This is part three in the True Success Series. In part 1 we discussed Jesus’ investment in success. Part 2 covers how our approach to business should resemble that of  Jesus’s example of investing in success. This post will cover more on the investment process we should be following for true success.

Invest in Preparation and Training

In Luke 9:1-10 we see where as a result of Jesus taking the time to prepare and train the disciples for success, when they came they were ready for their marching orders. They had a mission to complete but they needed to be trained to do so. Christ took the time to prepare them and give them the training they needed for a successful journey. He trained them by being the example and giving them on-the-job-training. They saw first hand how he went forth with the Good News.

Jesus knew the his time here on Earth was soon coming to an end and He had to get the disciples ready for the task at hand.

Before I further, you may be expecting the rest of this posts to be spiritual in nature. While it is, we must remember that there a very human aspect to running a business because you have to daily put your hands to it. Now let’s move on!

In business we have to be prepared to do the same for those we work with in an capacity. Every facet of your business needs to be documented. You should also have some sort of organization system. Your business should be ran like a business. I know the truth in this because for the first year of my business I did no sort of organizing and it showed. When it came time for me to outsource some of my projects to a VA, I had no idea which way to go because nothing was documented.

I had no idea what money was coming or going. I never looked at the financial statements that Paypal provided and I was always in the red because my

Ask yourself:

• Am I organizing my business effectively?
• Do I have training manuals in place for those who I may outsource projects too?
• Am I setting goals and taking action steps to get them accomplished?
• Am I allowing fear to get in the way of running my business effectively…..I know this one well!

There are many things to consider when you are preparing and training. No two people are alike and no two business will run alike. Find and stick to a system that works best for your business.

I use binders and notebooks like they are going out of style but it works for my record keeping purposes. I create forms to help me maintain what I do. My daily planner sheets are based on the needs of my business. Buying a typical planner does not work for me because I could never quite wrap my head around filling in all those spaces and by the end of the year I would realize that I spent about $80 on something that I did not use to its full potential. That is why I created my own.

So create and stick with a system for preparation and training.

That is exactly what Jesus did with the disciples the entire three years of his earthly ministry. His method for preparation and training was to provide practical advice and examples of what it means to carry out the Good News message.  He even did s a little one the job training when he sent the disciples out in teams.

Now that’s an organized business.

Invest in Others

Next in Luke 4: 16-21 we see that Jesus invested his time and energy in others.

This may be a tricky one because you may be wondering “Well aren’t I in business for myself”, and while this is true, there is one key component that you should always carry with you. That component is SERVICE!

We as God’s children are all called to a ministry of service. Everything we set out to do should involve serving in some way and this serving must be done in love and humility. If we move forward with our business with the intent of making money, money and then more money then we have missed the point.

We have mission that must be carried out and whole each person’s mission is different, the foundation of service has to be the driving force behind carrying out the mission. This is even true in business.

The mission of your business should be about serving others. Ask yourself how will you serve others and what they can expect from you. Be honest with yourself and don’t build up a fluffy all things positive mission. Your mission has to be authentic in that is shows your true desire to really help someone else. Perhaps you are a VA and you specialize in transcribing audio. Your mission may be to provide the best service by being accurate and timely with assignments. That is SERVICE! You are thinking of your client first and because of this your business will grow! Maybe you are a life or business coach. Your first goal should never be how much money you can charge but how many lives you can effect. That is SERVICE!

Everything we do in life affects someone else; and how we conduct our business will do exactly the same thing. As a child of the King and co-heirs to the Kingdom we are the light of the world. How we treat others does matter. How we provide service to others through our business also matters and probably more so because often times business can be so very coat throat and “me” centered.

Take some time today and take stock in your business. What is your approach?

Jesus succeeded at this quest! Read about his story and apply the lessons!

It is important as we move into a wholeness perspective of life that we consider how we approach our business. Too many times we take the approach of a depraved society when it comes to running business. Sorry I had to put it so bluntly but a lot of the stuff out there is just not rooted in the Word of God.

Even Christ himself said that we are in the world but not of the world. So why do we approach our business like those that are in the world.

As children of God we have a responsibility to represent Christ in every area of life.

