Top 10 Signs That Your Bag Has Holes

1. Your 31-year-old lives at home and you still give him an allowance.
2. Your investment strategy is “zero interest for 12 months.”
3. When your credit card is stolen, you decide not to report it because the thief is spending less than you did.
4. You keep telling your spouse, “My checking account isn’t overdrawn, it’s underfunded.”
5. Your biggest achievement last year was hooking up your TiVo.
6. You think “Warren Buffet” is an all-you-can-eat restaurant.
7. Your life motto is “Oops, I did it again.”
8. You hope to live off airline and hotel points when you retire.
9. You think “socialism” is something you do at a party.
10. You like to gamble because actually flushing money down a toilet can clog the drain.

10 More Signs That Your Bag Has Holes

1. Donald Trump is your hairstylist and example of success.
2. To have your finances “fixed,” you contact a veterinarian.
3. Your retirement plan is centered on finding the end of a rainbow.
4. Your gospels include Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Oprah.
5. Your best business idea is teaching your goose to lay golden eggs.
6. You found your financial advisors through a psychic hotline.
7. You schedule a U-haul for your funeral so you can “take it with you.”
8. Your idea of a balanced portfolio is lottery tickets and casino gambling.
9. You wish there was a luxury version of macaroni and cheese so you could out do the Joneses.
10. You will be able to retire once your children qualify for Social Security.

If You Want to Succeed, You Need to Read

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body: as by the one, health is preserved, strengthened, and invigorated; by the other, virtue (which is the health of the mind) is kept alive, cherished, and confirmed.” (Joseph Addison, The Works of Joseph Addison, Volume III, (New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1864) p. 42) “When we read inspired, thought-provoking books, we grow richer in all phases of our lives. In short, reading has the power to transform us from what we are right now to what we could be in the future.” (Burke Hedges, Read & Grow Rich, (Tampa, FL, INTI Publishing, 2000) p. 3)

Reading is a shortcut to success. The Greek philosopher Socrates taught, “Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for.” A book provides a powerful way to learn in a few hours what others have learned in a lifetime.

Block out time each day to read positive, inspiring books. In 2006, the average American watched 4 hours and 45 minutes of television a day and read 18 minutes a day from books. (Publisher Weekly, September 18, 2006, p. 4) The libraries of the world are full of knowledge free for the taking. In the words of Mark Twain, “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read.”

I read books frequently and have built a nice personal library. I have read well over 1,000 books during the last 14 years when I first developed a passion for reading. I am often asked what my favorite books are so I went through my library and wrote down the books that have had a significant impact on me. Most of the book on this lists I have read multiple times. They are in alphabetical order by title.

1. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
A wonderful novel on the principles of capitalism and the effects of government interference. If you don’t want to read it’s 1200 pages, I would highly recommend the abridged audio book, which has a very entertaining reader. Quote from the book, “Physical labor as such can extend no further than the range of the moment. The man who does no more than physical labor, consumes the material value-equivalent of his own contribution to the process of production, and leaves no further value, neither for himself nor others. But the man who produces an idea . . . is the permanent benefactor of humanity. . . It is only the value of an idea that can be shared with unlimited numbers of men, making all sharers richer at no one’s sacrifice or loss, raising the productive capacity of whatever labor they perform.”

2. But Grace is Enough by Ken Radke
This book greatly helped me understand and apply the doctrine of grace to my life. Quote from the book, “Have you ever felt the need for a second chance? Have you ever wanted to erase the last several days and start over with a clean slate? If so, what you are really longing for is grace. It’s more than a theological concept. It’s the most powerful life-changing force in the world today.”

3. Does Your Bag Have Holes? 24 Truths That Lead to Financial and Spiritual Freedom by Cameron C. Taylor
Even though I am the author, I still regularly read this book for inspiration and to continually reinforce the principles that are taught.

4. God Wants You to Be Rich by Paul Zane Pilzer
Paul Zane Pilzer shares the following story at the beginning of the book:
“Professor Pilzer!” the women exclaimed, following me into the elevator after my speech. “I must tell you how much your work has changed my life!” “In what way?” I asked. “All my life I wanted to be rich,” she replied. “But I always believed that I could only succeed in business at the expense of someone else, and as a good Christian I could never do that. Reading your book and hearing you speak has shown me how wrong I was!” The women explained that two years ago, at age fifty-five, she had gone into her own business, and that she was now making three times more money than she had earned after working thirty-two years for someone else. “How does your new financial success relate to your religious beliefs?” I inquired. “That’s the real tragedy of my life,” she replied. “For fifty-five years, I believed that God didn’t want me to have money, that the economy was always heading downhill, and that the only way to climb to the top was by stepping on someone else. But I was wrong! Now I realize that these views were just excuses for my lack of initiative, and that the one thing God wants me to do most as a good Christian is to be rich. That’s why he created a world where the more successful I am, the more wealth there is for everyone else to share.”

5. Good to Great by Jim Collins
Jim Collins and his team of researchers began their quest by sorting through a list of 1,435 companies, looking for those that made substantial improvements in their performance over time. They finally settled on 11—including Fannie Mae, Gillette, Walgreens, and Wells Fargo—and discovered common traits that challenged many of the conventional notions of corporate success.

6. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Quote from the book, “Investigations revealed that even in such technical lines as engineering, about 15 percent of one’s financial success is due to one’s technical knowledge and about 85 percent is due to skill in human engineering – to personality and the ability to lead people.”

7. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
This memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Between 1942 and 1945 Frankl labored in four different camps, including Auschwitz, while his parents, brother, and pregnant wife perished. Based on his own experience and the experiences of those he treated in his practice, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose.

8. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis is a brilliant writer. I have read most of his non-fiction writings and this book is my favorite.

9. More Than a Hobby by David Green
A fantastic book by the founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby on how he expanded his $600 start-up into a $1.3 billion per-year enterprise. Provides great examples of how he has applied the principles of the Bible in his business. Quote from the book, “There is a God, and He’s not averse to business. He’s not just a ‘Sunday deity.’ He understands margins and spreadsheets, competition and profits. I appreciate the open door to discuss all those things with Him.”

10. Sam Walton by Sam Walton
I have read numerous biographies and this is one of my favorites. Quote from the book, “There’s absolutely no limit to what plain, ordinary working people can accomplish if they’re given the opportunity and the encouragement.”

11. The 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management by Hyrum W. Smith
The creator of the Franklin Day Planner shares powerful laws on life and time management.

12. The Cash Flow Quadrant by Robert Kiyosaki
This book explains four ways to make money: employee, self-employed, business owner, and investor. This book helped me take the leap of faith into the world of entrepreneurship.

13. The Choice by Og Mandino
Og Mandino has a wonderful way of weaving principles of success into stories. I think I particularly liked this story because the main character is an author.

14. The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley and William Danko
The authors performed an extensive study to find the ideas, beliefs, and behaviors that enabled millionaires to build and maintain their fortunes.

15. The New Testament (Bible)
This book changed my life in an instant. My brother was listening to the Sermon on the Mount while I was in the car, and I was filled with the Spirit of God so strongly that I went from a declared atheist on a path of sin to a believer in God with a strong desire to be a disciple of Christ.

16. The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson
A little book with some great insights on prayer and becoming a good receiver. Quote from the book, “When Christian executives ask me, ‘Is it right for me to ask God for more business?’ My response is, ‘Absolutely!’ If you’re doing your business God’s way, it’s not only right to ask for more, but He is waiting for you to ask. Your business is the territory God has entrusted to you.”

17. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
The seven habits are: 1. Be Proactive, 2. Begin with the End in Mind, 3. Put First Things First, 4. Think Win/Win, 5. Seek First to Understand, Than to Be Understood, 6. Synergize, 7. Sharpen the Saw.

18. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Think and Grow Rich is the distilled wisdom of distinguished men of great wealth and achievement. This book is the result of over 20 years of research in the lives of hundreds of successful people including: Henry Ford, John Rockefeller, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, and Alexander Graham Bell.

19. Washington's God by Michael and Jana Novak
George Washington was a wise and noble man inspired by the Almighty God. I have read numerous books about Washington; unfortunately many of them secularize their writing with no mention of God. This book helps illuminate the faith of Washington, which was the center of his life and success.

20. Where Jesus Walked by Ken Duncan
If you have been longing to make a visit to the Holy Land so you can see the places associated with Jesus and His ministry, this book is one way you can go, without leaving home. Ken Duncan's photos are glorious and inspirational. Surrounding the pictures are insightful passages from familiar Christian authors.

21. Winners Never Cheat by Jon M. Huntsman

From the book’s forward by Larry King, “Jon M. Huntsman may well be the most remarkable billionaire most of America has never heard of. Legendary in petrochemical circles, he operates around the globe in a quiet, determined, respected, and caring manner.”

Goals and The World's Fastest Man

In 1974, there was a track meet held in Tennessee with some of the greatest athletes of the day. Because of the caliber of the athletes, everyone was hoping that a new world record would be set in the 100-yard dash. One of the runners was Ivory Crockett. Before the race, the television cameras filmed Ivory Crockett folding up a little piece of paper and sticking it in his shoe. Everybody wondered what Ivory Crockett had put in his shoe. A buzz went through the crowd. Everyone was discussing why he had stuck a piece of paper in his shoe.

The starter said, “Runners, to your marks. Get set,” and shot the gun. Ivory Crockett came out low with his legs churning. He had a perfect start and ran a perfect race. He pulled ahead of the pack and came across the finish line in first place. The race went so quickly that everyone was excited to see what the time would be. Had Ivory Crockett set a new world record? The official time had Ivory Crockett at 9.0—a new world record. Ivory Crockett had just run the fastest 100-yard dash in the history of the world. The crowd went wild and the press ran down to Ivory Crockett, congratulating him on the new world record. He was now "the world's fastest man." The question everybody wanted to know was what was in his shoe? Ivory Crockett sat down, unlaced his track shoes and he pulled out of his shoe a little piece of paper. He unfolded it to the camera. It very simply read: “9.0” The Los Angeles Times described the event with the headline "Immortality in 9 Seconds Flat." Crockett said of setting the record, "It was a real good feeling to do something no one else had done before [and] be among the other athletes like Bob Hayes [world recorder holder at 9.1 seconds for 11 years] who I had revered all my life."

