Many times my wife and I find ourselves talking about certain circumstances, or events, that took place in our lives. It is fascinating when you look at how coincidental certain situations were and how one little thing led to another, which led to another, and so on. As we looked back over the past 12 years of our lives, since being married, we were able to connect the dots with amazement.
Can you remember a time in your life when you met someone out of the blue. That meeting then led to a dinner engagement where they introduced you to their friends Chris and Susan. Chris happened to be in business for himself in your field of expertise. Without knowing it, he was currently looking to hire someone, with your credentials, and you happen to be in between jobs yourself. How coincidental, eh? Of course, this is just a short story to serve simply as an example, but I think you get the point.
Just looking back at the start of our marriage, amazing. You might chuckle to find out that when Melisa and I were married, in our little 2 bedroom apartment in Newport News, I was a pizza delivery driver. Hah hah, I know, go ahead and laugh. I had mentioned that I wanted to learn a trade, but didn’t know what, to the maintenance man at our apartment complex. He said he knew a guy hiring carpet helpers and gave me his number. That started my carpet installation career.
While I was on the job training, my boss hired another young guy, mind you I was 18 at the time, who was a year older than me. However, he was already good at installing carpet, whereas I was still a “green horn.” Anyhow, as it would turn out, 6 months later, I quit working for this company, and started my own carpet installation business, partnering with this other younger installer. That is how First Class Installations came to be. So, what if I wouldn’t have lived in those apartments. What would have happened if, we will call him Rick though that isn’t his real name, didn’t get hired while I was learning how to install carpet? Truth be told, it was his idea for us to quit and start our own business! Would things have turned out differently?
As irony, if you believe in irony, would have it, while I was in business for myself now, the same maintenance guy hooked me up with a contract in our apartment complex. I was now installing carpet in all their units, which used to be installed by my former boss. You know, my former boss whom my maintenance guy hooked me up with 10 months before that. Heh heh…. From there we met another gentleman named Marcus, who really liked us because we were young and ambitious. It was him that nailed a contract for us with a company called Contractor’s Carpet. While we were installing there, for about a year or so, there was another gentleman who worked in the field named Phil. Phil insisted I talk to a gentleman named Woodrow at Lowe’s. He set the appointment up for me and said I could do much better there, than I was currently. Long story short, Woodrow quickly had me approved to install for Lowe’s and the rest is History!!
So again I raise the question? What if I never would have met Marcus? Then, while installing for Marcus, met Phil, who in turn led me to Woodrow? How would life have been different? Perhaps even more greater than that is how we met Sean, whom we partnered with in 2005 leaving behind our carpet company and our hometown. It was a fluke, we met online in a networking business. Through that initial contact that we made, a relationship had begun developing, which eventually led to a whole new life for me and my family.
That is just a quick overview, to illustrate what I mean when talking about connecting the dots! If you look back over your life it is amazing at how one little event led to something else which led to that one thing happening which made the next thing possible where you met that one guy who told you about that one deal and that one deal led to another deal with this one guy who knew this other guy and on and on and on…….
Life is amazing! Perhaps one day I will have to write a book, however, write it backwards. Like when I am 50, write a book going backwards illustrating all the decisions and circumstances that took place in order to arrive where I currently am. You don’t always know which direction you are headed in, or how you are going to make it through the next few years, or who you are going to meet in the next day, week, or month, until that time has come to pass. However, once you have lived it, experienced it, and tasted it, you can look back, trace your steps, and wow yourself in amazement at how you got here!
Did that make sense? :-)
The best part of our life experience is just that. It is an experience! One that we are continually working on, to enjoy more and more everyday! Even when facing a challenge, looking back over your past life experiences, you can see how every time they came, and went. Though some might seem harder that others, in reality, they always come to pass.
If looking back over my life has taught me anything, it would be this. Life is easy, hard, fun, scary, exciting, adventurous, loud, quiet, annoying, fulfilling, heart breaking, unpredictable, incredible, sorrowful, happy………. You get the point! Life is an experience. It might not be fun all the time, however, we are blessed to have experienced it!
Try and connect the dots in your life. Living life to it’s fullest, one experience at a time.
Peace,
Ron
Isagenix Nutritional Cleansing
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Your Self Talk is Important!
