My other girls..

Waiting for me to come home from my walk.

My girls..

Lauren was laying on my bed with me yesterday. We were having snuggle time. She asked, "Do you love me just a little bit more than Ally, mom?" I smiled at her, because she KNOWS I will never, ever say I love one of my girls more than the other one. I could never even choose one to win a contest over the other one. They used to get so mad at me, because they wanted a winner, but I couldn't do it.
Lauren continued, "Come on mom..you like spending more time with me, right? I'm your buddy..more your friend then Ally!"
I smiled again. I said, "Lauren.. a mom loves her children 100 percent. It's not 50 for your and 50 for Ally. It's 100 for you and 100 for Ally. If I had more children, I would love them 100 percent too. I LOVE being with you. I love your peronality. I love your creativity. I love the way God made you! I love that you are loving and caring and snuggly!"
And I love Ally for her kindness and her sweet personality. Ally's a hard worker and has a great sense of style. I love the way that God made her too!
Then I said, "What do you think? Who do you think I love more?"
She smiled and said, "me"
Do you want to know something funny?
I asked Ally the same question. Who does she think I love more.. She said, "me"

Girls.. I love you with ALL of my heart. I couldn't love you any more or any less.

A new dress can make you feel so good..

I haven't worn a dress for so long. I feel so feminine! For years, I wore my hair short, and because I was so overweight, it was hard to look and feel feminine. On the inside, I've always felt very "girly", but I didn't look that way on the outside. Now I think, I look as girly as I feel! I love my lap band! :)

How much do you know of what is going on in our world today?

I hope you're having a great weekend..

We worked, and got sunburned, and painted our bedroom and re-carpeted our back porch, and today we're going to work some more and then....we are going to go to dinner and do some shopping! I've still got some funky infection going on in my body that won't go away! I'm going to call the doctor for round 2 of antibiotics tommorow. Still having tooth trouble too... I don't feel so good .. But it WILL get better! I'm excited to be with my girls today..I love when we are all together!
Hope you're having fun...or relaxing..or spending time with family...
I hope it's all good! Love the Lord! Susan

"Take the first step in faith. You don't
have to see the whole staircase.
Just take the first step."
- Martin Luther King Jr.

Less than a week until Dave Matthews!!!

WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO! I am so excited!!!

Enjoy some dave today!

I am blessed.

I feel so blessed today. God is so good to me. I thank you Jesus for who you are and all you do and all you promise. Your word is truth, and you are truth and life. I can't imagine living without you. Thank you for loving me. I am so not worthy of your love..I mess up so much. I am foolish. I am a foolish child. But you still love me. How great is that? Thank you my Father in Heaven, whom I adore, worship, admire, love and respect. You Rock!!
With love from your little girl, Susan

I just want to tell you how wonderful you are. I know you are probably embarrassed, and saying "Oh, Sue!" right now, but I want you to know just how Great I think you are! You are honest and sincere, and it's weird that it works this way, but not too many people, even friends, even close friends, will tell you the truth. You tell me the truth. You do it in such a kind, loving way though. It doesn't hurt, because I know you care and have my best interests at heart. I need truth in my life, and you are the first person I'd turn to, to seek it out. You give honest opinions, you aren't fluffy and phoney. I love that so much about you!! You are also a great listener. You will listen to me ramble on and on and on..and go from one topic to another, and change my mind 100 times within one conversation, and understand when I speak in broken sentences.... *breath* whew... and you listen to it all and you still want to talk with me, even after all that!!! See.. that really is AMAZING!!!!!
It's not just your honesty..and not just your great ability to listen though..it's your heart for God that comes through in EVERYTHING you say! Christ is so in you, and He's evident in all your words of advice. They are ALWAYS Godly. Not sometimes...always. You speak Jesus into me. Do you understand how important that is to me, especially at this time in my life, when I don't have too many people speaking Jesus into me. You are truth..you are sincere..you are Christlike..you are authentic and real and solid. You don't realize how precious you are, and how important those qualities are.
You asked me yesterday, if I thought you were loving. I told you, you weren't a fluffy kind of loving, but Brenda, you show your love abundantly in many other ways, You are loyal..faithful..sincere..true..
I wish I had a picture of you to post here(next time we meet, I'm bringing my camera!!!) so everybody could see the light that lives inside of you that shines through your beautiful, stylish, cool exterior!!
You know what? We've grown so much together..haven't we? I just thought of that..you and I have grown together.. like sisters. You feel like a sister to me! Now if only we had that mentoring mother that we long for to tell us what to do, how to do it..to guide us, to PUSH us!
Anyway..Brenda, my sister, my friend, let's keep dreaming, and learning, and growing together! I want you to know that I've got your back! I'm here for you..I wish I could express it in a better way..but I want you to know..that you don't ever have to have your shield up, your gaurd up with me. I promise you. (You know what I mean with that..I am real too! : ))
I want to thank you again and again for all that you teach me, and share with me, and dream about with me..and for listening to me, and accepting me... My sister, my friend.
I love you. Sue

