Over the years, whether it was a FLREIA member or a student from a workshop or other event, I’ve been asked, “How should I get started?”  This question is particularly posed by novices to the real estate business.  From the seriousness of their question, I’m sure they are expecting some complicated and secretive bit of advice. 

Before I share what I tell them, I want to first take a moment to mention how God’s word is filled with financial wisdom.  If you’re into stats, especially those of you new to studying His Word in depth, you’d be amazed to know that money is the second most discussed subject in the Bible; second to love.  If God takes it seriously, then we definitely should.

Knowing that, let’s delve into what one of the wisest men who ever walked the face of the earth had to say on this subject.  No, I’m not talking about me, although those close to me call me Obi-Juan after the very wise character, Obi-Wan Kenobi of Star Wars.  The wisest man to ever walk the face of the earth, besides Jesus, was King Solomon. 

How did he attain all this wisdom? Unlike the rest of us, he asked for it and received it.  As king, Solomon was not only very wise but probably the wealthiest man ever.  In his fourth year as king he set out to construct the Temple that his father King David was unable to start, but had laid out the plans for its construction. 

Building a house unto the Lord, Solomon wanted it to be perfect, so he chose only the best craftsmen and the finest materials.  Thousands were hired for the task, eighty thousand alone to quarry stone in the mountains.  He even had the finest woods shipped in for the project.  It was a massive undertaking that would take seven years to complete.  Take a moment to read 1Kings Chapters 5-8 and 2Chronicles Chapters 1-7 to get an idea of the detail of work that went into the building. 

Over the years King Solomon would host guests from all over the world to seek out his wisdom and advice and they did not come empty handed.  We can almost say he was the first paid guru.  Solomon also penned most of the scripture we find in the Book of Proverbs, which is an amazing assortment of business and life lessons.  The following scripture highlights why King Solomon worked with the best – “Observe people who are good at their work— skilled workers are always in demand and admired; they  don’t take a backseat to anyone.”  (Proverbs 22:29 MSG)

We’ve all heard how bad this economy has been and how so many people have lost their jobs, but what about those who are striving in this economy?  The thrivers are in the minority which is why we don’t hear too much about them.  They are the ones who have always provided an excellent product or service, no matter what the market is doing. 

In the boom, all of a sudden everyone was a real estate agent or real estate investor; all you had to do was show up and you made money.  That soon changed when the bottom fell out.  These so-called agents and investors were not prepared to have to work hard, they wanted the “easy” button and we soon saw them joining the ranks of the unemployed.  The ones who worked hard to develop a professional business and systems were able to tweak their businesses and adapt to the new environment.  They understand that there’s a price to pay to set themselves up and are able to weather the storms.  These businesses thrive because they have established themselves and have overcome what sunk others and thus are sought after by others who want to work with a business that has, through hard-work, developed a solid reputation.

Take the time to focus on building a solid business and you’ll be well on your way to developing a long and prosperous business.  It’s not easy, but what worthwhile endeavor is.

What do you do, to be the best?

I decided to write about this because my husband Eddy recently went to a foreclosure property that he was evaluating with Sharon, and the property had fleas. They both immediately realized this only after getting back into our new mini SUV on the ride home. They detoured their route to Sharon’s brother-in-laws house to get pesticides (Raid) to spray on the rugs so that the fleas would all be dead before coming home.  Unfortunately for the average professional Real Estate Investor, this may be a common occupational hazard that ultimately gets its payoff when properties are bought and sold for a really nice profit. For me, the wife (who currently happens to be 9 month pregnant), and a being the toxic- free loving individual that I am, this was not cool! So needless to say, it gave me another research project to work on to find a better way to rid ourselves of having something like Raid, be our only option when it comes to fleas. To my husbands’ defense, this was all he had on hand at the time, and since we have pets, the last thing he wanted to do was to bring these horrible pests home as they can be a real pain to get rid of once you have them. Here is a little education about the flea first:

A flea might live a year and a half under ideal conditions. These include the right temperature, food supply, and humidity allowing it to live for up to 100 days. Without a host for food, the flea life span might be 2-14 days. Though a flea itself has a short life span, a female flea can produce at least 50 eggs a day. The flea’s larva do not require a host and they can reach high populations that can remain viable in the environment for several months to several years under the right conditions. That is why fleas can be difficult to get rid of.