I believe it is safe to assume that having a good self-esteem can assist you greatly during the course of your life experience. The posture you have when walking, talking at an interview, or prospecting a potential client does matter.
One of the most devastating ways people sabotage their success is by destroying their own self-esteem. Your self talk has huge influence over how you handle yourself. What do you talk to yourself about?
How many times have we been told how great we are, that our potential is unlimited, and there is simply nobody better for the job than we are. Just to turn around and slam ourselves, in our own mind, creating doubts and ultimately convincing ourselves that this is just not true. What you say to yourself does make a difference whether you think so or not.
As we, have been on the topic of positive versus negative thinking, there has been some intense debate. However, as a simple illustration for this article, it would be hard to imagine having great success in any venture, if you are constantly telling yourself it just isn’t possible. Take a look at sports for example. When you are playing in a tournament, do you enter into the contest thinking you are going to lose? That would be negative thinking. What is the likelihood you would win, when your expectations are that of defeat. In truth, when you enter into any tournament, your belief is that of winning. Therefore you are centered on positive thinking, expecting victory to be yours. If winning was such a negative experience, why would anyone play the game?
For years my self-esteem was terrible. Growing up obese, you can imagine the ridicule I was subjected to. That constant teasing definitely created a negative self image, and my self talk was anything but favorable. There were times I was so focused on my lack of self-esteem that I honestly wanted to die. When you believe life simply isn’t worth living, and your life truly stinks, your self talk will present reasons to validate your claim. What you say to yourself, when no one else can hear you, has major impact on who you are. Sooner or later, that image you have of yourself will shine through.
Obviously you cannot think positively all the time. Each of us will face times in our lives where it seems impossible to be positive about current circumstances we are facing. However, instead of giving up and dwelling on these depressing situations, thinking positively and seeking solutions to help overcome your challenges seems like the more logical thing to do.
“I am a big fat loser.” That is an example of negative thinking. “I am a great listener, friend, and lover.” That is a great example of positive thinking. We believe in affirming our values. Constantly reminding ourselves of the areas we are improving in and need to improve in. Give yourself praise when you make forward progress at becoming the person you were created to be. Since we are all sinners, and the evidence of negativity surrounds us in the World, we should make the decision to remain positive in our own minds.
As Winston Churchill said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” A great illustration of positive vs. negative thinking!
If only it were true that one could live their entire life only experiencing positive results, how great would that be? Of course, what might be perfect to you, is a nightmare to someone else. That which is negative to me, might not be negative to you. This is where the debates could go on forever and ever as we all have different personalities, and process information differently. However, when talking to yourself, do you speak in a way that increases your self worth, or do you down yourself constantly? Some people feed off of their own negativity. They enjoy to fuel the anger that they already feel inside and add to their misery. Perhaps the reason they do this is simply to gain attention? Who knows….
“Whether you believe you can or you can’t, you’re right!” – Anonymous
What you say to yourself is important. Positive, Negative, Encouraging, Discouraging, Good, Bad, it is what it is…… Your self talk could be the difference between living your dreams or settling for mediocrity.
“If great is available, good isn’t good enough!” – Anonymous
In Christ,
Ron
One of the most devastating ways people sabotage their success is by destroying their own self-esteem. Your self talk has huge influence over how you handle yourself. What do you talk to yourself about?
How many times have we been told how great we are, that our potential is unlimited, and there is simply nobody better for the job than we are. Just to turn around and slam ourselves, in our own mind, creating doubts and ultimately convincing ourselves that this is just not true. What you say to yourself does make a difference whether you think so or not.
As we, have been on the topic of positive versus negative thinking, there has been some intense debate. However, as a simple illustration for this article, it would be hard to imagine having great success in any venture, if you are constantly telling yourself it just isn’t possible. Take a look at sports for example. When you are playing in a tournament, do you enter into the contest thinking you are going to lose? That would be negative thinking. What is the likelihood you would win, when your expectations are that of defeat. In truth, when you enter into any tournament, your belief is that of winning. Therefore you are centered on positive thinking, expecting victory to be yours. If winning was such a negative experience, why would anyone play the game?
For years my self-esteem was terrible. Growing up obese, you can imagine the ridicule I was subjected to. That constant teasing definitely created a negative self image, and my self talk was anything but favorable. There were times I was so focused on my lack of self-esteem that I honestly wanted to die. When you believe life simply isn’t worth living, and your life truly stinks, your self talk will present reasons to validate your claim. What you say to yourself, when no one else can hear you, has major impact on who you are. Sooner or later, that image you have of yourself will shine through.
