Proverbs 6:6-8 "Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.”

 Posted on December 23, 2009

Teamwork is one great quality ants do have. Even though they are tiny species, they can overwhelmed bigger species in terms of survival. Ants are organized and systematic – attributes that a business organization should have. They can also stand and can do their jobs even when they are alone and there are no commanders or supervisors around. In other words, they are self-reliant (a quality that will save cost of supervision inside a business organization.

Ants follow the “law of farm” in terms of achieving their goals. It means that they do the step by step process of accomplishing a particular goal and they don’t intend to be reckless trying to short-cut the method of reaching that goal. This means a lot of waiting and patience on the part of ants. Some people are indolent that they escape the planting part (procedures) and jump to the harvesting part (objectives) of attaining success. People should not just become great dreamers, they must become workers like ants who walk or run constantly on the road to their success until that success is finally realized.

Proverbs 21:5 “The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.”

Posted on December 20, 2009

Four (4) Keys to Successful Change

The new year is a time to make changes in our lives. This is a time to make resolutions. If one is fat, maybe his resolution is having a healthier lifestyle which includes a reducing diet and regular cardiovascular exercise.

I have to admit that many times, however, I find myself at the end of the road. Many times I've been frustrated because the changes that I like to happen in my life just bursts like a bubble after several futile tries. It seems I always run out of steam to reach my intended destination.

This leads me to ask the question: 'What does it take to realize true and lasting change?" In the course of my readings and through my personal experience, I believe there are four (4) keys to successful and lasting change. These keys have been very helpful for me when I want to effect change in my life and I'd like to share these with you. Here are the four (4) keys to successful and lasting change:

1. Identification of the Problem

Whether you identify the problem yourself or someone calls your attention to it, identification of the problem is the first key step to true change. If you have a weight problem usually you see it yourself when you look at the mirror or feel it when you feel uneasy with your clothes because they are tighter. Someone has to tell you that you need to change, whether you tell it to yourself or someone tells you directly or indirectly about it.

2. Admission of the Problem

The reason why people don't change is because they don't admit that they have a problem, that they are the problem or the source of the problem.Many times , they just blame others for the problems they are facing. They become very defensive. Sometimes, they convince themselves that they are doing just fine (e.g. financially) and that change (getting richer) is unnecessary. This is what's called optimistic fear, because the fear is hidden in the cloak of optimism.


3. Seeking Counsel

If one is sick, he goes to a doctor for help. If one is in danger of litigation, he goes to a lawyer. If one needs to improve his finances, he seeks the services of a financial consultant.

Seeking other people's help is critical in lasting change. Whether it's a spiritual problem or a problem about lack of money, seeking out advise is crucial. But what's more important to understand is that when you seek out help, you have to seek it in the right places. The problem with many, including myself, is that we seek the help of people who may not understand our problems and how to solve them effectively. You don't need to look too far to see evidences of this. If macho guys have marriage problems, where do they look help? If you guessed "with the barkadas over alcohol and pulutan", I have the same answer as you. In seeking our other people's help with your problem, you need to seek EXPERT advice. This is why we go to a cardiologist  when we have a heart problem instead of a general medicine practitioner. If you need help with y

, don't go to persons who have problems with debts or with their own finances.

Seek out the help of experts. Seek out mentors. They may be your parents. Your older sibling or youner sibling who has become an expert in a particular subject matter. They may be your church leaders or even trusted and knowledgeable friends. You can even pay the services of a mentor to get life-changing advice.Whoever they are, make sure they are subject matter experts and they have been successful in dealing with these problems themselves.

4. Take Action

The difference between knowledge and wisdom is the word ACTION. One may continue to read books about a certain subject. One may even teach the knowledge that he has learned. But unless he takes action about what he knows, his knowledge can never become wisdom. For example, 97% of those who want to go into real estate business don't get to buy their first investment house even if they have read many books about real estateinvesting. The reason behind the high failure rate is because most people only have head knowledge.

Successful people have become who they are because they have tried everything and have failed many times over. As it is said, the difference between a successful person and one who is not is the quantity of failures they have made in their life. Contrary to the majority's knowledge, success can be achieved when one has failedmany times. Thomas J. Watson expanded this when he said that “If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate”. And one can only fail when he starts doing. When he starts to take action.

I hope we all learn from this by applying the four keys to successful change. Let's all take action now.

Have a Blessed New Year 2010!