Theodore Henderson Author of the Amazon best selling book “The Wisdom Compass: Your 31 Day Journey to Wisdom Filled Living” shares sales and marketing tips for self published authors and small independent publishers.

Theodore Henderson, author of the Amazon best selling Christian living book “The Wisdom Compass: Your 31 Day Journey to Wisdom-Filled Living”, shares his thoughts on enjoying the natural quality of life. To keep balance and be truly successful in living we should pay attention to the 8 key areas of our life which include personal development, relationship with a significant other or spouse, family, friends, community, personal financial stewardship, your business, and your vocation or life purpose. Today’s lesson concerns enjoying nature.

Steve Siebold CSP and founder of the Siebold Success Network will be giving a 1/2 day seminar on the Mind Money Connection for a successful speaking career as well as how to become a Million Dollar Speaker (He did!) on May 11, 2012 hosted by the New York City Chapter www.nsa-nyc.org of the National Speakers Association.

Happy New Year! 

We are all fresh from making our New Years goals and have every intention of achieving those goals, so how to not get frustrated and give up before we even get to February, 2011? 

One thing that you can do that will help you arrive at the place you want to be in life is to truly recognize your talents and skills. When you are truly blessed with a talent recognize it and develop it! We are all blessed with talent. Don’t ignore a divine gift. If you can do something better, or with more passion and vigor, than most people then recognize, development and use it.   

If you have a God-given talent, don’t let it lie dormant. Don’t let anyone tell you what you have to do to be successful, or worse yet, what you cannot do with your life and your blessings.  

For example if you are a performer and good at it, then pursue your craft. Should you take some bookkeeping or carpentry classes along the way to following your passion? Yes! Use it as a fallback in between jobs or a way to generate income until you get work and become a successful performer or artist. The same goes for any profession, CPA, sculptor, etc. You may need to sacrifice along the way to achieve it so put a plan together and do it. Every skill you master makes you a more rounded person. Learn everything that you can as well as trying to learn something new each day. 

All that being said however, you don’t want to put off accepting your blessing and leaving it to some distant date in the future. Just get moving. If your desire is to become a lawyer, doctor or entrepreneur, don’t panic because you don’t have funds to pay for your education or begin your business right at this moment. Examine your desires, your talents, your passion and begin working on a plan that has actions steps and reasonable dates to make it your reality. I find when I’m pursuing a goal there is a tremendous amount of frustration for me if I don’t have a plan of action. Once I have one my energy shifts from the negativity of no progress to one of focusing on the execution that takes me toward my goal. 

“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

If you want the best chance to arrive at the correct destination, the path chosen is key to your success in life.

The Wisdom Compass is an extraordinary new book, which takes the biblical book of Proverbs and brings it into the present as a vehicle for personal transformation. Why Proverbs? Wisdom Compass author Theodore Henderson says, “The answer is simple: The book of Proverbs was originally intended, when first published several thousand years ago, as a wisdom guide for those of faith to do what is right and for making sound judgments in sometimes-difficult circumstances. It was written to give us wisdom, instruction, perception, prudence, knowledge, judgment, learning, and advice.” Another unique aspect of The Wisdom Compass is that the teachings are suitable for all even if they share a different faith or religion.

If you are striving to live life at that next level, The Wisdom Compass can provide you to steps to planning that journey. Don’t let wisdom slip past you or you will let the real “good life” get away. Remember Proverbs 4:13: “Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.”

The goal of this entire collection of lessons is to live according to God’s wisdom. The Word is a lighthouse we need during a storm, but we also need it when the waters are calm. As Proverbs 6:23 says, “For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life.” There is a divine plan for each person, but it is up to us to seek and follow its direction. After all, we are creatures of free will, and we don’t have to follow the right path.

The book of Proverbs is a guide for doing what’s right and making sound judgments in sometimes difficult circumstances. It was written to give us wisdom, instruction, perception, prudence, knowledge, judgment, learning, and advice.

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About the Author

During a career spanning over twenty years, Theodore Henderson has excelled as an articulate, organized, and successful business manager, entrepreneur, consultant, seminar leader, and speaker. He demonstrates a proven ability to build and maintain profitable, long-term relationships with a sophisticated client base.

Theodore is a lifelong New Yorker who works with individuals who want to use biblical principles and Christian faith as a guide to success in all the key areas of life: spiritual, social, personal, family, and business. He is also involved in youth leadership training and has taken a special interest in mentoring and tutoring urban youth and the disadvantaged.

Theodore is available for speaking engagements, book signings, and career coaching workshops. Please use the contact form below for more information.

When it rains, many of us think that the day is ruined and there’s no fun to be had. That couldn’t be farther from the truth!

