Is Anyone Really Qualified?

[Definition] Qualified: officially recognized as being trained to perform a particular job.

In a world where we have an abundance of information, training, education and resources it seems as if it would be an easy task to quickly become qualified and prepared for jobs, work, business or even life events.

Some people may have a high level of confidence that they are always prepared and ready for whatever life may bring their way.

Unfortunately, if we are honest with ourselves it is a rare time when we have the belief and confidence that we are totally prepared for new adventures that will test and stretch us. And there are times in life where we just question whether or not we are qualified for the next step in our journey.

Everyone has a situation, work event or a life event that seems to remind us that it is impossible to train and be qualified for everything that life has to offer.

• You have just been promoted
  
• You have a great idea and you are excited about starting a new business
• You have your degree and you have just been hired by a large corporation
  
• You just landed your biggest client to date. They will be paying you more money this year than you made in the last 4 years combined.
  
• You have owned a construction business all your life, but the business no longer exists and you have just accepted an entry level position at Home Depot
  
• You are a college dropout but you now run a multi billion dollar corporation
  
• You have just been asked to serve as a board member for your church
  
• You have been asked to speak at the funeral of a friend or business associate
  
• You just got engaged
  
• You or your wife are expecting your first child
  
• You are on a plane traveling home 72 hours after meeting your adopted child for the first time
  
• You have been approved for the loan and you now own a home
  
• You have just been accepted into Bible College...at the age of 51
  

We use the word "qualified" as if it is definitive and final. But are any of us really qualified? The more important question may be "does it matter if someone is qualified?"

Of course we want our doctor to have a medical degree. It is important for the nurse to have certifications. The engineer should be licensed. 

But even in those industries that require certification and degrees, more is required to succeed than what can be taught in a school or approved by a certification board.

There is usually something deep inside that is pulled out of a willing individual that propels them to perform above any of their training or qualifications or background. Or more likely there is a  a guiding hand or presence from above.

I was inspired to write this article after reading one of my morning devotions from Joseph Prince, a minister based in Singapore. In that devotion, Prince discussed 4 women in the Old Testament and how they would never have been considered qualified for their unique positions in history. 

Whether or not you believe that Jesus was a Savior and the Messiah, you cannot deny his significance in history. These 4 women are listed in the most read book in the world - the Bible -  and they are in the genealogy of Jesus.

They are Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba, women who had morally questionable backgrounds and were unqualified by most people's standards.

Below are a few excerpts from Prince's devotion:

"Tamar resorted to deception and prostitution to produce children through her father-in-law. Yet, it was from her line, the tribe of Judah, that the Messiah came. (Genesis 38) Rahab was a Gentile and a prostitute in Jericho, who became a believer in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (Joshua 2:1–21) She also became the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth. (Ruth 4:13)

Ruth was morally upright. But as a Moabitess, she was a Gentile and therefore considered unclean. Yet, she became the grandmother of David (Ruth 4:13–17), whom the Jews regard as their greatest king. Bathsheba committed adultery with David. (2 Samuel 11:4) Later, she gave birth to King Solomon (2 Samuel 12:24), from whose royal line Jesus descended."

There are many lessons that we can gather from these examples. 

Even if it appears that you are unqualified, you were created to have an impact on the world around you.
 
Don't look at a situation short-term. You may have a significant place in history that will not be known for years...maybe even many years from now.
 
It may seem that you have really messed up, but you can be redeemed and things can work out better than you ever imagined.
 
Your assignment and being equipped for your assignment is more important than your qualifications.

We should position ourselves to be equipped instead of laboring to be qualified.

[Definition] Equipped: supply with the necessary items for a particular purpose or prepare (someone) mentally for a particular situation or task.

It could be that even when we feel unqualified, we are actually supernaturally equipped to perform the task or assignment that we has been given to us.

Let's just choose to relax and seek our divine assignment. And then we can expect to receive the equipping to complete the job.

In my previous post - Home Is Where You Make It - Part 1, I explained how my wife and I have been traveling the world as homeless nomads for the past 2 years.

