The Strategic Living Podcast with Brian Holmes

SLP014 - Success

• What is success, really?
• How does one know when they have become successful?
• Is success for everyone, or just a select few?
• Is it measured by money, fame, status, how many people follow you on Facebook, Twitter, etc.?

On this episode, we are going to look at these and other questions about SUCCESS.

Scriptural Principle:

Matthew 16:25-27

²⁵ For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. ²⁶ For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 

Joshua 1:8

⁸ This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

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Success – a word that is often misunderstood; a state that few ever arrive at; a reality that few ever experience. Many strive for it, but few ever find it. Many think they know what it is, but when the get to the end, they realize that what they thought was success did not bring them joy, fulfillment, or happiness.

The dictionary defines success as:

• The favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors
• The attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like
• A successful performance or achievement
• A person or thing that is successful

I suppose that any of these could be true, however, I have come to believe that success means something different to every person. To one person, driving a certain kind of car could mean the attainment of success. To another, performing on Broadway might constitute success. To yet another, starting a company, building a business, or the creation of wealth. My take is that success (or at least its meaning) can be rather subjective. For example, is Tiger Woods successful? I suppose if you measure success by his status in the golf world, his endorsements, or his annual salary … maybe he is. Is General Petraus successful? I guess if you measure success by his rank, accomplishments, leadership ability, or his service to his country, maybe he is. Was Howard Hughes successful? I suppose if you measure success by wealth generation, aviation accomplishments, or business leadership, he was. What about the man or woman who has climbed the corporate ladder, is at the top of their game, or they have built a successful business. Their ‘job’ is what they live for, but the rest of their world is a mask, a ‘pretend’ projection with no real substance or health. What about the pastor or spiritual leader who has a big church, large television following, tons of speaking engagements? On the outside, it seems as though he really has it together. But often, his marriage is falling apart, his children are hurting and have followed a destructive path, his own addictions are eroding away at his soul. Success? I’m not really sure.

Please hear me, I am not judging or criticizing, because I too have a story. What I am saying is this … at the end of the day, what, really, is the meaning of success? Are we so driven to perform for someone else’s expectations or some culture’s prescribed demands that we sell our soul for what has been CALLED success, but is merely a prison?

Someone once said to me that you only need TWO things in life to be successful … Relationships and Resources. If you have to choose only one, or, if you must choose between these two, always choose relationships. Healthy and Godly relationships will always open the door to the resources one needs to be successful. Therefore, I believe that you can all the money and possessions in the world, and yet, if you have no meaningful relationships in your life, you are bankrupt and destitute. This is not to say that it is an either/or proposition. You can have both; but money and things without healthy and Godly relationships with which to share them is not success

Tiger Woods understands this. Forbes.com listed Tiger Woods 2009 income as $110 million. In November of that same year, however, the National Enquirer published an article about Tiger’s infidelity and apparent sex addiction, and Tiger’s world began to unravel. On the outside, one would judge that Tiger was the epitome of success, yet, on the inside his private life was in shambles, and without question, he was an angry, confused, and very miserable person. At the end of the day, Tiger lost many friends, hurt many people, and lost his wife and children, treasures more precious than any amount of money or fame. Success? Not really

So What is Success?

 Let me begin by sharing with you some thoughts on success from some great thought leaders of history:

Winston Churchill:
“Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.”

Deepak Chopra:

“Success in life could be defined as the continued expansion of happiness and the progressive realization of worthy goals.”

Jim Rohn:

“Success is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”

Richard Branson:

“It is the satisfaction of doing it for yourself and motivating others to work with you in bringing it about. It is about the fun, innovation, creativity with the rewards being far greater than purely financial.”

Orison Swett Marden:

“When a man feels throbbing within him the power to do what he undertakes as well as it can possibly be done, this is happiness, this is success.”

Zig Ziglar:

“Success means doing the best we can with what we have. Success is the doing, not the getting; in the trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be.”

George Sheehan:

“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.”

Wilfred Peterson:

“Success is focusing the full power of all you are on what you have a burning desire to achieve.”

Thomas Edison:
“Success is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

Woody Allen:

“Seventy percent of success in life is showing up.”

Anonymous:

“God gave us two ends: one to sit on and one to think with. Success depends on which one you use. Heads you win; tails, you lose.”

MY TAKE:

• Success begins with a relationship with the One who created you in His image; a real relationship with God

• Secondly, success requires that one comes to a clear and definitive image of who THEY are

• If a person is not clear on who God has called them to be, they will live their life trying to be something else

• Success depends on relationships; father, mother, spouse, children, mentor, coach, friend, pastor, etc.

