Pluto Blog

Starting a business requires adequate capital. However, many entrepreneurs are finding that capital alone is not a guarantee for success. Some businesses start out with millions in the coffers, yet end up in the dumps. While a few businesses with shoestring budgets eventually grow to become extraordinary successes.How can this be? Success in entrepreneurship is not necessarily a contest of having the fattest wallets. Rather, it is an exercise of smart financial management, careful strategic planning, and yes, lots of luck. Successful entrepreneurs know how to stretch and maximize every single dollar.Here are ten ways entrepreneurs on a tight budget can still come out a winner:1. Set realistic goals. The first step every start-up entrepreneur must do is to determine the right scope and size of your business. Many entrepreneurs simply jump into the idea of starting a business, without understanding what the business really entails - financial requirements, management know-how, and technological skills, human resource requirements. They eventually fall short of what they can really do. Review the business you have in mind and determine if it is within a range that's both attainable and desirable.2. Plan your costs properly. A lot of entrepreneurs start a business without the faintest idea of what the costs will be. They either overestimate the cost, or worse, underestimate the financial requirements needed to properly capitalize the business. This is particularly evident in the preparation of financial projections in the business plan. Some entrepreneurs prepare financial projections with numbers that don't square with other sections of the business plan (e.g. marketing section calls for local television advertising yet budget is only $200). Some do not even include a list of assumptions to explain their numbers. From out of the blue, they feel that their business can grow from 20% in the first year to 40% in the second year, without explaining how the increased growth can be achieved.3. Smart financing for your business. Financing a small business is not a lock-stock-and-barrel proposition. For many entrepreneurs, there is no single source to finance their entire operation. The money provided by one source (e.g. your mom) may be enough to buy your raw materials, but you still need money for your working capital. Entrepreneurs need to look at financing as the sum of the parts of their business: what you finance are the individual assets needed for your business. Your question should always be: "What's the best way to finance this asset using the least upfront dollars?" The ideal financing source is one that provides the longest payback period, carry the lowest interest rates, require little or no collateral and demand no personal liability. Alas, that may be fairy tale. The next best thing is to choose what makes the best sense for you and your business, given your priorities4. Put your money where it will bear fruit. Shoestring entrepreneurs have one common characteristic: they lack money and often struggle to raise capital for their businesses. Capital of a start-up venture goes to either of these investments: "fixed assets" (furniture, fixtures, and equipment), or "working assets" (inventory and working capital). Despite the lack of capital, many small business owners put most of their money to buying fancy equipment and chic office space - costs that a struggling start-up can do without. This is a common error in business decision-making. Successful business owners put as much money as possible into the working assets - which bears cash and sales - and as little as possible into fixed assets.5. Is it the right time? Timing can be a key to the success of a start-up. There's a right time and a wrong time to open a business, especially if your business is cyclical in nature or in a seasonal location. The opening of a retail slot in your favorite mall, or your own convenience should not be your reasons for starting a business. Rather, you should plan through the months when the crest for the demand of your product cyclically ends.6. Control the cash. Cash flow is said to be the lifeblood of a small business. And rightly so. Your business will survive only as long as it has the cash to pay for your financial obligations. With limited capital, cash flow controls every decision in shoestring enterprise, and it can be the only way to navigate during your start-up phase. One key rule for entrepreneurs: only when you have adequate cash can you even begin to think of profits. Many businesses fail not because they are undercapitalized, but because they fail to properly plan the undercapitalized operation.7. Push the sales. Building sales depend on several factors - nature of the business, location, level or competition, and intensity of marketing and promotion. The goal of every shoestring entrepreneur must be to build up sales immediately. If you have a bank loan or financed your business through credit card, for example, your creditors will not allow you to delay your payments just because you are still in the process of building up your sales. They want your payment - now! You therefore need to push the marketing of your business, maybe issue a flyer this week, run a one-paragraph ad in the local newspaper the next, send out news briefs and article contributions. The key rule is to dedicate at least two hours of your day to marketing your business. Know the steps you'll take before you open and after you open to maximize sales and help the business to fast sales increases.8. Balance your sales and profit objectives. Sales and profit do not always go together. Some entrepreneurs are willing to cut down their profits in their effort to drive sales up. Oftentimes volume alone will not be able to compensate for the loss in profits. Try to maintain gross profits at least equal to the industry averages. Strive to give the business the best balance between a solid policy of capturing sales without sacrificing needed profit margins.9. Be 'lean and mean'. A struggling start-up does not need dead weights. Keep your fixed costs down, and spend only on items that can sufficiently contribute to improving the bottom line. If you can still adequately operate from your home office, there is little need in leasing an office space in the downtown area. Avoid hiring a permanent employee if you can still make do with temporary and seasonal staffs Every dollar in expense should be directly tied to income: spend a nickel only when you are sure you can get a dime in return.10. Master the financial tools. As a business owner, you are responsible for the life and growth of your business. This entails knowing, not only the marketing or production aspects of your business, but the financial tools you need to manage your business effectively. Understanding the finances of your business will give you control over its direction. Unpalatable it may be to some entrepreneurs, knowing the money part of your business will tell you where you've been, where you're going, and how fast you're getting there. Sure, you can hire bookkeepers and accountants. But you yourself need to understand your cash flow, income, profit and loss statements, and break-even point.

