God gives every man/person a purpose that comes gift-wrapped in a dream. Our marketplace assignment is one of the major strategies God uses for us to fulfill that purpose. These affirmations would help to reinforce who God has called you to be and what he has called you to accomplish for His glory through your business.

1) MY IDENTITY AFFIRMATION

• ​My identity is found in God.
• I am a son of God.
• My value is found in being a son of God.
• My work represents worship to God.

2) MY INSIGHT AFFIRMATION

• ​I have the mind of Christ.
• I have the creative wisdom of Christ.
• Greater is He that is in me then he that is in the world.
• The Holy Spirit is my competitive advantage in the marketplace.

3) MY IMAGINATION AFFIRMATION

• ​I have the mind of Christ.
• I have the imagination of Christ.
• I have God ideas.
• I am created to create like God created.

Unless you were living under a rock, you couldn't escape the shear excitement, fascination, and bewilderment when Steph Curry effortlessly launches one of his vintage moonshoot 3-pointers and it slices through the rim barely disturbing the net. The stands are packed hours before his games start as fans clamor to watch him go through his pre-game routine. Last season he won the MVP award for the NBA. This year he was so much better that one TV analyst said he should win the this year's NBA award for Most Improved Player. Statistically speaking, no player in the history of the game has improved upon an MVP season to the level that he has.

​So what has led to Curry's rise as one the of NBA's best players if not the best. Let's look at seven lessons we can learn from Curry that can elevate your work performance.

1) Unparalleled preparation leads to unprecedented performance. Curry didn't just get good overnight. In the off-season he uses an extremely unorthodox training regimen to prepare himself for the grueling 82-game NBA season. Some of the exercises and drills he performs don't even seem like they relate to basketball, but now you can see the end result. If you desire to perform in your career beyond all expectations and surpass all your goals and expectations, in your preparation you have to be willing to do things that others aren't willing to do. It's not just about working harder than everyone else. It's about preparing harder when nobody else is around.

​2) Turn your talent into skills. Talents are based on natural abilities. Skills are enhanced abilities. Talents are given. Skills are developed. Being the son of a former NBA player, Curry was born with ball-shooting talents that most people only dream of. However, success is not a birthright. He still had to invest the time to practice and dedicate himself to becoming one of the NBA's best shooters (some even say he's the best shooter of all time). Most young professionals are extremely talented. Unfortunately, too many of them don't apply the time and discipline needed to hone their natural talents into transferable, work-relevant skills. In fact many CEOs today say that most college graduates are entering the workforce with knowledge, but without critical job skills

3) Perfect your skills into expertise. Although he had the natural genes to be a greater shooter (his dad Dell Curry spent more than 15 years in the NBA), Steph still works on his game endlessly. He is what's know as a "gym rat." He's usually the first one in the gym and the last one out, trying to get up as many shots as possible. One story said he shoots until he makes 500 three-pointers. That means he has to shoot maybe 2 to 3 times more than before he will leave the court. It not good enough to be talented. You need to become an expert. So although you have great skills, what is your practice regimen like to become the best in the world at what you do?

​4) Turn your setbacks into strengths. Early in his career he had many ankle injuries that limited his playing time and potential. It seemed like every time he was about to move to the next level an ankle injury would slow his development. It was until his off-season strength and conditioning figured out why his ankles seemed to be so fragile. Once the issue was discovered, they developed a very unique workout routine that has allowed to strengthen his ankles in a way that ankle injuries are mostly a memory. The additional benefit of his routine is that it also improved his hand-eye coordination, dribbling skills, and agility. What have you learned from your failures that you can turn into competitive advantages? How can you build on your setbacks to develop new skills and abilities?

5. Don't let opinion or criticism or traditions (other's expectations) limit your boundaries. Curry is often underappreciated and underestimated because of his slight build. A lot of NBA players are taller and more muscular. But what he lacks in size and girth, he makes up for in speed, agility, and ridiculous shooting skills. When he is in a hot shooting streak, he is almost impossible to guard because he has developed an incredible knack to make impossible shots look easy. What knowledge, skills, or resource do you have that others would consider a disadvantage, but you can actually use to your advantage?

