#I have 6 clients + my own personal social media please pray for me I hate when my phone buzzes with notifs | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

alexmiranda22 · 4 years

Text

Launching Your "Calling" During Quarantine - 10 Tips

Hi Godpreneurs,

As I connect with more of you on my Twitter and Facebook, it’s obvious this Coronavirus craze has been taking over our entire attention span and resources as business owners. It has turned many of our business plans upside down.

Amonst my own inner circle of Christian business owners, we’ve gone from insecurity to fear, then panic, helplessness, recalibrating, and finally to damage forecasting and praying for this to pass already!

However, if we live in fear, we could miss out on all the BENEFITS that can come from this season of retreat. The biggest one is that, overnight, the entire world went to ONLINE EDUCATION. And now businesses were forced to have a REMOTE working strategy, which was already beneficial even before all of this. Also, many new opportunities for collaborations are popping up as there’s a new sense of urgency to come up with creative solutions to run their businesses.

Even through all the challenges of the Coronavirus, as Christians, we don’t live in the spirit of fear.

The Bible says

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

(2 Timothy 1:7)

What if God wants to use this time for the business world to rise up to new levels of love and self-control? It seems like overnight, most of us have been given back one of our most valuable resources – time.

What if God wants us to draw closer to him in order to develop better time management habits so we can step closer into the business He created us to do?

Time is a wonderful gift from God if you know how to use it wisely.

Take the #QuarantineTimeChallenge

I’ve launched a campaign to inspire Christian entrepreneurs worldwide to take this #QuarantineaTime to re-start, re-build, and re-engineer the Business God Created You to Start!

During this time, let’s discover what you could do with all this season of time God as given us in order to jumpstart your business ideas:

1. Launch Your Personal Website

Check out www.alexmiranda22.com. It’s basically my online resume. I believe all entrepreneurs need one of these, regardless if you plan on becoming a personal brand later. I think this has become as necessary and fundamental as a business card. Essentially, it’s an online business card.

You can go to www.wix.com/templates/personal-brand and see that there are so many you can choose from and have yours up and running in no time.

This is a fabulous opportunity to stop for a moment and document your entrepreneurial journey and ventures. This will motivate you to carry on.

2. Finally, update your portfolio, case studies, and client spotlights

I know I’m not alone when I say that I could be doing a much better job at showing off my client work and spotlighting client success stories.

It frustrates me to no end that, even as a branding agency, I do a terrible job at keeping up with my portfolio.

I’m sure you’ve also been looking for some spare time to update your website portfolio.

Me and my team are going to look through all our folders and uncover every project we’ve been working on lately, freshen up our portfolio design, and pack into it all the experience that we’ve have gathered.

Regardless of your industry, if you take time to document your case studies, you’ll be opening some new doors for your business.

Remember that every case is a story. You should give a background, what the challenge was, and how you came alongside to bring success to your client.

Here’s a good example

Doctor Transformational Success Story

Branding Agency Case Study

3. Offer to help, NOT SELL. Here’s how.

The other day I sent an email out with ideas for my clients on things they can be doing while under #QuarantineTime. I wasn’t selling anything. In fact, my email said “reply to me and I’ll help you brainstorm ideas for your business.”

I’ve seen other coaches offer free 20-minute strategy sessions. And I’ve seen some companies open up their online courses for FREE during this time, offering a 2-month coupon.

Since many people will be restructuring and rethinking, now is a good time to HELP your customers think outside the box.

Get on social media or open up a mass email and invite your clients and prospects to take advantage of you. Get on the phone, jump into some chats, and keep engaging! Even if you don’t see how it could turn into a sale, now is the time to SHOW SOME LOVE.

When we love and serve others, we’re being like Christ. When we’re like Christ, we make ourselves BLESSABLE by God. And when we’re bless-able, God is able to do MORE through us and He’ll provide more too!

4. Redesign Your Website, Business Processes, or Services

Don’t like your website?

Not happy with how you handle customer orders?

Need to re-think your service offering?

All of these things affect your BRAND IMAGE, and now is a perfect time to work on those.

My company will be redesigning our website over the next month. I’m also pressing play on some initiatives to launch some new products.

Spend some time redesigning or re-engineering your business. Do something NEW that you’ve always wanted to do.

5. Time to Learn What You’ve Always Been Telling Yourself to Learn

For me, I’ve always known that I need to learn about Facebook ads. It’s just been eating me alive for YEARS that I haven’t gotten into it. This #QuarantineChalllenge is going to be when I finally dive deeper into them.

