Nothing has changed. Your ancestors lived by faith. Some planted crops and waited for the harvest. Others worked for the boss and by faith expected pay for their labor. Every venture, business or otherwise, is an act of faith. You ride in an airplane believing that you will reach your destination without consequence. Lost luggage is a given. IN THE BEGINNING Life is lived one-step at a time. A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step and then another. Drive to the West Coast from the East. None of us can know in advance the end or the between experiences we will encounter. My brother spent 4 years in the Air Force and found his first business partner. Salesmen are waiting at the discharge gate after you receive mustering out money. Buy a few vending machines and youre in business is the pitch. Everything was great until. the partner lived in Idaho and the business was in North Carolina. He went home and never came back. Now, the between stage has arrived. Both young men took a step of faith. Nothing ventured equals nothing gained. Did the car really break down on the way back from Idaho? Did the partner get cold feet? We dont know. I'm thinking a "sweetie" showed up. Was it a good decision? Maybe. The business ran successfully for 4 years and was sold at a profit. Could it have been better? Maybe. Life interacts through a series of journeys down many curvy roads. FAITH IS A DECISION You and I live by faith or we dont have a life. Nothing comes without a degree of risk. Everything we do requires that we take a step of faith and then another and another. Faith believes in that which is unseen. If you have a spouse then you took a step of faith. You believed that what you saw was your gift to happiness. Children? No need to go there! Huge mountains are moved by faith or we let the little stuff cause us to fall. Every business executive fails and gets back up to face the next challenge. None of us make a sale to every prospect or run our business without a few hiccups. DOUBT and FEAR Let these two robbers control your life and nothing good is coming your way. All of us have doubts. Sometimes we fear the worst is about to happen to us. Be an overcomer. Kick doubt into eternity along with your fears that hold you down. Get up and face the future with confidence. Faith is imperative to achieve success. You have to believe in your abilities and talents. Use them with confidence, energy, and patience with persistence. Each of us gets up in the morning believing (by faith) in a good God who has a plan for our lives. Trusting that today we'll have another good experience as we travel through this life which has been given to us. MISTAKES HAPPEN Did you break your toe when you accidentally kicked the cat? A dumb reaction to an irritation. Was it worth the pain or the verbal abuse from your spouse? Are you the unfortunate guy who encountered the wasps nest when cleaning the gutters? Unfortunately, you cant undo the injury. In a few weeks youll be as good as new, but the price for the bad decision gave you a pain in the foot and the pocketbook. An easy response to a new challenge is I cant do that and hope it sticks. Is it because of doubt that we back away from those opportunities that cross our path? Is it fear of failure? Some folks simply get lazy. Accept the challenge. Face the doubts and fears head-on with determination to succeed. If you make a mistake, so be it. Get up and try again. TEMPORARY FAILURE Failure is only PERMANENT when you refuse to get up and take another crack at the obstacles you encounter. An old saying isjust do it! and let the chips fall. One of the great butterfly anxieties comes most often when you stand up to make a speech. Instantaneously, the brain sits down. Toastmasters is the answer. Learning the secret to standing on your own two feet and making a speech. How? Practice! Just DO IT! No secret at all. A great experience for me and I highly recommend it to you. Action Tip: Increase FAITH by action. Just do it! Each journey in life and business begins with the first step. Begin with small bites and build your confidence level. Think for yourself. Kick doubt and fear into the past. Know that with God ALL THINGS are possible. |