​6. You can have fun after you've put in the hard work. When he's on the court many times it looks like he's having more fun than everyone else. You can easily tell that he finds joy and enjoyment in playing this game. Do you find joy in running your business or serving in your community? If you don't you need to ask yourself why. If you can't come up with a good answer maybe you need to go do something else

​7. Live with fearless faith! I was super excited to hear that Steph Curry is a Christian. During a 2013 interview with Active Faith Sports, he said, "I try to use each and every game as an opportunity to witness... It's a way to kind of preach the message in little ways that I can. Each game is an opportunity to be on a great stage and to be a witness for Christ." He lives his faith through his profession. His excellence is a demonstration of God's glory. Your business or community engagements is your platform to shine for God.  How are you using it for His glory?

You may not be a well-known, record-breaking basketball player like Steph Curry, but you still bring something significant to your customers or your community. You can be a MVP to those you have the opportunity to serve every day. To the world you may not be anybody, but to somebody you may be the world!

The results of many surveys of millennials show that they are in search of "meaningful work" as it relates to their professional lives. This quest can often lead to some unfulfilling experiences as this desire is noble, but often realistic mainly because their approach is flawed.

​Watch this excellent video from Ryan Hartwig from a TEDx event in California as he explains this myth and how young professionals should approach their careers.

I have spent a lot time in classrooms and conversations with thousands of people discussing their level of satisfaction in their careers. Unfortunately, too many of them are frustrated in their work because they know what they do, but the don't know why they do it (outside of the money) or what they really want to do if they could make a change (and they can but that's for another post). Do you fall into one of those categories?

​Knowing your "why", i.e. your purpose, is essential to finding fulfillment in your professional and personal life. In this video comedian Michael Jr. presents a great example of the powering of knowing your why.

How does this relate to your work? I look forward to your comments...

Success in business can come from some unexpected places. Jackets for Jobs, Inc. in Detroit is a great example of this. This incredible organization, founded by Allison Vaughn in 2001,  provides unemployed women with business attire and mentoring, while helping them find jobs. Since they started, they have helped over 16,000 women. I love this quote by Ms. Vaughn:

When Jesus tells us to help the "least of these," I believe many Christians struggle with seeing how that applies to our businesses. However, this powerful story is a great example of how following your dream can make a significant impact in your community.

I encourage you to ask God how He wants you to use your dream to impact your community.

Click here to read the full article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alison-vaughn/how-dressing-the-unemploy_b_8033112.html

I dare you. I double dare you. I triple dog dare you!

I dare you to look beyond your problems to see your potential.
I dare you to look beyond your obstacles to see your opportunities.
I dare you to look beyond your frustrations to see your future.
I dare you to look beyond your drama to see your dreams.

I dare you to look beyond your guilt to see your giftedness.
I dare you to look beyond your bruises to see your blessings.
I dare you to look beyond your burdens to see your brilliance.
I dare you to look beyond your losses to see His love.

I dare you to go where no one has gone before!
I dare you to grow when others are groaning!
I dare you to conquer when others are cowering!
I dare you to comfort when others are complicit!

I dare you to be positive when others are pessimistic!
I dare you to be fearless when others are failing!
I dare you to be faithful when others are fading!
I dare you to love the unlovely!

I DARE YOU to DREAM BIG!

If you only pay attention to mainstream media outlets, you will only get a distorted, narrow, and negative image of young people from urban communities. This powerful story of Taharka Bros. Ice Cream in Baltimore is a great example of young leaders from an urban community turning their passion and concern into positive action that will not only benefit themselves but others also. What excites me even more about this story is the entrepreneurial creativity, ingenuity, and perseverance they demonstrated to bring into reality their dream of impacting their community through ice cream. I hope this inspires you...

Click here to read more about Taharka Brothers...

Tim Elmore, one of the foremost experts in youth development, has written a powerful article, Seven Shifts as Generation Z Becomes Generation Y. In this article he explains what's happening with the "next" generation of kids as they morph into adulthood, and shift away from old realities into new ones. Here are a few of his points...

These are some great points for those who want to understand and serve those in the millennial generation.

Read the entire article at: http://growingleaders.com/blog/seven-shifts-as-generation-y-becomes-generation-z

I recently had the opportunity to have a repeat appearance on the Success Edge Podcast hosted by Tyler McCart. This is a great resource for young or new Christian entrepreneurs.

In a recent blog post, Fearlessly All In for Our Youth, I discussed how God was moving me in a new business and ministry direction related to dealing with millennial leaders. In this podcast you will hear about how God has taken me on a whole new adventure in the marketplace that I never thought or dreamed would be a full-time assignment. Hopefully this will inspire and motivate you to be willing to take that new direction that God is calling you toward. Enjoy!