FOR BETTER FOR WORSE

FÒREORDAINED

Sorry she doesn’t like invalids.

But, you are not dead to be dismissed,

He said with hope in his eyes, to his friend.

Yes, I am not dead to be dismissed
Am just a wounded soldier
Am I not better than a dead lion, he asked.

A caged bird;
Am worth two in a bush.

Like fish caught in an inescapable net,

Adversity knocked, on his doors.

He craved for death, but for the sake
Of his kids and family, he refused to let it go

Love kept him believing
Love made him stronger

The love of family and friends.

The profound weight of his pain and

Anxiety were wearing her soul down.

The writing on the wall, predictable
The look in her eyes, hidden behind

Pretensions and impatience.

Where is the love

Where is the care

How she had forgotten her own creed;
For better for worse.

She dismissed…

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How to Succeed, Be a Finisher!

Unfinished business leaves you drained and tired. Unfinished business causes one to feel like a failure. Unfinished business drives you crazy and keeps you off track. William James said, “There is nothing so fatiguing as an uncompleted task.” In order to finish something, you must become focused on it. You have to take complete control of your time, in order, to complete your tasks. John 17:4, “I have finished the work you have given me.” Jesus always completed the tasks God gave Him because He knew how to manage His time. Jesus knew when He had to retreat from the outside forces or pressures of the world to determine His priorities. Jesus retreated from the world to pray and spend quality time with God.

As Jesus, you must learn to take time out from the world pressures and set-up a schedule to complete your tasks. When you take time to complete a task, you feel that you have accomplished something major.

Donya Zimmerman is a business consultant, mediator, and legal professional with over ten years of experience.  She is owner of Family & Community Mediation and Business Consulting (FACMBC) based in Baltimore, Maryland and has been in business since 2013. Services provided by FACMBC:  Mediation and Conflict Resolution Services; Business Registration Assistance (Limited Liability Company, Corporation, S-Corp, Limited Liability Partnership, etc.); Business Plan Drafting Assistance; Business Certification Assistance (MBE, WOSB, 8A, 501(c) (3), Hub Zone, etc.); and Business Organization Assistance. She is also a contributing writer to the Maryland Daily Examiner Newspaper. Contact information: dzimmerman36@gmail.com; www.facebook.com/FACMBC; www.twitter.com/FACMBC; https://dzimmerman36.wordpress.com; http://www.linkedin.com/in/dzbusconsultantandmediator

 

How to Succeed, What Are You Willing to Trade? (Part II)

Proverbs 14:23, “In all labor there is a profit: but the talk of lips tends only to penury.” In other words, hard work brings a profit. You must be willing to give up what you have now to make it to the next level. As you climb higher and higher on the “ladder of success”, you cannot refuse to give up what you have accumulated, in order, to gain something better. This is the main reason why people make it mid-way up the ladder of their potential and stop.

To have true success in life you have to be willing to give up certain things. You must be willing to trade the following:

• Trade what’s acceptable for what’s excellent. Customers or clients do not pay for average. They buy things that are excellent and worth paying for. Whatever business you are in, do your best or don’t do it at all. In order to be the best and shine, you must be willing to “burn the midnight oil”.
  
• Trade the first half for the second half. The first half of your life should be where you prepare for the success that will come in the second half of your life. As you grow, you should gain more wisdom and understanding of the “true meaning of success”. As you grow older, you should grow from wanting success to wanting significance. Don’t just leave a will, you want to leave a legacy. Create and do things that will still have significance when you die.
  
• Trade your work for God for your walk with God. You should want to have a close a relationship with God compared to valuable work. Always maintain a close relationship with God and see what happens.
  

 

Donya Zimmerman is a business consultant, mediator, and legal professional with over ten years of experience.  She is owner of Family & Community Mediation and Business Consulting (FACMBC) based in Baltimore, Maryland and has been in business since 2013. Services provided by FACMBC:  Mediation and Conflict Resolution Services; Business Registration Assistance (Limited Liability Company, Corporation, S-Corp, Limited Liability Partnership, etc.); Business Plan Drafting Assistance; Business Certification Assistance (MBE, WOSB, 8A, 501(c) (3), Hub Zone, etc.); and Business Organization Assistance. She is also a contributing writer to the Maryland Daily Examiner Newspaper. Contact information: dzimmerman36@gmail.com; www.facebook.com/FACMBC; www.twitter.com/FACMBC; https://dzimmerman36.wordpress.com; http://www.linkedin.com/in/dzbusconsultantandmediator

 

How to Succeed, What Are You Willing to Trade? (Part I)

Philippians 3:8, “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus Christ.” In life, you must learn to be focused and tenacious. As a business owner, you must figure out what you are good at and find your niche. To have success as a business owner, you must learn to focus on one specialty. Learn to just focus on one expertise or specialty, and work to be good at it. You cannot do everything or have it all to be a successful business person. All the most successful business owners focused on one expertise or specialty, and were a success at it. Before start a business, need to figure out what you are good at and specialize in that. You should become an expert in your particular field.