1. Find a strategic business partner. Look for ones that have the same objective. You can trade leads, share marketing info, sell package deals, etc.
2. Brand your name and business. You can easily do this by just writing articles and submitting them to e-zines or web sites for republishing.
3. Start an auction on your web site. The type of auction could be related to the theme of your site. You'll draw traffic from auctioneers and bidders.
4. Remember to take a little time out of your day or week to brainstorm. New ideas are usually the difference between success and failure.
5. Model other successful business or people. I'm not saying out right copy them, but practice some of the same habits that have made them succeed.
6. Take risks to improve your business. Sometimes businesses don't want to advertise unless it's free, sometimes you have to spend money to get results.
7. Include emotional words in your advertisements. Use ones like love, security, relief, freedom, happy, satisfaction, fun, etc.
8. Ask people online to review your web site. You can use the comments you get to improve your web site or you may turn the reviewer into a customer.
9. Out source part of your workload. You'll save on most employee costs. You could out source your secretarial work, accounting, marketing, etc.
10. Combine a product and service together in a package deal. It could increase your sales. If you're selling a book, offer an hour of consulting with it.

Life alignment is the process of taking out the rough spots and aligning your life with your personal goals, desires, and objectives. It all has to do with your core belief systems and how you must learn to enhance them so that you can once again move forward in your life. The ultimate objective of balance is to define who you are now, and define your values, vision, mission, and goals.
The basic elements of aligning your life are simple. As listed below, they consist of a set of core rules that provide an outline to help you grasp and understand what it is that you want out of life. In the e-book Balancing Act --- Balance Your Life and Grow Beyond Your Current Boundaries!, we step through these rules so that you can have a set course to follow and understand the concepts presented.
* Who Are You: Define and accept yourself and your surroundings, but do not allow your environment, habits, physical issues, or doubt to define you.
* Accept Responsibility: Do not place the burden of success and failures on others and do not destroy someone else for personal gain.
* Take Control: Do not worry about those things that are out of your control, instead, take responsibility for your life and for things that you can control.
* Obtaining Power: Do not see things as impossible only because you cannot accomplish them immediately. Determine why it appears to be impossible and figure out how to accomplish it.
* Organize Your Life: Define and eliminate false hope and desires. Let go of things that are of little consequence in your life.
* Plan Your Journey: Learn to change and adjust to move along your path toward your new destinations. Never stop looking ahead and never stop learning. Education reduces fear of failure and of the vast unknown.
* Take Action: Reward yourself and live life to the fullest.
Aligning your life involves the organization and management of priorities. It is the elimination of things that are no longer of any use and the alignment of essential items so that they are of greater use to you in your pursuit of your goals. Aligning your life means setting a vision and putting everything in motion to reach that vision.
However, an aligned life is never set in stone. Life alignment is a continual, interactive process. As you move forward in life, you will grow and experience new things. As you grow, your ultimate vision changes, as will your alignment processes and the plans necessary to achieve personal fulfillment.

