“Somebody said that it couldn’t be done…” Edgar Albert Guest

For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need. (Phil. 4:10; NLT)

Some said we couldn’t last. I would have been quick to agree if challenged. We signed on for a year agreeing to write five posts a week. (Hence the moniker Daily Gram.) After we reached our one-year goal, we decided to keep going, but relaxed our standards to four a week.

All that to brag by saying that this is officially Daily Gram number 700! Can you believe it? Yes, we’ve been writing this blog for just shy of three years now.

There’s one more thing that makes this particular Daily Gram unique. A good friend of mine, who actually encouraged me to start a blog a good year ahead of when Dr. Joseph (then known as Randy) Peck convinced Sharon and I to start blogging, wrote a blog post himself last week. I’m referring to John Chasteen who writes a blog known as Hey Coach John.

John’s blog (today’s Link of the day) was all about smart phones–and he ended his post by saying that his whole post was written on his I-phone. I was impressed! It made me wonder if I could write a Daily Gram on my Droid. Well I did it! This is it. But let me assure you, I won’t be doing it again any time soon.

PS–In the interest of full disclosure, I must confess that I had to go to the computer to add the color and the links.

Blessings to you!

Prayer Power
Father, we thank You for technology and how it has made so many things possible that were unimagined just a few years earlier. Guide us to use it wisely and responsibly.

Link of the Day
The Whole World in the Palm of Your Hand

“The first follower is an underestimated form of leadership for it is the first follower who transforms a lone nut into a leader.”  Derek Sivers

Without wise leadership, a nation falls.  (Prov. 11:14a; NLT)

I’ve taken lots of courses in leadership in my day, both at the undergraduate level and the graduate level.  I’ve engaged in the infinite debate about whether leadership can be taught or whether it is a gift from God reserved for a select few.  I’ve read books by and about great leaders such as Dr. John Maxwell, Peter Drucker, et al.  I’ve never seen or heard a presentation on leadership that impacted me as much as this one by Derek Sivers given at one of the TED Conferences.

If you’ve never heard of TED, you’re missing out on a lot of fun, especially if you’re a techno nut like I tend to be.  TED stands for technology, entertainment, and design.  TED conferences are simply speaker after speaker who “blows your mind” by delivering a short talk regarding some aspect of technology, entertainment, and design.

Going on for over a decade now, TED has hosted multitudes of speakers.  Some famous and some not so famous, but all with a story to tell about some aspect of the possibilities of the future.  Some of you may find it interesting to note that Billy Graham was one of the speakers back in 1998.  In fact, I’ve made his legendary TED talk today’s Link of the Day.

But in the meantime, I invite you to pay close attention to the leadership lessons given in the above 3-minute video of Derek Siver’s TED talk.  Then go out and find a lone nut that you can join to start a movement.  There’s plenty of us out here.

BTW, I want to thank my friend and Portsmouth Fireman Mark Peltonen who brought this fantastic video to my attention.

Prayer Power
Father, today’s short video has so many hidden messages, not the least of which is that all leaders were once “lone nuts” plus the bravery of the “first followers” who were just as nutty.  I pray that this video will set some of your “lone nuts” and “first followers” free from the bondage of culture to be all that You created and designed them to be.

Link of the Day
Billy Graham on Technology and Faith

“The opportunities to fail are endless.” Julie McElroy

What are some obstacles or barriers standing between you and your dreams?

But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first getting estimates and then checking to see if there is enough money to pay the bills?  (Luke 14:28; NLT)

In 1937, an author name Napoleon Hill first published a classic book titled “Think and Grow Rich,” which began with a true account of a gentleman named Darby who set out prospecting for gold, but who later abandoned on his aspirations of becoming rich, a mere three feet from a major gold vein.

Read the rest of this entry »

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.”  Henry Ford

Given up on any good goals lately?  Why?

For the Lord GOD will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed.  (Isa. 50:7; NKJ)

I received a solicitation email the other day that kind of stood out by asking a very provocative question: “Ever been stuck in a traffic jam on a broiling Summer day?”  Well, who hasn’t?  You’re probably asking, “What is so provocative about that question?”

