You Can Live the Satisfied Life

September 5, 2011 by 13 Comments
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Living the Satisfied Life

by Olga Hermans

 

Have you ever thought about what it is that brings true satisfaction and fulfillment in life? How you can find that contentment that will last longer this time? We clutter our life with so much meaningless work and activities that it is easy to lose sight of the way that God has meant your existence to be. He designed us and it is up to us to discover the life we were born to live.

Life is meant to be enjoyable, fulfilling, and satisfying; there is so much more to it than just existing or struggling or even surviving. I just have been watching a teaching from Dr. Don Colbert and he said that things/material possessions only produce 10% happiness. Personality makes up about 50% and 40% comes from how we think, our actions and reactions. I thought that was very interesting, because we think, in our way of living, that things bring us the satisfaction that we desire so much.

Truly happy people have found that fulfillment finds its source deep within and is largely unaffected by external surroundings or material possessions. The world however thinks totally different; the world is always pulling us to buy this and do that and most of the times, we fall into that trap.

Several years ago, a U.S. news magazine conducted a survey, questioning people in various income categories. People with an annual income of $25,000 were asked how much money it would take for them to live “the American Dream.” The average answer was $54,000 annually. The same question was asked of people making $100,000 annually; their average answer was $192,000.

What do the results of this survey tell us? Until we come to the understanding that living satisfied comes from our heart and the way we think; our mindset, we will always think that we need more things in our way of living to reach our goal in life. A very rich man once answered the question of how much it takes to be rich with “just a little more”. That is what most people think “just a little more.”

Benjamin Franklin said it his way, “To be content makes a poor man rich and discontent makes a rich man poor.” To really enjoy a life of fulfilment on a daily basis, we need to have our eyes on the right source.

To enjoy this kind of fulfilled life on a daily basis, it is important for us to look to the right source. People around us and even our best family and friends cannot give us what we truly crave. People will always disappoint us, because we humans are fickle. We should never seek approval of others, material possessions or status because they are not meant to be in our days to give us that kind of lasting satisfaction that we think we so desperately need.

Oh yes, there is that superficial sense of satisfaction that can come from all kinds of sources, but that is not the kind of satisfaction that you are looking for, because they are always unpredictable and short-lived.

To be “satisfied” can be defined as the sense of having enough or doing enough; to be content; or to experience fulfillment and gratification. The problem is though that the average person never thinks or feels like has really reached that point of having done enough. That is why we need to have a close look at our perspective in life and to get a grip on the source of real fulfillment and lasting satisfaction.

Can you imagine how fulfilled your life with Jesus can be? His love and joy and abundance are living on the inside of us. Jesus isn’t fickle or inconsistent; He is always the same. He is the only person that you really can depend on. When we put Him 1st place in our life and we center our lives in Him, we become happier and stronger and on top of that we become much healthier in all areas of our way of living.

We have a better outlook on our way of living and because we feel so much better and feel fulfilled, our relationships flourish. Everything gets better, because our focus is not on other people but on Jesus who always causes us to triumph in every situation.

That is the key, that for a lasting satisfied life of fulfillment we need to become deeply connected with an intimate relationship with God. The person who created us to love us no matter what; the person that has experienced that is truly satisfied in the Lord because he understands that God is the only reliable source in his way of living. The only source that of true fulfillment, abundant provision, and lasting security.

This is how The Apostle said it:way of living

    …For I have learned to be satisfied with what I have. I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little. I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me. Phil. 4:11-13

Paul tells us that we need to learn to be satisfied and that it is an attitude that we need to practice. You know, look at the children; they are never content on their own. They always want something new. Marketers know this for a fact; they place the goodies for the children on a lower eye level just for them. We as mommies have to tell them that they cannot get everything they want, right? Children aren’t satisfied with what they have; they want what they don’t have.

Sadly enough many people are still the same when they grow up. Teenagers almost always give in on peer pressure; they want to have the latest thing in the store because “everyone has it.” Far too often, that same childish behaviour carries on into marriages. Some people will always live with that constant feeling of dissatisfaction because of the things they don’t have.

There are far too many people who want to “keep up with the Joneses” and want to have the latest fashion and the latest gadgets or the newest car even. This dissatisfaction robs people’s joy and clouds their lives with discontentment.

Paul talks about attitude of contentment in First Timothy 6:6 (AMP):

“[And it is, indeed, a source of immense profit, for] godliness accompanied with contentment (that contentment which is a sense of inward sufficiency) is great and abundant gain.” Paul describes contentment as a sense of inward sufficiency. It is to be our source of immense profit.

Read again what Paul says in Philippians 4:11: “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” This same idea is also found in Hebrews 13:5: “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”

A satisfied life comes forth when we live from the inside out; when we can see it on the inside it will automatically show up on the outside.

When we center ourselves in Him, we discover the depth of Jesus’ love for us, and this brings the fulfillment we long for. It is from this point that we discover the power and security of living a contented way of living. As you become clearer about how you want your life to look like and about who you are in Christ, you will watch it come to pass in your own life and that is the true satisfied life.

The moment we are content and at peace with God, we can be at peace with ourselves. His peace brings confidence, no matter who we’re with or how intimidating someone may seem.

Question: What are the things in your life that keep you back from living your life with contentment and satisfaction? Please share with us and the other readers.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox by clicking here

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The Seven ‘C’s’ Of A Great Marriage

August 29, 2011 by 16 Comments
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The Seven ‘C’s’ Of A Great Marriage

By Olga Hermans

Good communication involves talking, listening, understanding and taking action. Communication breakdown is the number one problem in marriage. It’s the number one cause of separation and divorce. A lot of people don’t realize it, because they relate their problems to some other area. But if your communication is proper and you have the ability to share openly, you can solve financial problems, and children problems.

If you want to live the life you were born to live; you have to be able to communicate especially with your spouse. It takes an effort on your part to communicate effectively with God and with the people who are around you. If you get your communication right with God, you can have the right communication with the people around you; communication is a process. Having a successful scriptural marriage isn’t an instant, or easy, task. But it can be done.; you just have to make a choice.