You’ve got some books stacked up. There’s a couple of online courses you have bookmarked. Now you have the time to sit down and learn.

I suggest digging deeper into topics relevant to your industry. Sharpen your toolkit.

PRO TIP: Jump on LinkedIn and share with the business world what you’re learning. People will start to see you as an expert.

6. Teach and Share Your God-Given Knowledge

I started www.DailyGodpreneur.com because I was studying the Bible for everything about entrepreneurship and blogging about my experiences. My desire to SHARE KNOWLEDGE is what’s helped me build up the following I have.

This #QuarantineChallenge is your opportunity to invite others into conversations with you so you can show them what you’re capable of.

Do you know how to coach mom’s into helping their babies fall asleep? Then share your knowledge!

Do you know how to cook a healthy meal for your kids? Then share your knowledge.

Are you a Facebook ads guru at your job? Then share your knowledge.

Share cases studies or projects you’ve been working on. Talk about what God has been showing you on this journey. Give insight into things you’re researching. Let others know about the books you’re reading or TedTalks you’re watching.

7. Start a Blog, Write a Book (I’ll Show You How)

I have over 650 blog posts written at www.DailyGodpreneur.com. The reason I have so many is because I figured our a formula.

Have you wanted to start a blog or write a book? This is a perfect time to get that going!

But writing a book is such a huge task! However, writing it section by section is not.

The formula is

3 blog posts become 1 chapter

3 chapters become 1 section

3 sections become 1 book

If you do the math, that’s 27 blog posts becomes 1 book.

Cool, right?

Watch my free webinar here where I go into a little more detail.

8. Organize the Entrepreneurs of Your Church

My church switched to an ‘online church’ model because of the Coronavurus quarantine. This means all the ministry’s have also moved online.

Think about putting together an online mastermind of other Christian entrepreneurs where you guys can all share your experiences. Get with the business owners of your church and share tips of what’s working now. Let’s all feed off of each other.

This is a time to make new friends and connections. Even though we can’t see each other phtlysically, we have zoom! We can still collaborate.

Start building more community. Now is the time…now more than ever!

9. Build a Community by Launching a Contest or Challenge

When the quarantine started happening, I got with my team to launch the #QuarantineChallenge out of nowhere. I had never done anything like it. It was totally out of the blue!

What can you come up with to get community involvement? I’ve seen so many things popping up where groups are coming together for so many reasons.

Launch a contest or start a Facebook or LinkedIn group. When this is all over, the community will always remember you for leading and giving the way you did.

10) LAUNCH A NEW BUSINESS!

What if this is the moment for you to finally launch your coaching business?

What if now is the time to start your consulting firm?

What if you could FINALLY start your freelance graphic design career?

There are so many possibilities!

Join the #QuarantineChallenge to finally start the business God created you to start!

Click here.

This is a time to THINK INSIDE THE BOX of what God has created you for. Now that you’re in the box, focus on your calling.

I want to help guide you. Join me at the challenge.

And please take care.

Alex Miranda

Launching Your “Calling” During Quarantine – 10 Tips was originally published on Daily Godpreneur with Alex Miranda

#2 Timothy

0 notes

travelitalianstyle · 4 years

Text

10 Italian Phrases to Inspire You in the Next Decade

It’s that time of the year again. Christmas, my birthday, and New Year’s. The perfect time to reflect on the past 12 months. This year is extra special as we will end a decade. So much can happen in 10 years and there is no better time to be inspired. That is why I thought it would be interesting to share some idiomatic phrases and quotes in Italian to bring us into the next ten years and 2020!

I hope you find this interesting and motivating. And if you can please comment below with any lessons or phrases you would add here! Buon Anno / Happy 2020!

1. Nelle botti piccole sta il vino buono

This was a phrase I heard the most in the past 10 years from Italians.

My height is just about 5 feet. Therefore, I am always getting reassurance from the Italian’s that “good things come in come packages.” ;) Or their way of saying it “in a little bottle comes good wine.”

MY ADVICE: Appreciate who you are and don’t get offended by people’s strange way of showing their way of interacting with you. Most people don’t think before they speak (I mean come on let’s get real). And most of the time they have no idea that they are insulting you! So just go with that.