It was the unique way the author went on to use that word picture to make his point.  He embellished the picture even further by describing a particularly frustrated driver, dressed in a suit and tie, pounding the steering wheel, blowing the horn, and shouting obscenities like a sailor. (Ever wonder why sailors always get associated with obscene language?)  Yes, most of us have seen (maybe even felt) that same level of frustration at something over which we have little or no control.  (Why does it always happen when you’re late?)

His punch line was that even though we’ve all been in, or at least seen, a situation of extreme stress like that, you’ve probably never seen anyone get out of their car, and say, “The heck with it.  I quit!  I just can’t do this.”  That would be ridiculous wouldn’t it?  After all, even under all that stress, we still recognize that the traffic will clear up and eventually we will get to our destination.

The same is true of a trip to the grocery store.  You don’t turn around and go home in frustration just because you arrive at an intersection just in time to have the light turn red.  Traffic jam, red light, or a hundred other things that get in our way and interrupt our plans, we easily recognize as temporary barriers or obstacles.

The solution to life’s multitude of barriers and obstacles is always — persistence.  Don’t give up!  Keep at it and you will eventually get where you are going.  You’re trying to establish a new habit and you backslide.  The correct response is not to throw in the towel and give up — yet a lot of people (maybe even a majority) of people do.  Why is that any different than a traffic jam or a red light on your trip to the store?  It’s just a temporary delay that will ultimately go away if you will just stick with it and remain persistent.

Folks, you were wired for success, not for failure.  Your destiny is to succeed.  Don’t ever let yourself be derailed from that destiny by a goofy red light.  They are numerous and inevitable, but always temporary, if you will just stick with it.

Prayer Power

Father, we thank You for the gift of persistence and ability to shake off life’s many red lights that appear in our path.  We ask for Your grace to remember that they are only temporary inconveniences and not allow ourselves to fall prey to the ruse of the enemy to convince us to quit.

Link of the Day
Self-Discipline: Persistence

Blessings on you as you pick up that goal you gave up on prematurely.

Photo by jmd41280

“If you want to achieve success beyond your imagination, there is a secret ingredient that all highly successful people have, whether they have ever put a name to it or not. It is that special ability to get their mind in the zone, free from the usual mind-chatter, where they can embody all that they know, and deal with the present moment as it unfolds, without distraction. Having all of your energy and ability available to you, focused on what you are doing right here-right now gives you that edge.”  Dr. Robert Puff

Which aspect(s) of your life, i.e.,  your career, your finances, your marriage, or your family, has the highest priority in terms of your time and attention?  Why?

It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power and success come from God.  (2 Cor. 3:5; NLT)

As wellness coaches, Sharon and I frequently talk about wholistic health, wholistic medicine, wholistic healing approaches, wholistic views of the body, etc.  However, the concept of wholistic success was a new one on me when I first heard it this past Sunday morning.  I was watching a video of Dr. Jim Richards (Impact Ministries) from his most recent (10/30/09) Friday night service (see Today’s Link below) when he described the term wholistic success (aka wholistic prosperity).

Richards’ definition of prosperity includes far more than just money.  In addition to the prosperity in finances, his definition embraces prosperity in health, prosperity in relationships, prosperity in ministry or career, etc.

Read the rest of this entry »

We all have our time machines, don’t we. Those that take us back are memories… And those that carry us forward, are dreams.  Über-Morlock

Where do you spend most of your time…remembering or dreaming?

So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.  (Joel 2:25a; NKJ)

“What if…?”  Interesting question, isn’t it?  It’s a question that can pull you down as you look backwards and wonder how things might be different if events, decisions, or what ever from the past had been different.  Or, on the other hand, it can propel you upward if you use it to dream of a preferred future.  Where do you spend most of your time?

As I move through the autumn season of my life, I believe the expectation is to spend more and more of my time looking backward, but I am excited to report that the opposite seems to be true for me.  As I take a few minutes to reflect on the question, I find that I’m almost hard pressed to remember the last time I even had a thought of “what if I had done this or done that differently?”  But I did listen to something yesterday that made me ask, “What if I had realized that truth at that age?  Where would I be now?”

