Change for the Sake of Change
Have you ever said to yourself, I just need a change?  Maybe you’re stuck in a rut, simply bored with life or just turned 50, but something is drawing you to make change just for the sake of change.  Please be careful with this type of change and think of the consequences.  Many people have ruined 20-year-long relationships seeking change.  Others have walked the “wild side” only to return with experiences they would gladly forget or rewind if they could.  If seeking a thrill, gather with a few friends and simply talk about it – chances are, they are too.  This will bring balance to your decisions, while still getting it out of your system!

Emergency Change
This is what many call life or death situations.  Some outside force or event occurs and if you don’t change, you have a high probability of total failure or even death!  A banker calls your real estate note and you have no place to go.  You are diagnosed with a disease that gives you a 50-50 chance of survival.  In any case, when an emergency change enters your life, do not overreact.  Stay calm and know that there is a way out and you will survive!  Expect the best and work towards a solution where you will be victorious and not the victim.  So many just take what life has to offer without considering any alternative.  Remember, alternatives are as numerous as your imagination.  Think outside the box and begin to imagine the best outcome to your situation and then take action steps to make it a reality!  You are much stronger than you think, I promise.

Controlled Change
When controlled change occurs, it is usually a product of much thought and planning.  This may be a well thought out job change, birth of a child or marriage.  You have imagined, carefully planned and then taken steps to implement.  Most prefer this type of change because it offers a sense of control.  But please remember, that even in a controlled environment, things can get out of control.  Just like the pilot who is never really 100% on course after taking off, but must constantly adjust until he reaches his destination, we too should adjust and adapt until we reach ours.  The more you can adjust to seemingly uncontrollable situations, the more peace and clarity of thought you will have to make it to your destination.

Uncontrolled Change
An act of God is probably the best example of uncontrolled change.  This type of change happens and there is no possible way to control it.  A tornado, hurricane or an earthquake occurs and there is no way out. These are the cases when your natural instincts take over and come to your rescue.  I’m sure you’ve heard of the lady who discovered her child was trapped under a car and then lifted the car by herself to free her child.  Or, the fireman who weighing only 150 pounds carried a man nearly twice his size over 100 yards to safety.  Just knowing you have this natural instinct should free you from the panic that usually accompanies uncontrolled change.  When you’re panic free, you have even greater energy and focus to beat most any uncontrolled change you may encounter.

From a Biblical Perspective
Change has occurred since the beginning of time.  No matter what your belief system of the creation of the world, I think we can all agree that massive change has occurred over time, right? In fact, if change is not occurring, it usually means death.  The Bible says that a child of God can have peace in the midst of a storm, a peace that passes all human understanding in the very midst of an event that seams out of control –How?  Because we have the creator of the universe living inside of us – leading, guiding and teaching us in all things.  With that, we can rest assure that all things are in fact under control, even if they appear otherwise. All things will work together for our good.  I’ve been through various experiences that no matter how hard I tried; I could never see how they would ever benefit me.  But, after enough time passed, each experience was in fact of ultimate benefit. I bet if you think about it, you’ve also had experiences that seemed chaotic in the moment, but later you learned and grew from them.  So, we know change will happen and no matter what change occurs, we’ll either learn from it or grow through it.  As we recognize that He is in control of every situation, we can yield to His direction and have the peace that passes all human understanding in the midst of any type of change.

Have you ever eaten something and said, “that was good, but it seemed to be missing something?” Have you ever reflected on the year and said, “that was good, but it seemed to be missing something?” Remember, it’s all in the seasoning! I hope you enjoy this issue and as always, if you like it, please pass it on.

Bland Is Not Better
Have you ever heard that variety is the spice of life? If you think about it for a moment, the best way to get out of a rut is to “spice it up a little” or do something different, something out of the norm. Relationships, occupations, exercise programs and even dinner will become very bland and even boring if you allow it. Nothing is worse than experiencing the same old thing the same old way, day in and day out, wouldn’t you agree?

