Improving Sales - Learning To Fly

The moment when nothing seems to go our way, and no matter what we do, we can't seem to make the numbers budge. We want to improve sales, but it's just not happening. The truth is, we've  all been there, and sometimes it can feel like eternity before we get out of it. It is only during this time, we should keep our hope and faith intact.

Since I am talking here about keeping our hope and faith with us, it is almost like, learning to fly, let us not forget the king of the air- Eagle, and if we have to learn to fly let us take the lessons from the eagle only. As we learn to trust God we are called to live beyond the obvious, beyond our human perspective and limitations. How this compares with the flight of the eagle we will discover soon. First lets try to learn a little more about the eagle. An eagle can grow to be over three feet tall and have a wingspan of 6-7 feet. It builds its nest high in the mountain. The nest is a sizable construction which can weigh over 1000 pounds. It would be big enough for a human being to lay in it.

Before the female eagle lays its eggs the eagle couple makes sure that the nest is prepared with care, is strong, secure, and has the maximum of comfort, when finally the brood of eaglets hatches the eagle parents are ready to provide everything needed for their little offspring. They watch day and night and feed them with timely precision. The routine for the eaglets is rather simple at first: sleep, open the beak to be fed, and sleep again. Life couldn’t be better. After weeks of sleeping and eating in the cozy nest, the eaglet must learn the first lesson, namely to stand on its feet.

Actually they are forced to get up. At one point mother eagle takes out of the nest all the comfort, the plumage and brings little branches and thorns instead. She even shakes the nest and forces those eaglets to stand up. It is very important that the muscles of the eaglet’s feet develop early. The eagle’s claws are very essential for its survival and need to be powerful. The next step in this learning process is an even greater surprise for these little, but growing, bundles of feathers. The eaglets need to learn how to fly.

This process now includes not only discomfort but even harshness and shock therapy. Mama eagle suddenly grabs one of her brood and soars to great heights. There she releases the eaglet on a horrendous free-fall. First paralyzed by fear the little ball of feathers goes down like a stone and would certainly dash against the rocks if father eagle wouldn’t be there flying underneath to provide a save landing on his powerful wings. Then he carries the eaglet back to the nest. Those who have studied closely the life of the eagles say that this exercise is repeated up to sixteen times until the little eagle realizes that it is created to fly and learns to use its own wings. Eaglets have no other option. They must learn how to fly.

What a tremendous spiritual lesson! Similarly God our eternal father uses in our life the discomfort and even the horrors of being thrown out of our nest and security in order to teach us to trust Him and to use our wings.

God is interested that his children learn to believe, to soar on the current of His Spirit. We can remember personally times of crisis in our life when God takes away all our securities and we feel like being on a free-fall and frankly crying in despair. Praise God that, as father eagle He is watchful, when mama eagle lets go of the little eaglet father eagle picks it up before it dashes against the rocks, similarly God comes to our rescue. God is faithful and carries us through out-most difficult times.

It is comforting to know that the shock the eaglets go through when they suddenly find themselves on a free-fall from a couple of thousand of feet is only part of the process for them to grow up.

We seem to have a choice to just stay in the comfort zone of the nest, avoiding growing up, instead of accepting God’s flying lessons. But if we desire to grow spiritually, God answers our prayers and treats us like the eagle. His purpose is not to make us feel good or comfortable, rather to make us grow and know Him better.

This truly means that our difficulties and even trials and tribulations are not necessarily something to fear and shy away from, but rather to accept as opportunities to develop trust? Yes, this is exactly right. Let us consider it pure joy, whenever we face trials of any kinds, because the testing of our faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that we may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

The key for someone to be able to have the right attitude and focus in such a situation is his/her trust in God’s wise and loving intention. It is this trust, or faith, that will enable the believer to experience God’s faithfulness and to learn to live by His power in the realm of the supernatural. Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. They would be the one who would know how to fly in the difficult times.

