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With the beginning of a New Year often comes New Year Resolutions, which Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia, defines as "a commitment that an individual makes to a project or a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous". According to Wikipedia, the name, New Year Resolutions, comes from the fact that these commitments normally go into effect on New Year Day and remain until the set goals have been achieved, although many resolutions go unachieved and are often broken fairly shortly after they are set". A good example is the number of people who secure a one year fitness contract with the local gym compared with the incomparably small number that are STILL left in the program JUST a few months later.

So why do we even bother to make New Year Resolutions or set goals if ONLY to abandon them just a few months into the 'New Year'? If God did NOT create any person as a loser, failure, or any of those demeaning terms we sometimes use to IMPOLITELY describe people that don't seem able to Make Things Happen in their lives, why are many people in our societies unable to keep the PROMISES they make to themselves, let alone to God and other people? You have most likely seen other people in even less privileged situations achieve their New Year Resolutions and goals, while you struggle with less tedious, demanding desires, and then wonder what you are doing wrong . . . or NOT doing at all. What are the things that make SOME people accomplish WAY much more than others regardless of whether both groups are operating from the same or different platforms, or with equal or unequal opportunities?

Well, I have GOOD news for you! God created us with the RESPECTIVE, SUFFICIENT talents to Make Things Happen both in our lives and in the lives of those around us.

And contrary to the perceptions we may sometimes have, ALL human beings were created with STRONG desires within their hearts to be better versions of themselves; to have better self-control over their weaknesses; to matter in their respective environments and communities; to LOVE and be loved; to CARE and be cared for. Deep down in us humans, we possess the DESIRE to ENHANCE our Personality, ENERGIZE our Marriage, EQUIP our Parenting, ENRICH our Spirituality, ENLIVEN our Relationships, EMPOWER our Career, as well as to have EXHILARATING Business, EXULTING Body Weight, ELATING Finances and EXCITING Life Purpose!

This is why we make New Year Resolutions, inwardly or outwardly; whether we are diligent and wise enough to write them down or not. If we spend JUST a few minutes to examine our hearts, we WILL find true desires that we HOPE to accomplish this New Year. My friend, what are yours, and have you compiled them on paper for visual, constant reminders? In the words of Tracy Brinkmann, "You must have an aim, a vision, a goal. For the man sailing through LIFE with no destination or "port-of- call', every wind is the wrong wind".

Based on researches by some organizations who track and monitor New Year Resolutions, the most common top ten are as follows: Spend More Time with Family & Friends to build love, unity, friendship and spirituality; Physical Fitness to reduce the risk of some cancers, increase longevity, achieve and maintain weight loss, enhance mood, lower blood pressure, and even avoid arthritis; Quit Smoking to increase longevity, be an example to others, and improve health and quality of life; Relax in order to be happier and healthier; Quit Drinking to avoid brain and liver damage; Get Out of Debt to eliminate financial stress, which is now the TOP reason for divorce; Learn Something New to ENHANCE Personality, ENERGIZE Marriage, EQUIP Parenting, ENRICH Spirituality, ENLIVEN Relationships, and EMPOWER Career; Help Others through volunteerism, monetary and time donations, community involvement, etc; Get Organized at home, work business, personal life; and Future Planning through saving plans for retirement, vacations, home improvement, business development, etc.