Rainy days have power. Sometimes, you need the peace and quiet of a rainy day to slow down and meditate.

Meditating on what really matters to you is a great way to use a rainy day. Listen to the soft sound of the rain hitting the earth and the buildings around you. Go outside and smell the way rain makes everything fresh and clean. Feel the renewal that rain brings to the earth and the creatures that inhabit it. Rain is cleansing, and you can be cleansed by it too.

You deserve the cleansing that rain brings. Rain can provide you with just what you need to feel healthy, whole and strong again. When you learn to appreciate the rain, it can lead you to a place of amazing peace and serenity.

Appreciate the Change That the Rain Brings to the World

Rain and change go hand in hand. They match and mirror each other. Without water, there would be no life – no people, animals, or plants to enjoy. Everything that exists, grows, and develops in this world does so because there is rain available. Take time to appreciate the rain and be thankful for the chance to enjoy it!

Each and every day is a gift. Even the gloomiest of skies can bring sunshine into your heart. Rainy days invite your weary body and soul to slow down and count your many blessings.

Here are some things you can do to make the best use of a rainy day:

• Meditate, pray, or get in touch with the Creator.
• Catch up on the sleep that you’re missing out on during busy, sunny days.
• Read something of value that you’ve been putting off.
• Practice a self-improvement activity you’ve been putting off for a while.
• Get together with like-minded people who share your goals and values.
• Call or write an old friend you haven’t spoken to in a while.
• Play a board game or reminisce with your family.
• Get rid of some of the clutter in your home that competes for your attention and robs you of peace.

Use a Rainy Day to Achieve Peace

A full calendar often drowns out your body’s cries for rest. Rain brings a slower pace that forces you to steer your day in a different direction than the hustle and bustle that you’re used to. When you do, it’s easier for you to see the value in the simpler things. Embracing simplicity and living life at a slower pace sometimes are vital components to a balanced life. 


The next time a rainy day comes your way, choose to slow down and embrace the opportunity to rest your mind and body. Pay attention to the softness that the rain offers. Experience a gentleness of spirit as you listen to the soothing sounds of the thunderstorm outside. And remind yourself that, when the storms of life come, you can experience this same peace!

I was having dinner with some friends and one them who was a professional dancer, but now retired, related the story of how she started dancing professionally at 14 years old and finally got her breakthrough part at 28 years old in “A Chorus Line”.  Before her big break she was working fairly regularly in bit parts and doing the odd jobs that performers do before “making it” and becoming recognized as “someone” in her part of the entertainment business.  I joked with her that she was a 14-year overnight success.  We all had a good laugh as she told stories of being treated different because she had come “out of nowhere” and was more recognizable and in line for better jobs. 

The lesson here is you have to be patient and persistent. Why? Because it’s extremely rare for “it to happen overnight”, in fact, the opposite is the norm. The more significant your goal is, the longer it’s going to take; the more momentous it is, the more discipline it’s going to require. Your dreams must translate into work to succeed in life but the journey should not be a lonely one. 

Success is not a one-man job; it takes joint effort and cooperation. Our Creator made us this way and we should take it as a blessing and leverage the abilities of one another to go farther in life than we are able to alone. Without the support, prayers, encouragement of family, friends, and even strangers you will be stymied from achieving what you are truly capable of. That’s why it’s so important to be in a small supportive group whether it is a bible study or a mastermind. 

The stronger your team is, the more you can fulfill your dream.  The greatest use of your life is to invest it in something that will outlast it and is larger than the individual. Jesus said, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36 NIV). Don’t begin working toward your goals until you’ve counted the cost and understand the what the journey may hold.

Pray for a clear vision of what your divine mission is and take the steps necessary to make it real.

Thanksgiving is a time to offer thanks, of family gatherings and holiday meals. A time of turkeys, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. A time to reflect on just what is important in our lives and what, and who, we are grateful for.

This year I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving holiday weekend filled with many blessings. I am grateful for so much and you are very much appreciated.

Theodore

“May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” Psalm 20:4 (NIV)

If you have read any of my writings on biblical principal and scripture you know that I often advise you to pray and meditate on the “Word”. However you should pray and meditate on everything of importance in your life including your personal and financial success. Don’t be mislead by religious arguments about “prosperity gospel” and poverty somehow automatically making you holy. Understanding that your Creator encourages you to be the best you can be and scripture teaches and reinforces this.

However the difference between looking at God as an intergalactic ATM and praying for success both as a way to have a better life and honor your faith is the serious intent. By serious intent I’m speaking of your goals and the pursuit of them. Are they in writing? Do you pray and meditate daily, or at least regularly, on your goals? Do they represent your good character and integrity? Do you regularly seek out true scriptural reinforcement? Do you take regular real action in their pursuit? If not can you really be serious about pursuing success?

