To succeed in life, you’ll probably need to have an income of some sort. That means in one way or another, you’ll be involved in business. In our current economical downturn, businesses are cutting back and jobs are scarce, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Let me explain how business can thrive in any economy.

In a poor economy, business sales go flat and cost becomes a major factor for business survival. When sales are down the only option is to trim the fat. That means under-performing employees are laid off. Under-performing subsidiaries are sold to stop the bleeding. Non-essential positions are cut or outsourced to save costs.

Then everyone has to tighten their belt and hold on…

Who’s in control here? The business or the economy?

There is another way…

Many would say that a poor economy leaves a business no choice, but there is a way to make the business more efficient that keeps customers coming through the doors even when the chips are down.

In a bad economy, the problem is competition. The fewer sales are spread out over many competitors.  When that happens, the business that can cut costs and has the best operating model will usually survive.It’s a natural cycle. When times are good, everyone opens businesses, when time are bad, only the best survive. Those who can’t make it through the down-turn close up.

But there is a way to rise above survival mode in hard times.

Imagine if your business was a monopoly in your field. Everyone would have to come to you, so tightening the belt would be less of an issue. But as long as there is business, there will be competition because competition makes business better by forcing improvement. So the key to survival is becoming the best in your field.

There is one place every business can improve that costs nothing but improves every aspect of the business. That is business communication, but in this case, it’s not what is said, but rather HOW it is said.

Let me explain by getting into the core of business.

First a question; Why does business exist? If you said to make money, your business will fail. I understand that the idea is to make money, but if your focus is on money, nobody will do business with you.

Why? Because of the core reason humans do anything - problems. Remember that every action is taken in order to solve some problem. Business is an action and people buy only if the product solves a problem. (desires are problems - if you are married, you know this.)

So if the business has created a product or service for their customers to purchase, why will they buy? Yes, to solve a problem.

So why does business exist? To solve a problem that a certain market has… and make money doing it.

Rule one: Keep your eye on the ball, which in this case is the problem the business solves.

Rule two: Make sue everyone in the company knows the problem the business solves… But here’s where the communication comes in…

Make sure the employees know how their individual jobs are part of the solution to the problem. Knowing that will influence how they communicate with each other and customers. That one bit of information makes a world of difference when it comes to business survival.

One more thing: If your mission statement doesn’t address the problem your business solves for the market and how it solves the problem, trash the mission statement and make one that does. Your employees will understand the new one.

That’s it for today

Tracy

If you understand the core secret behind the meaning of life, you are a step away from finding your true life’s purpose. More than that, you have the first part needed to become an effective communicator. Let me explain, while expanding your mind a bit.

I’m asking questions because if you figure this out, you’ll never forget it, otherwise, you won’t remember it even this afternoon. Here’ we go…

Why do humans do anything?

Do we do anything without a reason?

Imagine if you decided to; say, go for a drive for absolutely no reason…

Where would you go? How would you know when to stop? Would you ever come back? The fact is; if you went for a drive for no reason, you would drive until you ran out of gas!

Every action humans make has a reason.

Do you ever go to the bathroom if you don’t have the urge? (Barring going to prevent discomfort on a trip, which is a reason in itself.)

So, until you realize a reason for action, you don’t do anything, right?

This sounds simple, but it is the Secret of Life! Now you think I’m nuts, don’t you.

Ok, we exist, which makes us human beings (not human doings), but we would die immediately if we didn’t DO anything. Life is about doing and it is a result of being.

Stay with me here… We exist and to continue to do so, we need to take actions, including breathing. All actions are a result of realizing some reason for that action. Let’s call that reason a problem.

Where do problems come from? The problems that create action are part of our own existence!

So here’s an example: If you are talking to someone and they aren’t listening, why do think they aren’t listening? It’s because what you are talking about doesn’t relate to any problems they have on their mind.

So, say you’re at work and you want a raise, what will get your boss to listen to you? You’d better start with a problem that’s on his mind. If you help your boss solve problems (company problems), He’ll see your value and make sure you are taken care of.