Outweigh Fears

Fear of failure is one of the greatest fears people have. Fear of failure is closely related to fear of criticism and fear of rejection. Successful people overcome their fear of failure. Fear incapacitates unsuccessful people. Most people self-limit themselves. Most people do not achieve a fraction of what they are capable of achieving because they are afraid to try because they are afraid they will fail. Take steps to outweigh fear and move forward to getting the desired result.

Faith is a very important ingredient in our life and the best method to outweigh any type of fear. Now, the humanistic view is to have faith in our self. The providential view is to have faith in circumstances. The brotherhood view is to have faith in our fellowman. The problem is that all of these will sooner or later fail. However, there is a type of faith that never fails because it is based upon someone who never fails. And that is God himself, and when we have that undying faith in Him, it brings security and prosperity. It enables us to work the works of God. The faith that proceeds from God causes God to intervene in our lives in a supernatural way as we receive it and act upon it.

Fill the mind with such a large quantity of faith that fears will actually be flooded away. By this method God’s power does for us, what we cannot do for our self. Our part is simply to believe, trust and surrender to this power. Let His tremendous strength lift us above fear. You are not alone for He is with you. Your friend, your support, He is always with you. No fear on earth is greater than this fact. Use the power of prayer to heal fear. When we really pray with powerful intensity of belief and earnestness, we can turn out our insecurity and fear gaining new confidence. When an individual is close to God, in harmony with God, then his weakness, his self doubts and his fears disintegrate.

Fear is like a devil inside, it is our enemy and still we give space to this enemy and at times welcome it in our thoughts. And in the process become a victim of doubt and fear. Immediately command them to leave and the soul shall be flooded with joy and peace. Get the power and authority over fear. Here are few Action Steps:

It may not be possible at first go, but let us use the displacement and substitutionary method of eliminating it. Accentuate the positive. To turn the mind away from fear, enlist pleasant thoughts and memories. When tempted to start dwelling on something negative, replace it with something that's good and true.

Take action. Face fear head on. Action gives the power to change the circumstances. Overcome the inertia by doing something. A fear faced is often a fear defeated. An old saying goes, "Boats are safe anchored in the harbor, but that's not what boats are made for. One might be fearful but take action anyways. DO SOMETHING NOW.

Persist. Successful people just don’t give up. They keep trying different approaches to achieve their outcomes until they finally get the results they want. Unsuccessful people try one thing that doesn’t work and then give up.

Failure is not personal. Failure is about behavior, outcomes, and results. Failure is not a personality characteristic. Because you made a mistake, doesn’t mean that you are a failure. Making mistakes is healthy, it gives an opportunity to learn and be better. Go ahead and make mistakes this is the formula for success, learn from them and move again.

Although we all make mistakes, fear of failure doesn’t have to cripple you. Fear is a reality of life. It is true for believers and anyone else. However, those who are grounded in faith and spirituality, find that they have God to lean back on when the going gets tough. We don't have to let fear defeat us. We can triumph over it and feel safe. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Do things differently. There is an old saying, “if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got.” If you’re not getting the results you want, then you must do something different.

Faith and fear both come from our believing. Wrong believing brings fear. Right believing brings faith. Keep spirituality strong. Pay attention to spiritual life. It will help tide over the difficult times. Keep up regularly on prayer, worship, fellowship, and service.

Fear is inversely proportional to faith. The more faith one has less fear would exist, and even vice verse. If one gets disturbed and bothered by small things, (small and big is individual perception to it) means the faith in Lord is less. Increase your faith in God and keep on increasing till the fear vanishes.

A lot of our insecurities come from an unspoken awareness that we've veered off the path from God or from our inner fear that we're not living as we're called to live. So if one has to be scared or fearful, fear your own bad deeds, your own negative thoughts. Avoid these and become spiritually strong, being strong spiritually, means that we feel that we are walking where we are meant to walk, and that we are being watched and protected by God. There's enormous security in that feeling and it shall outweigh any fear.

