Time to Stand Up and Be Counted

It is interesting to reflect on conversations I enter into and which I overhear.

There appears to be a growing discontent with the way society is headed. Our politicians have been proven to be liars; our Royal family has proven themselves to be human and not above the kind of strife which normal families face every day.

Individuals and families are retreating more and more into themselves. Without doubt there remain some who are willing to help their neighbours but increasingly people are enclosing themselves behind high fences, locked doors and other barriers; be they physical or metaphoric.

We are living in an era of fear and greed. To satisfy yearnings people are becoming more and more acquisitive but whatever they acquire still does not leave them feeling complete – there is always something bigger and better to acquire.

Modern marketing techniques are relentless in their creation of dissatisfaction. People are striving for more; they declare that they do not have enough; they feel they should be achieving success.

We have become like hamsters on a treadmill, running faster and faster just to remain in the same spot. We don’t recognise nor allow ourselves to enjoy what we do have in this constant quest for more.

We no longer live according to our personal values. Indeed most of us have probably not even considered what our personal values are.

We have been moulded and shaped by parents, peer groups, schools, universities and employers to “fit”, to “conform”. We need to dust off our own values set and begin to live them. Yes, it will feel strange at first and it will need courage but I dare to suggest that it is the only way to find true contentment and happiness; it is the only way to find the backbone to stand up for what you believe in rather than bemoan the state of the nation but take no action to change things for the greater good.

Donetta Harrison is building http://www.wellnessforlife.info, an information resource covering all aspects of wellness in all domains of life aimed at encouraging individuals to take responsibility for their health and wellbeing in order that they may live life to the full. To receive Vivendi, the free monthly newsletter send an email to wellnessforlife@btinternet.com. To follow the progress of the Wellness for Life project check out the blogspot here http://wellnessforlifeinfo.blogspot.com/.

[tags]dissatisfaction,marketing,courage,fear,greed,neighbours,community,discontent[/tags]

Three Secrets To Improving Your Decision Making

There are three ways to improve your life and to succeed through better decision making:

(1) Make decisions fast.

(2) Change decisions slowly.

(3) Let your decisions guide you to victory.

I have made most of my major decisions in life super-quickly, and by and large, I’m very pleased with them.

For example, I saw a house that I thought was just perfect for me. It had Spanish features, occupied a corner lot in the foothills, and was a little bit off the beaten path.

After seeing it the first time I decided when it comes onto the market, I’m buying it; no matter how much it costs!

Sure enough, one afternoon when I was driving, I noticed a for sale sign in front. I knew the realtor, and she worked closely with me, and one way or another I got it.

Yes, I walked through the place, but so quickly, most people would be amazed. I just knew it was for me, and it made me very happy through the years.

When the time came, I applied to only one law school; it was my first and only choice. As far as I was concerned, I was going there, and I did.

The minute I walked into the martial arts dojo, I knew my goal was to reach Black Belt.

It took eight years to earn, and many sacrifices, and I became only the 20th person to reach 1st Degree Black Belt in 32 years that the dojo has been training people.

Once you have decided, you have committed, and when this occurs, you’re already on your way to victory.

So, make decisions quickly, change them slowly, and let them guide you to victory!

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of www.Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someoneฎ, You Can Sell Anything By Telephone! and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com

[tags]customer service training,sales training, coaching,telemarketing training,customersatisfaction.com,a[/tags]

Thou Shalt Not Judge

Judgement; What does this mean? The encyclopedia definition is, "The process of forming an opinion by discerning and comparing". The bible says, "Judge not, lest you be judged", and, "How many times as christians, do we do this?" Are we not to,"judge the sinners?" No, that is not our responsibility. Remember, what Jesus said, " I have not come to judge, but to save those that are lost". Jesus, the great I AM, did not come here to judge us by what we looked like. He, came here to save us from sin. So how, "If the great I AM accepts us, can we not do the same for others?"

We judge people everyday by what they look like, how they act, and how we preceive them. We do this, not out of love, but out of fear and to feel superior to them. This, is not, the way to show "love" or "acceptance". God, commands, "That we preach his word to all nations". He did not say, "Only to those that look right, or to those we find appealing". To many times, we decide someones selfworth by how we preceive them, but not by, how God views that person. Why, do we shun some people, but talk to others? Why, do we only talk to people, who are already saved and not to those, who need to here the good word. It is easier, to "judge" a person than it is to talk to them. Maybe, if we as christians, talk to people more often, we could help them receive salvation through Christ Jesus.

That, my friends, is the purpose of Gods people, to help those that are lost. Are we wrong, in telling people that they are living in sin, no, I do not think so. It, is our obligation to help lead them to Jesus Christ. Can we do this as a church body without "judgement"? Yes, by talking to people about the saving grace of Jesus christ. By telling them, what it is to accept Jesus as their Lord and Personal savior. If we did this more often, instead of judging, "How many more souls would we save?" How, many people in this "ignorant" and "evil" world, would feel accepted and not rejected. So, I call to you for help, to remember, that we have all been judged by God, and found guilty of sin. That all of us at some time in our lives, have felt rejected and lost. If it, had not been for someone showing us, or helping us, we would not know the saving power of grace. John 5:22,23; For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgements to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Amen

Minister for Jesus

[tags]article submission, articles, writers, writing, publishing, ezine, email marketing, email newsletter, email[/tags]