The Mindset of an Entrepreneur

The Mindset of an Entrepreneur - 12 Rules to Live By

By J. Success

For Audio click here.

Attitude Is Everything - (Success Is A State Of Mind)

You Control Your Destiny - (Successful People Control Their Destinies)

Develop A "Whatever It Takes" Attitude - (To have what you've never had you must do what you've never done)

Develop A Plan And Write It Down - (You Have To Know Where You Are Going)

Self Development - (Reading Is Fundamental - Research Is Critical)

Leaders Are Made, Not Born - (Leadership Skills Are Developed, Not Automatically There)

Be Accountable - (Make Sure People Can Count On You, Keep Your Word)

Use Obstacles as Motivation - (Your Reaction to Obstacles/Failures Determine Your success)

Truthfully Speaking - (Use Every Conversation As Practice To Increase Your Speaking Skills)

Build Your A-Team - (God, Mentors, Contacts, Encouragement, Support)

Live On 5th Avenue - (Multiple Streams Of Income)

Just Do It - (Take Small Steps Towards Your Goal Each Day)

Purpose Drive Life

I was recently reading the purpose driven life book and I decided to speak on the first two chapters. Enjoy.

For Chapter 1 Audio click here.

For Chapter 2 Audio click here.

Tombstone Mentality

For Audio click here.

I would like to address a topic that plagues the majority of people we meet these days, why do so many people have what I call "Tombstone Mentality?" The reason I am addressing this question is because I come into contact with many people at different stages of their lives and when they see the confidence I exhibit, way I speak, things I have accomplished and the overall inner peace that I have, they wonder how I got to this point as well as how they can get there also.

Well first let me explain what "Tombstone Mentality" means and then I will show you ways to point it out in people's lives. Tombstone mentality means people believing that their life only means what appears on the tombstone. That their life started with their date of birth and ends with the day they stop breathing. Since on a tombstone your whole life is represented by a dash, they don't believe that life is more then a dash. That narrow minded thinking right there is the downfall of many men because it leads to a life of lack, non fulfillment and misdirected guidance.
Now let's look at the examples of "Tombstone Mentality"

1. Complaining about their lives instead of changing their livesMany people continually complain about what's wrong with their lives and why they are not satisfied with where they are at. Complaining seems to have become the norm in our society because in very few instances will you find people complaining and then doing something about it. See there are two types of people in the world, talkers and doers. Now talkers complain much and even offer solutions but do not have the ability to make them come to pass. Doers don't have time to complain, they are to busy making things happen and changing their lives and situations. Doers only talk about what they are going to do and if you ever hear a doer taking time to complain, then realize they are just announcing what they are about to do in a way that a complainer can understand. See complainers like to complain but they won't make any changes because that would take them out of their comfort zone. Many people who don't achieve anything in life are comfortable with a certain amount of failure because if they shoot for the stars and get rejected, they don't realize that they can still land on the moon. Rejection is a characteristic of fear, which in turn inhibits progress. Until complainers are fed up with their situation, they will just complain and go back to the comfort of living beneath their means and settling for a settled for existence..

2. Not knowing their purpose or even where to look to find itEveryone is trying to find their purpose in life. Once you reach a certain level of maturity you start to realize that you were created to achieve something in life. Many people understand they were created for a purpose but have no idea what it is or where to look. The problem is that people cannot take the application from everyday items and apply it to their lives. For example, everything that we use today was created for a purpose. We don't drive our cars on water because they were not created for that purpose. We don't get on a plane to go jet skiing because you cannot jet ski on a plane. But when it comes to our lives, we use our lives for whatever we feel will satisfy our desires as opposed to what we were created to do. When I want to learn what something was created for, I ask the creator. When you tell someone who is trying to find their purpose in life to ask their creator, they say they don't want to hear that church stuff. That closed minded answer automatically lets you know that person does not want to find their purpose because they reject their creator. Therefore they choose to continue to be lost as well as live a life beneath their means and settling for a settled for existence.