Solutions:

Some great flea-repelling essential oil options include cinnamon, rosemary, wormwood, clove, peppermint, pennyroyal (don’t use this if your pet or human in the home are pregnant), Neem oil, cedar wood, and tea tree oil.

Homemade Flea sprays using essential oils: Mix 10-15 drops of your favorite oil with 1-2 ounces of mild, organic soap and water (or Dawn). Pour into a spray bottle and spray area where you think flea infestation occurred, OR on your pet periodically throughout the day during a flea outbreak.

Lemon wash: (Oranges, grapefruit, and limes all work as well, and can be tried in combination) Citrus is a natural flea deterrent, and if you are putting it on your pets, will condition your pet’s skin. Make this wash by combining 4 sliced lemons, 1 tablespoons of salt, and 6 cups of water in a pot. Bring to a boil for two minutes, then turn off and let steep 24 hours. Wash the affected area; or your pet with soap, brush or comb out to remove dead bugs, and then apply the lemon water generously over area/pet. For your pet, repeat the lemon wash portion of this daily until your pet’s skin improves. Can also be used as a spray and applied daily.

Herbal flea powder: Crush together dry herbs including rosemary, fennel, yellow dock, wormwood, and eucalyptus in equal portions and then apply to area, or your pet as you would conventional flea powders. If using on an area, vacuum thoroughly after a few hours.

You may not think it is a big deal to spray pesticides on your car, house, or put on your pets, but to prove my point that it compromises our immune system; I will let you know that Eddy’s sinuses were messed up by the end of the week after spraying the Raid in his car. I, of course had him take his home remedy concoctions to ensure that he was not going to get sick (which is the last thing I need him to be as I come down to my last stretch of pregnancy and bringing a new baby into our home).  He of course got better before getting worse, the car has aired out, and now we have some alternatives for if this ever happens again. Who wants to put their family’s health in jeopardy if they don’t have to?? This is my favorite part of writing these blogs/newsletters, so that we can be educated about our choices.

Do you have any ways of treating for fleas?

Resource websites:

http://www.ecolife.com/green-home/natural-pet/homemade-flea-killer-treatment.html

http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/flea.html

http://www.ehow.com/facts_4854672_long-do-fleas-live-host_.html

This website also gives DIY info on Tick and Mosquito repellants as well: http://www.norfolkterrier.org/articles_f-j/homeremediesfleatic01.html

Flea Dip Video for dogs using a couple drops of tea tree oil and lavender.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxqdYVQgevE

Whether we believe it or not we’ve all been created with a purpose.  In one way or another we serve each other through the gifts and anointing we’ve been blessed with.  As real estate entrepreneurs we’ve been blessed and cursed with the strongest of personalities.  It’s that type “A” personality trait that makes us invincible, like we can conquer any mountain.  It can also leave us the most vulnerable – vulnerable to our own misguided and over-zealous nature to reach

Over the years, with much help from Sharon, I’ve had to learn that we need to wait on God before we move.  WAIT!!!  You’ve got to be kidding – we have the most incredible opportunity in the world staring us dead in the face and you want us to wait on God?!  What happened to all that talk of jumping on opportunity when it comes at you!?!  Calmly she’ll reply, as she usually does, “We’ve been down this road before and He’s never failed us.”  Despite my valiant but ill-fated efforts to convince her otherwise, I know deep down that she is right.  When we have waited on God, He has never failed us.

It’s during these times that I think back to the stories of 9/11 survivors and how, due to some minor inconvenience that delayed them on their way into work that morning, their lives were spared.  Although most of our decisions to make an investment are not life-or-death, they can haunt you for many years to come.  Trust me on this one; we know all too well the pain that comes with making hasty decisions instead of waiting and trusting God for His direction.

So how do we know when to trust God?  That answer is – always. The question should be – How do we trust Him?  This question is most relevant when we’re facing what seems like insurmountable challenges.  At the beginning I mentioned that we see the inscription, “In God We Trust”, on our currency, which is inspiring but I believe has lost its value much like the currency it’s printed on due to our lack of trust.  I’m not saying that trusting God has lost its value; it’s us as a nation that has devalued that trust.  As a nation we’ve been blessed unlike any other in such a short timeframe.  If you study history, we are the most prosperous nation in the world and we did it relatively quickly in relation to other nations.

