Write On ....

Tim Ferriss, Seth Godin, Tony Robbins, ....and so many others. From each one ( and countless others) I have gleaned something of value. The things I don´t agree with, or find offensive...I release back to where it came and do not absorb. My heart stays  in waiting mode to learn a new chunk of information or a new powerful principle.

It is rare to find someone to learn from with whom I find nothing that I disagree with.

Takes some courage to still go ahead and learn from someone when you realize that you don´t see eye to to eye on all matters.

Perhaps that is the result of passing age 50, we just learn how to get along with others, even when they don´t align with your personal values.

In church circles, it can become very tempting to surround one with those of the same denomination who tow precisely the same chorus line as you do.

But what is God´s will on this matter? Should we only learn from folks who are almost identical to ourselves?

I prefer to think of the verse...¨The earth is the Lord´s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Psalm 24:1 Kjv.

The spirit of that verse speaks to me of freedom....of acknowledging that everything and everyone belongs to God and therefore we, as Believers in Jesus, have access to all that belongs to Him.

God has used all kinds of people to bless me in life. I learn from all kinds of people and all kinds of books and all kinds of creators. I will continue to do so, as God allows.  I pray that I will live to a really ripe old age, so I can learn so much more! I want my brain stretched.

To  be really restrictive in who I am willing to learn from would be a mistake, in my humble opinion.  I realize  that many people consider it a great honour to teach another human being a new skill or piece of knowledge. They consider it flattering to slow down and teach someone who is eager to learn and listen.

Please friends, don´t draw your circles too tightly. You never know whom God may use to bring you to your next level in life. Truth is often stranger than fiction. Someone that you may least expect to be well learned or an expert in some field, may become a blessed mentor and teacher in your life. Someone who dresses oddly or who has an unusual hair style may have great knowledge in another area of life outside of fashion and appearances. 

Remember the late great Albert Einstein? He was often sporting a wild hair do and didn´t drive a car because he had bigger things to focus his brain power upon. If someone had negative opinions of people who don´t know how to drive and then happened to bump into Albert Einstein, they would have avoided mingling with Mr. Einstein and thus missed out on an opportunity to spend time with a legendary genius.

Try not, friends, to judge folks harshly based on their appearance. Learn to listen quietly and humbly to strangers. It may be that there is a genius who is closer to you than you think!

If  we have any kind of appetite for learning, we will find knowledge all around us. It is inevitable. Ask God to give you a humble heart to learn what is new and empowering. Ask God to help you quiet yourself more often, so that you will be in a position to absorb new information. Ask God to prepare you to accept the next mentor of ideas He is going to bring into your circle.

Learners listen. They lean in......quietly and respectfully.

Peace friends,

Carla.

Choosing a Pacesetter as Napoleon Hill taught

Napoleon Hill's teachings don't really have an expiry date. Most, if not all successful men and women in business today have at some point in their lives become students under Napoleon Hill's teaching. Some have just learned indirectly from him, because they are/were under the tutelage of a leader who had already absorbed his teachings.

Have you?

Napoleon Hill wrote that epic little book called "Think and Grow Rich". His advice comes across as both humble, astute, kind and progressive. His work was a precursor to the work of motivational "scientists" such as the Tony Robbins of our day.

So today I wanted to talk about Mr. Hill's recommendation that we each find a "pacesetter".
Maybe you're not familiar with the term. A "pacesetter" in Mr. Hill's lingo, is simply someone that is successful in a similar niche as to what you aspire to, whom you can use as a marker maker, so that you can use his/her success to gauge and pace your own progress toward your goal.

Let' say for example, that your goal is to have a passive income stream from real estate equalling no less than $2000 net profit per month by the time you are 55 years old. Would you look for a pacesetter who hates real estate but loves the stock market? Nope. You want to choose a pacesetter who is in the same zone as you are mentally and in terms of their goals and lifestyle. You would want to find someone who has already gathered a bit of steam in real estate and who you can access some of their expertise, either personally or through their written or video work. Ideally you want a pacesetter whose work you can monitor either through the net or through their published works. If you don't know what your pacesetter is up to, you won't know if you are keeping pace with him/her and the motivating factor will be lost.

The internet has expanded our opportunities in terms of how we access mentors. We don't necessarily have to know our mentors personally in order for them to have a powerful impact on our lives.

For example, Kenneth Copeland has a powerful christian ministry across the globe. The last I heard, his U.S. branch collected close to 150 million dollars in revenue in one year's time. (don't quote me on that, as I haven't double checked the numbers) The reason I mention this, is that most of his "partners" or supporters have not met Kenneth Copeland personally but yet they have given him a place in their lives as a relevant mentor. They read his books, his newsletters, his websites, his twitter feed, and listen to his teachings via CD or podcasts etc. Kenneth is mentoring millions of people without even having to leave his studio. Yes, he does travel a lot as well, but it is worth mentioning that the majority of the mentoring happens remotely via mass media outlets. These outlets are not accessible to "only" his  ministry "partners" as anyone can
buy or read his books or listen to his teachings on Youtube.

I want to encourage you, if perhaps you have felt that mentors are so very hard to find. I have felt that way very often, especially because there seems to be so few female mentors that I really admire enough to want to pick their brain. There is some legit value to a lil' bit o' healthy competition, even if it is only comparable in the virtual world. But I take comfort in knowing that I am living in a day and time in which I can have
unlimited access to a plethora of brilliant minds just because I happen to have an internet connection. If God blesses my journey to the point that I will eventually have a personal networking opportunity with any of my virtual mentors, then that will be another day of joy.. But a personal relationship with a mentor is no longer absolutely necessary.

 You need a pacesetter, so you have some friendly competition to motivate you and inspire you. You need a pacesetter so that you have someone with whom you can assess your own progress. For example, if Tom and Jane have acquired 50 new sales leads in one month, why do you only have 3? Pacesetters inspire action and confidence because they show you what is possible, what is do-able and what you can hope for. Choosing a good pacesetter will help you focus on whatever it is you really want.

Choose a pacesetter who matches your set of values. Make sure it is someone of high moral fiber.
Wishing your blessings and inspiration this afternoon. Peace.

C.


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