What are your plans for Memorial Day Weekend?

My family works all weekend..that's the perils of owning a restaurant in a tourist town.. BUT. we still make plans. Sunday, we are painting my master bedroom and our spare bedroom. That may not sound like fun to you, but Sunday's has always been our family day. We go to church, then come home and stay at home! I usually make a big meal on Sundays. The kids value this time together and of course I cherish the family time! Our kids are looking forward to getting to help paint! Ally loves anything that "cleans" up the house, and Lauren loves painting!
Monday, we are all working together at the restaurant. Ally will hostess, Lauren will do dishes, I waitress and Joe cooks! Then, as a reward for the girls hard work, we are going to take them to the Grove City outlets, for an afternoon of shopping! The girls need some summer clothes, and I am going to show them some shopping love! hehe.. No cookouts..no relaxation for us... But that's our life!
What are you Memorial Day Weekend Plans?

thought of the day,,,

If 7-11 is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, why are there locks on the doors?

"Remember there's no such thing as a small
act of kindness. Every act creates
a ripple with no logical end."
- Scott Adams

Stephen Curtis Chapman's daughter killed

This is so sad..I've heard Stephen Curtis Chapman on several Christian radio talk shows and he seems to be such a wonderful man..,,and especially an incredible father. I watched this video(posted after the article) a few months ago, and it just melted my heart. Watch it and then say a prayer for peace and comfort for this family.. Thanks.
The five-year-old daughter of Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman was killed last night when a car apparently driven by one of her older brothers hit her in the Chapman family's driveway.

In what local police are calling a "terrible accident," Maria Chapman was playing in the driveway when she was struck by a Toyota Land Cruiser driven by one of Chapman's teenage sons. The police did not identify the driver, according to The Tennessean.

A statement on Chapman's website says, "Maria was rushed to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in Nashville, transported by LifeFlight, but died of her injuries there." Maria was the youngest of the Chapman's six children.

I have big dreams..

1. Most of all.. I want to see a beautiful new contemporary non-denominational church planted in New Castle Pennsylvania.
I've seem the vision from God. I can see it SO CLEARLY! I just don't know how to make it happen. I believe with God all things are possible ane I believe I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me..but then why have I given up? I got tired..so what, I should have sat back and refueled.. *I'm refueled now*. I shouldn't give up..I've got to keep trying..but how, where, who..do I turn to next? How do I get it done? Oh..if only you could see what I see.. know what I know... So many lives could be changed, this whole community could be change DRASTICALLY!!! ... That's my number one dream..If I could wish for anything, that is what I'd wish for. A new church planted in this community, a new church like New Spring Church, or Buckhead, or Sandals, or Granger community.. One that is healthy and growing and teaches Jesus's love, but not only teaches it..shows it..puts action to it's words. A church that teaches people to love EVERYBODY..a church who's mission field is this community..a church that gives and gives and gives..
2. I want to baptize someone.
I want to baptize a new believer. I plant seeds, I witness, and I've even helped people become saved, I want to do the next step, I want to baptize someone.
3. I want my children to grow up to be strong Christian women who live joyfilled lives.

I want them to be doing whatever God has planned for them to do..I want them to LOVE their lives. I want them to be happy.
4. My fourth biggest dream is to Make the name of Jesus famous.
I want to be an evangelist. I want to speak about Jesus. I want to motivate people. I want to encourage people. To tell them and show them how much God loves them. I want to love people. I want to genuinely make people feel loved and good about themselves. I want to spread Jesus's love all over the world. That brings me to my fifth dream:
5. I want to change the world. I want to make it a better place!

What are your dreams? Does anybody else know what they are? Come on..share them with someone. Share them with me!

