What if YOU loved your JOB?

One of the biggest issues with creating a job we love is our belief system. Most people have been conditioned to think the only purpose for working is to make money so they stick with jobs that literally suck away their creativity and decrease their quality of life because they think it's their only option. If you are one of those people, listen to me: 

It's not your only option!

Did you know God gave Adam and Eve jobs way before they had need for money? They were to protect, take care of and grow the garden. According to God, jobs should do more than pay bills. Doing work that fulfills us gives us the opportunity to express our God given talents and abilities in a way that honors, God, brings us personal satisfaction and benefits others.

Say this aloud: I am created to do work that fulfills my passion, pays my bills and allows me to be blessing to others.

In order to create a job that does all three you must deal with your thinking. If you believe work must be tedious and you should be overworked and underpaid or that only certain people get to do what they love, you need a good brainwashing…so keep reading!

My strategy starts with believing that God really does want me to love my job and to work WITH Him to create it. There are many ways to create a job you love. You might start a business or redefine how you view, value and utilize your skills, talents & strengths. If you are a teacher, do you really hate teaching or would you thrive with a different age group? My husband, Edwin and I both enjoy teaching, but he loves middle schoolers and I love college students. Put me with preteens and my joy of teaching diminishes GREATLY! It's important to know what environments bring the best out in you.

It might mean changing your view about your current job. Maybe you don't like your job because instead of being thankful and looking to solve problems you've gotten caught in the cycle of negativity. I worked with a client who had this issue. She had forgotten to be the solution and spent all her time focused on the problems. She changed her attitude and the way she viewed the job changed AND she gained the ability to speak wisdom into her co-workers. She getting more satisfaction at her job and making a difference for others. (Remember that even your dream job will have a downside, but the whole job shouldn't be down!) 

I personally believe that God cares where we work, how much we make and whether we enjoy our work because it affects every other area of our lives. If you hate your job, your family certainly suffers from that, it makes sharing God's love at work extremely difficult and have you considered the negative health consequences (stress, high blood pressure, etc)? Anyway, below are some steps that I've put together.

THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP!

Pray – It should be done continuously throughout the process. Luke 18, “Men ought to always pray and not faint.” Keep asking, keep searching and don’t settle for not having God talk to you. Trust that God knows you way better than you know you! He knows what you were born to do and He even knows that some of the stuff you think you want, you don’t really want. Trust that God wants to share your purpose with you and direct you every step of the way! Pray and except God to lead you!! 

BTW - prayer is a conversation. Don't just talk to God. Ask Him questions about who you are are, why you are here, what you were born to do and LISTEN for the answers. 

Here's a prayer starter...

Father,

Thank You for creating me on purpose with a purpose. I believe work is good and my work should enjoyable and profitable. I believe the work I am called to do honors You, satisfies me and blesses others. Thank You for leading and directing me into work that meet this criteria. Thank You for wisdom, open doors, favor in high places, strategic connections and answered prayers. I believe I receive the fruit of this prayer which is an job I love! In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen!

Feel free to print and say this prayer daily

Tune in tomorrow for the next step!

A Journey Into Love

Have you ever tried to grasp the love of God? It's so much more than our minds can comprehend. How can He know all about us and love us anyway? How can How can He love the molester as much as the molested? God's love is inconceivable to the human mind. This love is so much more than the feelings we commonly categorize as love. You know those feelings that come and go based on the performance of others? God's love is way more than a feeling; the power that God does everything from! Love is how God heals, delivers and sets free. Love is how God raised Jesus from the dead and how He released us from the bondage of sin, fear and death. If that wasn't enough, He then gives us this same power known as love. It means we can love just like God. We get excited when we hear we can love like God and we set out to try to love that way only to come up short when people don't do what we think they should or change as fast we we expect. The love of God isn't a feeling, it's His very essence. We can't love like God in our own strength (as I'm sure you've found out) so what should we do? We love like God as the result of being loved by God. When we abide in His presence and personally experience His love we are equipped to love to others.

I'm convinced that whenever we have areas in our lives where we aren't making progress, we need to go deeper in love. God is inviting us into a journey deeper into the love of God. We can learn to live like Jesus. Jesus never faced a problem that love couldn't conquer whether it was feeding 5000 with a little boys' lunch or raising Lazarus from the dead. He didn't even respond to his enemies with brute force or indifference, but with love! Jesus was deeply connected to God's love. He understand that He could do nothing of value apart from love. Love was never hard for Jesus. He wasn't trying to love. He loved others out of the relationship He had with God. Not only did Jesus love, He always had the victory because He refused to live outside of love. As believers we can link up with God and experience the same victory. There are only two worlds we can live in: a world of love or a world of fear. When we modify who God has created us to be to avoid being hurt, we are responding in fear. When we refuse to love because others don't we are responding in fear. There is no victory in fear! Don't spend time trying to love. Spend your time learning of God's great love for you. As we grow in knowledge of God's love fro us, it changes how we love God, ourselves and others. It frees us from the need to self protect and enables us to walk in the power of love. It's this place of love that we can experience the life God has for us. It's a life that free from fear. It's a life where we live our dreams and doing do honors God.

