We are often asked to tell our life-story. I wasn’t aware of it when it happened to me. When I was asked to tell about myself, I rambled on and on. Talking about anything that came to my mind. What I did not know then was that I was being asked to outline the structure and laws of success that were operational in my life.

Has it ever happened to you?

You are sitting in front of the panel. It is your big day. So far, everything about the interview has been a breeze. The panel seems impressed with you. And then, someone asks you to tell them about yourself. What do you say?

Many a panelist has heard pathetic sotries whenver they ask someone to tell about themselves. You can tell a better story about your success.

The request to tell about yourself is a request to outline toyour listeren what it is that makes you a success. It can be the beginning of your downfall or it can be the one thing that turns the situation around for you.

One thing you can be sure of is that the questioner is wondering which directin you are heading, and what is in it for them. It might happen in a job interview situation or a presentation where you are trying to get a deal of a lifetime.

Unless they hear in your story a meaningful place for themselves, your story is but a drawl. What is imperative during this time is that you tell a story that not only appeals to the listener, but is also coherent.

Tyour listener, your life-story is supposed to give the impression of a confluence of events in your life that are inter-linked and unfolding. Looked at from a big picture perspective, such a story should make sense. In a coherent life-story every piece has a designated place it is going to fall into.

A coherent life-stroy compels your listener to trust you because it tells her that in the midst of uncertainty and where others would be losing their heads, you remain stable. It tells them yu have a strong foundation for success.

If what you are saying convinces your listener that you are a focused leader and visionary, why would they hesitate to trust youi? And if you are perceived as a visionary, there is a possiblity you have this ability to see opportunities where mere mortals experience complete darkness! Do you see the point?

Coherence is based on two things:

The thought that every great thing that has ever happened, been spoken or invented began first with a single idea is not a new one, but one I don’t think many people have taken to heart.

I find that many people are constantly getting ideas. That is their mind is producing many new thoughts on a regular basis. This is incredible because that means that the seeds for great things are right there in the soil of our minds and hearts.

Unfortunately, we all too often do not let those seeds grow.

Instead we dismiss the idea.

We will never know, but I wonder who it was that first thought of the light bulb, but dismissed the idea. I wonder who it was that first saw the automobile in his or her mind’s eye, but dismissed the idea. Who was it that thought up the way to run computers but allowed the seed to slip away?

Let these seeds grow! Do not dismiss any idea as a bad one immediately. Write your ideas down. Look at them for a week or a year. Brew over them. Consider them. Let them GROW. In the end you may need to dismiss them, but not before you give them a chance to grow into something incredible that may change your life, your family, your business, your community or your world. If you let your ideas grow, you will surely see many great things happen in your life.

Let your seeds of ideas grow – see what they may become!

About The Author:

Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of
Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn
their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and
achieve their dreams.

To see Chris “live” at the upcoming Jim Rohn Weekend Event as he speaks on
the subject of Secrets of Influence go to
Chris-Widener.InspiresYOU.com/ Chris-Widener.InspiresYOU.com/ or call 800-929-0434.

In this article we will take up the next study tool in an effective Bible study library…Bible Dictionaries.

What are Bible Dictionaries? Well, have you ever used a “regular” dictionary? You simply look up a word (which is listed alphabetically) and the dictionary will give you information on the various shades of meaning of the word, where that word comes from, examples of its usage in a sentence, etc.

A Bible Dictionary is a lot like dictionaries you already know about – except that the entries (words) are words that might be meaningful for the study of the Bible. A Bible Dictionary has entries for Biblical people (like David, Abraham, Moses, Jesus) – Biblical places (Jerusalem, Rome, Babylon, etc) – Biblical concepts (like faith, repentance, sacrifice) – Biblical events (like the fall of Jerusalem, the Babylonian Exile, the Resurrection of Jesus) – and other types of information may be presented as well: outlines of Bible books, pictures, charts, diagrams, and the like. The entries are usually brief – especially if the dictionary is only one volume – so if you need more in-depth information, you need to check a Bible Encyclopedia, which is a lot like a Bible Dictionary, except that the entries are more lengthy and may also include lists of other references to consult on the subject (Bibliographies).

Why use a Bible Dictionary (or Bible Encyclopedia)? Its primary use is in researching specific Biblical subjects. A good Bible Dictionary will give you the essential facts, presented briefly; the Bible Encyclopedia will usually provide much more detail. Many commentaries and study Bibles may only deal with certain topics/subjects in passing. When you need to explore a topic in more detail, consult a dictionary or encyclopedia entry on the subject. For example: perhaps you are studying the opening chapters of Genesis, and are wondering: just where was Eden located? Pull down your Bible Dictionary or Encyclopedia and look up the words “Eden”, “garden”, “paradise”. Your Bible Dictionary might even explore whether or not Eden was a real place!

To choose a good Bible Dictionary/Bible Encyclopedia you should consider the following:

REPUTATION: What is the reputation (reliability) both of the contributors as well as the publisher? What do you know of them? What is their theological point-of-view? Has the publisher released other reputable reference tools?

RECENCY: When was this reference first published? If it was first released many years ago, has it been revised? You need a reference tool that presents the most up-to-date information.

REFERENCES: Does this tool have Bibliographies that point you to more information on a subject? Do they quote (or cite) an adequate amount of Bible passages for you to investigate? Does it have indexes that cross-reference subjects to more than one location in the book?

RELEVANCY: Is this tool the right one for your needs? Enough detail – without being overwhelming? Does it require pre-requisite knowledge (such as Greek or Hebrew)? Is it a tool for scholars or specialists? Is it written from a particular perspective, or with a particular audience in mind?