If you want someone else to take an action, remember that any action they take will only be taken to solve a problem they have. NO! Don’t go creating problems for them, it’ll only backfire! Instead, help them solve a problem, maybe with an idea or suggestion. If you don’t connect with a problem (even the need to keep you as a friend) there will be no action.

If you’re selling something, what is more important; the product, or the problem it solves?

I’ll leave you with that one.
Regards,
Tracy

The search for our purpose is something we are born with. Every individual has different talents that can go undiscovered sometimes until late in life. We also have deeply ingrained personal preferences that can lead to either finding happiness or living in a state of frustration.

Why is figuring out our life’s purpose such a struggle?

We are brought up in a society that has a set of “norms” or rules that we are taught to live by; go to school, get an education, get a good job or profession, be a doctor or lawyer, maybe take over the family business. They are all outside influences that we are bombarded with from the time we form our first thoughts. We are told to make a good living, raise a family, attain wealth and retire.

Some of us; actually, most of us don’t fit into that neat little box. The majority conforms to “society’s box”, but often times, they still feel as if something is missing. Most people feel as if there has to be more to life and they privately search for their life purpose.

If you accept society’s definition of success, you can work to make that definition come to fruition, but you may not be happy when you get there. The saying that “Money cannot buy happiness” is a fact, but there’s a deeper reason for it.

On the other hand, there are people who know themselves and understand what it takes for their happiness. In the process, they also find real personal success. These people are in the minority. Somehow, they have managed to ignore society’s box, and follow their inner self. You know them when you meet them. They are calm, collected and unflappable. They know their direction in life and pursue it with gusto.

I’ve met people like this and when I do I always ask how they did it. The answer is usually along the lines of, “It’s just who I am.” In other words, who they are decided their fate. They found the inner talents they were born with and the rest happened almost naturally. Often, these are wealthy people who never went to college, but instead, followed a “calling.”

I spent 20 years searching for my “calling.” I searched because by all rights, I shouldn’t have ever been born. The deck was stacked against me, but somehow, I made it.

I’m a twin, but my brother was still-born. The doctors said I had no chance and wanted to abort me. My Dad wouldn’t allow it. My mother tells me she carried me for 12 months and when I came out, I was so small, I lived in an incubator for two weeks before she took me home from the hospital. Even then, she carried me home on a pillow.

Wow! That’s what I said when I was told the story of my birth when I was about 8 years old. I believe my mother was lecturing me about how much of an ungrateful monster I was and it just slipped out. I was always more grateful after that.

When I really thought about it, I came to the conclusion that there had to be a reason I overcame such great odds to come into this world, so I spent the rest of my life looking for my reason for existence.

I went about my search all wrong, but eventually life turned me in the right direction and I found some answers. My purpose was to discover how to find one’s purpose in life. Yeah, it’s a little weird, but I found it and now I understand why I had to search so long. I had to walk in a searcher’s shoes before I could understand what they were looking for.

So what did I find?

Our life’s purpose is our search for Happiness. But it’s not something you go out into the world and find. Happiness comes from within. You have to find happiness within yourself by discovering the inner talents and true motivations you were endowed with when you were created.
Why is the search so difficult?

Think for a moment about the difference between someone who is given something and someone who earns the same thing. Doesn’t the person who earns their keep treat it what they have with more respect?

I believe that the search for happiness is ingrained in our existence so that when we find it, we respect it and make the most of it, not just for ourselves, but also for the people we come in contact with. Without the search, happiness wouldn’t have the value that society has placed on it…

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The United States Declaration of Independence

When God created humans, he gave us a brain so we could do great things, but he realized that our minds could also turn toward evil. I believe that God added the search for happiness as part of our existence so that we would strive to learn and discover the world around us as part of the search.

I believe that the search for happiness was never meant to be easy so that when we finally discover our life’s purpose, we treat it with respect, use it for good, and fight against evil.