• No man is an island unto himself

• Success is the realization of happiness and joy

• Success is a life whose purpose has been fulfilled

• Success is arriving at the end, and being more than satisfied with the journey and the result

• Success is leaving the world a better place than when you arrived

• Success is touching a life, and showing love to our fellow man

• Success is giving

• Success is leaving an inheritance for your children and your children’s children

• Success is being confortable in your own skin, and living life in a way that demonstrates your commitment to purpose

• Earl Nightingale shared a definition of success that I have chosen to adopt myself. He says that “Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal or ideal. If a man is working towards a predetermined goal and knows where he is going, that man is a success. If he’s not doing that, he’s a failure. Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.”

• Success is the achievement of your God-given purpose and assignment

Ralph Waldo Emerson writes that Success is …

• To laugh often and much
• To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children
• To earn the approbation of honest critics, and endure the betrayal of false friends
• To appreciate beauty
• To find the best in others
• To give of one’s self
• To leave the world a bit better, whether by healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition
• To have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation
• To know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived
• This is the Meaning Of Success!

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NEXT WEEK

Next week, I will be talking about, ‘Wholeness: How To Be Healed, Transformed, and Restored’.

Be sure to leave us a question at www.BrianHolmes.com and we will do our best to answer it in the show.

SLP013 - Interview with Dr. Mark Chironna : Your Belief System

In this episode, we are talking about ‘Your Beliefs Hold The Key: An Interview With Dr. Mark Chironna”. 

It is an honor for me to introduce you to my dear friend and colleague, Dr. Mark Chironna. Dr. Chironna and I have been in relationship for more than 10 years, and I consider him to be a mentor to me in many aspects, not the least of which is related to his experience, education, and mastery in the area of ‘THE MIND’. In this podcast, we discuss a range of topics such as limiting beliefs, the way the mind works, how we think in metaphors, and how to begin to transform and renew the mind.

I am sure this will be the first of many programs we do with Dr. Chironna. I trust you will enjoy this interview.

Dr. Mark Chironna’s Bio:

Certified life coach, author, pastor, and spiritual director, Dr. Mark Chironna is a man uniquely gifted to bridge the realms of the intellectual and spiritual in dismantling emotional barriers and empowering lives. He is a prolific author whose frequent media appearances are well-received in faith-based and secular markets.

Recognized for his articulate and compelling approach to contemporary issues, Dr. Chironna is perhaps best known for his uncommon ability to foster and release the creativity and personal power of the individual. His authentic and compassionate approach to purposeful, destiny-infused living has transformed lives everywhere through one-on-one mentoring, speaking engagements, print and electronic media.

His degrees include a B.A. in Music and Education, an M. Div. in Theology, an M.A. in Psychology, a PhD in Theology, and is currently in the process of earning his PhD in Psychology.

For more information Dr. Chironna’s work or ministry, please visit his website at www.markchironna.com. 

SLP012 - Challenging the Status Quo : 7 Steps to a Transformed Mind

On this episode, we will be talking about ‘Challenging The Status Quo: 7 Steps To A Transformed Mind’. Someone once said, “people act in accordance with the ‘truth’ as they believe it to be”. You see, the beliefs that you hold to be true in your life literally govern the direction, the choices, the decisions, and the outcomes in your life. Whether you are successful or whether you fail depends entirely on your core, heart-level beliefs.

The mind is a very powerful force. It receives information in the conscious mind, but then compares the ‘new’ with what is already on the hard drive of the heart. Your experiences, your relationships, your hurts, you perceptions; they all contribute to the formation of your beliefs. How does one go about identifying limiting beliefs? How do we challenge, unseat, and even replace those beliefs with truth and life-giving faith? That is what we will explore in this episode.

Scriptural Principle

“As a man thinks within himself, so is he … – Proverbs 23:7

“Whatever the mind of man can conceive or believe, it can achieve” – Napolean Hill

God gave man a MIND; a mechanism and a process of thought He created within each of us the power to imagine or dream a thing. He gave us the power to create and to produce in time and space, the thoughts and ideas conjured and fostered in our minds. The HUMAN mind has the capacity to change the world. When that which is held in our mind does not meet our potential that we limit ourselves to a life that is less than God’s plan. It is what your heart believes that determines the direction and outcome of your life and situation. We actually move toward our most dominant PICTURE of how you see yourself and your future. The image or belief we hold in our mind concerning a thing, produces an outcome that resembles exactly what we believe, SO, I must CHANGE my thinking, my beliefs, and my image.

“The significant problems we face cannot be solved on the same level we were on when we created the problem” – Albert Einstein

FACT: You cannot rise above the plane of your mental conditioning. To change your life, you must change your mind. We are what we THINK, and we become what we continue to think.

Some Thoughts by Dr. Myles Munroe

• There is nothing more powerful than a thought or an idea, however, there is nothing more important than the SOURCE of our thoughts.