If you are goals are moving along towards fruition then congratulations. If they are not moving then it is time to properly identify the obstruction(s). You should list your 3 to 5 most important goals, such as, go to college, find a suitable spouse, get a better paying job, pursue your true vocation, etc. Having done that list the major obstacles that you feel are preventing them from progressing. If your mental state or outlook is an obstacle then list it. Honesty is necessary for forward movement.

In the book What They Don’t Teach You in the Harvard Business School, Mark McCormack describes a study conducted on students in the 1979 Harvard MBA program. For purposes of study that year the students were asked, “Have you set clear, written goals for your future and made plans to accomplish them?” Only three percent of the graduates had written goals and plans; 13 percent had goals, but they were not in writing; and a massive 84 percent had no specific goals in writing or otherwise! This is at the Harvard Business School so its easy to imagine how so many in the general population are frustrated with their lack of success.

In my book “The Wisdom Compass“, now available on Amazon, I explain how to go about setting quality realistic goals and also share how I how set a goal to write the book within a certain timeframe and met my goal.

The author Brian Tracy in his book “Goals!” explains the SMART approach to goal setting. SMART means the goal must be: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-certain. Unless a goal meets each of those criteria do not consider it to be a valid goal.

He gives the following examples of true written goal setting. He contrasts some common “goals” people aspire to with the SMART goal alternative. Why are the SMART goals better? What’s “wrong” with the common “goals” most people set for themselves? See for yourself.

Common “goal”: To lose 10 pounds in two weeks.

SMART goal: I walk one mile every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and I weigh 175 on November 30.

Common “goal”: To make more money.

SMART goal: I have increased my income every month this year and am earning $250,000 per year on December 31, 2011

Common “goal”: To get published in a magazine.

SMART goal: I send a targeted query letter pitching article ideas to Redbook magazine every week.

You are probably thinking this is way too much work and time. Guess what? You’re right. it will take time and some real thought. That’s why such a large percentage of Americans have no written goals.

You can either drift through life or you can have direction through life by taking the time to think through where your Creator wants you to be. The choice is simple a life discipline or a lifetime of regrets.

Read Focal Point – The Promise Pt 1 here.

The unemployment rate is between 9 and 10 percent and whether you are employed or unemployed you should be part of the growing number of people are who search the Web for work opportunities. However if you are restricting your surfing mainly to one or two of the big job boards like Monster.com are facing a steep climb. Follow some of the following steps for improved results. 

Your strategy must be to cast an intelligently constructed wide net.  For example, personal referrals are the best way to gain entrance to a company or to stay abreast of specific company specific opportunities.  The next best company specific opportunity source are the company Web sites, according to CareerXroads which says that the top 3 sources of hiring in 2010 are Referrals 26.7%, Career Sites 22.3%, and Job Boards 13.2%. No other source breaks 7%, which includes College Recruiting, Print, Career Fairs, etc.  The message here is if the professionals say this is how you get hired then don’t fight the changing tide.  Ten to fifteen years ago only employee referrals were in the top three.  Times have changed. 

For job hunters casting a wide net I recently came across LinkUp.com, which aggregates postings from company sites only—and more importantly updates them automatically saving you valuable time by not applying to closed positions.  Many companies also allow seekers to sign up for extra services; employers like the accounting firm Deloitte send out e-mail job alerts and offer an online RSS feed that provides real-time updates directly from their sites.  Being in the know for potential opportunities has never been easier. 

Even though I still come across many professional job seekers who don’t have a proper LinkedIn profile they do understand the importance of the site in an online job search strategy. But it doesn’t stop there as a growing number of employers are also diligently searching for hires on traditionally nonprofessional sites such as Twitter and Facebook, where they can also take advantage of the added benefit of posting jobs for free. Another positive unintended consequence is that by keeping in touch with friends employers are now trying to mine their employees’ personal networks for talent by adding tools that allow them to post listings to their own social-networking pages. Why?  Smart, intelligent, hardworking, and successful people tend to know others like themselves. 

Smart entrepreneurs know they need to understand their target market or niche and then service it.  The job search is no different utilizing job boards that target specific niches or industries are a good use of your time. One such site is InternetInc.com, which compiles a list of boards by career field, is one place to get a sense of the niche options. I don’t recommend pay-for-use job boards unless you can be guaranteed specific results.  There are plenty of excellent free sources such as the ones mentioned here you should not need to use a pay service.  If you are going to pay for a service better to use a career coaching service such as the Five O’clock Club which offer high quality career coaching and career management services at reasonable prices.