There are several types of Bible Dictionaries/Encyclopedias:

Single-volume references: These are convenient to use (and less expensive) but far less detailed than multi-volume works.

Multi-volume references: Much more detailed and authoritative, the best of these put vast resources of Bible scholarship at your fingertips.

Hebrew/Greek Lexicons: These explain the meanings of specific words in the original languages of Scripture. While some can be used profitably by beginners, most require some knowledge of the original languages, as the words will be listed according to the alphabets of those languages, in their special scripts. If you don’t know those (at a minimum) you won’t even be able to look up the word.

Theological Dictionaries: These focus on words that have important theological or doctrinal meanings. Some of them require knowledge of the original languages, some do not. As you might expect, these dictionaries often reflect particular interpretations of the Bible, so investigate the focus and theological orientation before you buy/use. (Remember our rule from the first lesson? INVESTIGATE!)

Specialized Dictionaries: These deal with specialized subjects – ancient or Church history, Archaeological finds, worship and liturgy. They provide great detail but are much more restricted in their focus.

Some popular choices in Bible Dictionaries/Encyclopedias would include (but not be limited to) the following:

1. The New Bible Dictionary (Inter-Varsity Press, 1982). This is a very good one-volume Bible Dictionary, written from an Evangelical perspective. Many British scholars provided material for this dictionary; often those of us in the USA are not familiar with them, but can gain significant insights nevertheless.

2. The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (Harper, 1996). Also a one-volume Bible Dictionary, written from a less conservative point-of-view.

3. The Anchor Bible Dictionary (Doubleday, 1992) – Don’t be confused by the title, this reference is the best general, multi-volume Bible Encyclopedia in print. In my opinion, it is also the most scholarly. If you want only one of these types of resources, and want the best, this is what you should purchase. Conservatives note: if you use this resource, be aware that it will not necessarily endorse your viewpoints.

4. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Eerdmans, 1979-1988). It is much like the Anchor Bible Dictionary, but written from an Evangelical point-of-view. It is in 4 volumes. Although it reflects my personal views more than the Anchor BD, I am still a great fan of the latter.

I think that a Bible Dictionary/Encyclopedia is so essential, that I will leave you with this recommendation: purchase a Bible Dictionary or Bible Encyclopedia before you purchase any other resource (except a Bible, of course) — and purchase a multi-volume set if you can. Whenever I am studying a Bible passage, concept, place or person, I always research from a Bible Encyclopedia, and I never fail to gain new insights.

Build that Bible study library — and use it!

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Copyright 2006 Robert P. Anderson

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Article submitted by Bob Anderson, Lead Writer and Researcher at Potomac Writing Service. Website address: potomac-writing-service.com potomac-writing-service.com

People Skills – Understanding Human Nature People skills are the most beneficial of all your abilities. These skills impact the quality of your business life, your family life and your social life. Probably the most difficult people skill to master is the skill of understanding human nature so you can communicate effectively with people. When you communicate effectively, people will do the things you want.

People are first and foremost much more interested in themselves than in you. To keep things fair, you are also much more interested in yourself than any other person in the world. The idea that people are primarily interested in themselves in nothing to feel awkward about. It is human nature. We are all the same in this respect. This idea delivers the key to communicating with other people. You must master the ability to focus on others. The next two ideas will help you develop this focus.

1. When talking to people, focus on the subject of most interest to them, e.g. themselves. If you do, people will always be interested in listening to you. When you talk to people about themselves, you are going with the grain of human nature. When you talk about yourself, you are going against the grain.

How do you do it? Starting today, replace the words “I, me, my and mine” with the word “you”. “How would you benefit”? “What do you think of…”? “It is to your advantage, isn’t it”?

Bright Idea – Even if it feels awkward push forward using “you”, no one notices or cares about syntax because the subject (you) is so interesting. For example, in a letter to a colleague you may write – You will receive a call on Tuesday, November 7th to determine if the position papers were helpful, if you would like additional resources sent and how to go about setting up a visit. Thanks in advance. Looking forward to visiting with you.

2. People are hard-wired to make statements. Creating good questions and knowing when to ask them is difficult for people. When you make statements, your focus is on yourself. When was the last time someone convinced you of something by verbally poking you in the chest with a statement? When you ask questions, your focus is reoriented towards other people and it enables you to communicate effectively with people to do things you want. When someone asks you questions is it easier to come around to their way of thinking? Why?

People pay lip service by first focusing on others’ needs and then quickly slipping back into figuring out how to meet their goals through others. Don’t they? Is it because they were never taught a way to help them stay focused on others’ needs? One way to stay focused is to ask the other person some questions e.g. “Is it what you thought it would be”? “What kind of success have you had”? “Why do you say that”?

How could you use these simple and effective ideas to genuinely increase your people skills and serve others?

Darren has over 17 years experience in professional services, distribution and manufacturing and he has started and sold two companies. His industry experience includes medical, industrial, architecture / engineering / construction, consumer products and technology.

Darren founded Cima Strategic Services in 2000. Cima helps organizations through consulting on strategy, process, & business development and through coaching and seminars. (Examples of Client Results).

He speaks regularly on the subjects of strategy, international business, process, business development and coaching. Darren’s audiences have ranged from the Business School at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana to the local chapter of the Associated General Contractors in Austin, Texas.

Darren is a graduate of Texas A&M University with degree work in Marketing, Political Science and Philosophy. He has also completed post-graduate studies in International Business and Trade.

Darren’s clients include HKS Architecture, Staubach Company and Kia Automobile.

Darren is married with 4 children.