The Project

Message, Advertising, and Draw 

My project for this month is to clarify the message of a company. The why behind what they do.

With this clarified, I will then share their message via digital form through a website along with written ads and blogs,  in order to create for them a positive digital image.

The end result of this will be to bring a greater customer draw by creating a project that is based upon the message of this company.

The Company

The company that I have chosen to reach out to for this project is the Precious Moments Museum.

My plan is to help them clarify their message, then share that message through an updated website along with written ads and blogs to improve their digital image online.

Finally, I will be pitching to them the idea of adding an interactive station to their museum in the form of an art studio. This will not only draw in a greater amount of customers but will also allowing these visitors to express their own messages through art.

End Goal

My end goal for this project is to have 100 customers as a result of sharing this company’s message via digital advertising and a new customer draw.

Throughout this process, I will be gaining the skills of Web Designing and Persuasive Written Advertising. 

 

This goal relates to my project perfectly because it can be applied to any company I work for in the future. At the moment, the company is Precious Moments but the project is still Message, Advertising, and Draw which can be applied to any work situation or partnership I find myself in.

Weekly Goals

In order to accomplish this project, I have scheduled out exactly what I will need to do each week.

 

Week one I will be contacting Precious Moments to get the ball rolling and gain permission to work with them on improving their museum. I will also be planning out my entire Project so that once I have permission I can jump right into delivering results.

 

In week two I will clarify their message. I will also be using the budget that they give me to update their site and start the planning process of the art studio.

 

Week 3, I will dive headfirst into creating their digital image via Ads and blogs.

 

Finally, week 4 I will have the studio layout created and in action along with 100 customers signed up for the first tour and art session.

 

As foreseen at this point these are my weekly goals. I understand that there will be bumps along the way and I will need to be flexible, but at the same time, I will be holding myself accountable for delivering these results at the end of each week.

Greatest Challenge

First off, when I say challenge, I visual mountains. And in my mind, there is no mountain too great to climb.

 

The 2 challenges I foresee are

1. Getting permission. After all, I must not only convince a company that I can solve their problems but to so I have to prove to them that they have problems to be fixed. And no one likes to be told that.

2. Learning how to use digital advertising. But as I said, this is simply a mountain to be climbed and I’m excited to do so.

Greatest Asset

The greatest asset I see myself bringing to this project is my understanding and experience in Creative Self-Expression. This is a topic that I have been researching for 5 years now. With this understanding and experience, I am able to

A. look at a situation and see how it can be improved.

B. Share a company’s message through attractive and engaging means.

C. Allow others to take part in this message, taking it on as their own and expressing themselves through it.

 

This is my project and how I intend to create something amazing. 

This week I am reading the book The Glorious Story of Scripture. This book is a corporate effort of Bravehearted Christianity.

What The Book It About

Every word in this book is direct quotations from the Bible. One hundred seventy pages of scripture that highlight the main storyline from Genesus to Revalations. By touching on the most influential biblical stories, this book reveals the core message of this 3,000-year-old book.

What Is The Main Message

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Jhon 1:14

Every word in the Bible points to one man, Jesus Christ, for in He Himself was the very word of God. This is the message that The Glorious Story of Scripture showcases. No matter what section of scripture you read, it will point to Jesus.

Why You Should Read This Book

This book by n means takes the place of the Bible. Every word if scripture is given by holy inspiration and should be stored in our hearts and tapped in our minds. The reason you should read this book is not to bypass reading your Bible, but to encourages you to dig deeper into its richness. By understanding the main message of God’s word you will better be able to see His truth when you read it yourself and discover the mysteries that reveal our Savior.

Conclusion

As believers, we have the Spirit of Christ living in us and therefore can know Him in a personal relationship. This is why we read His word. Not because it’s what “good” Christians do, but because it brings us closer to our loving Lord and allows us to know Him better. This is my desire and the true Glorious Story of Scripture.

Over the last month, I have gone through a 30-day blog challenge to improve my writing skills. This has been such a great experience that I have decided to continue on, only this month I will be incorporating more than simply writing. Having to publish a blog for 30 days has shown me how valuable it is to complete something each day. This is a habit I intend to continue for the rest of my life.

