Blooms of a plumeria tree

Dear Family and Friends,
Wow! What a trip! First, I want to thank you and assure you that your prayers and finances were absolutely invested in Kingdom work. Without a doubt, this was the best team outreach I have ever been on. I came to love and appreciate those who went with me from Bethany Bible Church. The OMF missionaries were wonderful and the three believers who joined us from a church in Brunei were totally delightful! Then there were the Thai students… What can I say? There is good reason for Thailand to be called the Land of Smiles. In some cultures, smiles can be deceiving – they can mean so many different things. While this is also true for Thailand, God was doing something that stirred up the hearts of those dear students and brought them into a place of openness I have rarely seen.

Students and Trainers in First Camp

Pawn and I on Last Day of 1st Camp

Residence - Chinese Architecture

Two Students from 2nd Camp

PRAYER POINTS: Tim and Arlene (who actually developed the curriculum) have an on-going relationship with those in the first small camp and with the organizers at the school where the larger camp was held. Please pray that they would have good follow up and that the students would take the steps from believing in the Creator God to accepting His Son, Jesus, who came as the perfect expression of that love.
Pray that I continue to adjust as I have been having more trouble than usual in getting over jet lag.

I am so thankful for this opportunity and pray that both I and you are open to whatever God would have us do next for His world-wide Kingdom work.
Love you with a grateful heart,

Paula

PS: I am working on getting some videos posted or emailed to you. I am a little (understatement!) tech-challenged so don’t hold your breath… I am trying, though.

Today, an interesting thought rose up on the inside. It was very clear: “A dedicated disregard of the non-productive.” It got my attention.

Dedication is a requirement for life and certainly for a successful online business. However, we all know that every day, every moment even, we have those things that draw us away from the task at hand. These distractions occur in life, in our business, at our work if we still have a j-o-b. They can be as simple as an unexpected phone call or coffee spilt on our new shirt. They can be more complex like a meeting suddenly called by the management team. Obviously, some things we cannot disregard…management is funny that way.

I knew that this thought, “a dedicated disregard of the non-productive”, was a clarion call to me specifically for my business. I am an organizationally-challenged person (growing every day in this skill!) and my days can quickly get away from me.

I have taken up the gauntlet and determined to look at everything I do today and ask myself, “Is this productive, or is this something I need to disregard?” I would encourage you to consider doing the same.

With that being said, let’s look at what may or may not be productive.

If you are spending time at your computer, intent on your work and your neck starts aching, it is NOT productive to ignore the pain and press on with the task at hand. What would be productive at that time would be to save your work, get up and stretch, go get a drink of water and perhaps go outside, breathe deeply and enjoy the beauty all around us. (Well, if it’s summertime in the Sonoran desert, you may just want to LOOK outside.)

If, on the other hand, you are working at your computer and you notice that Spider Solitaire icon, it would probably NOT be productive to go play a game. Oh, didn’t win? Well, just one more game. I know from whence I speak!

So let’s decide right now which is more important: long-term success in our businesses or a momentary distraction? We know the answer is clear but living it out will be a challenge. It will take dedication and persistence to build the habit of the “dedicated disregard of the non-productive.” We can do this! I am determined to be a successful entrepreneur. Can the same be said of you?

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I think a lot of people choose to start an online business out of desperation. This is understandable, especially in the economic climate today. Desperation, however, rarely predicts long-term success. If you can harness that desperation and direct its energy into an intense and sustained dedication to your business, you will have a far better chance not only for good results but also for incredible results.

You know the statistics. 95% of businesses fail within the first year of their start-up. You think you can overcome those statistics? You can if…

You stay the course. For the online entrepreneur, that means finding and sticking with a good company. Uncontrolled desperation or a poor work ethic causes most people to hop from company to company. If this one doesn’t work the first week, let’s go try another one. Always seeking that easy buck…that overnight success. It does not work that way!

Here’s another expression I’m sure you’ve heard, “The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.” I want to tell you this is absolutely true, but not for the reason you probably think. Most people believe it takes money to make money. In fact, that is the excuse most people use to fail in business. The rich get richer not because of the money they have but because they have learned how to make money. They have failed and failed but not given up. They kept going and used their failures simply to learn what didn’t work.

On the other hand, the poor get poorer (or at best, never get rich) because they have never learned how to make money. They have only learned how to do a job. Having a job will virtually never allow you to get rich. If you have worked a job all your life and now you are turning to being your own boss, you are going to experience failures. That is precisely when you must not get off course.

