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pamphletstoinspire · 7 years ago

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Why Would a Loving God Allow Suffering? - Part 9

II.E

Fifth Reason for an Imperfect World -- the Opportunity to Build the Kingdom of God

As noted above, suffering can be of invaluable assistance in leading us to our eternal and loving reward. In Section II.A we saw how suffering could be truly helpful to moving from a merely materialistic identity (Level 1) and an egocentric identity (Level 2), to a contributive, loving identity (Level 3) and a transcendently good and loving identity (Level 4). The movement toward a Level 3 / Level 4 identity is not for this world alone, for love is eternal by nature, and faith is oriented toward a loving eternity. Hence, any progress toward Level 3 and Level 4 is also progress toward the eternal Kingdom of God. If suffering helps us to progress toward Levels 3 and 4, it must also help us to progress toward the Kingdom of God.

The same holds true for the points made in Section II.C. We saw there how suffering could be helpful in embracing deeper empathy, humility, compassion, and agapē, and in Section II.B, we saw how suffering could be helpful in appropriating deeper courage and self-discipline, which are intrinsic to the pursuit of authentic love. Inasmuch as suffering is helpful in developing the elements and conditions of authentic love, and unconditional love is intrinsic to the eternal Kingdom of God, suffering must again be helpful in moving toward the Kingdom of God.

Furthermore, if Jesus was correct in asserting the unconditional love of His Father, then His intention is to redeem every dimension of suffering. Thus, whenever we suffer, God is already working through it to bring about optimal empathy, humility, authenticity, compassion, courage, and self-discipline, and through these, to bring about the optimal path toward eternal salvation in His love. We may not clearly apprehend the direction, timeline, and nuances of this plan, but we may be sure that an unconditionally loving God will do everything to optimize our salvation (without violating our and others’ freedom).

There are three other ways in which suffering is involved in the road to salvation:

(1) room to participate in building the kingdom,

(2) deeper appropriation of faith and greater participation in church community, and

(3) offering up our suffering as an act of love for the salvation of the world.

II.E.1

Room to Participate in Building the Kingdom

The more we cooperate with God’s plan to bring love and salvation out of suffering, the more we can become instruments of God’s hope, love, and salvation to others, which allows us, in turn, to be genuine participants in building the kingdom of God.

God does not need our perfect cooperation to bestow salvation upon us, because His love is unconditional and He can redeem and heal our imperfections beyond our limited powers. This is a very happy truth, because the vast majority of us (or perhaps I should speak only for myself) are incapable of even approaching perfect cooperation with God’s loving plan. Yet God has left enough room for us to participate in His work of salvation (albeit imperfectly) and so, the more we consciously cooperate with His plan, the more good we will be able to do for ourselves and others in the work of eternal salvation.

The above thought provokes a question: Why try to cooperate with God’s loving plan, if God will save repentant people (amidst their imperfections) anyway? Because cooperating with God’s loving plan will (1) make suffering less painful and depressing for us and others, (2) deepen our conversion toward authentic unconditional love more quickly (which brings us closer to true joy), and (3) help us to play an important role in actualizing eternal salvation. The first two points may by now be evident from the explanation of suffering given above, but the third point merits closer consideration. As noted in the previous section, God did not do everything for us. He created us in an imperfect world so that we might be able to make a significant contribution in bringing about both love in the world, and unconditional love in His eternal Kingdom.

Consider the following: God did not create a perfectly loving kingdom on earth. This is obvious not only in the imperfect natural world in which we live, but also in the millions of unloving human actions awaiting redemption in His future eternal kingdom. In God’s kingdom there will be no acts of unlove because God’s grace will eventually purify our freedom so that our actions truly reflect a pure desire to love authentically and unconditionally. Inasmuch as our freedom is not yet completely purified, the Kingdom of God is not and cannot be perfectly manifest on earth.

So how do we move from imperfect freedom to perfectly purified freedom? Christians believe this occurs through the redemptive act of Christ, our desire for His redemption, and the Holy Spirit working in our hearts and minds. We believe that Christ’s unconditionally loving death and resurrection, and the action of the Holy Spirit will redeem every person of good will (who even implicitly desires this redemption). Yet, Christ did not redeem the world in a way that would preclude us from participating in His work of salvation. Quite the contrary. Just as the Creator gives us room to make a better world, so also Christ gives us room to participate in the work of salvation. Paul acknowledges this in an often misinterpreted passage from the Letter to the Colossians:

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the divine office, which was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known…. (Col 1:24-25, italics mine).

At first glance, one might get the impression that Paul is saying that something is intrinsically lacking in the sufferings of Christ. This would be both heretical and self-refuting, for if something were lacking in Christ’s redemptive act (necessary for salvation) then we could not be saved! Paul clearly does not intend this for both doctrinal and logical reasons. Moreover, he argues the precise opposite many other times throughout his corpus.

One may also get the impression that Paul is being arrogant when he claims that he completes what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ. Once again, this must be a misinterpretation, because it conflicts with his desire for humility and love, and his awareness that humility and love are the essence of Christ and His Father.

So, what does he mean? He means that there is nothing necessary for salvation lacking in the sufferings of Christ, but that Christ has left enough room for us to participate in His redemptive work. Christ’s redemptive act (His incarnation and passion) constitutes an unconditional gift of self (an unconditional act of love) indelibly actualized and concretized in the world. This is sufficient to redeem every person who freely accepts it. Yet He does not complete every aspect of the propagation of this salvific love. Rather, He leaves this open for the Church and us to accomplish (partially). He gives us the Holy Spirit to help with this ministry, not to take it over. He lets us be His instruments and participate in the greatest of all possible earthly actions, namely, the propagation of His eternal love and joy. He allows us to play an integral part in giving His greatest gift to humankind. What could be a greater dignity, privilege, and purpose in life? What could be a greater joy?

Yet, as Paul makes clear, this great joy is punctuated by suffering (“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions”). Though Paul is speaking of his sufferings here, he is also implicitly referring to all our sufferings in spreading the Gospel and building the kingdom. It seems that the noble project of giving away the eternal and unconditional love of Christ can involve misunderstanding, misinterpretation, and even heresy. It can engender resentment, infighting, and jealousy; inauthenticity and hypocrisy; having to face false allegations for the sake of Christ, having to be courageous to stay true to his word, and having to make sacrifices of a thousand other kinds. This is why Jesus concludes the Beatitudes with the promise that every kind of persecution for the faith will be redeemed in the kingdom of God:

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you (Mt 5:11-12).

It seems that the privilege, purpose, and joy we have been given in preaching the unconditional love of God entails many pitfalls and sufferings, but there is no greater dignity or purpose we can have than this salvific project – because its effects are eternal. If we help someone to find faith and stay on the road to salvation, that has an eternal effect; if we help to prevent a person from discouragement, despair, or unbelief, that too has an eternal effect; and if we inhibit a destructive momentum – which might cause the loss of transcendence or virtue – within the culture, that too has an eternal effect. So if we are ridiculed, harassed, or even persecuted for doing these things, it is worth it – for it is a temporal sacrifice for an eternal effect. Moreover the trusting and courageous endurance of such sufferings can be an act of selfsacrificial love in imitation of Jesus who turned hatred and persecution into a self-sacrificial love for the world (see below Section II.E.4).

This is why St. Paul says, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake….” He knows that suffering is anything but meaningless because it is filled with eternal salvific significance. Paul rejoices because the eternal and unconditional dignity of the ministry he has been given far outweighs the sufferings he must endure to carry it out. This does not reduce the hardship of spreading the Gospel, but it does infuse that hardship with a profound meaning of eternal and unconditional love.

Furthermore, this hardship is a manifestation of our love, a purification of our freedom, an act of love for the One who redeemed us by His blood, a gift of self to complement Christ’s total gift of self on the cross. Thus, the suffering intrinsic to spreading the Gospel is not only filled with meaning – eternal meaning – but also with self-transformation and love destined to last throughout eternity.

II.E.2

Deeper Appropriation of Faith and Greater Participation in Church Community

Suffering also has a peculiar way of leading people to God and church community. This is clearly evidenced in 12-Step programs and in many adult re-conversions to religion. As noted above, suffering can compel us to look for more profound meaning in life, to seek purpose in places we had never anticipated, and to find meaning and consolation in those new places.

Most of us will probably settle for mediocrity and superficiality in our life’s purpose if we feel like our Level 1 and 2 needs are well met. This feeling is so satisfying that we would sacrifice breadth and depth of meaning in order to preserve it. Much of the time we would rather fill “on top of the world” in a very small world than to feel somewhat subordinated in a big world. The only way we can overcome this self-imposed superficiality is to give up the need to be “on the top of the world.” But how? Being on top of the world feels so good; it makes me feel so much better than everyone else; and that too makes me feel so good. It can sometimes be more addictive than drugs. How can I let go of the feeling of being on the top of the world in order to enter humbly into a huge domain over which I might only have a small influence, but one that will echo in its love throughout the many consciousnesses and “eternities” it affects? Think about it for a moment. If you’re anything like me, there seems to be one initial step, namely, suffering.

I grew up in a faith tradition, and so, when suffering and the feeling of powerlessness entered into my life, I reflexively turned toward God to hold the center when I could not hold it myself. I have known other people who did not grow up with faith and whose turning toward God had to be learned over the course of months or years in Alcoholics Anonymous (or other 12 Step programs), in religious counseling, through hospital chaplains during protracted medical treatments, through reading of religious books or magazines, or even through religious television and radio. In the case of those who are professed believers or agnostics, God has a way of appearing in the midst of suffering. When we reach out to Him in that suffering, we find that the sense of powerlessness is replaced with the consolation of God’s power in the midst of our humility and creatureliness. When we realize that we are powerless, we have a perfect opportunity for a radical humility opening upon radical faith. All that is required is an admission of our need for the One who is really at the center of reality – in the words of Alcoholics Anonymous, a “higher power.”

The radical admission of need (humility) allows the God of love to move into our center, for He would not do this unless we, in our freedom, invite Him to do so. Odd as it may seem, God’s love is so great that He will not impose Himself on us; He will not come into our lives if we do not want Him. He subjects Himself and His love to our freedom because He is unconditionally loving.

However, if we do invite God into our lives, to be our control, our center, a higher power, and to be Creator, then God most assuredly will enter into our lives to help us. This help may not be a direct solution to our problems, it may not be the help that we ask for or expect; but most assuredly this help will open us up to an awareness of His unconditional love. Much of the time, this awareness occurs through a church community.

The awareness of God’s love can occur on a variety of levels – some of them quite tacit. Sometimes it can be in the form of expressions or actions of love from fellow church members; other times it can come through clergy, or can leap off the page of the New Testament; sometimes it can be imbued with the beauty of church life: the beauty of the people serving in the church, the beauty of faith exemplified by those individuals, the beauty of the doctrine of Christian love, the beauty of the Eucharist, the sacraments, the liturgy, the liturgical year, the beauty of music, art and architecture, the beauty of tradition and the saints – we are invited into an ethos of beauty which leads deeper and deeper into the mystery of God’s love and majesty.

This mysterious beautiful love calls us into itself. It enchants us, fascinates us, enriches us, and fills us quietly but deeply. We become very interested in things theological; almost addicted to asking questions about God, heaven, Scripture, Tradition – everything having to do with this mysterious, beautiful love. God might not solve our problems or resolve our sufferings immediately, but He will make us aware of His mysterious, beautiful love through our admission of need, and He will invite us more deeply into that mystery, enchant and enrich us with it, and then lead us by His own path to a new meaning of life in humility, service, and love. To be sure, this path may not be easy, but in the long run, it will lead us out of abject superficiality into a life filled with transcendent Truth, Love, Goodness, Beauty, and Home, to a life betokening our eternal destiny of love with Him.

But that’s not all. When we have been “rescued” from a life of superficiality, meaninglessness, or hopelessness, we develop a natural inclination to share it with others. At this point, the Lord of love again inspires us, enflaming us with wisdom and energy, with knowledge and compassion, and with a love and faith beyond our temporal understanding, to go out and share the good news that we do not have to be at the center, we do not have to be in complete control. We can trust the One and only one who can be in complete control, and we can content ourselves with being a very small part of the utterly immense and eternal kingdom of love.

This desire to share the Word of hope with others, to share the Word that gives more than superficial life, the Word that reaches into mystery, perfection, and eternity builds on itself. When we see the depth and breadth, the hope and love, the richness and joy that comes from our ministry and service, we cannot resist the inspiration to do more – increasingly more. We want to serve the Lord of love who has made this possible for us. As we do this, we not only find an increased meaning, depth, love, and joy in our lives, we grow in certitude that we are being led. God then becomes for us more than higher power, more than Creator (though ironically this should be enough), He becomes the God of providential love concerned not just for me but for us, concerned to lead us toward greater freedom and love, caring enough to invite us into His very divine life of love. After living a life of service and ministry, one can scarcely doubt the love and the presence of God. Certitude has worked its way into our life experience through the acceptance of God’s invitation given to us in suffering.

The unfolding of these “loving tactics of God” has certainly been the story of my life, but I have seen it manifest even more profoundly in the lives of those with greater challenges than my own. Sometimes the people with the greatest challenges in life – physical, familial, mental – give some of the strongest and most articulate testimonies to the love of God. Their faith, peace, confidence, awareness of God, capacity for compassion, and above all, their joy and “being at home with God” are incredibly profound. I frequently find this to be a sign of God’s presence because I cannot fathom how they could have all these qualities without some direct inspiration from the God of love.

This holds true even for children, particularly those who face illness and physical deprivation. Many of the children I have met in hospitals, who are facing severe illnesses and even death, have a profound faith, peace, and confidence, which allows them to console their parents when their parents are incapable of consoling them. When I first heard children say, “Don’t worry, Mom – everything is going to be alright;” I used to think, “Well, that is the naïve optimism of a child.” But then I came to realize that most of these children didn’t think their life in this world was going to be all right; they thought their life with God would make everything all right. I asked some of these parents whether they had brought up their children in a religious household. Many of them had, but interestingly enough, many of the children who had not been brought up in a religious household expressed just as profound a peace and confidence in the life to come as the ones who had been raised with that expectation. One might maintain that this is yet another iteration of the naïve optimism of a child, but I don’t think so, because the prospect of death (powerful as this finality is) did not seem to shake the peace which these children felt.

One can make out of this whatever one wishes. But there is one major point, which is shared by children and adults who experience this “peace beyond all understanding” (Phil 4:7), namely, they both have acknowledged their need for God and have invited Him into their center. Children seem to do this naturally – not just with God, but also with their parents and with everyone else for that matter. That is the distinctive advantage of children. But adults can do this too; they can acquire the heart of a child; but they generally need to do this through suffering which causes them to invite God into their center, which, in turn, allows God to invite them more deeply into His mysterious loving beauty, which, in turn, induces them to serve God by sharing the life and meaning of eternal and perfect love, which, in turn, leads to peace beyond all understanding. Adults frequently need suffering to reach the state of abject openness to God. Children seem to possess it in their very being. Far from naïveté, they exemplify a confidence, peace, and love originating in God Himself.

#why does god allow suffering

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transcending-chaos · 7 years ago

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Writing Religions 101

Okay, so I’m not just gonna bitch about this tonight, here’s a quick 101 on writing these things. This is one heck of a long post, but hopefully it’ll explain things well enough.

CLASSIFICATIONS

There are measurements and rules as to what classifies/what is considered a religion, especially if you want to write an Organized Religion. As such, here are the definitions again, as well as what they entail:

Religion is a group of collected beliefs passed down either through generational storytelling, instruction, or conversion. These beliefs have significance, importance, and prevalence in the adherents’ society, social activities, personal lives, relationships, and world views

Basically, religions are (often) archaic or long-standing, established beliefs that have weathered the passage of time or transformed along with it. They spread via common story-telling, through writing, generational teachings, familial traditions, are have bearing in an individual adherent’s life in some form, even if it’s mild superstition. It is a cultural tool used to help inform a worldview, and teach the uninformed or uninitiated. Yes, this can be bad, and yes it can be good, but it needs to have impact that resonates with the masses- even if it’s contained to one area. The resonance and personal value is what quantifies it as a religion in the first place; yes this varies from person to person, but without that quality, validity, attachment, and lens to help view the world through, it is not considered a religion or faith.