What Is My New Challenge

Over the next 30-days, I will be completing a project every day and posting it on social media. Each day of the week will have a different project.

Monday

Writing. This is when I will write a blog, sending it to a third party for publication.

Tuesday

Crafting. Each week I will choose a new crafting skill to learn, pushing myself to try new things. No matter how the project turns out I will be posting a picture of it on social media.

Wednesday

Hula-Hooping. This is a side hobby of mine that has been greatly neglected. Therefore, I am changing this fact by learning a new skill each week, videoing my first and last attempts and post it for all to see.

Thursday

Dance. I am an avid swing dancer who unfortunately has become content with her few skills, but no more. Each week I will learn a new move, film myself, the failures and all, then share with the world.

Friday

Reading. This day I will dedicate a few hours to simply curling up with some hot chocolate, a cozy blanket, and a good book. After this, I will write what I learned or gained then post my thoughts for others to read.

Saturday

Public speaking. This is my life and blood and what I do best. For this month I will be going polishing up my old highschool speeches and preforming them on camera. Once I’ve finished those, I’ll start writing new ones to share.

Sunday

Drawing. Tuning out form the rest of the world to create something only my mind’s eye can see. This is how I will spend my Sunday evening to recoup and start the week right.

Conclusion

The goal of this challenge is to have a new project at the end of each day, build a storage of resources and skills, and to put myself out infornt of the world. Chances are that a large majority of these projects will be less than perfect, but that’s not the point. The point is that I deliver and improve each and every day of my life.

30 days ago I started a 30-day blog challenge to improve my writing skills. Looking back now though, I can see that I have gained many more skills and traits beyond that of simple grammar and spelling.

Deliver No Matter What

Regardless of how I felt or how crazy and hectic life became, I had to deliver a piece of work each and every day. Before the clock struck midnight I would have to push that publish button, no matter what I thought of my writing. This brought about two character traits and one skill.

The first trait is persistence. Publishing a blog every day is no easy task and required me to push past my feelings. If I only delivered on the days that I felt like writing I definitely would not have 30 finished blog posts today. Accomplishing a task has absolutely nothing to do with feelings.

The second trait is guts or a lack of preciousness. If you are precious with your work then you will never finish it. Looking at your project as a beloved piece of yourself will ensure that it will never be good enough to share with the world. Delivering a product each day requires guts. It’s frightening to push that button and let the world see your work. This challenge made me gutsy and helped me realize that I can only learn from my mistakes when I am willing to make them.

The skill I acquired is planning ahead. Life is crazy so we should plan for it to be so. There were days that I knew I would not be able to write an entire post and therefore planned ahead by writing multiple backs up blogs to grab in emergencies. By being prepared I was able to deliver even when life stood in my way.

I Have Plenty To Share

My greatest fear going into this challenge was that I would run out of ideas. Surprisingly, it was quite the contrary.  It turns out that I have plenty of really cool things to share with the world. This area too taught me two traits and one skill.

First, confidence. Coming to the understanding that I don’t have to be an expert in order to share my thoughts, ideas, and knowledge was a huge self-esteem booster. In short, there will always be people who are learning just like me, and a portion of those people will know less then I do. Therefore, there will always be an opportunity for me to teach and share with the world.

The second is accountability. Understanding that I have so much to share also showed me that people need to know what I have gained from life. I have the power to help others and lend a hand to my fellow man. For this reason, sharing my understanding is not only a good thing but is honestly my obligation. To do otherwise would be selfish.

The skill I’ve gained is organization. Having a place to store this knowledge that I can retrieve and use when needed is the most effective way to create content. Relying solely on my memory almost guarantees that I will forget vital nuggets. The way I go about capturing and storing this information is through my Second Brain. In short, this is a digital collection of everything I have ever learned organized in a manner that is easy to retrieve and use.

There Is Always More To Learn

The world is exceedingly vast and there are millions of people who each have their own viewpoints and perspectives on life. That’s a mind-boggling fact and pretty exciting. With this understanding, it is clear that there is always more that can be learned. This again has taught me two traits and one skill.