Here are a few of my favorite scriptures on love: Ephesians 1-3 (all three chapters, read them in various translations), John 14 and 1 John 4. I'm praying what Paul prayed for the church of Ephesus (see Chapter 3) 

Dear God, Help us to know your love through experience. Help us to be may we be rooted deeply in your love increasing in our understanding of the depth, width, breadth and height of your love. Help us to let go of all fear that keeps us from loving fully and walk in the power of love that produces victory in every area of our lives. In Jesus' name, Amen

Do You Have the Hump Day Blues?

Today is Wednesday and many people call it “hump” day because it’s the middle of the work week. Typically it’s viewed as the day we must climb over before we can begin to anticipate the weekend. If you view your week from this perspective, I encourage you to consider changing your thinking. Since the weekend is only two days, it’s insane to live for the weekend! I believe the reason so many people can’t wait for the weekend is because they are in jobs that they don’t like. In fact, a recent study revealed that 80% of people hate their jobs! Think about how much time you spend working or preparing to work. If you hate that job, then that obviously has to affect your attitude about life itself because the job consumes so much of your life.


The reality is that most people work for money and that’s ok. But unless I’m mistaken, there’s not a rule book that says, “If you work for money, you must hate what you do.” So if you’re a part of the 80% that hate the work they do….it’s time for a change. Unfortunately change is hard and even when we know we need to change, we still fight it. I guess that’s just a part of human nature, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t change. We just need effective strategies to help us change.

Did you know that …

Most people don’t change until the pain we associate with staying the same becomes greater than the pain we associate with changing.

As a result there are many people who dislike their job, weight or financial situation, but because the situation is manageable, they never take the necessary steps to have what they really desire. Are you one of those people? You know you should get another job, but with the economy the way it is, you’ve decided to just stick it out. Or maybe you thought hating your job was normal because everyone you know feels the same way. Whatever the case, you can change and it starts with a choice.

Take a little time to be reflective about your job. Ask yourself the following questions…

Why don’t I like my job? Does the work leave me unfulfilled? Is it an issue with co-workers or my boss? Am I simply in the wrong line of work?

What would it take to make this job better for me? (If there is nothing that would make the job better, it’s time to move on)

Am I in a field I love, but I’ve allowed my passion to be diminished? For example, do you love teaching, but you’ve allowed all the problems of education to affect your passion for helping others learn?

If I could create my ideal job, what would it look like? What skills do I need to do my ideal job? Do I have them already? If not, how can I acquire them?

Do I love my job but hate my pay? What can I do about that? Does another company pay more?

Is my job affecting my health, my mental state or my relationships?

Am I living for the weekend?

What am I willing to do to change?

All of the questions, along with the others you will think of as you do this exercise, allow you to locate yourself. During this process, you can determine whether you really need a new job or you just need an attitude adjustment.

So how exactly do you adjust your attitude? 

1. Recognize the need for an attitude adjustment


2. Make a quality decision to change


3. Develop an attitude of gratitude – Be thankful to have a job. List the things you love about your job and put the list on your work space.


4. Evaluate your relationships- Your environment is always working on you and is always stronger than you. So if you take breaks and lunch with people who hate their job, it will rub off on you.


5. Become accountable to someone – Give someone permission to tell you that you are complaining…again 

What if you really do need a new job? Here are some steps for you…

1. Recognize the need for an attitude adjustment – if you have developed an attitude of complaining you will carry it into the perfect job so STOP COMPLAINING and DO SOMETHING!


2. Make a quality decision to do what it takes to find a job you enjoy… even if that means going back to school or applying 1,000 times


3. Develop an attitude of gratitude – Be thankful that you currently have a job even if not ideal at a time when so many are unemployed


4. Decide what you like – Make a list of the skills you have and enjoy using as well as the skills you are willing to develop. You may need to seek the aid of a career counselor to help you pair your skills with the right job.


5. Be consistent – Don’t give up if it doesn’t happen overnight. Commit to changing and stick with it.


6. Remember that even the perfect job will have challenges.


This Wednesday doesn’t have to be just another “Hump” day. It can be the day that you choose to make the necessary adjustments to enjoy your life…even at work. After all if you have to work, you might as well enjoy it, RIGHT!

24 Things You Can Do TODAY To Create YOUR Power Hustle!

What do you think of when you hear the word “hustle?” Many people see hustling in a negative light. They think that a person who hustles is someone who is dishonest, fast-talking and conniving. What if I told you that the word hustle was first used in the 1800s to describe a person moving aggressively towards success? It defines a person who is clear about their goal to succeed and actively moving towards that goal! Is that you? Are you a hustler? Do you have a clear financial goal outlined that you are committed to achieving? 