Shake Things Up
Now, before you jump to conclusions, let me make one thing clear. When it comes to relationships, “shaking things up” does not mean finding someone else! There, I said it. To shake things up in a relationship may mean doing something different, anything! Go to a different restaurant, visit a different city or simply eat your dessert before the main course. Anything, just so it’s different. This thought process will work in your occupation, exercise programs and, yes, even dinner.

Psychologically Speaking
Yes, there’s even a silver lining to all of this. Psychologists say that when you do something new and different, it “wakes up” other parts of your brain and promotes creativity. Even the brain surgeon who (with all respect) does the same old thing, day in and day out, needs to “shake things up” to wake things up! If the surgeon begins playing video games or working crossword puzzles, something out of the norm, other areas of the brain will begin firing currents that spark creativity in all other areas. This activity will even help brain surgeons become better brain surgeons.

The old saying “use it or lose it” is so true in so many ways. What are some areas of your life you could shake up and wake up to experience a whole new passion? Relationships, occupations, exercise programs, dinner and anything else you can think of!

From A Biblical Perspective
The Word of God calls us the salt of the earth. Matthew 5:13-14 reads, “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world–like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.”

What does it mean to be the salt of the earth? Allow me to offer this: it means we are supposed to add flavor, spice and seasoning to the world. Just as salt adds flavor to whatever it comes in contact with, we are to add flavoring to every situation we encounter. We are the “reasoning for His seasoning,” to add spice to this world. We are a light that can not and should not be hidden!

SPECIAL OFFER
Just as an update, The Gift is doing extremely well (please check our blog for updates). We have suspended our special rate of $49.95, and are now offering it at a 20% discount for $249.95. However, if you still would like to purchase the complete The Gift – Box Set, you can call our offices at 1.800.260.4603, reference this newsletter and get it for $49.95 through December 31st only.

THANK YOU
Special thanks to all of you who have helped us “spread the word” by forwarding our emails and getting The Gift into as many hands as possible. Have a very merry Christmas and remember, YOU are the reasoning for His seasoning!

Why do you think that some of the top athletes in the world have up to three coaches each? How about top entertainers and business executives? These people don’t employ coaches just to get better, but they employ coaches in order to be the best! Numerous studies have been released that prove how a coach can be one of the greatest values in a person’s business and/or personal life. What was once only provided for the “rich and famous” is now available to everyone!

Our new coaching and strategic planning center is now ready to help you succeed in every area of life! One free coaching and strategic planning session is included in our most recent product titled The Gift. (Yes, some of the best things in life are still FREE!) Upon your completion of that experience, you will walk away with a whole new perspective on life; I promise! If you would like to continue that experience, additional packages are available upon request. Until next time!

The next day we had lunch with Steve Strang and heard of all the wonderful things happening at Strang Communications. Steve is well known for Charisma and New Man magazines.

He shared some wonderful things with me about Mike Huckabee and his political agenda. This guy is really worth considering in the presidential elections!

Then the following day, we traveled to Fort Lauderdale and saw first hand the great Christmas Pageant held at First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale. This was much more than I ever expected! I saw why this play has already won SIX EMMYS and has gained international recognition. The U.S. Navy just ordered 250 copies for their troops. At intermission we were able to spend time with Pastor Larry Thompson, the senior pastor now in his 28^th year at the church with 14,000 members representing over 70 nations, and I was asked to speak there in July 2008. What an honor!

My wife Laurie and I then traveled to the Tampa area and did another TV show with Herman and Sharron of CTN. They were fantastic hosts and our taping went even better than expected. They even talked my wife into being on air – a real miracle! The show will air nation-wide on December 19, 2007. When the show was over, we headed back to Tulsa just in time for our coaches training session. I’ll talk more about that in my next blog update!

By the same token, a lack of close personal friends will influence your life as well. We all truly need friends whether we admit it or not. This month’s newsletter will focus on one of the most important things you will ever accumulate on your road to success: good friendships.