Not just by reading a book or this article, but by choosing to put the principles that God has given us to work day by day, moment by moment for the rest of your life.

Here are the seven “C’s” that probably will help you if you put them to work; you can use them over and over again

1. Communicate

Communication is listening and understanding what the other person is trying to express and you do your very best to understand the other person. Communication is also opening up and sharing yourself with another person, even if it means becoming vulnerable. Communication is the basis of any successful relationship.

2. Cover One Another

If you truly love your spouse, you won’t expose, humiliate, or condemn them whenever they make a mistake; you will cover them. 1Peter 4:8.

Wives, you won’t point your finger at your husband and tell on how often he fails to pray or how carnal he is much of the time. And husbands, you won’t point your finger at your wife and tell on how much she nags. No. You’ll cover each other’s weaknesses. Cover each other with love.

3. Cherish One Another

The word cherish there literally means, “To feel or show affection.” Ephesians 5:29 Showing affection can be done by showing gentle and caring emotion with one another. It is the number one need of a wife, but it is also very important for the men.

You know, affection will always give you that emotional thrust that you need when things get rough; you are able to act in love. It is the glue that will bond you together in good times and bad.

4. Comfort One Another

Comfort is a vitally important element that enables us to stand successfully against the devil in every area of our lives. It makes it easier for us to be patient. 2 Cor. 1:3

God wants you to be your spouse’s greatest source of comfort. There is nobody else that can bring him tenderness when they’re hurt. A word of hope when they are discouraged

You’re the one to bring them kind-heartedness when they’re hurt, words of trust when they’re downcast, and friendship when it seems the whole world has forsaken them. If you’ll do it, you will go a long way in giving your spouse the courage to move forward.

5. Compel One Another

Again, just as you’re to be the greatest source of comfort to your spouse, you’re also to be the one God primarily uses to compel them toward love and good works. You are the one who should encourage your spouse to do better in everything; to inspire each other so you won’t grow weary in doing the right things. Gal.6:9

6. Consult With One Another

Agreement is a foundational principle of relationship succes, Amos 3:3. It is impossible to walk together if there is no agreement. When you break that principle; there will be strife and your marriage might eventually fail. So check with each other to see if you can agree.

Your spouse is a gift from God; so don’t misuse it. Your spouse is your balance and the person that enables you to grow and develop in the person you have to become.

7. Cleave One to Another

Never lose sight of the need you have for each other. Gen. 2:24 Always remember that your spouse complements you in a way no one else can. No friend, no child, no parent, and no pet – as wonderful as they may be – can do more for you than your spouse.

So cleave to that one alone. Pursue the marriage relationship with a singular determination that will eventually make you one flesh – not just in concept, but in fact. That only can be done by thorough communication.

There are many jokes about how much women can talk and talk and talk, but it is based on facts I think. Yes, I as a woman have a real need of sharing conversation, not just the chatter that this joke always talks about. This is not a joke; otherwise the need of men for sex is also a joke.

There are different levels of communication; from a cliché level where you only talk about the weather. Then we can have this conversation where we only talk about the facts that we went through that day. Men have a tendency to think in terms of the headlines, while women think more in terms of fine print. We want all the details 🙂

But real communication has a total openness and transparency level; where we experience trust and are able to share completely and freely about anything and everything. This is a level where we don’t hide and cover up, no areas where you are limited or where you feel there’s a touchy subject you can’t talk about.

You need to set aside a time when you can open up and communicate with your mate on a regular basis, whether it’s over coffee in the morning, at breakfast or lunch, in the evening on the back porch or whenever. Identify some place where you can open up and share together freely.

You have to make a choice to decide, because there is much power of agreement in communication. Will you do it? Let us know in the comment section what stood out the most to you and what things do you want to change? Thank you for doing that!

This article was inspired by a book from my former pastor Billy Joe Daugherty “Building Stronger Marriages and Families”

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Seven Keys to Boost Your Confidence Instantly

August 15, 2011 by 16 Comments
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Confidence And Negativity Cannot Live In The Same House; They Are Like Oil And Water, They Do Not Mix!

 

Seven Keys to Boost Your Confidence Instantly

by Olga Hermans

 

If some people are confident while others are not there must be a reason. Let’s have a look at some keys to boost your confidence instantly and tap into some things that will help you live with more confidence and with more boldness; are you ready?

1.       Confident People are Positive

Absolutely! Confidence and negativity do not live in the same house; they are like oil and water, they do not mix! I learned this the hard way that being positive is so much better and more fun and fruitful. Being positive or negative is a choice that you have to make, it is a way of thinking, speaking, and acting. They come from a repetitious behaviour that we have formed in our life.

Our life is the way we are because we are the way we are; there is no other reason and sometimes that is hard to swallow. In life we don’t get what we want, we get in life what we are. If we want more we have to be more, to be more you have to face yourself. People don’t like to be around people that are negative.

It has been said that 90% of what we worry about never happens. Thinking negatively makes you miserable. Why be miserable when you can be happy?

2.       Confident People Say NO to Fear

Fear is not from God; it is the devil’s tool to keep people from enjoying their lives and making progress. That does not mean that we will never feel fear, but it does mean that we will not allow it to rule our decisions and choices and our actions. The Bible says that God has not given us a spirit of fear. 2Tim 1:7
Fear causes people to bury their talents because they are afraid to fail, they are afraid to be judged and be criticized.

I DO know what it means to live in fear. When my parents died I was in my late 20’s; fear hit me like a brick. Fear came over me and filled me with a sense that I would never make it on my own and until this day I still have to be very alert to resist this fear. Feelings are fickle; they are ever-changing. The bad ones are there when you wish they weren’t and the good ones disappear when you need them the most.