3. Living for the short termMany people live for today as if tomorrow is not an option or as if after they die, that's it. We all know that we need to prepare for the future so the things we do today prepare what we will have tomorrow and so on. The problem that occurs is that people are not able to open their minds to anything except their current situation. They cannot see outside of their current problems or their own selfish agenda for today and therefore when tomorrow comes they are left behind. There are two constants in life, death and change, and people learn the hard way that everything changes. If you don't change and develop like everything around you then you will be left behind. And no one wants to be left behind when Jesus comes back to get His people, so prepare for that future and make sure you are saved.
Success is Inevitable....So get Ready.

Brotherly Love

Brotherly Love

Today for the first time in 17 years, saw my younger brother.  See when I was younger (~9 years old) I was at the park with my father when he introduced me to a woman he was seeing.  This woman had a baby with her and my father told me that the baby was my little brother.  Well of course at 9 years old, I really didn’t care too much about siblings since I was trying to find ways to get rid of the sister that I had.  Well little did I know that after that moment, I would not see my brother again until December 25, 2005.  

I was told that a week or two prior to thanksgiving, my younger brother was finally told about all his brothers and sisters and much about his past that he was not aware of.  He reached out to us immediately and of course we welcomed him with open arms.  I thought about him off and on throughout the years and in 2002 made it my desire to make sure that each brother and sister that I have will one day be accessible to myself and the rest of our siblings.  Well we have found the majority of them but there are some that still elude us….for now.

All my life I wanted to have brothers but my mom seemed to be good at giving me sisters only.  Well since my father was a rolling stone, he was out making many brothers for me that I was not aware of.     So as of today I have 4-5 brothers that exist and I am able to locate only two – three of them at the current time.  I do know that two additional ones were located in Indianapolis but that could be dated information.

I have decided that since I attempt to be a positive influence on young men and guide them in their pursuit of success, there should be no reason why I cannot help my brothers achieve and exceed all that they desire to become in life.  I know that success is a state of mind and their mindset should be a direct influence of the closest male that they come into contact with…which from here on out be their older brother.

No Fear

I was recently asked what was my biggest fear. Now my initial answer was going to be nothing. But when I started to say that, I was pushed towards answering the question because everyone has a fear. Well I answered it with failure, my biggest fear is failure. But there was one problem with that answer...I was lying..I dont fear anything.

I don't fear anything anymore because I found out that I have a protector that keeps me safe as long as I am in His will. So since I have a protector who protects me, provides all my needs, and gives me the ability to accomplish whatever I set out to do, why should I fear. I used to fear death, but then I realized that my protector defeated death for me and that I will not die but my body will.

I really and truly believe that no matter what i want to do, I can accomplish it. I really and truly believe that no matter who comes against me, they will not defeat me, especially since im not afraid to die. I really and truly believe that whatever need I have is already taken care of so I will never lack. So with all these things going for me that I know are taken care of..why should I fear?

Fear is a form of doubt. Confidence and doubt cannot coexist and if you have ever spoken with me or been around me, you know that confidence abounds within me. So how can fear exist also, it cannot, therefore I do not fear. No matter what people may think or say, I dont fear. Now I know that people are not comfortable with that because they truly believe that everyone has a fear. That's fine with me and I understand that it takes a level of growth to overcome all your fears and many people may never attain that. But I am glad that I am able to walk without fear and continue to have faith.

Why do we have more fear in running out...then faith in running over?

Brilliance is a Gift

I was listening to a friend the other day and she had a very upsetting problem that I felt needed to be addressed. Now usually I would provide the background and build up to the point but now im just at the point where this needs to be addressed and the sugar coated elaboration can be saved for another day. She was upset because she felt like she needed to apologize for being gifted.

Now usually we think that gifted people enjoy walking in their gifts and like to bask in their abilities, but lets look closer at this issue since it really starts when we are in elementary school. See many kids dont have strong peronalities in elementary school and they just want to fit in, well when it comes to standardized testing and the grading scale, there will always be students that do better then others. Often we see that smart kids (nerds, geeks, dweebs, lames) are usually ridiculed for their expertise. They are considered social outcasts because they are not the norm. When you look at a bell curve, you see that 67% of all students are within the average, with 16% above average and 16% below average. Well the 16% below are usually accepted because they are not a threat to the average kids...they are beneath them. The 16% above usually have to deal with trying to dumb down their talents or mask their abilities so that they dont appear to be overly smart which is usually not accepted in many social circles.