How did we do this?  It was the trust our founding fathers placed in God that laid the foundation for our nation to be propelled into greatness.  Think about it.  Here’s this miniscule nation with not much but the willingness of its citizens to lay it all on the line to be free against, at the time, one of the most powerful nations in the world and win.  Just like David and Goliath, David had built his trust in God to the point that he could face a giant of over nine feet, armored to the hilt and still defeat him with a single throw of a stone.

To answer the question of how do we trust Him, it’s going to take steps of faith.  David didn’t fight Goliath without first having gone through other tests.  David had experience fighting other animals during his time as a shepherd.  Trusting God, his courage had steadily increased and when faced with a giant, he didn’t hesitate because he knew that God was with him.

As real estate investors, there will come a time where we may have all of the knowledge in the world about what we know how to do but when you put your trust in Him, He’ll deliver you every time.  Sharon and I have over 30 years of  combined real estate investing experience and yet no matter how good a deal looks we seek the Lord for His direction.  If you’ve ever had that gut feeling about something, we chalk it up to the Holy Spirit telling us this is or is not a good deal.  There are several opportunities that we’ve passed on over the years and realized afterward how God protected us.  There have been others that it wasn’t until many years later that we could see how taking on that opportunity or working with a particular person would have been a nightmare.

When facing an opportunity that looks great and even those that don’t look great, take time to seek His will and you’ll discover how trusting Him can lead to great rewards or can save you from a huge mistake that could cost you.  What if I’ve never heard Him?  That’s a great question.

How do you recognize your spouse’s voice, your parent’s or your children’s voice?  You converse with them.  That’s exactly what you have to do with God.  Talk to Him regularly and you’ll begin to recognize His voice.  Remember that gut feeling I spoke about earlier?  That’s Him.

Take the time to know Him by reading His word and praying, and you’ll learn how to trust Him in all you do – not just business.

Do you trust in God?

One thing I’ve learned is that God doesn’t keep a record of our past mistakes nor does he count our years.  Another thing I’ve learned is that He  doesn’t allow us to work in vain.  As a matter of fact, even our mistakes can prosper simply because of how much we learn in the process.

God’s Word says in 2 Cor. 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”  Wow, sometimes that’s so hard to do because it’s human nature to look at the natural but how many times have we seen what looks to be one way turn out the opposite?  All the time!  So why do we continue to walk by sight?  This ultimately means that we do not trust God. If we really believe His Word and that He is in complete control and has our best interest in mind, then we have to respond in obedience to walk by faith.

If we walk by sight, we will look at our past instead of our future, believing falsely that we are being punished for our stupidity and times that we didn’t seek His counsel and ended up regretting it.

Thankfully, our God is not a God of judgment but of love.  Think of your own kids…you can’t help but love them and you can’t wait until they give up pursuing the wrong avenue or avoiding your counsel.  You can’t wait until the day they come to you asking forgiveness, confessing their mistakes and seeking your counsel.  You are all too willing to grab them and forgive them and help them every way you can.

The Bible tells us that God loves us greater than any love we can understand so if as human parents we love our children this way, how much more does God love us?

It’s the lie of the devil to think God keeps a record of wrongs even after you’ve been forgiven and it’s with that lie, we are encouraged to walk by sight.

It’s never too late to turn back to God with our lives, our decisions and even for help to get us out of the mess we’ve created by not turning to Him in the first place.

‘2012 is going to be an amazing year and we can’t let anything stand in our way, lie to us or keep us from reaching our goals.  After all, it’s God who placed your dreams and goals within you; He wants more than anything to help you achieve them in ways no man can take credit for…imagine what that means for you?

One of the only ways you can achieve this is by walking by faith and trusting Him completely.  You will be amazed how you’ll see circumstances in your life turn around but they won’t turn around without your participation so just believe, step out in obedience to your dream and have the faith that reminds you that what you see is just a mirage and at any moment the real picture will be revealed.