Mark Twain's top 9 tips for living a great life!

“It’s no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.”


“Let us live so that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.”


“When your friends begin to flatter you on how young you look, it’s a sure sign you’re getting old.”


You may know Mark Twain for some of his very popular books like Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. He was a writer and also a humorist, satirist and lecturer.


Twain is known for his many – and often funny – quotes. Here are a few of my favourite tips from him.


1. Approve of yourself.


“A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.”


If you don’t approve of yourself, of your behaviour and actions then you’ll probably walk around most of the day with a sort of uncomfortable feeling. If you, on the other hand, approve of yourself then you tend to become relaxed and gain inner freedom to do more of what you really want.


This can, in a related way, be a big obstacle in personal growth. You may have all the right tools to grow in some way but you feel an inner resistance. You can’t get there.


What you may be bumping into there are success barriers. You are putting up barriers in your own mind of what you may or may not deserve. Or barriers that tell you what you are capable of. They might tell you that you aren’t really that kind of person that could this thing that you’re attempting.


Or if you make some headway in the direction you want to go you may start to sabotage for yourself. To keep yourself in a place that is familiar for you.


So you need give yourself approval and allow yourself to be who you want to be. Not look for the approval from others. But from yourself. To dissolve that inner barrier or let go of that self-sabotaging tendency. This is no easy task and it can take time.


2. Your limitations may just be in your mind.


“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”




So many limitations are mostly in our minds. We may for instance think that people will disapprove because we are too tall, too old or balding. But these things mostly matter when you think they matter. Because you become self-conscious and worried about what people may think.


And people pick up on that and may react in negative ways. Or you may interpret anything they do as a negative reaction because you are so fearful of a bad reaction and so focused inward on yourself.


If you, on the other hand, don’t mind then people tend to not mind that much either. And if you don’t mind then you won’t let that part of yourself become a self-imposed roadblock in your life.


It is, for instance, seldom too late to do what you want to do.


3. Lighten up and have some fun.


“Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.”


“Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.”


Humor and laughter are amazing tools. They can turn any serious situation into something to laugh about. They can lighten the mood just about anywhere.


And a lighter mood is often a better space to work in because now your body and mind isn’t filled to the brim with negative emotions. When you are more light-hearted and relaxed then the solution to a situation is often easier to both come up with and implement. Have a look at Lighten Up! for more on this topic.


4. Let go of anger.


“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”


Anger is most of the time pretty pointless. It can cause situations to get out of hand. And from a selfish perspective it often more hurtful for the one being angry then the person s/he’s angry at.


So even if you feel angry at someone for days recognize that you are mostly just hurting yourself. The other person may not even be aware that you are angry at him or her. So either talking to the person and resolving the conflict or letting go of anger as quickly as possible are pretty good tips to make your life more pleasurable.


5. Release yourself from entitlement.


“Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”


When you are young your mom and dad may give a lot of things. As you grow older you may have a sort of entitlement. You may feel like the world should just give you what you want or that it owes you something.


This belief can cause a lot of anger and frustration in your life. Because the world may not give you what expect it to. On the other hand, this can be liberating too. You realize that it is up to you to shape your own life and for you to work towards what you want. You are not a kid anymore, waiting for your parents or the world to give you something.


You are in the driver’s seat now. And you can go pretty much wherever you want.


6. If you’re taking a different path, prepare for reactions.

“A person with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds.”

I think this has quite a bit of relevance to self-improvement.

If you start to change or do something different than you usually do then people may react in different ways. Some may be happy for you. Some may be indifferent. Some may be puzzled or react in negative and discouraging ways.

Much of these reactions are probably not so much about you but about the person who said it and his/her life. How they feel about themselves is coming through in the words they use and judgements they make.

And that’s OK. I think it’s pretty likely that they won’t react as negatively as you may imagine. Or they will probably at least go back to focusing on their own challenges pretty soon.

So what other people may say and think and letting that hold you back is probably just fantasy and barrier you build in your mind.

You may find that when you finally cross that inner threshold you created then people around you may not shun you or go chasing after you with pitchforks. They might just go: “OK”.

7. Keep you focus steadily on what you want.


“Drag your thoughts away from your troubles… by the ears, by the heels, or any other way you can manage it.”


What you focus your mind on greatly determines how things play out. You can focus on your problems and dwell in suffering and a victim mentality. Or you can focus on the positive in situation, what you can learn from that situation or just focus your mind on something entirely else.