Your approach to your business should also be representative of Christ. In the post I wrote about investing in success, I gave some example of ways that Christ was successful. The same ways that he used to be successful, we need to use in our approach to business.

First, you have to invest our time and energy into doing the will of God for your business.

^“For I have come down from heaven not to do My own will and purpose but to do the will and purpose of Him Who sent Me”  (John 6:38)

Like Jesus we have the responsibility to follow God’s will for our business.

The true approach to business should be Christ centered and God designed. Don’t follow the patterns of others without first seeking God’s will. How many times have you tried to do it someone else’s way and God said “that’s not it”. That is not to say that you shouldn’t use the examples of those in business that you admire; however you want to be very careful and consider who it is and how they conduct business. Ask yourself what is it about the person that appeals to you. Be prayerful because you just might find that there is something lurking deeper that you refused to see about yourself, in that very person you are trying to be like.

The bottom line is that when it comes to business, God’s design is seldom like man’s designs. He does place people in your path who will give you resources and tools you need to get the job done but ultimately, it is with His will that you must approach your business.

Everything you do in life must be as if unto the Lord. Why? Well, in essence, you are doing it for God because we really only play to an audience of one.

Second, you have to approach your business with prayer and study of the Word.

“Now in those days it occurred that He went up into a mountain to pray, and spent the whole night in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12)

^“After three days they found Him [came upon Him] in the [court of the] temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.  And all who heard Him were astonished and overwhelmed with bewildered wonder at His intelligence and understanding and His replies. “ (Luke 2: 46-47)

Jesus spent Him time as a child studying and probing God’s Word. As young as He was, He still knew He had to be about His Father’s business. Being very man of very man, He had to learn of God’s word just like we all do. He took every opportunity to do so. As a result of His productive habit of study the mission, the vision, and the Plan were made clearer to Him as He was prepared for the work at hand.

Prayer is how we talk with God. It is the time we spend not just speaking but listening as well. I am sure that when Jesus spent His time in communion with His Father, that He did not just spit out a bunch of words, or gripe about how His ministry sucked, or how the disciples were hard head (especially that Peter). NO! He took time to listen. He had to. Look at what the word says again in Luke 6. It said He spent the whole night.

How often to you spend an entire day in communion with your Father? How often do you take the time to make your business a main priority when it comes to prayer?

You must approach your business with pray and study.

You may say that Jesus was in ministry and this is true. However, ministry is business. Doesn’t it make sense that God would show us a great example of how to run our business through His Son?

Your business is how your pay the bills. Why wouldn’t God want you to approach it, seeking Him first and foremost so that all that you need and more would be added unto you.

In part 2 of the article will talk about approaching your business with preparation and training. We will also cover approaching your business with a servant’s heart.

I decided to make this a part of a series called True Success. In this series we will comes from a total Biblical perspective on success.

You can read the first part of the series here.

Don’t hesitate to let me know what you think. Please share your thoughts.

You may be careful about waste and extravagance, but you need to be willing to invest in quality supplies in order to create a house that is not only beautiful, but can withstand the elements and endure the test of time.

Investing in the necessary tools for your success should be the same for both your personal and professional life. It is important that you take the time to make sure you have thoroughly explored the options and that I have a clear picture of my goal.

You need to plan, research, and enlist the advice of others so you can have a realistic idea of the skills needed to achieve my goals. Once you have a strong understanding of your plan, you move forward to acquire the necessary skills and resources.

Think about Christ. In everything he did there was success. Why?

• He invested his time and energy into doing the will of his Father. (John 6:38)
• He invested time in prayer and study. (Luke 6:12, Luke 2:41-52)
• He invested time in preparing and training his disciples for the work to be done once he was gone from the Earth. (Luke 9:1-10)
• He invested his time and energy into helping the blind to see, the lame to walk and the oppressed to be free. (Luke 4: 16-21)

He understood the power of investing for a successful return on investment! He understood the power behind investing his time and energy in doing the work of the Lord.

The success of Jesus saved your very life. Would it really be that hard for you to invest some time, energy, and yes, even money in your success?

We are told in the Word to do all things as unto the Lord. Invest your time, energy, and yes your money too in doing those things for your life and business that are pleasing unto God. Then you will have invested in true success

Ponder these Questions:

1.  Do I have a clear picture of my goals?
2.  Have I taken the time to figure out what skills I may need to achieve my goals?
3.  What investments are necessary to succeed?

