God Whispers

Humility is being empty. The moment you think you’re full, there’ll be no
space for anything new.

Be happy,
God

P.S. I love giving you new things!

God Whispers

The more you know, the more you know that you don’t know. The more you
succeed, the more humble you should be.

Best,
God

P.S. The day a successful person stops being humble is the day he prepares
for his downfall. Remain humble.

God Whispers

Give my kindness to people who don’t deserve kindness. To people who have
offended you, hurt you, maligned you, slandered you, and were selfish
towards you.

Mercy-Giver,
God

P.S. If you give kindness only to people who’ve shown kindness to
you, that’s not love. That’s business.

God Whispers

Right now, someone in your life is hungering for my kindness. Today, give
that person one act of my kindness.

Say yes,
God

P.S. I repeat: Not just your kindness. Give my kindness.

God Whispers

The selfish person trusts only himself. The selfish person is ruled by the
spirit of fear. But Real abundance can never be based on fear. Never! Fear
can only produce scarcity.

Be wise,
God

P.S. It is selflessness that will produce abundance in your life.

God Whispers

Sometimes, because of your burdens, you forget that the person beside you
has burdens too. You’re so focused on your own problems, you become
insensitive to the problems of others.

Burden-Lifter,
God

P.S. Here’s the solution. Give your burdens to me so that you can
help carry the burdens of others.

God Whispers

People love things. But things will never love them back. Their cars will
never love them back. Their clothes will never love them back. Their
jewels will never love them back.

Detach,
God

P.S. You know this already. But I just want to remind you: Things
will never make you happy.

Keeping Up with the Joneses

By Francis Kong

Do you know where the phrase “Keeping up with the Joneses” comes from? I did a little research and this is what I found out.

In the 1840's, wealthy New Yorkers began to move from Manhattan and build great mansions along the Hudson River north of the city. One of the greatest belonged to Elizabeth Schermerhorn Jones, an heiress to the fortune of John Jacob Astor and aunt of the novelist Edith Wharton. She spent huge sums of money to maintain her mansion and entertain friends, and her neighbors attempted to match her spending - hence the phrase "Keeping up with the Jonesses."

There's an old legend about a greedy man and an envious man who were walking along. A stranger approached them and made an effort to know them. And after traveling a bit the stranger said, as he departed from them, that he would give each of them a gift. Whoever made a wish first would get what he wanted, and the other would get a double portion of what the first had asked for. The greedy man knew what he wanted, but he was afraid to make his wish because he wanted the double portion for himself and didn't want the other to get it. And the envious man felt the same way, and he was also unwilling to wish first. After a while the stronger of the two grabbed the other by the throat and said he would choke him to death unless he made his wish. And at that the other man said, "Very well. I make my wish -- I wish to be made blind in one eye." Immediately he lost the sight of one eye, and his companion went blind in both.

Mr. Greed and Mr. Envy can be found today in many business partnerships. And the sad truth to this is that Mr. Greed and Mr. Envy can also be found in a lot of places like your neighborhood, your civic organizations, your schools and even in any institutions you can find.

Paul Eldridge says: “What we have not poisons what we have--. Our urge to acquire things is due less to the passion to possess them than to the vanity of feeling superior to those who envy our possession of them--. Envy transmutes other people's base metals into gold--. Our envy is the yeast that swells the fortune of others--. No form of hatred is as keen as envy. It magnifies the importance of our enemy--and belittles our own. Greed on the other hand consumes the person. Enough is never enough and greed becomes a cruel taskmaster.

The thing that concerns me is that the young generation of today has put a premium on gadgets and creature comforts and the importance of having money over values and virtues.

“Sign up and work for us and you get a signing bonus.” Says a recruitment ad.

“Unless you wear this, carry this, apply this or use this then you do not belong.”

When was the last time you’ve ever seen a billboard that says: “Be content with what you have but never be content with what you can be?”

This material is credited to anonymity but I find this both poignant and revealing:

We read in the papers, we hear on the air,

Of killing and stealing, and crime everywhere.

We sigh, and we say, as we notice the trend,

"This young generation! Where will it all end?"

But can we be sure that it's their fault alone?

That maybe most of it isn't really our own?

Too much money to spend, too much idle time;

Too many movies of passion and crime;

Too many books not fit to be read;

Too much of evil in what they hear said;

Too many children encouraged to roam,

By too many parents who won't stay at home.

Kids don't make the movies, they don't write the books,

That paint a gay picture of gangsters and crooks.

They don't make the liquor, they don't run the bars,

They don't pass the laws, nor make the high-speed cars.

They don't make the drugs that addle the brain;

It's all done by older folks greedy for gain.

Thus in so many cases it must be confessed,

The label "Delinquent" fits older folks best.