The “something” I listened to was a graduation speech.  A what???  Yes, a graduation speech.  Turns out that a great friend of mine, Adrian Schoonmaker, sent me his blog in which he bragged on his “little” brother, Justin, who just graduated from William and Mary.  Justin was selected to be one of the speakers at the commencement ceremony, and the wisdom contained in his under 8-minute speech is priceless.  What if I had understood that when I was in my 20’s?  Or even in my 40’s?  But, praise God, it’s never too late to learn, is it?

Don’t miss this opportunity to be exposed to some incredible wisdom that will serve you well for the rest of your life–no matter what your age.  It’s very short.

Prayer Power
Father, I thank You for the promise that it’s never too late.  For the promise that the days ahead will be greater than those behind us.  I thank You for each and every precious day that You give us.  Show us how to best utilize our time.

Link of the Day
Justin’s graduation speech William and Mary 2009

Blessings on you as you choose to respond to the opportunities created by rejection.

“To succeed, jump as quickly to opportunities as you do at conclusions.”  Unknown

What is holding you back from creating income while you use the Internet?

It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power and success come from God.  (2 Cor. 3:5; NLT)

During these times of economic challenge it is good to be looking for multiple streams of income.  It is never a good thing, especially now, to have too many “eggs in one basket.”  Jobs aren’t safe.  Investments aren’t safe.  Retirement funds aren’t safe.  And on and on and on.  I certainly don’t want to sound like I’m joining the chicken-little crowd, because in times like these the opportunities to prosper are greater than ever.  But those opportunities will be most available to those who are willing to step out of the box and try the new and unusual.

I would like to focus today on the Internet and attempt to brush aside some of the myths that revolve around what it takes to be successful on the Internet.  While the Internet has been around for a number of years already, it truly is still largely unexplored territory.  It is constantly changing.  With all the new technologies and new ideas, it is truly the playground for innovation. 

Fortunes have been made (and lost) on the Internet and many more fortunes will be made in the days and years ahead.  Web 2.0 is opening up doors and new ways of thinking that is changing the whole face of marketing and merchandising.  The one thing I am totally sure of is that those worlds will never be the same again.

What are some of the myths that keep people from entering this exciting arena?  Well, I can think of five right off the bat, so let’s start with those:

• To be successful in business on the Internet you must invest significant sums of money up front.
  This used to be true, but is totally untrue today.  Using the techniques of social marketing and affiliate marketing, a person can be in business literally overnight on the Internet and for little or virtually no money.  The secret is to learn to use these new tools to build relationships first and gather tribes of like-minded people around you.
• To be successful in business on the Internet you must have a clear niche to serve.
  Again, once true, but no longer true given the dynamics of social marketing and affiliate marketing strategies.  In all likelihood, a clear niche will evolve over time, but there is no reason that you must have the niche first in order to succeed.
• To be successful in business on the Internet you must have a web site or a blog.
  Once true, but no longer.  True a web site, or better still a blog, could be helpful, but it is absolutely not necessary to have one to be successful.  Especially with social marketing and affiliate marketing, web sites or blogs are not necessary to build a following nor market products.
• To be successful in business on the Internet you must develop your own product first.
  Absolutely not!  With affiliate marketing, the whole idea is that you are marketing other people’s products.  You’ve probably heard the old adage of using other people’s money to succeed — well with affiliate marketing that becomes using other people’s products to succeed.  It’s being done every day by those who are willing to step out of the box, learn how, and go do it.
• To be successful in business on the Internet you must be able to write.
  The ability to write and communicate clearly is always a good thing, but again, when you are promoting other people’s products via affiliate marketing, you can pretty well plan that the person or group who developed the product will have also written some of the best sales copy for that product available.  They’re happy for you to use it.  Why reinvent the wheel?