While taking the FIRST step of developing a plan may be or look difficult, Making Things HAPPEN (following through) is the hardest part for many. This is why at The Exhortation World Outreach, we are COMMITTED to sharing proven information, and tools and tactics with you and millions worldwide in order to better EQUIP you for your journey, your CONQUEST. Before reading through Our 5 Proven Steps of How to Accomplish Your Goals, you NEED to ask yourself if you are USUALLY one of those with The REAL Desire and PATIENCE to learn something new or one of those who, like one recipient of Your Newsletter of Encouragement posted in the Feedback Corner of our website, is often lazy and impatient to COMB through an article, book or website even though you may LEARN ways to take your life to even GREATER heights. If in the first category, READ ON! If in the latter, this MAY need to be your TOP New Year Resolution for 2007; for, in the words of Alvin Toffler, "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot LEARN, unlearn, and relearn". Besides psychiatric or medical issues, I STRONGLY believe that the top 3 reasons why people don't learn is Lack of Opportunity, Pride, and Laziness, which also comes in the form of Procrastination. And I am EXTREMELY cautious NOT to fall under any of these categories; what ABOUT you? To read more about focused learning, refer to Your Newsletter of Encouragement on www.TheExhortation.com, and click on An Acute Imperative!



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STEP 1: Believe in The POWER Within - According to Robert Collier, in his book, The Secret of the Ages, "The POWER to be what you want to be, to get what you desire, to accomplish whatever you are striving for, ABIDES within you. It rests with you only to bring it forth and put it to work. You must learn how to do that, of course, but the first essential thing is to realize that you possess this POWER, and your FIRST objective is to GET acquainted with it". This is how I see it: Our body is the vehicle, ENCOURAGEMENT from others is the petrol, and The POWER Within us is the engine. If the engine has a problem, or completely shuts down, no amount of petrol would be able to make the car functional.

Therefore, to Make Things HAPPEN, you MUST, firstly, believe in the POWER Within! You must BUILD and EXUDE FAITH in GOD and in YOURSELF! Basically, if you don't BELIEVE that you can Make It HAPPEN, EVEN though you think and have been told that GOD intends for you to Make It HAPPEN, then FORGET about it! "I tell you the truth", Jesus Christ once quipped, "if you have FAITH as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this MOUNTAIN, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20). Obviously an important point, He rephrased it again in a few chapters ahead by saying, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this MOUNTAIN, 'Go, THROW yourself into the sea,' and it will be done (Matthew 21:21). To read more about The POWER Within, refer to Your Newsletter of Encouragement on www.TheExhortation.com, and click on The POWER Within.

STEP 2: Cultivate The REAL Desire - According to Stephen Galvano, in his book, Time to Change, "Before you can have a renewing of your mind, you need to understand the necessity and the importance of renewing your mind. Anyone who wants to make it in LIFE and change certain behaviour patterns will do WHATEVER it takes to renew their mind. If you will renew your mind, you can actually be transformed. Many people are where they are right now because they have never made a decision to CHANGE. They have never decided to improve or grow. In other words, until you make a DECISION to change, nothing is going to happen". Using that same vehicle as our analogy, presuming the gas tank is full of petrol, which is ENCOURAGEMENT, and the engine is functional, which is The Power Within, you would STILL need to step on the gas pedal to move it forward. In retrospect, the vehicle will NOT move until you apply the REQUIRED effort to move it forward. In fact, more PHYSICAL and MENTAL effort is REQUIRED as you change lanes and negotiate turns.

According to Helen Keller, "Live is either a DARING adventure or NOTHING".

The REAL Desire means to tirelessly pursue the NECESSARY learning and advice from others; foster the REQUIRED effort and strategies; and CONTINUALLY pray for God to give you the STRENGTH to consistently PERSEVERE. The REAL Desire WILL make you comb this article for self-enhancing information WITH the aim of FOLLOWING THROUGH. According to the Proverbs, "He who WORKS his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment. All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty". To learn more about this, refer to Your Newsletter of Encouragement on www.TheExhortation.com, and click on The REAL Desire.



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STEP 3: Pursue What MATTERS Most - According to Johann Wolfgang Goethe, a 17th century German Philosopher, "The things that matter the most MUST NEVER be at the expense of the things that matter the least." And to continue using the vehicle as our analogy, you would agree with me that having a fully loaded, functional car is really not as important as where you go and what you do with the car. What MATTERS MOST is NOT necessarily the vehicle, but rather its destination, and the duties and responsibilities that it performs. So to Make Things HAPPEN, we must, ensure that we are FOCUSED on What Matters Most - which is to ENHANCE our Personality, ENERGIZE our Marriage, EQUIP our Parenting, ENRICH our Spirituality, ENLIVEN our Relationships, EMPOWER our Career, as well as have EXHILARATE our Business, EXULTING Body Weight, ELATING Finances and EXCITING Life Purpose!