3.       Confident People DO NOT Compare Themselves

It is impossible to be confident when you compare yourself to others. If there is one person that you can compare yourself with, it is you. Really, that would bring the best out of you! Why compare yourself to others? No matter how good we look, how talented or smart we are, or how successful we are, there is always someone that is better, and sooner or later we run into them.

I believe confidence is found in doing the best we can with what we have to work with and not in comparing ourselves with others and competing with them. Our happiness should not be found in being better than others, but in being the best we can be. What do you think?

4.       Confident People are Action Takers

I have heard that there are two types of people in the world. The ones who wait for something to happen and the ones who make something happen. We all have something to overcome. When you want to do something, don’t let yourself think about all the things that could go wrong. Be positive and think about the exciting things that can happen. Your attitude makes all the difference in your life.

Making mistakes is not the end of the world. We can recover from mistakes. In fact, one of the few mistakes we cannot recover from is the mistake of never being willing to make one in the first place.

5.       Confident People Do Not Live in Assumptions

Many people feel empty and unfulfilled because they have spent their lives bemoaning what they did not have, instead of using what they do have. We all know those thoughts that come “what if” I had my own house, “If I only” I would have more money, “what If” I would be married and “if I only” I could have had a better start in life and so on, and on and on!

One of the biggest mistakes we can make in life is to stare at what we don’t have or have lost and fail to make an inventory of what we do have.

6.       Confident People Bounce Back Quickly

So what if you fail? So what if you made a mistake? What else is new? We all fail and we all make mistakes. The good thing is that we learn so much from our mistakes.  A person is not a failure because he/she tried some things that did not work out. We only fail when we stop trying. I have heard it many times that most people who are very successful failed their way to success.

Let all those mistakes be training ground for you, you will be much better on the other side. If you never would make any mistakes, what would you learn? Nothing, really! One of the great things about God is that He always gives you a new beginning. One thing you absolutely shouldn’t do is to let the past dictate your future. Because you learn of your mistakes you are keen to do things differently.

7.       Confident People Know That God Loves Them

If you are a Christian you should know this for sure, but even if you are not a Christian you have to know that God is a good God and He loves you no matter what you do or where you have been. He loves you more than you will ever know.

There are people who feel so bad about themselves and then get around people who hurt them. You need to look for friends that you feel safe with. God will show you how to recognize them if you listen to His wisdom. One of the ways that God loves us through people and when we have the wrong people around us, we will always have that feeling that something is wrong with us.
God’s love is unconditional and makes you feel confident.

I want to close with this scripture

Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love. For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent]
— Eph 1:4 -5

I hope that these 7 Keys will help you on your way to being fully confident; let me know which one jumped out the most for you.

If you would pay more attention to your thoughts and choose to think on things that will help you instead of hinder you, you will be able to boost your confidence instantly and you will enjoy being more confident. Think confident and you will be confident.

Question: Please share with us the one key that really impacted you while reading. Thank you!

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox by clicking here

 

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7 Steps to Have Your Prayers Answered

August 11, 2011 by 12 Comments
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But The People Who Know Their God Shall Prove Themselves Strong and Shall Stand Firm and Do Exploits

 

7 Steps to Have Your Prayers Answered

by Olga Hermans

 

Prayer shouldn’t be a drag. It should be the highlight of your day, starting early in the morning and then keeping an ear to the Holy Spirit throughout the entire day. Effective prayer will cause you to soar like an eagle in God’s plans for you. It is the key to tapping into the wisdom of God, which will elevate you above mediocrity and perform the “greatest exploits” spoken of in Daniel 11:32

… but the people who know their God shall prove themselves strong and shall stand firm and do exploits [for God].
Daniel 11:32 Ampl

The next steps deal with fundamental aspects of praying that gets results; that is what we want right?  If you follow these steps you can be sure of prayers that get answered.

Step 1: Decide What You Want From God.

It is very important to make a solid decision James 1:6-8 says if a man wavers, if he cannot make up his mind, he is “unstable in all his ways” and he cannot expect to receive anything from God. There are different types of prayer; we worship and we have fellowship with God, but I like to talk to you right now about getting an answer to your prayer. Are you interested?

If we are not careful, our general type of praying will becomes habitual even when we need to be specific about a certain need. If you went to a grocery store and pushed the cart up and down the aisles without buying anything, people would think something was wrong with you.If you would send your child to buy certain items and he buys just those things, he is being definite.The same is true with prayer. It would be better to pray for 2 or 3 minutes and know what you are praying about than to pray aimlessly for 2 or 3 hours.

Decide what you want from God and be definite about it!

Step 2: Read the Scriptures That Promise the Answer You Need

As we feed on His Word, we build it into our consciousness. Jesus used the Word when satan came against Him in the wilderness. Jesus used the same weapon to defeat the devil that we all have today: the Word of God. When we pray for things that are specifically promised in the Word, we can have complete confidence that He will give us what we need.

The reason people are not confident and have no faith when they pray is because they don’t know the scriptures well enough to know if what they are praying for is God’s will.

Step 3: Ask God for the Things You Want

I know, we think and hope and it is true that He knows what we need Matth. 6:8, but He also tells us to ask Him for our needs and ask it with boldness in our hearts. Matth.7:7-8
God knows alright, but don’t forget that He wants us to bring our needs to Him and ask His help. Just do it!!

Step 4: Believe That You Receive

Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him. For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it]. Mark 11:23-24

Everything is provided for us in the spiritual realm. Our needs have been provided for us in Jesus. We may not be able to see them, but they are there. We need to use our faith to receive it out of the spiritual realm; faith will grasp it and create the reality of it in our life. Develop a stubborn faith that refuses to look at circumstances, that is a faith that produces results.

Step 5: Refuse to Doubt

Let every thought and desire remind and affirm that you have what you ask. Keep speaking your desires, the things that you asked for. We should not permit any mental picture of failure to remain in our mind. Never doubt for one minute that you have the answer. Tell doubt to go and get your mind on the answer.