Are you keeping score?

I have experienced a few times in my life where I actually felt as if I was going through Hell, as my spirit was so dry and wondering if God was really there and why was He allowing this to happen to me. I remember thinking that attending church services seemed senseless, singing praise songs to Him felt like a huge waste of my time, tithing and offerings were gut-wrenching knowing that I could use that money to pay bills, but deep down I knew I needed to attend church service, praise Him despite how I felt and to continue to tithe, trusting Him to provide for our needs. But why go through all this?

Although His word tells me that He’ll see me through trials and tribulations – Why must I go through them? Why did I continue to regularly attend church services, praise Him, even run around church waving a flag when deep down inside I didn’t feel like it? Why did I continue to give money away helping others when I needed to pay my own bills?

The answer is – “Faith.” Over the years I’ve gone through difficulties and every time I stepped out in faith and trusted the Lord, He miraculously stepped in. James puts it best, “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well developed, not deficient in any way.” James 1:2-4 Message Bible. Read that again and let it soak in and think about how you’ve improved in character and faith after going through trials and tribulations. The key is to keep going through and not hang out in Hell. There have been some things that I’ve hung on to for years and what happens is that it begins to fester and affect me physically, mentally and especially spiritually.

Some of the things I’ve hung onto have been poor business dealings that grew into bitterness and that bitterness would eat away at my creativity and even make me cower at opportunities. Recently I met a gentleman who had been swindled out of millions by an associate he had trusted for many years. Although he may never recover the money despite the perpetrator being arrested and convicted, he has moved on. He is a successful investor and he understands that if he holds on to anger towards this individual that he’s just holding himself back. That’s some powerful wisdom, but that’s what trials and tribulations teach you.

So whatever challenges you are dealing with in your business, embrace them and know that as long as you don’t give up and continue to persevere you will come out a better person and real estate investor.

Here’s one more thought; I’m currently reading a book that was given to me by one of our members, “Born to Run”. One of the runners documented in the book, who is one of the top Ultramarathon runners in the country, makes an amazing statement about fatigue. Fatigue is one of the biggest challenges to ultramarathoners, but Scott Jurek after being defeated by it decided that “…instead of cringing from fatigue, you embrace it. You refuse to let it go. You get to know it so well, you’re not afraid of it anymore.” Now we know why he is one of the elite athletes of ultra-marathons.

So what keep’s you going? Share some of your ways of getting through those trails.

If you take a multi-vitamin, you would hope that would do the trick. Well, not all multi-vitamins are created equal, and most do more harm than good. And on top of that, there is no way that scientists can get EVERYTHING you need into their little tiny synthetically made pill that will be a cure all for your ailments. When I say that they do more harm than good, this is what I mean: #1 they are synthetically made, which means, your body does not even recognize that you are trying to help it. It is confused by this foreign object since the specific vitamins are put into it separately. For example: when you eat an orange, it has vitamin C along with co-factor vitamins J and K, the body understands this combination and begins to utilize it accordingly. When scientists make a pill, they put in C, J, and K in separately, a code that the body does not know how to read, thus cannot process it and voids out (urinates) what it can’t understand. #2 your body only digests 9% of these synthetic vitamins because of the way they need to be digested. Ever wonder why instructions ask you to eat vitamins with food? Or why it says it may upset your stomach? The synthetic pills needs enzyme to digest itself… Guess where the enzymes come from? They steal it from the food that you are eating with it! And what is your food left to digest itself with? Not much… now you are screwing with your digestive process! This is why I always suggest taking in as much nutrients from whole food, and if you are to take vitamins, make sure that it is from a “whole food” source. It will be on the packaging as such to not confuse you.

Below I have written up some supplements and whole food multi-vitamins choices that I have experience with, or have observed clients/friends taking. These ones that I have chosen have shown to make the biggest difference. There are many more, but for the sake of not overwhelming you I have only named a few. My disclosure is that you check with your doctor whenever you decide to take supplements that may or may not interfere with medications or conditions that you are currently dealing with. I am not telling you to go out and buy these things; I am only offering my preferences and research.