Even in the implementation of your goals and New Year Resolutions, which I hope are What Matters Most in your life, you would STILL need to Pursue What Matters Most by prioritizing the corresponding tasks and objectives.

People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction, while others, eager for money, have wandered from the FAITH and pierced themselves with many grieves. This is why Jesus STRONGLY cautioned us NOT to store up for ourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but rather in HEAVEN, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. According to him, "SEEK first God's Kingdom and His Righteousness, and EVERY other thing shall be added on to it" (Matthew 6:33). As for me and my household, my friend, we will, OBEY, SERVE and HONOUR God, since it ALWAYS pays to put first THINGS First! One of Your Newsletter of Encouragement in 2007 will focus on What MATTERS Most; so please stay tuned.

STEP 4: Tighten Loose Ends - According to Confucius, a famous Chinese thinker and social philosopher, "The EXPECTATIONS of life depend upon DILIGENCE; the mechanic that would PERFECT his work must first sharpen his tools." My friend, this step is where many of us fall short; for some of us REALLY do believe in The POWER Within, we do CULTIVATE The REAL Desire, and we do PURSUE What MATTERS Most. However, we FALL short in our diligence, integrity, dependability, accountability, and responsiveness. Let me ask you today: How quick are you to respond to your emails, voicemails, or even messages like this aimed at EXHORTING you to GREATNESS? What about when your spouse, children, family and friends call out to you - for assistance? Some people have the goal of EMPOWERING their CAREER, but have barely upgraded their certification since leaving college or university many, many years ago, while some have NO updated resume handy - thus missing out on some GREAT opportunities to Make Things HAPPEN in their career.




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My friend, our effort is REFLECTIVE of our hearts, and if we do NOT put 100% of our HEART into the implementation of our GOALS, we will FALL short. In the words of Hamilton Holt, "Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Half effort does not produce half results, it produces no results! What are your Loose Ends that may hinder the accomplishments of your goals and desires? My friend, when we are slow to RESPOND to a job posting, slow to PAY our bills, and slow to give the REQUIRED attention to the little things that matter the most in Making Things HAPPEN in our lives, we often don't go very FAR in Making Things Happen - and that is if we make any PROGRESS at all. If you intend quitting smoking, don't hang around smokers; and if you intend ENHANCING your marriage, parenting and spirituality, then INVEST the required time, while periodically ASKING your spouse and children if they require MORE of your time! BEWARE of complaining, making excuses and blaming others, which are the Loose Ends MOST people are struggling with in today's society. To learn more about character traits that you SHOULD beware of, refer to Your Newsletter of Encouragement on www.TheExhortation.com, and click on The Outbreak.

And by the way, to continue with our analogy of the vehicle, to Tighten Loose End means to be diligent enough to leave home with a MAP, full gas tank, sufficient engine oil, and FUNCTIONING seat belts, head lights, indicators, etc, as well as a cell phone, which MAY not necessarily be part of the vehicle, but CRUCIAL to Tighten Loose End on a rollercoaster journey like LIFE. According to the Proverbs, "The plans of the diligent lead to PROFIT as surely as haste lead to poverty. If you are WISE, your wisdom WILL reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone WILL suffer". One of Your Newsletter of Encouragement in 2007 will focus more on how to Tighten Loose Ends; so please stay tuned.