• Our thoughts are products of what we have heard or learned.

• How we deal with information, or how we process things in life is a result of what we believe, which is the result of a pattern of thoughts.

The Process of Thought:

1. A source (good or bad) transmits its ideas through words and images

2. Words and images transmit thoughts and ideas into our mind

3. Thoughts (being seed), when conceived become ideas

4. Ideas conceived become ideologies

5. Ideologies conceived become beliefs

6. Beliefs conceived become convictions

7. Convictions conceived become philosophies

8. Philosophies conceived become lifestyles

9. Lifestyles determine the outcome of life, and ultimately our destinies

When your philosophy of life, beliefs, thoughts, and convictions are based on the way you were CREATED by God to THINK, you will naturally rule over you environment, and fulfill your purpose and destiny with joy. When these are based on erroneous thinking and attitudes, you will feel frustrated, trapped, and hopeless while constantly living life “on your heels” rather than moving ahead.

We act in accordance with the truth as we believe it to be, whether it is true or not!

Effects of Mindsets:

• A negative mindset causes a perpetual posture of DOUBT
• DOUBT creates HESITATION (or paralysis)
• HESITATION leads to failure
• Mindsets are what creates your expectations
• Your expectations are self-fulfilling prophecy
• What you EXPECT, you get
• A mindset LOCKS you into a realm, thereby limiting your level of result and achievement

The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking. – Albert Einstein

Challenging the Status Quo

The status quo is that which has become NORMAL; that from which we resist deviating; that standard or pattern to which we have been conformed; average; and a state whereby we maintain sanity

• Thoughts form beliefs
• Beliefs form our mindsets
• Our mindsets … SET us on a particular trajectory
• Our trajectory produces certain results or outcomes
• The outcomes we experience AFFIRM our beliefs
• The affirmed belief becomes our NORMAL
• What is NORMAL becomes and is the status quo
• To deviate from what is normal based on our truth is to create conflict
• We do not like conflict, therefore we create for ourselves something called … COMFORT ZONES

What is a Comfort Zone?

• A comfort zone is a limited area of perception and association wherein the individual or group can function effectively without experiencing uneasiness or fear; a limited defined physical or psychological area in which a person feels at ease; self-regulating mechanism; anxiety arousal control.
• In my terms, a comfort zone is an invisible bubble we create for ourselves for one of several reasons; we feel safe; we feel we belong there; we feel we deserve to be there, etc.

“Discomfort brings engagement and change. Discomfort means you’re doing something that others were unlikely to do, because they’re hiding out in the comfortable zone. When your uncomfortable actions lead to success, the organization rewards you and brings you back for more.” – Seth Godin

7 Steps To A Transformed Mind

1. Ask questions:

a. What are my comfort zones?
b. Which ones are keeping me safe?
c. Which ones are holding me back?
d. Which comfort zone areas do I need to expand in order to arrive at the fulfillment of what God has said concerning my life
e. What mindsets or beliefs must be addressed to accomplish this?

2. Identify faulty and limiting mindsets (Look at fruit)

3. Take every thought captive (arrest, do not entertain)

4. Control your SELF-TALK (don’t affirm limiting beliefs)

5. Examine the Word of God; reflect and remember every ‘Word’ God has spoken to you or about you; Record every proclamation of truth about your identity, life, and future)

6. Create summarized ‘affirmation’ or ‘confession’ statements that REPLACE limiting beliefs, and expand your comfort zone concerning that area of life – 1st Person; Present Tense

7. Develop and engage the HABIT of reading/affirming/confessing these ‘I AM’ statements … every day … UNTIL

WRAP UP:

1. As a man thinketh in his heart …
2. Confession is great, believing is better (Confess and believe)
3. Challenge the status quo
4. Create a new normal
5. Re-define what is acceptable and good enough
6. SAY – I AM
7. Change Your Mind … Change Your World

Resources Mentioned:

I have created two resources that provide you the information and instruction on how you can ‘Transform Your Mind’. In these series, I will teach you some of the following principles and skills:

• How To Identify Limiting Beliefs 
• How To Redefine Your ‘Normal’ 
• How To Discover Truth … Real Truth 
• How to Renew (or Reprogram) Your Mind 
• How to Call Your Future Into Your Present

They are:

• The Battle For The Mind
• Transforming The Mind

Be sure to leave us a question at www.BrianHolmes.com and we will do our best to answer it in the show.

SLP011 - Understanding My Identity

On this episode, we will talking about ‘Understanding My Identity – Who Am I Really?’ Every one of us is born with a DESTINY – a pre-determined purpose, assignment, or identity. You are not a random entity that just showed up here. You have a name … I’m not talking about the one your parents gave you; I’m talking about the one your CREATOR gave you. You are made in His image and likeness. You ARE who He says you are!