Well, let's fast forward to much later in life and instead of the grading structure and standardized tests, we have levels of income, achievement and just the overall ability to get the job done. When you have the ability to get the job done and making things happen in your life is not difficult to you, you start to notice that you are above average. When you start to achieve many educational goals, business goals, spiritual goals and personal goals then you start to see that instead of talking about what you want to do....you do it!!! Just to achieve goals sets you apart from 90% of people because the majority of people only talk about what they want to do. Many people let the fear of failure prohibit them from stepping out and achieving their goals in life. They mask the fear of failure with stuff such as laziness, lack of time, lack of reading, lack of ambition and the worst problem of all...lack of vision.

I watched as my friend cried because she was in a situation where her achievements were seen as a hinderance because they exposed someone else's lack of achievements. They exposed someone else's laziness, lack of focus lack of reading and overall insecurity.

Don't let anyone make you feel bad because you are brilliant. If you were created to be average then you would be average. If you find yourself flying above the rest then soar like an eagle. If you find yourself running ahead of the pack then sprint towards the finish line and dont look back till you get where you want to be. If you look around and you start to see people not able to keep up with your desire, determination, and ambition, then realize that you were created to be above the rest and in order to have what you have never had, you must do what you have never done.

And above all remember Success is Inevitable...So Get Ready

J. Success

What is Failure

Today I experienced a large failure. I have experience failure before in my life but today’s failure was especially critical because of how it occurred and of course when it occurred. I planned and put together an event that I thought would catapult my organization and myself into a place where people would know that we offer quality products and services but instead of that I experience a humbling defeat that left me wondering, what went wrong. So as I drove back home to reorganize and evaluate the defeat, I started to come up with question?

• Was it me, did I assume things that should have been tended to?


• Was it marketing, did I not get the word our effectively


• Was it my target market, was I trying to provide a service or product that they didn’t want or need?


• Was it my business image or name. Did I not have the trust of the people because I am a small business trying to come up?


• Or did I just fail, am I in over my head, should I take my L and go back to what I know instead of trying to step out?

I don’t really know what the exact answer is but let’s break down each of these questions and see where the problem lies.

• Was it me, did I assume things that should have been tended to? I don’t believe that it was myself or an oversight on my part. I prepared for this event and I was on time and ready to take care of business. Even if the event would have started late, I would still have been able to perform my duty effectively. I had all the materials as well as had a firm grasp of the knowledge that I was going to teach…so I think I was prepared.

• Was it marketing, did I not get the word our effectively? I distributed between 1,000 – 2,000 pluggers, an additional 100 - 150 flyers, 5,000 emails about the event, posted on numerous message boards, distributed information at events that were targeted to my target market and contacted numerous corporate sponsors for further partnerships.

• Was it my target market, was I trying to provide a service or product that they didn’t want or need? I really feel that this might be where the issue lies. The market that I was targeting might not feel that what my company is offering is important enough to support or attend. Many times since people are used to getting things free, when you offer a service that helps them and is not free, they feel they can find it elsewhere for free or that they do not need it bad enough to pay. The problem will lie in that if I take my products and services to another market that embraces the knowledge, how will I react then.

• Was it my business image or name. Did I not have the trust of the people because I am a small business trying to come up? This could be an issue as well. Without brand and name recognition, many people in certain markets will not trust new companies until they prove themselves. New companies are forced to either partner with an established name/brand or hope that a media outlet will get wind of what they are doing and make it known to the masses.

• Or did I just fail, am I in over my head, should I take my L and go back to what I know instead of trying to step out? Failure is not an option, I cannot concede failure because even though I am discouraged, I have to bounce back. I cannot even start to blame God because I know that everything will work for His glory but I do know that I would like to understand why things happen the way they happen. According to His word, the Holy Spirit reveals all mysteries and secrets of God as they are told to Jesus. Therefore, I should receive an explanation or get some understanding as to why things have transpired as they have because right now I am confused. I wonder why I shouldn’t just take this as an L and go back to working like I did before…but wouldn’t that be an admission of failure? Lets look at the definition of failure.