Friends of Proximity

Most of us, by matters of convenience, have what I call friends of proximity. Simply put, they are the individuals you spend time with throughout the day because of their proximity, not necessarily by your choice. These people are usually co-workers, classmates, neighbors, or even that drive-through teller you see every Monday morning. Simply by physical association, we make friends with those we see often. If you’ve ever changed jobs, schools, or even houses, you will notice that when you move from one place to another, your friendships are modified. A new location, a new friend. While there are certain “social butterflies” that are exempt from this generalization, most of us change friends when we change locations. There are, however, exceptions. For instance, when you leave a job that you’ve held for the past decade, there are those friends with whom you’ll still associate, even though your proximity to that person has changed. Be it dinner every other week, a daily phone call, or even those you still vacation with, you’ve truly made friends that last. Those friendships, my friend, are the ones this month’s Newsletter implores you to foster.

Intentional Friendships

The most intimate friendships we develop are what I call “intentional friendships.” These friends may include your spouse, your children, a former co-worker who lives in a different state but still calls you every week, or an old friend from high school who remains part of your life.These are the friendships that make indelible impacts on your life. Because of their significance and durability, these friendships are of great worth. Unlike your friends of proximity, it takes more than just being around intentional friends to maintain them. It takes phone calls, lunch or dinner dates, and other planned activities on a regular basis – but it’s well worth the effort!

Staying in Touch

Here is an idea that I have been using that might help you stay in contact with your intentional friends – I call it the Contact Circle. Over the years I have accumulated a group of individuals with whom I “intentionally” want to connect. Most of them live in completely different states; however, for one reason or another, I have come to value them in my life. Unfortunately, without some sort of regular contact, those friends will become 10-year-reunion buddies. The Contact Circle is what I use to keep important relationships active and alive. Because I spend a lot of time on my computer, I keep a file in the upper left-hand corner of my screen called “Long Term.” For those of you who are technically challenged, let me suggest you do the same by placing a piece of paper on your fridge or in your car where you will see it every day. On this paper, or in this file, list the people with whom you want to say in contact. Then, next to each name, list the medium of communication you typically use with each. Why? To establish a meaningful relationship with each person on your list, try using a medium of communication they don’t normally use. For example, if they send emails every day, write them a letter. If they talk on the phone every day, take them out to lunch. If they are “email-rebels,” send them an email and explain to them how to check it. No matter how much they may say they hate emails, they will love to check their email once a week for that “special email” from you. The idea is to break their normal patterns of communication so that YOURS stands out! By doing this you will become more than just another “person of proximity” to them! Then, it is up to you to schedule how often you go through the list and how often you make contact. Personally, I try to contact one person on my list every other day. It may sound mechanical, but I just start at the top of my list, and work my way down to the bottom. Then, when I reach the end, I add another person or start at the top again. Next thing I know, I’ve created life-long intentional friendships! You can, too!

From A Biblical Perspective

One of the most beautiful things about our relationship with Christ is the intentionality of His friendship. While it would have sufficed for Jesus to sacrifice Himself only so that we could spend eternity with Him, that clearly was not His only goal. He wanted us to have an intentional friendships with Him. When the disciples finally started to realize that Jesus was leaving them, they were horribly distraught. They were losing their best friend. However, Jesus enlightened them, “I didn’t tell you this earlier because I was with you every day. But now I am on my way to the One who sent me. Not one of you has asked, ‘Where are you going?’ Instead, the longer I’ve talked, the sadder you’ve become. So let me say it again, this truth: It’s better for you that I leave. If I don’t leave, the Friend won’t come. But if I go, I’ll send him to you.” John 16: 4-7 The Friend Jesus was speaking of is the Holy Spirit, a friend who leads, guides, teaches, and comforts. His purpose on earth is to be an Intentional Friend, someone who is with you always, by choice and desire! One of the great differences between an Old Testament relationship with God and a New Testament relationship with God is what the Holy Spirit adds. He is a unique Friend using a unique medium of communication, for the unique purpose of retaining you as an intentional friend! I sincerely hope you ponder this teaching, make your list of intentional friends, and start the circle. Intentional Friendships truly make life worth living!

Thank you for your referrals

Thanks to all of you who have passed along our newsletter to friends (intentional and otherwise), family, and co-workers! You’re a HUGE part of helping us reach one billion people each day with words of inspiration and encouragement – Thank You!

Thank you – Part II

Thanks to Zac P., who contributed his “Contact Circle” system to this newsletter. If you liked it, let us know!

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