Obviously you cannot think positively all the time. Each of us will face times in our lives where it seems impossible to be positive about current circumstances we are facing. However, instead of giving up and dwelling on these depressing situations, thinking positively and seeking solutions to help overcome your challenges seems like the more logical thing to do.
“I am a big fat loser.” That is an example of negative thinking. “I am a great listener, friend, and lover.” That is a great example of positive thinking. We believe in affirming our values. Constantly reminding ourselves of the areas we are improving in and need to improve in. Give yourself praise when you make forward progress at becoming the person you were created to be. Since we are all sinners, and the evidence of negativity surrounds us in the World, we should make the decision to remain positive in our own minds.
As Winston Churchill said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” A great illustration of positive vs. negative thinking!
If only it were true that one could live their entire life only experiencing positive results, how great would that be? Of course, what might be perfect to you, is a nightmare to someone else. That which is negative to me, might not be negative to you. This is where the debates could go on forever and ever as we all have different personalities, and process information differently. However, when talking to yourself, do you speak in a way that increases your self worth, or do you down yourself constantly? Some people feed off of their own negativity. They enjoy to fuel the anger that they already feel inside and add to their misery. Perhaps the reason they do this is simply to gain attention? Who knows….
“Whether you believe you can or you can’t, you’re right!” – Anonymous
What you say to yourself is important. Positive, Negative, Encouraging, Discouraging, Good, Bad, it is what it is…… Your self talk could be the difference between living your dreams or settling for mediocrity.
“If great is available, good isn’t good enough!” – Anonymous
In Christ,
Ron
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Do what you fear
Let’s talk about fear. You know, False Evidence Appearing Real! How many times do we allow fear to paralyze ourselves from doing what we know we must? In business we all want to have the big results, lifestyle, and freedom that comes from building a successful enterprise. If you are going to succeed it will require shattering your limiting beliefs, facing your fears constantly, and living outside your comfort zone.
“Do what you fear until you fear it no more.” – Anonymous
I have to constantly remind myself of that quote. When there is a task that needs to be completed, such as making a sales call, and the overwhelming feeling of not wanting to do it starts to set in, it is important you face that fear and push through it. So many times fear will create a paralysis so great that people will miss opportunity rather than push through it. It is fact that the more you face your fears, the less you will fear them.
When we first started our business, I hated making phone calls. Honestly not really sure why. I guess for many, and probably myself, it was the fear of rejection. Yet the calls never turned out the way I feared they would. Shortly after starting to make the dials, and talking with a couple of clients, what I feared became something I enjoyed to do. It is almost pathetic when looking back at how much time was lost in procrastinating, rather than just getting started. The stress and worry I put myself through was ridiculous.
For some of you reading this, I am sure you can relate. Let’s pick on, and hopefully inspire, you network marketers out there who hate making phone calls. You know what I am talking about. You have a list of people whom you need to call. Whether they are people you know, or referrals interested your opportunity, the thought of calling them makes you sick to your stomach. The time has come to make your dials and all of a sudden you realize how disorganized your desk is. “Before I start my calls, I better clean up my desk right quickly,” you think to yourself. Once your desk is clean and organized, you remember there were a few emails you needed to respond to. Then you have this genius idea. “I bet these people don’t want me to call them, I should just send them an email instead!” That feeling in your gut continues to increase, you become more and more uncomfortable. The thought of sending them an email instead of calling sounds great, however, your intuition is telling you it isn’t the right thing to do. After procrastinating and wasting all your productive time, fearing to make your calls, you realize it is now too late to make calls. “How rude it would be for me to call someone this late at night, what if they have kids who are in bed, I would wake them, and that would not be good. I better just wait and call these tomorrow instead!” The sad reality is tomorrow you will find other reasons not to make the calls as well. “I should’ve called these yesterday, it is probably too late to call them now, I will just send them an email.” And so the pattern repeats itself, until you finally give up and decide that building a business which can create financial freedom for you and your family just isn’t worth the discomfort of facing your fears. You quickly return to your old life, back into your comfort zone, and surrender your dreams to fear.