So why do these product developers need you if they have good products and great sales copy?  Because you can quickly develop (or already have) a sphere of influence among those who know, like, and trust you that the product developers will never have.  So from their perspective, giving you a significant reward for marketing their product to your “tribe” is clearly in their best interests.  After all a slice of something is far better than the whole of nothing.  You are bringing customers to them that they could never hope to reach.

If any of this interests you at all, I encourage you to register to attend a webinar on affiliate marketing presented by a proven expert in the field, Connie Ragen Green.  The webinar is described in today’s link and takes place tomorrow evening. 

If your schedule is already booked, registering for the webinar will give you access to a recording of the event so that you can listen at a time that is convenient to you, and listen as many times as you would like.  It’s all described in the link.  And the cost for the webinar is unbelievably low.  I encourage you to check it out.  Consider affiliate marketing as a possibility for developing another stream of income.

Prayer Power
Father, we thank You that You alone are our provider.  When one door closes, You always have another one open and waiting for us if we are willing to step out and look beyond that which is comfortable.

Link of the Day
Affiliate Marketing Webinar

Blessings on you as you review today’s link with an open mind to consider the possibilities of “what if?”

“For people who are used to feeling in control of their lives, it’s especially challenging to cope with a situation that’s out of control. For men and women who have built their self-esteem around succeeding, it’s deeply troubling for them to feel like they’re failing.”  Tom Muha

How do you cope when you feel like you’re failing?

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.  (Rom. 8:28; NLT)

A recent tweet (post on Twitter) led me to an amazing article by Dr. Tom Muha, a psychologist who practices in Annapolis, Maryland.  The article I’m referring to was published on HometownAnnapolis.com just last Sunday and is today’s link.  I encourage you to read it carefully.

Dr. Muha writes about the effect the economy is having on entrepreneurs who have experienced success until this latest crisis hit.  He points out that there are two primary strategies to cope with the issue of being out of control of your life, problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping.  The difference is profound.

Problem-focused coping can be summarized in one word — optimism.  Clearly, optimism is a vital entrepreneurial trait, but can only go so far.  When things don’t turn around on your timetable and failure seems inevitable, “negative emotions [e.g., fear] hijack your brain” making it difficult, if not impossible, to think clearly, another equally vital entrepreneurial trait.

Emotion-focused coping, on the other hand, looks for the good that is inevitably part of every situation…no matter how bad.  In fact, some go so far as to teach that the greater the bad, the greater will be the good that emerges from it.  Training yourself to always look for the good can be a liberating strategy that we should all seek to adopt.  Far from positive thinking, this strategy is life transforming.

Dr. Muha concludes by pointing out that “surviving severe stress can transform your life in several significant ways”:

• It can strengthen your belief in your ability to persevere and prevail.
• It can improve your relationships by revealing who you can really count on to be there for you during the tough times.
• It can profoundly enhance your capacity for intimacy because your ability to empathize with others who are struggling often increases substantially.
• It can help you to develop a deeper understanding of what creates genuine satisfaction and authentic happiness.

It’s an incredibly important article.  Don’t miss it!!!

Prayer Power
Father, we thank You for the promise of Romans 8:28.  The fact that we sometimes misunderstand and misuse the verse doesn’t make it one whit less true.

Link of the Day
Achieving Happiness: Surviving severe stress

Blessings on you as you choose to look for the silver lining in every cloud that comes into your life.

“Success doesn’t come to you…you go to it.”  Marva Collins

Think of the last time you felt success.  What were the strategies that you used to make that happen?

Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many counselors bring success.  (Prov. 15:22; NLT)

Success can be defined in many ways and means different things to different people.  Success can be pursued on many different fronts, from career to spiritual; to relationships; to marriage — the list is virtually infinite.  With such a diverse set of definitions and objectives of success, is it really possible to define some “universal” keys, i.e., keys that will advance one toward success no matter what the definition or objective?  I believe it is, and would like to end this week’s DG series by giving you what I consider to the six universal keys.