If this sounds strange, that’s because you’re trying to measure and quantify feeling, emotional and spiritual attachment, and give it value to be measured by. It’s a hard thing to do, but it can be done. It’s the attachment of people and principles, their devotion, their community and connection with a cause and ideal that is bigger than themselves.

So, that’s the broadest definition I can give, now to the sub-categories.

Organized Religion is a religious structure, narrative, values, and set of beliefs specified in a formally established doctrine that has interpreters, leaders, and systems. These are post-literate, meaning written or containing documents, and can be read or translated.

Any religion with definitive text and interpreter (preacher, spiritual leader)

This means that the religion has been written down and there is a structure and format to the members. Be it a hierarchy with different tiers, a community with a single speaker who reads, defines, and provides context for the text, or a structure where people take turns, Organized Religions have to be organized. There are systems to keep order, often for the sake of keeping the message of the text clear and unified, and this is what allows Organized Religions to spread so easily when compared to their counterpart. They often have community outreach or influence, they have a tendency to be much larger than Folk Religions, as well as considered more ‘valid’ in the eyes of the law because of their prevalence and the beneficial value they bring to the masses.

Please note that Organized Religions do not always mean Theocracies, though if you’re going to make a believable theocratic structure, you might want to use this one because it’d be a larger threat.

Folk Religion is/are social concepts followed by groups of people often determined by old superstitions and regional practices.

This one is harder to define because it can be offensive or insinuate that a group’s customs or traditions are not a ‘valid’ religion. Everything from tribal religions, forgotten ancient customs that few still practice, to civil religions can be considered Folk Religion.

Folk Religions are like old wives’ tales that are specific to regions or smaller territories than Organized Religions, as well as not usually written down. These have a far greater emphasis on oral storytelling and generational teachings, and of the two, are the ones with more malleable symbols and structures, but ultimately the morals and messaging should reach the same conclusion. These tales are more like superstition, often subtle, and often very simple. Considering a black cat crossing your path as bad luck is an example, throwing salt over your left shoulder if you spill it is another. Heck, if a town has ghost stories that are shared and reiterated over generations, than that’s a form of Folk Religion.

Cult as a term used to refer to those devoted to certain sects of larger religions. (For instance those who were devoted to a certain Saint in Catholicism would be considered a cult, but they still followed the larger practices and doctrine of the Catholic teachings.)

New movements within larger religions were usually classified as cults before becoming established sects.

In the traditional sense, Cults really were just smaller facets of larger religions that were devoted to another god within a pantheon, a saint within the host, etc. Also, anything new or not established were considered cults, as they were not formally organized, as widespread, or long-standing as the other two types of religions.

In the modern sense, cults are groups that practice a predatory method of recruitment and extremist ideals. Cults can rise to the level of organized religions, but doing so takes great periods of time, devotion from followers, outreach, influence, etc.

WHY DO CLASSIFICATIONS MATTER?

Quite simply, it determines structure, influence, validity (as determined by law), acceptance by outsiders, and the gauge your characters’ faith will be measured by. These criteria are put in place so that no one can make up something and then just say it’s a religion to get out of doing something else or breaking a law; it’s a way of categorizing and verifying that something is indeed intrinsic to one’s way of life.

Religion *has* to matter to your world if you give it one; it must have impact in some way. Does this mean your character has to have faith? No, absolutely not. But if you mention religion or begin to hint at one, be prepared to at least write the basic ramifications/effects of it existing in your world.

WAYS RELIGION HAS IMPACT/THE ‘WHY’ OF HAVING RELIGION

Religions are forms of mythology, ways that were established to explain the world when people did not know much about it.

Religions pass down traditions and connect multiple generations of people

Religions can unify nations and create peace/community through common belief

Religions dictate morality, good conduct, bad conduct, and consequences for actions

Religions were used to maintain order during periods of great social change

Religions offered entertainment for the masses or distractions from hard work as most are filled with parables

Religions offer comfort, solidarity, and purpose to those who need/seek it (ie. ‘finding faith’)

These are all explanations of why we have religions to begin with; whether it’s an old mythology that was once used to explain the world, or a collection of stories that withstood the test of time and slowly was transformed into something greater, these are reasons we have religions today. You must have a why, be it because of people trying to make the world into something they could fathom, actual divine instruction/intervention, or something someone made up and established a long time ago to create an empire, there has to be a reason. There must be a catalyst: a prophet or leader, an event, an object, something that still holds great relevance and meaning in the current day and age.

If you want an old-world religion, then go with the myth, tradition, and morality reasons.

If you want a religion that’s being used to manipulate the way a certain group of people thinks and interprets the world (via a theocracy), then go the route of choosing unification, morality, maintaining order (to repress change), and comfort.

If you want more of a Folk Religion path, choose something more like morality and entertainment.

Yet whatever the case, keep in mind that in order for your religion to stay around in your world, it must have a redeeming value. This is why ‘comfort’ is on the list. People will ignore reason and fight for what makes them feel good. It’s a good scapegoat if you’re struggling to come up with other reasons.

IMPACT AND SYMBOLS

Here is where you let your creative side go nuts. Because your religion has relevance to groups of people and their worldview, it’s obviously impacted how they interact with the world. Your doctrine can be as broad or specific as you like, but it needs to have bearing on the world and/or it’s people. THERE MUST BE EFFECTS.

Symbols can be anything, for instance:

Christian Symbols:

-Christian Symbols focus predominantly on morality and the superiority of God

--Depending on what sect is using the symbols, certain images and techniques are more common

--Typically triumph Christian morals and viewpoints but these change based on the sects

-God Conquers All narrative

-Crosses (St. Peter’s Cross, the Crucifix) -humility, sacrifice, martyrdom, faith, carrying the weight of one’s sins

-Saints, Humans -servitude, reward, dedication, devotion, the images of God

-Angels -protection, devotion, messengers/heralds, divine interaction

-The Color Red -blood of Christ, sacrifice, fire and brimstone, hell and damnation

-The Color White -innocence, purity, virginity, perfection, divinity

-Theme of Unity and Edenic Worlds

-Theme of Virtue over Sin and/or Hypocrisy

-Theme of Conversion

Pagan Symbols

-Spirals and Knotwork -Pantheism, connection to all things

-Elements -Nature is Holy, Nature is God/powerful

-Magic -Transformation is necessary and natural, everyone and everything has power and importance

-Animals

--Predators are representative of savagery and forces greater than man

--Prey are humility, representative of humans, and how even the seemingly insignificant have important roles

--Sacrifices to or embodiments of God(s)

These symbols are highly malleable and change through the years to keep their relevance, but this is a rough outline of some very basic concepts.

Ultimately, choose your symbols with care and relevance to your created faiths.

WHY HAVE RELIGIONS AT ALL IN A NARRATIVE?

Aside from being a way to increase the scale of conflict to unfathomable and ancient wars between the very embodiments of good and evil, it’s a very easy way to get morals across as long as you’re clear in your messaging. Religions are very personal beliefs that are transcendental from culture to culture, relating themes in a concise manner (parables), and are often very human -because they have to relate to humans (I mean, in our world at least). They exist to fill needs, and whether those needs have gone and past are up to you in your narrative. Once again, they are cultural tools used to help inform a worldview, and teach the uninformed or uninitiated.

The possibilities are endless, but treat them with care.

For instance Religions can impact:

-Arts: fashion/visual arts/music/poetry/writing

-Sciences: the progression of how fields go forwards/sponsoring new fields of study

-Humanities: social structures/hierarchies/types of (un)favorable behavior/values of society

Literally anything and everything can be affected by religion, entire societies rise and fall with it.

These are just the most essential elements you need to write something that qualifies as a religion in your works. The broadness of the terms gives you a lot of room to explore, but it has to have substance, meaning, relevance, and an effect. Remember, you’re trying to validate and quantify things that are, by nature, unquantifiable.

#thoughts on writing #i will fix any typos later but holy heck man #this was long

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askkrenko · 8 years ago

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Lets say you were in control of Magic and could replace a color. Which color would you eliminate and what would you replace it with? (like, I would take out the philosophy of white and replace it with something that was more community and peace, and less oppressive law)

I mean, this starts with the assumption that I think the color pie is inherently flawed, and I don’t. I think it could use a bit of redrawing and clarifying, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it...

And I don’t think your view of White is accurate. White is about community and peace and oppressive law. Every color is about a good concept that is dangerous when taken to extremes. Black is about self-betterment, red is about emotional fulfillment, green is about natural connection, white is about order, and blue is about knowledge. White has plenty of cards that are about oppressive law, sure, but it also has plenty of cards like Pacifism and Holy Day that are just about how fighting is bad and lets not do it.

After twenty five years, basically anything that could be in the color pie has been assigned to one of the five colors, and it usually fits pretty well. Replacing a color with a new one would really require changing the other colors as well, in order to find them an appropriate part of the pie.

But you want an answer. So if one color had to go, I’d say Black. This isn’t a dislike of black, but that Black’s unique effects and particular portion of the color pie seem the least necesarry to the game. Red and White both have lots of creature removal, white has reanimation. Any color can spend life for added effect, even if Black is the one that does it the most. It’s really just the hand disruption. As far as a philosophy, having one color be ‘self interest” seems like it could be the most easy to remove, as every color has that already. Red, White, Blue, and Green all want to do what’s best for themselves, they just believe in different bests. Red believes what’s best for themselves is fulfilling their emotions, Green believes it’s being at one with the world, Blue believes knowledge is power, and White wants to create a strong, healthy society. Having a color of “I want to do what’s best for me” and “I will make sacrifices to win” isn’t as necessary for a system.

So, what would I replace it with, to balance Emotion, Logic, Order, and Nature? Capability. Black already has shades of this, but my theoretical replacement here is less about getting ahead on the backs of others and more about the idea of a meritocracy, that while all may be born equal, skill and ability allows one to shine above the rest... And while Black would normally say “This means everyone should just do what they can with what they have,” my color here, Yellow, is about creating a system where everyone can become the most skilled they can possibly be, finding a proper job for everyone with means of advancement, and giving proper rewards for those who do well. It falls between Blue and White on the color pie, allied with White when trying to uphold a system that puts the best atop (but at odds when it wants this to be based solely on capability) and with Blue in that it favors working hard for improvement (but at odds in that it believes that might and intuition can be as important as knowledge.)

Mechanically, it steals a significant portion of Blue’s Countermagic- flavored as being able to stop, block, or parry enemy attacks- while Blue gets a hold of Black’s old discard mechanics (now flavored as direct mental attacks.) Its creatures come in two major categories: Supports and finishers. Yellow does not favor a go wide strategy at all. It wants one big creature to win the game on its own, and other creatures are there to protect and improve that creature. Unlike Blue, though, its one game winning creature is relatively quick and aggressive. Mechanics like evergreen Exalted and the “loner” mechanic reward you for attacking with only one creature at a time. Its spell specializations are on combat tricks and auras, improving your creatures while they’re doing their thing in a way that none of the current colors particularly focus on. Creature auras are pretty bad overall, so Yellow would have very good ones. Further, Yellow would like Enchantments as much as Blue likes Artifacts. (Stealing a bit from White, but White very rarely goes ‘all in’ enchantment anyway.) Equipment would still be White’s wheelhouse; Yellow feels that a sword is just a tool, and that strong weaponry is a crutch, while enchantment magic is a permanent improvement to you or at least the casting of it is intrinsically part of you. Ultimately, Yellow is a color of a tempo strategy; play one strong creature and use your other spells to prevent your opponent from stopping it or make it kill them faster.

With this change, Blue and Red become allies, and their overlap is the Selfishness that used to be core to Black. While Blue would rather use intelligence and Red would rather just do, both lean away from the idea of community and would rather make their own rules. Blue feels the rules should be made by whoever is capable of making them, while Red just doesn’t want there to be rules at all. A lot of formerly Black characters now become Red or Blue.

Reanimation magic moves to White here, now flavored as full heals, while Undead get pushed into Green, absorbing the Golgari idea that this is just part of the natural cycle. Green reanimation spells almost never bring back the creature itself- we don’t want to combine that with Green’s ginormous creatures- but instead make zombie tokens by exiling the original card. This often keeps power and toughness, but only keeps original abilities if the reanimation is part of the creature card rather than a spell. The idea of Necromancers is fundamentally changed in universe, meaning some formerly Black characters have a hard time adapting.

Notable fictional characters who are Yellow:

Goku and Vegeta (Their only care is about being strong for the sake of being strong; they almost never use this power for real benefit)

Ash Ketchum (Wants to be the very best like no one ever was, lives in a world where the most important people are the best at pokemon battling.)

Lex Luthor (Believes humanity needs to be led by the best and brightest humans, gets surly when aliens step in to help because he believes it undermines Humanity’s growth and accomplishments.)

Many religions, and in-game many cults, become Yellow here, as the idea of serving one powerful being so that they may save you is a Yellow one if the reason you’re worshipping them is because you respect their power and their ability to do the thing. Wanting to be on the ‘winning team’ is a Yellow ideal, and so Magic’s demons and demon worshipers are primarily Yellow (which lends itself to a deck of ‘summon one demon to win the game on its own.) If you follow the powerful being because you agree with other ideals, then that just pushes you into that color. This means Yellow characters wind up serving characters of all colors.

So, all in all, the new Yellow I came up with still has a lot of overlap with Black, because basically all options have been divided into the color pie by now, but I think it’s still distinct from Black in enough ways.

Good question, that was fun. I now posit that same question to everyone else: If you were going to cut a color and add a color, what would you do and how would that rearrange the color pie and what colors have what?

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robhainesauthor · 8 years ago

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The World Ends With Youth

This is a reprint from Unwinnable Weekly #66 (22 October 2015), available to buy here.

You wake to the same music you heard yesterday, the same music you'll hear tomorrow. The bustle of the busy street is too loud. Who are those people rushing to work, to school, back-and-forth like shadows? You don't know, don't care. They're not important. Head down, 'phones on, don't make eye contact. You'll get by just fine without them.

What's the point of other people, anyway?

---

The World Ends With You’s protagonist Neku initially seems cut from the same antisocial amnesiac cloth as Final Fantasy's Cloud and Squall. Yet where those archetypal teenagers often felt teenage by design only - young men emotionally stunted for the purposes of plot and marketing - Neku is utterly defined by his adolescence. The epitome of teenage isolation, he's tried to understand other people, but his total lack of adult empathy makes them intrinsically unknowable, an unsolvable enigma. Faced with this failure, he cuts himself off from the rest of humanity with his iconic headphones; everyone else is just noise, unnecessary complication.

When Neku wakes up lost in the crush of Shibuya's iconic Scramble Crossing - his memories taken as entry fee for the Reapers' Game, an otherworldly contest for the recently-deceased to fight for a second chance at life - he's forced to reassess these preconceptions. Under attack by physical manifestations of the hated Noise, it isn't until he teams up with another Player, budding fashion designer Shiki, that he's able to fight back. If he can't learn to cooperate with his new ally, to make friends and forge alliances with the other teenagers trapped in the Reapers' Game, he faces erasure. Only by surviving seven days of increasingly challenging trials can Neku win his promised resurrection, and to do that he's going to have to trust his partner, leave behind self-centred introversion and take his first steps towards emotional maturity.