Sure, there may have been time I may have felt offended by the fact that someone is commenting on my height (which can be frustrating as a foreign woman in business). However, now I embrace it. And I usually respond by saying I am a 375 ml of Tignanello (one of the best wines in Italy) ;).

2. A Caval donato non si guards in bocca

This basically means to take life and all of its happenings as a gift even. Even, if it seems of not much value at the time. If someone gave you a thought (physical) present that you didn't appreciate how would you react? You would smile and make the best of it right? So why not do that in your actually everyday life.

MY ADVICE: We are often set on having things go in the way that we imagine. Then we sometimes miss the other beautiful ways it has shown itself to us. I look back in my life and realize so many small gestures and even happy and difficult happenings that brought me to where I needed to be at that time. I am only appreciating the now. If I would have seen them for what they were at the time, then I probably would have saved myself some pain and stress.

So to sum it up, whenever you feel like life is happening to you. Stop and see if it is actually happening for you!

Note: The actual translation is something about looking at the Horses teeth instead of the number of teeth he has. ;)

3. Chi va piano, va sano e va lontano

This one is a favorite. “The person who goes slow will go far.” We know this saying also in English but things always sounds better in italian HA!

The most interesting I found as an entrepreneur is this. You must have patience, gratitude, and strength. You need to have focus and to stay focused on what you can offer.

MY ADVICE: Stay the course. YOUR course. The most important aspect of my life is that I am pretty confident in my path. I am intuitive and creative enough to stay with the trends yet stay true to who I am.

But I know this easier said than done. And I do understand that with social media it seems like the world is ahead of you (ALL the time). But don't even waste your time worrying to see if it's authentic or not authentic posts. Just worry about what you are doing and trust your own journey.

PS: That can bring us to another saying "l’apparenza inganna (which basically means appearances can be deceiving.” So try to stay focused on you.

PPS: I share more on my journey and how you too can spend 6 months abroad here.

4. Be a Persone per bene or Buono come il pane

This one is simple. Be a good person. Or quite literally as good as bread, especially fresh bread out of the oven. We all love that!

My goal has always been to be true to not only myself but the people. Especially those that have lifted me up along the way. If you have helped me, I will pay you back. I am not necessarily talking about monetary wise. I am talking about by being loyal to my best ability.

I have discussed this way too many times. But it was always sad for me for that I have been surrounded by so many people who felt it was right to steal or cheat their way head. But that is life. And they will succeed too. So let them be. But even with all the tough things you see around you it is so important to still be an honest, good person.

MY ADVICE: It can be tough but do you best to be kind to people as much as people, stay honest and (going back to #3) staying true to you! Being can only lead to good things. Even if it takes time.

Additional Phrase To Add On: Che per vendetta mai non sanò piaga - Revenge never healed a wound. So don’t even waste your time on that!

5. L’amore domina senza regole

This simply means love without rules. However, funny enough, I haven’t learned this yet. HA!

But it’s my goal for the next decade. Since my last breakup I have not allowed myself to love or be loved in a long time. And I bet I am not alone in this. That is simply because I was hurt pretty bad, like many of you. Then when I did open up my heart again it didn’t quite work out. Which left me feeling closed on the idea of love…again

MY ADVICE: There is nothing wrong with you. It’s ok to hold out for the right person and the right time. But it’s also ok to follow our heart, even if it does not make complete sense at the time. Loving without rules, even when it hurts, may lead you to your Principe azzurro (prince charming) or principessa for men. :)

6. Non puoi insegnare niente a un uomo. Puoi solo aiutarlo a scoprire ciò che ha dentro di sé

This is an interesting reminder from Galileo. He says “you cannot teach a man anything, you can only help find it within himself.”

Let’s talk about giving advice. Unless you are asked don’t give it. Or in Italian you can use the nice way of using mind our own busines, Badate a’ fatti vostri HA!

MY ADVICE: Sure, your friend may be in a bad relationship, taken the wrong job, spending their money in the wrong way. Maybe you are more organized and successful and you are watching people in your life go downhill. SUPPORT the people in you life but do not try to CHANGE them or their lifestyle. You can only give advice when advice is asked. And once you give don’t harp on them not taking your suggestion (that is your ego talking my friend). If you are having a tough time listening to them hurt themselves over and over. Then I suggest you be open with them and direct them towards the proper person (therapists, relative, or book) that could be of assistance. Explain that it hurts you too much and you only want the best for them. People must fall forward So help him find himself but do not teach or lecture. But you can only extend a hand and hope.