Throughout the course of our days, things happen; life happens; people hurt us; we experience tragedy; and WHO we are becomes muddled and unclear. The internal picture of who we really are no longer has clarity or focus. When we experience enough pain and disappointment, we begin to believe that we are something altogether different from who God says we are

In this episode, I want to share with you some principles that I believe are paramount to our success

Genesis 1:26-30

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

29 Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;

 30 and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so.

Our most basic identity and character is described here in Genesis 1. Our most foundational mandate and purpose is laid out here on the basis or WHO WE ARE, and WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSE TO ACT LIKE. At the very least, we see here that God intended for mankind to function in the earth from a position of POWER, DOMINION, AUTHORITY, VICTORY, and BLESSING

In no way can we see or justify in scripture a life that is bound, in poverty, emotionally tormented, unhappy, depressed, and living an unfulfilled or unsuccessful life. The bottom line here is, if we are living in any of these conditions or states, we have a problem; and the problem is IGNORANCE. The problem is, WE DON’T know or have a clear understanding of WHO we are, and WHAT we have.

“MY PEOPLE PERISH FOR A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE”

The greatest enemy of man is his misconception of himself. Ignorance of self is the root of all of mans frustrations and at the heart of his dilemma. The foundation of the ultimate temptation was self deception, and the original sin was a result of self doubt. You see, the TRUTH about you is the key to your personal freedom. If you discover the truth about YOU (as God sees it) you become free of the lies that Satan has said about you. You become FREE to be WHO and WHAT God always intended you to be! You become FREE to live in the IMAGE and LIKENESS of the one who created you for His glory and His pleasure. You become free to FULFILL the complete and total destiny and calling; the one God always believed you to be

 “You will know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH will set you free.”

Satan’s greatest weapon against you is to maintain your ignorance of your IDENTITY. Man’s ignorance of his true identity, worth, purpose, value, is the heart of all his problems. When you don’t know WHO you are, you cannot be anybody else! Therefore, you flounder through life trying to be something without knowing how to be anything, and you never come to be the ONE THING that God intended you to be.

The PRICE OF IGNORANCE is to forfeit our divine destinies, only to be relegated to a dismal life, followed by an ordinary death

Proverbs 23:7                           

“For as he thinks within himself, so he is …”

Anything that opposes the Word of God that has been spoken concerning my life can only originate from one source…SATAN. It is then necessary that I REJECT lies, and EMBRACE truth.

•  How does God see us?

• God sees us through the eyes of DESTINY

• He sees our lives exactly how He saw our lives before the foundation of the world

• He identifies with us ONLY on the basis of what and who He named us when he created us

Steps To Discovering Who You Really Are:

1. Ask God to reveal your identity to you
2. Identify the moments/places where the seed of self-doubt was introduced
3. Identify the lies that were introduced to you in those moments/places … name them
4. Discover and identify the TRUTH; create affirming statements that counter-act the lies. (You must replace lies with TRUTH)
5. Practice the daily exercise of reading and confessing the statements of TRUTH (affirmations) concerning your life and future.

WRAP UP:

5 Things You Should KNOW About You

1. You are made in His image and likeness
2. You are His workmanship, and He does ALL things well
3. No matter what you have been through, or where you find yourself in this moment, you still have value, worth, and a destiny that is yours for the taking
4. God has not changed His mind about WHO you are
5. Your past does not DEFINE you; it simply provides you the platform from which you can BE who you really are

If you’d like to comment in this episode, please go to BrianHolmes.com, go to the show notes for this episode and scroll down to the comments section. I would love to hear from you—comment, question, or whatever.

Next Week:

Next week, I will be talking about, ‘The Power of Your Mind’.

Be sure to leave us a question at www.BrianHolmes.com and we will do our best to answer it in the show.

SLP010 - The 7 Steps to Mastering Time

On this episode, we will be continuing to talk about 7 Steps To Mastering Time. Time is something we all deal with, yet never really think about. Time is not simply a mechanism of measurement, time is a subservient entity that is to be used to our benefit. The dictionary defines time as follows:

• The system of those sequential relations that any event has to any other, as past, present, or future; indefinite and continuous duration regarded as that in which events succeed one another.
•  The duration regarded as belonging to the present life as distinct from the life to come or from ‘eternity’: finite duration
•  A system or method of measuring or reckoning the passage of time
• A limited period or interval, as between two successive events: a long time.
• A particular period considered as distinct from other periods: Youth is the best time of life.

 Seven Principles/Facts About Time 

1. Time is created

 Genesis 1:5 –  God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

 Genesis 1:14 – Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;

 2. Time is a currency

• We SPEND time,
• We SAVE time
• We INVEST time
• We WASTE time

3. Time Continues; You cannot stop it

• Only once in history has there been a moment when ‘time stood still’. It was when Joshua commanded it under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
• The sun did not stand still, the earth did.
• God gave man an exceptional authority to command the earth (man’s domain).

