Speaking As Though It Were So

I'm a firm believer in speaking positive words. In a world of excessive negativity and 24/7 news feeds heck you have to speak positive words to your self all day just to keep your own sanity. But today I'm  writing about a concept that goes way beyond positive confessions about your situation. Positive confession can do much in the way of setting the tone for your attitude but that's about it.

In the bible, there is a passage of scripture that says that God spoke the world into existence. What the writers of the bible meant was that by the very force of his creative will, God was able to literally manifest in the physical that which He saw in the spiritual. OK, hope you got your mind around that one because we are moving on. God, the creative force in the universe has conveyed that very same creative ability upon us, his creatures. We are not God, we are his ambassadors here on earth. As ambassadors we have the authourity of him who sent us. That would mean that we are able to act in the same capacity of the person we represent.

If I were from Slovinia or Africa, I would have the same authourity as that of a Slovinian or an African. I would have all the riches and access that those countries have. Now let's get back to the focus of our article.
As children of the most powerful being in the universe we have been given a measure of that same creative force that our creator has. Which means that we can manifest (to a certain degree) that which we will to be.

Let's put this concept into practice. If I want to become a rich person, all I have to do is concentrate on becoming  that person. I would need to do all the things that  it takes to acquire riches and it would occur.
This is pretty simplistic but the point is, "The only person stopping you from becoming, attaining or acquiring anything in this life is you."

If you can dream about a matter, then you can attain it.The only thing that will stand between you getting to that goal is you. Think about the milestone of breaking the 4 minute mile. No one, not even the physicians, thought that man could physically break that barrier. We know now that all of the naysayers were wrong. Once the barrier was broken it became common-place for people to run sub 4minutes.

Now, the torch has been passed to you. What thing do you want to achieve? What milestone do you want to break? Is there a purpose that you feel called to that needs you to be there now? Then get up off the couch of life and get back into the game. You can't hit the ball unless you swing.

                                                                                                               

New Networking Mixer Protocol

Just wanted to give everyone an update on a simply fantastic event Linda and I attended a few nights ago. It was put on by a local networking group here in Las Vegas. The venue was set high atop the Mandalay Bay in one of their executive rooms. The view from the penthouse suite was SWEET!!! It really made you want to get to know the people who were invited to attend the gathering.
In particular we met a few people that made our night. This is the focus of my blog. In the past we've all been told to go into networking events and blast through all of the would-be prospects and then go home. IMPERSONAL!!!! At the end of the night you almost feel dirty. You've gone in to wipe your mouth off on the sleeve of whomever was near you and then you've left without so much as a thank you or even stayed long enough to have a smoke. (Pardon the metaphor)
But networking has turned into this really sleezy exercise in getting phone numbers and hopefully contacts.
I'm here to dispel the notion that networking is a terrible way of getting contacts. It can be a fun and rewarding time spent making new relationships and promising business associations.
Here are some tips on how to turn a bad date (networking mixer ) into a romatic relationship.
1. Look for the right person
2. Look for the right person looking for you.
3. Spend more than a minute
4. BMFM
5. Followup

1. The Right person- Physically, posturing... Is the person you want to be in a relationship with business-wise, someone who fits the build? Are they flashy, outgoing, bright looking.

2. Looking for You- Someone who is cowaring in the corner isn't looking to make connections. Look for the person who is looking for you also. It is obvious. They are outgoing and respond as you glance at them.

3. Don't look for the one night stand approach to networking. Spend some quality and quantity time with your future association. Build the relationship starting that night. At the end of the meeting give them a sincere hug or handshake. Don't be in a rush to get to the next person. You want quality relationships not quantity.

4. Book a meeting From a Meeting- Don't leave it up in the air about your next meeting with your new friend and associate. Make concrete plans to get together and let them know that you are seriously interested in being a part of their near-term and possibly long-term business life.