If you don’t want to do something, yet you know it is the next thing you must do in order to move your business forward, you gotta force yourself to do it anyway. Ask yourself, “what is the worse thing that could happen?” And, “what is the best thing?” Remember the reason why you are making that call, facing your fear, in the first place. Then, just do it! You will be surprised at how simple the process really is, and how quickly you move from fear to enjoyment.
In the book, “Eat that Frog,” they talk about doing the things you dread most first thing in your day. Get them out of the way as soon as possible. If you do, the rest of your day will naturally flow. If you don’t, and you choose to stress doing that dreadful task, your day will be miserable. You will quickly find that not facing your fear is more torture than facing it! Go ahead, prove me wrong! What is it that you have been putting off because of fear? Take some time right now, and face it! Crush your fear and experience the satisfaction that awaits you.
Fear is a mechanism that has been instilled in each of us for two reasons. The first is to warn you of danger. The second is an indicator which tells you what needs to be done next. So when you are filled with fear ask yourself, “is this going to harm me in anyway?” If the answer is no, then do what you fear, once you do, you will fear it no more!
To your success,
Ron
“Do what you fear until you fear it no more.” – Anonymous
I have to constantly remind myself of that quote. When there is a task that needs to be completed, such as making a sales call, and the overwhelming feeling of not wanting to do it starts to set in, it is important you face that fear and push through it. So many times fear will create a paralysis so great that people will miss opportunity rather than push through it. It is fact that the more you face your fears, the less you will fear them.
When we first started our business, I hated making phone calls. Honestly not really sure why. I guess for many, and probably myself, it was the fear of rejection. Yet the calls never turned out the way I feared they would. Shortly after starting to make the dials, and talking with a couple of clients, what I feared became something I enjoyed to do. It is almost pathetic when looking back at how much time was lost in procrastinating, rather than just getting started. The stress and worry I put myself through was ridiculous.
For some of you reading this, I am sure you can relate. Let’s pick on, and hopefully inspire, you network marketers out there who hate making phone calls. You know what I am talking about. You have a list of people whom you need to call. Whether they are people you know, or referrals interested your opportunity, the thought of calling them makes you sick to your stomach. The time has come to make your dials and all of a sudden you realize how disorganized your desk is. “Before I start my calls, I better clean up my desk right quickly,” you think to yourself. Once your desk is clean and organized, you remember there were a few emails you needed to respond to. Then you have this genius idea. “I bet these people don’t want me to call them, I should just send them an email instead!” That feeling in your gut continues to increase, you become more and more uncomfortable. The thought of sending them an email instead of calling sounds great, however, your intuition is telling you it isn’t the right thing to do. After procrastinating and wasting all your productive time, fearing to make your calls, you realize it is now too late to make calls. “How rude it would be for me to call someone this late at night, what if they have kids who are in bed, I would wake them, and that would not be good. I better just wait and call these tomorrow instead!” The sad reality is tomorrow you will find other reasons not to make the calls as well. “I should’ve called these yesterday, it is probably too late to call them now, I will just send them an email.” And so the pattern repeats itself, until you finally give up and decide that building a business which can create financial freedom for you and your family just isn’t worth the discomfort of facing your fears. You quickly return to your old life, back into your comfort zone, and surrender your dreams to fear.
If you don’t want to do something, yet you know it is the next thing you must do in order to move your business forward, you gotta force yourself to do it anyway. Ask yourself, “what is the worse thing that could happen?” And, “what is the best thing?” Remember the reason why you are making that call, facing your fear, in the first place. Then, just do it! You will be surprised at how simple the process really is, and how quickly you move from fear to enjoyment.
In the book, “Eat that Frog,” they talk about doing the things you dread most first thing in your day. Get them out of the way as soon as possible. If you do, the rest of your day will naturally flow. If you don’t, and you choose to stress doing that dreadful task, your day will be miserable. You will quickly find that not facing your fear is more torture than facing it! Go ahead, prove me wrong! What is it that you have been putting off because of fear? Take some time right now, and face it! Crush your fear and experience the satisfaction that awaits you.
Fear is a mechanism that has been instilled in each of us for two reasons. The first is to warn you of danger. The second is an indicator which tells you what needs to be done next. So when you are filled with fear ask yourself, “is this going to harm me in anyway?” If the answer is no, then do what you fear, once you do, you will fear it no more!