Herbal teas have long been known to have medicinal benefits as well as being tasty to drink! Some of my favorite teas are chamomile tea, jasmine tea and ginger tea. Each of these has a distinctive taste as well as health benefit.
Chamomile tea is a favorite herbal tea that many use if they have trouble sleeping. It has natural sedative, antiinflamatory and antispasmodic properties so is also good for cramps. Due to it’s calming benefits it is often used to help relieve anxiety. It is rich in essential oil and can help the digestive system function properly. Chamomile is also very good for your skin and you can wet a cloth in the tea and use it as a skin cleanser or compress.
Jasmine tea is a combination of green tea leaves and jasmine flowers. It has a lovely jasmine scent and flabor with all the wonderful antioxidant properties of the green tea. Jasmine tea has long been used for it’s relaxing and warming qualities and is also soothing to the digestive system. This tea also may help lower cholesterol according to recent studies and may even help with longevity.
Ginger tea has powerful medicinal properties. It is reputed to be a aphrodisiac and can help freshen your breath! It has anti fungal and anti spasmodic properties and can help sooth stomach upset by neutralizing acids and aiding digestion. Ginger is also reputed to help relieve nausea, motion sickness, dizziness, flatulence and even help to ease muscle pain.
To properly make herbal tea, use 1 tea bag per person or, if you are making it from the dried herbs, use 1 teaspoon of the herb. Add boiling water to the herb mixture and let sit for 5 minutes. Don’t let it sit for too long or it will start to taste bitter. Don’t drink it too soon or the herb won’t have imparted it’s flavor into the water enough. Typically herbal teas are taken “black” but you could add a little milk or some sugar or honey to taste if you like.

We all know them. We all have somebody like them at our workplace. Some of us have them as our neighbor. Some are related to them. Gosh - some poor souls even live with them. So who are these people I speak of?
What I am talking about are the Hannibal Lecters of society. Toxic people.
Toxic people enjoy telling you every reason why you can't or shouldn't do something. Tell them an idea and they will tell you it's no good. They hope that you won't achieve more than they can and really don't want you to succeed. They whine, they complain, they spread rumors, they are prone to ugly moods - a thundercloud follows their every move. They are the doomsayers. I'll bet you already have someone like this in mind as you read these very words.
Unlike the Hannibal Lecter of "Silence of the Lambs" fame, toxic people are not trying to eat your flesh. No. Toxic people want to consume other things - your confidence, your self-esteem, your dreams, your ambitions, your goals, your desires. I think you get the picture.
The best thing you can do if you find yourself in the presence of one of these people is to run, hide, make other plans. Just get away from them as fast as you can. The least amount of time you spend with them the better.
Toxic people will attempt to indoctrinate you with huge amounts of negative input in a very short space of time, so it is imperative that you limit your time with them. They are easy to recognize. Their language gives them away. Every time they open their mouth out comes a litany of everything that is wrong with them, you, the world and other people.
Recognizing positive and negative personality traits is one of the skills of personal development. Many excellent books exist on this subject but there are none better than "Personality Plus" written by Florence Littauer.
In her book, Florence Littauer defines personality traits. In it you will learn how to get along with the four main personality types, and the multiple combinations of them. I have had the privilege of hearing Florence speak and she is a truly gifted author and presenter.
By understanding your own personality traits and those of other people you will enhance your ability to get along with those who are important to you. If you are a Human Resource Officer, a General Manager, a salesperson, or just somebody who likes to get along with other people, what would this skill be worth to you?
Guard yourself against the Hannibal Lecter's of this world. Your life will be so much more fulfilling without their destructive influence.
About the author: Gary Simpson is the Course Co-ordinator for the "Life, Journey, Destiny - Personal Development Home Study Course" and the author of "How to Stop Wasting Your Life and Start Getting What You Want". His email address is budo@iinet.net.au. The website containing this article and others is located at Motivation & Self Esteem for Success.
[If you like this article and would like to use it on your own website or ezine you may do so ONLY if the article is not changed in any way and the final paragraph: "About the author", with all links intact, is included.]