5. Followup- Call them when you said you would. Emails are fine but a phone call, lunch are much better. Get in the habit of staying connected. That is the only way you will be able to translate that first meeting into a series of meetings and ultimately success.

Take these tips to heart and see if they are as effective for you as they have been for me and my short networking  experience.

Sherman

Sherman Ray is a noted speaker, author and businessman in the Las Vegas area. He is founder of Diversity Networking Group and contributing writing to Red Letter Media.net leadership site. He is available for speaking engagements and can be seen at major events in the Las Vegas valley area.

The First Hour of the Day

Looking back on all of my writings throughout the years, I don't believe that I have ever written on this subject. It's like I've been blind to a part of everyones life, that really needs to be reiterated over and over again. The subject is "You, or ME Time".
What do I mean by "Me Time"? That is the time before everyone else in the house wakes up and you are all by yourself. In my home, which now consists of around 7 people, it is something that I cherish. Once everyone in the house wakes up, it is nonstop pandemonium until 8:30pm. That's when I shut everyone down and there is silence.
Between the time that all are awake and all are sleeping can be the most draining part of each day. You need a time to recharge your batteries and energize your soul. That is "Me Time".
Here are some suggestions on how to really get the most out of that special time totally devoted to you.
1. Exercise
2. Spiritualize
3. Socialize
4. Visualize

For me, I try and incorporate all 4 of these treats into an hour and a half each morning. I start off with some vigorous riding or running. As I am out on the road course or track I am speaking with the Lord. I generally am asking for guidance and mercy.
As I wind down my morning I stop by a local watering hole to see who is in the mood to socialize. Whether it be the counterhelp or the crazy people who, like me, are out looking for strangers to speak with, it is all part of the energizing of my soul.
Finally, I spend a bit of time visualizing where I would like the day to go or maybe a project that I am working on.

If you spend a bit of time on yourself, each and every morning, then you will find that all else goes pretty well. You have the energy to take on the day unlike those folks who just jump out of bed and hope to get it done all on their own.

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

Today we finally got to find out if an empanelled jury of her peers was able to render a verdict of guilty on Casey Anthony. This thing had been going on for months. I mean was she guilty, a bad mother, a liar...what was she thinking of for 30 days as her child went missing? The questions after the verdict were more than the ones during the trial. In the final analysis, Casey was found not guilty of the death charges but guilty of being a liar. Duh?

I think we all knew that she was a liar. The real question was whether or not she was a killer too. In my mind and in the minds of many others, she just wasn't smart enough or gutsy enough to go through with the whole thing. In order to do this kind of deed you really have to have that special something that only a few possess.

On a brighter note, I view the whole Casey Anthony case as a metaphor for myself and people like me who are in business or are pursuing anything worth their time. When you are in business you are actually on trial on a daily basis. You have put yourself in a place where you are saying to the rest of the world that you are going to do this or that. Whether it is in the business of salvage, architecture or in my case Interior Design, we are all on trial for being guilty of practicing our trade. The pivotal question that needs to answered,. Is there enough evidence against you to find you guilty of being a business person or are you going to be found not guilty for lack of evidence?

Here is the case.

Can anyone say that it is beyond a shadow of doubt that you are what you say you are? Can they bring witnesses against you? Is there remains of your work? Are you GUILTY? Can they prove that you are a calculating, cold-blooded business man or woman. Can they search your phone logs, email, letters, tapes, friends who might have overheard you bragging about your latest JOB?

This is what it means to be guilty on all charges. If you are found stone cold, dead to rights guilty then maybe you need to decide whether or not you are in the right line of work.

It's like I told my kids, "Don't lie because you aint good at it." If you are gonna lie, cheat, steal then at least be good at it. In a twisted way there is alot of truth in this statement. If you are going to call yourself, a business person then at least be good at what you do or get good at it.

When I go before the judge and jury, I want to be found GUILTY on all counts.