If you want your business to work, you have got to learn how to work your business. You have done your research, right? You have chosen a strong company with extensive training, right? Your company has a good compensation plan, right? Then you have no excuse for failure. The only way you can fail is if you give up. If you jump ship and keep trying to sail to another port, if you will.

No, just decide: “This is my company. I am loyal to my company and I am going to give myself fully to being successful here. No testing the waters, no checking out other opportunities. This is it…100% commitment.”

Do your work, diligently and daily. Believe in yourself. Set your face like flint toward your vision and goal. Stay the course and you WILL succeed.

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Think about the times you’ve spoken with a person and you were the only two people in the room. You felt like the center of attention. Every comment and every question was meant to discover the real you. There were no contrivances, no slick gimmicks to get you to say, “Yes.” Just an honest endeavor to get to know you and find out what was important to you.

That is called “being there” and that is what is going to make all the difference in your life and in your business. It is really not a skill you can learn. However, it is a characteristic you must determine to develop if you intend to be successful.

People you talk with face to face or on the phone need you to “be there” with them. They deserve that respect. No, not all of them are going to come on board with your company, but they will feel good about themselves when the conversation is over. And that will go a long way in building those lasting relationships necessary for a sustaining success. They will remember your honest concern. Who knows? Down the road they may be ready for a change. Who will they remember then? The person who drilled and pushed them or the person who took time to genuinely focus on them? People do like to buy, but no one wants to be sold.

You know how you want to be treated. That is how you need to treat others. The next conversation you are in whether it is in your personal life or in your business, practice the art of “being there.” You’ll find out it will make a difference. Treat that person as if they deserve to be listened to. After all, we all do, don’t we?

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If you want a change in your life, it’s your thought life you need to focus on, not your behavior. My intention is not to deal with all the nuances of your life, but to help you enjoy the success and prosperity that perhaps has been eluding you most or all of your life. To that end, I would like to give some suggestions that have proven useful in my own life. Let’s look at how we view money.

Growing up, my dad always told me I had “a champagne taste on a beer’s salary.” That carried a lot of weight in my psyche and kept me “in my place” so to speak. I came to believe that nice things were not for me. There are other statements many of us grew up with that formed our belief system concerning money. “Filthy lucre;” “Money doesn’t grow on trees;” “Money is the root of all evil;” “If you have your health and love, you don’t need money.” You get the idea, and I am sure you can recall statements that you grew up with. Those statements formed our beliefs and led to the thoughts we have about money. Once you identify your own thoughts about money, you need to consider whether or not the belief system you have followed is true or not. For example, just because you have your health and love does not mean you don’t also need money. Try going to your bank and depositing some love. Security!

Once you see the untruths that have formed your thoughts, you can work (and I do mean work) on replacing non-supportive beliefs with those based on truth. Spend some time each day countering those untruths by declaring the truth. Back to my champagne example, I declare, “I deserve to be rich because I add value to other people’s lives.” (And, sometimes, I enjoy a delightful glass of champagne!) This is a process and will require a daily, consistent routine; but over time, you will see your thoughts change and your behaviors WILL align themselves.

Another very important requirement to financial success is to make sure you are always positive and that you surround yourself with positive people. Think about those times when you have criticized someone or something with your family, friends or coworkers. What generally happens? Everyone chimes right in and the ball gets rolling. The next thing you know, the atmosphere around you becomes totally charged with negativity. Seeds produce after their own kind. Do you think positive people or positive events will involve themselves in such a conversation? One suggestion that was made to me was to take my index finger and “slit” my own throat whenever I start to be critical. Criticism is one of the fastest ways to destroy success and prosperity. You may need to suddenly have “something” to take care of and excuse yourself from the situation. If you’re at work, keep a peaceful background on your computer. Put your iPod on with soothing music. Whatever it takes, stay in a positive mental framework. You can’t change your family, but you may need to have a conversation with those closest to you to let them know you are making some changes. Be sure to do this gently and in a non-confrontational manner. They may not be supportive at first; however, if you keep pressing on, they may realize life is much better in a positive, peaceful atmosphere. When it comes to your friends…Well, try to have the same talk with them, but you may have to make some tough decisions. Do you want a better life or is it more important to stay in friendships that hold you in an unfulfilling lifestyle?