Failure

• The condition or fact of not achieving the desired end or ends


• One that fails


• The condition or fact of being insufficient or falling short


• A cessation of proper functioning or performance


• Nonperformance of what is requested or expected; omission


• The act or fact of failing to pass a course, test, or assignment.


• A decline in strength or effectiveness.


• The act or fact of becoming bankrupt or insolvent.

Well according to these definitions, I would have to say that I am a failure but here is what changes that outcome. In the midst of my failing, I decided to take what went wrong and learn from it. I have drawn a plan that includes many enhancements to my current online offering so that I can still offer my services but instead of depending on people or my marketing to make it happen, I will form strategic partnerships that will provide the marketing arm for me. From this experience I have learned that the most successful businesses and people pull the best from others. So since I am good at what I do, I will partner with others to do what I cannot and therefore we will all reach a mutually beneficial goal.

The overall outlook of this situation is that I decided to learn, even though I will have to change my approach, I will still progress towards the goal. If I decided to stop right where I was at because of one mishap then I would have my name added to a long growing list of people that let their dreams, goals and future be dictated by mishaps instead of progress. So even when I fall short, I still progress because I then learn what I did wrong and adjust and keep on keeping on because Success is Inevitable…So Get Ready.

Progress

By J. Success

For audio click here

Everyday make progress toward a goal. If you see in your future a business for yourself then everyday make progress towards that goal. You don't have to setup the business all in one day but you can at least look up the business process or research your market to see if you can make money with your business. If you see yourself traveling in the future then start looking up the places you want to go online and make sure you will know what you are doing when you get there. You may have to wait to get there but you don't have to wait to be prepared.

The definition of progress is steady movement towards a goal. The keyword there is steady, whatever you want to do in life and wherever you see yourself in the future, continue to make progress everyday. I see myself as a person that teaches people to realize the success that is within them, so everyday I continue to build a company that showcases different ways to bring out the success in people. Remember if you have a lofty goal that is far away from you attaining now, you don't have to make one big step to get there, just make continuous little steps and you will get to the same place.

Finally, if you have a dream or goal that does not require you to become a better person then you are now then the dream is to small. Your dream or goal in life should be so large that it makes you get up everyday and make continuous progress daily so that when you look back in a week, month, year or years you see that you may not be where you want to be, but you are not where you used to be.

Remember, to have what you have never had, you must do what you have never done...because...Success Is Inevitable...So Get Ready!!!

No matter what, stay together

By J. Success

For Audio click here.

When my wife and I were receiving counseling for our marriage, we expected to have numerous sessions with our pastor going over our current relationship and what to expect in marriage. We expected the pastor and his wife to break down our situation and let us know what we needed to work on prior to our marriage, which was two weeks away. We also expected to have a few tense moments where we argued about who was going to cook the food, clean up, run the house and raise the children. Instead we got one session and in this session we got the lesson of a lifetime.

My pastor took my hand and took my wife to be hand and told us to make an intertwined fist and say to each other, no matter what.stay together. That was it, that was our counseling and that was the focus of our marriage, no matter what.stay together. He was teaching us that the covenant of marriage is bigger then the two individuals that come into it. He was teaching us that God takes two imperfect individuals and makes a perfect covenant before Him and we do not have the right to destroy it without valid reason. Here is an example, when you have an argument with a coworker, you don't quit your job. You might avoid that person for a few days or not speak to them but you do what you have to do to make the situation work because there are benefits to your job. When you have an argument with your spouse, it does not give you an excuse to run to divorce court. There are many more benefits in marriage than a job. Proverbs 18:22 says "The man who finds a wife finds a treasure and he receives favor from the Lord." Now I don't know all the benefits from a job but when I did work in corporate America I do recall things such as a paycheck, health care, dental, vision, company trips, free internet and access to an abundance of free office supplies. Now please let me know if I am mistaken but all those do not even begin to touch the surface of what it's like to have favor from the Lord. Favor from the Lord means that no matter what, someone got your back. When times look rough, you can call on Jesus but the problem is that in the midst of our anger and frustration, we turn our backs on our spouse and in doing so, turn our back on God.

