Victor Serebriakoff was born in the slums of East London. It was obvious that Victor was different than most children. While other kids were playing, he spent most of his time studying and asking questions at every chance. Even though he was a good student, Victor was ridiculed and labeled a dunce by the other kids because of his inquisitive nature. “I was chased home from school every day because I was the kid who put his hand up at every question,” he recalled. Circumstances finally forced Victor, at the age of sixteen, to drop out of school. For the next fifteen years, he bounced from one small job to another, growing more and more convinced that the kids were right.
One day Victor went through a psychological evaluation for prospective military officers. Included was an IQ test. This test would change his life forever. The results were astonishing. Victor had an IQ of 161! He was well beyond the minimum qualifications to be classified a genius.
Victor soon realized that the inquisitive nature that earned him the label “dunce” was not a curse, but a blessing of higher intelligence. From that day forward, Victor’s picture of himself began to change as his life was illuminated with new knowledge of his potential. He no longer saw himself as a dunce, but as a genius. What changed? Did Victor change? No. He was still the same person. The only thing that changed was his ability to see things differently. By changing Victor’s data input, his attitude about life changed. Victor Serebriakoff went on to author numerous books. He became a renowned inventor and later in life served as the Chairman of “Mensa International,” a society for innovators and individuals with exceptional IQs.
In the study of aviation the word attitude means: the positioning of an aircraft with respect to the relationship between its axes and the horizon or focal point. In other words, if the nose of the aircraft is above the horizon, it is said to have an “ascending” or positive attitude. If the nose of the aircraft is pointed below horizon, it is said to have a “descending” or negative attitude. The attitude of the aircraft determines the altitude.
You are destined for greatness. Like a well-equipped and manufactured aircraft, God has created you to soar above mediocrity and become His carrier of hope to the world around you. How well you do this will be determined primarily by your attitude in life. It has been said that a positive attitude won’t get you everywhere but it will take you much farther than a negative attitude.
(This text has been taken from my book: Mission Possible: Unleashing Your Full Potential To order, click here)
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
The Fastest Way To Get Rich
Ok, shout out to my buddy, Paula Broadbent this week. She and I took a little trip to Dallas, where I introduced her to one of my wholesale accessory stores. It is simply the most amazing wholesale store, full of thousands of items of jewelry, purses, belts, etc. It is truly an experience to walk into the store and see items that other stores would sell for over a hundred dollars on sale for twenty. When I take someone with me, I love watching their eyes when they see what items really cost. They are simply amazed.Well, this time I took our Regional Director, my buddy Paula. She and her husband, Charlie, are dedicated to their Ultimate 180 Financial Freedom Plan. They have been diligently demolishing debt and working towards total freedom.
Yesterday, Paula went into the wholesale store with me giving herself a budget of $100. to spend in the store. I watched as she ooo’d and ahh’d over the many items she wanted. I was tickled watching her look at the prices and calculate her dollars. Of course, she didn't know I was enjoying her struggle as much as watching a good chick flick, but what happened in the process made me quite proud.
As I sat back and basked in the beauty of watching her budget her money, I have to tell you that I was thrilled as she walked up to the counter thinking she was at $100 in items. She thought to herself...."I did it! Charlie will be happy I didn't go over!"
Well....let me tell you...... that girl only spent $78. When the total rang up less than $100, she said, "Oh Shoot! I can spend more! Should I go back and get more?
I said, "No, walk away doing better than you planned and you will feel even better about the items you did get!"
Sure enough, she was so proud of herself for working below budget for a change. Way to go, girl. You are doing great on your 180 Financial Freedom Plan and on your way to a whole new world of freedom!
Did you know that the easiest way to get rich and live in financial freedom is not through some get rich scheme or lottery system? It is through your current income tied with good spending habits. If you will simply learn to spend less than you make, you will have "margin" or extra money each month that we can show you how to use to pay off debt or to put toward high interest investments.
Paula proved to herself that less is best and what a joy in feeling good at the end of the day!