I sincerely hope this series has helped you in some way; and to continue to help you grow toward your goals, I recommend the following reference materials. They have been great blessings in my life. You are welcome to post your comments and share your success with me on my blog at http://pglasser.wordpress.com
I wish for you the courage and strength to always follow your dreams.

BOOKS:
“Never Give Up” by Joyce Meyer
“Today Matters” by John Maxwell
“Secrets of the Millionaire Mind” by T. Harv Eker
TRAINING:
The Millionaire Mind Intensive Seminar – A schedule of these seminars can be found online at http://www.peakpotentials.com

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Whenever we want to make a change, we usually try to change what we do. If we want more money, we get another job. If we want a better relationship, we get out of the one we’re in. If we want to lose weight, we go on a diet. These changes rarely work. Two jobs might bring in more money, but we become exhausted and sometimes can’t even work at all. The next relationship we jump into is just as bad as the one we left. Diets…well, many of us realize they don’t work…10 lbs off, 15 lbs back on.

The answer is not in changing what we do but in changing how we think. A proverb states, “For as a man thinks within himself, so he is.” Again, if you are not satisfied with where you are in life, you will need to make a change. The first step to change is awareness…becoming aware of the root of the problem, your thoughts. Here is a simple (notice I did not say “easy”) exercise that you can implement today.

You need to consciously think about what you think about. Let me say that again; you must deliberately think about your own thoughts. No longer just let your mind freely go wherever it wants. You need to keep tabs on it. If you have to, keep a notebook handy and take notes. Think of yourself as a private investigator and follow your thoughts wherever they go and whatever they do. At the end of the day, you should have a very concise report on your “suspect.” Now, this is a private exercise so you needn’t tell anyone what you are doing. Don’t be embarrassed by your thoughts (well, you may need to be but just observe from a neutral perspective.) Don’t ignore or be upset about your thoughts; and, at this point, certainly don’t try to change them. Remember, you must first become aware of the position you are in before you can devise a plan to redirect yourself into the life of success you desire to have.

Once you understand what is going on in your mind, then and only then can you make effective changes. This is a critical first step so please don’t try any way around it. As I said, it is simple but you will not find it easy. Your “suspect” does not want to be found out! When you are ready to move on, you can find some helpful, practical steps to take in my next blog: “Mindless No More.”

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As we look around, it doesn’t matter what perspective we see our world from, we understand that there are unchangeable laws that make everything work. We have confidence in these laws to the point that we don’t even think about them. Look at the law of gravity. Everyone knows about gravity. We don’t think about it. We don’t worry about it working or not. However, if it does indeed work 100% of the time, then how does a multi-ton aircraft rise up into the air? Does the law of gravity stop working? Does it submit itself to a higher law? No, it is actually because the law of gravity is at work that another law can come up alongside and these two laws work together to lift that aircraft into the air. It is the force exerted by the law of gravity which makes the law of aerodynamics work to lift an impossible load into the sky.

So, too, does the Law of Attraction require the presence of another law to make it work. That is the Law of the Seed. Again observing our world, we see that seeds planted will always produce after themselves. Apple seed…apple tree. Plant corn…get corn. Also, plant bad seed…get a bad crop. There will never be strong, healthy fruit produced from a bad seed. What we need to understand is that this law never changes. And, it applies to our own lives…not just to the seed of our wombs but, more importantly to my point, to the seed of our minds. It has been said and I believe it to be true, “Where the mind goes, the man follows.” (Joyce Meyer) Hence, my question: “What is on your mind?” Healthy mind – healthy fruit. A mind filled with fear, frustration, anger, discouragement, negative attitudes, will never produce a courageous, peace-filled, joyful life…and it will never attract positive, strong, healthy relationships. Get up in the morning dreading going to work? Your work will be dreadful. Fearful that you cannot get out of debt? Chances are you’ll never get out of debt. Angry or discouraged that you are not getting any breaks in life? Don’t expect good opportunities to come your way. Your mind will produce after itself…always.

So, if you are not happy with your life, you need to consider making a change in how you think. The first step in making any change is awareness. You must become aware of what you are thinking. I would like to offer a very simple exercise to help you become authentically aware of your thoughts. If you see the need for change in your life, please read my next article: “Becoming a Mental Private Investigator.”

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I suppose the startup of an online business is the same as any new adventure. There is a full spectrum of emotions we feel. Certainly, not the least of which is excitement. As we get our feet on the ground and our business starts getting established, so does our daily routine. The challenge of learning new and difficult skills wears down, and suddenly we feel as though our business has become just another job.