It may be “normal” to dwell on problems and swim around in a sea of negativity. But that is a choice. And a thought habit. You may reflexively start to dwell on problems instead of refocusing your mind on something more useful. But you can also start to build a habit of learning to gain more and more control of where you put your focus.


8. Don’t focus so much on making yourself feel good.



“The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.”


This may be a bit of a counter-intuitive tip. But as I wrote yesterday, one of the best ways to feel good about yourself is to make someone else feel good or to help them in some way.


This is a great way to look at things to create an upward spiral of positivity and exchange of value between people. You help someone and both of you feel good. The person you helped feels inclined to give you a hand later on since people tend to want to reciprocate. And so the both of you are feeling good and helping each other.


Those positive feelings are contagious to other people and so you may end up making them feel good too. And the help you received from your friend may inspire you to go and help another friend. And so the upward spiral grows and continues.


9. Do want you want to do.


“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did so. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”


Awesome quote. And I really don’t have much to add to that one. Well, maybe to write it down and keep it as a daily reminder - on your fridge or bathroom door - of what you can actually do with your life.by Henrik Edberg May 16th, 2008 in Relaxation, Personal Development, People Skills, Career & Work and Success.
“It’s no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.”


******************************************************************************
Published by Henrik Edberg May 16th, 2008 in Relaxation, Personal Development, People Skills, Career & Work and Success.

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle.The other is as though everything is a miracle."

- Albert Einstein, physicist and Nobel laureate

Guess the Google

A fun and addicting game!


guessthegoogle.com

The History of Mobile Phones!

A lovely night..

My man

My man whisked me away to the Raddison Hotel for Mother's day. We had a special dinner with champagne! He then fixed me a bubble bath in the jacuzzi tub in our room and finished the night off with a massage!..It was a nice mother's day gift.
Thanks Babe!

Japaneese Maple

Joe and I try to do a home improvement project each year. This year we took out five HUGE ugly bushes in our front yard and landscaped around the house. Joe had been dreaming about having a japaneese maple tree, so we went to Ratvasky's landscaping and bought one! I got a little pink dogwood and some azalea bushes! I like flowery things.. But he loves this tree!

Blue Sarah

Back from Vacation..

Hey Ya'll! I'm back!
I was on a vacation from my computer for a few weeks! I've had to take some time to think, and pray, and make some decisions!
Oh, I miss writing. Writing is like breathing! Lauren and I had this conversation yesterday. She said she couldn't live without drawing. I know exactly how she feels because that is how I feel about writing. I NEED to write. It's expressing your self..it's letting all that creativity inside, pour out! I'd explode like a corked bottle of bubbling something..if I couldn't write. Do you feel that way about anything? How do you let your emotions out? Are you passionate about anything? Is there something you couldn't live without? What would make you feel like you would explode if you couldn't let it out?

I Have an appointment tommorow at 10:00 am at the Riverside Center for Innovation! I love that name..the Center for INNOVATION!!!!!! I am meeting with a woman named Shauna to discuss my business idea and figure out what she can do to help me! Please pray for me..I am SCARED! I am scared because I am stepping out of the boat into unchartered waters and the waves are crashing all around...okay..they are not crashing yet..but I am nervous as heck. I am just a college dropout, commonsenseless,small-town waitress.. What the heck am I doing???????? Am I THIS MUCH OF A FOOL TO THINK I CAN DO SOMETHING SO BIG??????????

Singing.."The voice of truth..tells me a different story..the voice of Truth..says do not be afraid.." This has been my theme song for the past 3 years. I believe it. I am little..I can't do this.. but .. clearing throat..girls are you listening,.. "I can do ALL things Through Christ who gives me strength." Phil 4:13 I don't just say it..I believe it. Amen

Rick Warren's Talk.. please watch this..it will change your life if you let it!

A few facts to help you learn something new!