Wipe out every image, suggestion, feeling, or thought that does not add to your faith. People have experienced great miracles and breakthroughs by doing this.

My husband and I had asked the Lord for a trip to be able to go to a Christian conference last year; we had asked this around Christmas time and the conference would be in the 1st week of August. We had made a big deal of it, but when time went by and the summer came things were changing and the circumstance appeared that we had to move end of July.

I really felt impressed to pack already in June, didn’t think much about it; just did it. We hadn’t talked about the conference, but assuming that we wouldn’t go. Guess what? On the day of our moving; it was a very warm day two friends walked into the house.  Two friends that we hadn’t seen for a long time came and told us that the Lord had woken them up that night (two brothers) and had told them to pay for our trip to Dallas. They paid for the airfare, a 5 star hotel, a car, for the gas, for the food and some money to spend for a family of four. That is how good our God is!

That was something that we hadn’t experienced before. It was an awesome feeling to know that my prayers were answered. If I had not packed in June already, things would have been very unorganized, I can tell you that. So, these guys helped us move until late at night. The next morning they picked us up and brought us to the airport and off we went! I can tell you, that He is faithful and He comes through! It was a miracle! We had an incredible time in Dallas, met some friends and were so refreshed because of all the preaching that had been going on.

Step 6: Meditate on the Promises

Prov. 4:20-22 tells us to listen well to His words and to tune our ears to His voice and to keep His message in plain view at all times. Concentrate! Learn it by heart! Meditate on the promises on which you base your answer to prayer. See yourself as if you already have it and make plans as if it already were a reality. God will make His Word good if you will act on it.

If you are sick see yourself healed, if you are broke see yourself rich. Visualize yourself successful!
If you don’t stand by the Word, God can’t stand by you, even though He wants to. He moves in line with His Word.

Step 7: Give God the Praise

Phil 4:6 tells us to not fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting Him know your concerns. As long as we fret and are anxious, praying and fasting won’t do any good.

So do the opposite, start praising and thanking God. When you start thanking, you know in your heart that you truly believe and that you will receive it. This is the final step of prayer, that we lift our hearts up to Him in gratitude for what He has done and for what He is going to do for you now.

Andrew Murray said, “It is not good taste to ask God for the same thing over and over again”. I have to agree with him. If I kept asking my husband over and over for something that I really needed and he already promised to give it to me the first time; who would be the most disturbed about it do you think? Not I, because I really want to have it. He would be the one who would be most disturbed; because that would tell him that I don’t trust him. It would be better to be talking about it with excitement and thanking him for it and so on, right?

Question: Do you have a great testimony that you would love to share with us and our readers to give Glory to God? Let us know by leaving a comment. Thank you!

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox by clicking here

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Digital Travel Writer: Portable Lifestyle Made Easy by Wifi and Travel Apps

August 1, 2011 by 7 Comments
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Today you are in for a different treat again, because my good friend Claudia Looi is visiting us on The Choice Driven Life with a great subject:  our WiFi lifestyle – on the go with the necessary travel apps!

I know you will like it as much as I like her writings.  I met Claudia 6-7 weeks ago in Chicago at a conference with our coach Sandi Krakowski. She writes a great blog called The Travelpro and I visit it often to read her excellent and handy tips.

So, enjoy today’s article and let us know how much you enjoyed it.

 

 

Digital Travel Writer: Portable Lifestyle Made Easy by Wifi and Travel Apps

by Claudia Looi

 

One of the top treats of being a freelance writer is the ability to work in anywhere at anytime as long as you meet the deadline and produce the results needed. Last week I had the joy of just sitting in our local Barnes and Noble by their Starbucks Café…reading and drinking a less than $3 Grande Americano (I don’t drink sugared coffee). I got free Wi-Fi, a great cup of coffee, company of my son and people watching…that is part of my business model…people watch…I study human behavior as a copywriter.

While sipping coffee, researching and writing about geography and travels in Tanzania for my client in the UK…something clicked…I am a Digital Nomad. None of my clients live near me. They are all at least 1,000 miles away…. Wikipedia has the best description… A digital nomad is someone who uses technology and the internet to work remotely—from home, the coffee shop, internet cafe, or even to collaborate remotely with teams anywhere in the world.

These entrepreneurs & professionals frequently use new technologies like a smartphone, wifi, and web-based applications to develop location independence and earn an income wherever they live or travel. To me the most important aspect for any traveler or business person in this generation, even if you don’t work remotely, is the availability of wifi.

What if there were no wifi? What would you do? Clear 4G Take-it-with-you is a super fast internet connections you can bring with you wherever you go in about 80 cities in the United States. If you are an entrepreneur, traveler or an employee that travels for work in the United States, Clear could be a cheaper option compared to the fee that most hotel charge for room internet connections.

The last time I check in a hotel in Chicago, it was $9.99 per night. For unlimited internet access outside of the United States XComGlobal.com may be an alternative. They cover over 40 countries and you can select the mobile hotspot option or USB Modem option. It is cheaper to get a mobile hotspot in the country you are visiting.

Here is an example of one we used last year while traveling in Malaysia. DiGi has all the options for entrepreneurs and travelers to stay in touch. Other than wifi, travel apps do come in handy for a digital travel writer. What are these travel apps for? They are apps on smartphones or laptops that help assist with trip planning, free phone calls or cheaper phone calls, worldwide radios, track flights, hotel and restaurant reservation, language translation… to every type of games imaginable.

Here are 5 that I like:

1.   Skype is a free app and you can call for free from one Skype account to another. Or make cheaper phone calls from anywhere with your contacts who are not on Skype. You can also send instant messages.

2.   Tripit helps you organize your travel. You create your trip by entering the start and end dates, transportation details (flights, car rental etc), accommodation, restaurants and activities. After entering all the details you get your itinerary at your finger tips. What seems to be a tedious way of typing out and putting in order is now automated for you.

