A friend of mine asked me the other day: “Alex, who are the top 3 companies in your field?” I was stuck. I couldn’t answer. He said that I needed to know that, follow them, and set up meetings with the owners. He said that it’s likely they will share whatever information I needed because people are inclined to share with others in their industry, especially me being a smaller company. So, I took on the challenge and the other day I met with another branding agency to see how we could do work together. It was great to learn how someone else runs his business, targets a certain clientele, and has a unique approach to the market. What was it about my instinct that was preventing me from opening up to others in my industry? Greed? Hording? Pride of knowledge? Normally, we entrepreneurs don’t meet with the competitors. We avoid their Facebook posts, secretly envious, but not wanting to get frustrated seeing their successes. But we’re all on the same team. We branding agencies all want to help the world tell their story, help people find their identity. God didn’t create us to be competitive to the point of not meeting with one another. Even the best golf players in the world play friendly matches together. One day they are friends, the next day they are competing for the same prize, but they are both better today because of the things they learned from each other yesterday. Similar to my situation was what was happening around the time of the spread of the church in Acts 11 of the Bible. We see a divide within the church of Jews versus gentiles. The Jews wanted to keep Jesus to themselves, but that’s not what God had designed it out to be. Jesus came for all to be saved, and for all to commune together to learn from one another, band together, and grow stronger. You might be in a cut-throat industry where competitors don’t meet. You might even have walls of anger towards others who have taken business from you in the past. God is calling you, today, to forgive, move on, and explore opportunities of growth together. We Godpreneurs act from a whole different set of rules than the normal marketplace functions under. We have a God that has so much business for us that it would be impossible for us to service everyone. There must be room for others because God has someone uniquely designed for competition to service. Godpreneur Rule #85: Meeting and learning from the competition is designed to make us stronger. #BibleStudy

Allow these real-life personal examples of timely training of my own to encourage you today.

I picked up an amazing tool from a Tony Robbins course that I use weekly. It’s called an “emotional flood.” Essentially, I close my eyes and imagine all the amazing things that have happened to me. It lasts for 5 minutes. Through an audio recording, Tony helps me jog my memory for all the awesome things. Essentially, you shut out the negative and ‘flood’ your mind with awesome thoughts. When our waiting feels like a ton of uncertainty in our business, without answers – much like Noah’s waiting, there is a danger of losing faith that God is listening. If we have these long spans of time in our businesses, it tempts us to question the faithfulness and character of God. We look around our business and there’s no sign that He is answering our prayer. We wonder will he ever come through for us. In these critical moments in our entrepreneurial career, we need a strategy to win while waiting through the seeming absence of God. The Bible says in Roman 5:3 "Paul clings to the only One who can help him. He resolves to believe He will bring to fruition that which he awaits. Then he does something most of us don’t. In the middle of his waiting, Paul chooses to rejoice. Before it is his turn, prior to seeing any evidence that God will answer his petitions, Paul chooses to praise God…anyway". Paul clings to the only One who can help him. He resolves to believe He will bring to fruition that which he awaits. Then he does something most of us don’t. In the middle of his waiting, Paul chooses to rejoice. Before it is his turn, prior to seeing any evidence that God will answer his petitions, Paul chooses to praise God…anyway. Are you suffering waiting in your business? This is the time for an EMOTIONAL FLOOD. Turn on some worship music, flood your heart with praise. Look back at everything He’s done for you as an Entrepreneur, and rejoice and be glad…even while you wait. Maybe your circumstances in business appear to be upside down, but God is always right-side up! Worship and praise Him in the waiting. Wonder in Him while you’re wondering and wandering. Today, don’t ask for much, just praise Him. Get your heart and mind back into the place of faith and expectancy. Let God calm your business anxieties. The flood of emotions will drown out the negative feelings. Your praises will lift you out and up to the throne. Before it is your turn to succeed in business – before anything you have asked comes to fruition, praise and rejoice Him! That’s how you re-center and refocus your mind on the challenges of TODAY. When we can’t see through the waiting; when the big break doesn’t come in; and our competition pummels us with hate until we find ourselves in a desperate place—praise and rejoice anyway! No one or nothing compares to God. He is the last one standing with us in our businesses. He’s always there. So as we wait, we praise Him for that. If He makes our business wait, there is a divine purpose in it. I pray Godpreneurs don’t miss the opportunity to wait with purpose, to wait well! #GainConfidence #BusinessBibleStudy

I don’t know about you, but when things start to go great in my business, I do less praying and seeking of God, and more marketing and seeking of money. But then the roller coaster takes a dip, and the pipeline dries up and we find ourselves scrambling for the next check. But God will do whatever it takes to bring us Godpreneurs back into communion with Him. In the famous story of the prodigal son, it took a series of events before the rebellious boy “came to his senses” and decided to return to his dad in repentance. He ran out of money, was deserted by all his so-called friends, and was starving. He found himself working in a pigpen, hungering for the miserable seedpods the pigs were eating. It’s easy for us to think, ‘well that boy deserved it after what he did!’. But you and I become prodigal sons with the times are good, and God will do whatever it takes to bring us back….even if it means drying up your bank account, taking away your biggest client, or removing a superstar employee. The blow can come in 100 different ways, but I’ve learned to love these moments where God is really showing He loves me and is jealous for my attention. And you know what? When I come back, He has new visions and messages for me, and I’m stronger than before. Godpreneur Rule #74: Sometimes it takes difficulties in our business to drive wandering entrepreneurs back to God. #StrengthenIntegrity #BecomeDisciplined