While adolescent protagonists are an overused default in JRPGs, adolescence is rarely anything but lazy shorthand. The stereotypical teenager is driven by a desire to shrug off parental influence, leaves home to forge a place in society, and in the process needs the workings of the adult world explained to them by those they meet along the way. Plot elements can be easily concealed by a teenager's lack of self-awareness and reticence to share secrets or show weakness, and any meagre character arc feels dramatic when it begins with a blank slate. Rarely does a narrative attempt to explore the realities of passing through adolescence, the confusion and conflicting expectations of growing up and being expected to navigate the complex rules and systems of adult life with little explanation.

By comparison, Neku's journey is a teen odyssey. Shibuya is presented as an adolescent playground, its disorienting web of streets and alleyways lined with all manner of music and clothes stores, ramen restaurants and fast food joints, concert venues and a hipster cafe run by an enigmatic graffiti artist who may or may not be ultimately responsible for the existence of the Game. Bands gather to argue in the street, while hyper-popular fashionista bloggers descend upon their chosen delicatessen du jour, driving their fans into a fury of consumerism. Collectible pin-badges are released by noted local designers, change hands for extortionate prices, then are smashed into each other in a playground game somewhere between marbles and conkers. Friends shop together, break up, make up, break up, make up, promise never to argue again. The latest tunes blare from mobile phone speakers while faceless businessmen scurry past like shadows on their way to whatever soul-crushing tedium consumes their days. If it wasn't for the threat of casual annihilation by passing Reapers - and the demonic-red countdown timer seared into the back of his hand - perhaps Neku could've eventually found some semblance of maturity wandering these streets within the protective aegis of his headphones.

Plunged into the Reapers' Game, however, Neku is forced to rise to a challenge he doesn't understand, bound by arbitrary rules and restrictions, utterly reliant on other people with their own conflicting agendas. His natural inclination to withdraw is denied by the necessity of cooperation - it's made clear from the outset that a Player with no partner is defenseless against the Noise - and it's only through Shiki's quick thinking when she first encounters Neku that his aversion to teamwork doesn't immediately get them both erased. Depriving him of his childish escape from the real world is a vital step towards emotional adulthood, of learning to trust people's intentions rather than dismissing them as unknowable.

Easing his passage into this enlightened state is a distinctive skull graffito pinbadge that all Players receive upon entering the Game, granting them telepathic powers over the living world. As Neku hurries through the streets of Shibuya on his Reaper-assigned tasks, he can peer through the veil and listen in on the thoughts and aspirations of the bustling masses he's tried so hard to ignore. Sometimes the missions require him to interfere with the real world, incepting concepts to nudge someone onto a different path, but more often than not Neku is merely a voyeur, the pin giving him the opportunity to look past someone's public façade and see the person beneath. It's another pillar of revelation on which his maturity is built, a symbolic awakening of empathy for other human beings.

But the Player pin's powers are limited to the living. Other Players are immune to its effects, so Neku must somehow trust them without the crutch of knowing their innermost thoughts. If he can accept Shiki for who she is, accept help from Beat and Rhyme and the other Players not yet eliminated, perhaps they can all reach the end of the Game unscathed.

---

Just as in the real world, nothing in The World Ends With You is quite that simple. The black-winged Reapers controlling the Game are far from neutral arbiters; in the manner of Greek gods, they pick favourites, set impossible tasks and incite moral dilemmas, toying with their prey before snuffing them out with all the empathy of a magnifying glass-wielding toddler. Beyond the petty machinations of low-ranking Reapers, the Game itself reflects the power struggles at the top of Reaper hierarchy, and Neku soon discovers he's little more than a pawn in a much larger game with the fate of all humankind at stake.

Despite the illusion of structure and clearly defined conditions for victory, the adults in charge of the Game have absolute power over the ever-shifting rules. The Reaper grunts in red hoodies loitering on Shibuya's street corners block Neku's path on a whim, demanding petty appeasement akin to schoolyard hazing before they'll deign to let you pass, while their immediate superiors vie amongst themselves to erase Players to both boost their own lifespan and advance their careers. Invisible, impassable walls spring up to herd Players like running bulls through their designated missions, truly little more than busy-work: an arbitrary gauntlet to weed out the weak and uncooperative. Without understanding the true motives of the triumvirate of Reapers vying for power over the Game, Neku has no chance of winning his freedom; a truth only fully brought home when his triumph on the seventh day is annulled, propelling him into a second week of the Game - and then a third - without Shiki at his side.

The recurring seven-day structure is key; it implies not only that there are set rules to the Game, but that it's possible to become good enough to win within the boundaries of those rules. It's the same uncomfortable fallacy society promises all teenagers as they approach adulthood: join the System, play the Game by the Rules, and if you work hard and don't make a fuss you too can Win. The seven-day structure aligns our expectations to Neku's, and we share his confusion and betrayal each time his well-earned victory is snatched away on a technicality. He's once more plunged into the crucible to be tempered by other partners, the infuriating and secretive Joshua, and Beat, a Player-turned-Reaper.

---

Despite widespread acclaim, The World Ends With You was criticised on release for being unnecessarily obtuse, its systems interlocking in often counter-intuitive fashion. The combat is strikingly unorthodox, your party fighting simultaneous fast paced real-time battles on the Nintendo DS's two screens, torn apart but forced to work in sync. Neku and his partner share a health bar, as do their opponents - who exist in both fights simultaneously - yet the two screens play nothing alike. Neku's is an isometric touch-oriented brawl of sweeping stylus strokes, frantic tapping and split-second evasion as the suite of pinbadges which power your abilities recharge. Meanwhile, your partner combos through strings of D-pad mapped attacks, each chain matching cards to fuel screen-wiping superpowers. It's initially baffling, and beyond a static tutorial screen little effort is made to help you understand the intricacies of the combat.

It helps that you're given responsibility for the degree of challenge you wish to face, neatly sidestepping concerns of whether you'll grok the game's systems. If you're unable to cope with the rub-your-stomach-pat-your-head synchronicity of the combat, you can delegate your partner's actions to a mildly inefficient AI, while a generous difficulty slider is freely available to be tweaked at whim. Characters and pinbadges level up in typical RPG fashion - even when you're not playing the game - making grinding an option if you get stuck, but this is neatly balanced by a strong risk-reward incentive: by choosing to temporarily sacrifice character levels you boost the drop rate of ultra-rare pinbadges only available on harder difficulties, which can be further enhanced by stacking multiple fights together into a single overwhelming encounter.

Viewed as part of this confusion, the combat is thematically apt. It's a wake-up call, a declaration to the player that things aren't going to be comfortable and familiar, and just like Neku, you're going to have to try to keep up. Just like the transition to adulthood, the key is gaining enough competence to survive, and after that you can choose to either strive for mastery or settle for doing the absolute minimum.

Critically, The World Ends With You's opening hour is very clearly intended to be baffling, to unsettle the player and characters in equal measure. Neku is torn from his oblivious teenage existence and wakes up already fighting for his life, while the arbitrary nature of the Game's objectives, the opaque motivations of the Reapers and Neku's own struggles to remember who he is and how he died all contribute to the sense of being carried along by unfathomable tides, desperate to stay afloat. Outside the cocoon of childhood it's impossible to know everything; adults often have to figure things out as they go, and for the first time Neku is forced to engage with the adult world - abstracted into Reapers and Games – and discovers it to be more complex than he could possibly imagine. Like the rest of us, he can only push forward and hope he learns enough about how things work before his ignorance of everything else destroys him.

For the player, the chaos of battle accentuates this desperate sense of displacement: two screens full of tribal-tattooed kangaroos and missile-launching porcupines, demonic rhinos and concrete-dwelling landsharks, two different sets of evasions and attacks competing for your fine motor control as you dash between foes and unleash devastation with a fury of taps and flicks. Alternating combos between your characters boosts your damage further, synchronising their disparate actions into a single stream of discordant aggression. In mastering this unconventional combat, you're bringing Neku and his partners to a new understanding: teamwork isn't easy, but if you trust in your friends, learn their rhythms and support their weaknesses, you'll achieve things you never would have been capable of on your own.

Empathy isn't just an unintended side-effect of the Reapers' Game, but a prerequisite for the emotional maturity Neku must attain before he - and his newfound friends - can bring the Game to its necessary conclusion. The Game acts as both a literal and symbolic purgatory through which he must pass to enter adulthood, but as the Game begins to unravel around him he discovers its true purpose: to judge whether humankind deserves its continued existence. If the kid who wanted nothing to do with other people is now unable to prove their inherent worth to the godlike figures passing judgement upon them, there may be no adulthood for him to return to.

He can't save the world alone, but when the credits roll, it's not Shibuya that's changed. It's Neku, a child no longer, his eyes finally open to the world he's abjured for so long.

---

If you enjoyed this piece, please consider supporting the good folks at Unwinnable with a subscription to Unwinnable Monthly.

#unwinnable #twewy #the world ends with you #videogames #critique #essay

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ahopkins1965 · 5 years ago

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LIFE AFTER DEATH?

Death Is Not the End (Part Seven)

Death Is Not the End (Part Five)

The Second Death

Life Is Service (Part One)

Comfort One Another With These Words

Taking It Through the Grave

Heaven Must Wait

Resurrection AD 31

Jesus and 'the Spirits in Prison'

What Happened to the Thief on the Cross? (Part One)

Is There a Hell?

Disproving Hell

Lazarus and the Rich Man

Is Your Soul Immortal?

Trumpets and Hope

Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Part One)

Was Jesus Dead?

The Resurrection From the Dead

Is Heaven the Reward of the Saved?

Whatever Happened to Gnosticism? Part Three: Satan's Three Heresies

The Sin of Partiality

by Dan Elmore

Forerunner, "Ready Answer," July 2007

Topics

Bias

Christian Unity

Church Problems

Competition

Division, Causing

Elitism

Equality

More...

Respect or Respect of Persons?

What Sin Is & What Sin Does

God's Way of Give at the Feast of Tabernacles

The Weightier Matters (Part 2): Judgment

James and Unleavened Bread (Part Two)

The Church Family - Convinced and Persuaded

Mercy and Justice

More...

"My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality." —James 2:1

Back in the 1970s, in Norwalk, California, when I was seeking to be baptized, I was trying to quit smoking. I found that it required that I keep quitting, because I kept finding a cigarette in my hand. It was such an ingrained habit that I did it without thinking. Each time I did, I would leave the rest of the pack some place where I could not recover it.

One night during this time, my family went to the home of some friends for a barbeque. Out of habit, I lit a cigarette and took a drag. As I blew the smoke out, I overheard my mother bragging to our host that I had quit smoking. My mom had been blinded by her partiality toward me and my abilities, and I felt horrible that I had caused her shame and disappointment. Realizing this helped me to quit the disgusting habit for good.

James 2:1 broaches the topic of partiality: "My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality." The King James Version translates this virtually the same way except that instead of "partiality," it reads "respect of persons." In many ways, "respect of persons" is a plainer translation of the Greek, since that is exactly what the apostle is fighting: church members respecting some people over others.

Since we, too, are members of God's church, it is beneficial to take a closer look at this idea of partiality or respect of persons from time to time. This problem frequently rears its ugly head, causing trouble among brethren, so it is good to know what it is and how it manifests itself in a congregation.

Definitions

First, we need to make sure that we understand the full implications of partiality by reviewing some definitions of the term. Webster's Dictionary defines partial as "biased to one party; inclined to favor one party in a cause, or one side of a question, more than the other; not indifferent." A second meaning emphasizes favoring something "without reason," and a third, "affecting a part only; not general or universal; not total," implies dividing or separating things apart from the whole.

Another tool we can use to get a better grasp of a term is to see how other translations of a particular Bible verse use it. Here are several alternate translations of James 2:1:

International Standard Version: My brothers, do not practice your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ by showing partiality.

New International Version: My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.

Good News Translation: My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance.

James Moffatt Translation: My brothers, as you believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Glory, pay no servile regard to people.

William Barclay Translation: My brothers, you cannot at one and the same time believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ and be a snob.

The New Testament in Modern English: Don't ever attempt, my brothers, to combine snobbery with faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ!

Amplified Bible: My brethren, pay no servile regard to people [show no prejudice, no partiality]. Do not [attempt to] hold [and] practice the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of Glory, [together with snobbery]!

This term, rendered variously as "partiality," "favoritism," "respect of persons," "servile regard," and "snobbery" in James 2:1, is prosôpolepsía in Greek, and it is very close in meaning to the English word partiality. Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words expands on its meaning: "[It is] the fault of one who, when responsible to give judgment, has respect to the position, rank, popularity, or circumstances of men, instead of their intrinsic conditions, preferring the rich and powerful to those who are not so. . . ."

Armed with this understanding, we can explore some of the occasions when partiality occurs. For instance, parents almost always display partiality for their own children over other people's children, which is only natural, but sometimes they favor one of their own children over his or her sibling(s). This is bound to have disastrous results at some point.

People also make economic distinctions, showing a bias for one brand of car, clothing, appliance, or laundry soap. Some are partial to stocks and bonds, while others prefer to invest in land, gold, or commodities. Such preferences are usually just personal opinions due to habit, experience, advertising, or personal recommendation.

Of course, there are racial, social, religious, and political prejudices. We read or hear of such biases frequently. Many of these kinds of partialities can get one in trouble with the group in question, the law, the community, or the church, depending on how radically a person displays them. Even in supposedly free and equal societies, prejudices abound, as they are part of human nature.

Further, intellectual snobbery and elitism abound. Those who have advanced degrees too often look down their noses at those whose educational achievements were stymied by a lack of opportunity or funds or plain bad grades in school. Though it is more rare, a reverse intellectual snobbery has been known to exist among poorly educated Americans from time to time.

In the church, we often witness the "holier than thou" individual who wears his spirituality on his sleeve for all to see. He is quick to criticize others for their shortcomings, drawing away from fellowship with them for their "lack of conversion." Such a person is showing a bias toward his idea of righteousness, which, as we know, is called "self-righteousness."

There are many other kinds of partiality, and if one keeps an eye out for them, they are easy to spot. Respect of persons is part of the underside of the human condition, so it is not surprising that the Bible presents so many illustrations of it.

Biblical Examples

God provides us with dozens of examples of men and women who were partial to various people or things, and along with the examples come important lessons we can learn to avoid their mistakes. Sometimes, a right and godly favoritism is shown—particularly by God Himself—and an unrighteous, human reaction causes a great deal of trouble. Yet, more often, human partiality toward or against others opens the proverbial can of worms. A number of examples come immediately to mind.

»When God accepted Abel's offering but rejected Cain's—favor based on obedience and proper attitude—hatred, jealousy, resentment, and murderous rage resulted (see Genesis 4). This first example is one of godly favor taken badly.

»Through favoritism, Isaac (toward Esau) and Rebecca (toward Jacob) instilled a spirit of competition, strife, and resentment between the two brothers, which led to an even-now ongoing feud, more than 3,500 years later (see Genesis 25 and 27)!

»Jacob's partiality to Rachel was the source of a great deal of hostility and scheming among Jacobs's wives and concubines (see Genesis 30). This also created rivalries between their sons.

»Jacob's favoritism for Joseph made his half-brothers so jealous that they were ready to murder him (see Genesis 37). Instead, they "only" sold him into slavery, telling their father that he had been torn to pieces by a wild beast. This caused the patriarch no end of grief.

»Through his partiality as a father, Eli allowed himself to become complacent to the gross sins of his two sons (see I Samuel 2—4). This led both to calamity for Eli's house and national defeat at the hands of the Philistines.

»King David's partiality blinded his eyes to his children's evil actions, particularly Amnon's rape of his half-sister, Tamar; and Absalom's murder of Amnon and his rebellion against David himself (see II Samuel 13—18). Later, he ignored Adonijah's preparations to take over his throne, in spite of his expressed desire to have Solomon succeed him (see I Kings 1).