7. Se non hai mai pianto, i tuoi occhi non possono essere belli

If you haven’t cried, your eyes can’t be beautiful.

I love this quote by Sophia Loren. Someone best explained it as this. “if we have not cried we have not experienced true depth.”

Yet, I believe almost all of us have had those one of those days. Whether we admit it or not. We have been down on our knees praying to whatever god we know. Asking for helping. To get us through the pain we are currently going though. I know through these times it can seem endless and hopeless. But don’t give up!I

MY ADVICE: If you look at crying as something that makes you beautiful (physically and mentality) then maybe (just maybe) it will help you get through the next tough time. Because almost all rain showers come a rainbow.

8. La mala compagnia è quella che mena gli uomini alla forca

Quick translation: Bad company is what brings men to the gallows.

In life we often feel pressured to stay around people and places because it’s “right.” We put our own emotions aside and move forward thinking “I will just deal with it because I HAVE to.”

MY ADVICE: You do not HAVE to do anything. Just so you know, while I have many friends. I lost many too. In fact there are a lot of people who do not like me and I do not like them. And you know what? That is ok!

I do not think we should be judged by our biggest list of friends or acquaintance. Who cares anyway?!

I value my clients, friends, colleagues/partners by the type of relationship we have. As much as possible I keep the people around me that are good. And if I can’t avoid someone completely (do to work, living situation, etc.) then I separate myself from their energy. Who deserves your presence and who doesn’t? Start thinking!

9. Ancora imparo

And following number 8, I will segway into this phrase which translates to: I am still learning.

MY ADVICE: Be forever a student. Stay humble and keep learning, researching, being a creative. You can do this by reading, traveling, or even inner work. This my friends, is the key to truth growth in life and spirituality.

10. Siamo al mondo per essere veri, non perfetti

We are in this world to be real, not perfect.

My last advice for you to head into the new decade is just this. Be the best you as possible. Whether you receive recognition for this or not. Keeping being your authentic self. As I mentioned in my TEDx Talk this is the way to freedom.

And really let go of the fact that you have X amount of followers, likes, etc on social media. That means zero in the grand scheme of life. So please do not choice to act or be a certain way for this.

If you are not sure then sit down and go deep within.

How do you know if you are doing the right thing or being your authentic self. Oprah says explains this best.. She says, “ You will know it’s the right thing when you feel at peace.”

I wish you peace and happiness in 2020. And hopefully many travels in Italy and beyond.

And if you do come to Italy and are looking for a customized TRAVEL itinerary, theN you know who to call. TRAVEL ITALIAN STYLE.

LEARN MORE ABOUT US HERE OR BELOW

MEET THE AUTHOR

Cassandra Santoro is the CEO and Founder of Travel Italian Style. As a personal trip planner, Cassandra has visited all 20 Regions of Italy and spends 6 months a year traveling the country. Her focus is to find inspiring and real experiences.

She also leads motivational talks in hopes to inspire others on their journey. Cassandra's highlight appearance was being a speaker in Germany for TEDx DHBW Mannheim.

Cassandra currently lives between Brooklyn, NY & Italy. Follow her adventures of life between two countries on Instagram.

#authenticitaly #italianlanguage #italianquotes #italianphrases #idiomaticitalianphrases #idiomaticsayings #italiantravel #womenintravel #womeninbusiness #italianlife #dualcitizen #newdecade #happynewyear

0 notes

levaire · 7 years

Photo

New Post has been published on https://levaire.com/creation-identity-vs-creator-identity/

Creation Identity vs Creator Identity

This message was originally written for an intra-church outreach campaign focused around an outdoor music festival called “Common Ground”. This talk was first delivered to a small team of local evangelists who met at Maranatha Church for messages, prayer and announcements prior to beginning their work at the festival. The talk speaks to personal concerns held by the evangelists, who—over the course of the outreach—had expressed challenges they were experiencing in their own lives.

Early in my career as a web designer and Internet marketer, I took a lot of pride and identity from my work. In fact, I took so much identity from my work that when I would experience trouble with a client, it would wreck me emotionally. It took me years on an emotional roller-coaster before I learned that not all clients are a fit. For every 10 to 12 jobs I took over the course of a year, one always seemed to implode. Of course, I always tried my best to salvage any project, but sometimes things just took a turn. This was a bitter pill until I learned to not glean so much of my personal identity from my work. I also learned to communicate more and to be more selective about both my clients and the contractors I hired.