First, humility. Just as the understanding that I have so much to share brought about confidence, it also showed me that I have so much to learn. No matter how experienced I may think I am in one area of my life, there will always be someone who knows something that can be added on. Here’s the really powerful truth, I can learn great amounts of knowledge from people who would appear to know less than I do. Everyone sees life differently and therefore can add to another person’s perspective. That’s the cool thing about this life journey is that we’re all on it together.

The second is a hunger for learning. It’s one thing to say you want to learn something, it’s another to actually learn it. The difference between these two outcomes is the driving force of a hunger to learn. Due to this 30-day challenge, I no longer say “someday I’ll learn that”. I do it now. The only time you have to improve yourself is this moment right now.

The last skill is the ability to learn. Wanting to learn, as mentioned above, can only be accomplished if you know how to learn. This is the understanding that new knowledge is only a Ted talk or google search away. The ability to actually search out knowledge, hunting it down until it is captured and made my own, ensures that I will forever be improving myself.

Conclusion

Over the last 30-days, I wrote and published a blog post every day. Sure I’ve become a better writer, no doubt about that. Looking back though I can see that this experience has taught me so much more than just grammar and spelling. It has taught me how I can learn and invest in this journey we call life, each and every day.

The other night my little brother way praying to God and asked how long a million years was to Him. In response, God said that it was only a second. My brother then asked how much a million dollars was, to which God told him only a penny. After thinking for a moment my brother then asked, God can I have a penny? God responded, Of course, in just a second.
Millions of years or just a second, Evaluation or Creation. It’s no joking matter. Unfortunately, though we all too often fall under the false assumption that Evolution and Atheism are based on science and facts while Christianity is based on little more than blind faith. Today I wish to put this opinion to the test by exploring which is the greatest leap of faith, Christianity or Atheism?

The Tell of A Coca Bottle

First, I wish to present to you an observation by renowned evangelist Ray Comfort, as to where the Coca-cola bottle my have originated.

Billions of years ago an explosion caused by absolutely nothing created a brown sweet substance. Over millions of years plastic formed around this sweetness crafting a container and later a lid at the top. After this, paint fell from the sky forming on the bottle the letters Coca-cola.
What I have done here is triggered your intellect and reasoning. The story I have presented is logically insane and it doesn’t take a genius to know this. The fact that there is a Coca-cola bottle points to the fact that there must have been a maker.

If we as humans can understand this when it comes to minuscule things such as a Coca-cola bottle, how much more then should we acknowledge that this remarkable and complex world we live in today also must point to a Creator.

Time, Space, and Matter

A favorite question for both Atheists and Christians is, what was in the beginning?

Regardless of which perspective you look at this question from, one truth remains the same for both sides as stated by Einstein Stanford. This is the truth of time, space and matter. These three components can not exist without each other. Therefore the question becomes what was before time space and matter since all three had to come into existence at exactly the same moment. The obvious answer is that there had to be something timeless, spaceless and without matter. A timeless, spaceless, masterless being.

Sounds kind of like God to me.
Allow me to explain this through a musical. You see, “Nothing comes from nothing, nothing ever could”. So somewhere in our past, there must have been, a timeless, spaceless, masterless being who could.

Ya gotta love the Walt Disney’s Sound of Music.

Our Moon and Sun

From this point the question must be asked, how long did it take to get from this first moment of time, space and matter to the universe as we know today? Was it billions and billions of years or was the world created in 7, 24 hours days, making the earth only a few thousand years old? To answer this question, we look to our universe, specifically the moon and sun.
According to Science ABC.com, the moon is actually traveling away from the earth.  Answers in Genesis.org clocks this rate of separation at 1.5 inches per year. At this rate, the moon would have actually been touching the earth at only 1.5 billion years ago. The problem is that Evolutionists claim that the moon has been orbiting the earth over 4.5 billion years.

So where is the hole in the earth from when the moon passed through it?

By the way, is it getting hot in here? Well, it certainly would be billions upon billions of years ago.