To your success,
Ron
Monday, July 12, 2010
Who wants to be a Millionaire?
No I am not talking about the Television Game show either! Although, if you consider how popular that show was, then the making of the video games, it would serve as evidence that most people want to be Millionaires....
More proof would be the lottery system. The chances of winning the lottery are basically, "once in a lifetime," yet millions of people play every week, hoping that they pick the lucky numbers. The irony? These same people complain and criticize about the wealthy? "You can't have what you speak against."
We have all heard the stories of people who have won the lottery. Then these same people go bankrupt 3-5 years later. Many times we believe that being a Millionaire is just about money, however, there is much more to it. There is a mindset that is required to create and/or manage wealth.
"You must first think like a Millionaire." This was one of the quotes that stood out to me when I started becoming more involved in the self development industry. When you consider those winners in the lottery who could not keep the increased wealth that they won, it was an indicator that there is a lot of truth to this statement.
How do Millionaires act? How do they think? What do they enjoy to do? So many questions started to run through my mind because I really, really do want to be a Millionaire. I think one of the main reasons this has always been a dream of mine is because of the options money provides for you in life. Not only can you live your life to its fullest without financial limitations, think about all the good that you can do for others.
There have been many times when our church has been raising money, whether for a missions trip or other charitable causes that were near and dear to our heart, where we just wanted to give them the money needed from an anonymous source. Or, what if a family member and/or close friend is sick and needs an operation
they cannot afford and doesn't have insurance, their need can still be met. There is so much good that can be done with an abundance of wealth. It makes you think about Warren Buffet when he gave $37 billion of his fortune to charities in 2006. What a blessing......
So, who wants to be a Millionaire? Are you willing to become the person necessary to handle the responsibility that comes with being wealthy. Darren Hardy from Success Magazine said, "You can only create and maintain the level of wealth that matches your personal development. Thus if you want to have more (wealth), you have to become more (valuable)."
We have all been given gifts and talents. Should we decide to sharpen our skills, and tap into our true potential, the possibility of becoming a Millionaire, especially in our day and age, is in our favor. If you have the discipline and the willingness to make it happen, then what is stopping you?
"All that might be holding you back are your own limiting beliefs. You only need to embrace your own great potential, cultivate it and release it into the world. The marketplace will remunerate the contribution of your talents with great abundance." - D.H.
Tap your potential and we will see you at a Millionaire retreat soon!
God bless,
Ron
More proof would be the lottery system. The chances of winning the lottery are basically, "once in a lifetime," yet millions of people play every week, hoping that they pick the lucky numbers. The irony? These same people complain and criticize about the wealthy? "You can't have what you speak against."
We have all heard the stories of people who have won the lottery. Then these same people go bankrupt 3-5 years later. Many times we believe that being a Millionaire is just about money, however, there is much more to it. There is a mindset that is required to create and/or manage wealth.
"You must first think like a Millionaire." This was one of the quotes that stood out to me when I started becoming more involved in the self development industry. When you consider those winners in the lottery who could not keep the increased wealth that they won, it was an indicator that there is a lot of truth to this statement.
How do Millionaires act? How do they think? What do they enjoy to do? So many questions started to run through my mind because I really, really do want to be a Millionaire. I think one of the main reasons this has always been a dream of mine is because of the options money provides for you in life. Not only can you live your life to its fullest without financial limitations, think about all the good that you can do for others.
There have been many times when our church has been raising money, whether for a missions trip or other charitable causes that were near and dear to our heart, where we just wanted to give them the money needed from an anonymous source. Or, what if a family member and/or close friend is sick and needs an operation
they cannot afford and doesn't have insurance, their need can still be met. There is so much good that can be done with an abundance of wealth. It makes you think about Warren Buffet when he gave $37 billion of his fortune to charities in 2006. What a blessing......
So, who wants to be a Millionaire? Are you willing to become the person necessary to handle the responsibility that comes with being wealthy. Darren Hardy from Success Magazine said, "You can only create and maintain the level of wealth that matches your personal development. Thus if you want to have more (wealth), you have to become more (valuable)."
We have all been given gifts and talents. Should we decide to sharpen our skills, and tap into our true potential, the possibility of becoming a Millionaire, especially in our day and age, is in our favor. If you have the discipline and the willingness to make it happen, then what is stopping you?