There is great power in goals and dreams. “A study was done on Yale University’s graduating class. It asked seniors a long list of questions about themselves, and three questions had to do with goals. They were, “Do you set goals?” “Do you write them down?” and “Do you have an action plan to accomplish them?” Only three percent of the class answered yes to those questions. Twenty years later, a follow-up study was done. It turned out that the three percent who had said yes to goals reported that they were more happily married, were more successful in the careers they had chosen, had a more satisfactory family life, and had better health. And listen to this. Ninety-seven percent of the net worth of that graduating class was in the hands of that three percent!” (Lou Tice, Personal Coaching for Results, (Nashville: Nelson, 1997) p. 93)

You have to have dreams and goals to make progress and achieve greatness. “Your progress toward success begins with a fundamental question: Where are you going? Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement, and its lack is the stumbling block for ninety-eight out of every hundred people simply because they never really define their goals and start toward them. Study every person you think of who has achieved lasting success, and you will find that each one has had a definite purpose. Each had a plan for reaching that goal, and each devoted the greatest part of his or her thoughts and efforts to that end.” (Napoleon Hill, Keys to Success, (New York: Penguin, 1994) p. 1)

Many people live life backwards. They take what life gives them. You should define your ideal life and then go out and get it. Dreams and goals inspire us to achieve our full potential. Defining your goals and dreams will help you discover and live the purposeful, joyful, abundant life God created you to enjoy.

22 Principles of Successful Relationships

“The most important single ingredient to the formula of success
is knowing how to get along with people.” –Teddy Roosevelt

Studies reveal that the principles of getting along with and influencing people contribute greatly to achieving success. In his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie states, “Investigations revealed that even in such technical lines as engineering, about 15 percent of one’s financial success is due to one’s technical knowledge and about 85 percent is due to skill in human engineering – to personality and the ability to lead people.” He continues, “One can, for example, hire mere technical ability in engineering, accountancy, architecture or any other profession at nominal salaries. But the person who has technical knowledge plus the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people – that person is headed for higher earning power. In the heyday of his activity, John D. Rockefeller said that ‘the ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee.’ And I will pay more for that ability,’ said John D., ‘than for any other under the sun.’”

The ability to get along with and influence people is vital to our success in all aspects of life and yet schools and universities focus little if any attention on developing interpersonal and leadership skills. Since our educational systems spend little time developing students’ abilities to influence people, the wise individual will find the resources and spend the time necessary to develop these abilities. Below are 22 principles that will help you cultivate your relationships.

1. Be a Person of Integrity
Keeping commitments is vital to having a successful relationship. There is nothing more damaging to a relationship than to make a promise that is important to someone and then to not keep that promise. Breaking commitments destroys trust and reliability. To be successful with people, you must adopt a philosophy of never making a promise you cannot or will not keep. Occasionally, despite all our best efforts, the unexpected does come up, creating a situation where it would be unwise or impossible to keep a promise. In this case, you should either keep the promise anyway or explain the situation to the person you committed to and then ask to be released from the promise. You should never tell the person you can’t keep the promise. You should ask to be released from your commitment. If they will not release you from your commitment, then you should follow through. Consider your word as a sacred bond not to be broken.

2. Personal Success Precedes Success with Others
Most of our success with others results from whom we are—our character. Therefore, a more permanent and powerful means of learning to succeed with people is changing ourselves rather than learning tactics of human influence. The true source of virtually all of our failures with people actually resides within us. When we find the flaw inside ourselves that damages how we deal with people, we not only resolve the problem facing us at the moment, but we also prevent future problems of the same nature from happening again.

3. Value Differences
To succeed with people you must value the mental, emotional, and psychological differences that exist among people. The key to valuing differences is to realize that people do not see the world as it is, but as they are. A person who is truly effective with people has the humility to recognize his own perceptual limitations and to appreciate the rich resources available through interaction with the hearts and minds of other people. Others add to your knowledge and to your understanding of reality. Is it possible for two people to disagree and both be right? Yes. For example, in a room the temperature may be 70 degrees and one individual will say it is cold while the other will say it is hot. Is the room hot or is the room cold? Which of these two individuals is right? Does one have to be right and one wrong? No, both are right from their perspective. It would be silly for the individual that was hot to tell the person who was cold that he was wrong or stupid since he thought it was cold. Until we value the differences in our perceptions and give credence to the possibility that we’re both right, we will struggle in our relationships.

4. Don’t Gossip
There is a tendency for people to say negative comments about those around them and to gossip about the faults of others. Don't be a part of it. If you say negative things about individuals not present, you are sending a message to those who are present that you would do the same to them. The way to gain the respect and loyalty of those present is to be respectful and loyal to those who are not present.

If constructive criticism is necessary for a specific person, it should be done in private with love and with the intent of helping the individual. Don't correct a person in front of others. Also, while giving feedback, talk about what the person does well, what you like about them, and even talk about your own mistakes before correcting theirs.