Not Making Any Progress? Write It Down.



By Ken Leonard Jr.

©2002 KLJ Online



Do you have a problem getting things done? Write it down.

Can't find time to build your business? Write it down.

Are you in a rut, not making any progress? Write it down.


So, you have an idea of what you want to do, but you
need help actually getting started, right? Making a habit of
regularly writing down your goals will allow you to achieve
your "ideas".


Start by using a "to-do list" daily. As you scratch off each
completed task, you are making progress. This feels great, and
will create much needed momentum for your home-based business.


Each Sunday, draw up a "plan of action" for the coming week.
Prioritize this list to get the most important tasks done
early in the week. This way, as your week progresses, you are
on a "down-hill glide" instead of an "up-hill climb".


Next is setting your monthly goals. In the last week of every
month, establish your plan for the month ahead, and be
realistic. Don't set such lofty goals that you can't
accomplish anything. Start small and grow over time. At the
end of the month, re-evaluate your plan for that month. If you
didn't reach many goals, set lower goals, and reach those. If
you reached all or most of last months goals, set higher levels
for the coming month's plan.


Quarterly goal plans will help you to semi-regularly
re-evaluate your situation. This will show you which areas
need work, and which tasks are getting done.


The supreme motivating factors for your home business are
included in your long-range goals. This is "the big picture",
your vision of what you want your business to be. This is
the reason for doing everything.


Think Big. You can accomplish anything with the right plan
in place. Setting and reaching your goals boosts your confidence
greatly. This is essential for your business to grow and
succeed in the long term.


Don't sell yourself short. Write it down!