3.   Flight track help you track your flights on real time, including delays and gate numbers. It even comes with a map and the airplane you are tracking. They track worldwide flights and will give you updates on cancellations and find alternative flights. This app cost $4.99 from iTunes. Or track for free on your laptop or desktop.

4.   Oanda Currency Converter can convert over 190 currencies and 4 metals. Imagine… your silver coin can be converted too! This app is free. Get an idea of how much cash you need to have in hand when you travel. Shows you a typical rate charge for the currency you are exchanging.

5.   Google translate is able to translate up to 50 languages. You can even listen to your own spoken translations. This is just an entertainment while you wait for a flight or just filling in time. This is a free app.

If you find this information helpful, don’t forget to grab our free report on 5 Keys to planning a vacation of your dreams…do it today. This report may help you not to put off the trip of your dreams. If it is not now…when will your dream vacation be?

Claudia Looi is a freelance travel, content and copywriter. She is a mother of two teens and currently lives in Florida. A former travel professional with various tour operators, she has lived and worked in Kuala Lumpur, Auckland and New York. She currently writes for travel, hotels, real estate and wellness industries. Most of her writings are not in her name. They are featured in the United States, Malaysia, New Zealand and Belize. She has traveled to over 20 nations and some multiple times. You can find her at www.travelwritingpro.com. While you are there grab her Free Report 5 Keys to planning a vacation of your dreams.

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Know What Stands Between You and Your Destiny

July 28, 2011 by 12 Comments
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Know What Stands Between You and Your Destiny

by Olga Hermans

 

Are you in for a little challenge today? We’ve all had our share of adversities and we will continue to face hard times but harsh conditions have a way of bringing out the champion on the inside of us. Let’s have a look at our life experiences not in a self-pity manner or in a manner that brings disappointment or shame but from the standpoint of turning all our past experiences into hope for someone else.

If you would do that it would bring out your own uniqueness, your own message and you would move towards your destiny with great expectancy.

You might be going through something that somebody else is going through right now and they need your wisdom for that certain situation. They need to know what you know. Here is a very suitable quote form Myles Monroe: “Most people think the greatest tragedy in life is death. The greatest tragedy in life is to live and not know your purpose”.

Having lived your whole life and never really having that assurance of know what you have accomplished what you were meant to do is a very discouraging thought. So, if you are saying that you don’t have any dreams or you don’t have any goals, you definitely need to spend more time with God. Because God has a destiny for everybody on this planet and that includes you!

Sandi Krakowski

Some of us are called to be entrepreneurs and to be successful, like my coach, Sandi Krakowski. She went through a lot of trauma as a young girl; even gang raped in her 20s. She is a true survivor turned thriver – $500K debt – given a year to live – to creating and owning one of the fastest growing online business-coaching and information publishing companies in North America. Today she is totally debt free for the past 5 years and medically completely healthy and she gives God all the credit for it.

Others are called to be a mother of 12. Yeah, my friend Charlotte Siems is a pastor’s wife and she has 12 children.

Or my friend Denny Hagel who has a passion to help parents raise their children and is doing this already for over 25 years and is very succesfull.

It doesn’t matter what you do as a career or calling, God wants to use you and impact people around you. He wants you as you are, as He designed you to be; nothing less and nothing more. Here is another great quote from Mike Murdoch: “Your life’s assignment is not your decision but your discovery”.

Of course there are some decisions that you have to make to make it all happen. I remember the moment that my husband and I decided to go to VBI-Tulsa; that was a major decision for us and one of the best decisions we have ever made. But it wasn’t easy; our children were 13 and 11. We moved from overseas; they had to learn English, leave their friends behind and make new friends. But our lives have never been the same since.

Decisions are like falling dominoes in a line, each one toppling one irreversible consequence against another. After that we went back to The Netherlands to start a bibleschool, which also was a big decision that we did not regret. Life is too short for regrets. That’s why it is soo important for you to know who you are, what is important to you and what you want to do with your life.

God orders our steps; that means that He is always endeavouring to maneuver you towards your destiny. If you will listen to Him, then you will always be in the right place at the right time with the right people. That’s the reason you need to be sensitive to His leadership.

I believe that God has some extremely exciting things on the horizon for you. No matter how miserable your life may be at this very moment, God has a plan and God’s plan is to turn your life around. Make a choice to not run from Him, when you are distressed and unhappy, then He will and He can turn your situation around. He always knows what to do; He knows exactly what it takes to turn your life around.

What stands between you and your destiny? God’s will for you is always triumph! ALWAYS! 2Cor.2:14. That means that God always wants the very best for your life, no matter how impossible your circumstances look at this very moment. If you stumble and fall seven times, get up again ad go again. Remember, your hard times make you strong!

Satan will come between you and your destiny. He’ll create barriers. He’ll create obstacles, tests and trials because he knows more than you do that God has a powerful plan for your life. He will stand between you and your destiny. He will come up with the most ridiculous situations so that you will be discouraged and want to quit, and never fulfill what God has planned for you.

Let me remind that the difficulties that you are facing today, the thing that is trying to keep you from your destiny today, could become that stepping stone to your greatest victory! Don’t let the devil steal your destiny. God is always there to help you; He will change your whole life. Just as He did with my coach Sandi Krakowski; she is a great example to many.

Never get the idea that your life is no good because you weren’t on drugs or because you hadn’t made a terrible mess of your life. I know people think they don’t have a good testimony because they didn’t experience a whole lot of things. I think that, that is a wonderful testimony and there are people who want to hear it. People are looking for evidence; they are looking for what you have on the inside of you.

If this article is talking to you, it may be time to reexamine what you are doing. You are not meant to live an unfulfilled life. Make sure that you are doing THAT particular thing that is part of your destiny. Don’t spend years and years in a meaningless existence, doing something you dislike, staying there simply because it is convenient and you don’t want to rock the boat. Let me help you to step into your divine destiny; I wrote this book especially for you.

There are many people who have no clue what they are supposed to do in life, don’t let this  be you!
Go and get my book NOW by clicking here!