From a 100 mph dive, an African eagle can come to a complete halt in 18 feet!
General Colin Powell has a Bachelor’s degree in geology.
Human tapeworms can grow to be 75 feet long!
Iceland is home to 120 glaciers … and more than 100 volcanoes.
If the heads on Mount Rushmore had bodies, they would be nearly 500 feet tall.
It is forbidden for aircraft to fly over the Taj Mahal.
The Eiffel Tower is repainted every seven years. The paint weighs 60 tons

Jesus Freak

I'm sitting in my little local coffee house, where I go to work when I'm not at the restaurant. I am overcome with emotion right now. I listened to that podcast this morning for church planters, and then the owners of Steamers, Steve and Joelene asked me about the church I was trying to get planted.....they told me not to give up. I have given up : ( I don't want to though... You know.. I love Jesus Christ so much. He is my life. He is my everything. I want to be like Perry Noble. I want to reach people for Christ. I do... I do show Jesus to people every opportunity I get, but I want to build a church..a contemporary church. God gave me this mind that I have...He did it. You, whoever you are that I'm writing to...you may not understand me, and what I write about and what goes on in my mind, but God gave me a gift. I can see things... I have vision..very, very clear vision. I know what would work..I can see it happening..but then I get stuck. What can I do..how can I accomplish it... why can't I go further. I HATE depending on other people to get something done. I've realized, if you want something done you have to do it yourself. That;s why I'm working on this business blog. I know I can do it. I have the vision for it. I can see what it will look like when it's done. There's a need for it. I'm finally taking action. BUT... where does my heart lie..truly.. I want to be like Jesus. I want to plant a church. I want people to know that there is so much more to churches then what they've been taught. It's so easy.. God has shown me this picture. So where do I go now??? ..I love Jesus.. I mean.. really, really love Jesus. He is everything and so much more...the more I know Him the more I want to know Him more....Does that make sense? The more I get of Him the more I want. Okay...just sharing deep thoughts.. I am growing and learning more and more each day... it is amazing! Peace out.
His Servant, Susan

Perry Noble Unleashed!

Perry Noble is my favorite preacher on Earth! He is soul inspiring, heart moving, and hilarious! He inspires me to do these Amazing things I want to do. He helps me to get closer to God. He is a strong leader and he has become my church leader these past few years as I have been an orphan in the church! His whole purpose on Earth is to make the name of Jesus Famous!
When I walk by myself I listen to Perry Noble sermons. Today I listened to this one. If you want to be inspired and led to go and do something, and get on Fire for Jesus...listen
UNLEASH

Monday's Recipe.. Tacos De Matamoros

Tacos De Matamoros In honor of CINCO DE MAYO!
"A staple dish in Matamoros, Mexico, this simple recipe starts with ground beef mixed with spices that you already have in your kitchen and turns into a great family dinner! Perfect to 'make ahead' on busy days. Serve with warm corn or flour tortillas, Spanish rice, and beans-a-la-charra."

PREP TIME 30 Min
COOK TIME 1 Hr 30 Min


INGREDIENTS
2 pounds ground chuck
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
12 ounces queso asadero (white Mexican cheese)
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 large tomato, diced
2 cups shredded lettuce



DIRECTIONS
Place the ground chuck in a large skillet, and season with chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, garlic powder, and garlic. Pour in enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 1 hour. Add more water as necessary during cook time, and break the meat into small pieces.
Mix the bell pepper and onion into the skillet, and continue to simmer 30 minutes. Drain and reserve juices. Skim the fat off the juices(or, if not preparing the tacos right away, place juices in the freezer until fat may be easily removed from the top). Mix 5 tablespoons of the remaining juices back into the skillet with the beef, and cook until heated through.
Serve the beef on the tortillas. Garnish with queso asadero, sour cream, tomato, and lettuce.

A few weekends ago..I went to dinner with a friend of mine. We were sitting at the table chatting away, and I got a text message on my phone. It was my husband.. "What are you wearing?" heheh.. I sent him a picture via my cell phone. "I'm thinking about you...naughty thoughts." The next text said..
I won't go on..but we had so much fun and even more when I got home that night!
The funny part of the story..

My 14 year old asked to borrow the phone yesterday. She looked in the saved text folder. She screamed. I was horrified. My husband laughed. My 16 year old said she was going to vomit right there on the floor..

Learn some new words and feed the world!

Just click on the link!
freerice

Flying lamps fill the sky.

Beautiful..

Veggie Pizza!

This is a picture of the veggie pizza that I talked about and posted the recipe for, last Monday! It is so yummy! Try it sometime!

I'm thinking about??

Something Happy! : )

Happy Monday!