Career Goals and Stress:
How to Achieve Goals and Maintain Your Sanity
Deborah R. Brown, MBA, MSW
____________________________________________________________________________
"Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time."
Max Ehrmann
"Desiderata"
When it comes to career success, direction and focus are crucial. But beyond direction, how effective is it to have goals?
Requirements for Effective Goal-Setting
Much has been researched and written about the effectiveness of goal setting.
The findings say that :
ï‚· Difficult goals lead to higher performance than easy goals.
ï‚· Difficult goals lead to higher performance than "do your best" goals.
ï‚· Setting specific goals results in more precise performance than setting "do your best" goals.
Just having the goal is not enough. You must develop a strategy to make it happen. What are the activities you need to perform everyday? Plan those activities, but also stay alert and open to new ways to achieve your goals as they present themselves.
There are three critical requirements that dictate how well goal setting will work:
ï‚· Commitment to your goals.
ï‚· Periodically reviewing where you stand regarding goal achievement (getting feedback).
ï‚· Belief that you can achieve your goals (self-confidence and self-efficacy).
You need to genuinely desire the goals you set. If you don't like your job and don't want to be there, then it is difficult to be committed. It's also crucial that you believe that you can achieve the goals you set for yourself.
Stress and Goal Setting
Goals create striving which results in more stress. So how do you deal with this stress?
Since I am notoriously poor at pacing myself, I created a structure to help me with this process. My plan includes eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly, but also not scheduling clients on Fridays. I never work past 8 p.m. I plan vacations and weekends away, and schedule social events with friends at least once per week. Part of my stress management program also involves not over-booking myself with social activities so that I have time to retreat for rest and recuperation.
As I approached graduation from college many years ago, I wrote a poem about goal setting which I titled, "My Brook and I."
I remember the brook
streaming though the woods;
spending hours around it,
building forts, wiping the mud off me with skunk cabbage.
I remember the brook on sunny days;
Water babbling over stones and rocks, pieces of wood;
making the water ripple the way it did.
I wondered what happened to the brook
traveling away from my yard.
I had a goal for my brook
to flow to the ocean...but then what?
I see goals for myself
thwarted, rearranged, fulfilled.
But the goal for my brook;
What happened to it?
Deepak Chopra, in The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, says that if we want to have a successful career, we should first center ourselves and then release our intentions (our career goals) to the universe. We should not be attached to the way these goals develop, or to the exact outcome, but leave the details to the universe. We can get the same results through effort and trying, he says, but the result is stress, which can lead to heart attacks and other physical illnesses.
Sometimes we focus more on our unhappiness with our present situation, than on what we want to achieve. Chopra says that we should accept where we are now, be fully present in the moment and concentrate on our deepest intentions (goals).
Goals should be difficult, but achievable with persistent effort. Goals that are too extreme, such as doubling your income in one year, can only discourage you.
Goals work because you persist and focus your efforts in a specific direction.
Without that direction, we can find ourselves floating through our lives, more at the mercy of outside forces that are not devoted to our welfare or success. But we can manage our goals in a way that does not create undo stress by not being attached to the exact way they are achieved.
Having set goals the brook and I
build toward them.
The brook unable to know...
about a pipe in the ground, a seeping marsh, a dam.
Myself not knowing the course I will follow.
Knowing what I want,
yet finding it hard to grasp.
I remember years of competition, of struggle, of acceptance.
Then discovering what is real, important;
myself, my friends, expression;
a soft kitten purring on my lap;
peace.
Being more than a doctor, a lawyer.
Knowing comfort, relaxation.
Being myself.
Approaching the completion of one goal,
I set new ones.
But fulfilling them means going away, sorrow.
Like the brook moves on, streams to the river...
the ocean.
Saying goodbye to familiar things,
friends.
Facing a reoccurrence of similar past memories,
painful.
Conclusion
In my business I set performance goals for myself every year. I also set goals for relationships, finances, home, physical and mental health, as well as spiritual development. I can attest to the fact that the more specific the goal, and the more frequently I review that goal and focus on it, the more likely I am to meet that goal. It helps to write down your goals, read through them periodically, visualize them and keep a picture journal that represents the achievement of those goals. But it also helps to listen to the feedback from the universe, and make adjustments to those goals when necessary. We should have a career plan, but be flexible with how it unfolds.
I know a word...self-fulfillment.
Being vulnerable, can I take chances?
Being strong, grinding ahead through disappointments.
Being weak, letting go of crippled goals.
Like a brook who misses the river,
finding another happiness.
Being motivated, seeking what I am after,
But not too aggressive.
Being easy, tension-free.
Making it through the insecurity
Like cool water in a brook;
not knowing what will come.
Traveling through the seasons of time.
Molding myself to the environment like the brook
makes its path through nature.
Sliding over any obstacles
the brook continues over rocks, pieces of wood.
Freezing in the rough, cold spots;
melting in the warm.
Praying for a map free of dams to follow
in a steady, unchartered progression.
My brook and I.