You can read this post as a stand-alone article, but it will make much more sense if you read Part 1 first.

It has felt as if we have been swimming upstream against the currents of our modern society. Our society and especially our economy encourages people to accumulate and accumulate and accumulate until we are forced to pack our garages, get storage units or even buy bigger homes just to make sure we can keep all our stuff.

We just made the choice to attempt to live a lifestyle where we only acquire things that are essential. It really is amazing to think about how little you need when you evaluate everything you purchase and keep as essential vs non-essential.

As promised in Part 1, I wanted to share my observations and valuable lessons that I have learned as we have traveled this very odd but cool journey:

People Are Fascinated By Our Lifestyle

But people really do not understand how or why we live the life we live.

Everyone that we talk to says that they would love to do what we do. Travel and live free and see the world and just go wherever we feel led to go. Then they pause and think for a few seconds and then the reasons "why not" begin to flow into their brain and out of their mouth. 

They say something like, "I can never do what you are doing because..."

My kids have to be in this particular school system
I have a great job and I can't leave it
Our business keeps me trapped in this location
I have to work here for another 10 years before I retire 
I only have 12 more years before I pay off my mortgage and then this beautiful 1800 square foot ranch in suburban Muskogee OK will be mine
We could never leave here because BLANK lives here (in the BLANK insert Mama, Daddy, Great Grandma, our 29 year old son Junior, our grandkids, etc...)
Our children need us
I will stay here until I die

I do not mean to belittle any of those responses, but a few years ago I was begging the Lord to use me in a big way and he told me that he could not send me anywhere because I was too attached to my location and my stuff. That was when we began the process of eliminating those things that keep us tied down. It took almost 3 years, but when we had removed all of our encumbrances of location and things, He started showing us how exciting life could be. And, that was only the beginning. 

Life Is Simpler

For all the advancements we have in our modern lives, we have also created complications. 

I appreciate tools that make my life easier, but the more electronic devices we have, the more they have to be charged, synced protected, and updated. The more things we have, the more they have to be stored, insured, paid for, cleaned, and protected. The less you have, the simpler life is. 

Stop Being Controlled By Money

Many people are controlled and consumed by money whether they have millions in the bank or 2 nickels in their pocket.

It seems as if I have been chasing money most of my life. There are times that I caught a bunch of it. There have also been times that it seemed to allude and run away from me the more I chased. 

It is very difficult to describe the mental changes that have occurred over the past few years. It may be that I have just matured. It may be that I reached a low point when some businesses failed. Or, it may be that I finally stopped putting money on a pedestal. 

We all have idols in our lives. I think that the process of earning (sometimes chasing) financial success was an idol for me. I also think that it is an idol for many people in our current society. It is so liberating to just relax, not be anxious and enjoy life. To be able to have control over money instead of letting it have control over me and my thought processes. Now money and business and blessings seem to just find me.  

Do Not Let Things Own You

Things are related to money. 

They can take on a life of their own when we begin to fear that we may not have as many things as we should. Possibly because of our self image or possibly because of ego. Or, when we hold on to things because we think they have value that is either real or perceived. Or worse, we put some sentimental value on a item because it was Grandma's or Junior's or it reminds us of our high school days. So we store it and keep it or we put it on a shelf to collect dust. And many times, the longer we keep it the harder it is to let it go. 

People have value. Experiences have value.

Things only have value when people give them value. In our modern world many people put more value on their stuff than they put on other people.  

Experiences & Relationships Really Are More Important Than Things & Money

Glori and I were in a car in the middle of the south island of New Zealand. We were driving for almost an hour down a gravel road toward a valley that was 2 miles wide and 10 miles long but completely surrounded by snow capped mountains. With a beautiful flowing river running through the middle. 

It was Mt Sunday which was the location where Peter Jackson filmed the scenes for Rohan in his Lord of the Rings movies.