Real Weight Loss

Back in late 2009 I found myself at a major crossroads in my life. For nearly 15 years I had worked as an electrician in one of the most exciting places to work in the country, Las Vegas. As a union electrician I made great money. As a foreman my pay was even more impressive, so I never really worried about the day when I would find myself out of work but out of work I was and just before Thanksgiving.

January of this year Linda, my wife  and I had started a conversation on how we would earn a living in the coming years. It was that time of year when we would plan out what the remainder of the year would look like and this was the same as any other year save for this one area. The economic climate of our country was forcing employers to layoff hundreds of workers on a weekly basis. My job had been secure for the past 13 years but this year things seemed different. Was my job the next one headed for the chopping blocks?

Now it was November and I had to layoff at least 20 guys during the year. Each time I would encourage my employees that there was a bright spot in the lining of this dark cloud. Easy for me to say, I still had plenty of money coming in and since I was the foreman, I was a valued employee. Or at least I thought so.


My advice to everyone was the same. This economy was going to be a good thing because it was going to force everyone to change their tactics on how they would earn their own money. This was a boon and not a tragic thing. I kept telling this to each and every person I fired and all the while I was preparing myself for my own prophetic utterances.

It was now November and the chopping block had come round to me. That last paycheck was a bitter sweet ending to a long uninterrupted run of work. Now I was looking in on the playground as all the other kids were playing. This would prove to be the turning point in my life and business career.
The first thing I did when I was told that this was the end, I cheered albeit on the inside. I hated my work surroundings. There were issues at every turn and as a person of faith I was fed up with the climate. I needed to be my own boss and that meant I had to start my own thing or go crazy.

For the next few months I had to really take a crash course in business and self-sufficiency. Up to that point I had always been taught to look for an employer that would take care of my every need. He would find the work for me and all I had to do was show up in the morning. Do what he said to do and hope that at the end of the week the paycheck would clear and that my work was adequate enough for him to ask me back for another week. What a load of stuff.

Like most of us I had fallen into the trap of trading my freedom for security. Was I truly secure? I think not. I was in fear of losing my job each and every week. My security was dependent on the good intensions of my boss. If he didn't like me that week then I could very well find myself in the unemployment line. That, isn't security, it is the purest form of insecurity.

In America we have been duped into believing that this kind of lifestyle is the way things are supposed to be. This wasn't the way our grandparents grew up. Even my mother grew up on a farm where they grew their own food, they got up when they needed to and worked for their own sustainance. What happened to us as a people that now clearly the trend had shifted from a farm to a factory?

In a spiritual world we would call this shift, a poverty mentality. A spirit of poverty had decended on our nation. This spirit tricked us into believing that it was better to have someone else take care of you. At first it was a subtle shift. A few people would decide to work for others. It was only a few people. They were factory workers, or line people. It was only a few people. There were plenty farmers working their own land. A hearty breed was still out there so no one blinked when the first 100 or 1000 or so left the farm for the factory. This shift was only a drip in the flood that was soon to follow.

By the late 1800 and into the early 1900's the industrial revolution in America was ramping up. The farmer had left HIS land and gone to the cities. The Great Depression had forced people to forget about the land and now they were flocking to Egypt. Reminders of the OT book of Genesis. Dustbowls, boilweevils, famine, they all pushed and solidified the poverty mentality in its place.

The natural outcome would be ingrained in American culture for the next 80+ years, until the Great Depression of 2009. In this year Americans, the new breed, decided to go back to what worked before the Industrial Revolution. It was time for us to through off the weight of the Poverty Mentality. It had clung to our necks for far too long and now we were on a weight loss program of epic proportions.

In my own life, we are experiencing this same revolution. I have never been a business person but now I find myself being repulsed by the thought of ever working for another person again. I have lost some major weight (poverty mentality) and I don't want to go back to that cookie store and get fat again.
I believe that I am not alone in my quest to shed myself of these ugly pounds. They have literally killed generations before me and I will not allow it to happen to me also.