Multivitamin (liquid and/or whole food supplements are best)
Alive- a whole food supplement that comes in pill, liquid, and effervescent packs (www.vitacost.com ).
Sea Aloe – It contains Matrix Aloe Vera, Sea vegetables, Pau D’ Arco, Juice concentrate blend (http://www.myseaaloe.com)
Buried Treasure Multivitamins which are all liquid, can be found online (just Google for the best price) or purchase at Whole Foods store.

Anti-inflammatory Eating
Bromelain (Pineapple) – also a digestive enzyme
Papain (Papaya) – enzyme that aids with protein digestion
Fish-contains omega-3 (DHA, EPA)
Nightshade Diet- eliminate nightshade plants: tomato, potato, eggplant, peppers from your diet since you may or may not know that your body is allergic.
Ginger- 500-1000mg 2x/day with food.
Reduce fatty meat and high-fat dairy products. More fish and colorful fruits/veggies. Use organic when possible.

Anti-inflammatory supplements
Omega-3 – acts as an antioxidant. Fish oil, Flax seed.
Vitalzym- enzyme supplement that digests protein, and aids in decreasing scar tissue build up throughout the whole body, organs, muscles, etc. . The best form is the liquid gel capsules.
Evening Primrose Oil- strong antioxidant, contains alpha-linoleic-acid, or ALA.
Vitamin C 2000mg (whole food is best) – I usually take Emergen-C effervescent packs. Vitamin C also decreases adrenal stress.
Vitamin E- potent anti-oxidant which protects the cells in the human body from free radical damage.

Nerve: Growth: B6, Omega-3
Pain: Orthocare (capsaicin) – also diabetic neuropathy
Joints: Manganese- decreases collagen laxity; Glucosamine 1500mg – Increase chondroblast (cartilage) activity
Muscle Recovery: L-Glutamine-also aids with digestion; Protein- Whey Protein powder, I like Biochem, can be found at Whole Foods Store.

What supplements do you use and are helpful to you? Share with others your success could lead to benefiting someone else.

Departure day was here and we had to pack, pick up boxes of products at the office and then pick up the rest of our party who had even more luggage – thank God for the trailer. We were all packed and ready to head to Miami. We hadn’t been on I-95 more than ten minutes when I began to feel the truck pulling awkwardly and then I heard not one but two bangs. I cautiously pulled us over and proceeded to see what had happened; not one but both tires had blown. We had one spare but that wasn’t going to wok. Now I had to locate a station that could replace my tires and then head back and change both of them.
Having sailed on this cruise several times before, we knew that arriving early would allow us time to get everything to our cabins and give us time to get ready for the events and sign up for excursions. I’ll never forget a comment that was made while I was on the side of I-95 changing the tires – “Too bad you didn’t make time to have the tires checked before, but now you’re being forced to deal with it, whether you like it or not.”

Too many times we think we don’t have the time to do things right the first time, but when things go wrong we are then forced to make the time to fix it. For whatever reason, we fail to plan our time correctly and attempt to make things work with little to no planning beforehand. I believe the problem stems from short-term thinking.

This type of thinking is why our country is going through such a tumultuous economic crisis. When you try to fix a short-term problem with a long-term solution you have just created a recipe for disaster. As a mortgage broker I saw it all the time. People would refinance their homes to pay off credit cards – BIG mistake. In the book of Hebrews we are warned of this mindset, “Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God’s lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God’s blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.” Hebrews 12:16, The Message Bible.

Over the years, I’ve preached the importance of planning. It helps you make wiser decisions, it keeps you focused and for the most part, out of trouble. Yet so many times we see an opportunity and in order not to lose out, we jump into it head first without a plan, ending up wasting time, and often losing money. Here’s a bit of advice – if the opportunity is not worth taking the time to plan for, then don’t even waste your time thinking about it any longer.

Stay focused on what is your worthwhile pursuit, planning and revising your plan as you grow so you can reach what God has awaiting you. Take time to plan, it will be the best time you will have ever invested as the returns are phenomenal.

What are some ways that keep you focused? Do you take the time to plan?

The Human mouth remains moist due to saliva and it helps in the process of digestion. The microbes and fungi present inside the mouth are also normalized by the saliva. Your mouth becomes dry, when your salivary glands do not produce sufficient amount of saliva.