A longtime friend from high school and his wife were in the car with us. The drive was stunning. The views from the valley were breathtaking. Take your breath away "How Great Thou Art" beautiful. We spent almost 3 hours in the valley and never saw another car or another person. Complete solitude. Not an easy place to get to. No ticket booth. No gift shop. No long lines. No parking lot. No amusement park. Just me and my wife with some friends in a secluded spot on the planet. Very few people ever visit this place. Money was not involved. Things were not even a consideration.

It was 100% experience and sharing that experience.

I am confident that we would have never been to Mt Sunday or even New Zealand nor would our friends have travelled across the world to visit us if we had not started on this journey a few years ago. 

It was a priceless. 

Experiences and sharing experiences with people you love and care for have a much higher value than money and things. It is critical that we limit the control that material items have on our lives so that we can appreciate what we have experienced and the people we have in our lives.

The Spiritual Journey Is The Most Important Thing 

Material things seem to clutter our minds and keep us from gaining a better understanding of the bigger picture of life.

Life is so much better when your primary focus is nurturing and growing your relationship with the Lord instead of being anxious about buying things you cannot afford to impress people you do not even like. Or acquiring things that become a burden to you and your family instead of a blessing. 

Worry and anxiety will eat a person alive physically, mentally and spiritually. It seems that money and thinking about money that you do or do not have is the root of much of the anxiety that people experience in the world.  

In Luke 6:25-34 Jesus talks about worry and anxiety while teaching on the side of a mountain. He basically says do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will wear or even about tomorrow. When we are able to relax our mind and stop worrying about things and accumulation, we can focus on the kingdom that Jesus teaches about in this sermon.

Total Contentment & Happiness Is Possible

It is very difficult to be content...and therefore happy...when you are in constant pursuit of something that really is impossible to obtain. 

The way the economic system continues to flourish is that new and more improved and better things are created and offered so that we constantly feel the need to upgrade. That is not a bad thing in and of itself. But, it is bad when the upgraded model or the "new and improved" begins to consume us to the point that we are constantly yearning for something better. Never being content with where we are.  When a person steps off that vicious treadmill it slows life down and one begins to realize that the upgrade or the newest version may not make life better. 

True happiness and contentment begins to be attained when we are comfortable with who we are, who we are with, where we are, what we have and who's we are. Not needing external accumulation to briefly satisfy us so that we can get a temporal burst of satisfaction is a nice place to be. "Home" (and happiness) really is where you make it.

The Essentialist Lifestyle Is Not for Everyone 

As a disclaimer I should say that I am in no way saying that everyone should live the way I live. 

You should seek your own course and path in everything you do. 

I do know that there are millions of miserable people trudging through life on this earth, and many of them have a nice, big comfortable home with 5 flatscreen TV's and 3 nice cars in the garage. And most have become slaves to those things. Or they have become slaves to jobs and debt so that can pay for those things. It is time for them to break that cycle, if they so desire. 

My purpose of writing this article is not to say my way of living is better than your way of living or any other way of living for that matter. My purpose is to encourage people to seek a life of purpose that is not controlled by material things.

Home is not a place or a structure or even a place with a bed. It is a mindset that should allow you to be peaceful and at rest.

I am not sure that I have reached that place of total peace. I am confident that I am much closer than I have ever been, and I expect this journey to continue adding more and more peace to my life.

While it is difficult to capture our journey in a succinct way, there is one word that jumps into my mind every time I get a question or I give thanks for where we are in life. That one word is simply "freedom."

I am not sure if quoting a line from the movie "Joe Dirt" is appropriate for the beginning of a serious article that is meant to cause reflection and inspiration. But the damage is done, so I will explain and continue.

In the crude, repulsive and extremely funny movie "Joe Dirt", the main character spends most of the movie searching for his parents and his "home." In an odd scene with an almost unintelligible Cajun he seems to finally get the message that "home is where you make it."

My wife and I have been homeless for over 2 years. No home, no apartment and definitely nothing permanent. And, it has been the greatest 2 years of our lives.

Now that I have your attention, let me explain.

We sold and gave almost everything we own away 3 years ago and have been traveling as nomads for over 2 years. 