To sign up for the Ultimate 180 Financial Freedom Course, click here and get started demolishing your debt today!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Silencing The Voice Of Depression
Recently one of our EMwomen Community members opened up to share her challenge with depression and voices that have recently lead her to thoughts of suicide. Knowing that depression is a major issue facing women across America and the world, I felt it important to open this as a discussion of us all.
Question: Is there anything I can do to stop this urge of suicide?
Answer: First let me introduce myself. I am Staci Wallace, the founder of EMwomen and I feel you at this very moment. Not because I can "imagine" your pain, but because I have lived it. There is nothing worse on earth than the voices of the soul (mind, will, and emotions) that echo through the heart of a woman saying, "you are worthless." "You are a failure." "Nobody cares if you are dead or alive." "Nothing you do matters anyway." "You are ugly." "Life is hopeless." "You'd be better off dead."
Those are just a few of the voices I was bombarded with in the most difficult season of my life. I had experienced abuse, divorce, rejection and the feelings of utter hopelessness. I remember being so suicidal and depressed that everything in my world seemed broken.
Yet, I was a Christian, who, deep down inside wanted to live. The struggle between life and death was so great that I, too, felt bipolar.
It wasn't until I realized that, although there were chemical reactions taking place within me that the medics could label bipolar, there was something even deeper within me that doctors couldn't see. For those who suffer from depression, the only way doctors know to "fix" you is to medicate you or try and talk you out of your state of anxiety.
Unfortunately, those approaches may help temporarily, but they don't treat the root issue......The heart.
Operating within you right now are two voices. It is the same two voices that echo within us all. One is the voice of the soul (your mind, will and emotions). That voice is completely influenced by your circumstances, your surroundings, your flesh, what you see, feel, experience on a daily basis. To be led by that voice means that you live life like being on a roller coaster. One day you're up, the next day you are down. And so you live with an unstable existence that seems to drive you crazy at times.
The other voice within us is the voice of our Spirit. The spirit voice is the voice most in tuned with God. Whether we are "Christians" or not, we are all "spiritual", meaning we have an innate part of our being that is "Spirit". Consider it the good little angel that sits on our shoulder trying to help us make good decisions.
Unfortunately, that voice often loses the fight against the soul voice and ends up watching us make poor decisions based on temporary circumstances or emotions.
Imagine this.....It's 10pm and you are watching TV. You’ve been trying to lose weight and you know that eating late at night is not the best thing for your "weightless plan". Still, you hear that "soul" voice say, "Cheeze Nips would sure be good right now!" "Doesn't a nice big Coke sound yummy!" Immediately the "spirit" voice declares in opposition, "Now that is probably not the best decision. I should go for a walk, drink a glass of water or have some turkey to tide me over."
And which voice usually wins out? You guessed it.... the Cheeze Nip Addict....the soul.
So how do we learn to silence those depressive, life destroying, dream destroying, and often suicidal voices of our emotions? Here is how I did it.
I realized that on my own, I couldn't win that battle. I also realized that I had made some foolish decisions that opened my heart up to some really crummy stuff that included sex, partying, lying and more. I needed a roto-rooter of the soul. I needed a cleansing of my mind, my will and my emotions. I needed a second chance at life with an entirely fresh start. I needed my past to stop haunting me and my future to illuminate the possibilities of life.
Here is what I did. I cried out to God to forgive me. I verbally asked for freedom from suicidal thoughts. I asked for freedom from the voices of opposition in my soul. I declared my freedom from a sinful lifestyle and told the voices of darkness within my soul that I was through listening to their banter.
I also asked God to heal my wounded spirit and place His Sprit within me. My spiritual self was not strong enough to win over darkness. I needed God's unlimited and ever so powerful Spirit to take me over.
In other words, I did an exchange with the only source of hope and destiny. I gave God my warn out, abused, ugly, stinky, hypocritical, analytical, prideful, depressed and negative soul. In return.....He gave me new life.
He gave me His Spirit through faith in Christ. I was raised a Christian, but never understood the value of the "great exchange" till that moment. I accepted a new Spirit within me and trusted that my future was in His hands because I was now a walking temple of His Spirit.
Things weren't perfect overnight, but in one night, the lights to my future became brighter than the darkness of my past.