STEP 5: Just Relax! - "I commend the enjoyment of life", King Solomon EXHORTED ages ago, "because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun." Then Jesus Christ added, "Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you? Just Relax, my friend, for as long as you are driving within the SPEED LIMIT, while Believing in The Power Within, Cultivating The REAL Desire, Pursuing What Matters MOST, and Tightening Loose Ends, ALL you can and SHOULD do is Just RELAX. THIS is the 5th STEP of Making Things HAPPEN - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control - the FRUITS of the Holy Spirit outlined in Galatians 5:22. Besides, medical experts say this helps us to avoid those health complications that are mainly caused by worry, anxiety and fear of . . . what may never happen.

My friend, ONLY a few people WILL accomplish their GOALS and DESIRES in 2007, and we EXHORT you to be one of them. Besides we are WILLING to freely work with you one-on-one to ADOPT the LIFE STANDING GOALS of ENHANCING your Personality, ENERGIZING your Marriage, EQUIPPING your Parenting, ENRICHING your Spirituality, ENLIVENING your Relationships, and EMPOWERING your Career, as well as to carefully choose personal S.M.A.R.T. goals that are inline with your INNERMOST principles, rather than because they are the "in-thing". Discuss your GOALS with your spouse, children and close, respectable, friends in order to ensure that you are NOT biting more than you can chew. Finally, POST the typewritten New Year Resolutions and Goals in a conspicuous spot in your bedroom because researches indicate that those who write down their goals stand a GREATER chance of following, through as opposed to those that just "think" the goals in their heads. My friend, like Apostle Paul, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

As an organization, we are committed to releasing 6 Newsletters of Encouragement in 2007 to better EQUIP you in your lifelong journey. We also PLAN to facilitate a minimum of 5 Personal Effectiveness Workshops, 3 Marriage Enrichment Forums (May 26th, August 25th and November 24th) a Family Day Jamboree on July 14th, a Mighty Men Convention on November 3rd, a Mighty Women Convention, and for the first time, a Single Mom Conference and a Mighty Youth Rally. Most importantly, we remain committed to sharing our FAITH and dispensing ENCOURAGEMENT to millions worldwide, while aiming to increase the number of known recipients of Your Newsletters of Encouragement by a minimum of 5,000. And of course, to MAKE This HAPPEN, we WILL be using Our 5 Steps of Making Things HAPPEN, while LOOKING FORWARD to your SUPPORT by you FORWARDING this newsletter to your friends and families, and by you attending one of our numerous ENRICHING events. And if VOLUNTEERING is among your GOALS this year, we are currently seeking WILLING and ABLE volunteers as Motivational Speakers and Writers, Event Organizers and Helpers and Mentors for those seeking one.

My friend, these are by NO means 5 Steps to Heaven, BUT rather 5 VERY EFFECTIVE, SEQUENTIAL STEPS of Making Things HAPPEN in your life, including your innermost DESIRES to be more KNOWLEDGEABLE, more DISCIPLINED, more SPIRITUAL. At SOME intervals during the implementation of your GOALS, especially when Facing your GIANTS, you MAY need to REVERT back to Step 1 in order to quickly solidify your FAITH in GOD and in yourself, or you may JUST need to get more COMFORTABLE with Step 5. Nevertheless, unless the LORD builds the house, the labourer labours in VAIN. Whatever your goal and challenges, Apostle Paul assured us in his letter to the Corinthians that "God is faithful; he will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. And when we are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that we can stand up under it". According to God HIMSELF, speaking through Prophet Jeremiah, "I know the plans I have for you; plans to PROSPER you and not to fail you, plans to give you HOPE and a FUTURE. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will LISTEN to you. You will seek me and find me when you SEEK me with all your heart".



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Thank you for reading this newsletter! We rely on your feedback for encouragement, as well as to identify ways to better serve you. So please email your feedback directly to alex.ihama@theexhortation.com, and you will get a personalized reply within a few days. To have this exhortation delivered in-person to your organization or church, in either the form of a keynote speech or workshop, contact us. To register for Life Coaching or Business Coaching, click here

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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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