5. Give Sincere Compliments
People need and want to be complimented. Compliments bring out the best efforts in people by uplifting and motivating them. Even if people make mistakes, focus on their successful efforts, and compliment them on those items. The natural tendency is to tell people what they did wrong. This will result in a decrease of motivation and performance. Encouragement and compliments are a much more effective teaching device than criticism, so always look for opportunities to compliment those around you.

6. Edify Others
The tongue is a powerful tool for good or evil. Your words can be used to build or to destroy others. Choose to build those around you.

I watch them tearing a building down,
A gang of men in a busy town,
With a ho heave ho and a lusty yell,
They swung a beam and a side wall fell
And I asked the foreman, “Are these men skilled,
The men he’d hire if he had to build?”
He gave a laugh and said, “No indeed,
Just common labor’s all I need.
I can easily wreak in a day or two
What builders have taken a year to do.”
I asked myself as I went my way,
Which of these roles have I tried to play.
Am I builder who works with care,
Measuring life with a rule and square?
Or am I wrecker who walks the town,
Content with the labor of tearing down.
-Author Unknown

7. Smile
Actions speak louder than words and a smile says, “I like you. You make me happy. I'm glad to see you.” People who smile tend to manage and teach more effectively.

8. Remember Names
Remembering a person’s name and using it regularly is a subtle and very effective compliment. Forget or misspell a name and you have placed yourself at a sharp disadvantage. Take the time and effort to memorize the names of each person with whom you associate. When someone tells you their name, make sure you heard it correctly. Then memorize it by repeating it in your mind, associating it with something, and when possible, write it down. (Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People, New York: Pocket Books, 1982, p. 75-83)

9. If Offended, Take the Initiative
Often when we are offended, our tendency is to wait for the offender to offer an apology or to at least acknowledge that he or she has wronged us. If the apology does not come, we allow our wounds to fester, and bitterness and resentment spread through our souls like poison. We then not only have a strained relationship, but a bitter soul as well. Nelson Mandela taught, “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” Often times if you take the initiative to clear things up, the issue can be resolved quickly.

10. Return Good for Evil
We have a natural tendency to treat others as they treat us. If someone is mean to us, we are mean to them in return. If someone is nice to us, we are nice to them. If someone hates us, we hate them. If someone shows us love, we love them. If someone helps us, we want to help them. The Savior teaches us not to respond in the natural way of returning good for good and evil for evil. He instead teaches us to always respond to others with goodness. The Savior taught, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if a man sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:38-40, 43, 44, King James Version)

My wife, Paula, is one of the most loving, friendly, outgoing people I know. A couple of years ago, my wife was in a car accident. She was stopped at a traffic light when a person three cars back failed to stop causing a four-car accident. My wife did not have her insurance information with her. When I arrived with the insurance information, the police were taking statements and information. The drivers of the other damaged cars were upset and angry, but Paula was happy and making friends. Paula went up to the driver responsible for the accident and gave her a hug and said, “You need a present.” My wife then gave her two tickets to a local college football game taking place on the upcoming Saturday. The girl said in shock, “I damaged your car and caused you and your baby a great deal of stress, and you’re giving me a present?” Driving can only cause us frustration and anger if we choose to respond that way.

11. Follow the Golden Rule
“Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” (Matthew 7:12, King James Version)

12. Sacrifice for the Person
Sacrifice is a demonstration of love. When we are willing to forego something we have, want or could have for another person’s benefit, we increase in love for that person.

13. Make Time for People
Perhaps time is the greatest thing we have to give someone we love. Spending time with people gives us the opportunity to cultivate and express our love for others. Many times expressions of genuine love come following time spent together. When we share experiences, joys, sorrows, struggles, and challenge together, we grow closer together. When we demonstrate our willingness to make time available for others, we say to them “I am willing to give you the most precious thing I have – my time. I do this because I love you and you are important to me.”

14. Accept the Person as He or She Is
We will never fully love a person until we can accept the individual as he or she is. This doesn’t mean we agree with nor accept the person’s behavior but it does mean that our love for them in not conditional on performance or behaviors. As we increase in ability to accept the person as he or she is and genuinely communicate that acceptance to him or her, we will increase in love for that person.

15. Tell the Individual, “I Love You!”
When we genuinely communicate verbally to another person, “I love you!” there is an emotional reaction heart to heart which causes each person to realize that love exists. The act is complete when the person responds genuinely back, “I love you too.” We increase in our ability to love through verbal expression.

16. Serve Others
All you have to do is help other people obtain their goals and you will obtain your goals. Learn to be a servant, and you will learn to be successful. It was the birthday of a mother of several children. The children one by one began to present the gifts to their mother. It was now the youngest boy’s turn. He had been given a silver platter to give to his mother. He begins to approach his mother with his gift when he realized that the platter was empty. He then set the platter in front of his mother and stood upon it and said, “I give you me.” Give the greatest gift you can. Give yourself.

