It's Alright to Help People: Three Fun & Practical Ways to Help Us Focus Our Faith

Like my father, I am a visual person. Don't get me wrong, I have faith to move mountains, but experiences and living examples have made it easier for me envision the details of my life and to focus my faith.

What do I mean?

I dreamed of being an entrepreneur when I was a little girl, because it was a part of a picture book and a spelling word that my mother gave me (visual). As a woman, it became more clear, "I want to be an effective, best selling author and public speaker, just like Maya Angelou and/or create an audio book with the rhythm and beauty of Toni Morrison and/or move mental mountains with the passion of . . ." and the list goes on and on. I see people in action. And that visual shapes my life and my concept of what I think I can do.

There are three things we can all do to expand our concept of living:

1. Use your vacations to taste the dream. When vacation time comes around, I search high and low for the best deals I can. I choose the cities that I have always wanted to visit and plan myself right in the heart of it. That way I can taste something new and imagine myself as a natural part of a world that's different to me. When money is an issue and the deals are not deep enough to fix it, then find a like-minded travel partner. Oftentimes, the hotel room price is set and with two people you have just cut your housing and rental car cost in half. If you have a hard time finding a travel buddy, then sign yourself up for a workshop in a subject that you love and have always wanted to learn. That way, you have something to do when you get to the city (or country) of our choice and you will automatically meet new people from your workshop class. Chances are you're not the only solo traveler. (But be safe! And yes, I've done it before.)
   
2. Help someone else with their dreams. Since the order of the day with God is, "What you make happen for someone else, God will make happen for you." Then, you can get busy believing in the people around you, no room for jealousy now, only service. I went to New York with my sisters to help a friend launch her business. We worked for real, we paid our own way and that's an expensive (and exciting) city. But I went with a purpose (to help), and I came back with details to add to my personal dreams. Check out Sitting in Pictures for a sample of how I dream since the trip. (There is a satisfaction in serving another as well as unexpected gifts from God, don't miss out. But for service to be effective, you will have to do it for the right reasons (ooh, now that's a post in and of itself . . .)


3. Plan for your dream. Now that you have a taste and a visual, start planning for your dream to become a reality. Start acting like you are what you say you are going to be! And by that I mean get to work, because writers write, dancers dance . . .

The picture is a road that sits between two small lakes in my town. I love open roads because they remind me of freedom, and that my life can go any direction with a set of new decisions.

-MizJAI-

Every Morning . . .

Every morning, I wake up
to massage my spirit
with words that encourage my soul . . .

The ones who sow in tears shall reap in joy.
When our hearts desires finally come true
it will be like a dream! (Ps 126: 1-6)

Forget about what you've been through,
focus on where you are going
God is giving us a new thing
now it shall spring forth. (Isa 43: 18-19)

Don't wait around for conditions to be perfect
if we do, we will never get started
step into your life now. (Eccl 11:4-6)

He is the Lord, our God,
He teaches us to profit
and leads us by the way that we should go (Isa 48: 17)

Give God something to bless (my dad)

We get beauty for ashes
the oil of joy for mourning
the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness . . . and
in our land we shall possess double
for our trouble (Isa 61:3,7)

So, we are digging in, holding on,
and riding it out as if we expect to win.

-MizJAI-

In The Wake of What Appears to Be Broken Destinies . . . HOPE

In the wake of what appears to be broken destinies and unmet dreams, darkness slips in and attempts to hijack the space that belongs to the overcomer that lives in the deepest parts of our souls. Fight for what is ours. Hope is ours.

In our darkest moments we can draw light from our Love. God places Himself there on the inside of us, if we let Him, for such a time as this. So, we push for the kind of Love awareness that speaks to the best in us, and we awaken the strength to come over into a new life, we Fight for what is ours. Joy is ours.

In the face of a dull and uneventful existence we dance in our passion for living, reminding ourselves to reach and cry and laugh and 'be' because we were made this way; to truly live, more that just exist underneath heaven, we were made to Fight for what is ours. Passion is ours.

We 'got' a right to blaze and really heat up the road in front of us with the ideas and beauty that God gave us. We have a road map of how to do it without loosing our 'first love' (God Himself). We have this fire that burns in our chest, so why should be afraid of to Fight for what is ours. Dreams into reality, that's ours.

"Father, let us be fearless, let us be faithful, and let us be free, forever; Lord, let us never be fools, nor enemies of our destinies. Let our faith run deep. Let us be strong enough for each day and wise enough to always grow and change. Let us be light. Let us be true. Let us be blessed. Let us draw close to You forever . . ."

