Preparation for Initiation: The Tenth Virtue of Maat

 The Tenth Virtue of the Ten Virtues of Maat is preparation for initiation. In essence, this Tenth Virtue is the launching pad from which you will make the decision to change your current paradigm of drifting through life, commit yourself to personal growth, and choose to do the hard work of identifying your definite purpose in life and giving your whole self to its pursuit.

Preparation for initiation is your decision to move away from talking about going into business for yourself and taking the necessary action to do so. It is moving away from simply thinking about going into business and actually doing it.  Preparation for initiation is moving away from merely asking the theoretical questions related to going into a particular business and embracing the practical reality of setting up a shop.

The first step of preparation for initiation is to secure the services of an experienced coach who will work with you over a reasonable amount of time and raise your awareness of the potential that is within you. A world-class coach will challenge and stretch you beyond your comfort zone, and support you as you take definite actions toward the goals you set for yourself.

Preparation for initiation includes doing the self-work necessary to rid yourself of self-limiting and self-sabotaging thinking and behaviors. In addition, it requires that you chart a specific direction for yourself, align your thoughts and actions to that self-decided direction, and then commit yourself to follow through in that direction starting right now. When you have reached this stage, contact me at jchurchville8@gmail.com.

Confidence in Your Own Ability: The Ninth Virtue of Maat

 The Ninth Virtue of the Ten Virtues of Maat is confidence in your own ability. Without confidence in your own ability, you can never achieve personal and business success. The power of who you are as a person created in the image and likeness of God cannot be unleashed until you believe in yourself. This belief in yourself and your ability to succeed is an acknowledgment of the power of God’s DNA at work within you.

The true atheist is not the one who disclaims belief in the Deity who created the universe and humankind, but the one who refuses to believe in the self that was created by God. To denigrate your own ability is to practice false humility—the attempt to appear humble, when in fact, you are insulting the God who created you.

You are what and who you persistently think, believe, and behave you are. If you practice seeing yourself and feeling yourself to be successful, that is what you will ultimately become. Confidence in your own ability is the driver of your success, just as the belief that you will fail is the driver of your failure.

The following affirmation, if repeated aloud and acted upon daily, will help you develop your self-confidence:

1.     I know that I can achieve the object of my definite purpose in life. Therefore, I demand of myself persistent continuous action toward its attainment and I here and now promise to take such action.

2.      I realize the dominating thoughts of my mind will eventually reproduce themselves in outward physical action and gradually transform themselves into physical reality. Therefore, I will concentrate my thoughts for 30 minutes daily upon the task of thinking of the person I intend to become, thereby creating in my mind a clear mental picture.

3.       I know through the principle of autosuggestion that any desire that I persistently hold in my mind will eventually seek expression through some practical means of obtaining the object back of it. Therefore, I will devote 10 minutes daily to demanding of myself the development of self-confidence.

4.       I have clearly written down a description of my definite chief aim in life and I will never stop trying until I shall have developed sufficient self-confidence for its attainment.

5.       I fully realize that no wealth or position can long endure unless built upon truth and justice. Therefore, I will engage in no transaction which does not benefit all whom it affects. I will succeed by attracting to myself the forces I wish to use and the cooperation of other people. I will induce others to serve me because of my willingness to serve others. I will eliminate hatred, envy, jealousy, selfishness, and cynicism by developing a love for all humanity because I know that a negative attitude toward others can never bring me success. I will cause others to believe in me because I believe in them and in myself.

Confidence in the Power of the Master (Teacher): The Eighth Virtue of Maat

 The Eighth Virtue of the Ten Virtues of Maat is confidence in the power of the master (teacher). This virtue is important because you do not know everything there is to know about the business you will choose to begin from scratch or purchase as a franchise or licensee. You must learn the ropes from somebody and you will not learn what you need to know if you have no confidence in the power of the person who is teaching you what you need to know about the business.

The virtue that is hiding behind this eighth virtue is that of humility. A prideful person has difficulty acknowledging that anyone knows more than she or he about anything. Consequently, there are many entrepreneurs struggling in business because they refuse to learn from those more experienced than they are or to take their advice.

It’s not always pride that can make you leery about having confidence in the power of the master (teacher), sometimes it’s your bad past experience with a so-called teacher who turned out to be incompetent at best or a shyster at worst. That is why you must check out carefully the coach or teacher you choose to engage to speak into your life to make sure that that person who will be teaching you the ropes knows what they are doing.

I am in the business of speaking, teaching, training, and coaching to assist entrepreneurs, individuals, and businesses to maximize their potential and improve their results. If you are looking for a principled virtuous person to guide you along the road to personal and business success, then contact me at jchurchville8@gmail.com. We’ll talk together to see whether we are a good fit to work together on helping you reach your personal and business goals.

Freedom from Resentment: The Seventh Virtue of Maat

 The Seventh Virtue of the Ten Virtues of Maat is freedom from resentment. It’s amazing how many people are stuck in an undesirable space in life simply because of their resentment toward other people: a parent, a sibling, a former lover, a current colleague, or a fellow worker, to name just a few. In too many cases, resentment is the excuse unsuccessful people use to justify their failures in life.

They love to blame others for what is actually their own inadequacy. They will talk about the father who abandoned them, the mother who didn’t love them, the teacher who discouraged them, the close friend or lover who betrayed them, and on and on.

To have freedom from resentment is to be so self-directed that you will not allow any person or circumstance to keep you from attaining the goals you have set for yourself. Freedom from resentment provides you a platform from which you can create, innovate, and focus on your positive future, rather than stay mired in your bothersome past or hurtful present. As a virtuous, highly successful entrepreneur, you will learn that the pure success you earn in your life is far sweeter than any bad feelings you could have harbored or any acts of revenge you could have carried out.