Today, it is that very story of pain, depression and new life that fuels my passion for EMwomen. Rather than killing myself.....I chose to live....not for myself, but for others. My story no longer carries with it the pain and hurt of my past. Instead, the scars of my past have become stars of hope to light the way for people like you.
If I can make it....You can make it. One day, you will be the one righting this email to someone else giving them hope to never give up. Your best is yet to come and if you will simply make that "great exchange", you will begin to see the light.
Silence the voice of the enemy in your soul. Choose to acknowledge and submit to the voice of the Spirit that is shouting aloud saying, "Choose you this day, who will you serve?"
Leann.....choose life! I did and now my life is giving life to others. Let's do this together. I want to see you become a voice of dynamic hope and change for young women like yourself.
Please go to my page and listen to the song "Cinderella" over and over again. Meditate on its words. Listen to its message saying, "There is greatness in you....."
I believe in you and know that His Spirit is greater than anything you've ever faced. Once the voices are silenced within your soul.....Bipolar tendencies will become a thing of the past and your physical body and chemical challenges will subside.
Life.....Choose Life! I LOVE YOU!
Question: Is there anything I can do to stop this urge of suicide?
Answer: First let me introduce myself. I am Staci Wallace, the founder of EMwomen and I feel you at this very moment. Not because I can "imagine" your pain, but because I have lived it. There is nothing worse on earth than the voices of the soul (mind, will, and emotions) that echo through the heart of a woman saying, "you are worthless." "You are a failure." "Nobody cares if you are dead or alive." "Nothing you do matters anyway." "You are ugly." "Life is hopeless." "You'd be better off dead."
Those are just a few of the voices I was bombarded with in the most difficult season of my life. I had experienced abuse, divorce, rejection and the feelings of utter hopelessness. I remember being so suicidal and depressed that everything in my world seemed broken.
Yet, I was a Christian, who, deep down inside wanted to live. The struggle between life and death was so great that I, too, felt bipolar.
It wasn't until I realized that, although there were chemical reactions taking place within me that the medics could label bipolar, there was something even deeper within me that doctors couldn't see. For those who suffer from depression, the only way doctors know to "fix" you is to medicate you or try and talk you out of your state of anxiety.
Unfortunately, those approaches may help temporarily, but they don't treat the root issue......The heart.
Operating within you right now are two voices. It is the same two voices that echo within us all. One is the voice of the soul (your mind, will and emotions). That voice is completely influenced by your circumstances, your surroundings, your flesh, what you see, feel, experience on a daily basis. To be led by that voice means that you live life like being on a roller coaster. One day you're up, the next day you are down. And so you live with an unstable existence that seems to drive you crazy at times.
The other voice within us is the voice of our Spirit. The spirit voice is the voice most in tuned with God. Whether we are "Christians" or not, we are all "spiritual", meaning we have an innate part of our being that is "Spirit". Consider it the good little angel that sits on our shoulder trying to help us make good decisions.
Unfortunately, that voice often loses the fight against the soul voice and ends up watching us make poor decisions based on temporary circumstances or emotions.
Imagine this.....It's 10pm and you are watching TV. You’ve been trying to lose weight and you know that eating late at night is not the best thing for your "weightless plan". Still, you hear that "soul" voice say, "Cheeze Nips would sure be good right now!" "Doesn't a nice big Coke sound yummy!" Immediately the "spirit" voice declares in opposition, "Now that is probably not the best decision. I should go for a walk, drink a glass of water or have some turkey to tide me over."
And which voice usually wins out? You guessed it.... the Cheeze Nip Addict....the soul.
So how do we learn to silence those depressive, life destroying, dream destroying, and often suicidal voices of our emotions? Here is how I did it.
I realized that on my own, I couldn't win that battle. I also realized that I had made some foolish decisions that opened my heart up to some really crummy stuff that included sex, partying, lying and more. I needed a roto-rooter of the soul. I needed a cleansing of my mind, my will and my emotions. I needed a second chance at life with an entirely fresh start. I needed my past to stop haunting me and my future to illuminate the possibilities of life.
Here is what I did. I cried out to God to forgive me. I verbally asked for freedom from suicidal thoughts. I asked for freedom from the voices of opposition in my soul. I declared my freedom from a sinful lifestyle and told the voices of darkness within my soul that I was through listening to their banter.