I thought it would be easy. I have always enjoyed getting rid of things. I love order and truly enjoy creating order out of chaos. But when you have lived in a 6000 square foot house for more than 10 years and during that time you have raised children from the preteen to college years, you have more and more things that creep into the home and start filling up every crack and crevice. 

I never realized how challenging it would be to purge not just the "things" but the accumulation mindset that most people in our modern culture (including myself) possess. The desire is to only focus on those things that are truly significant - spiritual growth, relationships, experiences and essential items that will enhance my spiritual growth, relationships and experiences.

Some may think that I sound like some monk that wants to sit on a mountaintop and "find the true meaning of life." Maybe that is what I am doing. I will say that life is so much better than it used to be. And I have always thought life was pretty awesome.

Many people use the term minimalism to describe how we are living. Joshua Becker at Becoming Minimalist writes some fantastic articles on the topic and I love reading everything that he posts. Our daughter claims that we are more essentialist than minimalist. That is probably splitting hairs but we do seem to seek out only things that are essential in our lives. Some minimalists may just want less for the sake of having less stuff. We only acquire things that will bless our lives. Not things that create a burden.

We do get some odd looks and some questions. But, I have really enjoyed living differently than the masses. It is very difficult to capture in words how great life is when you have no material items that have any control over you. 

I thought it would be beneficial for me to do my best to share my observations about this unique life we are living. Before I do that I thought that I would address the most common questions we get from both friends and strangers:

What is like not having a home? 

It is different but I love it. No grass to cut. No maintenance issues to deal with. And best of all...no electricity payment, no gas payment, no water bill, no internet or cable bill. Even better than best of all, no mortgage payment! 

Sleeping in different beds and using different pillows can be difficult to get used to, but it is also nice to be able to "try out" different kitchens, homes, beds, and furniture so that you really know what you like and dislike. It is a huge benefit to feel free to travel anywhere you heart desires without being anxious about recurring maintenance and household bills piling up back at "home."

When/where do you expect to settle down?

I am not one to use the words always or never very often. Once you have felt the freedom of not being attached to a place or location or geography or a structure, it is difficult to imagine going back to that life again. I do think that some people can allow themselves to feel locked-in to geographic locations and areas because of jobs, schools, family, relatives, friends, a house, mindset or many other reasons. With modern technology being what it is, many people can work, educate themselves and their children, and communicate almost anywhere via the internet and other tools. 

I believe that instead of using words like "home", and "settled down" and locking ourselves into a place, we should seek our assignments and callings in life that lead us to a greater purpose. If that means staying in one place for a season or period of time, great. If it means staying mobile so that you can move and go in a moments notice, perfect. The key is to be able to listen and hear your inner voice or the voice of a higher authority that gives instructions and not let things and an image of what "home" is keep you from your true purpose. And, that purpose may require one to venture beyond a 25 mile radius of their current location.  

Many people may be missing bigger blessings because they have "settled down" and said that they will always remain geographically planted. I am strong believer in a large tapestry that is being woven by a loving Heavenly Father and I think that if I say I am always going to live in Georgia or I am never going to leave Colorado then He may not be able to send me where He needs me to go. I desire to be available and obedient.

Do you travel in a camper or RV? 

Everyone seems to ask this question. As if we took all the items that we had in our home, crammed them in an RV and then started traveling. I have nothing against RV's or campers or houses on wheels, but they require as much if not more energy than a house. 

The answer to the question is no...we do not travel in a camper or RV. When traveling in North America we drive our trusty 2002 Honda Van with over 330K miles. When we travel overseas, we fly. I do not want to own another home anytime soon and I definitely do not want to own a home on wheels. 

NOTE: I have had the experience of owning many homes. We negotiated and completed over 500 real estate transactions between 2001 and 2009.  There were times that our company owned over 100 single family homes. Plus we coached, trained and mentored over 3,000 real estate investors nationwide during that time. So I do understand real estate and how to buy and what the value can be. I also may know enough...possibly too much...about real estate that I do not put a personal home high on the investment pedestal. It's just concrete and lumber built on dirt.