There are many reasons why a person may have dry mouth and it can definitely be a very annoying problem for many reasons. It may make it difficult to talk, sleep, or chew and swallow food. It may even cause bad breath, sores inside your mouth, or dry and chapped lips to match. Many recommendations are made to consult your doctor or dentist to determine the right treatment, but what has been brought to my attention is that this may not really lead to resolution. People have been referred to more prescription drugs (which may be one cause of dry mouth in the first place), or over the counter products, such as Biotene, for example. I have heard and seen many complaints about how expensive it could get, especially when the problem does not resolve as fast as you would like, or even at all.

Dry mouth can be caused by these reasons: Side effect from certain medications, or effect of certain medical treatments such as chemotherapy or other treatments for cancer; Nerve Damage; Certain diseases and infections; Dehydration; Lifestyle such as smoking, or chewing tobacco.

Regardless of the reason WHY the problem exists, when it does, ALL of us really care more about how we can fix it. Some of us go online to find the answer, some of us go to doctors that may or may not know why either, so they just give suggestions or look online themselves (joking, but not). I just believe that a doctor’s job is to prescribe medication no matter what. Hopefully most of you reading this know that you should take a more proactive approach to your ailments, or have someone who is willing to tell you that “they don’t know” and at least give you a variety of options that may help (another subject, see last blog with a link to an article about that, or visit http://homehealthyandfit.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/customer-service-and-health-care/).

Okay, let us get to one solution, here is the message I received from my friend:
“I have one for your blog, I have been battling for a couple years with dry mouth and sores on my tongue, plus I couldn’t even tolerate toothpaste anymore it felt like fire–of course the dentist just shrugs. I tried a teaspoon of sea salt, I think any salt would do, and mix it with about 1/4 cup of warm water, let it dissolve, and use like mouthwash, swishing around for 45 seconds or so. No more dry mouth, no more sore mouth, toothpaste does not bother me anymore. I have seen about a hundred websites where people are looking for a remedy for just these same problems.”—-Friend
Other Natural tips I found for dry mouth: Suck on some sugar free candies or gums. Use vaporizer/humidifier in the room to bring moisture into the air. Avoid breathing though mouth. Increase your intake of B Vitamins. Often times, dry mouth is caused by bacteria. All of the B Complex Vitamins are necessary to treat this problem. Try adding a B complex vitamin as a daily supplement. Take Goldenseal in supplemental form. Goldenseal is a natural moisturizer. It helps to keep the mouth moist, and also helps to bring down any inflammation in the mouth. Drink some goldenseal at night and in the morning, or as needed. You can also rinse the mouth with the tea instead; Take Coenzyme Q10 in supplemental form. Coenzyme Q10 helps to improve circulation in the entire body, including the mouth. Try adding 30 milligrams per day in supplemental form.

Hope it helps, and would love to hear any feedback any of you have in regards to this problem, or whether or not this solution/recipe works for you too.

As you’ll see in the scripture below, God doesn’t sugar coat the fact that accepting His call will be easy but He will always be with you no matter what.

When answering the call of entrepreneurship you must accept it as did Joshua. Below is scripture where Joshua is called out for a very important opportunity and God gives him specific instructions for succeeding.

“…Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them – the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:1-9, New King James Version

Included in the instructions from God are “be strong and courageous”. He knows that challenges are going to come up because anytime we do something that will glorify God, the enemy wants to stop it. Without courage, God knows we will be toast.

What is courage and how do we get it? Courage is the ability to confront opposition despite the potential for loss. I believe the best way to attain courage for your business is through education, preparation and experience. As I’ve seen aspiring real estate investing entrepreneurs come and go over the years (although they are excited about the opportunities) they’ve lacked the courage to overcome the challenges that come at them from the outset.

How will education and preparation give me courage? Many years ago when I first stepped into the world of entrepreneurship I had an opportunity to present my services of an Internet Consultant to a group of business owners. It was a great opportunity and I did not want to blow it. I was a novice at giving a presentation, so I took the time to prepare.

The day came and I was a nervous wreck despite spending the previous two solid weeks working on my presentation. When my opportunity came to present, it was obvious how nervous I was. I held on to the podium with such a death grip that I believe I left my hand imprints on the sides, I barely looked up to address the audience and my voice was so monotone that I probably sounded like Ben Stein’s character in the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”.