I also asked God to heal my wounded spirit and place His Sprit within me. My spiritual self was not strong enough to win over darkness. I needed God's unlimited and ever so powerful Spirit to take me over.
In other words, I did an exchange with the only source of hope and destiny. I gave God my warn out, abused, ugly, stinky, hypocritical, analytical, prideful, depressed and negative soul. In return.....He gave me new life.
He gave me His Spirit through faith in Christ. I was raised a Christian, but never understood the value of the "great exchange" till that moment. I accepted a new Spirit within me and trusted that my future was in His hands because I was now a walking temple of His Spirit.
Things weren't perfect overnight, but in one night, the lights to my future became brighter than the darkness of my past.
Today, it is that very story of pain, depression and new life that fuels my passion for EMwomen. Rather than killing myself.....I chose to live....not for myself, but for others. My story no longer carries with it the pain and hurt of my past. Instead, the scars of my past have become stars of hope to light the way for people like you.
If I can make it....You can make it. One day, you will be the one righting this email to someone else giving them hope to never give up. Your best is yet to come and if you will simply make that "great exchange", you will begin to see the light.
Silence the voice of the enemy in your soul. Choose to acknowledge and submit to the voice of the Spirit that is shouting aloud saying, "Choose you this day, who will you serve?"
Leann.....choose life! I did and now my life is giving life to others. Let's do this together. I want to see you become a voice of dynamic hope and change for young women like yourself.
Please go to my page and listen to the song "Cinderella" over and over again. Meditate on its words. Listen to its message saying, "There is greatness in you....."
I believe in you and know that His Spirit is greater than anything you've ever faced. Once the voices are silenced within your soul.....Bipolar tendencies will become a thing of the past and your physical body and chemical challenges will subside.
Life.....Choose Life! I LOVE YOU!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Happy Mothers Day
Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful, giving, sexy, overworked and often underappreciated mothers!!!! Today is a day of celebrating your greatness. Whether you are a seasoned veteran, a rookie in training, or a hopeful, expectant mother-to-be, I rejoice with you as such a valuable giver and nurturer of generations to come.
What an honor it is to be a mother. As I sit here in the early hours of morning, I give thanks to God for the privilege of partnering with Him and my husband in nurturing two precious children who will be catalysts of change in generations to come. Whether you are told often enough or not, Mom's, your life makes a difference. What you do on a daily basis matters, as the little ones you raise are watching your footsteps. What you say matters, as your children have ears like radars and pick up on every word. How you behave and the emotions you transmit daily are leaving an imprint on the heart of your children.
Today, on this very special day, I pray that each of us mothers will reflect on our personal leadership and ask ourselves, "Am I giving my best to the children I love the most? Am I living a life worthy of being followed?"
From my heart to yours, I pray that you feel celebrated today. You are an everyday Hero and worthy of honor. Enjoy your day! Treat yourself to a nap. Oh, go ahead and have a Bon Bon too! Then follow it up with a nice walk and give thanks to God for the joy of being a mom!
Happy Mother's Day!!!!
What an honor it is to be a mother. As I sit here in the early hours of morning, I give thanks to God for the privilege of partnering with Him and my husband in nurturing two precious children who will be catalysts of change in generations to come. Whether you are told often enough or not, Mom's, your life makes a difference. What you do on a daily basis matters, as the little ones you raise are watching your footsteps. What you say matters, as your children have ears like radars and pick up on every word. How you behave and the emotions you transmit daily are leaving an imprint on the heart of your children.
Today, on this very special day, I pray that each of us mothers will reflect on our personal leadership and ask ourselves, "Am I giving my best to the children I love the most? Am I living a life worthy of being followed?"
From my heart to yours, I pray that you feel celebrated today. You are an everyday Hero and worthy of honor. Enjoy your day! Treat yourself to a nap. Oh, go ahead and have a Bon Bon too! Then follow it up with a nice walk and give thanks to God for the joy of being a mom!