The way to gain freedom from resentment is to make yourself grow large enough internally to forgive the people who have wronged, betrayed, or otherwise treated you unfairly. Forgiveness is not easy, but it is easier than holding on to resentment, because resentment traps and holds you, while forgiveness sets you free to become all you can be.

Along the road to economic prosperity, there will be potholes and other rough spots that are designed to discourage and waylay you as you seek after true wealth—wealth that includes financial success. Remember that the Law of Attraction will bring you whatever you focus on in your mind. Don’t waste time and energy on negative thoughts of resentment because they will attract more negative things and people to your life. Forgive those who have wronged you, and the Lord God whom you have wronged will forgive you.

Evidence of a Call to Spiritual Order: The Sixth Virtue of Maat

 The Sixth Virtue of the Ten Virtues of Maat is evidence of a call to spiritual order. Spiritual order is that state of being that is fully aware that one cannot live for oneself and family alone: one has a call to destiny that goes beyond one’s own private sphere of living. One has the obligation and responsibility to live a virtuous life that impacts, influences, and encourages others to follow suit.

The old adage, “To whom much is given, much is required,” is in play here. Every successful entrepreneur is a leader, whether she or he understands that or not. A leader is someone who is followed. People who wish to become successful follow the lead of those they believe to be successful. Because people will be watching you as you develop into a highly successful individual, you must be a good example for them to follow.

You cannot afford to be selfish, stingy, or rude if you intend to obtain true wealth. You must show love, compassion, empathy, and personal discipline. You cannot live the kind of life that you’ve seen some rich people live. Your life must have meaning, purpose, and spiritual order. True wealth and long-term profitability can never reside in a person who lives a dissolute life—a life wasted in self-indulgence and self-absorption.

I am looking for people who are striving to obtain true wealth, who want to positively impact the lives of other people, and who are willing to live a life that can be emulated. There are many entrepreneurial-minded people out there who will make lots of money, but who will never be able to produce evidence of a call to spiritual order. I am not against such people: but they’re not the kind and caliber of people I want on my team. If you’re ready to pay the price that it will cost to live for more than money, then you should be in touch with me.

Showing Evidence of a Mission: The Fifth Virtue of Maat

 The Fifth Virtue of the Ten Virtues of Maat is showing evidence of a mission. There is more to the Virtuous Entrepreneur than merely earning a living or creating wealth for the family. There must be a sense of mission that is evidenced in the passion one exhibits for what one does. Passion is feeling; it is emotional involvement in the work undertaken. It is not cold-blooded, but warm-blooded engagement in providing the goods and/or services that one provides.

In a court of law, every fact must be proved by evidence that goes well beyond the mere speaking or articulation of a particular fact. There must be something more than talk, more than promise, more than the usual hype that accompanies all good advertisements. So, too, the Virtuous Entrepreneur must demonstrate evidence of a mission that grounds, rationalizes, and supports her or his business activities.

True wealth, in all its aspects, precedes and follows the Virtuous Entrepreneur. That is why the committed entrepreneur who is seeking more than mere financial wealth must develop her or his character to such an extent that the passion for excellence, dependability, and service to others becomes the evidence of a mission that envelops and consumes her or his life.

We exist for much more than eating, sleeping, working, having fun, and then getting up and doing that all over again. Each of us is here for a purpose—a purpose that makes life worth living for not only ourselves but also for everyone with whom we have the privilege to influence.

The secret to showing evidence of a mission is to find your purpose. When you have found your purpose, you will find your passion. And when you have found your passion, you will be the evidence that you have a mission.

My mission is to add value to everyone with whom I come in contact and to serve my clients by maximizing my own personal development, my highest and best use, and the resources I receive and create. Accordingly, I am passionate about preparing my clients to succeed to the point of being able to create true wealth for themselves and their families. That is why my commitment to speaking, teaching, training, supporting, and coaching clients—and adding value to them—is my evidence of a mission as a Virtuous Entrepreneur who continues to invest in true wealth for myself and each of my clients.

The Ability to Identify with Higher Ideals: The Fourth Virtue of Maat

 The fourth Virtue of the Ten Virtues of Maat is the ability to identify with higher ideals. This is an important virtue for aspiring entrepreneurs because it underscores the reality that true business success is geared to a higher standard than just making a profit. Although making a profit—and a substantial one—must be the financial goal of the entrepreneur, he or she must resonate with and have an affinity for identifying with higher ideals.

To provide people with goods and/or services that add value to their lives is a higher ideal than just making a profit. When an entrepreneur can serve people in a way that enriches their lives, then he or she can experience the satisfaction that comes with rendering such service. This behavior over a consistent time is the basis for referrals of business customers from already satisfied consumers. Advertising is necessary and good, but referrals are much better and their results last much longer.

When an entrepreneur chooses to run a business from the place of identifying with higher ideals, she or he is investing in people in a way that will come back in ways even more valuable than the money earned through the business transaction. A reputation for excellence, attention to detail, thoroughness, or dependability reflects an entrepreneur’s functioning with the higher ideals of exceptional service and value to the customer regardless of compensation.

One’s ability to identify with higher ideals sets one apart as virtuous—a status that is in scarce supply in the marketplace. Consequently, such a virtuous business person has little, if any, competition because consumers care about price, but they care more about the business experience. A customer’s good business experience with you will speak more volumes than all the ads, commercials, or digital marketing you will ever use.

My work with clients is motivated by the ability to identify with higher ideals. That’s why your success—both personal and business—drives my every interaction with you. I practice what I preach. If you can handle the virtuous manner in which I do business, then you’re probably a good prospective client.