What can you do when what was exciting becomes the mundane? We weren’t created for the mundane; we were created for…well, creativity. That is one of the reasons many of us chose to begin our own home based business. Most jobs have a set routine. Deviation from that routine is generally frowned upon. Albeit there are some companies that allow and even encourage creativity, it is not the norm.

Being an entrepreneur is unique in that it allows us to reflect our own distinctive personality. So, sooner or later, when we settle into our business; we also settle into a routine and that becomes boring to one who by nature is creative. Since the business is relatively new, a trip around the world is out. Even a short vacation away from work is going to stop the flow of leads into the pipeline. So, what is the answer? Well, this is the time having our own online business reveals its greatest asset. Which is…There is always more to learn.

We become bored because we have failed to expand our skills. We have been so caught up in learning and applying certain strategies, we haven’t even realized we have gotten into a routine, the proverbial rut. The strategies that messed with our minds and took us days to implement are now second nature. They take only an hour or two each day to knock out. What do we do with that extra time? We learn a new strategy. It’s time to go back to the training your company offers and take another look at that list of strategies. What was so intimidating in the beginning is going to look quite different now.

Choose a new strategy or two and get busy. In the challenge of learning something new, the creative juices will start to flow again. Creativity will stir in your heart again. You will feel the energy and excitement you experienced in the beginning, and your business will take on the glamour that enticed you in the first place.

In your business, don’t let the old things pass away. The strategies you learn become the foundation stones of a strong and successful business. You must, however, keep building, keep learning, and keep challenging yourself to always be better. You can be, you know. And remember, we were not created for the mundane, so let the creativity flow and enjoy every moment of the life you have chosen.

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I cannot tell you how many distractions I encountered! I wound up getting very little accomplished and by the end of the day, I was so discouraged and frustrated. At that point, I realized what had happened. This is the point I want to share with you.

Whenever you make or renew a commitment, whenever you become determined to reach a goal, you can bet your commitment is going to be tested! Every time! It took me a day to realize what was going on; however, at that point, when I saw the truth of the situation, I said, “No! I am not going to be taken off course. I am not going to be deprived of my goal.” I readjusted my attitude, got back on track, and renewed my determination.

When we decide to make a change in our lives or in our businesses, we enter a battle…with ourselves, our own minds. Often, those closest to us will be our worst naysayers. And there is an element in the universe which each of us will define according to our belief system. That element will fight our goals all the way; especially, if we want our success to improve the world around us.

Recognize the attack against you, against your success, and remain committed, remain focused, remain determined. At first, when these distractions accost us, we may be thrown for a loop. But remember what you have set out to accomplish, say “No!” and get right back on track. Whatever it takes to thwart those distractions, go under, go over, go around or just break through and get to the other side. Pick yourself up and move on down the road to your ultimate success.

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Basically, I have come to realize everything we do, in one way or another, affects our financial success; not just the realm in which we are operating. Does how I treat my coworkers affect me financially? Yes, it does. Does how I treat my family and friends affect me financially? Yes, even more so. These personal exchanges reflect how we are in life as a whole. It is in these relationships that we reveal our attitudes. An attitude in one area is the same attitude in another. Any negative attitude is going to thwart your financial success.

How we think about money and our beliefs around having it (or not having it) will also affect our financial success. Is money good or evil in your mind? Can you trust people with money? If you have money, will people love you for who you are or will they just have their hands out? Money is an inanimate object; it has no ability to be either good or evil. That would be the role of the person who has it (or doesn’t have it.) If a person is trustworthy, it doesn’t matter if they have money or not. If a person is not trustworthy, it doesn’t matter if they have money or not. As for people loving you; well, it may sort out who your true friends are and truth is always a good thing. If you have negative thoughts and beliefs about money, how do you expect to experience an increase in your income in any significant measure?

Then there is the way you handle money. Do you control your money or does your money control you? The decisions you make about spending and saving money will affect your financial success. Do you pass up that latte because you’ve already used your allotment for the week? Or do you buy it because “This one latte won’t make a difference. I’ll skip the snack at break.” (Which you probably won’t.) Well, that one latte WILL make a difference. What is in play here is an attitude. It reveals that a momentary pleasure is more important to you than your financial freedom.

Until you realize that everything in your life affects you financially, you won’t embrace the fact that you and you alone create the exact amount of your financial success.

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