The middle of the week is Wednesday and it means that the week is almost over. Usually we wait until the week is over to ponder what is going on in our lives or what occurred during the week. Why wait?

Here on Life and Business Integration I am starting a new weekly meme that we can call “Ponder It Wednesday”. You can visit every week to read a short reflection followed by some questions. I would love to have you participate and answer one or all of the self-reflection questions

Healing your mind gives you more energy to tackle new challenges.

You are better able to handle trials in your life when you engage in healthy thinking and surround yourself with those things that are lovely to God.

It is often said that God does not give us anything we cannot handle, and this is true. With this knowledge, you can breathe easy and enjoy peace and serenity that God brings into your life.

Allowing healing in your mind helps you to be able to handle the things that come my way.

When you are faced with a new challenge, take a deep breath and allow your mind and body to relax. Just take a step back from the problem and look at it with a positive view.

Let go of making the challenge bigger than it really is and take it one step at a time. Keep my focus positive and proactive, allowing your healthy mind to explore all possible solutions.

Allow the peace of God to surround you and enjoy the calm feeling He will give you. With His love and power you can let go of the need to worry and create chaos in my life.

Start today striving to practice healthy thinking and allowing God’s peace to heal your mind and strengthen your soul. Choose to peacefully tackle all challenges so that you can succeed.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1.    Have you remained positive today?
2.    Have you let go of the need for chaos in my life?
3.    Have you allowed God’s peace to heal your mind?

I can’t wait to read your answers!

I am working on developing productive and proactive conscious habits in my life. Last week I started with drinking a cup of warm lemon and lime water followed by a grain breakfast. I am doing this to connect what I eat to how I live and serve God.

My reason for doing this is because I realize that everything we do must be in direct alignment with God’s Word. God’s word tells us that we are the temple of God and as such that means that we are housing a powerful God. What we do with your bodies directly affects our relationship with God.

Developing conscious habits that are productive and proactive involves living life on purpose. Too many times we live life by accident, wondering what will happen next in our lives.

While it is true that we are not in charge and have no idea what lies around the corner; God gives us wisdom and enough foresight to be able to know how to plan and create a life that is pleasing in His sight. We can pray and seek God for direction and if we truly believe, He will order our steps.

We cannot live our lives waiting on the wall to fall down on us. We have to build the wall from the ground up and when it cracks we fix it.

Things will happen but with God all things are possible is we only just believe. If we move in our lives as if God is the one in charge then developing healthy beneficial habits will become an easier process.
I think Nike said it best when they created the simple yet powerful slogan, “Just Do It”.
Determine today to stop living your life on accident to start living your life on purpose. Start this process by creating productive and proactive habits.

Maybe you are asking yourself what I mean when I say “productive” and “proactive”. What I am saying is that to be productive means that is will cause something to happen; and proactive means that something must be done in order for it to happen.

It is all about taking the necessary steps towards change. If you are trying to transform your life for a better business, the best to start with developing these conscious habits is with your life. Why?
Simply put your business is not a separate entity or a part outside of the norm of your existence. It is a part of your life. Whatever habits you develop in life will affect every part of your being.  And, yes, this does include business.

What I noticed with the habit of lemon water and a grain for breakfast was more focus and energy through the day. My workouts were more effective which in turn made my brain function on a higher level. It was an amazing week!
Starting today develop one conscious habit a month. Research shows that it takes about 21 days to develop a habit so taking a month to do so is a good idea.

If you want write down your one habit and I will write it down in my book. In 21 days I will check back with you via another post to see what your progress is. And it does not have to be one habit. Aim for two or three but make sure they can be realistically accomplished.

Let’s encourage one another. I have 14 more days to get this habit of warm lemon water followed by a grain into my brain. I will report in the next two weeks.

What is a conscious habit you would like to form?

Image by Rickydavid via Flickr

“I have hid myself for far too long.”

I told myself that about 12 years ago. I had finally decided to work on me and deal with my weaknesses. I knew that I could not be used of God if I did not begin to deal with me. He had so much in store and I was ducking and dodging from what it was.