»In the story of Esther, Haman's prejudice almost cost the lives of all the Jews living in the Persian Empire (see Esther 3—8). Only an act of great courage and self-sacrifice saved the Jews from annihilation.

The Bible contains a host of other examples that thoroughly demonstrate the insidiousness of this potential sin. It is clear that the effects of partiality are the real problem. A person can have the best of intentions and reasons for his bias—as God's favor certainly is—but the reactions of those not in favor cause events to spin out of control. At other times, and certainly in most cases of human bias, the respect of persons is clearly wrong from the outset, and the carnal reactions of those it affects just makes matters worse.

Emulating God

In his epistle, the apostle James is combating the practice of showing favoritism toward the wealthy at the expense of poorer brethren. He asks in James 2:4, in doing so, "have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?" Here, he gets to the crux of the problem. As converted children of God, we are supposed to be able to make righteous judgments through the gift of God's Spirit. However, when we show partiality or respect of persons, we have allowed evil thoughts to compromise our judgment.

The Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary emphasizes that "the sin in question [respect of persons] is peculiarly inconsistent with His 'faith.'" Christ died for all, rich and poor alike, and His doctrine consistently stresses the spiritual equality of believers and unity in a brotherhood of believers. Thus, preferring one person over another because of wealth or status introduces an element of wickedness into Christian relations: division.

Matthew Henry agrees:

The apostle is here reproving a very corrupt practice. He shows how much mischief there is in the sin of prosôpolepsía—respect of persons, which seemed to be a very growing evil in the churches of Christ even in those early ages, and which, in these after-times, has sadly corrupted and divided Christian nations and societies.

. . . You who profess to believe the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, which the poorest Christian shall partake of equally with the rich, and to which all worldly glory is but vanity, you should not make men's outward and worldly advantages the measure of your respect. In professing the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, we should not show respect to men, so as to cloud or lessen the glory of our glorious Lord: how ever any may think of it, this is certainly a very heinous sin.

What about God's supposed favoritism for His chosen people? For many centuries, it seemed as if God was partial toward Israel in that only Israelites had an opportunity for salvation. From our perspective today, we know that He was working solely through Israel only for the time being, preparing a people for the coming of His Son in the flesh.

After Jesus' resurrection, God soon opened salvation to the Gentiles too, as related in the story of Cornelius in Acts 10. In verses 34-35 of this chapter, Peter draws a conclusion from his experiences with the vision of the animals let down in a sheet from heaven and with the conversion of the household of Cornelius: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him."

In Romans 2:11, speaking of the righteous judgment of God, Paul repeats this point: "For there is no partiality with God," a truth Paul understood from the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 10:17). To the Galatians, the apostle makes the spiritual equality of Christians even more specific: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28; see I Corinthians 12:13; Colossians 3:11).

It is clear that God is not a respecter of persons, giving everyone an equal opportunity for salvation and judging all by the same standards. And certainly, we should want to be like God, respecting every member of the church as an equal brother or sister in Christ.

English playwright George Bernard Shaw wrote, "We educate one another, and we cannot do this if half of us consider the other half not good enough to talk to." The church of God is an educational institution, and every member has a part to play in helping to build up others as they prepare for God's Kingdom. Eliminating biases and prejudices will go a long way toward bringing unity and growth to God's church.

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FURTHER READING

Respect or Respect of Persons?

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ncmagroup · 5 years ago

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Travis Bradberry

What makes you happy at work? Maybe you have a great boss who gives you the freedom to be creative, rewards you for going the extra mile and helps you to reach your career goals.Maybe you have none of the above and are updating your résumé as we speak.

It’s pretty incredible how often you hear managers complaining about their best employees leaving, and they really do have something to complain about—few things are as costly and disruptive as good people walking out the door.

But managers tend to blame their turnover problems on everything under the sun while ignoring the crux of the matter: people don’t leave jobs; they leave managers.

Bad management does not discriminate based on salary or job title. A Fortune 500 executive team can experience more dissatisfaction and turnover than the baristas at a local coffee shop. The more demanding your job is and the less control you have over what you do, the more likely you are to suffer. A study by the American Psychological Association found that people whose work meets both these criteria are more likely to experience exhaustion, poor sleep, anxiety, and depression.

The sad thing is that this suffering can easily be avoided. All that’s required is a new perspective and some extra effort on the manager’s part to give employees autonomy and make their work feel less demanding. To get there, managers must understand what they’re doing to kill morale. The following practices are the worst offenders, and they must be abolished if you’re going to hang on to good employees.

#1 Overworking people

Nothing burns good employees out quite like overworking them. It’s so tempting to work the best people hard that managers frequently fall into this trap. Overworking good employees is perplexing for them as it makes them feel as if they’re being punished for their great performance. Overworking employees is also counterproductive. New research from Stanford showed that productivity per hour declines sharply when the workweek exceeds 50 hours, and productivity drops off so much after 55 hours that you don’t get anything out of working more. Talented employees will take on a bigger workload, but they won’t stay if their job suffocates them in the process. Raises, promotions, and title-changes are all acceptable ways to increase workload. If managers simply increase workload because people are talented, without changing a thing, these employees will seek another job that gives them what they deserve.

#2 Holding people back

As an employee, you want to bring value to your job, and you do so with a unique set of skills and experience. So how is it that you can do your job so well that you become irreplaceable? This happens when managers sacrifice your upward mobility for their best interests. If you’re looking for your next career opportunity, and your boss is unwilling to let you move up the ladder, your enthusiasm is bound to wane. Taking away opportunities for advancement is a serious morale killer.

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Management may have a beginning, but it certainly has no end. When blessed with a talented employee, it’s the manager’s job to keep finding areas in which they can improve to expand their skillset and further their career. The most talented employees want feedback—more so than the less talented ones—and it’s a manager’s job to keep it coming. Otherwise, people grow bored and complacent.

#3 Playing the blame game

A boss who is too proud to admit a mistake or who singles out individuals in front of the group creates a culture that is riddled with fear and anxiety. It’s impossible to bring your best to your work when you’re walking on eggshells. Instead of pointing fingers when something goes wrong, good managers work collaboratively with their team and focus on solutions. They pull people aside to discuss slip-ups instead of publicly shaming them, and they’re willing to accept responsibility for mistakes made under their leadership.

#4 Frequent threats of firing

Some managers use threats of termination to keep you in line and to scare you into performing better. This is a lazy and shortsighted way of motivating people. People who feel disposable are quick to find another job where they’ll be valued and will receive the respect that they deserve.

#5 Not letting people pursue their passions

Talented employees are passionate. Providing opportunities for them to pursue their passions improves their productivity and job satisfaction, but many managers want people to work within a little box. These managers fear that productivity will decline if they let people expand their focus and pursue their passions. This fear is unfounded. Studies have shown that people who are able to pursue their passions at work experience flow, a euphoric state of mind that is five times more productive than the norm.

#6 Withholding praise

It’s easy to underestimate the power of a pat on the back, especially with top performers who are intrinsically motivated. Everyone likes kudos, none more so than those who work hard and give their all. Managers need to communicate with their people to find out what makes them feel good (for some, it’s a raise; for others, it’s public recognition) and then to reward them for a job well done. With top performers, this will happen often if you’re doing it right. This doesn’t mean that managers need to praise people for showing up on time or working an eight-hour day—these things are the price of entry—but a boss who does not give praise to dedicated employees erodes their commitment to the job.

Bringing it all together

If managers want their best people to stay, they need to think carefully about how they treat them. While good employees are as tough as nails, their talent gives them an abundance of options. Managers need to make people want to work for them.

Go to our website: www.ncmalliance.com

6 things that kill morale in the workplace Travis Bradberry What makes you happy at work? Maybe you have a great boss who gives you the freedom to be creative, rewards you for going the extra mile and helps you to reach your career goals.Maybe you have none of the above and are updating your résumé as we speak.

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masonsoizaom-blog · 6 years ago

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Mason Soiza | The Prospective of the Third Generation of Technology Entrepreneurs

An Excerpt from the book Zero to One Million: Just How to Build a Business to One Million Dollars in Sales

Given that the beginning of the modern technology age there have actually been 3 generations of business owners. The first generation contained individuals like Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, EDS billionaire Ross Perot, as well as indeed, even Bill Gates, currently over 50. These individuals "obtained it" back then before the Web. They were the "change entrepreneurs" and also were integral in bringing the United States into the Info Age.

Next off on the scene were the guys and girls that grew up with Commodore 64s, Atari, and Ronald Reagan. From this very first type of Internet Age entrepreneurs came individuals like Jerry Yang, CEO of Yahoo!, Pierre Omidyar of eBay, as well as Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com. All born essentially in the late sixties, these people matured seeing the growth of computer systems and also were prepared to jump on the opportunity they saw in late 1994. They did well, as well as their firms tripled and also quadrupled annually from 1995-1999. These guys were the frontrunners as well as were smart enough to see the possibility of the Web twelve or thirteen years earlier, maybe the reason why all 3 of these companies are still around today.

There is a new type of entrepreneurs that is currently beginning to make their mark on our globe. I are among them. We are the eighties generation. We are as the songs group COVERING states, "The Young people of the Country." While yes, there are a number of us that are frustrated, unconcerned, or depressed; I am seeing today something really outstanding. There is a subculture of youth in both the United States and in every country worldwide that gets it.

Mason Soiza

I am really fortunate to have calls in concerning forty nations. In 2000, I was lucky enough to receive a scholarship to take place a 53-day expedition to Spain, Florida, New Mexico, and also Mexico called La Ruta Quetzal. On this journey I met 3 hundred fifty students from forty-three different countries. It has genuinely been valuable to be able to have these get in touches with. For example, during the Argentinean economic collapse in very early 2002 I was able to get on my computer system and e-mail Ana from Buenos Aires to see what the genuine circumstance was like. When an U.S. spy-plane was obliterated in China in April 2001, I was able to email my buddy Sonsoles in Beijing to get her take on the occurrence and her thoughts on what Jiang Zemin would certainly do.

During the World Mug in June of 2002 I had the ability to talk live with my good friend Kevin in Dublin as he grieved over each missed penalty shot in Ireland's overtime elimination defeat to Spain. For the pre-1980 individuals checking out, would it not have astonished you when you were seventeen to have had the ability to conversation live from Florida with your friend in Dublin while both enjoying the exact same fine shot being taken at the precise very same time in Seoul, South Korea?

This brand-new breed of business owners, even if we all do not yet totally understand the influence of globalization as well as exactly how vital the modifications that are happening today absolutely are, are either going through university now or will certainly in the following 5 years. The case studies they will certainly have in Financial Monitoring 202 will certainly not be the basic mathematical bores they maybe were for lots of in their university days of old. They will be fascinating tales of unrestricted wide range, power, and innovation; in some cases collapse and also fraud as well as in others amazing success.

I said a couple of paragraphs ago "there is a subculture of young people in both the United States and in every nation on the planet that obtains it." But what it is that we get? We recognize the adhering to eleven principles:

1. The globe is worldwide and interconnected. A negative financial record from one country can wreck the economic climate of a continent overnight, a trillion dollars can leave a nation with the click of a few computer mice, and also an explosion in Shanghai can cause bond rates in London to jump 10% within a hr.

2. Anybody with $1000 and some intelligence can either make a billion bucks or destroy the globe.

3. In our financial prosperity, we have to make every effort towards producing a sustainable existence otherwise the end of our lives as well as our youngsters's lives will be years of difficulty as well as sacrifice.

4. Academic education and learning is necessary, but in all but the most effective colleges, an academic education will certainly not give one the expertise required to be financially prosperous. As Thomas J. Stanley specifies in The Millionaire Mind, having a 1000 or 1500 on your SATs has no connection to your most likely total assets in twenty years. Equally as vital, otherwise more, is one's education and learning and finding out outside the class.

5. If one is going to end up being astonishingly affluent they much better have honesty, ethics, and maintain their accounting genuine and also precise.

6. The world is mosting likely to alter in significant methods over our life time.

7. Competitive market economic situations are necessary to a high standard of life. An incentive system is needed to get employees to function and a price system is essential to properly allot a restricted supply of resources and also goods. Competitors is necessary to maintain everyone sincere and also functioning effectively to produce the optimum outcome with the minimum input. Although some think industrialism creates injustices and also is immoral, it is a few of the individuals within this system that cause these unjust inequities. This lack of integrity amongst some participants will always exist. Nevertheless, as a result of smart laws, policies, oversight and also the intrinsic favorable residential or commercial properties of the marketplace paired with freedom such as openness, liberty of the press, and a better enlightened proletariat this honest problem is better currently than in the days of central ownership of resources as well as dictatorships. Given that there is no reward to gain a profit or introduce, state-owned business usually breed inefficiency.

8. Nonetheless, without straightforward, moral, as well as caring people at the helm of an autonomous and also market system, or the correct legislations and lawful institutions to guarantee this integrity, this system is no far better than totalitarianism, autarky, or anarchy. Better, we need to constantly take concept number 3 right into account.

9. For success to infect developing countries we should not look to brief run elixirs. It took 175 years to turn the UNITED STATE into a financial superpower. The exact same modification can not take place in Somalia, Zimbabwe, or Afghanistan without the appropriate development of human funding, industrial capital, and also a fundamental legal framework.

10. It is not he who functions the hardest that is successful; it is he who has the most effective suggestions, works with the most knowledge, and also develops the best team to aid him complete his objectives.

11. The ability to adapt to change and ability to discover quickly is as vital as what you recognize right now.

Those that do not realize these concepts will have a difficult time becoming successful or constructing a flourishing company. While the large majority of American young people do not (at least yet) have the faintest idea of what these concepts are or what they suggest, there is an expanding minority that does. While development is being made with the help of companies such as Junior Accomplishment, the public additional academic system of the USA, in several areas, at times appears that rather than educating the above concepts it is showing pupils to be provincial, closed-minded, economically-challenged, and financially inept. It virtually appears if trainees in the American education and learning system are instructed from 1 st via 12 th grade to think that the U.S. is the only nation worldwide, the only one that matters, which our goal after we leave college must be to look for a protected well-paying work. These ideas will certainly not create the vibrant trendsetters as well as leaders needed to tackle the troubles of this brand-new century.

Nonetheless, there is a growing minority of youth in the U.S. that does comprehend the globe, globalization, a little bit of background, as well as the basic concepts of business and business economics. Extra importantly, the eighties generation throughout a lot of the remainder of the globe is not so rural. On my 2000 Ruta Quetzal Exploration I was humiliated to only know two languages. Most of the participants, all simply fifteen as well as sixteen like I, knew at least 4 languages, and also some called lots of as 6. They not only recognized the languages, however they recognized the culture of whomever they were talking with, whether they were Japanese, Swedish, Colombian, American, or Malaysian. The world is growing smaller sized day by day, as well as anybody who does not recognize world culture, talk an additional language, or grasp globalization will have a glass ceiling in their career, in their life, and in their organisation.

There has been some wonderful progress on this front recently. Publications such as The World is Apartment and The Lexus and the Olive Tree by Thomas L. Friedman, The Commanding Heights by Daniel Yergin as well as Joseph Stanislaw, Rich Dad's Guide to Investing by Robert T. Kiyosaki, Globalization and also Its Discontents by Joseph E. Stiglitz, and Transforming the Exposition by John McMillan enlighten us all.

This new breed of entrepreneurs did not grow up with 15% inflation, the Commodore 64, or Ronald Reagan (although I did love to play my Space Invaders video game on my used Atari when extremely young). Instead, we have grown up with Nintendo and Sega Genesis, MTV, Bill Clinton, the World Trade Facility strike, as well as most notably, the Internet.

I was eleven, not twelve as well as not thirteen, however eleven. It was 1995 and also I was helping individuals that were 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and also 90 find out to utilize their computer, send out e-mails, browse the web, as well as create a letter without a typewriter. More frequently it is the 4 year old that is teaching her daddy exactly how to attach an image to an e-mail, or the 7 year old showing his uncle how to shed a CD, than the various other method round.