Where Do We Get Our Sense of Self?

Our identity comes from one of two places: either from the world or from God. Another way to put it: our identity comes from either the creation or our Creator. Seeing as the things of this world are temporary (family, friends, culture, media, etc.,) it’s obviously best to claim our identity from our infinite God, in whose image we were created. Still, where does this broken sense of world-driven identity come from?

Genesis 3:6-10

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Good for food to whom? Pleasant to whose eyes? To make who wise? Adam and Eve decide against God’s will for them, and in choosing their own path, humanity falls into sin. Don’t think for a second your or I would have done any better. Adam and Eve walked with God, among His glorious, untarnished creation, and still, humanity fell within the first generation of a single family. The probability for this error would only be higher had there been more than two people in the beginning. This should show us something about ourselves and the nature of free will. Even a third of the host of heaven fell through free will. The problem isn’t with free will, but with what we do with it.

7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.

Self-consciousness leads to self-protection; self-preservation.

9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

Of course, God knows where they are, just as He knew what they would do. God calls us to conviction, confession and repentance, as modeled first here.

10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Self-centered desire leads to self-consciousness, self-focus.

Matthew 24:37-39

37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Self-indulgence and self-preoccupation.

More Examples of Self-Seeking

In Genesis 20, Abraham lies about being married to Sarah so he is not killed.

Self-preservation. Self-protection.

In 2 Samuel 11, David takes Bathsheba for his own and sends her husband into battle and certain death.

Self-gratification.

The kings of Israel and Judah were primarily self-seeking and self-motivated.

Even the great prophets often sought to save their own skins. Moses, Gideon, Saul, Jonah and Jeremiah are just some examples of great men of God who were reluctant to step out for God. Consider Moses’ reluctance in accepting God’s mission for him to return to Egypt and demand the release of the Israelites:

Exodus 3:11

And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

Exodus 4:1

And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee.

Exodus 4:10

And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.

Exodus 4:13

And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.

NKJV

But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.”

Here we see Moses—considered to be one of the greatest men of God of all time—arguing with the Infinite Creator of the Universe, desperately hoping to place his will before the Father’s. The same Moses who later leads the children of Israel out of Egypt and parts the Red Sea is squeamishly trying to worm his way out of his God-given mission.

In contrast, we have Jesus’ example. In self-less, self-sacrifice, He died to self and took on the will of the Father.

John 5:30

30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

Called to Be Light

For me, this Common Ground mission pulls me out of self. It’s not always comfortable to hand out tracts and receive rejection after rejection. Self-confidence—if that’s what we’re running upon—takes a hit after so much rejection, but love and obedience perseveres.

Fortunately, we don’t rely upon our own self-confidence. We seek to die to self, move in the Spirit and be of Kingdom service. The mission is larger than the self.

Matthew 5:15 / Luke 8:16 / Luke 11:33

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

Our challenge is not only for a few nights here at Common Ground. Our mission field is in the living rooms, in the offices, on our social media channels.

When circumstances and people become uncomfortable, do we shrink away in self-preservation and self-consciousness?

Or do we die to self and stand upon the rock in the storm, in love and patience and confidence—confidence not in ourselves and our own abilities, but in our Lord?

Even at the end of the night, when we may be wondering if our time invested will bear any fruit in the people we’ve touched, we must put aside any notions of self-worth and leave the expansion of our efforts to the Holy Spirit.

Don’t Expect to Be Enough

1 Corinthians 4:10-14

10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.

11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;

12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:

13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

14 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.

Paul’s words to the prideful church of Corinth act as a reminder. Even to say we are not good enough, strong enough, smart enough, not old enough, not young enough, not eloquent enough; these things are still pride. Self-consciousness. Self-focus. Self-loathing. Self-preservation. Through it all, our attention is to remain on Him.

Our Prayer

Father, we humble ourselves as servants and we step forward in love and faith and belief to minister to God’s children, believers and non-believers alike, under the guidance and strength of the Holy Spirit. Father, we recognize if we’re fearful and focused upon ourselves or our circumstances, we’ve taken our eyes off you and placed them upon the storm, and—like Peter—we’ll begin to sink into dark waters. So, Holy Spirit, walk with us as we commit to keeping our eyes upon you. We want only you.

I pray this, in the holy name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

#communication #evangelism #leadership