 

What Did You Think?

Please take a quick moment and leave your comments below.  Thank you!

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Simple Steps to Pay Yourself First

July 25, 2011 by 13 Comments
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Many of our readers that completed our survey told us that they would love to read more on money issues. I am pleased to tell you that my friend Beau Henderson with whom I did The RichLife Fast Track 30 Day Coaching Program, as some of you will remember, was more than willing to be  our guest today at The Choice Driven Life.

I have learned a lot of things from him lately all around making the right choices for our financial life as well. One choice that we should make and that would give our fnances a boost, you will learn from him today.

I am so glad to introduce Beau to you our valuable readers. I am very blessed to know Beau and even more honored when he said yes when I asked him to be our guest on the blog today.

You will learn a principle that is definitely going to change your life, if you apply it.

Enjoy today’s article by Beau Henderson!!

 

 

You are the most important asset that you have. Take care of yourself.

 

Simple Steps to Pay Yourself First

by Beau Henderson

 

Are you saving regularly?

Many people never save because they think it is too complicated, but the concept of saving is really quite simple.  Developing the discipline of saving is what takes a little work.

The three reasons I hear most for not being able to save are: I don’t make enough, I’ll save what’s left, and I have too much debt.
Do you relate to any of these reasons for not saving?

Let’s examine these excuses together, one at a time, and find out how you can start to pay yourself first.  The good news is that You can begin to save now, today, because paying yourself first is a mindset and a habit that has nothing to do with the size of your paycheck.

Reason #1: I don’t make enough money…

There are two kinds of people – those who save now and those who wait. The employee who makes $2,000 a month and gets in the habit of putting $50 of it away will have $600 saved by the end of the year. The same employee who waits until they can “save more” will have $0. And after 10 years, they still won’t have anything saved, and will still be waiting to have enough to save.
Are You Playing the “When I/Then I” Game?

It goes something like this… “When I can save $200 a month, then I will start to put away money for the future”.  The problem with this game is that it rarely, if ever works and our nature is to always create the next “When I/Then I” scenario instead of developing the habit needed to be successful with money.
Get into the habit of setting aside a portion of what you make now.

It doesn’t matter how little, it can be $5 or $5000. The important thing is to get in the habit. If you can bump up that amount annually by at least 3% or $25 a check as your pay increases, and in ten years, you’ll be saving at least $250 a paycheck. But it will never add up like that unless you get started.

Reason #2 I’ll save what’s left…

And typically what’s left is nothing. It happens to everyone. Saving won’t happen if you approach it this way. It is human nature to spend what is there, so don’t even give yourself the option. Take out the amount first, before you’ve even see it. Have it automatically deducted if you can, and put it into a separate account. Once you get in the habit of doing this, you won’t even miss it.
Put it on Auto Pilot For Success

To be successful at paying yourself first make savings automatic.  Your company’s 401k, 403b, SEP, or other retirement plan can deduct a percentage of your income pre-tax from your paycheck.  You can set up an automatic draft to fund after tax savings like ROTH IRAs, brokerage accounts, and savings accounts.  You have to plan for real life  and can set up automatic drafts to fill up separate buckets for emergency savings, car fund, house maintenance.
Reward Yourself to Stay on Track

All of this automatic saving is great, but if you want to stay on track you have to build in some rewards for all of your disciplined hard work.  Most successful clients build in buckets or automatic accounts to fill up for things like a road trip to see the grandkids, an annual trip to Vegas, or a deep sea fishing trip with the guys.

Remember, financial success is about living well.  These memorable experiences are priceless and need to be planned and saved for or else we are right back to playing the “When I/Then I” game in this area as well.

Reason #3 I have too much debt…

The truth is those that have the discipline to pay themselves first get out of debt faster.

Debt won’t go away unless you pay it off and nothing will get saved unless you start now. So split the difference. Come up with a formula that works for you.   People that have a succesful relationship with money create a formula using these 4 components:

Example:

1.      An amount you can live off – 70%

2.      An amount to save – 10%

3.      An amount to go towards debt – 10%

4.      An amount to give away – 10%

If you need every penny, the breakdown can be 97%, 1%, 1%, 1%.

What happens when the debt is gone?  You’ll be able to increase your savings without having to change your lifestyle or spend a penny more.

Paying yourself first puts the focus where it should be – on the person whom the money was meant to serve. In my experience, it is never the behavior of the investment that makes the difference so much as the behavior of the investor.

You are the most important asset that you have. Take care of yourself. It might be hard at first, but getting into the habit now will result in easier saving tomorrow. This is one of the core principals necessary to building a RichLife. It is my most sincere hope that you achieve yours.

What is your biggest obstacle when it comes to paying yourself first?

 

Beau Henderson is a financial advisor, author, coach, radio personality, and CEO of RichLife Advisors. He has helped over 3,000 clients to not just improve their relationship with money, but to live the life of their dreams.  For more tips on how you can apply the principal of wise stewardship to your everyday life, get a copy of Beau’s newest book, The RichLife – 10 Investments for True Wealth.

 

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How to Have a Thought-Life You Can Be Proud Of

July 21, 2011 by 9 Comments
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Our Mind Can Be Like Those Old Typewriters


How to Have a Thought-life You Can Be Proud Of

by Olga Hermans

 

In Deut 30:19, God says, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curses; therefore choose life.” He gives us an option, but He wants us to do the choosing.  A choice often means we can go the easy way or the hard way.  We can go the way we feel like going or we can go the way we know is right. To make a right and wise choice means we will probably have to discipline ourselves to do something we don’t feel like doing, but know is best.

As the Bible tells us, discipline doesn’t bring immediate joy, but it does bring lasting joy later on. The enemy is always out to destroy us and he often tries to do that by influencing us to make bad choices – to choose to do what feels good or is easy now, instead of what will be beneficial in the long run.