17. Listen and Be Understanding
What would happen if right now all the air was taken out of the room you are currently in? What would happen to your interest in this book? Air is a fundamental physical need, and until that need is met you will not be interested in anything else. However, once you have fulfilled the need for air, your interests can shift to other things. What is the emotional and psychological equivalent of air? It is the need to be understood. Why? Because when you understand another, you fulfill many basic human needs. When you understand a person, you have accepted them. When you listen to understand a person, you are saying, “You are important and I care about you. You are a person worth listening to; a person of significance; a person that matters.”

A study was done to see what people desired in a potential partner. Understanding was the number one characteristic desired by women and the number two characteristic desired by men. If you desire to communicate effectively with another, you must first understand them. How do we understand another? By listening. “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is a folly and shame unto him.” (Proverbs 18:13, King James Version) Many of your problems with people with disappear and your relationships will be greatly strengthened if you will learn the simple skill of listening. As Gandhi once said, “Three-fourths of the miseries and misunderstanding in the world will disappear if we step into the shoes of our adversaries and understand their standpoint.”

18. Inspire Teamwork
Napoleon Hill taught, “There is no record of anyone ever having made a great contribution to civilization without cooperation of others.” (Napoleon Hill’s Keys to Success, New York: Plume, 1997, p. 154) In order to inspire teamwork, you must be filled with enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is contagious. “Infect others with your enthusiasm, and teamwork will be the inevitable result.” (Napoleon Hill, Napoleon Hill’s Keys to Success, New York: Plume, 1997, p. 155)

19. See People with an Eye of Faith
Don’t treat people in terms of their behavior, but rather in terms of their potential—in terms of what they can become. Goethe put it this way, “Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is; treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be.”

20. Be Teachable
“If we operate with the assumption that we do not have all the answers or insights, we allow ourselves to value the different viewpoints, judgments, and experiences others may bring. When we approach others with open minds, and are willing to be taught, we learn that the key to influence is to allow ourselves to be influenced.” (Blain Lee, The Power Principle, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997, p. 132)

21. Give Hugs
“Hugging is healthy. It helps the immune system, cures depression, reduces stress and induces sleep. It’s invigorating, rejuvenating and has no unpleasant side effects. Hugging is nothing less than a miracle drug. Hugging is an underutilized resource with magical powers.” (Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, 1993, p. 17-18)

22. Be a Friend
Success with people can be summarized in one word—friendship. Successful people cultivate strong, loving friendships. They are not masters or dictators. They are friends and servants to those around them. They make sure that others’ needs are their highest priority. Christ was a friend to those he worked with. In speaking to the New Testament disciples, Jesus said, “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends.” (John 15:15, King James Version)

The most successful people are those who are friends to others. It is not surprising to see children who are more influenced by their friends than by their parents. It is not surprising to see employees who are more influenced by their friends at work than by their bosses. It’s not surprising to see church members who are more influenced by their friends than by their leaders. If parents, bosses, and church leaders desire to influence others, they must first cultivate friendships.

Often we try to improve our relationships by learning new tactics of influence, or we use new methods of interacting with people, many of which are needed and helpful. However, I would suggest that if you know how to be a true friend, you know how to succeed with people.

Integrity Pays

“The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.”
Proverbs 12:22, New International Version

In the past several years, we have seen the devastating effects of dishonest business leaders at Enron, WorldCom, Xerox, Qwest, Tyco, ImClone, Anderson, and others. They fraudulently gained short-term profits but in the end lost everything, with many going to prison. A phrase from the Shinto religion states, “If you plot and connive to deceive men, you may fool them for a while, and profit thereby, but you will without fail be visited by divine punishment. To be utterly honest may have the appearance of inflexibility and self-righteousness, but in the end, such a person will receive the blessings.” Honesty is key to long-term success. David Green, founder of the billion-dollar Hobby Lobby stores, wrote, “It’s all part of our corporate commitment to follow biblical principles in everything we do. Some businesspeople think that’s a noble claim but that it ties one hand behind your back. I disagree. Nothing taught in the Bible is harmful to business. Doing things God’s way pays dividends—maybe not immediately, but in the long run.”

Jay Van Andel and Rich DeVos, founders of Amway, ran their company according to Bible principles. Jay Van Andel wrote in his biography, “Rich and I sought to run our . . . organization according to biblical principles of integrity, faithfulness, and truthfulness. . . Knowing that we were dependent upon God for the ability to do what was right, we bathed our activities in private prayer. All of our corporate meetings were opened with prayer. . . A business without integrity will be penalized in the marketplace. If a business’s products don't meet the claims of its advertisers, or if product quality is inconsistent, the business will lose customers to its competitors. Skilled employees, frustrated with internal policies, depart for other jobs. On the other hand, a firm known for its integrity will be rewarded by increased demand for its products and greater customer and employee loyalty.” Kevin Rollins, Former President/CEO of Dell said, “Part of the genius of an open free market system is that integrity pays. . . In the end, customers, employees, and shareholders gravitate toward companies with stable leadership—those that are credible and have integrity.”