I love this quote by Zig Ziglar, and think it’s a perfect introduction to this article:
“People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing- that's why we recommend it daily.”
The same thing can be said for all the different techniques that lead to happiness.
Often you will hear people say,
“I tried affirmations, and they didn’t work.”
“I tried NLP, and it didn’t work.”
“I tried subliminal programming, and it didn’t work.”
“I tried (insert any other technique), and it didn’t work.”
Well, the reason is NOT that the techniques are faulty. Every technique has had some success. And every technique has had some failures. There is no holy grail, magical technique, guaranteed to work for everyone. Why is this?
Quite simply, we’re all different.
In my search for happiness, I tried many things. Some I can relate to, others I can’t. Some I didn’t even try. My scepticism ruled out subliminal programming, right from the start. That doesn’t mean it won’t work for others who are open to trying it. In fact, some people swear by it.
So don’t be stressed if you try something and it’s not a good “fit”. Accept we’re all different, take the positives out of the experience, and move on and try something else.
Here are a few pointers though in how to find “what works” for you:
(1) Firstly, understand that these techniques are not a direct cause of happiness. If they were, then everyone who used them would achieve happiness. These techniques are an indirect cause of happiness, with another step in the middle.
There is one, and only one, direct cause of happiness. And that is for you to change your thought process.
Happiness comes from positive thoughts. EVERYONE who focuses on the positive side of their life, with gratitude for what they have now, IS HAPPY!
And everyone who focuses on the negatives, and worries about their future, or lives regretting their past, IS UNHAPPY.
It’s as simple as that.
So what we’re looking for is a technique (or bunch of techniques) that simply help us focus on the positives in our life, right here and right now. If you try something and it doesn’t effectively focus your thoughts on the positives, don’t worry about it. Find something else that does.
(2) Make sure you use the technique properly. Some like meditation take many years to completely master (of course there are great benefits along the way). Others are quite simple. Whatever technique you try, research it completely, and consider seeking a teacher, coach or mentor.
(3) As Zig Ziglar said, use the process continually. You are aiming to replace any negative thoughts with positives. Doing it once doesn’t guarantee positive thoughts forever, for the rest of your life. You need to make this a continual process.
However like riding a bike, or driving a car, with practice it will become automatic. Your subconscious will take over much of the process, and you will be well on your way to the lifetime of happiness that you so richly deserve.
(4) Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. What works one time may not be the best answer next time. My favourite restaurant at the moment is called Base Camp. It’s a Nepalese Restaurant just down the road from us here in Melbourne. But that doesn’t mean I always eat there when I go out for dinner. Sometimes we eat Italian. Sometimes we might feel like Thai.
As I said earlier, I tried many things in my search for happiness. Some worked for me and some didn’t. I found my answer in a combination of many techniques. I personally love affirmations. But at other times I get more value out of EFT. I have a morning routine of manifesting visualisation and meditation. I have an evening (before bed) routine based around the expression of gratitude.
Find a whole truckload of ways to make you feel happy. And use them all at the appropriate time.
There is no holy grail, magical technique, guaranteed to work for everyone. So stop looking for it. Try something. Use it properly, and consistently. And if you get great results, keep using it. If you don’t get results, move on to something else.