See marriage does not focus on where you are at now; it's a journey of where you are going. Similar to your purpose in the kingdom, God does not focus on where you are at now because He knows where you are going and what you are going to be. If marriage focused on us now then our vows would be "until we change" or "until we feel like something else", instead of "until death do us part". God knows our destiny and our purpose in life, he also knows that we cannot do it alone so He gives us His power (the Holy Spirit) and a human helper (our spouse). The purpose of marriage is to provide you with a person to help you fulfill your purpose. Now within that are numerous other benefits and purposes such as procreation, love and support. But the overall purpose of your spouse is to help you reach the destiny that God has for you.

Now I know my purpose in life, is to teach what God has revealed to me, whether it's a one day entrepreneurship workshops, the gospel, websites, or just words of encouragement. And I also know that I needed to teach men how to love their wives. The problem was that I didn't know how to love my wife. See my wife always used to ask me did I love her and I would tell her yes but in actuality I really didn't know if I did or not. But when we got married I finally started to say not yet to her question of love, but not because I didn't want to say that I loved her but because I didn't know how to love her. See God is love, so the more I become like Jesus, the more I learn how to love her as a husband should and how a woman of God deserves to be loved. My definition of love before I came to God was that of lust and unfaithfulness. I told my wife that you didn't want me to love you like I, in my own ability, knew how to love. So now she knows that everyday she asks me do I love her, I tell her yes I do and I love you more than I did the day before because everyday I learn and become more like the Jesus I serve.

Religion versus Relationship

What is Religion versus Relationship

Religion versus Relationship is a concept that is used within the church to separate the people who go through the motions of "church" and the people who actually experience a full Relationship with Christ and bear fruit that advances the kingdom. There is a great misconception that is causing confusion among people with their perception of God. Many people are starting to come to realize that you cannot experience the fullness of a Christian lead life by just going through the steps of Religion. These steps include but are not limited to:

• Going to church when you feel like it
  
• Not reading the bible
  
• Being holy only on Wednesday and Sunday
  
• Not applying what the preacher says to their lives
  
• Not participating in ministry

People are starting to realize that you must have a Relationship with God in order to receive the many promises that are in the bible, you have to apply what it is in the bible and not just go by what you hear in church or from people who don't know Jesus. Remember revelation knowledge is what is revealed from God and in order to hear from God you have to know what His voice sounds like. You have to have a Relationship with Him and know that through His word He reveals Himself to His people. Here are some examples of Religion versus Relationship.

Religion will keep you satisfied right where you are.
Relationship will have you searching for more of Jesus because you know that the more anointing you have in your life the more you can help others and the more your life will prosper.

Religion will have you accept things without questioning or searching for the truth.
Relationship will have you looking for the truth. Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life. So therefore you will always search for the truth.which is Jesus.

Religion will have you wondering why you are not fulfilled and why things are the way they are and why you cannot change them.
Relationship will have you searching for ways to change your situation and since you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you, you will learn how to let God change your situations through you.

Religion will teach you that the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost) is a dance people do in church.
Relationship will let you know that the Holy Spirit is the most important asset to your Christian walk and is the source of your power. The same power Jesus used to defeat death, heal people, cast out demons and do every miracle in the bible.

Religion will teach you that Satan is powerful and you cannot defeat him.
Relationship will let you know that through the power of the Holy Spirit in you, you can defeat Satan, the same way Jesus did.

Religion will teach you that you are not as good a Christian as others such as ministers, pastors, church elders and famous people in the bible.
Relationship will let you know that the same Holy Spirit that is in them is in you and you have access to the same anointing they do.

Religion will teach you how to know of God.
Relationship will let you know how to know God.

