The Power of Expectation

It has been said, “You cannot rise above your current level of expectation.” What you expect, or believe is going to happen, usually does. We tend to get out of ourselves and others exactly what we expect to get.
I read sometime ago about a salesman that for several years had earned $25,000.00 per year. It didn’t matter what he did, he always earned the same amount. His company decided to give him a new territory, where the salesman before him made $100,000.00 per year. Believe it or not even though he should have and could made considerably more, he only made $25,000.00. Why? Because that is all he expected to make.
Listen to people around you, and you will hear them say things such as, “I expected that to happen.” “Nothing good ever happens for me.” I even heard one man say, “If it weren’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have any luck at all.” And, you know what? They were all right. They all got exactly what they expected.
To be a person the person you were created to be, and to achieve what you have the potential to achieve, you must begin to develop the power of positive expectation. Determine today to begin believing for good things to happen to you. Get rid of your “stinkin thinkin!” Change your attitude. Begin to expect the best in life.
Expect success. Expect to make a sale. Expect for your efforts to be fruitful. Expect others to be favorable to you. Expect to be everything you were created to be. Expect love. Expect promotion.
If you will begin to raise your level of expectation you will be surprised at what begins to happen for you. Jesus once said, “As your faith is, so be it unto you.” Nothing could be truer. You get what you expect.

A Call to Boldness

One of the great themes of scripture is that of boldness. This characteristic is what enabled many great leaders to accomplish great things.

The Bible teaches, “The righteous are as bold as a Lion.” When you think of boldness, you think of a lion. A lion represents fearlessness and power.

Boldness is having the courage to do what is required of you. It is the ability to step out and follow the vision or dream that God has placed in your heart.

Abraham was a man of courage. When God spoke to him, and called him out of the Ur of the Chaldees, to leave all he had in search of a new land, he had the courage to do so. When everyone else was looking to take it easy and enjoy his or her senior years, at 75 Abraham boldly entered a new place of life. It was the result of this boldness that caused him to become the “Father of the Faithful.”

To be bold is to be full of faith. It is important that we, as Christian leaders, be full of faith. Jesus was concerned that when he returned, he would find no faith on the earth. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. It comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. It is something that has been given to us by God. We have got to seek to see our faith grow and develop.

As you study the Bible you find varying degrees of faith. Little faith, weak faith, great faith, and so on. In the New Testament book of Act’s, we find that Barnabus was full faith, and the Holy Ghost. He was filled with confidence, courage, and boldness. God help us to be the same.

As leaders it is imperative that we be delivered from the spirit of timidity. It is impossible to truly lead from a position of fear. In order to be an effective leader, boldness is required.

The study of history bears out that effective leaders possess boldness and courage. It is the boldness of their vision, ideas and efforts that inspires others to follow them. People tend to gravitate towards bold leaders.

I believe in the day we live people are looking for bold leaders that will stand and live by the convictions of their heart.

In reading the charge that God gave Joshua, when he was faced with the awesome task of leading the children of Israel into the Promised Land, you find that the main theme was “Be strong and very courageous.” (Joshua 1) It was so important that Joshua possess a bold spirit, that God reiterated it over and over again.

It was through courage that Joshua was able to lead the people across the Jordan River. Courage is what allowed him to lead them to victory over the city of Jericho. It was courage that assisted him in dividing the land to the people. Courage is what caused them to drive out the enemies, from the land, little by little.

If you are going to be an effective leader you must be filled with boldness. The Apostle Paul said, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind." It is time to start believing, talking and acting like this is true, because it is!

You need to be set free from the fear of men. The fear of what others might think, see of do to you. The Bible says, "The fear of man brings a snare." In other words, it binds, traps and imprisons you. David said, "The Lord is on my side, I will not fear, what can man do to me." Now, that's the sound of a courageous, bold leader.

Begin to call on the boldness and courage that God has placed in you. Square your shoulders back, raise your head, and stand tall. Realize that God is in you to do a mighty work in the world.