1.  Prayer and commitment
If you believe as we do that prayer changes things (note that I didn’t say that prayer changes God), then you would be hard pressed to ignore the power of prayer when it comes to success on any front.  Similarly, commitment is a must as well.  It’s not success if there aren’t some obstacles to overcome and some barriers to get around or through.  Commitment to stay the course when those obstacles and barriers are encountered is an absolute must.

2.  Focus on the light, not on the darkness
I suppose that might be better said to focus on where you want to go rather than what or where you want to leave, but I like the idea that light attracts and darkness repels and that darkness cannot exist in the presence of light.  But I do believe that success requires you to keep your eye on the goal.

3.  Regular and consistent accountability
Accountability is a powerful concept that can seem to work wonders.  Unfortunately, accountability has been misused to the extent that probably the majority of us are uncomfortable with the idea.  But the support, encouragement, and motivation that accountability can supply is virtually required for success.

4.  Be satisfied with small steps
Too often we’re overwhelmed or discouraged when we look at a goal.  Too big…too far…too costly, etc.  We tend to forget that a few small steps toward that goal each day or each week will will ultimately reach the goal.  Breaking the goal into smaller, easy to accomplish steps is an important strategy for success.

5.  Reframe failure as learning.
The word failure is so misunderstood in our culture.  How many times does a toddler fail while learning to walk?  How about when they grow a little and learn to ride a two-wheeler?  Maybe it’s expectations, but failure is almost encouraged when young people are learning new skills, because those around them can see that it shows that they are trying and will ultimately succeed.  Somewhere as we grow older, failure takes on a finality that usually translates to “quit.”  Every failure should be viewed as providing information on what not to do, which makes the decision about what should be done that much easier to find.

6.  Surround yourself with like-minded friends
It’s been said many times that you take on characteristics of your five or six closest friends.  “Birds of a feather flock together.”  You want to be around people who either have already attained what you’re after or are clearly on the road to getting it and who are ahead of you.  The encouragement and possibly instruction and insight will prove to be critical to your progress.

So that’s my list.  As I look it over, each one could be a DG or two.  Hmmmmm…maybe that’s where I’ll go in the next week or so.  In the meantime, make yourself a very successful weekend.  Blessings!!!

Prayer Power
Father, we thank You that You have created us and programmed us for success and not for failure.  Be a lamp at our feet as we move toward our goal.

Link of the Day
What is Success and How Do We Achieve It?

Blessings to you as you apply the above six keys to success.

“One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential.  Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency.  We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.”  Maya Angelou

What is holding you back from living up to your potential?

The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men who had had no special training. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.  (Acts 4:13; NLT)

Continuing with the list of character traits of The Compassionate Samurai from Brian Klemmer’s latest book, we start 2009 with the next to last trait on his list, courage or boldness.  Webster defines courage as the attitude of facing and dealing with anything recognized as dangerous, difficult or painful, instead of withdrawing from it.  Klemmer points out that to do something when you’re not aware of the risks is not courage.  Courage is acting in the face of fear.  He writes, “If you have fear, welcome to the human race.  The minute you care, there’s fear.  That’s okay.  It’s natural.”

We all have fears.  The key to success in life, the key to being all that God calls you to be in this new year, is to realize that much of that stuff that we’re afraid of is only the fruit of our overactive imagination painting the worst possible scenario.  I’m sure you’ve all heard the acronym FEAR–false evidence appearing real.  The trick is to face those fears head-on and do what you have to do–even if you are afraid.

You can’t spend your life trying to shelter yourself from every single hurt that may come your way.  “The person who tries and keeps on trying will eventually get to where (s)he’s going.”  We all need to move on from the lowest point in life–mediocrity.  “Mr and Mrs. Average can be defined as the best of the worst and the worst of the best.”  We aspire to better in this new year, and believe that you do too.  You certainly have the God-given potential to excel in 2009.

Prayer Power
Lord, we are forever grateful for the courage You demonstrated to make the ultimate sacrifice for each and every one of us.  I’m sure our imaginations can’t even begin to comprehend the price You paid.

Link of the Day
How to Overcome the Fear of Failure

Blessings to you as you purposely face one of your fears head on this week and step out of your comfort zone.

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