-MizJAI-

Body 5: Work It Out Sister, Work It Out!

This exercise thing keeps coming back up. The real issue is I want to be cute and sexy in my clothes, I want to feel my youth and the carefree in my stride. It doesn't matter how religious you are or how reserved you appear to be, the average woman wants to feel fantastic in her own skin. It's just that we get so weighed down with our responsibilities that we push these desires to the back of our minds and pretend that we never felt them. Well, God made us and He's the one who put us in this "earth-mobile" as my Pastor puts it. And I intend to maximize it. Besides, just because we get our (keep our) bodies in shape doesn't mean that we have to take our clothes off. Discretion and Wisdom is still the order of the day, no matter our body size.

I don't know about you, but I intend to keep my "vehicle" as tight as possible, even if I have to sweat and scream and yell and punch (my kickboxing class) and step away from the bread more often than not (my discretion). If you choose to join me, we can be Super-Fit-Fine & Righteous Divas together, life is more exciting when you can share the joy. (OK, your choice!)

Oh and don't worry, you may not like kickboxing. That's the beauty of life, there's choice, you find the routine that works for you. Just make sure to be consistent about showing up, intense enough to make a difference in your body shape and health, and diverse enough to keep you interested in coming back which helps you to be consistent, and so on . . . So, I'll see you at the gym, in the park, maybe the Peachtree Road Race to celebrate our new bodies . . .

-MizJAI-

Sitting in Pictures

I stepped out the car and stood on the sidewalk for a few seconds and looked up at the tall building whose glassed exterior reflected me gazing up. "Wow!" I thought and then I walked into the building excited about seeing my college friend, even if only for a few minutes. I had called her from the car, thinking it was for chit chat in the middle of her workday, she didn't answer at first. So, I sent a text message saying that I would be outside in a minute could she take a break to see me. Thinking it was a joke, she flippantly said, "Yes, of course darling!:-)"

"OK girl, I'm here! Are you coming down or should I come up"

"Come up!" she giggled, "No, I'll be right down," she giggled again. I interrupted,

"Grace I really am downstairs and only have about 10 minutes before I need to leave for my next appointment, but I didn't want to pass through the city and not see you-"

"Oh, My God, I'll be right down!" The phone goes dead and everything in me starts to dance at the same time. My breathing changes and I am overwhelmed with excitement and anticipation. I am in New York for another speaking engagement, but that is not what excites me the most, the opportunity to see my friends sends me right over a glorious edge soaring and laughing and enjoying my life . . .

That's a daydream of mine. Some call it lies. Others call it a waste of time. Modern thinkers call it creative visualization. Hopis, the only Native Americans who have never been displaced from their original land, call it "sitting in pictures." As I picture future scenes in my life, I awaken the dream, I enjoy the now more and I become the woman who can make the future a reality. Why not dream in detail? We worry that way "What if he hits me and my car runs off the road, and on and on with mess . . ." Why not dream in exquisite details? In my head I'm preparing to live, or at least to remember to call Grace the next time I am in New York.

Well, time to go to work, but you best believe before the day is over I will be "sitting in pictures." I hope you join me . . .

-MizJAI-

Don't Get Stuck!

Balance is my issue. I'm not the only one, but I am certain it's my issue. The challenge of learning how to work and play, build the dream and address the right now, possess a vision and to see the present; is the test of my life.

I was wondering this week, "Why is this lesson so important?" And this is what I discovered:

If I don't learn to balance my life in pain, then I can't trust myself to balance my life in pleasure. What I mean by this is, despite my work load and my dedication to what I do, I am finally learning when to rest and to laugh and to take a lunch and to change my scenery and to find the joy in the simple things now in the midst of the hard days. Why? because like my spirit, my soul and my body can reach a place daily where they need to be renewed with a nap or a free moment with no expectations and no work or a good honest laugh or a great dance or a day away or daily escapes inside the creative process (make a collage, write a poem, rearrange a song . . .). And then go back to work.

I find that if I give too much of myself away, then I become off centered and overwhelmed with one sided emotions; and I have less to give as the days go by. Anthony Robbins touches on this. He believes that we can organize all of our lives into categories. And when we find ourselves out of wack then it usually means that we have neglected some part of us. In other words, we've been spending too much time on the business development and not enough on the spirit that lives in this body of ours or we have been working double time on mastering our money but haven't been addressing our creative side (for me it's writing). And for one more example, it's like spending a tremendous amount of time on keeping the house looking great but not enough on the family that lives in the house (so our relationships suffer).