Does your loyalty lie with God or with man? When faced with decisions that involve social pressure, we need to decide if we are going to follow the commands of the Lord or the counsel of men. Often we seek to please those around us or participate in actions we know to be wrong because we don't want to offend or displease those around us. Are we like the accountant who, when asked by a CEO, “Tell me, what is two plus two?” replies, “What do you want it to be?” Or are we like the apostle Peter when he stood with boldness and strength before magistrates and rulers who could imprison him, flog him, and even take his life. On one occasion when brought before the high priest to be questioned why he had violated their command not to preach, “Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29, King James Version)

When is Success a Failure?
When God’s commandments are violated in the pursuit of profits, success is a failure. One of Gandhi’s seven sins that destroy society is “commerce without morality.” It represents a moral end (commerce) achieved by an immoral means (without morality). Immoral means corrupt a worthy end into a dishonorable achievement. You cannot achieve a moral end by immoral means. Financial ends never justify unethical means.

The son of a business executive, Robert Gay, shared this story: “I grew up in a brutal business environment. My father worked as the chief executive for one of the richest men in the world, Howard Hughes, and that world turned many lives upside down. I witnessed firsthand greed, deception, power struggles, and destruction of souls all for the sake of money. But perhaps what influenced me most is what I had seen in Mr. Hughes himself. For many years on Christmas Eve or Easter Sunday, this annual ritual was not what it appeared to be; Mr. Hughes invited my father to his home. When my father arrived, Mr. Hughes would simply say, ‘Bill, I just wanted to talk.’ Then after a couple of hours of friendly conversation he would say, ‘It’s Christmas. You better get back to your family.’ And I remember thinking to myself: ‘With all the money, with all the power, all the accomplishments, and even all the good he has done, he is both lonely and alone.’”

A dear friend and business associate of mine, G. Kent Mangelson, shared will me the following: “After nearly thirty years in the financial business and having associated with thousands of wealthy individuals, I have developed a firm philosophy about people and money. If an individual does not clearly establish personal values and goals before making financial goals, then wealth and the accumulation thereof will begin to take on a life of its own. Without clearly established values to keep the individual’s direction in focus, money tends to distract the person, gradually moving him or her away from everything in life that means the most. Sadly, and all too often, when it is too late to repair the damage, the person discovers that he or she has lost those things that meant the most and that all the money in the world cannot buy nor replace that which is gone.”

While fudging the numbers, using deceptive tactics, profiting from immoral products, and exploiting employees may be the industry standard, there is a minority who have chosen to rise above the industry standard and adhere to religious and moral principles in their business affairs. Our challenge is to join this minority. The business world is full of deceit and immorality, but it will only get worse unless each of us becomes an example in our work of integrity and living the Lord’s standard. Give heed to the words of the apostle Paul who taught, “Continue to have faith and do what you know is right.” (1 Timothy 1:19, New Century Version)

Lessons from IBM, Microsoft and KFC

There are a few things not included in the bio on my website that I would like to share with you. I have never lost a marathon. I have never had an unprofitable day in the restaurant business. I have never been cut from a basketball team in college or professionally. I have never lost a chess tournament or national spelling bee, and I have never lost an election running for public office.

This all may sound quite impressive until you realize that I have never failed at any of the above mentioned tasks because I have never attempted them. Success and accomplishment are not defined by a lack of failure. Failure is a part of life and learning. Even the greatest baseball players in the world fail more than they succeed. They fail to get a hit 7 times for every 3 times they do get one. Does a baseball player think about quitting the game every time he gets out? Is he afraid to go to bat because he might fail? No. He knows he will probably fail 7 out of the 10 times he goes to the plate. He knows that failing is a part of the game. We, too, must learn that failure is part of the game of life. Babe Ruth holds the record for the most strikeouts, but he is considered to be one of the greatest athletes of all time because of the home runs he hit. He struck out 1,330 times and hit 714 home runs during his career.

Tom Watson, Sr., IBM’s founder, called into his office an executive whose mistake had lost the company $10 million. The nervous executive entered the office and said, “I guess you want my resignation?” Watson replied, “You can’t be serious. We’ve just spent $10 million educating you!” (Warren G. Bennis, Burt Nanus, Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge, (New York: HarperCollins, 2003) p. 70) We must come to view mistakes not as failure but as learning. Some seek to eliminate the chance for failure and by default eliminate the possibility of success. “Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, has said, ‘I like to hire people who have made mistakes. It shows that they take risks.’” (Michael Pearn, Chris Mulrooney, and Tim Payne, Ending the Blame Culture, (Brookfield, VT, Gower Publishing, 1998) p. 11–12)

Persistence and a Chicken Recipe
In the early 1950s, Colonel Harland Sanders was forced to sell his restaurant as a result of an interstate highway which bypassed Corbin, Kentucky and reduced the number of customers who came to his restaurant. Age 65, Colonel Sanders was reduced to living on his Social Security check of $105 per month ($791 per month in 2006 dollars).

While running his restaurant, he had perfected a recipe and cooking technique for fried chicken. Confident of the quality of his fried chicken, he decided to try and sell his recipe and cooking techniques. He drove all across the country from restaurant to restaurant cooking batches of chicken for restaurant owners and their employees. He was rejected 1009 times before he found someone willing to purchase his recipe. (Anthony Robbins, Unlimited Power, (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1986) p. 14) When we experience defeat and rejection, the easiest and most logical thing to do is to quit, but the successful have learned to persist. Colonel Sanders didn’t quit after 10 or 20 rejections but persisted through hundreds of rejections until he got a yes.

