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Page I

To varying degrees, the desire to win is in everyone, and even in every animal. For sure, no one was born a loser, regardless of the level of affluence and differences in environment, but rather people would feel like losers because, in retrospect, they were not prepared when the opportunity to win presented itself.

Basically, people often expect to reap a harvest where they have not sown, pluck a flower which they have not watered, have a blissful marriage and well-behaved children when they have not invested the time to make it happen, be debt-free when they have not being financially prudent, maintain a desirable body weight when they have not being mindful of their eating habits, and expect miracles from the God they often ignore.

We want something without willing to give up anything; managers want more productivity from their employees whom they rarely encourage; societies desire more responsible youths, but yet continue to legalize every concept that contradicts morals and values. Coach Joe Paterno, whose ever-readiness brought his team over 300 football victories often stressed that while the will to win is important, the will to prepare is vital. So to make things happen, my friend, you must be Ever Ready when opportunities to make things happen present themselves.

This is why we exhort you this month to be Ever Ready for the imminent challenges in life - so you may be able to effectively deal with them as they unfold, for what people call luck is actually where preparation meets opportunity. Someone once said: "Sitting still and wishing makes no person great; the good Lord sends the fish, but you must dig the bait". My friend, by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. Despite Apostle Peter's advice to always prepare our minds for action, many people still find their lives empty because they are never ready when opportunities rain. If you desire self-improvement, ask yourself how ready you are to receive feedback from those around you. If you desire excellent grades in school or in performance reviews, ask yourself how prepared you have been throughout the year to now expect success. If you wish to effectively handle challenges in your marriage, parenting, and relationships, then ask yourself if you have prepared yourself for the known challenges in these areas of compromising, leading and coexisting. It is not that we really struggle with being Ever Ready, considering the thorough preparations we make for our parties, anniversaries and vacations, but rather we struggle with putting First Things First. On this note, I recommend Stephen Covey's book titled, "First Things First", which was instrumental in helping me develop the habit of doing just that.

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Page II

In the words of Howard Ruff, "It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark." And since Noah did not build the ark alone, I have formed a support group for myself, made up of some respectable men with courage, strong moral convictions and integrity. These are friends are Ever Ready to spur me on rightfully, and I have exposed my life to them so they may better help me develop and consistently enhance my strategies to deal with personal struggles - through advice, encouragement, rebuke and prayers. If you do not have friends like these, it is likely because you have not being a friend like this to someone else.

According to Aristotle, "A friend is an aid to the young, to guard them from error; to the elderly, to attend to their wants and to supplement their failing power of action; to those in the prime of life, to assist them to noble deeds". If you haven't already, then use the criteria mentioned above to build a support group for yourself - or to review the "support group" you currently have, for in the words of Apostle Paul, "Don't be fooled! Bad company corrupts good character".

Popularly known as Dr. Phil, Dr Phillip McGraw, in his book titled, Life Strategies, asserts that those who really have no strategies in life, but rather just reactively going from day to day, taking what comes, are simply not competitive. According to him, "There are 'a lot of dogs after the bone' out there, and just stumbling along is no way to succeed. The winners in this life know the rules of the game and have a plan, so that their efficiency is comparatively exponential to that of people who don't. No big mystery, just fact." Statistics have attributed almost half of the astronomical divorce rate in our societies today to the lack of couples being well prepared for marital challenges before exchanging vows. They have the will to win, but NOT the will to prepare to win. So my friend, while I absolutely agree with you that we could never be ready for everything that life will toss your way, I also strongly agree that we can be ready for some of the imminent challenges in the areas that matter most to you, by re ading applicable books, attending applicable seminars and workshops, etc. It is not whether you arrived that matters but rather how you arrived. Basically, how many fellow drivers did you swear at in order to arrive early? How many (beloved) lives (voicemails, emails, messages) do you ignore everyday just to make sure you get what you need? Contrary to what some of us learnt while growing up, it is NOT how far, but how well.