So you really do not own anything? 

Very little. We own a storage unit near some relatives that is the size of a single car garage. It is about half full (or half empty depending on where your beliefs are on that issue) but we leave things there that we may not want to carry with us as we travel. If I had a few spare days I could probably eliminate half of the items in storage primarily because I have not needed any of it the last 2 years. 

My entire wardrobe could fit in a small rubbermaid box. My wife has a slightly larger wardrobe (not by much) but everything she owns fits well, coordinates and looks great on her so she enjoys getting dressed. That's good for both of us and I am sure most husbands would agree with me.

We did put some furniture in a relatives home. I guess we could technically get that back at some point, but I doubt it will ever be moved. 

Last year we spent 7 months in Australia and New Zealand and when we traveled home (in an airplane, not the Honda Van) we had one rolling duffel bag as luggage and we each carried our backpack briefcases with our computers and electronics. We are currently on a 7 week visit to South Florida and we could have almost fit everything we are traveling with in 2 carry on bags.

Is your wife OK with this lifestyle? 

Yes. There have been times when one of us may have been farther along in the process than the other one. But for the most part we have been in agreement and have been having a blast. 

There have been some challenges. For instance, Glori is a great cook that writes cookbooks and enjoys experimenting in the kitchen. At one point years ago she had almost every cooking gadget a cook could have. She even insisted that we carry 3 big boxes of her "favorite" gadgets and kitchen tools with us 2 years ago when we embarked on our journey. But she has gradually realized that she can make great meals in almost any kitchen. And if something is missing, a store is just around the corner that is stocked floor to ceiling with more items than one can ever imagine. 

Plus, as an extra bonus we seem to be embracing a "less is best" mindset when it comes to eating. Smaller portions, better quality, and less gluttony leads to a healthier life. 

Is it fun being on vacation all the time? 

I would not know because we are not on vacation. We are living our lives as we travel and stay in really cool places - New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Breckenridge CO, Austin TX, Ft Lauderdale FL, Lake Tahoe NV, Los Angeles CA and many other places. We are running our businesses, coaching and consulting, writing and creating all along the way. 

Vacation is what people do when they have to cram all their fun into 1 to 2 weeks of the year. And vacations can be very expensive (see the next question). We just live our lives wherever we happen to be at the time and of course we do attempt to enjoy all that the locations we stay in have to offer.

Are you rich? Is that how you can travel all the time? 

The answer to that question is no. I am not against being blessed financially. I have owned businesses in the past that have provided very bountiful financial resources to our family. But we have also learned how to live with much less after seeing how quickly large real estate based businesses could disintegrate a few years ago. 

There are times during the last few years when we have had very limited financial resources...less than $100 in our bank account. However, it seems that was part of our journey to get to the point where money became less significant. It seems that when we stopped attempting to chase money, it began to chase us. 

We now have thriving businesses but still have no reason to acquire and accumulate more stuff. That feels really good. We are still not rich, but definitely richly blessed. I could also spend an entire article explaining how we live in nice homes while we travel without paying a single dime for rent or utilities. But that will have to wait for a later time.

To be continued....

In Home Is Where You Make It - Part 2, I will share my observations about how the essential lifestyle that we are living is different from the accumulation lifestyle that most people live in today's society. 

This year has been a year of permanent travel for my wife and I. It has been almost 2 years since we sold and gave everything away and basically became nomads.

We started the year in Southern California visiting our son and will celebrate the new year in the Atlanta area visiting friends and family. In between we lived in or traveled through 15 states in the USA, but we spent more time outside our home country.  Over half the year was spent in Australia and New Zealand.

To be clear, we are not traveling as tourists staying in hotels and visiting every amusement park and tourist site. We are living on the road and staying in certain places for longer periods of time. And we will work while we enjoy the area and experience the culture as much as possible.