4. Time is measurable

• 24 hours in a day
• 1440 minutes in a day
• 10,080 minutes in a week
• 7 days a week
• 365 days per year
• 70 years of productive life equals:
  • 25,550 days
  • 613,200 hours
  • 36,792,000 minutes

5. My Time Has a End

 Psalm 39:4-5

 ⁴ “Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am. ⁵ “Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; Surely every man at his best is a mere breath. Selah.

6. Time Must Be Stewarded and Managed

Ephesians 5:15-17

¹⁵ Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, ¹⁶  making the most of your time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you. –Carl Sandburg

I must govern the clock, not be governed by it. – Golda Meir

 7. There is a Time for EVERYTHING

With this backdrop, I want to instruct you on some key ways to more effectively manage and utilize time. To begin with, I want to submit a few pre-suppositions that I believe must be understood if we are to handle time with respect and use it wisely:

REMEMBER, Time is a currency

• We trade IT for something we deem of value (money, relationship, entertainment, education, etc.)
• In order to determine if what we are trading our time for is of equal or greater value, one must honestly assess the ‘VALUE’ he/she is gaining from the trade off
• In other words, is my RETURN ON INVESTMENT worth the time I am trading
• Time only produces what I invest in
• My life is a product of how I spend my TIME

7 Steps To More Effective Time Management

Know Thyself

• Who am I – What am I here to accomplish
• What is important to ME – What Matters Most

 Have A Clear Vision

• Are you just biding time?
• Are you just hoping something happens?
• Have you formed a clear vision of what the end result looks like?
• What am I actually trying to achieve?

Be Goal Oriented

• Set Goals
• Set Deadlines (timelines) for your goals
• Don’t just DO things … do things that have meaning
• Start with the END in mind

Identify Time Wasters                  (Use Time Inventory)

DOWNLOAD TIME INVENTORY HERE

• People
• Tasks
• Habits
• Phone calls
• Texting
• Social media
• Internet/Meaningless web surfing
• Perpetual Planning
• Television (It’s fiction, y’all!)
• Busy-work
• Etc.

 Weekly and Daily Planning

• Plan your life based on VALUES ORIENTED CATEGORIES (Family, Spiritual, Career, Financial, Personal Development)
• Begin each week identifying the BIG ROCKS you should tackle; the most important goals and tasks
• Use the FUNNEL method
• Block Time for important tasks (Set appointments for tasks)
• Strategic tasks vs. Laundry lists
• Most people keep a running laundry lists of TO-DO items; most of which have no real meaning or significance to any vision or goal in life
• It is the VITAL FEW vs. the TRIVIAL MANY
• Schedule appointments for yourself
• PLAN your time, or your time will PLAN YOU
• Prioritize

Eliminate Distractions

• Stay focused
• Don’t take EVERY phone call. That’s why you have voicemail!
• Check E-Mails once or twice per day. Every time you hear, “You’ve got mail”, you feel as though you have to reply
• Don’t let someone else’s incompetence or issue become your immediate concern
• Failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part…
• Train people to respect your time
• Communicate to your subordinates and co-workers what you expect from them
• There is no such thing as multi-tasking!

 Learn To Say No

• Every time you say YES to something, you are saying NO to something else
• Every time you say NO, you are saying YES to something else
• Every time you say no to spending your time one way, you’re saying yes to spending it a different way.
• This could mean working on that side project you have going, spending more time with your kids, getting away from your computer, or launching that startup you’ve been dreaming about.
• The trick to figuring out what to say no to is understanding your priorities.
• Your action is an expression of your priorities
• If you take a look how you spend your time during the average day, you’ll likely see a disconnect between your deeply held priorities and your actions.
• It’s important to write down what you truly want to achieve and then arrange your actions to achieve those goals over your lifetime.
• Once you’ve written down your goals, the next step is saying no to everything that distracts from those goals.

It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about? – Henry David Thoreau

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER:

1. Where are you WASTING time?
2. Where are you SPENDING your time?
3. Where can you better invest time?
4. Have you examined your priorities lately, and are you LIVING them?

 Be sure to leave us a question at www.BrianHolmes.com and we will do our best to answer it in the show

SLP009 - Interview with Cliff Ravenscraft

In this episode, I am pleased to bring you an interview with my friend and colleague, Cliff Ravenscraft. Cliff and I met in early 2012, and have developed a strong and meaningful relationship, one that I am immensely grateful to have in my life. As you will learn, Cliff is known all over the world as The Podcast Answerman. He is, in fact, responsible for helping me over the last year to train, prepare, and launch the Strategic Living Podcast. His story, his big heart, and his incredible generosity have touched the lives of countless thousands. It is an honor to call him friend, and a real pleasure to welcome him to the show! 