Whatever it is, balance requires that we don't get stuck in one place or another. Every time I loose my balance the kickboxing coach at the gym yells, "stay light on our feet, don't get stuck in one position, that's how you get knocked down." He yelled it so much on Tuesday that I want to say it to you, "...lay aside every weight and the pain (because sin is a pain, sooner or later) which clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us (Heb. 12:1)." In other words, don't get stuck. Keep running the race and the landscape of our lives will change.

The picture above is a black and white of a coffee shop that I go to from time to time for a scenery change. A strong cup of peppermint later and I am ready to save the world for another hour or two (hey, at least I'm in motion). P.S. my computer is well again

-MizJAI-

Appreciate the Small Things: My Computer's Sick, But I'm OK!

Well, today has been interesting to say the least. I am setting up a new office (on a budget) and working in a new location (same program, different building). And today is my first day on a new routine in a place that needs a desk, computers, Internet access in the offices, and just some overall, good-old-fashioned, detail and attention to prepare the space for some hard core Work! And I am just the woman for the job with my trusty laptop and mobile office supplies in tow . . . and that should be the end of the story, right?! Well that trusty laptop (that I am not typing on right now), caught a nasty little virus (Trojan.KillAV) and is down for the count until I can get her well and make sure that sharing my files doesn't infect anything else (and of course I have things that are at risk that are not backed-up anywhere else, so Heaven help me).

But it reminds me to appreciate the small things;

a car that drives me where I need to go (to show my appreciation, I think I will get it cleaned this week)

a healthy and reliable computer that let's me surf and write and enjoy music (to show my appreciation I think I will keep my virus protection up to date from now on and run weekly Spybot, Adware, & Virus scans; and yes, these are the same scans that I thought were too time consuming before the virus hit)

a bed that sleeps well, a job that makes a difference, ideas that excite me, a destiny that I can taste, a family that cares about people and life . . . I could stand to complain a little less, to laugh a little more, to trust God a little harder and to dig in and ride it out as if I expect to win!

Wow, all of that from a virus that my computer will overcome :-).

-MizJAI-

She Can She Do 27: Find a Healthy Church & Become a Healthy Woman

Relationships are everything to us, especially love (and lust that we sometimes call love) relationships. Some stats say that there are more successful women than men, so that when you reach a certain status there are not enough men to go around. And if you are a black woman looking for a black man, the stats claim that it's even harder on us with more black men going to jail than college each year.

My dad says the tide will change with men in general because "we are waging a war and staging a revolution." When he says this, he's serious and doesn't back down when challenged. So I shifted my perspective to see what he sees. My family runs a boys home filled with teenagers black, white and both. Some of them have been with us since elementary. Who knows what decisions they grow up and make, but while they are here with us, we teach and demonstrate manhood, womanhood, and love. I realize that they are learning about men and women everyday. As they watch my family and hear our words, we play a role in the type of men they grow up to become and the type of women they choose to love, and that is a revolution. But it doesn't stop there. The church has been so divided on race and gender issues, that different churches have driven away different groups of people. Some are void of children, others void of men, and still others void of young adults.

In the process of learning how to love, we discover that God makes room for and creates ministry for all types of people and their pain. When we get together in love and truth and allow our mess to get checked at the door, then we grow together and we improve together and we change our communities together.

We don't come out the womb knowing how to be successful women, we learn from what we see. And when we see mess we have to retrain ourselves. That's what a healthy church is supposed to be about, retraining ourselves to live love in all we do. But some of us have been blind sided by cruelty in the church and mistreatment that creates a quiet rage that is understandable, but destruction.

I'm thinking my dad is right, we are staging a revolution that centers on integrity and character. Live a life that is real and honest. Serve the people around you. Actively impact your community by getting involved for the right reasons. Change the landscape of a man's (and a woman's) heart with love and truth. And you change the world by degrees and make a bigger impact than I realize sometimes.

We all matter, men and women. God says so and makes room for us, so why shouldn't we do the same for each other, make room for us to grow together . . .

-MizJAI-

She Can She Do 26: Tears On The Page

There are days, when the past gets to us and the future seems too far away.
There are moments when the pain echoes louder than the promises.
There are those times when suffering feels like it's bigger than our destinies.