Several years ago the theme song for my daily radio broadcast was a song sung by Morris Chapman. It said, "Be bold, be strong, for the Lord thy God is with thee, Be bold, be strong, for the Lord thy God is with thee, Do not be afraid, do not be dismayed, For you are walking in strength and victory, You're walking in strength in a victory, For the Lord thy God is with thee."

I challenge you today to shirk off the bands of timidity and fear. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Be filled with faith and courage. Be the bold leader God has created you to be.

Polishing Your Marketability

In order to maintain your marketability it is important to keep your image polished at all times. These days of downsizing demand that you do all you can to secure your position in the workplace.

It is always imperative to stay on the cutting edge of your profession. Those that are able to do the most tasks with the most excellence are the ones that will be in demand. The ones that do just enough to get by are not.

Your future is totally in your hands. Only you can control your future. By applying the following principles you can enhance your public image. You can get noticed and stay noticed.

Polish your personal appearance.

It may sound trivial, but it is important to maintain a positive professional image. The way you dress, comb your hair, polish your shoes, carry yourself etc. all go along way in marketing yourself. If needed consult a fashion expert to assist you with dressing properly.

Constantly improve your communication skills.

Perhaps nothing is more important than your ability to communicate. Communication involves both listening and speaking. While most people are continually trying to find the right thing to say, they neglect the most important part of communicating with others, listening. The only way you can understand what someone else is saying or feeling is to listen to what they are saying. Then and only then are you truly communicating.

Whether communication is in front of a group, or is one on one, how you communicate goes a long way in determining your success or failure. Seek to be clear and concise when sharing with others. Take a specialized course in public speaking.

Develop your writing skills.

In order to increase your marketability you must constantly seek to improve your writing skills. Improper use of words, misspelled words and poor grammar, when in written form, hurt your marketability. In their book “Smart Moves,” Sam Deep and Lyle Sussman write, “Whenever you communicate you are saying three things: something about your message, something about your reader, and something about yourself. When you write clearly you’re showing that you understand the reader, you’ve thought clearly about your purpose and have expressed it well, and you’re presenting a positive image of yourself.”

Read, Read, Read!

One of the common denominators of highly successful people is the amount of reading they do. In order to polish your marketability you need to read everything you can regarding your career field. The late President, John F. Kennedy said, “Knowledge is power.” The key to knowledge is reading. Stay up to date with information that is relevant to your profession.

Stay current.

Staying current in your career field gives you a positive advantage over those that don’t. This makes you more a more valuable employee, contract worker or entrepreneur. Stay on the cutting edge of information and technology in your field of expertise. Take every course you can. Attend every seminar you can. Become an expert in your field.

Stay in touch.

Don’t unnecessarily burn bridges behind you. Always keep the door of communication open with both current and former business contacts. Send thank you notes. Call on special days. Let others know that you genuinely care about them. Offer to assist them in any way you can. Ask them to assist you when you need it. Show your gratitude when they come through for you.

Mind your manners.

It is vitally important that you remember your business etiquette. Don’t overstep boundaries that you shouldn’t step over. Treat everyone with respect. Always show courtesy to those that you seek to do business with. Be aware of your table manners. Say excuse me when you interrupt a conversation. Know and follow the protocol of the activity you are involved in. Basically treat others the way you want to be treated.

Maintain a positive attitude.

People like to be around, and do business with, those that have a good attitude. No one likes to have to deal with people that are difficult to get along with. Attitudes, like measles, are impossible to hide. By being positive, enthusiastic and optimistic in business dealings you are increasing your personal marketability.

Develop your skills.

Those whose skills are developed most are the most marketable. People who know what they are doing, and who can do it most efficiently, are always in demand. Constantly work at developing and honing your skills. Don’t be afraid to learn new things. Be adaptable. Change with the times. Stay current by keeping your skills up to date.

Develop your trustworthiness.

Be a person of your word. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Practice loyalty to your company and bosses. By being dependable you make yourself less expendable. Go above and beyond what is required of you. Volunteer for projects no one else wants, but you are qualified to do. These things can only enhance your marketability.

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