Religion will keep you under a religious glass ceiling where you supposedly are a lowly sinner and cannot reach greatness.
Relationship will let you know that you are the righteousness of God and you are a co-heir to His kingdom. Through the power of the Holy Spirit He has given you the ability to do greater thing than Jesus did.

Religion will teach you that you need to dress a certain way to come to church.
Relationship will let you know that Jesus wants you to come as you are. It's not how you look on the outside that Jesus is concerned with, He wants to change you from the inside out.

Religion will teach you that God works in mysterious ways and no one knows the ways of the Lord.
Relationship will let you know that according to I Corinthians 2:10 says "But it was to us that God revealed these things by His spirit. For His spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets." NLT

Religion will teach you that you can't tell God how you really feel because He only wants to hear good things.
Relationship will let you know that you can talk to God because He is your friend and you can let Him know when you are upset and He will reveal to you that He will never leave you nor forsake you and through all situations He is with you and will bring you out.

Religion will teach you that just listening to the sermon and not reading the bible is ok.
Relationship will have you searching for more of God through his word and will also let you know that the more you know Jesus then the more power you have to live a spirit filled Christian life. Knowledge and power and knowledge is the word of God.

Religion will teach you that coming to church is "enough".
Relationship will let you know that God continuously wants more of you and in order to receive the fullness of the anointing, blessing and promises God has for His people, you have to do more then just fill the pews.

Religion will teach you that your spirit and soul are the same.
Relationship will teach you that you are a spirit, with a soul living in a body. Your body is your earth suit so that you can exist here. Your soul is your mind, will, intellect, emotion and imagination. You are a spirit and that is how you communicate with God.

Religion will teach you that the main people of the bible were so special that they did things that you could not do.
Relationship will teach you that the main people of the bible were anointed by the Holy Spirit and that is the same Holy Spirit that you have inside you. So therefore you can do even greater things then they did.

Religion will teach you that Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit are three different people.
Relationship will teach you that Jesus, God and the Holy spirit are three different manifestations of the same God.

Religion will teach you that you should not expect God to bless you, you should hope that he blesses you.
Relationship will teach you to have a spirit of expectancy. The more you know Jesus, the more you will learn that He wants to bless you, He wants to empower you, He wants to anoint you so that you can show people that through Jesus you are a powerful person of God.

Religion will teach you that God does not want you to be rich or prosperous because money makes people evil.
Relationship will teach you that one of the reasons Jesus came was so that we could live more abundantly and when money is in the hands of God's people then they will use it for God's kingdom.

Walking in Authority

What is My Purpose? That is a question that has plagued man since the beginning of time. Every man wants to know his purpose in life and wants to have an intimate relationship and encounter with his maker or a higher power.

Many people continue to live a settled for existence and let life dictate how they should live. Many people believe that when God said the meek shall inherit the earth, that it meant that you must stay in your lowly place and hope God does for you. Many people believe that everything that happens on earth is what God destined to happen, they also believe you just have to be lucky to have good things continuously happen for you. The problem is many people spend time talking about their problems instead of talking to their problems. It should be a one way conversation and not where your problems are talking to you and controlling your life.

Well on Sunday, September 18, 2005, I gave a sermon on walking in authority. That sermon broke down the many reasons that we can walk in our authority. The sermon also focused on the scriptures where God told us that we can command Him to do things for us as long as we are walking in His righteousness. Now I know that many people would not believe that we could tell God what to do but that is what His word says. Let’s take a look.

Genesis 1:26 – 27
²⁶God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the [tame] beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth.
²⁷So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Psalm 8:5-6
⁵Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor.
⁶You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet

God is looking for people to stand up in their authority, walk in their purpose and advance His kingdom here on earth. When we pray and say “on earth as it is in heaven”, we need to make sure that we truly desire to walk in our authority that God has given us and make things on earth as it is in heaven. God uses man to advance the kingdom of heaven here on earth.

What is authority?

Power assigned to another.

An accepted source of expert information or advice.

Power to influence or persuade resulting from knowledge or experience.

Confidence derived from knowledge, experience, or practice.