These are the moments when depression creeps in filling up the space that belongs to hope. These are the moments when pressure swells in our chest and our tears burn on our cheeks,
the moments when we almost forget to believe in our power to dream of a better time just one moment away.

Even when we face death, relationships that break, people that change; when we encounter things that the average woman has never seen before; even when we are required to be stronger than what seems fair, know that you are woman enough to reach up again, you are blessed enough to survive again, you are loved enough to overcome and help others come over with you. So, find a reason to smile again . . . in your children or by discovering a fresh way to serve somebody in need. There have been seasons where my own pain lessened on the tutoring table as I taught a stranger's child how to survive in the classroom. Go tutor, go sing, go dance, go cry but get up again and again and again. Walk yourself right out of depression, go worship, go live, go to the places where you can feel God holding you, go overcome, no matter what you face.

She Can, She Do Overcome the Tears on the Page.

-MizJAI-

She Can She Do 25: Roadblocks for a Reason

I'm usually in a hurry! In turn, I hate getting caught by a train and having to wait for it to pass before I can go. Although, getting hit by a train is far more painful than having to wait on one, but I still hate waiting.

Trains slow me down; it forces me to wait or rethink my route, find a new path, or focus on something new. Consequently, I keep books and magazines in the car now, that I seldom have a chance to read, and I complete a chapter or finish an article while I wait, patiently.

Sometimes the things that slow us down are the things that save our lives and our careers. There are those of us who have started businesses with big dreams and plans of leaping us into a quick and bright future, only to find that its really HARD work that takes time (a-lot of time). What if the trains that have us waiting, and the roadblocks along the way, the process in general, was saving us something? What if the lessons we learn before we cross the railroad tracks will save us alot of heartache on the other side?

The warning signs that a train is coming isn't a bad thing (unless we ignore it), it causes us to "move, get out the way." And if we get caught waiting, it gives us time to regroup, learn something new, and seize the day with greater wisdom, because she 'who follows worthless people and pursuits will have poverty enough' (Pr 28:19).

Let's face it, when we slow down, alot of times we can see things more clearly. Like get rich quick schemes that we get locked into. To address this quickly, any business idea (whether it is selling insurance or pre-paid legal or all manners of reputable businesses and/or multi-level marketing plans) are lying or at least exaggerating when they say "it's easy and quick money" because all business takes effort and time. So while you are waiting on that train to pass, figure out what you really like doing or what you need to learn, and then seize your day wisely.

Live BIG and Live SMART!

I took that picture while 'waiting for a train to pass' , I also had enough time to read an article out of my new favorite magazine. Wow, talk about a test of patience (:-()). I think I passed. Feel free to let me know what you think by leaving your comments . . .

-MizJAI-

She Can She Do 24: Learning to Seize the Day

She who cultivates her land will have plenty of bread, but she who follows worthless people and pursuits will have poverty enough (Pr 28:19). See to your business, because if you don't you will not have the resources to see to anyone else's. This is not a license for us to be selfish or greedy because to whom much is given, much is required. This is, however, a mandate for you; that in all your caring take care of home too; consistently, without fail and with much diligence.

"Cultivating" begins with a mindset followed by an action. What if you actually began to believe that you can do and become whatever is necessary for a more dynamic future? Then your dreams could breakthrough. What if what other people said about you as a child took a back seat to what God says about you now? Then your joy could explode (freedom does that you know). What if you begin to believe that you're more than a conqueror, that you are capable of doing all things because of the Word of God that lives inside of you (and if there is not enough Word, add some more)? Then you could allow your old fears to die. What if you decided that enough is enough, "I'm willing to become a better woman for myself, for my family, and for God?"

This decision has everything to do with Carpe Diem.

What would happen to your life, if you made the decision that regardless of the people around you, (even if you are the only one who's growing and changing,) you would become more, no matter what?!

feel free to leave an answer, feel free to just think about it, see you tomorrow
-MizJAI-

She Can She Do 23: Dives & Belly Flops

Don't confuse a dive with a belly flop. They may happen in the same place, the swimming pool, but they are as different as night and day. Well prepared dives in the hands of skillful women are graceful, precise, powerful, and barely make a splash. A belly flop, on the other hand, is wild, disturbing, physically painful, and messy.

It takes more effort to learn how to dive, but with precision comes beauty and clarity.
Carpe Diem Diva! Seize this day, take advantage of every moment by diving into your life, but learn how to do it right. In this day and age, taking care of home may require a whole new set of skills and creativity. We have so much to do, children to raise, people to love; we are needed and necessary, and we need ideas on how to do what we do with efficiency and grace.