The times have changed! Gone are the days where working for a company for 20 years is rewarded with a retirement and gold watch. Now companies will often “downsize” more seasoned employees to be able to hire two or three for the salary of that one. Social Security is a joke and even if it’s around when you are older, do you really want to live off $797 per month? I don’t think you can do very much traveling and enjoying retirement with that. There’s much to complain about, but complaining doesn’t change anything. It’s time for us to get passionate, educated and moving towards creating financial independence!

Psalm 112- 1-3 tells us that the man who fears God and honors his commandments will be blessed with wealth and riches in his home. Why are so many Christians broke? I believe it’s because many believed riches would just happen – like fall out the sky. While I’m fully convinced that God can have someone walk up to me and give me a million dollars, I’m also convinced I can make my own million (and when the other person shows up, I’ll have 2 million)!

Almost 18 months ago I decided I needed to become a hustler (remember that’s a person moving aggressively towards success). My husband has a good job and we live fairly well, but that wasn’t enough for me. I got passionate about leaving a legacy of wealth for my children. I want them to go to school without student loans and to help them purchase their first homes and invest in their business and our current income didn’t make that a reality! I wanted to be a millionaire overnight, but it doesn’t work that way. It takes a plan, a mind shift and ACTION to create wealth so I started with a goal that stretched me but didn’t overwhelm me! My goal was to make an additional $40,000 without having to work 9-5. I wasn’t sure where to start so I decided to try several different avenues to accomplish my goal. By the end of 12 months I had accomplished my goal! It wasn’t easy. I had to be willing to be committed to the outcome but flexible in my approach.

One thing I learned is “opportunity is everywhere.” The more I looked for opportunities to make money the more I found. Not every opportunity I found was for me, but I found enough things that I loved to do until I was able to accomplish my goals. Now over a year in the process I’m learning how to monetize my passion and get paid for doing what I love. I believe everyone can do it!

Even if your goal isn’t to be an entrepreneur, I encourage you to find additional streams of income because the last several years have proved trying for many people. When gas goes up so does everything else and most employers aren’t giving raises to match the speed of gas prices, but you still have options!

Below I’ve listed 24 things you can do TODAY…every item on the list was actually tested (by my friends, clients or myself) so I know they work!

1.     Have a garage sale – I know a couple of people who paid their mortgage doing this – Most people have a bunch of stuff they don’t use. I bet you do too!

2.     Have a private sale, inviting people expressed appreciation for your fashion sense – I had a friend make $300 selling costume jewelry she wasn’t wearing – You can sell shoes, clothes, art, etc. This is an upscale garage sale!

3.     Babysit – you know at least one couple that would like to go out tonight without the kids!

4.     Sell books on Amazon – Especially textbooks – I made $100 in less than 2 hours (check out www.amazon.com for more information)

5.     Sell your gently used items to a consignment store – One of my clients made $150 at one store selling items she was no longer wearing.

6.     Braid or Twist hair (this service is usually in high demand especially if you are GOOD!)

7.     Use your truck to help people move items or pick up items from a store

8.     Use your truck to haul off unwanted items

9.     Sell your cds/dvds – A lot of stores will purchase these items if they are in good condition

10. Sell cookies, cakes or cakepops or other desserts – People love sweets!

11. Sell plates, especially soul food – People love good food and a lot of us hate to cook

12. Prepare someone’s taxes (only if you are qualified)

13. Donate plasma (that would be LAST for me)

14. Provide rides for people who need to run errands (this could become a fulltime business – there is a great need for transportation for the elderly)

15. Do alterations for people – both tall and short people are always looking for a good tailor.

16. Design a t-shirt and sell it (have your customers pre-order and pay) – This is where my company “Conquer Tees was born” check out .www.shunstrickland.com for a few cute and empowering t-shirts!

17. Clean homes

18. Organize closets and/other spaces

19. Sell your gold (make sure you shop around for the best price)

20. Make and sell gift baskets

21. Sell your old phones and electronics

22. Sell handmade items – scarves, quilts, jewelry

23. Be a personal trainer – works better if you are in shape

24. Tutor

I’m sure there are many more ways to make money. Maybe you can’t do all of these, but you can do at least 1! Doing one is a great start! The more you train yourself to look for opportunities to make money outside of a traditional 9-5, the more opportunities you will see. With the money you earn, you could pay off a debt, take a vacation or my favorite – use the money to invest in something that will make even more money. The purpose of this list is to help you see – you have options! You aren’t stuck! You don’t have to wait on your boss to give you a raise or the market to improve. You can improve your own economy, starting TODAY!