Therefore, I exhort you to write down your goals as well as the corresponding, possible challenges you may encounter, and then pursue the required wisdom, knowledge and understanding before the opportunities to win, often called challenges, unfold. If you desire career advancement, ensure that your certifications are periodically upgraded, and your resume updated. An accurate measure of your readiness is whether it would take you more than 24 hours to submit your application for a job. If you have children, get them Ever Ready for bullies and peer pressures, while ensuring you have education savings, life insurance and a will, for when you are no more. Come to think of it, many of us do not have to spend enormous time like Noah building an ark that is 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high in preparation for a heavy flood, but yet are barely prepared for our monthly bills, our yearly taxes, disobediences of our children, bumps with our spouses, yearend reviews, and redundancy. We allow our upbringing, laziness and pride to restrain us from seeking advice, reading applicable self-help books, and committing challenging matters to our Creator, and yet are frustrated when unable to be victorious in our challenges. You must realize that those who are never ready to effectively deal with challenges in their marriage, parenting, relationships, career, business, finances, health and spirituality often die with additional discomfort and pain due to their baggage of regrets.

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Page III

Hey, like Teddy Roosevelt once said, "Nine-tenths of wisdom consists in being wise in time".

So put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." (Apostle Paul)

The truth is that we may never live long enough to experience another world war. We may never even experience another crash in the stock market. Despite the odds, we may never even experience another large-scale terrorist attacks like the world saw on September 11, 2000, or another magnitude 9.0 Tsunami like the world saw in December 2004. But we will, for sure, experience death someday. And this, my friend, we must be Ever Ready for because neither the homeland security agencies nor the business continuity plans can prevent it when our time to go back to our Maker finally comes. Like some of you, I would rather live my life inline with God's words of loving my neighbour as myself, and then die to find that he doesn't exist, like some of you claim, than live contrary to His words by thinking of myself only, and then die to find Him welcoming ONLY His servants into everlasting peace. Therefore, to die a winner, we must consistently seek the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We must be subject and obedient to rulers and authorities, ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward everyone. We must avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about anything, because these are unprofitable and useless, nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, for we must all give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. My friend, to be Ever Ready to meet our Creator, we must devote ourselves to doing what is good, in order that we may provide for our daily necessities and not live unproductive lives. If it is possible, as far as it depends on us, we must live at peace with everyone. This is being Ever Ready to win - to die without regrets!

Personally, I will continue making every effort to ensure that I am Ever Ready to instantaneously exit this world with the same mindset of Apostle Paul, who, in his last days, said; "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed (and Ever Ready) for his appearing". My friend, remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. My prayer is for you to really take charge of your own live and relentlessly pursue the wisdom, understanding and knowledge to make you Ever Ready for the opportunities to win in life. May your life matter! May it be productive! And may it make a VERY POSITIVE IMPACT in the lives of those around you - now and forevermore. Amen.

Now go get yourself EVER READY, for the war with Satan rages on.

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Page IV

Furthermore, your magnet is your subconscious mind. Impelled by strong desire, it can bring you a reasonable amount of the good things of life. But charge it with a strong current of faith, of belief in its power, and there is no limit to the good things it will bring to you. You have seen men, inwardly no more capable than yourself accomplish the seemingly impossible. You have seen others, after years of hopeless struggle; suddenly win their most cherished dreams. And you have probably wondered, "What is the power that gives new life to their dying ambitions that supplies new impetus to their jaded desires, which gives them a new start on the road to success?"

Once again, my friend, I exhort you this month to henceforth start using powerful affirmations to change your thinking, your life and the lives of those around you. Instead of saying, ‘I can’t", try it! Instead of saying "I don’t know how to", find out how! As Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States once told the Americans, "You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget that errand". "Of course, the challenges are sometimes rough and tough" Stephen Covey added in his book, "First Things First", "but to set and work toward any goal is an act of courage. When we exercise the courage to set and act on goals that are connected to principles and conscience , we tend to achieve positive results. Over time, we create an upward spiral of confidence and courage. Our commitment becomes stronger than our moods. Eventually, our integrity is not even an issue. We build the courage to set challenging, even heroic goals. This is the process of growth, of becoming all we can become".

Shalom! My friend, and as you embark on using the Power Within to tackle your challenges and accomplish your dreams, I pray that He who made you remain your guide. And if you are interested in the other impacting references, practical ways to expend and gauge the Power Within you, as well deep testimonies of others who have changed their lives by deciding to tap the Power Within, I am willing to send you the complete chapter in my forthcoming book about Personal Effectiveness.

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Page V

The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential . . . these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence. Thus, follow not the path that life leads you, but rather blaze your own trail!

- Kong Fuzi (Confucius) 551 BC – 479 BC





While you may forward this on to inspire others too, your feedback means a lot to me. alex.ihama@theexhortation.com

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