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We live in a world of winners and losers.

At least, that’s what the world would like you to think.

If one wins, another loses. A fixed-pie, zero-sum game.

Get all you can, can all you get then sit on the can

But that’s all a lie.

Your gain and your giving are both ingredients for the future prosperity you’ll enjoy.

Throughout the Scriptures, you’ll hear a common chorus, repeated over and over again, hammering home a heartfelt truth.

“Give, and it will be given,” (Luke 6:38)

“Whoever refreshes others shall be refreshed,” (Proverbs 11:25)

“Whoever sows bountifully will reap bountifully,” (2 Corinthians 9:6–8)

Our giving creates our living. What you sow today seeds your tomorrow.

Ready?

We’re fast approaching the end of another tumultuous year.

How will you determine to end well and set the course for the next 12 months?

Let’s be generous people. Unafraid to put our best work out there. Not hoarders but heartfelt givers of good in every way we can.

I’m not here talking about money, although that may well be part of the mix.

I refer to your gifts. Your grace. Your heart and life decorating the pages of history.

Your gifts and God-given genius are designed for distribution

Look for ways to share your worth that fit well with your personality, and double down on leaving nothing untested, unsaid or unshared.

When you hold nothing in reserve and put your best work out there, something mysterious begins to occur. You attract like-minded people. Your sowing goes to growing and your influence extends.

Don’t hold back. Look for ways to bake your brilliance into content others can consume and be encouraged by. Maybe through books, courses, templates and resources? It could be in an email, podcast, workshop, or workbook – even a kind word sent or said directly to an individual carries inestimable power.

You have something to give that no one else can.

No one can take (or share) your slice of the ever-expanding pie.

Your giving doesn’t diminish you it develops you.

You win!

The person who sets out on the journey is rarely the same person who arrives at the destination.

So much of the jibber-jabber is focused on the end result.

Make this money, grow this audience, create this change, have this impact.

And with starry eyes blinded by the glitter, we run to press the buy button, only to find there’s a long road from where we are now to the promised outcome.

As Thomas Edison so eloquently observed:

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

Become a Journeyman (or woman)

The journey is where the transformation takes place.

The truth is, we’re becoming who we are for a lot of years before we show up. And when you do show up you’ll be pleasantly surprised, and realise that the challenges and the sweat to get you there were necessary.

In the doing, you’ll learn who you are, and who you are not.

Through application, you’ll appear on the scene.

Perspiration peels back the layers til you reach the person who’s hidden on the inside.

Learn not to resist the road to your results. Rest in the sure knowledge that each step draws you closer and that each leg of the way is inherently as valuable as the final destination.

This next sentence is a mouthful, and you may need to read it a few times to digest it, but there’s lots of wisdom baked into the following thought:

The way is where the work is accomplished to become the person you need to be to wear the success and results you seek with grace and humility.

As artists, authors and entrepreneurs, we are dealers in hope.

Vendors of good news.

Harbingers of happy endings.

Because when the final curtain falls, friend, good triumphs over evil.

The nations may rage, but our Father sees the end from the beginning.

This is no commentary on current affairs for the artist transcends time. Stories span the centuries. Words and worlds we create are not bound to the moment.

We are voices in the wilderness declaring the Way.

Your stories, poems, and visions speak of a better day.

All that we see will change with the season, but the unseen is eternal.

It is here that we fix our sights…

“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18 KJV)

How magnificent our vista, a Kingdom coming soon:

“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” (Colossians 3:1–2 NLT-SE)

We, the artistic ambassadors bringing hope to world.

Keep writing. Sing your heart out. Roll the film. Pen the poem. Stay the course and share your glory.

There is never a moment when we do not have an answer.

We are fearless for we know our Leader lives.

Christ in us, the hope of glory. Christ the soon coming King!

You may have heard this modern parable. It’s one I’ve pondered on more than one occasion.

A dad had a graduation gift for his daughter, a dusty old car he'd owned for years.

But before giving it to her, he asked her to do something.

"Take this car to three different places, and tell them you want to sell it," he said.

First, she went to a used car lot. They only offered $1,000. The car was too old.

Next, she went to a pawnshop. They offered even less – just $100. A worn out piece of junk.

The father then told his daughter to go to a car club and show them the car. The daughter dutifully took the car to the club, returned and told her father, “Some people in the club offered $100,000 for it!”

The car was iconic – eagerly sought and highly valued by many collectors!

Her dad taught her an important lesson that day.

"The car club knew what made the car special. They understand how precious it is. So remember – if people don't value you, you might just be in the wrong place.”

Just because some people don’t see the value you carry doesn’t mean that value doesn’t exist.

Keep turning up and sharing your worth. Don’t discount your self.

You are precious and full of promise.

#1 way to fail.

Don’t Try.

#1 way to grow.

Try and fail.

#1 way to win.

Try again!

There is no replacement that can beat actually DOING something.

No better way to learn and grow.

Think of it this way.

You DEVELOP when you do.

You GROW as you go!

Here’s the balance that works to get you across to your goal.

Your small actions soon add up.

There’s a compound return on consistent tiny actions taken in one direction over time.

That was a long sentence, but read it again slowly.

What tiny action will you take today in service of your hope and calling as a creative?

Shoot me a reply and let me know.