Hope In Despair

How does one have hope in a declining economy, shrinking investments, disappearing jobs and health concerns? As we journey through life, we can expect many challenges and struggles. Often I meet people who have shattered dreams and plans gone awry. The responses of individuals and groups in each situation are unique; you can give up in despair or stand amidst a raging storm with hope and faith in future.

We know there is no quick fix for any given challenge or situation. But we can control our response, have hope and be courageous, creative and compassionate.
Chaos can have profound meaning that leads to a deeper search. Creativity can come out of chaos such as job loss, natural disasters and failing health. If we only focus on the problem, the result is we will intensify the pain and become engulfed in fear and doubt. There is a call to re root ourselves in God, whose supply of mercy and compassion never goes bankrupt. It offers us an opportunity to develop a genuine trust and hope in God who really cares.

With trust in God, we truly can move mountains. We are as small as our fear and despair, or as great as our courage and hope.

We may not be where we want to be at this moment, but we cannot dwell on that. We have to look again towards the God who has been good in the past and will deliver us into the future. We have to hope in Him and believe that He is able, and pray Him for His love and hope in spite of the circumstances.

Hope is possible beyond despair. We remain hopeful even when there appear to be no signs of hope at all. Why? Because our hope is not based upon signs. Our hope is based upon God and God alone. We put all our hope and trust in Him.
He is at work in the whole universe and always has been. It is He who has brought everything into existence and keeps everything moving forward in the immense unfolding of the universe. He has been at work in all of human history and continues to be involved in the world of politics, economics and religion – not to mention what we call “nature”. And last but not least, God is at work in you and me. There is no area of life from which He can be excluded.

We continue to hope even when there are no visible signs of hope. We recognize the darkness and apparent hopelessness of the present situation and put all our trust in God. Then, gradually, as our eyes adjust to the darkness of despair, we begin to see the emerging shapes or outlines of God’s great and mysterious work. These are the paradoxical signs of the time that only become visible once we believe that God is at work in our world, once we learn to look at life with an attitude of hopefulness.

What matters in the long run, though, is not only that we are hopeful but that we act hopefully, that we do whatever we can with confidence and hopefulness. What would be tragic at this time would be that we give up hope and stop trying to work for a better world, or that we carry on working but without any hope.

Many have provisionally believed in God, but hesitate to trust him fully. Their hearts are fearful that nothing will really ever change. For them, God is still on probation. They will need to trust God fully and enter the life God has for them.

He will never leave us nor forsake us! The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
There is a greater purpose in all things: And we know that all things work together for good to them, who love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. If God be for us, who can be against us? He is with me even in the depths of despair. Remind me that no matter what I may endure now, an unending joy awaits me in the future if I cling tightly to Him.He has great plans for you, and you're in conflict with Him when you speak or think negatively concerning your future.

In your present need, God is aware of your anxiety and will do what is best for you. Ask for His strength and trust Him by putting your present and future in His Hands.

Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life; rather, look to them with full hope that as they arise, God, Whose very own you are, will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in His Arms.

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow; the same understanding Father Who cares for you today will take care of you then and every day.

He will either shield you from suffering or will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.
A pessimist finds a problem in every opportunity, but an optimist finds opportunity in every problem. Your despair is an opportunity to meet your best friend, let Him hold your hand tightly and you shall never be lost again.

Faith And Trust

Most of us struggle to be anxious for something or the other in our life especially when we are faced by unpredictable events in our lives. Still, we can learn to let God be God and accept His direction and judgment. Although we keep saying that we have full faith in God, but do we have full trust in Him?

The concepts of faith and trust can be overwhelming. There is a very old illustration that brings these two ideas into sharp focus. It goes like this: Imagine yourself attending a circus show, there is a deep well with high rising flames of fire coming through it, a circus performer has strung a rope high up across these flames to cross the well from above, with the intention of pushing a wheelbarrow from one side to the other side. If he loses his balance, he will surely fall and get burnt alive in the fire below. Just before stepping on the rope, the stuntman turns to you and says, "Do you think I can accomplish this feat?"
You have seen him performing earlier, his reputation has preceded him and you fully believe he has the ability to walk the tightrope. In other words, you have faith that he will succeed.