These definitions of authority break down what we should experience and project everyday. Notice that the confidence came from knowledge, experience and practice. The problem is not from people not wanting to walk in authority, the problem is that many do not know how because they don’t have the knowledge. The key to God’s power is in His word but many people do not read the bible and therefore perish due to lack of knowledge.

Romans 8:37 – Yet in all these things we are more then conquerors through Him who loved us.

Conquerors consistently win

They are men and women backed by the power of God (Anointing, Holy Spirit)

They are people who know no defeat

They are people who can only be defeated when it becomes possible to defeat God

They know how to use their authority and who gave it to them

Do not confuse walking in your authority with arrogance. Many people who are insecure in their position in life accuse people who walk and exert their authority as being conceited and arrogant and not giving honor to God. Humble people show deferential respect for God and know that He is the source of their power. Meek people are teachable, control themselves and show patience. But no where in those definitions does it say that these people are without confidence. God did not create us to be unsure of our position in Him and therefore our position in life, we were created for a purpose and that purpose is revealed when you seek and find your creator. God is not trying to hide from us, He joyfully reveals Himself and all His promises to those who seek Him.

God has made many promises in His word and all we have to do is accept them. Hungry people know that food will quench their hunger but not until they find, accept, and digest the food will their hunger leave them. Many people know the promises of God but not until we accept, trust, have faith and confidence in them will we be able to experience the true power that God has given us. We are the righteousness of God through His son Jesus Christ, therefore we are co-heirs to the kingdom as well as sons and daughter of our Father, we should act like our Father is King of everything and accept what He has given us.

Amen

What is Success

What is Success? Many have asked the question and many have offered their opinion of the answer. Well I have just finally figured out what success is. Success is finding and walking in your purpose. Now many people have been rich, happy, healthy and famous but if the source of those was not a part of their purpose then it was only TEMPORARY. This is so often shown by a show called "Behind the music" or "The Untold Story". We see so many entertainers and famous people that seemed to be so successful but yet were tormented and unhappy because they were not walking in their purpose.

When I finally figured out my purpose I finally had the confidence to say I AM SUCCESS. But of course I came across people who had not found success or their purpose and they brought opposition so I had to explain a few things to them such as what "I AM SUCCESS" does not mean. Many people would believe that by wearing "I AM SUCCESS" apparel you are bragging to people that you are in actuality rich. Since people equate money with success they feel that I AM SUCCESS really should say I AM RICH or I AM BETTER THAN YOU, but that is not what the shirt means at all.

I AM SUCCESS means that I have achieved success in my life in one of the numerous ways success can be achieved. I AM SUCCESS means that I am so secure in my abilities and achievements that when I wear this shirt I hope that people can see the confidence that I have and seek to achieve that or even just ask me what the shirt means so that I can explain it to them. I AM SUCCESS means that no matter what happens in my life, I will not stop seeking to achieve success because I was made to be successful.

Now, let's get deeper and look more into what I AM SUCCESS really means. In John 8:58, Jesus said "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I AM". That statement lets us know right there that Jesus says that he is I AM. Jesus is saying that he existed before Abraham and in John 1:1 it lets us know that Jesus existed in the beginning. In Exodus 3:14 God says to Moses ". Just tell them, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" Now from this since we see that Jesus referred to Himself as "I AM" and God referred to Himself as "I AM", Jesus and God are one.

Let's relate this to I AM SUCCESS, if Jesus is I AM, then we can say that this is actually saying JESUS is SUCCESS. Now I don't know what you consider success but I consider Jesus to have been to most successful man to walk the earth. Success is prospering in this life and the next and Jesus came to provide a way for prosperity to exist here and in heaven. Through Jesus we are able to live here and prosper through the power of the Holy Spirit and this same power is what lets us defeat death and have everlasting life in the kingdom of Heaven. Now, with that being stated, since JESUS is SUCCESS, and we have the power of Jesus within us via the HOLY SPIRIT, we can say I AM SUCCESS because of the JESUS that is within me and we grow more successful the more we become like JESUS. I AM SUCCESS means JESUS is SUCCESS and since I am becoming more like Jesus each day, I AM SUCCESS.