Dear Readers,
I hope you had a wonderful weekend. I hope it was filled with sunshine : )
I worked Friday and then Kim and Joe's friend Steve came over and we hung out and had some fun!
I worked 9 hours on Saturday! I am priveledged to work with wonderful women that God has allowed me to love on and offer encouragement to. I can see how good it feels for them when I hug them, or tell them how good they are, and how beautiful they are. I try to see people the way God sees them...I look inside of their hearts and I see such Beauty! So many women are insecure, and don't see themselves as beautiful, or deserving of love and kindness and hapiness, but they are princesses..their father is a KING! Rachael, Crystal, Samantha (Who has become special to my heart), Karen,Pam, Lianna and of course Emily! These ladies ROCK and do such a good job at making my restaurant successful! We couldn't do it without them..so girls.. THANK-YOU!!
Yesterday, Joe and I did some errands, and yard work. Ally's boyfriend came over, so we made more homemade pizza's and a great salad. We had a fun day together.
Three days this week, I am dedicating myself to work on my business plan! I've got to be disciplined! DISCIPLINE! : )
Oh..and I am LOVING the book How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie..I can't wait to tell you all about it! It's remarkable!
Have a beautiful week, my friends! Love life! Susan

Books and other things..

A quick little update... When I haven't been working this week, I have been reading, and doing a lot of walking! I have walked 4 to 5 miles every day this week! I've met my friend Tracy each nite for a 3.5 mile walk, and then I've come home and took the girls to the park, where we walked Nikki for 1 or 2 miles! Remember..my focus this month has been on discipline! I've been much more disciplined with my eating habits, exersize habits and also disciplining my mind! I am preparing to do all I can to make this new business a success! DISCIPLINE!
For fun, I did get to go the Kiwana's book sale! I bought a whole box of books for 6 dollars! A book sale to me, is like Christmas! I get sooo excited!
Okay....gotta run...Joe needs some attention! I hope you are having a great week! Susan

Dale Carnegie

Now I'm reading How to win friends and influence people. It's going to be a very helpful book! As soon as I get the chance, I will write down the highlights for you!

E-myth Revisited

I finished reading the first of the new four books I got last thursday. I read the E-myth revisted by Micheal Gerber. It is one of those books that is life changing, especially at this time of my life, working on my new business venture.
I first heard of this book from a guy named Tony Morgan who is one of my favorite bloggers. He did such a great job of pointing out the highlights of the book, I've decided to share them with you!

The people who are exceptionally good in business aren't so because of what they know but because of their insatiable need to know more."
"The simple truth about the greatest businesspeople I have known is that they have a genuine fascination for the truly astonishing impact little things done exactly right can have on the world."
"What makes people work is an idea worth working for, along with a clear understanding of what needs to be done."
"Given his need for change, The Entrepreneur creates a great deal of havoc around him, which is predictably unsettling for those he enlists in his projects."
"It is the tension between The Entrepreneur's vision and The Manager's pragmatism that creates the synthesis from which all great works are born."
"Most businesses are operated according to what the owner wants as opposed to what the business needs."
"As a business grows, it invariably exceeds its owner's ability to control it--to touch, feel, and see the work that needs to be done, and to inspect its progress personally... Out of desperation, he does what he knows how to do rather than what he doesn't... One of the most consistent and predictable reactions...is the decision to 'get small' again."
"The system runs the business. The people run the system."
"For ordinary people to do extraordinary things, a system--'a way of doing things'--is absolutely essential in order to compensate for the disparity between the skills your people have and the skills your business needs if it is to produce consistent results."
"How the business interacts with the consumer is more important than what it sells."
"You can't ask too many questions about the numbers... Because without the numbers you can't possibly know where you are, let alone where you're going."
"I believe it's true that the difference between great people and everyone else is that great people create their lives actively, while everyone else is created by their lives, passively waiting to see where life takes them next."
"What most people need, then, is a place of community that has purpose, order, and meaning."
"When it comes to marketing, what you want is unimportant. It's what your customer wants that matters."
"Will applied to any conflict creates energy. Conflict without will creates frustration. An engine turning, but going nowhere. Conflict with will creates resolution, a movement beyond the dilemma."
"If the world is going to be changed, we must first change our lives!"

Rock Paper Scissors

Bling

What makes someone successful?

I´ve spent some time thinking about why some people are so successful in life. And what factors in success that are under more personal control than others. If you know me, you know that I am focused on learning how to be a better person, and learning how to be the best that I can be, through Jesus Christ, so I can change the world!