Here are a few things one can trade for the other to become a successful business owner:

• Trade approval for accomplishment. Should be at a point in your career and life where being good at what you do is more important than accolades; awards; or financial gain.
  
• Trade security for significance. “Greatness” stands for what you give your life to accomplish. Whatever you do in your business, it should make a difference in someone’s life.
  
• Trade exploration for expertise. Should not dabble into too many things regarding your business. Need to be very focused on what is the main goal of your business. Should find your niche and specialize in that.
  

Once you have discovered your God-given gift, just stick with that and do not try to do anything else.

Donya Zimmerman is a business consultant, mediator, and legal professional with over ten years of experience.  She is owner of Family & Community Mediation and Business Consulting (FACMBC) based in Baltimore, Maryland and has been in business since 2013. Services provided by FACMBC:  Mediation and Conflict Resolution Services; Business Registration Assistance (Limited Liability Company, Corporation, S-Corp, Limited Liability Partnership, etc.); Business Plan Drafting Assistance; Business Certification Assistance (MBE, WOSB, 8A, 501(c) (3), Hub Zone, etc.); and Business Organization Assistance. She is also a contributing writer to the Maryland Daily Examiner Newspaper. Contact information: dzimmerman36@gmail.com; www.facebook.com/FACMBC; www.twitter.com/FACMBC; https://dzimmerman36.wordpress.com; http://www.linkedin.com/in/dzbusconsultantandmediator

 

How to Succeed: What Do You Treasure Most?

Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is there will be your heart also.” Matthew 6:19-20, “V19 Do not lay up your treasures on the earth where they can be destroyed by moth and rust, and can be stolen by thieves as well. V20 But lay up your treasures in heaven where they are always protected.”

If your house caught on fire and you could only save one thing what would it be? It is hard for people to answer this question. But if you want to know the answer, just ask yourself where you spend your time and your money the most. Here are a few things that people treasure more than anything else:

• Relationships;
  
• Career;
  
• Prestige;
  
• Money;
  
• Career; and
  
• Materialistic Things.
  

The most important thing one should treasure is their relationship with God and His son, Jesus Christ. Jesus would love to be “front and center” in one’s life. He will ensure that all your needs will be met.

I ask the question again, if your house was on fire what one thing you would save? For me it would be my Bible.

Donya Zimmerman is a business consultant, mediator, and legal professional with over ten years of experience.  She is owner of Family & Community Mediation and Business Consulting (FACMBC) based in Baltimore, Maryland and has been in business since 2013. Services provided by FACMBC:  Mediation and Conflict Resolution Services; Business Registration Assistance (Limited Liability Company, Corporation, S-Corp, Limited Liability Partnership, etc.); Business Plan Drafting Assistance; Business Certification Assistance (MBE, WOSB, 8A, 501(c) (3), Hub Zone, etc.); and Business Organization Assistance. She is also a contributing writer to the Maryland Daily Examiner Newspaper. Contact information: dzimmerman36@gmail.com; www.facebook.com/FACMBC; www.twitter.com/FACMBC; https://dzimmerman36.wordpress.com; http://www.linkedin.com/in/dzbusconsultantandmediator

 

How Succeed: Choose the Right Friends II

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 “V9 Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. V10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow man.” Here are a few suggestions on how to meet and make “good friends”:

• Step One: Take the initiative. Do not wait for someone to introduce themselves to you. Sometimes you have to take the first step when it comes to meeting and making new friends
  
• Step Two: Take a risk. Take a “manageable risk” where you share as struggle, disappointment, or fear you have experienced with someone new. Then, see how they respond to what you have just shared with them. This helps you to determine if a good friendship can grow from this first meeting. I advise that you do not share a struggle or disappointment that may be too personal in nature.
  
• Step Three:
  Invite them to join you. If you develop a good rapport with the person the first time, exchange phone numbers and invite the other person out for coffee or lunch. Do not be afraid to ask the person out for a second meeting, but allow the friendship to develop over time.
  