As I review this last year and reflect on all the places we have experienced, I realize it is difficult to capture all the amazing adventures in a brief list, but I can summarize the 7 top things that I learned while traveling the last 12 months:

People Crave Change, But Rarely Embrace It
Everywhere we went, people seemed amazed and in awe of our journeys. Most people said they were jealous and really wished they could just leave and travel the world. It is very easy to find reasons to stay right where you are and never change. Both literally and figuratively. But something deep inside us loves the excitement of doing new things and going places. Embrace change and movement so that you can go places.

The World Is Full Of Beautiful, Caring People
People come in all shapes, sizes and colors. And that is what makes people so amazing and gorgeous. We stayed in many homes - big, small and everything in between - and had many meals  and just enjoyed the company of so many wonderful and unique individuals. People are always willing to help and it is rare that a smile will not be returned.

Cities Are Crowded, But There Are Vast Expanses of Nothingness
We seem to always hear about how overcrowded the world is now. If you spend most of your time in major cities you may be fooled into thinking that this is a true statement. But if you drove across Utah or West Texas or the South Island of New Zealand or anywhere inland in Australia you would easily be convinced that there is more than enough wide open spaces in the world. If you ever feel boxed in and crowded, just drive an hour out of the city and the space and clean air will begin to clear your mind.

There Are Places in the World That Will Take Your Breathe Away
There is beautiful scenery everywhere. Driving across the USA or from the top of the New Zealand’s North Island to the South Island or along the Australian coast will give one the opportunity to see some of the most incredible natural landscapes and geography in the world. But then there are those places that will absolutely take your breath away and make you want to shout “How Great Thou Art” at the top of your lungs.

Places like the Grand Canyon, the Mount Sunday valley in New Zealand, the Colorado Rockies, the 12 Apostles along Australia’s Great Ocean Road and the active volcanoes of New Zealand's Tongariro National Park. Places where the majesty cannot be captured with photographs even though we try our best.

Travel Is A Decision
It is so much easier just to stay in one place and never leave your house. That is the path of least resistance. Those that make the decision to go and travel and experience the world realize that it is one of the most exhilarating and liberating decisions they will ever make. The only regret is why one does not start traveling at a younger age. Decide to travel now.

Travel Expands Your Mind
There is nothing wrong with living in one area most of your life and spending time around people that are like you. But it is very difficult to travel to other areas and countries and be closed minded. Your thought process will expand and grow when you see new things and spend time with people that have grown up in different locations with different backgrounds. You will grow. You will change. And you will become a better person.

The World Is Full Of People Of Faith
It was such a blessing to visit and attend churches in almost every part of the world that we travelled. We saw churches in all areas. Every church that we visited encouraged me and increased my belief in humanity. While many people may claim that religion divides the world, I believe that faith in something bigger than the individual actually brings us together.

Many people have asked us what our favorite thing was about our travels. My wife and I both agree that the time we spent at the 5 locations of Hiillsong Church in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne was the absolute highlight of our travels.

Our children are grown now. They do not do the “heebie jeebie happy” dance anymore when they see gifts under the Christmas tree or when it gets close to time to open up presents for birthdays or other events. As parents we tried to tell them to calm down, but deep down inside we really love the thought of being so darn excited about something that we almost pass out.  

We all did it when we were kids. I remember thinking I would explode a few days before Christmas as I gazed on the beautiful packages underneath my grandparent’s tree. We would always travel to Mississippi every Christmas after school got out. Both my parents were from there.  So we would load up and spend at least a week there. And the anticipation that built up over the few days leading up to Christmas was painful…I am not going to say I wet my pants with excitement, but it may be a possibility. And that possibility is what causes the uncontrollable movement of your feet and body.  

It is really a shame that we do not generate that same excitement as adults.

Your spiritual belief may be different than mine, but most people have some belief in a higher being or God. My belief is that we have a heavenly Father that is very similar to our earthly father. And he has presents for us just like I have presents for my children. And he wants us to get excited about those presents and do the “heeby jeeby happy” dance in anticipation of opening those gifts.