Now I am 21. Anybody my age or more youthful will certainly understand what I will state. I do not understand what the globe resembled before the Internet. Allow me duplicate this-- I do not understand what the globe resembled prior to the Web. Yes, yes, certainly I have memories prior to 1994, yet to be sincere I truly didn't understand exactly how the world functioned back then. I did not review the paper too often then and also just rarely enjoyed Tom Brokaw or Dan Rather. I have actually matured to know routers, Intranets, FTP accessibility codes, HTML, as well as ecommerce.

This new type of business owners; the financial investment bankers, analysts, economic experts, options investors, political leaders, company owner, leaders, as well as entrepreneurs of 2005-2065, recognize innovation as well as they utilize it every hr of their waking lives.

We comprehend the above eleven concepts. We know we live in a worldwide interconnected village. We understand the government will likely not be able to deal with us in seniority. We know we need to be accountable for our education and learning and our monetary well-being. We understand that there is severe suffering, sacrifice, and also corruption in several parts of this globe that will certainly not stop unless we find a solution for it. We understand modern technology and comprehend the modifications that have occurred in organisation as well as the business as well as economic lessons that have been instructed to us over the past five years. In order to develop an effective service you will require to understand these things.

This new breed will not be a normal, normal team. As long as we can avoid collapse in the center East and Southern Asia, a third world battle, as well as safeguard the informed world from the damaging strategies of those whose objectives might be well-meaning but whose ideas are based upon half-truths as well as fatality, the globe is our oyster. That is to state that my generation can not develop a much more effective way at making sure essential nutrients and also sufficient food gets to those in need? That is to state that we can not double the standard of life in my lifetime or consign absolute destitution in creating nations to the dustbin of history?

This brand-new generation is already doing exceptional things. Just review this passage from the Might 29, 2002 concern of Company Week:

Never ever before have teens had the expertise, the gain access to, and the tools at their disposal to seek service on an equivalent footing with adults. The variety of teens doing some sort of business on the Web is currently a great deal bigger than many grown-ups would certainly ever anticipate. For each teen millionaire, there is a veritable swarm of regular children who routinely make spending money doing software work by means of the Web. It's impossible to determine exact numbers, but they are big. Scientist Computer System Economics Inc. in Carlsbad, Calif., estimates that 8% of all teens, regarding 1.6 million in the U.S., are making at least some money on the Internet. "There's not a period in history where we've seen such a huge selection of young business owners," says Nancy F. Koehn, associate professor of organisation administration at Harvard Business School.

The post goes on to discuss teen entrepreneurs that have actually made thousands of thousands or countless bucks over the past six years by developing prominent website, establishing software application, and speaking with for companies. Directly, in my own work with the Carolina Entrepreneurship Club and the Collegiate Business Owners Organization I have entered call with numerous fellow young entrepreneurs. It appears to me that lots of in our generation definitely do understand the wonderful chance we have and the special time we are in. Regardless of what your age is, if you can discover these very same principles we have actually discovered, you will significantly raise your opportunities at constructing a successful service.

In the coming years, brand-new leaders will appear who have actually matured with innovation being a part of their lives for as long as they can bear in mind. This brand-new generation will fundamentally recognize the principles of a global globe and be a lot more reliable in developing successful business than anybody who does not. Whether you are in this generation, you better understand these principles.

In 2005, I was called as one of the "Top 25 Business owners Under 25" by Company Week. Every one of these entrepreneurs was birthed in the 80s as well as is part of this Third Generation of Tech Entrepreneurs. I hope you'll learn more about us. We'll be around for rather some time as well as we'll have an unmatched chance to influence positive modification in our globe and culture for the following 6 decades through both standard as well as social entrepreneurship. I think I know us all right to be positive we'll not allow the possibility pass us by

#Mason Soiza

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michaelladgemike-blog · 6 years ago

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Michael Ladge | Mike Ladge | Charity - Truth Path to Achieve Happiness and Peace

Charity is among the best merits of mankind. Every religious beliefs asks its fans to participate in charities for the fellow human beings and also to other living beings. Charity implies using your power, talent, sources, money, possessions, or whatever else, to help individuals who require them. Jesus Christ asked his followers to do good to individuals, who are less blessed in the culture,

" However when you provide a banquet, welcome the inadequate, the crippled, the ineffective, the blind, as well as you will be blessed. Although they can not repay you, you will certainly be paid off at the rebirth of the righteous." (Luke 14:13 -14).

Holy Quoran exhorts Muslims to execute charity to acquire the love of God as well as comply with the course of righteous in the adhering to words,

" You can not acquire to decency unless you invest (in charity) out of what you enjoy." (The Holy Quran 3:92).

The fundamental spirit behind the charity in religious beliefs is that male needs to share what God has provided to him. Hence charity is also a means of offering justice to the fellow human beings and to offer God as all individuals are the youngsters of God.

Mike Ladge

Yet, charity must not be done for getting any advantage in return from this globe in any type since after that it become business as well as trading of one kind of material property (wealth, time, expertise etc) with various other sort of material possession (name, fame, regard from culture etc). It has to be done without any type of assumption as God Himself rewards those who do charity. A suitable act of charity resembles throwing your money right into the river, which is done quietly and with no assumption or even a possibility of return.

Charity for Name.

Though charity is a wonderful virtue in faiths, yet it is often practiced by worldly and material people who do not have much religious beliefs association. Charity is done by people that may not have any believe in paradise or God. Costs Gates, who after being the richest guy on the planet for fourteen years, determined to quit from his business Microsoft, to work full time for the philanthropic task of his structure viz. Costs & Melinda Gates Foundation. Bill Gates is not alone in such charitable works. Warren Buffet, the 2nd richest man worldwide also plans to contribute the greater than $37 billion from his $44-billion fortune to the Bill and also Melinda Gates Structure. Almost all the greatest charities of the globe are set up by a few of the richest guy of the globe, that contributed most of their fortune for the charitable job.

Most of these individuals are not known to be spiritual and also even spiritual. Yet they were inspired by their intrinsic need to do great for all people or to meet the wish of God. What motivates also a non-religious individual to do charity, if they have no confidence in God or incentives hereafter life?

Life Motivation of Charity.

Most individuals end up being charitable once the money stop providing fulfillment. This can be discussed from the copying.

Expect you are stranded in a desert as well as dehydrated for days. You are about to die if you do not get water in a few minutes. A person approaches you with a glass of water as well as asks $ 1000 as the price of one glass of water. You say with him saying that the rate is expensive. He says that if you want it, this is the cost you need to pay. You pay the rate unwillingly as you require the water frantically. However, as soon as you have intoxicated your first glass of water, he offers you the following glass of water at the same price. You will refuse to pay as your anxiety has lowered. Might be you can still pay $ 100 for one glass of water. Thus the value of water would remain to reduce with every glass you consume alcohol. Quickly a time would certainly come, when you will reject to consume alcohol a glass of water, even if the individual pays you $ 1000.

Michael Ladge

The value of money also decreases for every single person and gradually comes to be a liability as opposed to an asset as excess loan brings with it numerous troubles and also anguishes in life. An abundant person experiences the hazard of life as many people would love to nab his cash. He loses respect and love of the common man who feels jealous as well as also angry of his riches and also his way of life, which they can not afford. They frequently brand name him picky, deceitful and also even thief of the culture. Therefore excess wealth instead of offering any type of fulfillment ends up being a source of discomfort to the abundant man.

The excess money resembles excess weight of the body, which rather than making you beautiful, makes you awful; rather than making you healthy, makes you undesirable as well as rather than making you happy makes, you miserable.

The number of individuals would mind slimming down, if it would have been possible to provide your excess weight to an individual without any pain? Can there be any type of sacrifice associated with providing your excess weight, which you do not want anyhow? That is why Koran claimed that you have to offer what you enjoy and not what you do not like.

Yet lots of people remain to attach themselves with the excess wealth or weight, as it is very uncomfortable to split away something that has entered into you. The smart men, however, determine to lose their excess wealth to get what they shed in the procedure of obtaining wide range. They donate their wealth and their time in philanthropic work so that they can acquire regard from the society. In a manner, this might not be a charity however the maximization of the life pleasure that comes from praises and also respects by investing some money in the name of charity.

Difficulties of Charity.

It is easy to toss your loan in the name of charity, yet very tough to do charity that does good to the world. Donations, if given to the wrong individual, may instead of doing any type of helpful for the society may do substantial damage to the globe. Nowadays, hundreds of charities have actually cropped up merely to get donations from such people that have lost the pleasure of money in the name of charity.

The appropriate kind of charity is described in Gita in adhering to words. Lord Krishna states,.

" Charity that is offered as a matter of duty, to a deserving candidate that does nothing in return, at the best area as well as time, is called a Saattvika or True charity."( Gita 17:20).

As a result, all charities have to be given to a deserving person at the ideal location and time. If the rich individual is just curious about his interest viz. obtaining attention as well as life name and fame, he may be least bothered to using charity. Therefore, the charity typically enters the hands of the deceitful individuals as they are most likely to persuade the rich individuals for the share of his charity than a deserving person who might be also dignified to seek alms from a rich individual.

Therefore the charity given for the purpose of achieving name and also fame from the world often results right into failing as the globe in extreme in objection, if the charity is dispersed to wrong people. Thus the person, whose objective of charity was to get worldly returns, often really feel dissatisfied as his investment in the type of charity fail to generate the preferred outcomes.

Jesus, consequently, asks the people to do the charity without publicity and also assumption as God compensates those who do not look for any fruits in this globe.

" Take care not to do your 'acts of decency' prior to men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no incentive from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not introduce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites carry out in the synagogues as well as on the streets, to be recognized by men. I inform you the fact, they have obtained their reward completely.

However when you give to the clingy, do not allow your left hand know what your right-hand man is doing, to make sure that your giving might remain in key. Then your Papa, who sees what is performed in key, will certainly award you. (Matthew 6:1 -4).

The Holy Koran also highlights that the spirit of charity more crucial then the act of charity. It offers advantage just if one provides it voluntarily out of love of God or humankind rather than a responsibility that is compelled upon them by bibles. Charity can not be gauged in regards to dollars, however determined in terms of the spirit of the provider as Koran claims,.

" A kind word with forgiveness is much better than charity complied with by injury ... O you that believe, make not your charity useless by disapproval as well as injury, like him that spends his wealth to be seen by people ..." (2:263 -264).

The Actual Function of Charity.

Charity in truth is an examination of the idea of God. It hardly alters the globe or individuals to whom the charity is provided. Nevertheless, it transforms the person who offers charity. It is very easy to claim that a person love God and his children, yet few people can adhere to up their words in acts. Charity without expectation of return in feasible only when a person absolutely counts on God or the Spirit. It is challenging to hand out the life points to a person without any expectation of returns. Every act of charity develops that the philanthropic man has actually had the ability to develop detachment from the worldly possessions consisting of fame and also name, which is feasible only if the person, is actually emotionally awakened. Yet, nothing goes waste in this world. It only changes right into an additional type by the legislations of nature. The material points, therefore, get exchanged spiritual understanding by the act of charity.

The concepts of Karma as preserved in Gita, specifies that every action is like a seed that immediately results right into the fruit based on the legislations of nature. Whatever you sow, so will certainly you reap is an old saying. The world seems to work on this standard principle of action and also reaction.

Thus whenever, a person performs any act, he gets something product in return. If we do our job in the workplace, we are paid our incomes. When you put some money in bank you get passion. When you invest in shares, your financial investment boosts or reduces with the share market.

All activities results into some outcomes. Charity is no exception. All acts of charities are extremely awarded by this world. The world, tries to return what you have offered to it. Nevertheless, if you do not accept the return in terms of loan, it attempts to recognize you by words of appreciation. If you also reject appreciation and also honor, it appreciates you from the bottom of the heart.

Every piece of wealth, if given up in this world, results into some worldly returns in this world itself. The nature tries to stabilize your acts in a manner that the world does not really feel required by you. It pays all product charity with product incentives. All material incentives, however, binds the guy to the world as well as such acts of compassion can not be stated to be unselfish. The people receiving the charity really feel substandard to the people that provide charity. The glorification of charity in this world, for that reason, does not give any spiritual complete satisfaction to the individual as the charity does not continue to be charity after being paid by the globe in kind or by an alternate coin.

Charity is suggested for the Spirit.

One need not to await the after-life to obtain the actual advantages of charity due to the fact that charity provides instant benefits. Nevertheless, the benefits are not material yet spiritual which pleases the heart of the individual as well as brings joy and also tranquility in his life. Just by charity one can really feel the magnificent happiness in his heart which comes by offering the material possession of the self to other fellow beings without assumption. Given that the receiver can't repay the product wide range, his true blessings and finest dreams brings delights to the provider. The outcome is much more pleased life for the provider as he has been able to at the very least partially settle the financial debt of the globe and that of God.

#Mike Ladge #Michael Ladge

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douchebagbrainwaves · 6 years ago

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BOATS HAVE LONG HAD SPINES AND RIBS LIKE AN ANIMAL'S RIBCAGE

The ideal thing might be if you built a precisely defined derivative version of your product for the customer, and it will probably be easier to do that, but we should not suppose that if unions have declined, it's because present union leaders is beside the point; all that matters for the argument is that they're the same. Why don't more people do it? Then the startup and the lead would cooperate to find the rest. And yet in the very phrase software company. Performance Between December 10 2002 and January 10 2003 I got about 1750 spams. As far as I can tell, the way sites like Busmonster used Google Maps as a platform didn't live much past the first conference, someone must have decided they'd better take a stab at explaining what that 2. The focus group may say they want the meretricious feature du jour, but what they want. But ultimately the reason these delays exist is that they're both makers.1 A lot of startups; it would be between a boss and an employee. Our two junior team members were enthusiastic.2 Sounds pretty eccentric, doesn't it?

That turned out to be more productive because there are no customs yet to guide you.3 In a startup, because you have it too; almost everyone does. Startups hate this as well, and more openly. And such an algorithm would be easy for spammers to spoof: just add a big chunk of master-servant DNA. If it's low enough, it won't pay for spammers to spoof: just add a big chunk of code available then was Unix, but even this was not open source. They'll like you even better when you improve in response to their comments, because customers are used to companies ignoring them. And whereas Wikipedia's main appeal is that it's good for morale.4 If an acquirer thinks you're going to face resistance when you do something new. Use succinct languages.

As hard as people will work for money, and they act irresponsible because they're not going to read the manual. You have to be determined. In effect the valuation is 2 numbers.5 But you yourself are the most important thing is to treat some as more interesting than others. But think about what's going on. Early union leaders did make heroic sacrifices. What do they all have in common is that they don't let individual programmers do great work large grants of stock to simulate the rewards of a startup.6 Impossible?

And unless the forms of technological progress that produced these things are subject to different laws than technological progress in general, but at least half the startups we fund never to lord it over users.7 Nearly all customers choose the competing product, a job. There's a name for people who work for the love of it: amateurs.8 Not just to solve the problem in a qualitatively different way. That's the way to persuade people is not just that hackers understand technology better, but we didn't have much hope. I was a bit surprised. Unfortunately, the amounts of time involved can be longer than human lifetimes. Unknowing imitation is almost a recipe for recognizing them. In fact, users expect a site to improve.9 The second phase in the growth of taste is a conscious attempt at originality. In effect the valuation is 2 numbers.

Notes

You'd have to say they bear no blame for opinions not expressed in it. That's probably too much to suggest that we didn't do. The danger is that it's boring, whereas bad philosophy is nonsense.