Sydney Harris says: “The more you have to live for, the less you need to live on. Those who make acquisition their goal never have enough.

And of course ancient writings that have proven to be true all the time says: “Contentment with godliness is great gain.”

Work for gains and not for losses.

God Whispers

Work with what you have. Work with the talents that you have. Work with
the money that you have. Work with the circumstances that you have. And be
the best that you can be.

Go,
God

P.S. Remember, I stand behind you, producing the miracle you need.

God Whispers

I operate in the area of the impossible. If you want to find me, operate in
the area of the impossible as well.

Emmanuel,
God

P.S. If you work with what’s possible, you may not need me. But if
you work with what’s impossible, you will be forced to look up to me.

What Motivates Artists?

By Francis Kong

I speak a lot. I write a lot. I have been in entrepreneurial endeavors for the longest time as I still am today. I appreciate art but I cannot even draw a straight line with the help of a ruler. I like colors. I like paintings. I like going to museums and appreciate the works of the masters and I have always wondered what motivates painters to paint.

Maybe painters and other artists ask themselves the same question too. What motivates a speaker to speak or a writer to write? Do speakers speak for money? Of course they do but being paid to speak and speaking for the mere fulfillment of it even without being paid is certainly not correlated to the amount of professional fees one gets.

Why do writers write? Is it for the money? I don’t think so. You cannot make a lot of money just writing in this country. This is why most writers I know do a lot of income-generating activities on the side. The irony is when artists and writers are asked to do paid work; the happiness and motivation may not be in the pay alone. Rational, left-brained, analytical and logical thinking business people could never understand this. I do but I just can’t put a finger on it until I came across Daniel Pink’s book early this year. And it all made sense.

Pink says “a study of artists over a long period shows that a concern for outside rewards might actually hinder eventual success.” And then he supports his view with an actual case.

In the early 1960s, researchers surveyed sophomores and juniors at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago about their attitudes toward work and whether they were more intrinsically or extrinsically motivated. Using these data as a benchmark, another researcher followed up with these students in the early 1980s to see how their careers were progressing. Among the starkest findings, especially for men: “The less evidence of extrinsic motivation during art school, the more success in professional art both several years after graduation and nearly twenty years later.” Painters and sculptors who were intrinsically motivated, those for whom the joy of discovery and the challenge of creation were their own rewards, were able to weather the tough times—and the lack of remuneration and recognition—that inevitably accompany artistic careers. And that led to yet another paradox in the Alice in Wonderland world of the third drive. “Those artists who pursued their painting and sculpture more for the pleasure of the activity itself than for extrinsic rewards have produced art that has been socially recognized as superior,” the study said. “It is those who are least motivated to pursue extrinsic rewards who eventually receive them.” Rewarded subjects often have a harder time seeing the periphery and crafting original solutions.

This is the reason why the material rewards I get from training, speaking and facilitating workshops are great and they give me good income. But when I see the effects the training has on the participants, when they send me messages through email or Facebook telling me how much the training has impacted their lives, the fulfillment and motivation to do more is actually bigger than the motivation derived from the fees alone.

Now this is the strangest thing of them all.

People ask me where I get the inspiration to inspire others. I get it from doing all those pro-bono talks for teachers, parents and students in schools all over the country. I thought about all these, read Daniel Pink’s book and then came up with this conclusion.

I have been called to do what I do. This is the purpose for my existence. My Creator has blessed me with this talent and He has given me the responsibility to use the same in inspiring people. The responsibility is heavy, the work is never done, the efforts to improve is demanding but the fulfillment and joy is there. This is why when people ask me this question: “Are you doing the talks for school pro-bono?”

I smile and my response is: “Not really. I am actually doing this pro-Deo.”

What about you? What motivates you in what you do?

God Whispers

Sometimes, I will allow circumstances to cut down your resources. Some go
through hardship, poverty, and brokenness. Some lose relationships. Some
lose their loved ones. And when your resources are down, that’s when you
look at me—and become open to my intervention.

Me,
God

P.S. Remember: The place of desperation is also the place of deliverance. Your deliverance!

God Whispers

It’s okay to be afraid. Fear is normal. But here’s the big question: Are
you controlling the fear or is the fear controlling you? You will never
succeed in life if you’re controlled by fear.

I am with you,
God

P.S. I can never use anyone who is controlled by fear. Surrender
your fears to me today!

God Whispers

There is a valley of tears. It exists. But I want you to walk through the
valley, not live in the valley. Your temptation is to build your house
there. Don’t do that. Don’t make that your address. Walk through the
valley.

Father,
God

P.S. You belong to the mountain of victory.

God Whispers

One of the biggest reasons why many don’t receive my blessings is because
they rely on me too much—and don’t do anything!