The problem that we have as we grow older is that we do not believe in getting gifts anymore. We think that we just need to go work hard, grind it out, make a few dollars and trudge through life. Doesn’t sound too exciting to me. I am not against working hard. I just know that my Father also has some massive gifts for me under my Christmas tree.  

I am excited about the presents and I am not worried about whether or not I deserve them. That is not the point. My children may not deserve the gifts that I give them. But as their father, I receive great joy in just giving them gifts and seeing the excitement in their eyes.

Hope Deferred

I would not be a good father if I just teased my children all the time…promising them gifts and presents but never delivering. Hope deferred makes the heart sick as a wise man once said.

In the economy that we are currently in, many people seem to get down because their financial picture may not look very promising. Just remember, there are gifts under the tree for you.  

Those gifts may be a sweet business deal that will put a few…or a few thousand dollars in your account.  

Or that gift may be a new technique or strategy that you never knew about and never would have learned if you were not forced to be creative in a tough market.  

Or that gift may be an investor that wants to give you some money so that you can create returns for them in your expanding business.  

Or a gift may simply be a word of encouragement from a stranger when you are feeling a little down.

Bottom line is that your Father wants to give you gifts. Just get excited about them and start tearing off the wrapping paper. Not just on Christmas and gift getting holidays, but everyday. And don’t forget to do the “heebie jeebie happy” dance.

The word gratitude is not new. But it seems as if it has become more of a buzzword in recent years. in fact, I was trying to recall when I began hearing the word gratitude as it relates to business and living a fulfilled life. My best guess is that the term has grown in popularity only in the last 10 years. But I do not have any data to back that statement up.

Gratitude and thankfulness are one in the same in my opinion. And they are the polar opposites of selfishness and self-centeredness. A person that is selfish thinks only of themselves and is focused on how the world impacts them. A thankful, gracious person is focused on others and how they can impact the world.

Do you operate from a position of Gratitude or Selfishness?
Are you a Giver or a Taker?
Would your friends and family say you are Others Focused or Me Focused?
Does your mind dwell on being Thankful or Thankless?

You get the picture.

I have noticed that the concept of gratitude and giving has become a strategy or possibly a technique to be utilized by individuals and companies and organizations. While there is nothing wrong in general with incorporating a strategy of being a giving company or an organization that focuses on gratitude, the concept is more rooted deep within an individual. Most likely within their hearts and subconscious minds. Which also means it may be more difficult to gauge and measure and judge.

People are not typically 100% one or the other. Think of a linear spectrum with selfish on one end and thankful on the other. I am sure we all know people that seem to hug the selfish side of the scale most of the time. But it is more complicated than that. Most people move up and down the scale based on situations, other people and experiences.

For example, we are all instructed to be 100% selfish if the oxygen light in the airplane cabin comes on. Because we all know that we are to place the oxygen mask on ourselves first before we even attempt to help anyone else.

As another example, many people move toward the thankful or selfless end of the scale around certain holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.

One more example. I have seen spouses speak in a sweet and caring voice to complete strangers but give harsh and blunt responses to the “love of their life."

We should ask ourselves the following question every day:

What can I do to give more thanks and show more gratitude?

And then do something. Because gratitude and giving thanks is not a thought. It is an act.

I love reading the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament. It includes great leadership and business development training that was written by an ancient Middle Eastern king that many believe was one of the wealthiest man that has ever lived. For many years I would read at least a chapter from Proverbs every morning.

In all my reading, I have not seen the phrase, “thou shall not fool thyself.” I am not claiming that the phrase is Biblical, but I do think it is one of the basic rules of business. And really a basic rule in life. I see people everyday that are trudging through their daily life thinking they are doing all the right things to succeed, when they may actually be living in a dream world and fooling themselves. 

While I am on a spiritual theme, I will give you a list of 7 Deadly Business Sins that will absolutely without a doubt keep you stuck and wondering why you or your business are not prospering. Or, at least frustrated because your not experiencing growth.