Happy Mother's Day!!!!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Try Pure NRG
I think the Miley Cyrus incident will serve as a great lesson for parents to teach their children why it is so important to think about the consequences of your decisions. When I read the blog posted by Lisa regarding Miley Cyrus, I could feel her dilemna as our kids, too, have been on the Hannah Montanah train. Our family has experienced the same concerns. Unfortunately, the mainstream music and entertainment industries have shown us that their number one priority is not the purity or preservation of our children's integrity. At the end of the day, it is all a money game and today....sex sells. It is sad, but true that a 15 year old like Miley would feel the need to bare all to show her "new maturity". The photographer who told her to take the shot is well know for her provacative nature and edgy photos so Miley's support team should have known better than to let it go that far.
Even more unfortunate is the accountability team around Miley that allowed her feel that taking your clothes off means maturity or purity. I have a hard time believing that it wasn't more pre-planned than that. I suppose they want us all to just sweep it under the rug just like the many drug charges, alchoholic outbursts, sex triangles other moral blunders artists seem to escape from everyday.
As a mother and woman who, too, has made mistakes, I will completely forgive the incident and trust that Miley and her family will make better decisions in the future. In the meantime, we will protect our children from allowing such "role models" to influence their choices by continuing to buy their products blindly. I agree with Lisa that it is risky to let just anyone be the role model to our kids. The best answer is to provide alternatives and make sure that what you are teaching and showing them at home in your own life is worthy of being followed.
As for our kids, we went out this weekend and found a Christian alternative to Hannah Montanah. It is a young teen goup call Pure NRG. It consists of two girls and a BOY! My son is thrilled to have a boy in the mix when all he has heard is about girls, girls, girls. Their words and music are great and even better, we are teaching our kids to follow the message and not the messenger.
Their website is: www.purenrgonline.com
Even more unfortunate is the accountability team around Miley that allowed her feel that taking your clothes off means maturity or purity. I have a hard time believing that it wasn't more pre-planned than that. I suppose they want us all to just sweep it under the rug just like the many drug charges, alchoholic outbursts, sex triangles other moral blunders artists seem to escape from everyday.
As a mother and woman who, too, has made mistakes, I will completely forgive the incident and trust that Miley and her family will make better decisions in the future. In the meantime, we will protect our children from allowing such "role models" to influence their choices by continuing to buy their products blindly. I agree with Lisa that it is risky to let just anyone be the role model to our kids. The best answer is to provide alternatives and make sure that what you are teaching and showing them at home in your own life is worthy of being followed.
As for our kids, we went out this weekend and found a Christian alternative to Hannah Montanah. It is a young teen goup call Pure NRG. It consists of two girls and a BOY! My son is thrilled to have a boy in the mix when all he has heard is about girls, girls, girls. Their words and music are great and even better, we are teaching our kids to follow the message and not the messenger.
Their website is: www.purenrgonline.com
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Try Pure NRG
I think the Miley Cyrus incident will serve as a great lesson for parents to teach their children why it is so important to think about the consequences of your decisions. When I read the blog posted by Lisa regarding Miley Cyrus, I could feel her dilemna as our kids, too, have been on the Hannah Montanah train. Our family has experienced the same concerns. Unfortunately, the mainstream music and entertainment industries have shown us that their number one priority is not the purity or preservation of our children's integrity. At the end of the day, it is all a money game and today....sex sells. It is sad, but true that a 15 year old like Miley would feel the need to bare all to show her "new maturity". The photographer who told her to take the shot is well know for her provacative nature and edgy photos so Miley's support team should have known better than to let it go that far.
Even more unfortunate is the accountability team around Miley that allowed her feel that taking your clothes off means maturity or purity. I have a hard time believing that it wasn't more pre-planned than that. I suppose they want us all to just sweep it under the rug just like the many drug charges, alchoholic outbursts, sex triangles other moral blunders artists seem to escape from everyday.
As a mother and woman who, too, has made mistakes, I will completely forgive the incident and trust that Miley and her family will make better decisions in the future. In the meantime, we will protect our children from allowing such "role models" to influence their choices by continuing to buy their products blindly. I agree with Lisa that it is risky to let just anyone be the role model to our kids. The best answer is to provide alternatives and make sure that what you are teaching and showing them at home in your own life is worthy of being followed.