Wake up,
God

P.S. Always remember: I won’t do for you what you can do for yourself. If I
did, you won’t grow. And I want you to!

God Whispers

t’s true that while you’re on earth, you’ll always have burdens. But
here’s the truth: Remember that there are more blessings than burdens in
your life. Always!

Blesser,
God

P.S. Infinitely more.

God Whispers

Some people think that faith is separate from action because of the
Anointing of Ease. They think its devoid of action. That’s why they
describe a person who is experiencing the Anointing of Ease as someone who
doesn’t act, but simply trusts in me. But that’s not true. If you look
closely, that anointed person is doing lots and lots of action—expressing
his faith. It just “seems” so effortless.

Be at ease,
God

P.S. You’ll receive this Anointing of Ease very soon.

God Whispers

Announcement: You’re a factory of miracles. That’s how I made you. Sadly,
for some people, the factory is closed down. Or the factory is running at a
fraction of its full capacity. Today, I will revive your factory of
miracles. Today, I speak abundance into your life.

Miracles,
God

P.S. I declare that your life will produce more miracles than you
ever dreamed possible.

Keeping Up or Giving Up

A businessman in Canada confessed about being involved in a very embarrassing experience. Listen to his story. “Over the weekend, I left Montreal on route 20 heading toward Quebec City, when I decided to stop at a comfort station. The first toilet stall was occupied, so I went into the second one. I was no sooner seated than I heard a voice from the next stall:

"Hi, how are you doing?"

Well, I am not the type to chat with strangers in highway comfort stations, and I really don't know quite what possessed me, but anyway, I answered, a little embarrassed: "Not bad."

And the stranger said: "And, what are you up to?"

Talk about your dumb questions! I was really beginning to think this was too weird! So I said: "Well, just like you I am driving east?"

Then, I heard the stranger, all upset, say: "Look, I'll call you right back, there is some idiot in the next stall answering all the questions I am asking you. Bye!"

Have you ever said something you wish you didn’t? Have you been caught in an embarrassing situation? Have you ever cracked a joke you thought was funny that turned out to be distasteful to other people?

I surely have and I can assure you I didn’t feel very good about it.

Here are some more questions.

Have you ever offended a client?

Have you ever offended a friend or worst, someone you love dearly?

If you say you haven’t then I admire your sense of imagination and delusion.

I do training on customer service and in business terms, there is a term called service recovery. It’s when a customer complains about a product or a service and sincere efforts are done in order to rectify the error and win back the trust and confidence of the customer. I thought about this and then realized that everything is recoverable. Every misstep needs to be taken as information to be used in crafting your next attempt.

Mistakes are made all the time. But recovering from the mistakes is what distinguishes the novice from the professional. There is another word for recovery. I would like to call it reinvention.

Life is a series of these seemingly small reinventions. Every experience you have provides you with feedback. If you allow it, this feedback can help you figure out how to get what you want.

In my line of business, thousands of participants rate me all the time. They put down their scores and comments on survey sheets. In other words they are providing me with feedback. God has been gracious with me. Most of the feedback I get is good and positive. The real challenge comes when I get negative feedback. I fight the feeling of disliking it and I subdue the attempt of trying to defend myself against the negative comments.

You may not be in the training business but do you know that you are being rated as well. Suppose your boss tells you he is not happy with your performance? Suppose a customer writes your boss complaining about the poor way you handled the account? Suppose your office mates let you know that you are not welcome there?

Isn’t it true that you tend to take negative feedback personally and as a reason to stop what you are doing? You respond emotionally and break down. That’s not reinvention. That’s giving up. Take it from me. Negative feedbacks are the most important information we can get. If we don’t respond emotionally to setbacks or disinterest, then we can reinvent almost everything.

We just need to refine, polish, improve and work on our approach until it becomes second nature and that is when success comes close within our grips. Keep it up. Don’t give up. Improve…improve and improve. Head bowed down in humility asking God to give you the grace to be humble, chin held up high marching back into the work place determined to make things better. Keeping up is better than giving up. Over time you will realize that what I recommend is true. Ask me. I’ve got tons of stories to tell.

OOPS! And MISTAKES!

By Francis Kong

One day an extremely upset newspaper subscriber stormed into a newspaper office waving the current edition, asking to see "whoever wrote the obituary column".

When referred to a young reporter, he stormed, "You can see I'm very much alive, and you've put me in the obituary column! I demand a retraction!"

Replied the reporter, "I never retract a story but I tell you what I'll do. I'll put you in the birth column and give you a fresh start."

Have you ever met people like these?

I certainly have.

Some people will never admit their mistakes and worst, some people will never want to correct their mistakes the proper way.

Have you ever committed mistakes in your life?

You’re probably thinking, “What a stupid question, of course I have.”