Growing up I never really felt as if I had much to offer. A turbulent, abusive childhood caused me to create many masks with varying facets to each one. It was like each one was painted with a bunch of colors to hide the pain that resided inside of a tortured mind. The masks helped me to be whoever I needed to be at whatever time I needed to become someone I really wasn’t.

I wasn’t Sybil or anything like that. I was simply scared to share me. I was frightened that revealing myself and exposing the hurt would cause rejection to become to my friend. The masks helped me to integrate into a judgmental society. I thought my weaknesses made me socially undesirable.

My writing became my escape from fiction into reality. When I got tired of the masks I would write, and write; and write some more. Years of pain began to reveal itself through journaling and poetry. Then my journaling began to take on a new look and my poetry changed too. God began to take my weaknesses and use it to His glory. The masks began to peel away, as the years of pain became distant memories.

Where I told God no, He said yes and took my writing to new levels. Writing became my voice and my voice began to reveal who I really was. My personal weaknesses actually became my strengths.

As I began sharing with others what God had given me I became bolder. My voice box actually began to work and these things called words, real words, came out of my mouth. My writing took on new meaning because of how it helped me to open up.

My story became my witness and my life has changed. God took what I thought was unnecessary and created a great necessity.

When I think of life in terms of what God has for me to do, I realize that my personal weaknesses are nothing compared with what happens when you allow God to use you.

We try to hide our true selves from God; yet all along, He knows what lies within each and every single one of us. The good news is that He is willing to help us conquer our weaknesses and be our strength as we break through the yoke that has us bound. He is there to help us remove the masks that have worn us down.

As an online business woman, one thing that always seems to be a must is to be productive in business. I say… HOLD ON! Time to put on the brakes! Since when did productivity only apply to business.

If you read my one of my few opening posts here on Life and Business Integration then you know that my revelation for this entire site came from the example of the Proverb Woman. This woman was the epitome of a woman living her life fully integrated.

Not that she was perfect; but she was in alignment with God’s will for her life. She took her gifts, talents, and skills and use them to run her business to the glory of God. As she obeyed God’s lead, her life was more and more productive.

She is not the wife, at home, tending to the kids and her husband day and night as so many would have you believe. Nor is she a hard core business woman who thinks that kids are better off with the nanny or granny.

The Proverb Woman in the Bible is an idealized woman. She is the woman we should all strive to be. And get this..she does not have to be married to be a virtuous woman. This woman knows who she is and stands strong in Whose she is. She knows that all she has is because God said, Yes!

With that said, her focus is on being productive in all areas of her life; and yes, for her, business is a part of it.

It is very important as we move forward in our business that we remember that productivity is not just about business. It is about your entire life.

• Eating right, exercising, and caring for your body is being productive
• Taking care of a sick child is being productive
• Spending time in the Master’s suite for renewal and communication with Him is being productive
• Taking the time to play or read to your child, or anyone’s child is being productive
• Getting some sun and enjoying God’s beauty is being productive

Productivity is important in business. It means that you are working at success. However being so productive in business that you are not productive in life means that you are missing out on what matters most.

The Proverb Woman’s productive manner can be an example for both men and women. Her productivity started with God’s guidance and ended with God’s glory!

Now go and make your day PRODUCTIVE!!

We are covering the book of the month, Personality Plus: How to Understand Others by Understanding Yourself. In part one of the discussion we did a general overview of the personalities, their strengths and weaknesses. Today let’s get a little deeper into the good and bad of each of the personalities.

None of the four personalities can be specifically described as positive or negative, because they each have upsides and downsides. The book makes it clear that the characteristics are for observing and identifying, rather than judging.

In taking a closer look at the four personalities we can get a view of the good and the bad.

• A Choleric is focused on getting things done, but can run rough-shod over others. They are decisive and stubborn.

• A Melancholy is a highly talented person, they have brilliant ideas, although sometimes they can paralyze themselves with over-analysis. Lists and “doing things the right way” are characteristics of this personality type.

• A Sanguine gets on well with people and can get others excited about issues, but cannot always be relied upon to get things done. They love interacting with others and play the role of the entertainer in group interactions. They have a tendency to over-promise and under-deliver.