As for our kids, we went out this weekend and found a Christian alternative to Hannah Montanah. It is a young teen goup call Pure NRG. It consists of two girls and a BOY! My son is thrilled to have a boy in the mix when all he has heard is about girls, girls, girls. Their words and music are great and even better, we are teaching our kids to follow the message and not the messenger.
Their website is: http://www.purenrgonline.com/
Even more unfortunate is the accountability team around Miley that allowed her feel that taking your clothes off means maturity or purity. I have a hard time believing that it wasn't more pre-planned than that. I suppose they want us all to just sweep it under the rug just like the many drug charges, alchoholic outbursts, sex triangles other moral blunders artists seem to escape from everyday.
As a mother and woman who, too, has made mistakes, I will completely forgive the incident and trust that Miley and her family will make better decisions in the future. In the meantime, we will protect our children from allowing such "role models" to influence their choices by continuing to buy their products blindly. I agree with Lisa that it is risky to let just anyone be the role model to our kids. The best answer is to provide alternatives and make sure that what you are teaching and showing them at home in your own life is worthy of being followed.
As for our kids, we went out this weekend and found a Christian alternative to Hannah Montanah. It is a young teen goup call Pure NRG. It consists of two girls and a BOY! My son is thrilled to have a boy in the mix when all he has heard is about girls, girls, girls. Their words and music are great and even better, we are teaching our kids to follow the message and not the messenger.
Their website is: http://www.purenrgonline.com/
Friday, May 2, 2008
She Opened Her Eyes!
I had the distinct privilege of singing for a beautiful young lady in the ICU in Dallas, Texas today. She had a brain aneurism and has been in a coma for about a week. Today, as I began to sing for her, she opened her eyes and just looked at me. What an amazing site, as we have been praying for her the whole time we've been here with Larry's mom. As we continue to watch Larry's mom regain total health, we are in constant prayer for Laura, the young lady fighting through the brain surgery. She is the mother of four young children and today was a wonderful day of promising hope for her. If you remember, pray for her total recovery and for the strength of her entire family.
She's Moving Up To 7-11
Thank you so much for all of the prayers for Larry's Mom. She has certainly been a "miracle" in action. She has progressively gotten better and better, stronger and stronger. Today, she was up and walking. She is completely off the oxygen and high potent meds. In fact today, she was "tube" free for the first time in a week.
What that means is DOING GREAT!!!! Larry and I just spoke with the head doctor and he assured us that she is moving out of ICU today. In fact, we just finished decorating her new room with balloons, cards and beautiful music. And get this; her new room number is 711. I asked them if that room comes with all you can drink slushees! We are so excited and it is a huge move towards mom's divine recovery.
We have seen so many divine moments along the way in this journey. Beyond mom's miracle, we have had the chance to minister hope and love to so many other families in ICU. Mom says that she knows, now, that God is not finished with her yet and that His plan is to use her to do something great with the life she has left.
I think we can all learn from this example and I pray that it doesn't take a near death experience for us to know that God has a plan and purpose for our lives. Use your life to the fullest. Embrace every moment as if it were your last. Live for the beauty of giving life and hope to others. And let your life, your words and your desire be that of becoming a catalyst of change in the lives of those around you!
What that means is DOING GREAT!!!! Larry and I just spoke with the head doctor and he assured us that she is moving out of ICU today. In fact, we just finished decorating her new room with balloons, cards and beautiful music. And get this; her new room number is 711. I asked them if that room comes with all you can drink slushees! We are so excited and it is a huge move towards mom's divine recovery.
We have seen so many divine moments along the way in this journey. Beyond mom's miracle, we have had the chance to minister hope and love to so many other families in ICU. Mom says that she knows, now, that God is not finished with her yet and that His plan is to use her to do something great with the life she has left.
I think we can all learn from this example and I pray that it doesn't take a near death experience for us to know that God has a plan and purpose for our lives. Use your life to the fullest. Embrace every moment as if it were your last. Live for the beauty of giving life and hope to others. And let your life, your words and your desire be that of becoming a catalyst of change in the lives of those around you!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)