While we are seizing our days, seek advice and wise counsel. Maybe it's time to hang around successful couples to learn how to love each other for a lifetime (my Pastors have a gift in this area). Maybe it's time to develop new computer skills so that you can dive into the information age (in this era what you know, how quickly you learn it and how well you execute it will determine your success). Maybe it's time to use products that make life easier (like the dishwasher), then we can spend our time doing the things that no one else can do better, like paying some intimate and focused attention to your mate or mastering our craft or playing with our children after study time (your don't need me to make a list of what's important to you . . .). Maybe online bill paying could give you your life back, like it did for me.

In the middle of seizing your day, maybe an idea will come to you that fits your life style. Our life has construction to it. If you are married and a mother, then there are basic things that you need to accomplish in the course of a day. If you have a job and any type of commitment to your community, then there are things that you need to accomplish in the course of a week in order to continue to make a difference in the world. In other words, if you are living a life that counts, then there are people who are counting on you. And there are business ideas that will be a perfect dive into the construction of your life; ideas that will allow you to be a better mother, a better friend, a happier person, a woman who knows how to seize the day and shape the dream without loosing the best of herself . . . There is so much to this that we'll have to go a little deeper tomorrow . . .

-MizJAI-

She Can She Do 22: Be Diligent!

Women spend alot of time doing things, busing ourselves. Have you ever noticed how quickly we can fill our days with things to do, problems to solve. And there is always a mental list of things that we plan to conquer as soon as we "find a minute." We usually find a minute for a multitude of important things, but never quite find the time for ourselves (of course, if you are the women who only finds time for herself then you need to give a little, ok :-()!).

I used to do bookkeeping. I would go to work and pay the company's bills and organize their finances and just stay on top of things. Meanwhile my bills where often paid a few days late or I would be running in right on the deadline. It was a monthly dance that I did with my checkbook, the companies that I owed, and the post office trying to get the bills off on time. Of course the mortgage and the car notes where never late, but every bill after that was a free for all. As a matter of fact, one time about five years ago, I came home to a dark and hot house because my electricity was turned off in the middle of the summer (and it gets hot in Georgia). What's worse is I had the money in the bank, I just didn't pay the bill. WOW. I just didn't pay the bill. My excuse, "I'm tired when I get home. I just can't pay another bill" and I didn't. So here I sat looking silly, but I couldn't SEE myself because I was in the Dark . . .

"Can you come out today."

"We'll see ma'am."

"If there is anyway that you could get to me before the end of the day, I would really appreciate it."

"We'll see what we can do, but the service guy for your area has a full load."

I opened my mouth to beg one more time and before I could say a word. She spoke, "You are on his list." Then she smiled which meant, "next please." So I moved out the way. I was hoping they could fix this before the workday was over so that I could have lights and air that night. It's embarrassing when you don't handle your business. That situation irritated me, but it didn't completely wake me up. A pair of shoes did.

That wasn't the only bill that I paid late that month. By the time I finished my boycott on financial diligence I had paid late fees totaling $100.00. Again, it irritated me, but it didn't wake me up. A dress did.

That weekend I went shopping feeling good with my freshly balanced checkbook knowing that I wouldn't be juggling money because all the bills had been paid (finally) and I knew what was in my bank account. But I had forgotten about the late fees and the fact that my boycott had cost me a pocket book, a pair of shoes, a dress, as well as the pleasure of the hunt and enjoying the prize at the end of a mini-shopping spree. I knew how to work a $100.00 or at least I thought I did, until I realized I had given it away already because I wasn't paying attention. I put everything back on the rack, and I woke up.

Now, my bills are paid like clock work. I still hate writing the checks and running to the post office, so I don't. I use automatic bill pay from my bank (the service came free with my checking). I monitor my account periodically to make sure everything balances out and I go on with my life. My mind is free now to solve a new problem, but my bills are paid on time.

All of this is to make one point, Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and look well to your herds; (Pr 27:23). In all your doing, take of you and make sure that home is tight and right.

-MizJAI-

She Can She Do 21: What Dreams May Come . . .

I can catch myself daydreaming my future out loud. And that's not a problem. But if I don't watch it, daydreaming out loud is all that I could end up doing. It's powerful to say your dreams so that you can hear them. It gives them a chance to become so real to you that you are willing to change your life in order to make them a reality.