But then he says, "If you really believe I can do it, how about getting in the wheelbarrow with me and crossing to the other side together?" To accept that invitation would be an example of remarkable trust.

It is not difficult for some of us to believe that God is capable of performing mighty deeds. After all, He created the entire universe from nothingness. He has the power to do anything He chooses. Having faith in Him can be a fairly straightforward thing.

To demonstrate trust, however, takes the relationship a step further. It involves the element of risk. It requires us to depend on Him to keep His promises, even when proof is not provided. It is continuing to believe when the evidence points in the opposite direction. Yes, it is getting into the wheelbarrow and making the perilous journey across the flames. I'm convinced that faith in moments of crisis is insufficient, unless we are also willing to trust our very lives to His care.

Have Faith in Yourself – Achieve Success

How much faith do you have in yourself? 100%, 200%, if it’s to this scale, then how can you be under a state of self doubt in any challenging situation? Difficult situation is not new to any one of us, perhaps in a day we come across it many times, but there if we have complete faith in our self, our abilities, our courage, and our intelligence then we should know that this situation is nothing else but the test of that faith. In school do you remember, just minutes before the exam, that state of fear, uncertainty, self doubt, but if and only if we have faith in our preparation, we are confident that we shall secure good marks; then for sure we shall pass the test not only with good marks but also come out stronger and achiever.

The higher standards/classes you reach in school and college, the more difficult the exam gets. But in the end even the degree achieved is higher, which is achieved only and only after passing the exams. Just similar is the situation in life now, the only difference is you are not in school or college there is no set time for the exam and test does not come in the form of an examination paper. So next time you are in a challenging situation, remember it is the test of life you are going through just to become stronger for the next level, to achieve more success and happiness in life you have to go through it. And how well do you go through this, would depend upon how much faith do you have in yourself, how well are you prepared for your test? Trust me we all have a diamond inside, only thing it is hidden somewhere. We are never given a situation we can’t deal with; it just requires some additional effort, some more introspection.

Have Faith in yourself, you have the ability to achieve things not known; this is the most important faith of all. Something which you are not aware today, with all science and logic not possible today, but with your faith and sincere persistent efforts, it is possible tomorrow. If you don't believe in yourself, then it will be impossible to truly believe in anything else that you cannot see, touch, feel or physically behold. I mean your dreams, your goals, if and only if you have faith in yourself, you shall have faith in your dreams, that yes you can make them possible.

Look at the word impossible, I look at it and read I m possible. This change in the vision is required, how you look at things, situations and your tests. Remember that having faith in yourself will lead you to having faith in others, as well as in the achievement of things previously thought to be unattainable in your life. Improve your own self-image, self-talk and self-confidence, make your life better and this world a better place, it starts from myself, having faith in me.

Few steps to start with:
• Always thinking that you’re capable of succeeding can help the thought sink into your subconscious. Remember, failure begins with disbelief. And success begins with FAITH to succeed.
• Stop thinking of what you can’t do but begin to be think, of the things that you can do. Be a “yes” type of person. At least to yourself.
• When grabbing opportunities, place your heart into it. Again, believe that you’ll make things happen with this opportunity in hand.
• Think BIG, believe BIG. As that realistic proverb says, “Aim for the roof, you fall on the floor. Aim for the sky and you fall on the roof.” But just concentrate on soaring upwards.
• As you can see, it’s all in the mind. Start with positive thoughts and the rest will follow. For a month practice only positive talk with yourself, even if a negative thought comes convert it to positive.

If you think, you can achieve very little with faith, then don’t forget you can do nothing without it. HAVE FAITH, its possible, you can do it.