According to the Institution for Creation Research .org, the sun is shrinking at the rate of approximately 5 feet per hour or 0.1% per century. At this rate, the Sun would actually be touching the earth’s surface at only 20 million years ago. This presents absolutely no problem if one believes in the creation of the world less than 10 thousand years ago, however, it most certainly is a dilemma for an evolutionist who dates the sun back to around 500 to 2,000 million years old.

Our Bodies

The universe is a tad big to wrap one’s mind around so let’s look at something we can more easily understand. Ourselves.
According to Science ABC.com, there are ten internal organs required for an individual to survive. The Spleen, Kidney, Gallbladder, Stomach, Lungs, Reproductive organs, Appendix, Liver, Heart valves and half a Brain.

Good thing too cause my mom says only half my brain is working most the time anyway.
The question that must be asked with this evidence is which organ did we evolve first and since we require all 10 in functioning condition in order service, how could we live before they evolved?

 

Atheist Answer

Each of these points presents questions that we as humans demand answers for.

Christians answer with the belief in an almighty God. But what answer can an Atheist offer in the face of such uncertainties?

One particulate solution that is gaining approval from many in the scientific field is that of the Multiverse theory.

Allow me to attempt to explain this concept.
According to God evidence .com, the probability of the universe coming into existence out of pure chance would be 1 part in 10 to the power of 10 to the power of 123. That’s more zeros than there are particles in our entire universe.

According to Prager U, the answer that Multiverse presents to this equation is that the big bang created not only our universe but that it actually created an infinite number of universes. Since the number of universes is infinite the chance of our universe being the exact perfectly balanced life-strainer that it is, suddenly goes from mathematically impossible to now 100% greeted. You see, the chance of something occurring means nothing when there is an infinite amount of chances.

The problem with this theory is that there is not possible way to prove its reliability, since you can’t access another universe. As distinguished physicist Paul Davies states “Invoking an infinity of unseen universes to explain the unusual features of the one we do see is just as [made up] as invoking an unseen Creator”.

In other words, this theory in itself is just as big a leap if faith as Christianity.
When it comes down to it, there is substantial evidence presented by Christians that they believe proves Christianity. Yet at the same time, there is substantial evidence presented by Atheist that they believe disproves Christianity. By the end of the day, the fight between Christianity and Atheism cancels each other out, creating a level playing failed of faith.

Yes, faith!

Whether you are a Christian or an Atheist your belief will require a leap of faith, for there is no possible way to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is or there is not a God. Each of us must come to a point in our lives where we must make that choice for ourselves.

According to Websters Dictionary, the word truth is defined as“the body of real things, events and facts”. Also defined as “God”.
Wait a second. The definition itself clearly states that truth must be proven through facts, therefore God cannot possibly be truth.
Today we will be putting God on trial with you as the jury and our society today as the Prosecutors. The question that must be answered is whether it possible to prove the existence of God?

Since Jesus himself claimed to be God in the form of mankind we will be determining truth through his supposed life, death and resurrection from the dead.
In order to prove if Jesus of Nazareth truly rose for the dead, we must first discover if he truly lived.

Was Jesus a actual person?

To prove the existence of Christ we use two main sources, the first being the Bible.

The New Testament gospels are biographies of the life of Christ from the view points of four eyewitnesses, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Yet how can we trust these ancient documents after all they are nearly 2 thousand years old and have been copied countless times over?

In order to determine the reliability of historical documents, historians compare these writings to those of other reliable texts. This is done through two test. First by discovering how many ancient manuscript copies are still remaining which can then be compared to those of today’s documents, and second be measuring the time gap between the oldest remaining copy and the original text.

According to tough questions answered .org, one of the most recognized reliable documents is that of Homers Iliad. This historical text has almost 1,800 ancient copies and has a time gap of only 400 years between it’s original. To compare this to the New Testament we find that there are over 16 thousand ancient copies available with a time gap of only 40 years.

Comparing to Reliable Historical Writers

Yet these testimonies on there own cannot stand due to the fact that the writers are Christians and would therefore be considered to have prejudice options. In order to truly know if Christ existed we must find further evidence from other sources to confirm the accuracy of these Christian based writings.