Successful people might be intelligent. Or have had a socially well connected upbringings. Or be naturally energetic and open and positive.

But a lot of the factors that make some people more successful at almost anything in life are very much under their control. And much can be improved in anyone’s life by learning from the people that have gone before us.

Here are some of the thoughts on success that I´ve come up with from reading/watching documentaries throughout the years about people such as Michael Jordan, Thomas Edison, Eleanor Roosevelt and Henry Ford. The following factors of success are just a few and I´m quite sure there are a lot more.

They make decisions and take action
Right or wrong action, they take it. Either way it’s always better than making no decisions and taking no action at all. As Franklin Roosevelt said:

“It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.”

They do things even when they don´t feel like it
I think this is a pretty huge factor. A lot of us back down when we don´t want to do something, even though it may eventually bring us to a wonderful experience or goal. Successful people may not always like doing some of the things they have to do. But they do them anyway. And in the longer run that makes all the difference.

They do the most productive thing right now
Instead of trapping themselves in doing productive but not so important tasks or projects they realise what’s most important and do that. And after they´re done with that they do what´s most important again. Instead of just doing a lot of things, they think and plan before they act and try to focus as much as possible of their thoughts and actions on those few very important things.

They do one thing at a time
Many of them don´t seem to multi-task. Some reasons for avoiding that may be that it creates internal confusion, wastes time and spreads the multi-tasker too thinly. Instead, they do one thing and focus on that until it is done. Then they do the next thing until it is done. Focusing 100% on one task at a time will get it done quicker and better.

They have a positive attitude
A negative attitude can be very damaging and limiting to one´s life. A positive one can open new doors every day. It can open your mind to new ideas and input and create or sustain great relationships. It helps you through the hard times as a successful person often sees an opportunity within what others would merely see as a problem.

They have redefined failure
While a lot of people see failure as a way to rationalizing the feeling of wanting to giving up or as a sign that it´s actually time to do something else successful people tend to see it more as useful feedback. They may not like to fail, but they don´t fear it – or at least they have little fear of it - and they know that if they fail they´ve been there before and they can start over again and succeed. This is of course a very useful belief and keeps successful people going while the rest have already given up.

They don´t let fear hold them back
They overcome fear and slay that dragon whenever they face it. Or they may have defined or redefined reality so that fear is substantially decreased or even gone in some areas of their life.

Doing this enables you to take action on your thoughts. This pulls down the barriers in the mind and create new roads and opens up to whole new possibilities. Have a look at 5 Life-Changing Keys to Overcoming Your Fear for more on both slaying your dragons and redefining your reality to contain less fear.

They have found a purpose in life
They are internally driven rather than externally driven. They do what they have a burning desire to do rather than conforming to what others think they should do. Even if what the others think may be positive and successful stuff.

The Michael Jordans, the Edisons and the Stephen Kings have figured out what they want to do in life and are doing it (or did it).

The purpose, I think, is largely why they can keep on going and be motivated while others may tire or just go and do something else that they find more purposeful. The successes love their purpose and when they aligned with it then it seems to push them forward with enthusiasm and energy through life.

They don´t get distracted
When others get too caught up in everyday life to do what they really want to do the successes don´t. They can really focus on actually doing what´s important and what needs to be done. Again, this seems to go back to having a purpose and more clear sense of direction in life.

They value their time highly and plan it out well
A lot of people don´t value their time that much. Successful people have a purpose in life and therefore they do. They have so much they want and an inner urge to do it and therefore need to plan well to use their days effectively.

They´ve got awesome communication-skills
So very much of what we do in life has to do with other people. So it seems quite obvious that to be successful you´ll probably have to have good or great communication-skills (or hire someone that has such skills).

They have an open mind and are willing to learn
Successful people take the time to study and learn – and often seem to really like doing it - what is necessary to improve their skills. They are open to thoughts, suggestions, solutions, new information and change rather than thinking they already know everything, that there is not much more to learn and that everything should be as it has always been.

What to focus on?
Now, what factors are the most important ones, where should one focus the energy? I am currently focusing on improving my ability to take action, doing what I may not feel like doing and doing the most productive thing right now. To me it seems like these three factors are very important and since they are pretty interconnected they are easy to combine.

I think what you should focus on varies a lot. And it’s up to everyone to figure that out for themselves. But if you´re anything like me you probably already know what areas you need to work on.