Well now that you have admitted you’re committing mistakes from time to time, how do you deal with your mistakes?

Mistakes that offend others, you have to be big and courageous enough to admit your mistake and make amends. But mistakes that you have done to yourself… think through them and learn from them. Mistakes are experiences in life that teach us lessons and make us wiser over time but the key thing here is that we have to learn from them.

When people say, “Experience is the best teacher….” I smile because I know this is not true. Only evaluated experience is the best teacher. As a people, we keep on making the same mistakes year in and year out because we have never taken the time to evaluate the experience, learn from it and resolve to correct it.

Smart people learn from their mistakes. But here is another thing to consider.

Smarter people learn from the mistakes of others.

Somebody says mistakes are mistakes but it’s a question of perspectives and it depends on how you really look at it.

Consider the following:

* If a barber makes a mistake, it’s a new style...
* If a driver makes a mistake, it is an accident...
* If an engineer makes a mistake, It is a new venture...
* If parents make a mistake, it is a new generation...
* If a politician makes a mistake, it is a new law...
* If a scientist makes a mistake, it is a new invention...
* If a tailor makes a mistake, it is a new fashion...
* If a teacher makes a mistake, it is a new theory...
* If our boss makes a mistake, it is our mistake......
* If an employee makes a mistake, It is a "MISTAKE"

I have committed a lot of mistakes in my life and some of them not very smart but most of them offered lessons I have learned from and has helped me a lot in my life and career today.

Some people cuss and some people curse when they make a mistakes but most people say: “oops!”

I do. But there are people I am sure you would not want to hear say “oops! From:”

1. Your surgeon.
2. Your dentist.
3. Your nurse.
4. Your hairdresser.
5. Your mechanic.
6. Your tax accountant.
7. The computer tech person.
8. The house painter, plumber or electrician.
9. The pilot.

You know you are growing and you know you are learning if you are making new mistakes. The key word here is “NEW.” But if you are committing the same kind of mistakes then YOU ARE THE MISTAKE!

Learn from the mistakes of others – you can never live long enough to make them all yourself.

CICERO, the Roman statesman and philosopher, wrote the following some 2,000 years ago: THE SIX FATAL MISTAKES OF MAN:

1. The delusion that personal gain is made by crushing others;

2. The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected;

3. Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it;

4. Refusing to set aside trivial preferences;

5. Neglecting development and refinement of the mind, and not acquiring the habit reading and studying;

6. Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.

Welcome mistakes. They are our friends but they should also be our teachers.

Accept them and do not defend them.

Elbert Hubbard says it best: "The greatest mistake a man can make is to be afraid to make one."

God Whispers

The best, loudest, clearest, most powerful, most eloquent expression of
faith is action.

Love ya,
God

P.S. Because your faith and your action are one.

God Whispers

One of the biggest reasons why many don’t receive my blessings is because
they rely on me too much—and don’t do anything!

Wake up,
God

P.S. Always remember: I won’t do for you what you can do for yourself. If I
did, you won’t grow. And I want you to!

God Whispers

You’re my wish. You’re my heart’s desire. You’re my song in the morning.
You’re my prized possession. You’re my treasure.

Smile,
God

P.S. You’re important to me!

God Whispers

So what is my will for you? In essence, my will is that you love like me.
To be another Jesus in the world. To bring Heaven down on earth.

Hugs,
God

P.S. Be God’s embrace to the people in your life.

God Whispers

When it comes to decision-making, many people get paralyzed. Because they
think my will is in the details. They’re afraid of making mistakes. But if
I wanted to micromanage your lives, I should have created robots. But I
didn’t do that. I created you with phenomenal imagination, creativity, and
intelligence. Stuff I would want you to use!

Bless you,
God

P.S. My will isn’t about details but about direction. About vision.
About mission. I trust the details to you!

God Whispers

Do you know what it means when you say, “I pray this in Jesus’ name”? Be
shocked by its definition: You’re saying that if I were in your place, I’d
be praying the exact same prayer that you’re praying. Hey, I love that.

Love,
God

P.S. Praying in my name means praying with my heart. Being my hands,
my feet, my mind, my presence in the world. Wild!

God Whispers

Learn to wish my wishes. To dream my dreams. To desire my desires. Join the
flow of my love. When you love, your prayers are no longer just your
prayers. You pray the prayers I want you to pray.

Excited,
God

P.S. When you wish my wishes, you join yourself in the river of my
abundance. Like it?

God Whispers

Learn to wish my wishes. To dream my dreams. To desire my desires. Join the
flow of my love. When you love, your prayers are no longer just your
prayers. You pray the prayers I want you to pray.

Excited,
God

P.S. When you wish my wishes, you join yourself in the river of my
abundance. Like it?