaining Vision and Caught Between A Dream and A Job

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I read this prayer that’s a play off the 23rd Psalm and thought it was a perfect description of how most of us actually live our lives:

“The clock is my dictator, I shall not rest.

It makes me lie down only when exhausted.

It leads me into deep depression.

It hounds my soul.

It leads me in circles of frenzy, for activities’ sake.

Even though I run frantically from task to task, I will never get it all done.

For my ideal is with me.

Deadlines and my need for approval, they drive me.

They demand performance from me, beyond the limits of my schedule.

They anoint my head with migraines,

My in-basket overflows.

Surely fatigue and time pressures shall follow me

All the days of my life,

And I will dwell in the bounds of frustration forever.” (source unknown)

If you have not set clear priorities and determined to honor those priorities, you’re destined to live your life under the pressures described in the above prayer.  So, what are you waiting for, go ahead and establish your priorities today.

Until next time…

Seek God-Live Balanced

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Who watched Marcus Buckingham on Oprah yesterday?  Well, I certainly did.  The information he offered was outstanding; but what I noticed even more than what he was saying, was what the workshop participants were saying and the desperation in what they were saying.  Almost every participant hated their job and they were desperate to find a way to escape their daily grind.

If you hate your job, head over to Oprah.com and take the online course being offered on finding your strengths and creating a new life.  Or click below to get a copy of Marcus’ newest book.

Go Put Your Strengths to Work: 6 Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance

I just read an article on SmartBrief.com about the Wharton Entrepreneurship Club.  It stated, “[T]wo-thirds (of the club members) either already have plans to start a business or are open to starting a business if they find the right idea.”  The article went on to quote the co-president as saying, “the surprisingly high numbers reflect the dreary state of the economy.”

The implication is that starting a business is something done as a last resort when you can’t find a job.  I don’t believe a entrepreneur would view things that way.  In fact, for me, it’s just the opposite, finding a job is the last resort and only temporary until I could start my next business.

What do you think; is starting a business really a last resort?

I attended a Business Expo a few weeks ago and a speaker made the statement, “You are the creator of your business.”  That statement got me to thinking about how God created the universe.  The Creator created the entire universe one day at a time, pausing between each day to see that what He’d done was good and, when He made man, very good.

Take a look at the sequence in which things were created and parallel that with how you can use this same pattern to create your business:

Day One:  God created light.  Light is representative of vision or planning.  God also separated light from darkness.  As you plan, your business vision will become more and more clear and the actual business will begin to come into being.

Day Two:  God created the sky.  The sky represents your business goals.  What limits are you placing on your business?  The sky is the limit.

Day Three:  God created land.  Land represents your foundation.  What are you building your business on?  Is it reputation, brand recognition, service, or integrity?  What will you be known for?

Day Four:  God created stars, the sun, and moon.  These are representative of your customers or clients.  The number and size of your customer base will serve as the benchmark for how well you’re doing in your business.

Day Five: God created fish and birds.  I see these as partners and mentors.  The partners could actually be business partners or they could be joint venture partners. Whichever the case, these are the people that are going to help you along the way and take you to a new level of business.  The mentors are higher or further in their business tenure, so they can help you see things that lie ahead so you can anticipate and make adjustments.

Day Six: God created animals and man.  The animals represent employees and man represents proteges.  As you grow, you will need employees to help you in your business.  God made man in His image and trains them and guides them to do things His way.  Similarly, as employers we should find proteges within our group of employees to guide and train so that they can eventually be able to run your company or a company of their own.

I encourage you to be the creator of your own business!

Network marketing has gotten a bad reputation because of individuals who have taken a viable form of distribution and distorted it for their own greedy gain.  Check out what Robert Kiyosaki has to say about the network marketing industry:

Robert Kiyosaki Speaks on Network Marketing