• A Phlegmatic is neutral – they tend not to actively upset people, but their indifference may frustrate people. They try not to make decisions, and generally go for the status quo. They care about people and harmony.

As you read through each of the personalities did you see yourself. What good parts did you see? What about the bad?

In business we have to be very careful how we behave and I guess you could say the same about life as well. This is why tapping into your personality is so very important. When you don’t get YOU, no one else will. You may risk being taken the wrong way, causing harm to your reputation or worse.

Knowing how you tick is important. Wouldn’t you agree?

Here are today’s questions:

1. Can you see your personality in your business?  Why or why not?
2. How do you think God wants us to use our personality in the business setting?

Today I want to encourage those of you reading this who have not picked up Personality Plus: How to Understand Others by Understanding Yourself to get a copy today. It is a great reference tool and a good way your personality as is pertains to business and your life overall.

Looking forward to reading your comments.

This month’s Integration Book Club Pick is one that will help you discover your personality, how it relates to others and how it can help you in your quest for integration.

While Personality Plus: How to Understand Others by Understanding Yourself is not a business book, it can help you find a way to connect with your market in a more unique way. Knowing your personality is also to valuable in life. Your personality is who you are. If you get that then you can design a lifestyle that fits who you are.

Over the next couple of weeks, we will talk more in depth about Personality Plus, our personalities and integrated balance.

If you are on the Integration Weekly subscriber list then you received this month’s discussion material. If not then I suggest you sign up for the ezine because that is how you get a hold the discussion material for the book of the month.

Today I think the best way to start is to actually talk about the assessment you took.

What did you think of what personality assessment revealed about you? Was it you? Were you surprised? How did it help you?

For those who did not get the discussion guide or the profile descriptions, here are the type of personality discussed in Florence’s book:

The ‘Personality Plus’ personality profiles

• Choleric: This is the commander-type. Cholerics are dominant, strong, decisive, stubborn and even arrogant.

• Melancholy: This is the mental-type. Their typical behavior involves thinking, assessing, making lists, evaluating the positives and negatives, and general analysis of facts.

• Sanguine: This is the social-type. They enjoy fun, socializing, chatting, telling stories – and are fond of promising the world, because that’s the friendly thing to do.

• Phlegmatic: This is the flat-type. They are easy going, laid back, nonchalant, unexcitable and relaxed. Desiring a peaceful environment above all else

Each personality has its strengths and weaknesses and Personality Plus covers each of these points very well. I know some people who relish in their weaknesses, seeing it as more of a way to be a bully, or lazy, or depressed based on their personality type. However, this should not be.

For the Faith-filled business owner, the goal should be to work out those weaknesses and to draw on the strengths of your personality. There is never an excuse for mediocrity in the life of a Child of God. To enjoy using the weak parts of your personality to manipulate, or find reason not to do something, is simply unacceptable.

Let’s explore this a little further.

Do you think that the weak parts of you should shine through in your business? Why or why not?

What are the dangers of using those weaknesses in the wrong way in business?

How do you use your strengths?

I cannot wait to see what you have to say about today’s book club discussion!

We have been discussing the Power of Influence here at Life and Business Integration and if you have not read the other post, you can read Part 1 and Part 2 to see what this series has been about. This post is the final installment of the series and I hope that for you it was as good to read as it was for me to write.

Today I want to cover a couple of more points about influencing like Christ.

Being authoritative as opposed to authoritarian does not mean you lose the power of influence that you may already have. It also doesn’t mean you should lack confidence when you speak. It simply means that you are tactful and genuine with your approach – not a stuck-up tyrant. The difference is that you speak with confidence rather than arrogance.

This is what Christ did when he spoke with others. He approached the Sadducees and Pharisees with confidence; He spoke to Satan in the desert with confidence; He shared the Gospel with confidence. Yet, with all the Power He had, He never had an authoritarian approach.

There was always a peace about whatever He spoke of. His personality, passion, and purpose all shined through but He never once pushed it or forced it on anyone. He was tactful, diplomatic, and most of all non-judgmental.

If you want to be an influence in your business, you’ll want to lead by example and speak with an encouraging, yet confident tone. In doing so, becoming a powerful influence can prove to be a beneficial and successful experience.

What do you think about influencing like Christ? Is there some relevance to it for you? Why or why not?