1. Not Enough Marketing – There is a reason that I devote a large part of my time to coaching and teaching marketing concepts. Every vehicle needs some form of fuel to make it go. Marketing is the gasoline that makes the business machine go. Don’t waste the time of going to the pump, getting out of your car, spilling gas on your shoes, and stepping in gum for just $3.50 worth of gas. Fill ‘er up! I recommend that you have a minimum of 5 different marketing methods or funnels operating in your business at any given time.

2. Laziness – We live in an instant society where good old fashioned hard work has almost disappeared. Most people need to just do more. Get busy. Hustle. Stop waiting on someone else. Stop sleeping so much and watching TV. The 8 hour day is a myth to the true business owner/entrepreneur. I doubt that Sam Walton worked “nine to five” days. Check your schedule and see how much actual productive work you are doing in your business. Not just sitting around thinking about business or wasting time online but actual work. Always look for ways that you can get more work done and be more efficient.

3. Not Getting Educated – Most people reading this spent at least 12 years getting a basic education. Some even went on to get additional degrees to learn a trade or skill. It took me 6 years to get a 4 year degree at Georgia Tech! If we went to school for that long to learn how to work a $32,000/year job, what makes us think we can watch a few YouTube videos or Google “how to start a business” to learn how to become a multimillionaire business mogul? Always be in the learning mode. Read, attend seminars and always have an open mind.

4. Lack of Commitment – Many people lack commitment to anything, so we should not be surprised if they lack commitment to their business or even themselves. If you are not sold on your business and yourself, what makes you think someone is going to pay you $5, $10, $1000 or $10,000 for your product? If you are not absolutely convinced that you are going to make money in your business, why would someone invest $50,000 or $5,000,000 of their  money with you? You may have heard that some animals can smell fear. Well, people that you interact with in business can smell your commitment level. Be totally committed to making your business work.

5. Being Cheap – There is a difference between properly managing money and just totally shortchanging your business. Anything worthwhile requires investment of time (see number 2) and money. Stop trying to make your business work without investing financially. I have seen a large number of business opportunities over the years including many that claim to require no money. Guess what? That is a big fat lie. Some businesses may require very little financial commitment, but “no money required” is a myth and possibly a scam. You must invest money in your business.

6. Expecting Business Results From a Hobby – If someone has a hobby, they know that it will cost them money and will never yield any profit. Don’t let your business be a hobby. It will be very expensive and frustrating. A hobby is something that you do sporadically as a means to relax. A business is something that you do everyday or on a regular basis because you know you can generate profit. A business cannot be put on a shelf. You should be spending some time in your business everyday if you expect to gain the results of growing and prospering enterprise. 

7. Being a Lone Ranger – You can only reach a certain level of success all by yourself. It may sound very impressive to proclaim that you are a self made man, but I must admit I have never met nor seen anyone that is actually self made.  You need to surround yourself with a team of people that can help you achieve big things. Hire staff or use contract work as soon as it is feasible. Everyone needs mentors or a coach in their life. Do not try to do everything by yourself.

Let’s get controversial.  Evolution vs Creation.  This may be one of the most basic questions that humans must decide.

If you are on the side of Evolution, then you are almost forced to admit that there is no Creator.

If you are on the side of Creation, then you are almost forced to admit that there is an ultimate Creator or God.

Being an analytical and critical thinker that asks questions, it may be the path of least resistance to believe that all life on earth is moving and progressing and becoming something greater on it’s own.  But that seems to be the easy way out.

I have seen to much to believe that a Creator is not responsible. 

I have seen the miraculous birth of a child.  And I know that billions of births have occurred and never has there been a duplicate.  Billions and billions of unique and beautiful creations.

I have seen mountains and canyons and oceans that are majestic and breathtaking.  I know many of these natural occurrences can be explained by science and the evolution of time.  But why would we want to do that?  Isn’t that the same as looking at a classic painting and focusing on how the paint arrived on the canvas instead of appreciating and honoring the Creative ability of the artist.

I am not writing this to continue the Evolution vs Creation argument.  My purpose is to say this….

I believe that we are Created.  And I believe that we are Created in the image of our Creator.  And since we are Created in the image of our Creator, shouldn’t we Create?