These choices may temporarily satisfy the flesh, but they don’t please God or satisfy us permanently. We should discipline ourselves to make good choices that honor God and His Word. God encourages His children to walk in the Spirit and the way we do that is by choosing to take time to listen to the Holy Spirit and do what we know is right even if it doesn’t feel good.

We’ve all known or know a time when we were in a disagreement with somebody and the air was filled with tension. You can choose to apologize and do what will restore peace or you can choose to stay angry and wait for the other to apologize; we have all been there.

So, what is more important? To be right or to choose for peace? The answer is that it is the right thing to make peace and if we don’t, we are sinning. God is our vindicator and if we need to be shown to be in the right, He will take care of that, but our part is to honor Him by doing what we know is right according to His Word. God can always work out the details but we need to make that quality choice to keep the peace.

You have to realize now more than anything that making right choices is the key to a happy life, and keeping our minds on right things is another one. Don’t let your mind wander around and do whatever it pleases. We have been given the spirit of discipline and self-control. You have been given a sound mind.

I love to sit beside my husband when we are riding down the road; I like to look out of the passenger side window while my husband is driving. He would give a smile if he would be reading this :), but my mind can go off on a drift or wander off onto something that is totally worthless and will not produce anything good in my life.

That doesn’t make me a bad person; it just means I have a choice to make. Will I be lazy and let it “drift”, or will I once again discipline myself to stop thinking that wrong thought and find something good and noble to think about?

I once heard an analogy that someone made; she said our mind can be like those old typewriters. We are focussing on something and our mind starts to wander away from us just like that handle on the typerwriter. I know this typewriter probably tells you my age more than anything else, but, when you start typing, that handle would go all the way to the right and you had to push it back to start e new line.

That is how our mind works, we are in a conversation or something, or reading a book or whatever we do and our mind wanders off…outside the window and we have to push it back just like that old typewriter. Do you get the picture?

My mind can drift when I am in a conversation with my husband, but it also happens when others are speaking and what they are saying really isn’t that interesting to me. It seems to be important to them, but it isn’t to me. My mind starts to drift to thoughts like: “I really have some more important things to do. Or, this is boring… or this goes way too far, I cannot believe this.” Things like that? Oh, you ever thought those things?

Then suddenly a message from my pastor or somebody comes up that we have to treat other people the way we like to be treated. Ouch!! We need to make the other person feel valuable, because they are. So, I am faced with a choice: do I walk in love and show respect for the person talking to me, or do I just pretend that I am listening while I have these wandering thoughts?

Are you surprised that these thoughts happen to me? Let me tell you a secret: they happen to everyone. We are not bad people because bad thoughts come to us but if we don’t resist them, we can become whatever we choose to focus our thoughts on.

The Bible tells us to seek good (1Thess 5:15). Seek means to make an attempt. We all have to seek to think right thoughts. It takes discipline and training, but we can do it. Determine today to set your mind on right things and discipline yourself to keep it set on them and you will enjoy the great and powerful life God has in mind for you.

When you find yourself stuck in a”wandering away” thought that is detrimental to you and you have a hard time staying focussed; get busy doing something good to bless someone. One thing you should not do is stay passive and merely wish you could get it off your mind. Be aggressive and refuse to lend your mind to the devil for his activity.

Remember that bad thoughts lead to bad moods and bad decisions, so don’t waste your time on anything that doesn’t add to the quality of your life. Think on that typewriter, I have to do that many times. 😉

You know, if we are deciding on what we think on or decide where our thoughts go; it all comes down to making decisions. We have to make a choice to activate our will to stay focused. Learn How to Make Decisions Like an Expert in 7 Easy Steps by reading our FREE Report.
Click here to receive it.

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How to Manage Your Happiness by Keeping Yourself Sane

July 18, 2011 by 9 Comments
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God Does Not Want You To Sacrifice Your Happiness To Keep Somebody Else Happy

 

How to Manage Your Happiness by Keeping Yourself

By Olga Hermans

 

Oh, how important it is to keep yourself happy and not be living to please everybody else. How easy we can get in that habit of taking on a false sense of responsibility, thinking that it is our job to keep everybody happy. Of course, it is always good to reach out to others and to try to help as many people as possible.

Do you sense the “but” coming? Too often, though, we get out of balance. We’re doing everything for everybody else, but we’re not taking the time to keep ourselves healthy and happy. God does not want you to sacrifice your happiness to keep somebody else happy.

Your first priority is to take care of yourself. I don’t mean to the extent of being selfish and only me, me, me. That is not what I am saying, but I am saying that you cannot be responsible for someone else’s poor choices. If you do, before long, that person will be controlling you and manipulating you.

I think we all know how that feels. God has not called you to be unhappy simply to keep somebody else happy. Truth is, some people don’t want to be helped; they don’t want to change. They just like the attention. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for somebody like that is not to help them.

I remember the time with my oldest sister, who lives in The Netherlands and is mentally ill. I don’t know how she did it, but she could make me feel so guilty if I wouldn’t do that particular thing that pleased her. A few years ago there was a time that I called her every day at the same time and spoke scriptures into her mind. She so enjoyed it and it looked like she was doing so much better.

Anyway, my husband and I were going to a conference in Dallas. She told me how afraid she was to not have me call her and this and that. So, ok I told her I would call every day. I think the 2nd or 3rd time I called her at our agreed time to hear from the front desk that she had gone to a movie. That was the moment that I started to realize I had to do things differently although she was mentally ill.

Life is too short to go through it being controlled and manipulated by people who refuse to make good choices on their own. You are not responsible for everybody else’s happiness. If people are controlling you, it’s not their fault; it’s your fault. You must learn to set some boundaries. Quit allowing them to call you at all hours of the day and night to dump their problems on you.

Many people are all upset, frustrated and discouraged because they’ve made a wrong choice of taking on way too much responsibility for somebody close to them who won’t do what is right. They carry a heavy load, trying to keep someone else happy.