But are there any non-Christian documentations of the life of Christ?

In his book A Ready Defense, Josh McDowell reveals multiple reliable historians who wrote on the life of Christ through their non Christian views. In these documents we find the story of Christ’s life, death, and his supposed resurrection from the dead.
These two sources, from  New Testament eyewitnesses and non Christians alike, prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus of Nazareth was truly a living historical figure.

Now that the life of Christ has been proven we must discover the truth of His death.

Did Jesus Truly Die?

Beyond the testimonies of the documents we have already covered, actual evidence of Jesus’s death by crucifixion is necessary. After all if Christ did not truly die but instead simply faked his death, then the resurrection story is immediately disproved.
Again in His book A Ready Defense, Josh McDowell tells of the procedures involved in crucifixion.

 

 

It was customary as in the case of Christ, to be whipped after being sentenced to death. According to Jewish law, 40 Lashings would kill a person and therefore was illegal to inflict more than that number. However, the Romans had no such limitations. Their only restrictions was that the prisoner still be alive and able to carry their own cross. The fact that Jesus was indeed unable to carry His cross is proof that even these restrictions were not followed.

The idea behind the crucifixion is suffocation and exhaustion. The condemned prisoner would be placed on a beam and nailed into place by his hand and feet. These tools that held him agents gravity’s pull would be his only means of breathing. In the position that one would hang on a cross, the rib-cage is unable to exhale. The only way to take the siltiest breath is to push agents the nail in ones feet and pull on those in ones hands till they are just able to let out a gasp of air then drop back to their position of suffocation.

This process would continue until the condemned was either exhausted to the point they can no longer pull themselves up, or the Roman guards put an end to the struggle by breaking the prisoner’s knees.

In Jesus’s case there was no need to have his knees broken for he was already pronounced dead by the time the Romans chose to put an end the crucifixion.

In order insure that Christ truly was dead, a solder priced him through the side with a spear. Out of this wound blood and water flowed forth, which medical exports today now determine is the result of a ruptured heart.

The Romans were masters when it came to their ability to kill and to kill effectively.

There is no possible way that Jesus could have survived crucifixion.
With the life and death of Christ proven, it is finally the moment to prove or disprove the actual resurrection of Christ from the dead.

Did Jesus Rise From The Dead

Was the tomb empty?

If there were a body then there obviously could be no resurrection. Besides the accounts of the women and apostles who went to the tomb, the undeniable proof that there was most defiantly no body to be found comes from the priest and Romans themselves.

On the third day after Christ’s burial, the followers of Jesus were accused by the leaders of that time to have stolen the body of Christ. Why would these leaders say that the body was stolen if it were actually in the tomb? Such an accusations clearly state that the tomb was most defiantly empty.

Then where was the body?

There are two common explanations.

First, the Priest and leaders took the body to keep the followers of Christ from stealing it and claiming that Jesus had risen from the dead.

The obvious problem with this answer is what the leaders would have done if they truly had the corps of Christ. If they had indeed taken body then why did they not revealed it when the rummer of Christ resurrection began to spread? This one act would have put an end to Christianity once and for all, yet no body was ever revealed.
The second is that the disciples did in fact steal the body, making up the entire story themselves. There are multiple problems with this answer, the greatest though being the lives and the deaths of the disciples themselves.

I will admit that in my life time I have told a lie or two to make myself look better or get myself out of trouble, but I can assure you I have never once in my life told a lie to make myself look bad and certainly not to get myself into trouble. If the disciples truly did make the resurrection story up then what did they get out of it? Fame, Fortune? How bout torture and death. It is true that throughout history people have died for lies that they believed to be true, but it is an obvious fact that no one would ever die for something they knew to be a lie.

Whether or not one believes that the resurrection is true or not, the fact that the early Christians wholeheartedly believe it, is an undeniable fact.
Yet this was not always the case. When Jesus was taken to be tried, his followers fled, leaving their leader to his fate. And three days after his death, these men were still hiding in fear for their lives. What changed in these men to make them go form frightened cowards to instantly filled with hope and boldness to the point that each and everyone of them laid down their own lives willingly for the cause of Christ?