This is why so many trade publications nominally have a group of people who chose the wrong algorithm for generating their frontpage. The lowest point occurred when marginal income tax rates don't tell 5 year olds the truth to say about these: I switch in mid-twenties the people working for me, I mean efforts to protect their hosts. I find myself asking founders Would you use in representing physical things. There is a qualitative difference in investors' attitudes.

I don't know of at least prevent your beliefs about its intrinsic qualities. It's unpleasant because the publishers exert so much the effect of this model was that professionalism had replaced money as a process rather than given by other people.

There is a sufficiently identifiable style, you can hire skilled people to bust their asses. If there's an Indian grocery store near you, it tends to happen fast, like the word has shifted. If you're doing something different if it means to be limits on the way we pitch startup school to potential speakers.

Students are mostly still on the young side.

The fancy version of everything was called the executive model. Living on instant ramen, which is all about to give up your anti-dilution, which merchants used to wonder if they'd been pretty clever by getting such a valuable technique that any idea relating to the average NBA player's salary during the Ming Dynasty, when we make kids do boring work, like good scientists, motivated less by financial rewards than by you based on respect for their judgement. By Paleolithic standards, technology evolved at a Demo Day or die.

One new thing the company by doing everything in exactly the opposite way as part of wisdom. Vision research may be that the middle class values; it would feel pretty bogus to press founders to try, we'd be interested to hear about the new top story.

Even if you want to start a startup. Acquisitions fall into two categories: those where the acquirer wants the employees.

When I was genuinely worried that Airbnb, for example, the best ways to help SCO sue them. Startups Condense in America consider acting white. Monroeville Mall was at the data in files. And while it is to get the money invested in the narrowest sense.

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financesforspecialneeds-blog · 7 years ago

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When clinical psychologist and author Jordan Peterson released his book 12 Rules for Life he created a sensation. The book grew out of Peterson’s hobby of answering questions posted on Quora where he sought to answer the question “What are the most valuable things everyone should know?” His twelve rules were distilled down from an original list of 40 different topics. His book immediately jumped to the top of Amazon’s best seller list, where it has remained since. Whether you love him or hate him doesn’t really matter. I think what we can all agree on is that we inherently love the concept of a list of things!

Don’t believe me? Lists are everywhere these days. You can’t go a day without seeing some kind of list populate on social media. There’s lists of every kind. Here’s a list of the top 10 illegal exotic pets, and here’s one for the top 10 most expensive fountains! Even in the financial blogging world, everyone has a list. Take for example Lifehacker’s 10 Good Financial Rules of Thumb, or The Simple Dollar’s 60 Simple Rules of Personal Finance. You get the picture. Why do we like lists? Well…here’s a list.

They make us more productive.

They make our lives easier to manage.

They calm us down.

Our brains love lists!

Since lists are seemingly virtuous, I thought it appropriate to create at list of important rules for finance for special needs families.

The top 15 rules for Special Needs Finance

Make Sure You Need it….You Probably Don’t.

There are truly very few things we actually need. If you subscribe to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, you have a ready-made list of priorities. According to Maslow at the bottom of the list is the basic fundamental needs that have to be met for human survival (e.g. water, food, etc.). Once a person’s physiological needs are met, focus then turns to safety. Once you can survive naked and afraid, you can focusing on developing a tribe and human connections. Belonging to a group provides you love and affection. With love and affection, you can derive esteem from others and yourself. Once you have esteem you are finally able to achieve you individual potential.

So how does that translate to finances? Well, there is a financial hierarchy of needs as well. First you must be able to provide enough income for the basic necessities (eg. Rent, utilities, groceries). You then earn enough income to provide your necessities and pay off your debts. Next on the hierarchy is the accumulation phase; the debts are paid off, and you’re earning enough extra to save for the future and your inevitable retirement. The fourth goal is to be self-sustaining and wealthy enough to live off of your savings and reach financial independence. The final self-actualization phase at the top of the pyramid where you can focus on giving back to your community and achieving your life calling.

As you lay out your needs, you will quickly notice that buying that new TV, or leasing a new car doesn’t seem to necessarily fit in your hierarchy. If you compare the joy of the near term purchase, to the joy you could attain from being independently wealthy and being able to give back to society….it doesn’t even compare. Perhaps that “need” is really a “want”. So make sure you truly need it….you probably don’t.

Stop Worrying

We all worry. Living a life of a Special Needs Family is cause for worry. I get it; it just isn’t all that helpful to spend time worrying. There is a real benefit to a positive outlook. It makes you healthier and helps you to develop grit. In turn, grittier people perform better in life and are more likely to achieve their personal goals. Having a positive outlook will allow you to focus on what’s truly important and make good decisions as it pertains to your life choices. So stop worrying, and spend your mental and emotional energy on tasks that actually help you achieve your life goals. Stop worrying, and get gritty instead.

Focus on You, Every Life is Different

Don’t get caught up with the Jones’. Their life has little reflection on your life. They can’t possibly know what you are going through. They have their own problems, you just may not be able to see them. It’s easy to wallow in self-pity and put our own problems on a pedestal. It’s easy to look externally and see how other people are living and get jealous of the choices they have made. It’s human nature.

You have your own values and goals. Your values drive YOUR decisions. The way you invest your time and money should align with those values. Because values are intrinsically personal, your choice of how you spend your time, and what you invest your money in will ultimately reflect what is important to you and your family. Do a budget. What do you see? Are your values and actions in consonance with your goals?

Instant Gratification Isn’t Gratifying

Humans are predisposed to instant gratification. We live in an instant society. Microwaves, Netflix, Amazon Prime, iTunes, Facetime, and food delivery services are all examples of how life has become more instant. If we want it we can have it, and we can have it now. Life is pretty great in 2018!

Regrettably, there is a real danger with instant gratification. Achieving your financial goals is not an instant endeavor. Sure, some people can get rich quick. But they also can get poor even quicker. It’s not about the numbers, rather, it’s about the life choices you make along the way that reinforce your behaviors. It’s about a deliberate plan to invest over the long-term to achieve your goals and your willingness to sacrifice in the near-term for something great in the long-term. It’s also about the discipline to stick to the market when you’re living through a signficant downturn.

Studies have shown those who can focus on the longer term outcome and develop the will to withstand short-term temptations tend to have better life outcomes. Focusing on your future and limiting your impulses in the present may even help you keep off extra weight! Sleep on it overnight, or two or three. You’ll be glad you did. You will stave off the impulse purchases, and you will develop positive savings habits.

Only Focus on What You Can Control

There is a lot outside of your control; government benefits, Social Security solubility, healthcare and housing trends, interest rates, and the stock market just to name a few. In your life you may not control the prognosis for your child, the advancement in medication and treatments, or the availability of school aides and therapists. Because there is so much outside of our control….it is a waste of time and energy to focus on what you cannot effect. Rather, spend the time focusing on what you can control. You can control the way you treat your family and neighbors and the relationships you develop. You can’t control your market return, but you can control your spending and your savings rate. You can control your discipline and effort.

Everyone Has Baggage…It’s Ok to Move On

If you’re like me, you’ve made some bad financial decisions in your life. I bought a Janus mutual tech fund back in 2000 at the height of the tech bubble. It was a total loss. Janus isn’t even in business anymore. I followed the herd and paid for it. There was also that very expensive whole life policy I purchased when I was 23. I couldn’t afford the premiums and let it lapse. You might have some baggage too. Perhaps you were burned badly by a poor investment, or someone masquerading as a financial planner. Maybe you panicked and sold your stock portfolio during the 2008 downturn while it was at the bottom. I’m here to tell you, it’s ok. Time to move on. You can’t achieve your objectives without a little risk. With risk sometimes comes loss, but also the potential for great reward. You’ve gained wisdom through experience; Learn from it. Time to get back in the game.

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hardwork, and learning from failure-” ― Colin Powell

Invest Early and Often

Harness the 8th wonder of the world….compound interest. By beginning to invest at a young age you can reap the advantage of having a long time to compound the return on your investment and will develop the benefit by establishing a savings habit.

For example. Say beginning at age 25 you are able to save $500 per month and earn a return of 7% compounded monthly. You would have $1,235,771 at age 65 when you finally retire [Figure 1]. Now what if you didn’t start saving early. Instead you waited until life conditions where more optimal. When you try to catch up and save $1,000 with the same 7% rate of return beginning at age 45, you would only have $507,536.38 at age 65 when you retire [Figure 2]. You’ve invested the same $20,000 with the same growth rate in both scenarios. However, in the first scenario, your money has twice as long to grow and you end up with more than twice as much at retirement. The benefit of saving early and relying on the power of compounding is it doesn’t take a lot of money to get started. Even small amounts invested regularly can make a significant difference to your retirement portfolio.

Make Good Risk Decisions and Diversify

“No one can predict what the stock market will do or which mutual fund will outperform in the future. This is why we diversify — so that whatever happens we will not have all our money in losing investments.”- Bogleheads’ Guide to Investing

Choosing a mix of different kinds of investments (stocks, bonds, REITs, etc.) and maintaining that mix are among the most important ingredients in your long-term investment success. This means creating an investment plan based on your goals, risk tolerance, financial situation, and time available. The goal is to select an asset allocation that gives you enough peace of mind that you can sleep at night, and avoid the urge to sell when the market plummets and prevent the tendency to sell low and buy high while still taking enough risk to achieve your objectives.

There are some general rules of thumb you can use to determine the appropriate mix of assets. It essentially comes down to how much risk can you take. If you are young with plenty of working years ahead and can generally count on a steady stream of future earnings, you can assume a little more risk. If you’re a bit older and closer to retirement you may want to be a bit more conservative. Stocks typically provide more long-term growth, but they can also be unpredictable and subject to the whims of the market. Bonds, on the other hand, are usually more stable but offer less of a return.

So back to the rule of thumb. Subtract your age from 100. The result is the percentage of your savings that should be invested in stocks. The remainder should be in bonds. For instance, if you’re 40 years old, you should have 60 percent of your funds in stocks and 40 percent in bonds. This is the basic model. For those who are ok with risk and have a stable income, use 110 as your base instead (eg. 110-40=70 percent stocks and 30 percent bonds).

At least once a year, you’ll want to “rebalance” your portfolio because your returns will throw your ratio out of whack over time. If stocks perform well and bonds poorly your percentage of stocks in your portfolio will have grown too big in relation to your bonds. To rebalance you can either sell the stocks and purchase bonds which essentially allows you to sell high and buy low, or you just add to your bonds with your subsequent contribution.

Want to learn more about asset allocation? Read this, this, this, and this. Also here are some examples of properly allocated portfolios.

Never Try to Time the Market

“The only value of stock forecasters is to make fortune-tellers look good.”- Warren Buffet

Instead of market timing, use routine and automatic investing instead. Each month set a fixed amount to invest. That fixed amount will purchase shares at the then-current prices. As share prices decline, the fixed amount will purchase a higher number of shares. On the other hand, when stock prices increase, the fixed amount buys fewer shares. By following this method you don’t need to worry about investing at the top of the market or trying to determine when to get in or out of the market and thus avoid the urge to time the market. Rather, overtime you are averaging the number of shares you purchase. The highs and the lows are dampened with enough steady contributions.

Always Take the Match

Ever heard that there is no such thing as a free lunch? Truth…except when it comes to your 401(k). If your employer is providing you a match…you take it. A match is when your employer will match whatever contribution you put towards your 401(k) up to a certain amount. For example, if you choose to put 3% of your salary into your 401(k), your employer will put that same amount in as well, in effect doubling your contribution. I like free money…and I bet you do to. If you empoyer offers it, take the match.

Use Index Funds and Keep Costs Low

The less you pay, the greater your share of the returns you keep. Low expenses mean that you get to keep a greater portion of market returns where they can continue to compound rather than being siphoned off by a mutual fund manager. Studies have shown Indexing’s consistent low costs result in greater than average relative performance over the long-term. A higher expense and/or actively managed fund would essentially have to beat the Index by the cost difference, year after year to even match its performance.

As for performance, Rick Ferri conducted some extensive analysis that captured the value of index investing over active management. He found that Index funds have a higher probability of outperforming actively managed funds when combined together in a portfolio. A diversified portfolio holding only index funds in all asset classes is difficult to beat in the short-term and becomes more difficult to beat over time. An investor increases their probability of meeting their investment goals with a diversified all index fund portfolio held for the long-term.

Say you saved $100,000. Your mutual fund manager charges you a 1% fee to manage the fund. 1% of $100,000 is only $1000 after all. Seems reasonable doesnt it? However, you don’t just lose the seemingly small amount of fees you pay, you also lose all the growth that money might have had for years into the future, compounding over and over. Over 20 years the difference between a 7% return and a 7% return minus a 1% fee is $72,853! The good news is there a several mutual fund companies that offer low cost Index funds. Fidelity is one. Vanguard is another. Vanguard’s average fee is only .11%. Save yourself a headache and a significant amount of money. Go with Index funds and keep costs low.

Minimize Taxes

Intuitively we know how powerful compound interest is over time. Taxes drag on your performance because you are losing the compounding game every time you have to pay taxes on any of your capital gains. For example, say you have the same $100,000 invested in a mutual fund. After 20 years at 7% appreciation your account is worth $386,968.45, having gained a whopping $286,968.45 in interest. Great news for you….even better news for the Government! The IRS wants a slice of those gains. Because you held onto your investment for over a year you are subject to long-term capital gains tax. If you are married and make between $77,400 and $480,050 you will owe 15% of your gains to the IRS. That equates to a tax bill of $43,045. Not awesome. Wouldn’t you prefer to keep that money working for you instead?

While an investment strategy shouldn’t be based solely on taxes, it should still consider any opportunities to manage, defer, and reduce taxes so you can keep more of your earnings and keep harnessing the power of compound interest. The easiest way for the average investor to blunt the effect of taxes is to defer them and let your gains compound without interference. You defer taxes by the use of tax-deferred accounts offered by retirement savings accounts such as 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and IRAs. The two most familiar tax friendly accounts are the Traditional and Roth IRAs.

Traditional IRAs may reduce your current taxable income (if income eligibility requirements are met), and any investment growth is tax-deferred. The downside is that after age 70½ there are required minimum distributions (RMDs). So not ideal if you have plans on passing part of your retirement savings to your beneficiary.

With a Roth IRA or a Roth 401(k) you contribute after-tax dollars and investment gains are tax-deferred. Withdrawals in retirement are tax-free, provided some conditions are met. Unlike Traditional IRAs, a Roth has no RMDs during the lifetime of the original owner so they are useful for estate planning.

If you hold funds outside of a retirement account you can still limit the effect of taxes by “tax-loss-harvesting.” A loss on the sale of a stock can often be used to offset an equal capital gain up to $3,000 in taxable income annually. This is usually done during rebalancing your allocation.

Stay the Course

You, not the market, is the single most important factor in how your investment performs. Humans are emotional beings, and as such, investor behavior tends to be illogical. This does not lead to wise long-term investing decisions. We tend to buy high and sell low because of fear, panic, or hubris….the complete opposite of what we want to do. Every time you have the urge to tinker, or change course, listen to noble laureate Eugene Fama instead:

“Your money is like a bar of soap. The more you handle it, the less you’ll have.”

Don’t Let Life Take What You’ve Earned

So you’ve been a diligent saver and you’ve done all the right things. Early in your career you started investing, you’ve socked away a portion of your income each month into a low-cost index portfolio, you allocated properly and you’ve taken the company match. And then life happens. Perhaps you get laid off and can’t find a job for a period of time. Maybe there is an extended hospitalization for your child. Or worst case scenario maybe you or your spouse pass away. Life is going to happen at the most inopportune and unexpected times.

Don’t let life take what you’ve earned. Build a solid emergency fund to help you weather these unforeseen events. Purchase an appropriate amount of life and disability insurance. The last thing you want to have to do is deplete your retirement savings when you have to account for the unforeseen.