• Step Four:
  Go where people hang out. How can you make friends, if you do not socialize? Get out of your “comfort zone” and go to new and exciting places to meet people and make new connections and new friends.
  
• Step Five:
  Remember that God uses different people in your life to fulfill the purpose He has for your life. God brings people into your life for different reasons and different seasons.
  

 

Donya Zimmerman is a business consultant, mediator, and legal professional with over ten years of experience.  She is owner of Family & Community Mediation and Business Consulting (FACMBC) based in Baltimore, Maryland and has been in business since 2013. Services provided by FACMBC:  Mediation and Conflict Resolution Services; Business Registration Assistance (Limited Liability Company, Corporation, S-Corp, Limited Liability Partnership, etc.); Business Plan Drafting Assistance; Business Certification Assistance (MBE, WOSB, 8A, 501(c) (3), Hub Zone, etc.); and Business Organization Assistance. She is also a contributing writer to the Maryland Daily Examiner Newspaper. Contact information: dzimmerman36@gmail.com; www.facebook.com/FACMBC; www.twitter.com/FACMBC; https://dzimmerman36.wordpress.com; http://www.linkedin.com/in/dzbusconsultantandmediator

 

How to Succeed, Choose the Right Friends!

Proverbs 27:17, “Friends sharpen the minds of each other.” There is nothing like having a “true friend” who loves you unconditionally. Author Charlie Jones stated, “You’re the same today as you’ll be in the next five years….except for the people with whom you associate and the books you read.”

How to choose the right friends:

• Surround yourself with individuals who will encourage you to be the person God intended you to be. God uses your personal relationships with others as a tool to help you become the person he wants and knows you can be.
  
• Surround yourself with people who will provide you with grace to deal with the energy drain. Friends help to refuel your body when you are drained mentally, spiritually, physically, and relationally. Should have friends who will listen to you, encourage you, and be there for you.
  
• True friends love it when you are your “true self”. With true friends you don’t have to pretend to be somebody you are not. With true friendships there is a sense of normalcy and comfort where you can be your “true authentic self.” Good friendships are loving, freedom to be yourself, and can talk about anything.
  
• Select friends who will help you grow in faith. Your friends should encourage you to read God’s Word [Bible], pray daily, and help you to see what is important to your life.
  

Ephesians 4:16 sums up “true friendship” as follows: “All parts of the body are joined and held together. Each part does its own work to help the whole body grow and be strong with love.” Never walk this life alone, God created us to “be one under the Body of Jesus Christ.”

Donya Zimmerman is a business consultant, mediator, and legal professional with over ten years of experience.  She is owner of Family & Community Mediation and Business Consulting (FACMBC) based in Baltimore, Maryland and has been in business since 2013. Services provided by FACMBC:  Mediation and Conflict Resolution Services; Business Registration Assistance (Limited Liability Company, Corporation, S-Corp, Limited Liability Partnership, etc.); Business Plan Drafting Assistance; Business Certification Assistance (MBE, WOSB, 8A, 501(c) (3), Hub Zone, etc.); and Business Organization Assistance. She is also a contributing writer to the Maryland Daily Examiner Newspaper. Contact information: dzimmerman36@gmail.com; www.facebook.com/FACMBC; www.twitter.com/FACMBC; https://dzimmerman36.wordpress.com; http://www.linkedin.com/in/dzbusconsultantandmediator

 

How to Succeed, Seize the Present!

Many people spend too much time in the past and in the “junkyard of regret.” People focus too much energy on what could have been, should have been, and might have been. Many people feel that by reliving the past, they can change it. Unfortunately, you cannot change the past. One must learn to live in the present which is the greatest gift from God. The further you live in the past, the further you are from the “present” opportunities. Opportunities wait for no one, so you must live in the present or miss out on “golden” opportunities from God.

The only thing you can do is learn from your past and let past lessons become new opportunities for you. One cannot change what happened in the past, but you can start over with a clean slate. So let the past go, focus on the present, seize every new opportunity, and live your life.