You can be free from all that if you will just give those people to God. Quit trying to be the keeper of the universe. That is not your job. Of course, is not easy at first. My decision towards my sister was very hard on me, but I had to do it. I am not talking about selfish or self-centeredness. We should be givers and care for each other. But there is a big difference between giving and allowing somebody to control you and make you feel guilty until you do what they want.

To reduce stress, be aware of high-maintenance people in your life. Some people are almost impossible to keep happy. Maybe this is a turning point for you. If you have been living to please everybody else, or constantly trying to fix everything, rid yourself of that false sense of responsibility. Yes, be kind and compassionate and yes you should reach out to others. It’s like the saying that says: “you can’t help anybody who won’t help themselves”.

You gotta run your race and not let people control you and manipulate you; you will not only have less stress and more time and energy, but I also believe you will be much happier, and you will be free to fulfill the best plan that God has for you.

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Tweet this: Quit trying to be the keeper of the universe. That is not your job #TheDailyChoice

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How to Improve Your Decision Making Skills to Make Better Choices

July 14, 2011 by 5 Comments
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Many Times Our Dreams Do Not Become Reality Because Of The Decisions We Make In Our Lives

 

How to Improve Your Decision Making Skills

to Make Better Choices

by Olga Hermans

 

As I was pondering about my next post for this week, being extremely busy with the writing of my eBook “Pursue Your Destiny with Passion and Purpose” and also giving a new look to my FREE Report I thought about how so very important it is to take our God-given destiny serious and to be able to improve our decision making skills so we will NOT regret our choices.

So, I want to give you 5 crucial components to help you step into your destiny by making decisions that matter.

1.  Research: gathering information and collecting data

Gathering facts is very important in making a good decision that you will not regret. Let’s say you want to buy a product that is completely new to you – say a cleaner that you could use on your granite countertops without scratching them. Here you are in the store and a decision is right in front of you.

Have you ever wondered why some of the vitamins that you take are so outrageously expensive?

There is something like research and development. In order to know their target audience, the habits and preferences of their customers, companies spend vast amounts of money each year doing research to develop a new product.

So, how much research and development have you put into the decisions you make? Particularly the decisions with lifelong ripple effects that will move you toward your Destiny? Have you conducted adequate research into the character of that person that you might marry to make sure that s/he is who s/he says s/he is? I hope you see how important research is. Let’s get to the next point, shall we?

2.   Responsibility

Being responsible is something a lot of people don’t know much about. God’s definition of a dreamer is not someone who sits around with his head in the clouds, but it is someone who sees the possibilities of great things and understands it will take a lot of hard work and determination to see it through to the finish.

People that pursue their destiny with passion and purpose are people who are willing to sacrifice and pay the price up front in order to cross the finish line with self-respect and honor. Lazy people are always unhappy and they don’t understand why.

The reason they’re unhappy is because God didn’t create people just so they could sit around and do nothing, bearing no good fruit. We need to be engaged in life. If we want to see change in our life, then we need to ask ourselves what choices we can make to change things.

3.   Rising Higher

God’s plan for each of our lives is that we continually rise to new levels. But how we go about in life, and how much of God’s favour and blessings we experience, will be directly related to how much we decide to follow His directions.

Throughout life, God will deal with us and bring areas to light where we need to make choices to improve. He often speaks to us through our conscience or through a still small voice. He knows the things that are holding us back.

He knows our weaknesses, faults and the inner secrets that we keep hidden. When He brings these matters to our attention and if we want to get closer to our destiny, we have to be willing to face the truth about ourselves and take the correction that God brings to us.

4.  Root Issues; dealing with them

We love to fix things on the surface, like cleaning up our behaviour, trying to be more friendly, more loving and kind. Not spending so much money, or stop using credit cards to buy something on impulse. Not manipulating people any more, not getting so angry and upset. It is a good thing to make choices to try to improve, but so often we are not dealing with the real source of the problem.

People can have a root of insecurity that causes them to feel defensive or have a root of bitterness. Perhaps you have been spinning your wheels, going around in circles year after year, and are not really happy. You need to be honest enough to say, “God, show me what it is. Am I relying on other people to make me happy? Do I have unrealistic expectations?”

“Am I going to be happy only if I get married? Am I allowing my circumstances to keep me down? God, show me the truth about myself.” Some people say, “I’m depressed because my parents were so depressed”. No, you can change. You are a child of God, so you have the greatest power in the universe on the inside of you. You can break any addiction and overcome any stronghold.

You can fulfill your God-given destiny. You may have a negative history, but please understand, you don’t have to have a negative future. What’s important is not where you come from. What matters is where you are going. One of the main ways we can honor God is by taking responsibility for our choices, not blaming our past, not blaming our circumstances. We must get down to the root, take responsibility. Rise up and do something with it. You can experience the good things of God and fulfill your destiny.

5. Rearview: looking back and adjusting as necessary to stay on course

It is an amazing fact but true: the decisions we make today don’t simply affect ourselves; they affect our children and our children’s children for multiplied generations. The Bible talks about how the iniquity of the fathers can be passed down for three to four generations. That means that bad habits, addictions, negativity, wrong mind-sets and other types of iniquities can be passed down.

It is time to rise up and make a decision to do something about it. It may have been there for years, but the good news is it doesn’t have to stay there. You can be the one to put a stop to it. You can be the one to choose the blessing and not the curse. We’ve heard a lot about the generational curse, but equally important is our generational choice.

We don’t have to stay the way we are. Put a stop to any of the negative patterns in your family’s bloodline. It is a spiritual battle. You must take authority over all the strongholds that are keeping you in bondage. One of the first things you must do is recognize what it is, identify it, get it out in the open and deal with it. As you do you will see God’s blessings and favour in your life and you will be able to make the decisions that bring you closer and closer to your destiny. This will definitely help you improve your decision making skills and to know without a shadow of a doubt how to make good choices in discovering the life you were born to live.

Tweet this: Destiny is no matter of chance It is a matter of choice It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved WJB #TheDailyChoice

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