An even more compelling testimony is that of two men who despised the teaching of Jesus and all who stood for him. James the brother of Jesus and Paul the persecutor of Christians, openly ridiculed and even killed followers of Christ. That is until they claimed to have seen the risen Savior themselves. After these appearances, these two men dedicated their entire lives to spreading of the gospel.
The testimonies of the disciples and of these two men are clear evidence that something most definitely accrued to change their perspective on all of life. The question is, what was it?

Conclusion

When people say that they don’t believe in the resurrection of Christ, my question for them is what better answer can you give? Jesus foretold his resurrection so that there could be no doubt as to who He truly was. There are over 500 witnesses of the resurrection recorded in the New Testament alone. If what these people saw was not the resurrected Christ then I ask you what was it?
Before I leave you today I wish to answer one last question and then leave you with one to answer yourself. Why did Christ rise form the dead? What significance is there in this miracle?

The answer is to prove to the world who he truly was and to give us hope. You see, Jesus Christ died to give you life and rose to give you hope. My question for you is this. What will you do with the evidence, what will you do with this truth, and what will you do with this hope?

I rest my case.

Being able to work with others and understand how they tick is a key to any successful project be it work or play. At the same time, understanding how you wish to be treated and have others interact with you is just a key.

Over the last five years I have studied the DISC personality profiling system to create my own questions in order to help myself and others determine what type they are as well as those around them. This research has helped myself countless times over as I meet and interact with people through day to day life.

In order to help you discover these attributes, here are my set of questions.

1. In a work situation, which best describes your thought process?

A. What is the task and how can I accomplish it as quickly as possible? Let’s Do It!

B. Who am I going to do this with. How can we make this more enjoyable? Let’s have fun!

C. How can we make this work for everyone. Does everyone feel involved?

D. What are the facts? Have we thought this all the way through? How can this be better?

2. In a social setting, which best decries your actions?

A. Go to the more influential people first. Getting to know the right people and making yourself apparent.

B. Meet as many people as time allows. Have some kind of entertainment or trick to amuse others and make them laugh.

C. Scan the room to make sure that no one is left out and then take actions to include everyone.

D. Find a place to sit and relax as you observe the party. Study those of interest form a distance and only take actions to interact after you have thought your plan out.

3. When participating in a competitive activity with friends, which action do you take?

A. Let’s win this thing! Do what ever it takes to win baby! I’m going to cream you!

B. What really cool move can I make? I’m going to rock this! Everyone had better have their phones ready!

C. Is everyone able to play? What will we do when not everyone wins? Everyone need to feel special.

D. How is the best way to go about this obstacle course so as to insure our victory?

4. When stressed, how do you react most often?

A. Anger. Just give me space to vent.

B. Push it off. Ignore the problem until it it becomes too much and you finally break down but in privet. No one must see your pain.

C. Cry. Talk things out. Want to feel safe and appreciated.

D. Block out world. Reason through things on your own. Don’t let anyone in.

5. When going about planning and setting personal goals, What is most important?

A. Seeing the big picture.  Have a plan for ten to twenty years down the road. Big plans and goals with direct actions on how to accomplish those goals.

B. Lots of Big ideas all the time. Chasing after the wild dreams, taking chances and living life to the fullest.

C. How can I keep everyone that means the most to me close to me in my future. How can make everyone happy with me?

D. What is the most effective path with the greatest profit? Each step planned with out with no room for change.

 
How one interacts with others and how they conduct themselves in everyday situations will differ greatly by which personality type is their primary.

If you related mostly with the A questions then you are a dominate D. If your related mostly with the B’s then you are an I. Mostly C’s are S. Mostly D’s are C.

With a better idea of which type you and your partner may be, here are a few tips on your greatest strengths, weaknesses, how you help others and, how others can help you.

D

Greatest strength = Determined and get things done.
Greatest weakness = Have a tendency to be pushy and patient.
How they help others = They lead and are always willing to accomplish a task.
How others can help them = Give quick and to the point directions. Understand that they are not ignoring you they are just focused on a task.