When I was done, I felt horrible – I felt like such a failure. I couldn’t believe how bad I had done, especially after watching the guys who presented after me. They looked so comfortable up there and they even had the group laughing. After a couple of days of sulking, I had to make a decision – was I going to cower and quit or was I going to learn from this and build up my courage for future opportunities?

I reviewed what happened and I realized that although I had educated myself on my services and prepared for the presentation, I lacked experience as a speaker. I began seeking out ways to learn how to speak publicly and discovered Toastmasters International, an organization that trains you in the ways of public speaking. I took my training seriously and I could see my courage grow and as opportunities to present arose, I was better prepared.

Because of my decision not to cower, I’ve had many opportunities to make presentations locally and even abroad. Each time I get up to present, I still get a little nervous but I know from my training and experience, that I am always able to drum up the courage to do what I’ve been called to do.

In the spirit of courage, I wanted to make a special supplication to the men who are or plan on being fathers. Fatherhood takes great courage and our society has taken it lightly, so lightly that it has had a great negative impact on our society. It’s a horrible fact to see that penitentiaries have grown into the big business that they have. To know that a majority of inmates come from a home where there was no father figure in their lives makes you wonder where we would be today if fathers knew how important their roles were in the family unit.

Wives and girlfriends: encourage your husbands/boyfriends – instead of talking down to them or ridiculing them as our society sees so fit to do. The role of fatherhood is scary and comes with little training, especially if the new father has had no father figure in his own life. Pray for him.

Fathers, seek out your heavenly Father and He will guide you. If you don’t know where to start, do as my father did, he hugged us daily. As we got older, we didn’t care for it too much but he never stopped and I now look back and know that those hugs made a difference in my life. If you get a chance, check out the movie Courageous.

In whatever you’ve been called to do, be strong and courageous! What have you or are you courageous about?

In your 40’s as your ovaries start to shrink, your body is making less testosterone. Men are not the only ones who need this important hormone! This is why you will need to eat more protein and do weight training which burns fat and calories better. All you need MINIMUM is 30 min per week to make a difference. Although I will reiterate that I believe you should be doing weight training as much as possible with your workouts, training 2 different body parts per day. My favorite workouts, if you cannot get a personal trainer or are still confused as to how to implement this are at home workouts with P90X or Jillian Michaels. Choose what best fits your personality. Foods: Lemon juice helps the body to increases absorption of iron. Beans are a great source of protein, and if you are vegetarian this will work for you. One side dish you can try is broccoli rabe with lemon juice.

50’s: While in menopause your body stops producing estrogen. Fat holds onto estrogen very well especially the fat around the belly. Since the body cannot produce the estrogen in the ovaries, it allows for the fat cells around the belly to compensate for the lack, thus you may notice that your midsection continuing to grow as the fat cells continue to grow in size. So no matter how much you are exercising, because your metabolism has slowed, you are essentially burning about 250 less calories with your workouts than when you were younger. Foods that help control this are those packed with omega-3 and those with fiber. One example of this type of food is Golden Flaxseed. Ground it up and add it to a smoothie, or your favorite protein shake. Or spread it on top of a Watermelon sundae: Bananas, Plain Greek yogurt adding honey, (or use vanilla flavor), granola, and flaxseed.

Men
As you age, your estrogen levels increase, and testosterone tends to decrease. So make sure you are also adding foods that boost testosterone as mentioned, and making sure that you are sticking with a workout routine that includes weight training as well. Sex also boosts your testosterone hormone so, women here is your chance to put your man to work reminding them, if you don’t use it, you lose it!
Tip: When you eat foods that you detest you increase your craving for foods that you are most likely supposed to eat in moderation. So if the foods I mention do not appeal to you, look for something that will still fit the bill. It is okay to eat the things you like, just make sure you are watching your portion sizes. Also, if you can add fiber to what you are eating you will get full faster. Fiber decreases cortisol levels (stress), which in turn decrease body fat; it also makes you full faster. During the day, try to eat salad with your meals, and/or before dinner have your Metamucil for best results.

How are you aging?