Donya Zimmerman is a business consultant, mediator, and legal professional with over ten years of experience.  She is owner of Family & Community Mediation and Business Consulting (FACMBC) based in Baltimore, Maryland and has been in business since 2013. Services provided by FACMBC:  Mediation and Conflict Resolution Services; Business Registration Assistance (Limited Liability Company, Corporation, S-Corp, Limited Liability Partnership, etc.); Business Plan Drafting Assistance; Business Certification Assistance (MBE, WOSB, 8A, 501(c) (3), Hub Zone, etc.); and Business Organization Assistance. She is also a contributing writer to the Maryland Daily Examiner Newspaper. Contact information: dzimmerman36@gmail.com; www.facebook.com/FACMBC; www.twitter.com/FACMBC; https://dzimmerman36.wordpress.com; http://www.linkedin.com/in/dzbusconsultantandmediator

How to Succeed, Do not Allow Your Finances to Control Your Life!

Psalm 56:3-4, “When I am afraid, I will trust in thee [God]. In God I will praise His Word, in God I have put my trust, and I will not fear what the flesh can do to me.” Money can be seen as the root of all evil, if used and obtained in the wrong way. Many people believe that the more money they have the less problems they will have. The more money you have, the more you worry about losing it. Money should not be your number one priority in life. The number one priority, for one, should be to live the best life that God gives you.

Money worries can be seen as one of those “core fears” a person develops. A “core fear” is a worry that controls every aspect of one’s life. One way to deal with the “core fear” of money is by tackling your fear head on. 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Here are a few ways to fight money worries and financial anxiety from a Biblical text and Biblical sense:

• You should have a good understanding of where your anxiety comes from. You must figure out what is the main cause of your money troubles. To win at life and overcoming “money worries”, you must trust in God. Also, you must learn how to properly handle your personal finances and business finances.
  
• Do not allow past financial failures control your financial future. Remember the old saying nothing ventured, nothing gained. You must plant your “money seed”, harvest the “money seed”, and spend the “money seed” wisely. Must remember that there will be setbacks when planting and growing one’s “money seed”.
  
• Anticipate God’s goodness in growing your “money seed”. Do not allow money to control your life. Do not work for your money, but let it work for you.
  

Psalm 23:6, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” Believe in the goodness of God and you will surely receive that goodness.

Donya Zimmerman is a business consultant, mediator, and legal professional with over ten years of experience.  She is owner of Family & Community Mediation and Business Consulting (FACMBC) based in Baltimore, Maryland and has been in business since 2013. Services provided by FACMBC:  Mediation and Conflict Resolution Services; Business Registration Assistance (Limited Liability Company, Corporation, S-Corp, Limited Liability Partnership, etc.); Business Plan Drafting Assistance; Business Certification Assistance (MBE, WOSB, 8A, 501(c) (3), Hub Zone, etc.); and Business Organization Assistance. She is also a contributing writer to the Maryland Daily Examiner Newspaper. Contact information: dzimmerman36@gmail.com; www.facebook.com/FACMBC; www.twitter.com/FACMBC; https://dzimmerman36.wordpress.com; http://www.linkedin.com/in/dzbusconsultantandmediator

How to Succeed, Let God Illuminate Your Mind!

Psalm 19:2, “Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night shows knowledge.” Psalm 19:8, “….The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.” Great ideas, discoveries, and inventions do not just pop out of the air. They come from God. God can give you an idea that changes the course of one’s life. Marconi had an idea that born the radio. Bell had an idea that gave us the telephone. God, who created us all, gives creative ideas to people every day. When God gives you a “great idea”, you must act on it. If not, you miss a golden opportunity and God will give the “great idea” to someone else. God gives “great ideas” to people who believe in Him. God believes in you as well.

Do not be defined by your current situation and do not be afraid to ask God, “Lord, what do you have in store for me and my life.” God’s “great ideas” go to individuals with seeking hearts, obedient hearts, prepared hearts, and faith-filled hearts. Here is the kind of person that God gives “great ideas” to: “His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. Whatsoever he does prospers.” Psalm 1:23.

Donya Zimmerman is a business consultant, mediator, and legal professional with over ten years of experience.  She is owner of Family & Community Mediation and Business Consulting (FACMBC) based in Baltimore, Maryland and has been in business since 2013. Services provided by FACMBC:  Mediation and Conflict Resolution Services; Business Registration Assistance (Limited Liability Company, Corporation, S-Corp, Limited Liability Partnership, etc.); Business Plan Drafting Assistance; Business Certification Assistance (MBE, WOSB, 8A, 501(c) (3), Hub Zone, etc.); and Business Organization Assistance. She is also a contributing writer to the Maryland Daily Examiner Newspaper. Contact information: dzimmerman36@gmail.com; www.facebook.com/FACMBC; www.twitter.com/FACMBC; https://dzimmerman36.wordpress.com; http://www.linkedin.com/in/dzbusconsultantandmediator