I

Greatest strength = Outgoing and interactive.
Greatest weakness = Have tendency to not accomplish much in the eyes of others and seem unfocused.
How they help others = They make life fun no matter where they are.
How others can help them = Let them have fun. Don’t judge them as childish but instead see them as the gifts of joy that they are.

S

Greatest strength = They are sensitive and caring to others and their surroundings.
Greatest weakness = Can have their felling hurt  easily and often hide in the back.
How they help others = These people are all about helping others. They live for it. They always know when someone is hurt or need love.
How can we help them = Make sure we don’t push them out of the way as they are less upfront. Always show that you appreciate them.

C

Greatest strength = These people make anything they work on better and think through things logically.
Greatest weakness = Can be seen as perfectionists and have hard time being completely content with something. They can also come across as judgmental.
How they help others = These people make things better by seeing the areas of improvement and logic.
How others can help them = Give them time and patients understanding that it is important to them that things be done the right way. Know that they are not being judgmental but only helping in their gifted way.

 

With this better understanding of yourself and how you can help others, you are better equipped to enjoy those in your life and improve the world around you.

Did you know that Hitler wanted to be an artist?

Neither did I, but it’s true. At the age of 18, he took his entire inheritance and moved to Vienna to live and study. He applied to the academy of fine arts and later the school of architecture. Yet I have never seen a single painting of his.

What happened to transform this aspiring artist into the monster that we remember him to be?

According to Steven Pressfield the author of The War of Art, the force that stood between Hitler and his canvas is the same one that stands between each Master and their trade. It was easier for this man to start WW2 then it was for him to fulfill his passion and dreams. 

That’s a pretty intimidating thought. Fortunately, though you don’t have to fall to the same fate. You can overcome this obstacle and become the Master of your Trade.

Introducing Resistance

This force that stands between you and your dreams is an eary beast known as Resistance. You may not know him by this name but you have undoubtedly met him face to face on nearly a daily basis. Each time you consider rising above your lifestyle of going through the motions, there seems to be a wall standing in your way, or a ball and chain around your leg. These are the tools Resistance uses to keep you from reaching your greatest potential.

Resistance will say or do anything to keep you from doing your work. A rule of thumb is that the more important a call or action is to your self-improvement, the more Resistance you will feel toward pursuing it. Something is only as valuable as the effort it takes to fight for it.

This is a battle that must be fought on a daily basis and requires perseverance anew each morning.

The Forms of Resistance

Procrastination

This form of Resistance seeks to set your mind at ease, allowing you to rest peacefully in your chair as the building around you burns to the ground. This allusion of time never coming to an end convenience the Master that their trade will always be there, and thus there is no urgency.

The truth is though, there is no such thing as tomorrow. There is only today, this moment, right now.

Instant Pleasure

Why invest time and effort into your trade when you can achieve instant satisfaction in so many other areas of life. This is the lie whispered into the ear of a Master as they consider dedicating their lives to their trade.

In actullity though, immediate satisfaction brings short term enjoyment, while patients and self-control bring about life-impacting results and lasting joy.

Self-Pitty/ the Victim Syndrom

Excuses are one of the most deadly weapons used by Resistance. These reasons as to why you as the Master will never be able to rise above your life situation, disabilities, and wrongs inflicted upon you, will keep you trapped in your victimhood. Pitiful people never improve their lives or change the lives of others.

We, we, we. Me, me, me. I, I, I. Focusing on ourselves only fixes us on what we think we deserve and keeps us from noticing what we can become and our ability to impacting this world.

Being the Master of Your Trade

“The truly free person is free only to the extent of his own self-mastery.”

The most frightening thing about Resistance is that this beast is actually a form of ourselves. It is a combination of our greatest weaknesses, flaws, and lack of personal mastery.

There are three versions of yourself living inside your body. First, there’s the you at this moment, looking at your life and evaluating what you will do and who you will become. Then there is the lesser version of yourself, the Resistance monster, dragging you down to a seemingly easier lifestyle with no responsibilities or accountability. Finally, there is the greater version of yourself, the Master of your trade, drawing you on toward the calling and purpose for your existence.