After his first yes, his franchising idea began to take off. To those who agreed to buy his recipe, he entered into a handshake agreement that stipulated payment to him of a nickel (36 cents in 2006 dollars) for each chicken the restaurant sold. By 1964, at age 74, Colonel Sanders had more than 600 franchised outlets for his chicken in the United States and Canada.

Colonel Sanders said of the beginning days, “I hand-mixed the spices in those days like mixing cement on a specially cleaned concrete floor on my back porch in Corbin. I used a scoop to make a tunnel in the flour and then carefully mixed in the herbs and spices. My wife, Claudia, was my packing girl, my warehouse supervisor, my delivery person – you name it. Our garage was the warehouse. After I hit the road selling franchises for my chicken, that left Claudia behind to fill the orders for the seasoned flour mix. She’d fill the orders in little paper sacks with cellophane linings and package them for shipment. Then she had to put them on a midnight train.” In 1964, Colonel Sanders sold his interest in the U.S. Company for $2 million ($13 million in 2006 dollars) but remained the public spokesman for the company. The company continued to grow and in 2004, KFC did over $12 billion in sales and now serves over 8 million customers daily in over 13,000 restaurants in 80 countries.

Conclusion
In seeking to achieve prosperity, there will be failures along the way. We must come to view mistakes not as failure, but as learning. God designed us to learn by making mistakes. In the Old Testament, the word “sin” is translated from the word “hattat” which literally means “to fail or miss.” In the New Testament, the word “sin” is translated from the Greek word “hamartia” which literally means “miss the mark” derived from the sport of archery. When an archer missed his target it was called “sin.” In archery when you miss the target it doesn’t mean it is over. You simply missed the mark or target with that arrow. You can attempt again and again until you hit the mark. So in life, there will be times we miss our target but this is not the end. We can learn from our mistakes and attempt again and again until we hit our target. Achieving prosperity is not a single event but a process. What matters more than where you are is the direction you are heading.

Growth of the Welfare State

With the tax filing deadline arriving on April 15th, I thought taxes would be an appropriate message for this week’s newsletter.

Our current federal government clearly violates the U.S. Constitution and the ideas of the founders of a limited government with low, indirect taxes. Thomas Pain taught that when government is just, taxes are few.[i] As government has expanded and grown in areas that are unconstitutional, so have taxes expanded and grown to support them. In 1901, the total spending of the federal government was $525 million. In the year 2000, the federal government spent $1.79 trillion. During those 100 years, federal government’s spending has increased by more than 3,000 times, while the population grew by only 6.5 times. Thus, the yearly cost per household increased from $32 in 1901 to $16,949 in 2000—over a 500 time increase in cost per household (see table). Much of this growth has been in welfare spending. Since 1971, more than half of all government spending has been for welfare.[ii]

The government’s future unfunded commitments show that this trend will continue. “By commitments, I mean things like unfunded promises for future Social Security and Medicare benefits. Our total accumulated fiscal burden is more than $46 trillion. . . The new Medicare prescription drug benefit represents more than $8 trillion of this accumulated burden. . . To put things into perspective, $46 trillion translates into a burden of $156,000 for every American alive today, or about $375,000 per full-time worker. . . The combined net worth of every American, including billionaires like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, is only about $50 trillion. That means every American would have to hand over more than 90 percent of their net worth to cover the government’s current unfunded promises for future spending.”[iii] If this trend is not reserved, we will see the establishment of a complete socialistic government, the end of liberty and the collapse of the economy that will mirror the effects of the great depression.

Growth of the U.S. Federal Government [iv] (Be sure you read this footnote)
Year, Total Spending[v], # of U.S. Households[vi], Yearly Cost Per Household
1901, $525 million, 16 million, $32
1910, $694 million, 20 million, $34
1920, $6.3 billion, 24 million, $260
1930, $3.3 billion, 30 million, $111
1940, $9.5 billion, 35 million, $269
1950, $42.6 billion, 44 million, $977
1960, $92.2 billion, 53 million, $1,746
1970, $195.6 billion, 63 million, $3,112
1980, $590.9 billion, 80 million, $7,351
1990, $1.25 trillion, 92 million, $13,622
2000, $1.79 trillion, 106 million, $16,949

Restoring Freedom
The greatest way to reduce taxes is to reduce the size and scope of government. If the federal government only provided the services authorized by the constitution, the spending and cost to Americans would be a very small fraction of what it is today. If the current trends of government growth and the increase of government redistribution are not reversed, America will no longer be the land of the free and home of the brave, but the land of the slaves and home of the dependants. Action must be taken to freeze the growth and phase out all redistribution programs until the limited government created by the inspired constitution is restored.