It’s kinda tough for an entrepreneur to admit weaknesses. I’m supposed to be this renegade innovator that doesn’t play by the rules, able to withstand a storm of issues, and at the front line of any business battle. I’m used to fixing everything, doing everything, being everything. It’s my business, after all. In becoming more aware of my work addiction, I’ve come to terms with the good and bad news:  this isn’t something I can fix. The reality is that us entrepreneurs are addicted to working. We’re looking to fill an empty space that can only be filled by God. Left to ourselves and our own efforts, we feel empty and lacking in our business. The bad news that we must come to terms with is that it’s impossible for us to find complete peace and wholeness….on our own. So where do we go from here?  Just live with it for the rest of our lives? The bible says "For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin." Psalms 32 3-5 Like the bible verse about notes, there’s bad news…but there’s also good news! The bad news is that we’re all dry bones, wasting away….until we actually acknowledge that we have an addiction and that we want to turn away from it!. And God didn’t design it for us to do it alone. God has given us Jesus Christ. Through Christ, God has weakened the grip of all our work addictions. And as we recognize what Jesus has done for us, our addition to working so much gradually loses its power with the help of the Holy Spirit. We’ve recognized our work addiction and patterns and objects around it!  Now let that lead us to God’s perspective. 4 Questions That Lead to God’s Perspective What business and work related situations cause me to be uncomfortable? This is the trigger that causes feelings of discomfort or stress. These situations lead us to seek out working more to make us feel better. In running my business, what emotions or feelings are the most uncomfortable for me to sit with? The role of the addiction and your work addiction object would be to soothe this discomfort. We each have certain feelings that scare us or make us feel exposed to more potential hurt in our businesses. We want to soothe it and get immediate relief ASAP. Our addiction object is our quick fix. What wrong decisions would I like to hit a rewind button and do all over again? These are our addiction objects. They could be cell phone use, staying up late to do more work, launching a product, starting a totally new business, missing dinner with the family to work, isolation at the office, controlling behavior over employees or contractors, verbal manipulation of clients, and so many more. What would a godly perspective of your stressful situation look like, or what would God say to me to help me? This helps us step back and evaluate the stressful situation knowing God is in control, loves us, and has a loving purpose for the particular stress in our life. I see it like a “check engine” light, an opportunity to grow!  He will also provide peace, soothing, relief from our burden, and power over temptation. Recognizing easy things we turn to at work to soothe our work addiction is easy. Uncovering behavioral addiction objects (like snapping at employees or manipulating clients) can be a bit trickier.  Knowing that God wants to take us through it, that’s amazing!. Imagine a world where, through intentional self-reflection, using these tips, we all see God’s loving purpose while accessing His deep healing for our entrepreneurial life. Godpreneur Rule #59: Godpreneurs self-reflect to uncover areas where God wants to break us…to heal us back stronger. #BecomeDisciplined #EnhanceFocus #GodpreneurAcademy

It took Edison 10,000 tries before he invented the lightbulb. Although I’m not inventing the lightbulb, I’m doing my own invention with my business.  I’m trying to create something of value that people need. But sometimes I can’t help but think “God if this entrepreneur rollercoaster was made for me, why is it so darn hard?!” I figured that if I’m in my Bible and walking with God, it would be smooth sailing from here. It’s easy for us to put on a victim mentality, blame someone else, or even quit when the going gets tough. We can sometimes think that we’re on this journey alone. We can become overwhelmed with defeat, even 100 defeats, let alone 10,000 defeats like Edison. But today I found some comforting and reassuring words from God that all Godpreneurs should remember always. "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord , And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him  with His hand." Psalms 37:23-24 NKJV You may be knocked down, God is extending his hand and saying RISE UP. You may be at the end of your strength, but God is saying “Keep following me and the path I’ve blazed for you, keep your eyes on me.” You may be tired of carrying all the weight, clearing all the trees in front of you by yourself, setting the path where you’re headed, but God is saying “I order your steps, I go before you, I make you walk by still waters”. See, we Godpreneurs have something that’s very different from normal entrepreneurs: We have a God that has a plan, shares it with us, and goes in front of us. We don’t have to do it alone. He delights when we follow. And best of all….the most comforting truth: When I fall, God catches me, picks me up, loves me, shows me grace, mercy, forgiveness, kindness, and then kicks my butt right into gear and says “RISE UP AND TAKE WHAT I’VE ALREADY PROMISED YOU.” Amen. #IncreaseEnergy #FindingMyBrand #SharpenLeadership

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