The you at this moment must decide which force to follow. Will you become the Master of your Trade or will you allow Resistance to waste your life and all you could have become?

“The more Resistance you experience, the more impotent your unmanifested art/ project/ enterprise is to you – and the more gratification you will feel when you finally do it.”

 How Great Leaders Lead

In his TED Talk How Great Leaders Inspire Action, Simon Sinek presents the key to sharing one’s ideas in such a way that others not only understand but can relate to and take on as their own.

What is this secret? Shearing your why behind what you do.

“People don’t buy what you do, they but why you do it.”

People want to be identified with a cause or product that aligns with their beliefs. When you share your why, it allows others to take this mission and make it their own.

In my blog Leading With Your Why, I explain this concept and how it is used in the business world. In this post, I wish to shear with you my examples of why I do what I do. My hope is that by understanding the reasoning behind these areas of my life you will be able to relate to my mission and beliefes taking them on as your won. You don’t have to choose not to go to college, work in a feed store, or teach gymnastics to have the same mission as I do. These are beliefs that can be applied to every area of life.

Together we can make a far greater impact than one individual on their own.

 

The Reason Why I Chose Not To Go To College

I believe in striving for the kind of life that is capable of changing the world. This is a life measured not by a bank account summary or the opinions of others. It’s a life measured by the personal accomplishments I have achieved. It’s a life of overcoming the resistance that stands between each master and their trade. It’s a life of resting your head on the pillow each night satisfied with how you spent your hours that day.

I believe that each person has a purpose and place in the world that they are meant to impact. Life is a gift we only get once. I intend to live mine completely invested and involved, as opposed to checking my brain in at the door so that the trends and ideas of the day can live my life for me.

It is this purpose that I aim for instead of an A on a test or exam. Such a life is not given to anyone but is one that must be fought for and earned. For myself, this journey does not lead through a college compose but instead out in the real world, gaining life experience, skills, and a reputation.

College is not a bad thing or a pour choice to make, for some people. At the end of the day though, one’s work ethic, ability to produce value, and life experience will far outweigh a piece of paper and that is why I have chosen not to go to college.

 

 

 The Reason Why I am Passionate About Nut, Bolts, And Hay

 

I believe in hard work, discovering new ways to impacts one’s work, community, and the lives of others. Being attentive as to what needs to be done and knowing how to improve how things are run is what makes a great Tractor Supply member.

This store is much more than a building with products and services. It is a place for creating projects, hobbies, and livelihoods. By being apart of this industry I can be a problem solver. For that customer who walks in and is greeted with a warm welcom, I even get to be a life-changer, if only in my community.

Yet what is our country made of if not communities? And what are communities made of if not their people? Therefore, by serving the people of my community, I truly am a world changer.

You may think I’m crazy but, now you know why I am passionate about nuts, bolts, and hay.

 

 The Reason Why I Chose To Work With Children Every Day

 

I love working with children. More specifically though, I love working with children in a way that allows them to build confidence in who they are and their ability to overcome any area of life.

I have witnessed the transformation of a child in that one moment when the skill they thought was impossible suddenly becomes their own reality. A smile covers their faces from ear to ear and their eyes light up with an uncontainable excitement. It is in these moments that I get to share in their excitement, offering a high five, a pat on the back, hug or even a happy dance. These are the moments that become engraved in their minds and push them toward new unattainable goals, knowing that they can change the world.

I truly believe that the way a person overcomes the challenges in this life is by first finding a scene of pride and accomplishment within themselves. This self-confidence is what drives a person to reach for the impossible, achieve what others said could never be done, and put the needs of others before their own. This is what it takes to be a world-changer and this is why I chose to be a gymnastics coach.

Conclusion

 

Now that you understand the reasoning behind these areas of my life you can better relate to my mission and beliefs taking them on as your won. You don’t have to choose not to go to college, work in a feed store, or teach gymnastics to have the same mission as I do. These are beliefs that can be applied to every area of life.

Together we can make a far greater impact than one individual on their own.

So I have a question for you. What is your mission and Why?