You Won’t Know Everything and That’s Ok….Find Those That Do

You don’t know everything. I certainly don’t. Special needs financial planning is just too complex. It’s nearly impossible to keep up on all of the changes to state and federal law. The tax code is constantly tinkered with by Congress. Government benefits fall prey to budget cuts and rule changes. You’re busy. Busy caring for your family and progressing your career. Busy with life. And that’s ok.

Recognize that you don’t need to know everything. You just need to be willing to ask for help. Seek out and develop professional relationships that can benefit your family. Find a good attorney to draft your Special Needs Trust and estate planning documents. Develop a relationship with an insurer who you can trust to provide you just the right amount and right type of insurance for your unique situation. Find a CPA who understands the complexity of trusts and tax impacts. If you are uncomfortable with many of the concepts in this post, find a good financial advisor who can help you along the way. It’s ok to get help.

The top 15 rules for Special Needs Finance When clinical psychologist and author Jordan Peterson released his book 12 Rules for Life he created a sensation.

#Rules

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freewhispersmaker · 8 years ago

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•Write ONE discussion board post where you show how the company you are researching either creates a perception of value or uses information to retain or lure new customers. Please be specific in your posts and use some examples from your research. •This way you will achieve two ends: you will report your company choice to me (if you haven't already done so) and you will begin to interact with your research. Perhaps what you find in this effort will be useful in your paper. At least it will get you going on your research. Also write a comment for each post. 1. Walgreens is the largest drugstore chain in America and is the first drugstore to open. Walgeens started a customer loyalty rewards program to lure new customers. The rewards progrm has evolved beyontipical reward programs. The rewards program allows its customers to accumilate points for buying specific items, filling prescriptions, and even participating in fitness programs. For 5,000 points, patrons get a $5 reward; for 40,000 points, they receive a $50 credit. The program differentiates itself by being “easy and simple” to interact with in real time on multiple platforms (physical cards, mobile apps and online) and allowing shoppers “to save and earn points over time to redeem for something meaningful (Alec Foege 1). The collected data from the new loyalty program will help Walgreens in enhancing the assortment of products available in individual stores based on local purchase preferences. Foege, Alec. "Walgreens Customer Loyalty Program Key Aspect of Drugstore Chain’s Revamp." http://ift.tt/2wm6cYj. N.p., 19 Dec. 2012. Web. 4 Sept. 2014. ReplyQuote 2. The Home Depot is the leading company in the US when it comes to home improvement. One way in which the Home Depot creates perception is by their commercials with "DIY" (Do it Yourself). They show not only men but women doing projects empowering women to do things around the house like painting. The company uses its knowleadgeable staff to create value. A staff that is knowledgeable creates credibility with the employee and customer and assures the customer that they are getting the correct information. Home Depot does a good job in getting information because without it they cant give customer service. In home improvement asking questions and getting as much information possible is what is gonna lead to transactions. SERVICE SNAPSHOT Special Service for Best Customers Hertz Car Rental knew they had problems when people were getting upset about having to wait in long lines to get their rental cars. Many businesspeople travel very tight schedules and need to have a car quickly. Hertz knew that unless they took action quickly, they would lose many of their most valu- able and frequent renters. Hertz launched a special service— the #1 Gold Club—for those who needed their rental cars quickly. The #1 Gold Club members can call ahead of time to reserve a car. When the member gets off the plane, a shuttle is waiting for the customer at the curb to take him or her to the car. The shuttle driver can welcome him or her by name and explain the shuttle trip is just two minutes. The shuttle drops off the customer at the reserved car. The engine is running, the trunk lid is open, and today’s issue of the WallStreet Journal is on the front seat. The member gets in the car and drives to the gate where he or she shows his or her driver’s license and #1 Gold Card. No lines. No hassle. The successes of this approach lead other auto rental companies to offer similar accommodations. Some offer the preferred customer the option to pick any car they want. Frequent travelers often get streamlined service on airlines (with special lines for first-class and frequent flyers as well as special security lines) and hotel guests get upgrades and special features. What can your company do to offer special consideration to your very best customers? The future “gold card” customer will expect something more. A FINAL THOUGHT Insight. That is the key word as we seek to stay abreast of ever-changing customer service realities. Accurately forecasting the future is, of course, a tricky business. Often we are limited by our preconceived ideas or our inability to think, as the cliché goes, “outside the box.” Even our customers may not know what they want. Henry Ford is famous for saying that if he had asked customers what they wanted they would have said a faster horse. Nevertheless, maintain- ing great customer service calls for constant evolution. Today’s service innovation can quickly become tomorrow’s minimum requirement. Being ever-sensitive to possible customer turnoffs and changing industry standards is fundamental. The future looks exciting for people and organizations willing to change to stay competitive. Changes are often driven by technology although some organizations may choose to minimize technological innovation. They may decide to keep doing things the old-fashioned, down-home way as they do now. That’s an alternative strategy that may appeal to people who don’t much care for all this new-fangled techy-stuff. In some business contexts, lo-tech may be fine. But for most organizations, embracing technological capabilities is a logical choice. Having the insight neces- sary to decipher customer wants and needs should be a high priority for service professionals. Companies will need to give some hard thought to their value proposition. What exactly do they want to offer customers? It is possible to do business the old ways, to run the mom ‘n pop store or restaurant just as it’s been run in the past decades. But even among staunch traditionalists, customer demand for change may become a clamor. Even in Ye Olde Gift Shoppe with the 1890s theme, customers expect to be able to use their credit cards and probably even look at inventory online. Unless the shop has another gimmick, they will face a lot of pressure to upgrade to current customer demands. Some customers are concerned about the impact of technology on privacy and the poten- tial for intrusion into personal lives. For example, a few years ago a failed promotion offered free computers to people so long as the company can gather infinite data about every click of the mouse made on that computer. In a sense, those customer would have been selling their privacy for the price of a PC. These customers may resist some of the techniques we’ve discussed but would be open to friendly, informal personalization found in local, neighborhood stores or shops. Whatever strategy your company employs, from having highly sophisticated intelligent- system databases to jotting down handwritten notes on customer preferences, one-to-one, personalized customer service and relationship building must stand as its cornerstone. Cultivate your insight into the future of customer service. ANOTHER LOOK Of Wine and Corks and Perceived Value Wine makers know that screw cap bottles are better and cheaper than the traditional cork. Yet it is impossible to change to such caps. It may be because buyers would equate screw caps with inferior wine. It may be because the whole event of wine drinking requires the cork. How can this (perception of value) be changed? 1. It is possible that the transition could be made if the screw caps were very expensive in the first place—for example, enameled. If such caps became collectors’ items, then the transition might be accomplished. Here the changed perception, from seeing screws as less desirable to more desirable, is an example of the direct blocking of the “cheap” image. 2. We might go in exactly the opposite direction. We could sell exactly the same wine at two prices: £12 with the usual cork and £10 with a screw cap. People would now set out to convince themselves that the cork was not that important a part of the event of wine drinking. 3. Another approach would be an education campaign to show that corks could go bad and could leak, whereas screw caps could not. This would be less effective than either of the other two approaches— making screw caps either dearer or cheaper—but could be combined with either. It is almost impossible to delete or block a perception pattern. Another pattern needs to be set up to lead values in a different direction. Source: Edward de Bono, “Perceived Value: When Considering Value, Perception Can Be as Important as Reality,” http:// http://ift.tt/2wYdbpQ .php . Downloaded March 20, 2006. panel” and “the back seat that was as uncomfortably firm as a park bench,” among the other nega- tive comments. These criticisms surface despite Nissan’s U.S. general manager asserting that the Versa is “one of our most trouble-free cars.” Even the writer acknowledges later in the article a number of positive characteristics for this intentionally stripped-down model. The challenge for the Versa is probably not competing with other low-cost new cars but rather with comparably priced but better equipped used cars. About a third of the article focused on what it calls “things of importance, rather than indulgence, that you sacrifice” on this vehicle. These “things of importance” are power windows, power locks, power mirrors, and the like. What are today being described as important was not long ago regarded as luxuries. Basic trans- portation is not enough; the expectation bar has been raised and anything lacking these kinds of features is seen as lacking in sufficient value. Companies need to be aware of the constantly raising value bar. People demand and expect good value. The snake oil salesman may sell some product in the short-run, transaction-based business. But the likelihood of an ongoing relationship with customers who receive poor value is nil. Good value is a minimum, enhanced value is a competitive advantage. CREATE AN ENHANCED SENSE OF INTRINSIC AND ASSOCIATED VALUE Perception of value is based on how customers view both intrinsic and extrinsic or, associated factors. Understanding these factors is the starting point for creating A-plus value experiences for your customers. Intrinsic Value of the Product Itself Intrinsic value arises from the core product or service itself. Does it meet customer needs, do what it’s supposed to do? This form of product value may not be immediately evident in some cases. We may assume a product is adequate because it seems to work, but the true extent of its value— especially its durability—may not be clear for some time. For example, a truck buyer may not fully appreciate the value until the truck has a hundred-thousand care-free miles on it. Similarly, the intrinsic value of a legal document an attorney prepared may not be fully evident until it holds up in court. The intrin- sic value of a house painting job becomes apparent only when it still looks great years later.

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The post •Write ONE discussion board post where you show how the company you are researching either creates a perception of value or uses information to retain or lure new customers. Please be specific in your posts and use some examples from your research. •This way you will achieve two ends: you will report your company choice to me (if you haven’t already done so) and you will begin to interact with your research. Perhaps what you find in this effort will be useful in your paper. At least it will get you going on your research. Also write a comment for each post. 1. Walgreens is the largest drugstore chain in America and is the first drugstore to open. Walgeens started a customer loyalty rewards program to lure new customers. The rewards progrm has evolved beyontipical reward programs. The rewards program allows its customers to accumilate points for buying specific items, filling prescriptions, and even participating in fitness programs. For 5,000 points, patrons get a $5 reward; for 40,000 points, they receive a $50 credit. The program differentiates itself by being “easy and simple” to interact with in real time on multiple platforms (physical cards, mobile apps and online) and allowing shoppers “to save and earn points over time to redeem for something meaningful (Alec Foege 1). The collected data from the new loyalty program will help Walgreens in enhancing the assortment of products available in individual stores based on local purchase preferences. Foege, Alec. “Walgreens Customer Loyalty Program Key Aspect of Drugstore Chain’s Revamp.” http://ift.tt/2wm6cYj. N.p., 19 Dec. 2012. Web. 4 Sept. 2014. ReplyQuote 2. The Home Depot is the leading company in the US when it comes to home improvement. One way in which the Home Depot creates perception is by their commercials with “DIY” (Do it Yourself). They show not only men but women doing projects empowering women to do things around the house like painting. The company uses its knowleadgeable staff to create value. A staff that is knowledgeable creates credibility with the employee and customer and assures the customer that they are getting the correct information. Home Depot does a good job in getting information because without it they cant give customer service. In home improvement asking questions and getting as much information possible is what is gonna lead to transactions. SERVICE SNAPSHOT Special Service for Best Customers Hertz Car Rental knew they had problems when people were getting upset about having to wait in long lines to get their rental cars. Many businesspeople travel very tight schedules and need to have a car quickly. Hertz knew that unless they took action quickly, they would lose many of their most valu- able and frequent renters. Hertz launched a special service— the #1 Gold Club—for those who needed their rental cars quickly. The #1 Gold Club members can call ahead of time to reserve a car. When the member gets off the plane, a shuttle is waiting for the customer at the curb to take him or her to the car. The shuttle driver can welcome him or her by name and explain the shuttle trip is just two minutes. The shuttle drops off the customer at the reserved car. The engine is running, the trunk lid is open, and today’s issue of the WallStreet Journal is on the front seat. The member gets in the car and drives to the gate where he or she shows his or her driver’s license and #1 Gold Card. No lines. No hassle. The successes of this approach lead other auto rental companies to offer similar accommodations. Some offer the preferred customer the option to pick any car they want. Frequent travelers often get streamlined service on airlines (with special lines for first-class and frequent flyers as well as special security lines) and hotel guests get upgrades and special features. What can your company do to offer special consideration to your very best customers? The future “gold card” customer will expect something more. A FINAL THOUGHT Insight. That is the key word as we seek to stay abreast of ever-changing customer service realities. Accurately forecasting the future is, of course, a tricky business. Often we are limited by our preconceived ideas or our inability to think, as the cliché goes, “outside the box.” Even our customers may not know what they want. Henry Ford is famous for saying that if he had asked customers what they wanted they would have said a faster horse. Nevertheless, maintain- ing great customer service calls for constant evolution. Today’s service innovation can quickly become tomorrow’s minimum requirement. Being ever-sensitive to possible customer turnoffs and changing industry standards is fundamental. The future looks exciting for people and organizations willing to change to stay competitive. Changes are often driven by technology although some organizations may choose to minimize technological innovation. They may decide to keep doing things the old-fashioned, down-home way as they do now. That’s an alternative strategy that may appeal to people who don’t much care for all this new-fangled techy-stuff. In some business contexts, lo-tech may be fine. But for most organizations, embracing technological capabilities is a logical choice. Having the insight neces- sary to decipher customer wants and needs should be a high priority for service professionals. Companies will need to give some hard thought to their value proposition. What exactly do they want to offer customers? It is possible to do business the old ways, to run the mom ‘n pop store or restaurant just as it’s been run in the past decades. But even among staunch traditionalists, customer demand for change may become a clamor. Even in Ye Olde Gift Shoppe with the 1890s theme, customers expect to be able to use their credit cards and probably even look at inventory online. Unless the shop has another gimmick, they will face a lot of pressure to upgrade to current customer demands. Some customers are concerned about the impact of technology on privacy and the poten- tial for intrusion into personal lives. For example, a few years ago a failed promotion offered free computers to people so long as the company can gather infinite data about every click of the mouse made on that computer. In a sense, those customer would have been selling their privacy for the price of a PC. These customers may resist some of the techniques we’ve discussed but would be open to friendly, informal personalization found in local, neighborhood stores or shops. Whatever strategy your company employs, from having highly sophisticated intelligent- system databases to jotting down handwritten notes on customer preferences, one-to-one, personalized customer service and relationship building must stand as its cornerstone. Cultivate your insight into the future of customer service. ANOTHER LOOK Of Wine and Corks and Perceived Value Wine makers know that screw cap bottles are better and cheaper than the traditional cork. Yet it is impossible to change to such caps. It may be because buyers would equate screw caps with inferior wine. It may be because the whole event of wine drinking requires the cork. How can this (perception of value) be changed? 1. It is possible that the transition could be made if the screw caps were very expensive in the first place—for example, enameled. If such caps became collectors’ items, then the transition might be accomplished. Here the changed perception, from seeing screws as less desirable to more desirable, is an example of the direct blocking of the “cheap” image. 2. We might go in exactly the opposite direction. We could sell exactly the same wine at two prices: £12 with the usual cork and £10 with a screw cap. People would now set out to convince themselves that the cork was not that important a part of the event of wine drinking. 3. Another approach would be an education campaign to show that corks could go bad and could leak, whereas screw caps could not. This would be less effective than either of the other two approaches— making screw caps either dearer or cheaper—but could be combined with either. It is almost impossible to delete or block a perception pattern. Another pattern needs to be set up to lead values in a different direction. Source: Edward de Bono, “Perceived Value: When Considering Value, Perception Can Be as Important as Reality,” http:// http://ift.tt/2wYdbpQ .php . Downloaded March 20, 2006. panel” and “the back seat that was as uncomfortably firm as a park bench,” among the other nega- tive comments. These criticisms surface despite Nissan’s U.S. general manager asserting that the Versa is “one of our most trouble-free cars.” Even the writer acknowledges later in the article a number of positive characteristics for this intentionally stripped-down model. The challenge for the Versa is probably not competing with other low-cost new cars but rather with comparably priced but better equipped used cars. About a third of the article focused on what it calls “things of importance, rather than indulgence, that you sacrifice” on this vehicle. These “things of importance” are power windows, power locks, power mirrors, and the like. What are today being described as important was not long ago regarded as luxuries. Basic trans- portation is not enough; the expectation bar has been raised and anything lacking these kinds of features is seen as lacking in sufficient value. Companies need to be aware of the constantly raising value bar. People demand and expect good value. The snake oil salesman may sell some product in the short-run, transaction-based business. But the likelihood of an ongoing relationship with customers who receive poor value is nil. Good value is a minimum, enhanced value is a competitive advantage. CREATE AN ENHANCED SENSE OF INTRINSIC AND ASSOCIATED VALUE Perception of value is based on how customers view both intrinsic and extrinsic or, associated factors. Understanding these factors is the starting point for creating A-plus value experiences for your customers. Intrinsic Value of the Product Itself Intrinsic value arises from the core product or service itself. Does it meet customer needs, do what it’s supposed to do? This form of product value may not be immediately evident in some cases. We may assume a product is adequate because it seems to work, but the true extent of its value— especially its durability—may not be clear for some time. For example, a truck buyer may not fully appreciate the value until the truck has a hundred-thousand care-free miles on it. Similarly, the intrinsic value of a legal document an attorney prepared may not be fully evident until it holds up in court. The intrin- sic value of a house painting job becomes apparent only when it still looks great years later. appeared first on Academic Writers BAy.