There are four sources from which we can experience true divine contentment. Contentment, as defined in part one, is a plateau of the Christian life that every believer must reach in order to be fulfilled spiritually, mentally and emotionally. That being said, let’s look at these four sources of divine contentment in which are sure to provide ways to reach a state of fulfillment.John 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Source #1 - When we see God as our FatherWe cannot reach a state of divine contentment until we know and understand inexplicably who our Father truly is. Not knowing who our Father is will leave us in darkness. We will not be able to discern His voice from all of the other voices that are trying to be influences in our lives. Our Father God wants us to call Him Daddy, Abba, Father. Some of us may have earthly, biological fathers, and a number of us have never met our biological fathers, nor even know where he can be found. But our Father in heaven wants us to know that He is there when we call. Our Father God wants us to commune with Him as if He were the only father that we’ve ever known. He wants to be there for us in all of our situations and circumstances. He longs for an eternal dialog with us.John 15:10-11 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. Source # 2 - Live by the Word of GodKnowing the voice of God is critical in the days that we live in because there are many false prophets, pastors and teachers that are leading God’s sheep down wrong paths. This is due to a lack of knowledge and understanding of the Word of God. We must possess logos (literal word) and the rhema (revealed word) Word of God in our inner man to be able to persevere. We must abide in God’s Word daily, consistently and with passion.Having His commandments etched onto our hearts is what our Father God longs for. Jesus Christ is the perfect example of having God’s commandments etched onto the heart. It is through the keeping of the commandments of God that we experience the love of God and the presence of God. Abiding in God’s love is our purpose. To accomplish this, keeping the commandments of God is mandatory. The most beautiful part about this passage is in verse 11. After keeping the commandments, and after abiding in the love of God, then, and only then, will the joy of the Holy Spirit dwell within us. Joy is the end result of our obedience and our abiding in the love of God. Joy is our reward for staying steadfast and unmovable in the things of God. Joy is our source of contentment and happiness.Romans 8:28-29 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Source #3 - Be who we are born to beIt was no accident that we fell into the arms of our Father God and came into the knowledge of His Son. Many people struggle with their attempted relationship with God because they were not called. For those who are called to the knowledge and understanding of who God is and what Jesus Christ has already done for us, there is a divine purpose behind the call. The purpose of the call is to raise up a group of dedicated individuals who would press into the things of the kingdom of God, magnify the kingdom of God, and do the will and work of the Father. God called us from birth to be His foot soldiers on earth to establish His kingdom. God knew us before our birth, and predestinated us to be His, and His alone. But not only has He pre-chosen us before our birth, but he wants us to be mirror images of His Son. Jesus Christ is our big brother, according to verse 29 - “…that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” We are the brethren. So if he is to be the firstborn of many brethren, that makes us His little brothers and sisters. II Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. It is in the place of beholding the glory of the Lord that we are transformed into His image. Being in the persistent presence of God is what we should desire. We are a product of our environment. If our environment consists of violence and murder, our children will be influence by the spirit of violence and murder and there will be a good chance that they will fall into the snare of violence or murder. The same thing is the case with an environment of holiness and sanctification. If our children grow up in an environment that fears the Lord, and is clean, righteous and holy, then our children will be influenced by these things and therefore grow up to be fearful of the Lord, clean at heart and mind, righteous in the eyes of God and man - holy and separated unto God.Being in the presence of God changes us overtime. It is the consistent purging by the water of the Word of God that cleanses, purifies our spirit, and transforms us into the likeness of God. But we must understand that this transformation is usually not something that happens overnight. Persistency and consistency is the key to being taken from glory to glory. The Spirit of the Lord purges us by stripping layers of ungodliness, one at a time. With each level of glory that we come into, a layer of ungodliness is shed. Continued pressing into the glory of God allows the stripping of our old man (flesh, sin) so that the new man (Christ) that has been supplied by the Spirit of the Lord will be able to show and do His work - being a reflection of the anointing of God, the oil of joy that he wants to pour into our lives.Adam and Eve forgot who they were in God. They forgot that they were made in the image and likeness of God. Sin and disobedience led to the lack of knowledge of who they were in God. The same thing happens to us. Sin and disobedience places a barrier in front of our eyes. This barrier of sin blocks our vision of the image of God, and then we forget who we are in Christ and how we are to be like Christ. We must always keep God in remembrance so that His glory will continue to shine upon us and change us into His image.Mark 8:14-21 14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. 15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. 16 And they reasoned among themselves saying, it is because we have no bread. 17 And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? Perceive ye not yet, neither understand? Have ye your heart yet hardened? 18 Having eyes, see ye not? And having ears, hear ye not? And do ye not remember? 19 When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. 20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. 21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand? Source #4 - To remember what God has already doneBrothers and sisters in Christ, it is the testimony of what God has already done in our lives that will allow us to always remember that God is able in all circumstances and situations. It is in remembering how we were delivered and set free from past bondages and pitfalls that increases our faithfulness in God and our belief in His Word. In Mark 8, Jesus fed the multitude with only two fish and five loaves of bread. This miracle was seen by the masses, including the disciples with a front row seat! And yet, only a few verses later in the same chapter, they had already forgotten what God had done for the people. A miracle, sign and wonder that was done in their presence had been forgotten in so short a period of time. We are guilty of this also! We become so consumed with our problems that we forget about the miraculous power of our Lord, Jesus Christ! He wants us to remember what He has done for us in times past. We must always carry a testimony of how good God has been to us in the past and how he has delivered us from the snares and traps of the enemy. It is Satan that wants to erase our minds of the goodness of God. Satan longs to trap us in sin so that we are incapable of recalling our testimonies of what God has done for us. A lot of us are probably still living because of the grace of God, and His grace alone. Let us not forget who we are in Christ, and how he has set us free from the captivity and bondage of sin.In closing, these four sources of divine contentment - 1) seeing God as our Father, 2) Living by the Word of God, 3) Being who we are born to be, and 4) remembering what God has already done, will allow us to experience the fullness of God. This fullness encompasses all that God wants us to possess in His kingdom. Joy is a possession in the kingdom of God. Happiness is a benefactor of that joy.Lets make it a priority in our lives to strive for happiness by seeking the joy of the Lord. The joy of the Lord is the result of the kingdom of God becoming our environment. Our environment will be permanently changed by these four sources of divine contentment. Be content in the Lord! Be happy! Be filled with joy, in Jesus name!