Cliff’s Bio:

Cliff Ravenscraft is the founder of The Podcast Mastermind and gspn.tv (Generally Speaking Production Network). Together with his wife and a few close friends, Cliff has produced over 3,000 podcast episodes, since December 2005, devoted to Entertainment, Family, Faith, Fitness, Career and Technology.

 In January 2008, Cliff left a very successful career as an insurance agent, to pursue podcasting full-time. He felt called spend his life serving the community that had formed around the many shows in his network. Being a husband and father of three, he needed to find a way to produce content, serve his community, and also provide for his family. Cliff focused on successfully generating income through coaching/consulting at PodcastAnswerMan.com. He has helped thousands of individuals and organizations launch successful podcasts though his one-on-one consulting/coaching and through his online training courses.

For more information Cliff’s work, please visit his website at PodcastAnswerman.com 

SLP008 - The Art of Doing

In this episode, we continue talking about ‘Personal Discipline and the Art of Doing’. 

• Do you find it difficult to engage or take action on your dreams?
• Is it hard for you to ‘PULL THE TRIGGER’, take the risk, and go after your preferred future?
• Are you waiting on God to show up and do something for you?
• Do you find yourself dreaming or planning, only to allow fear to paralyze you from ACT and DO?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this podcast is for you!

Scriptural Principle:

17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. 18 But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” ~ James 2:17-18

Personal Discipline

We cannot travel without until we are willing to first travel within. Someone once said, “When we are foolish we want to conquer the world. When we are wise, we want to conquer ourselves”. You see, personal mastery, (and personal responsibility) are paramount to our success. Many times we look outside of ourselves, wanting to place blame and responsibility for our present condition on someone, or something, else. The truth is this. If you could kick the person responsible for MOST of your troubles, you would not be able to sit down for weeks!

The truth is that each of us are responsible for WHERE we are today, as well as HOW we got here! Our life TODAY is a result of the choices we have made, and the actions (or inaction) we have taken along the way. What you are going to BE tomorrow, you are becoming today! You WILL BE whatever your choices are directing you to be. We need personal discipline.

Personal discipline is SELF-CONTROL. It is the ability to manage or RULE yourself FIRST. Personal discipline or SELF-CONTROL comes from the root word meaning, “to grip” OR “to take hold of”. Aristotle used this word to describe “the ability to test desire by reason…to be resolute and ever in readiness.” He explained that people who are not controlled have strong desires which try to seduce them away from reason, thereby sabotaging their success.

The Bible tells us that where there is no VISION, the people are ‘unrestrained’. Where there is no structure or order, there is no discipline. Where there is no discipline, there is no progress. Where there is no measured progress, there will be NO SUCCESS. Where there is no success, there is no joy or fulfillment.

The PRICE OF LEADERSHIP demands that we look inward FIRST, and deal with areas of indiscipline. We must know and acknowledge our weaknesses, so that we might address them and convert them to strengths through discipline. Personal discipline begins with personal responsibility.

The Art of Doing

One of the areas where we struggle with discipline is in the ‘DOING’. You see, we have become a culture of ‘try-ers’ and we have not many DOERS. Real transformation takes place when we decide to DO … to take action.

Real leadership is not accomplished in possessing good theory, or amassing great knowledge, but rather it is the result of putting one’s hand to the plow, and DOING whatever is necessary to get the job done.

What has God said about YOU? What has he asked of you? Are you stuck in the mindset of TRYING? To use the word TRY is to give ourselves an OUT, or an excuse to NOT DO. This may sound like a small distinction, but it has huge ramifications. My encouragement to you is this. It’s time to quit trying and just do it.

Here are three suggestions: (these come from Michael Hyatt’s blog post from December 2011 which can be found HERE.

1. Eliminate the word “try” from your vocabulary. It is a worthless word that accomplishes nothing. It only makes you feel better when you fail.

2. Decide either to do or not do. If you don’t want to do something fine. Don’t do it. But don’t pretend that trying is the same as doing. They are two completely different postures.

3. Commit 100 percent to the outcome you want. Like the project manager in Apollo 13 said, “Failure is not an option.” Play full out. Go for the win. Don’t settle for merely trying.

REMEMBER: “Try not! Do or do not. There is no try!

Be sure to leave us a question at www.BrianHolmes.com and we will do our best to answer it in the show

SLP007 - Interview with Shuronda Scott Pt. 2

In this episode, we are continuing our conversation about ‘Dreams, Possibilities, and the Promise of Hope”. 