Ready to live your dream? Go to shunstrickland.com and sign up to receive "The CBAs of Dream Manifestation" - It's my gift to you! 

Inner Conflict

This poem illustrates the inner conflict that takes place between our spirit and flesh. It's actually a re-post from last year, but seemed fitting for this morning. Although the subject matter may not be your particular subject, I think you can relate to the battle. Sometimes the intensity of the battle can get so strong that you just want to give in and let it overtake you, but don't! God is with you, strengthening you, often carrying you. I have learned that its' in my greatest times of weakness that I can see His strength. Feel free to share this with anyone having a battle! 

Inner Conflict by Shun Strickland

I wonder why it’s so hard to understand

The most serious spiritual battles

Take place in the inner man

For the lover of God

There is no greater stress

Than the battles that transpire between Spirit & flesh

Resist the devil and he will flee

How exactly do I resist when he’s part of me?

If loving that man is wrong I don’t wanna be right

But I long to be pleasing in God’s sight

I’m struggling and it seems no one can see

I guess it’s because the conflict takes place inside of me

I go to church, read the Word and I pray

But when he calls me late at night I don’t always say

NO

But I want to oh so bad

Am I really saved or do I need to rededicate again?

Is there any escape from this life of sin?

Like Paul the very thing I hate to do

Is the very thing I do again

Dag! Somebody help me

Can anybody see

How in the world do I crucify

This part of me that’s fighting not to die

 They say “She really doesn’t love God”

But that’s not my reality

The truth is, it’s my love for Him

Keeping me from completely giving in

Hold on before you make a judgment

About my spirituality

I’d prefer you offer up some prayer

And some accountability

It may not be the lure of sex

That pulls you off your path

Could it be guilt from your abortion

That makes you over eat

Maybe you just talk too much

Do you ever lie or cheat

Whatever your secret battle

There’s only one way victory is won

Is life hidden in God’s only Son

Let His love constrain you

Let His Word re-train you

Don’t run from Him

Run to Him

It’s His power that sets you free from sin

Your own striving and struggling leads to failure again

Remember He is greater than any trap of sin

I may not be perfect but I’m better than before

The more I look at Jesus, the more I win the war

I don’t answer the late night calls

Near as often as I use to

I’m learning that if I resist him

He will flee

As long as I remember

That sin isn’t the real Me!

1.    You should love our God, Yahweh because He loves you. Even if you don't He loves you anyway. 


2.    Loving Yahweh doesn't exempt you from life's challenges, but the reality of His love for you will give you the strength to make it through.

3.     Family is important. Take the time to build relationships. 


4.    Good friends are hard to find, but priceless once discovered. 


5.    None of us make it alone! We are all building on the sacrifices of others. 


6.    Laughter adds years to your life. 
Laugh hard and often!

7.    Marriage is better when your spouse is your best friend. 


8.    Money is a great tool, but a bad god. Let it serve you, never serve it. 


9.    Wisdom is better than silver and gold cause a fool and his money soon separate. 


10. It is selfish to just want enough to take care of you. 
Being able to help others is the will of God.

11. Children are God's way to teach you to be selfless. 


12.  Kids are painfully honest. If you ever want to know the truth ask a kid. 


13. Sex IS better in the marriage bed (no guilt, fear or shame) 


14. Nothing is detrimental 


15. Prayer changes things. 


16. Love overcomes evil every time. 


17. Love always covers and never exposes. 


18. It is better to be thought a fool than speak and prove it's true. 


19. No one owes you anything...not even your parents. 
Play the hand you were dealt.

20. Sunrises are a gift. 


21. So are sunsets. 


22. Parents are still human. Most of the mistakes they made had nothing to do with the kid, they were working through their own issues. 


23. A guy and a girl can be very good friends and never cross the lines. 


24. You can build an amazing marriage if you are willing to grow, learn to love unconditionally and obey God. 


25. Forgiveness is for you!

26. Life is precious and shouldn't be taken for granted. 


27. Everyone deserves respect. 


28. Cursing shows ignorance even if it feels good to do it. 


29. Random acts of kindness do just as much for the giver as the receiver. 


30. Your environment is always working on you. 


31. You need to participate in your own rescue. 


32.  You shouldn't try to rescue people who aren't will to participate in their own rescue. 


33. Your life follows your words. Your life is the sum total of your most dominate thoughts. 
Don’t like your life, change your thinking.

34. Loving the right person can add to your life, loving the wrong person can destroy you. 
Love should make you better!

35.  Change ain't change until you change! 


36.  Jesus (Yeshua) is Lord to the glory of the Father whether we like it or agree.

37. You have a responsibility to take care of your body. Don’t love food more than you love your health.

38. Date your spouse. It keeps things HOT!

39.  You should never settle for good when great is available. Commit to excellence!

40.  Living your God given dreams, honor God, makes the world better and gives you personal satisfaction – so live your Dreams!