Here's the problem: What if all we do is talk? We talk about how good we could be at it; the new car we will buy with the money we make from it; the places we will go because of it; the people we will meet doing it; how we are the best and no one else's talent can compare to us when we do it; the awards that we should receive because we are awesome at it; and on and on. If we spend more time talking about it and less time doing it, then we are just "groupies of our craft" and not leaders of the pack.

There are all types of jobs we can have, work we can do, problems we can solve. We just have to find the ones that speak to our spirits, and then get to work. In fact, in all labor there is profit, but idle talk leads only to poverty (Pr 14:23). So my advice is to work more and talk less. And since every kind of work produces some kind of increase, then it's good to get to work diva, but remember, she who plants and she who waters are equal (one in aim, of the same importance and esteem) yet each shall receive her own reward (1Cor 3:8) Your work will determine your reward. A writer's labor gets a writer's favor.

-MizJAI-

She Can She Do 20: Nobody Does It Better

Together we can create the impossible, solve the puzzle, and manager every piece of the pie. You're not an island. And as much as I have tried on my own, I finally realize that I (the Invincible:-)) need a team and a support system (just like you) because two are better than one. They have a good [more satisfying] reward for their labor: For if they fall, the one will lift up her fellow (Eccl 4:9-10). And two can get more done together than one apart.

Even though a threefold cord is not quickly broken (Eccl 4:12b), dealing with people can be a challenge. Their weaknesses have to be taken into account. Furthermore, our own weaknesses are only truly exposed in the company of others. So we are required to learn new skills ourselves.

The best leaders can navigate the worst waters, pulling brilliance out of a rag tag group of devoted individuals. But regardless of people skill, it all begins with how we pick our team and then how we handle what we end up with. We already know to look for someone with a record of quality work (oftentimes with a price to match). However, when money limitations make us compromise or we are looking for something different, then consider a promising up and coming who demonstrates excellence (even if they are a neophyte). But there is another quality that we need to look for that is probably more important than everything said so far, and that's character. We need honest people on your team, people that we can trust. In fact, the closer they are to us, the more integrity they need to have.

Keep your heart and your eyes open for the team that God has for you and your dream. It's about learning how to lead, looking at the character of a person, and locking in on the quality of their work. Here's the concept, you become the best leader for your dream. So, when it's said, "Nobody Does It Better" then let it mean that nobody leads your team better than you do and nobody does your talent better. In all your getting, get understanding; make sure that you learn how to lead people. Authors write entire books on this subject. For a more detailed list of the types of people that you may need on your team as well as suggested reading, visit 5 People You Need on Your TEAM!: Don't Be An IDIAT You Need HELP! in The Business Cafe.

-MizJAI-

She Can She Do 19: We Need Help

We are never alone if we don't want to be. If we choose to, we can have a highly skilled army with us as we build our dream. As a matter of fact God, Himself, is our Chief Advisor if we will accept Him on our team. And contrary to popular thought, He gives great advice. Quite simply, He is that honest, voice of Wisdom that speaks truth to us. We either listen or ignore.


But there is more to add to the team: Counselors, knowledgeable others, people whose lives reflect the victories that we want (pastors, business consultants, accountants, lawyers). By wise counsel we can wage our war, and in an abundance of counselors there is victory and safety (Pr 24:6). There are certain arenas that we shouldn't even step into without help. Who goes to war alone? Someone who expects to loose. We need an army, we need help and the better the help we receive the greater our success.

But how do we choose our team? and how do we deal with the fact that we trust no one and expect everyone else to let us down? . . .

-MizJAI-

She Can She Do 18: You Need an Army

Have you every seen one of those one man bands. The guy has the harmonica strapped to his face, the drums attached to his thighs, several other instruments stuck places and then he leans into the mic and says

"Welcome to the show!"

"What show?" I think to myself and then I lean in and watch, although I would rather see an actual band, dressed up with a singer in tow.

Often times we (people with dreams, especially the entrepreneur) try to live like that, producing this one woman show of our lives. And people watch us regardless of the spectacle. What if we let someone else join us? What would happen? Well, even if we could play every character on that stage, someone has to cue our music, someone has to work our lights, someone has to draw our curtain, someone has to lend us a hand. Let's face it, we need help. We cannot build anything for the long run without help. Families take teams, successful businesses take teams, our dreams will require a team or two; especially if we want it to live up to the image in our minds and to out live our natural lives. But not just any kind of team . . .

-MizJAI-