It is our joy to bring you ‘Part 2’ our very first interview on the Strategic Living Podcast. My guest is Shuronda Scott. She is a speaker, an author, and a Certified Coach, and brings to the table a spectrum of expertise and experience that is sure to be a blessing to you.  Again, this is PART 2 of our interview. Part 1 of this interview is available in Episode #006.

Shuronda Scott’s Bio:

Shuronda Scott is known as the Possibilities Coach. As an author, speaker and life coach, she combines over 25 years of corporate and ministry background experience in helping others recognize possibilities (within) and opportunities (without). Strategic and intuitive in her coaching, she is adept at taking personal and leadership development to the next level.

For over fifteen years, Shuronda served on the staff of a large multi-campus church in the Dallas/Fort Worth area in various ministry roles including Director of Biblical Counseling and Women’s Leadership Development Director. She also has over fifteen years of corporate experience as a trainer and consultant.

No matter what her role, Shuronda is passionate about helping others realize the fullness of their dreams. In her recently released book, A Pocketful of Possibilities: Impossible Dreams, Made Possible, she shares how to remove the ashes that limit your potential and how to create your own roadmap of possibilities to take your dreams of the wait today!

She is also the founder of DreamCovery Ministries Intensive Weekend Encounters which helps individuals reconnect their dreams to their destiny. In addition to her speaking and ministry platform, she is a business owner who influences in many realms. She has been highly endorsed by pastors, business executives and community leaders alike.

For more information on her coaching or ministry or to schedule her to speak at your next event, visit her at www.walkinginpossibility.com. 

A Pocketful of Possibilities: Impossible Dreams, Made Possible 

We all have incredible dreams that God wants to fulfill. Maybe you have yet to see your dream come to pass. Maybe you stand at a crossroads and you feel your dream is dead. Don’t give up. In her book, A Pocketful of Possibilities, Shuronda shows us that our dreams are never discarded…they are only refined to bring God glory. Discover for yourself the amazing pocketful of possibilities God has for you to live in today!

Next Week

Next week, we will be bringing to you PART 2 of my interview with Shuronda Scott. We will continue our conversation about  ‘Dreams, Possibilities, and the Promise of Hope”. You will NOT want to miss this episode.

Be sure to leave us a question at www.BrianHolmes.com and we will do our best to answer it in the show

SLP006 - Interview with Shuronda Scott Pt. 1

In this episode, we are talking about ‘Dreams, Possibilities, and the Promise of Hope”. 

It is our joy to bring you our very first interview on the Strategic Living Podcast. My guest is Shuronda Scott. She is a speaker, an author, and a Certified Coach, and brings to the table a spectrum of expertise and experience that is sure to be a blessing to you.  This is PART 1 of our interview. Part 2 will be made available next week in Episode #7.

Shuronda Scott’s Bio:

Shuronda Scott is known as the Possibilities Coach. As an author, speaker and life coach, she combines over 25 years of corporate and ministry background experience in helping others recognize possibilities (within) and opportunities (without). Strategic and intuitive in her coaching, she is adept at taking personal and leadership development to the next level.

For over fifteen years, Shuronda served on the staff of a large multi-campus church in the Dallas/Fort Worth area in various ministry roles including Director of Biblical Counseling and Women’s Leadership Development Director. She also has over fifteen years of corporate experience as a trainer and consultant.

No matter what her role, Shuronda is passionate about helping others realize the fullness of their dreams. In her recently released book, A Pocketful of Possibilities: Impossible Dreams, Made Possible, she shares how to remove the ashes that limit your potential and how to create your own roadmap of possibilities to take your dreams of the wait today!

She is also the founder of DreamCovery Ministries Intensive Weekend Encounters which helps individuals reconnect their dreams to their destiny. In addition to her speaking and ministry platform, she is a business owner who influences in many realms. She has been highly endorsed by pastors, business executives and community leaders alike.

For more information on her coaching or ministry or to schedule her to speak at your next event, visit her at www.walkinginpossibility.com. 

A Pocketful of Possibilities: Impossible Dreams, Made Possible 

We all have incredible dreams that God wants to fulfill. Maybe you have yet to see your dream come to pass. Maybe you stand at a crossroads and you feel your dream is dead. Don’t give up. In her book, A Pocketful of Possibilities, Shuronda shows us that our dreams are never discarded…they are only refined to bring God glory. Discover for yourself the amazing pocketful of possibilities God has for you to live in today!

Next Week

Next week, we will be bringing to you PART 2 of my interview with Shuronda Scott. We will continue our conversation about  ‘Dreams, Possibilities, and the Promise of Hope”. You will NOT want to miss this episode.

Be sure to leave us a question at www.BrianHolmes.com and we will do our best to answer it in the show

SLP005 - Recognizing and Navigating Seasons of Transition Pt. 2

In this episode, we continue talking about ‘Recognizing and Navigating Seasons of Transition’. 