The great men and women of this nation must again unite and work and fight for freedom as did our inspired founders. In a speech delivered to some who thought it better to have peace and bondage then fight for freedom, Patrick Henry said, “If we wish to be free . . . we must fight! . . . Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”[vii] And in the words of George Washington, “We must now determine to be enslaved or free. If we make freedom our choice, we must obtain it by the blessing of Heaven on our united and vigorous efforts.”[viii]

Education is one of the greatest tools we have to fight for liberty. In 1792, Thomas Jefferson wrote to Thomas Paine, “Go on then in doing with your pen what in other times was done with the sword: shew that reformation is more practicable by operating on the mind than on the body of man.” Please share the message of this newsletter with others to help people understand the dangers of growing government our country is facing and the true cause and purpose of inflation. Education will help move our country toward demanding less government and away from a willingness to give up liberty and freedom for government-provided benefits such as health care, prescription drugs and retirement. Slavery is the result of seeking the illusion of government-supported security. Any society that gives up liberty in hope of security will find they lose both. Freedom and security are only to be found in our own liberty, industry, and production.

Special Report: How to Achieve Financial Peace of Mind through Asset Protection
If you have not yet read this complimentary special report, I would suggest that you do so. Taxes are the number one expense for many Americans’. In 2007, Americans worked longer to pay for government (120 days) than they worked for food, clothing and housing combined (105 days). From this report, you will learn “5 Ways to Reduce Your Taxes.” Also, it is estimated that a lawsuit is filed every 30 seconds in the United States. From this report, you will learn “How to Protect Your Assets against Lawsuits.” Click on the Special Report link at www.DoesYourBagHaveHoles.org to download the report as a PDF.

Footnotes:
[i] Thomas Paine, Life and Writings of Thomas Paine, Volume IV, (New York: Vincent Parke and Company, 1908) p. 233
[ii] Social Security Administration, Office of Research, Evaluation and Statistics, “Social Security Programs in the United States,” SSA Publication No. 13–11758, July 1997, p. 108
[iii] David M. Walker, “The Challenges & Opportunities of Public Service,” Marriott Alumni Magazine, Fall 2006, p. 24–25
[iv] The numbers in this table have not been adjusted for inflation because inflation is a hidden tax used by the federal government to fund the welfare programs. In the words of Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve of the United States from 1987–2006, “The welfare state is nothing more than a mechanism by which governments confiscate the wealth of the productive members of a society to support a wide variety of welfare schemes. A substantial part of the confiscation is affected by taxation. But the welfare statists were quick to recognize that if they wished to retain political power, the amount of taxation had to be limited and they had to resort to programs of massive deficit spending . . .to finance welfare expenditures on a large scale. . . The financial policy of the welfare state requires that there be no way for the owners of wealth to protect themselves. This is the shabby secret of the welfare statists . . . Deficit spending is simply a scheme for the ‘hidden’ confiscation of wealth” (Ayn Rand, Capitalism, (New York: Signet, 1967) p. 100–101). The value of the American dollar declined in its purchasing power from 100 cents in 1901 to approximately 5 cents in the year 2000. From 1901–2000, the value of the dollar has been devalued by inflation 95 percent—in effect a 95 percent tax. In the words of Ezra Benson, United States Secretary of Agriculture from 1953–1961, “There is one and only one cause of inflation—expansion of the money supply faster than the growth of the nation’s material assets. Whether those assets are gold and silver, or food, machines and structures, the creation of money more rapidly than the creation of tangible items of value which people may want to purchase, floods the market place with more dollars than goods and dilutes the accepted value of money already in existence. In America, only the federal government can increase the money supply. Only government can create inflation. The most common method of increasing the money supply today is by spending more than is in the treasury, and then merely printing extra money to make up the difference. Technically this is called ‘deficit spending.’ Ethically, it is counterfeiting. Morally, it is wrong. Deficit spending, and the inflation it produces, constitutes a hidden tax against all Americans—especially those who own insurance policies, have savings accounts, or who are retired on fixed incomes. Every time the dollar drops another penny in value, it is the same as if the government had counted up all the money that you and I had in our pockets, in savings, or investments, and then taxed us one cent on each dollar. The tax in this case, however, does not show up on our W-2 forms. It is hidden from view in the nature of higher and still higher prices for all that we buy.” Even if the numbers in the table were adjusted for inflation it does not change the trend of increased government spending and cost per household. Adjusted for inflation, from 1901–2000 the spending of the federal government increased by 174 times while population grew by 6.5 times. Thus, the yearly cost per household increased from $627 ($32 adjusted for inflation to 2000 equivalent) in 1901 to $16,949 in 2000—a 27 time increase in cost per household.
[v] Executive Office of the President of the United States, Office of Management and Budget, “Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2004, Historical Tables,” Table 1.1: Summary of Receipts, Outlays and Surpluses or Deficits: 1789–2008, p. 21–22
[vi] U.S. Bureau of the Census, “Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Time to 1970,” (Washington, DC, 1975) p. 43; U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Exhibit 1.1 National Summary Statistics: 1960–2000
[vii] Orations of American Orators, (New York: Colonial Press, 1900) p. 59
[viii] Jared Sparks, The Writings of George Washington, Volume IV, (Boston: Ferdinand Andrews, 1838) p. 38