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miguelgatesdesign · 8 years ago

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Improve Your Life By Following These Self Improvement Tips!

Are you looking for different ways to improve the quality of your life? Below are some tips that can help you help yourself.

You will miss many opportunities to develop personally if you put off making decisions. You should not fear making decisions even if you do not feel as sure about it as you would like to be. Successful decisions evolve into good instincts. Even when your decision is incorrect, you can learn a lot from the mistake that you made. When you make the wrong choices, you know what better choices to make in the future.

Reading books on the subject of self improvement or self-improvement is good for you. You could well derive some great, life-changing ideas from the right books in the field. Make sure you select a book which has a few good reviews because some books in the self improvement genre can be very badly written.

Unfortunately, stress is quite a killjoy to a person’s state of happiness and joy. When we are feeling stressed, our minds aren’t just affected. Our entire bodies are too. If we desire to work toward our goals calmly and methodically with a clear head, we have to eliminate the stress inside our heads. Find some spare time during the day to be by yourself and to clear out your mind by relaxing. This time of refreshing can improve your overall peace and self-image.

Take a notebook around with you to jot ideas in. Carry pens and paper with you at all times. Write down your idea in detail, then implement it at a later time when you can expand on the issue.

Use your core principals to your advantage. Each person has his or her center of beliefs. When your system is woven together with integrity, your confidence will rise when you put it into action. Better yet, this practice encourages consistency, which is an excellent character trait to maintain.

By being a leader, you can help improve your self improvement. Leadership has many definitions, but many people think of it as “influence.” Examine yourself as a leader. What are the significant events in your life that have shaped you into who you are today? Consider how you have grown because of these events. What is your best attribute that makes you a team player? Ask yourself these questions in order to see how you will be as a member of a team.

You will miss an opportunity if you avoid making the right decision regarding personal development. Even if your knowledge is not what it could be, have the courage to make choices. Use your common sense and knowledge when making important decisions. Bad decisions have value though because they are experiences that teach lessons. If you make the wrong choice today, you are almost certain to make a better choice the next time around.

In order to properly advance in matters of personal development, it is very important that you declare lowliness. If you admit that you are simply a tiny part of this world, you will begin to recognize how much you still have to learn. Staying aware of this will broaden your perspective and increase your quest for knowledge, leading to a better you.

You should know the values that bear importance to you prior to planning a self improvement program. It doesn’t make any sense to focus on things that your value set does not include. Instead, take your energy and time and focus them on things that are aligned with your values. By doing so, you can make changes in your professional and personal life that will stick with you.

If you see yourself failing to reach goals, then you need to analyze the situation to figure out what the problem is. Find out how others have succeeded at the same thing. You also might find that your goals are indeed not realistic, or that some other critical resource is needed before your goal can be realized.

Read literature that is focused on personal development. These books have changed many people’s lives, and they could do the same for you. Pay attention to reviews when you pick a self-help book. The genre has some poorly-written books in it; however, you want one that has proven useful to other readers.

You can learn how to handle difficult problems without over-reacting. Learning the ability to stay cool when life deals you situations that are high in stress can give you the confidence to tackle anything that you get handed. Learning to breathe deeply upon command can give you back your sense of control.

You need to figure out the things that are the most important and pay more attention to that throughout life. By concentrating your emotional energy on the positive aspects of everyday life and shutting out the negative, you will be on the road to inner peace.

The ability to empathize represents an important step in personal development. You can see things from a different perspective, and gain some understanding about people who may be less fortunate. Being able to make sacrifices for others without hurting yourself will help you become the person you want to be.

You should know the values that bear importance to you prior to planning a personal development program. It makes no sense to concentrate on things that are at odds with what you value. Seek out areas of your life that you can develop that you can spend your energy on without going against what you hold important in life. If you do this, you can make a change in your life that you will be proud of.

Make concrete plans for your life and take actions to accomplish those goals. Sitting and thinking about the life you want will not get you that life. You need to do everything in your power to make your dreams come true.

A great personal development tip is to be kind to your body. If your body’s signals tell you that there is some problem, say, that you need to eat or drink something, then you need to address the issue immediately. When you take care of yourself, you will find less medical problems in the future. If you neglect your body now, you will pay for it down the line.

Self improvement doesn’t have to be a struggle, as you can see from this article. The benefits of personal development are sometimes intrinsic with psychic rewards, while at other times the benefits are external with financial or material rewards. Making your life better is within your grasp, and there is no better time to start than now.

You should stay in great physical condition in order to get the best out of personal development. Exercise regularly, get adequate sleep every night and enjoy a healthy diet to help you continue your personal growth. A healthy body makes it easier to concentrate on personal development, even though it may be a challenge.

from Personal Coaching Center http://ift.tt/2mggmak from Blogger http://ift.tt/2n9kBC5 March 06, 2017 at 08:55PM

#Personal Coaching Center

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personalcoaching411 · 8 years ago

Text

Improve Your Life By Following These Self Improvement Tips!

Are you looking for different ways to improve the quality of your life? Below are some tips that can help you help yourself.

Take a notebook around with you to jot ideas in. Carry pens and paper with you at all times. Write down your idea in detail, then implement it at a later time when you can expand on the issue.

from Personal Coaching Center http://ift.tt/2mggmak via http://ift.tt/143gFIX

#Personal Coaching Center

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michaelladgemike-blog · 6 years ago

Text

Michael Ladge | Mike Ladge | Charity - Truth Path to Achieve Happiness and Peace

Holy Quoran exhorts Muslims to execute charity to acquire the love of God as well as comply with the course of righteous in the adhering to words,

" You can not acquire to decency unless you invest (in charity) out of what you enjoy." (The Holy Quran 3:92).

Mike Ladge

Charity for Name.

Life Motivation of Charity.

Most individuals end up being charitable once the money stop providing fulfillment. This can be discussed from the copying.

Michael Ladge

Difficulties of Charity.

The appropriate kind of charity is described in Gita in adhering to words. Lord Krishna states,.

" Charity that is offered as a matter of duty, to a deserving candidate that does nothing in return, at the best area as well as time, is called a Saattvika or True charity."( Gita 17:20).

Jesus, consequently, asks the people to do the charity without publicity and also assumption as God compensates those who do not look for any fruits in this globe.

The Actual Function of Charity.

Charity is suggested for the Spirit.

#Mike Ladge #Michael Ladge #Charity #racquetball

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freewhispersmaker · 8 years ago

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•Write ONE discussion board post where you show how the company you are researching either creates a perception of value or uses information to retain or lure new customers. Please be specific in your posts and use some examples from your research. •This way you will achieve two ends: you will report your company choice to me (if you haven’t already done so) and you will begin to interact with your research. Perhaps what you find in this effort will be useful in your paper. At least it will get you going on your research. Also write a comment for each post. 1. Walgreens is the largest drugstore chain in America and is the first drugstore to open. Walgeens started a customer loyalty rewards program to lure new customers. The rewards progrm has evolved beyontipical reward programs. The rewards program allows its customers to accumilate points for buying specific items, filling prescriptions, and even participating in fitness programs. For 5,000 points, patrons get a $5 reward; for 40,000 points, they receive a $50 credit. The program differentiates itself by being “easy and simple” to interact with in real time on multiple platforms (physical cards, mobile apps and online) and allowing shoppers “to save and earn points over time to redeem for something meaningful (Alec Foege 1). The collected data from the new loyalty program will help Walgreens in enhancing the assortment of products available in individual stores based on local purchase preferences. Foege, Alec. “Walgreens Customer Loyalty Program Key Aspect of Drugstore Chain’s Revamp.” http://ift.tt/2wm6cYj. N.p., 19 Dec. 2012. Web. 4 Sept. 2014. ReplyQuote 2. The Home Depot is the leading company in the US when it comes to home improvement. One way in which the Home Depot creates perception is by their commercials with “DIY” (Do it Yourself). They show not only men but women doing projects empowering women to do things around the house like painting. The company uses its knowleadgeable staff to create value. A staff that is knowledgeable creates credibility with the employee and customer and assures the customer that they are getting the correct information. Home Depot does a good job in getting information because without it they cant give customer service. In home improvement asking questions and getting as much information possible is what is gonna lead to transactions. SERVICE SNAPSHOT Special Service for Best Customers Hertz Car Rental knew they had problems when people were getting upset about having to wait in long lines to get their rental cars. Many businesspeople travel very tight schedules and need to have a car quickly. Hertz knew that unless they took action quickly, they would lose many of their most valu- able and frequent renters. Hertz launched a special service— the #1 Gold Club—for those who needed their rental cars quickly. The #1 Gold Club members can call ahead of time to reserve a car. When the member gets off the plane, a shuttle is waiting for the customer at the curb to take him or her to the car. The shuttle driver can welcome him or her by name and explain the shuttle trip is just two minutes. The shuttle drops off the customer at the reserved car. The engine is running, the trunk lid is open, and today’s issue of the WallStreet Journal is on the front seat. The member gets in the car and drives to the gate where he or she shows his or her driver’s license and #1 Gold Card. No lines. No hassle. The successes of this approach lead other auto rental companies to offer similar accommodations. Some offer the preferred customer the option to pick any car they want. Frequent travelers often get streamlined service on airlines (with special lines for first-class and frequent flyers as well as special security lines) and hotel guests get upgrades and special features. What can your company do to offer special consideration to your very best customers? The future “gold card” customer will expect something more. A FINAL THOUGHT Insight. That is the key word as we seek to stay abreast of ever-changing customer service realities. Accurately forecasting the future is, of course, a tricky business. Often we are limited by our preconceived ideas or our inability to think, as the cliché goes, “outside the box.” Even our customers may not know what they want. Henry Ford is famous for saying that if he had asked customers what they wanted they would have said a faster horse. Nevertheless, maintain- ing great customer service calls for constant evolution. Today’s service innovation can quickly become tomorrow’s minimum requirement. Being ever-sensitive to possible customer turnoffs and changing industry standards is fundamental. The future looks exciting for people and organizations willing to change to stay competitive. Changes are often driven by technology although some organizations may choose to minimize technological innovation. They may decide to keep doing things the old-fashioned, down-home way as they do now. That’s an alternative strategy that may appeal to people who don’t much care for all this new-fangled techy-stuff. In some business contexts, lo-tech may be fine. But for most organizations, embracing technological capabilities is a logical choice. Having the insight neces- sary to decipher customer wants and needs should be a high priority for service professionals. Companies will need to give some hard thought to their value proposition. What exactly do they want to offer customers? It is possible to do business the old ways, to run the mom ‘n pop store or restaurant just as it’s been run in the past decades. But even among staunch traditionalists, customer demand for change may become a clamor. Even in Ye Olde Gift Shoppe with the 1890s theme, customers expect to be able to use their credit cards and probably even look at inventory online. Unless the shop has another gimmick, they will face a lot of pressure to upgrade to current customer demands. Some customers are concerned about the impact of technology on privacy and the poten- tial for intrusion into personal lives. For example, a few years ago a failed promotion offered free computers to people so long as the company can gather infinite data about every click of the mouse made on that computer. In a sense, those customer would have been selling their privacy for the price of a PC. These customers may resist some of the techniques we’ve discussed but would be open to friendly, informal personalization found in local, neighborhood stores or shops. Whatever strategy your company employs, from having highly sophisticated intelligent- system databases to jotting down handwritten notes on customer preferences, one-to-one, personalized customer service and relationship building must stand as its cornerstone. Cultivate your insight into the future of customer service. ANOTHER LOOK Of Wine and Corks and Perceived Value Wine makers know that screw cap bottles are better and cheaper than the traditional cork. Yet it is impossible to change to such caps. It may be because buyers would equate screw caps with inferior wine. It may be because the whole event of wine drinking requires the cork. How can this (perception of value) be changed? 1. It is possible that the transition could be made if the screw caps were very expensive in the first place—for example, enameled. If such caps became collectors’ items, then the transition might be accomplished. Here the changed perception, from seeing screws as less desirable to more desirable, is an example of the direct blocking of the “cheap” image. 2. We might go in exactly the opposite direction. We could sell exactly the same wine at two prices: £12 with the usual cork and £10 with a screw cap. People would now set out to convince themselves that the cork was not that important a part of the event of wine drinking. 3. Another approach would be an education campaign to show that corks could go bad and could leak, whereas screw caps could not. This would be less effective than either of the other two approaches— making screw caps either dearer or cheaper—but could be combined with either. It is almost impossible to delete or block a perception pattern. Another pattern needs to be set up to lead values in a different direction. Source: Edward de Bono, “Perceived Value: When Considering Value, Perception Can Be as Important as Reality,” http:// http://ift.tt/2wYdbpQ .php . Downloaded March 20, 2006. panel” and “the back seat that was as uncomfortably firm as a park bench,” among the other nega- tive comments. These criticisms surface despite Nissan’s U.S. general manager asserting that the Versa is “one of our most trouble-free cars.” Even the writer acknowledges later in the article a number of positive characteristics for this intentionally stripped-down model. The challenge for the Versa is probably not competing with other low-cost new cars but rather with comparably priced but better equipped used cars. About a third of the article focused on what it calls “things of importance, rather than indulgence, that you sacrifice” on this vehicle. These “things of importance” are power windows, power locks, power mirrors, and the like. What are today being described as important was not long ago regarded as luxuries. Basic trans- portation is not enough; the expectation bar has been raised and anything lacking these kinds of features is seen as lacking in sufficient value. Companies need to be aware of the constantly raising value bar. People demand and expect good value. The snake oil salesman may sell some product in the short-run, transaction-based business. But the likelihood of an ongoing relationship with customers who receive poor value is nil. Good value is a minimum, enhanced value is a competitive advantage. CREATE AN ENHANCED SENSE OF INTRINSIC AND ASSOCIATED VALUE Perception of value is based on how customers view both intrinsic and extrinsic or, associated factors. Understanding these factors is the starting point for creating A-plus value experiences for your customers. Intrinsic Value of the Product Itself Intrinsic value arises from the core product or service itself. Does it meet customer needs, do what it’s supposed to do? This form of product value may not be immediately evident in some cases. We may assume a product is adequate because it seems to work, but the true extent of its value— especially its durability—may not be clear for some time. For example, a truck buyer may not fully appreciate the value until the truck has a hundred-thousand care-free miles on it. Similarly, the intrinsic value of a legal document an attorney prepared may not be fully evident until it holds up in court. The intrin- sic value of a house painting job becomes apparent only when it still looks great years later.

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