The truth is that change is inevitable. The question is, what will you do with change when it comes to you? You see, TRANSITION is something we will all experience in life. It is that place between the way things used to be and the way they are becoming. It is the blank page between two chapters in a book. It is unchartered territory. It’s not where you have been, and it is not the full expression of where you are going. It is the place called BETWEEN.

 Scriptural Principle:

 ¹³ Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
~ Philippians 3:13-14

What is Transition?

The following excerpt was take from an article www.Therarive.com

In the simplest terms, transition is change. In a broader sense however, transitions are life’s way of asking us to reexamine our present way of being. These transitions can be predictable such as a child leaving for college or marriage, or they can be unpredictable, such as the sudden death of a loved one or a traumatic accident. Whatever the degree or intensity of the event, every transition we experience has one thing in common. It forces us to make changes to our existing life. And with change, comes resistance. A major life transition literally closes one chapter of our life, and starts a new one, putting us in a new place and direction that we have not walked before. It is often a very difficult adjustment as we endure intense feelings of fear, doubt, and uncertainty.

Transitions typically mark an ending followed by a time of self-reflection, which hopefully, leads to a new beginning or outlook on life. Every life transition asks us to let go of a past way of thinking or doing. By doing so, we are given the opportunity to replace the old way of being with something new. During the transitional period however, we usually feel uncomfortable, almost disconnected with our environment and even ourselves. While this is natural to some extent, if you can’t move through this phase, these feelings can often overwhelm you, sending you spinning out of control into emotional turmoil. Many times, people turn to drugs or alcohol as a way to numb the anxiety and stress of these transitional times. Admittedly, life isn’t always fair, but often the most good comes out what seems at the time to be a completely overwhelming experience. Whatever the transition, counseling with a professional counselor is an excellent opportunity to help you take stock of your life and move forward into your new beginning with less pain and resistance.

 Transitions are difficult because we unconsciously or even consciously resist change. As humans it seems like every fiber of our being is innately programmed to resist anything new or unknown to us, most likely a result of our basic self-preservation instinct. Whether we realize it or not, even good changes can cause us to feel stressed and uneasy. On some level, we are simply not comfortable with the unknown.

Dealing With Transition

• There are countless ways we experience transition
• Some of these are small and easy; others monumental and extremely challenging
• Sometimes we find ourselves WAITING
• Last week, we mentioned a few of the areas one might experience this in
• Each of these general areas could have several transitions embedded within them

Irrespective of the GENRE of transition you may be experiencing, I want to give you some KEYS to navigating successfully through: These principles will help you recognize, identify, and properly steward the season, AND, yield the result that God intends for you to experience

“Change is inevitable, progress is optional.” – Tony Robbins

7 Keys For Successfully Navigating Through Seasons of Transition

1. Learn to recognize when something’s season has come to an end

• Is there still passion, fulfillment, joy?
• Is what your doing fruitful?
• Is the relationship in question still mutually beneficial?
• Is where you are limiting your forward and upward progress?
• Etc.

2. Embrace Change

• Grieve for a minute, but get excited about the new chapter
• Set your sites on what is AHEAD
• Know that CHANGE, properly handled produces growth and progress, which produces new opportunities and prosperity

 3. Let Go of the Past

• Past hurts
• Past disappointments
• Past relationships
• Past failures
• Past trophies (previous season)
• Past wins
• Past Successes
• FORGIVE and RELEASE

 4. Identify The Opportunities –

Our default is to focus on what HAS BEEN vs. What CAN BE 

• New Relationships
• New Career/Business
• New Circles
• New levels of prosperity and wealth
• New ideas

5.    Concentrate on Growth Areas

• What do I need to know?
• What resources do I need to pursue?
• What areas in my life require personal development?
• What new disciplines must I acquire?

6.    Commit To Your Future

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~ Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

• Your next chapter is designed to be GREATER than the last
• Your tomorrow is destined to be far more prosperous and fulfilling than even your greatest years to date
• God has plans for you, and they are awesome
• Commit to yourself, and commit to your future

 7.    Trust In The Lord … He makes all things NEW!

• Walk with the Lord
• Listen to and follow His leadership
• Trust in His plans
• Know that He will never leave you or forsake you
• The past is behind you
• Your future is secure in Him

 “Change is inevitable, progress is optional.” – Tony Robbins

NEXT WEEK

Next week I am excited to announce that we will be bringing you our very first interview, and we will be discussing ‘Dreams, Possibilities, and the promise of Hope”. You will NOT want to miss this episode, as I will be welcoming my guest, author, speaker, and life coach, Shuronda Scott

Be sure to leave us a question at www.BrianHolmes.com and we will do our best to answer it in the show