"All that might be holding you back are your own limiting beliefs. You only need to embrace your own great potential, cultivate it and release it into the world. The marketplace will remunerate the contribution of your talents with great abundance." - D.H.
Tap your potential and we will see you at a Millionaire retreat soon!
God bless,
Ron
Negative Thinking Stinks!
So how many times have we heard the expression, "You get what you think about?" Whether or not you believe there is power in your thoughts and that choosing what you focus on is important, the reality is negative thinking stinks. Not only does it affect your attitude, most of the time those people who are around you will pick up on your vibration and follow suit. One of the worse things that can happen to us is having our attitude tank because of someone who is acting, thinking, and vibrating negatively.
It is ironic, if you believe in irony, that the patterns of your daily life experience are generally in line with the way you are thinking. There is a lot of truth to, "the power of positive thinking." Now that doesn't mean just because you say aloud and affirm that everything is going to be peaches and cream, it immediately becomes so. If it were that easy there would be a lot less violence in our society these days. However, making a consistent effort to remain positive and taking on your challenges from an optimistic perspective, rather than pessimistic, tends to offer a more enjoyable outcome.
Recently I heard an interview with Montel Williams. What an amazing story! Since he was diagnosed with MS, life has obviously not been the same. At first he was very upset about his diagnosis. He even went on to say that he threw himself in front of a taxi hoping to end his life. After a while he finally came to grips with reality and decided to change the way he was thinking about his illness. His testimony impacted me because of his willingness to accept things as they were and make the decision to remain positive. One of the interesting points he raised was how we as human beings are hardwired to think and react negatively. He went on to say that this was a defense mechanism providing the following example. Why do we say, "Be careful don't walk out into the road, YOU MIGHT GET HIT BY A CAR AND KILL YOURSELF." Could we not have simply said, "Be careful don't walk out into the road!" That statement alone would be appropriate for the situation. However, we continue to add the negative reason why it is a bad thing to do. "You might get hit by a car and kill yourself." The negative outcome anchors our sense of reasoning. Since most of our thoughts are centered in negativity, it is important that we consciously decide to think positive. He concluded by saying once we understand the power of our thoughts and choose wisely what we think about, there are no boundaries to what we can achieve.
My wife and I have observed for several years how true this really is. Especially since having kids! "Be careful with that glass, SO YOU DON'T SPILL THE MILK." Or, "Watch your step, SO YOU DON'T FALL AND BREAK YOUR NECK." We quickly respond by saying, "Think Positive, Focus on what you want." The Law of Attraction says you will get what you focus on whether you want it, or not. Whether you believe it to be true, that is exactly how it works. Again, that doesn't mean you focus on a million bucks and the next thing you know you're a millionaire. Or if you are sick and focus on a cure, that instantly you are back to perfect health. However, it does mean that you should do your best to keep a positive attitude.
Here is some homework. The next time you are out and about, whether it be at the grocery store, birthday party, or even church, pay close attention to people and how they talk. Listen to their words and observe their actions. How many people smile when they walk by? It is certain that you will see a pattern.
You can even see the negative mindset we have by simply looking at the slogans on clothing, bumper stickers, and coffee mugs. We live in a World where negativity is seen as funny, and positive thinkers are seen as false prophets. Large groups of people with common visions to positively impact the World are called Cult-like, weird and unusual. We live in a time where good is looked at as evil, and evil as good. Negative thinking stinks!
Being the Optimist that I am, there are still times when negativity takes control of my thoughts. For me, it is not easy to shake them once that occurs. Today, as I write this article, was one of those days for me. However, in the end, I realize the importance of shaking that "chip on my shoulder" as quickly as possible. Experience tells me that the more negative my thinking is, the worse off I feel, the less productive I am, but most of all, my negative attitude affects the people closest to me, my family. How about you?
"If our thinking is that important, why then do we spend so much time filling our minds with garbage?" The garbage you let in leads to "stinking thinking!"
Our 3 year old never watched a movie, or seen a television show with violence, until a few months ago. My wife rented a movie from the library about a dog. This dog happened to go back in time during that of the Civil War. As you can imagine, there were guns and killing. Though it was not graphic in any sense of the word, what happened? Now everything he picks up resembles a gun. He runs around the house shooting everyone and everything, saying, "I am going to kill you." The same thought that was running through my mind when asking my wife why she rented the movie. :-) Prior to his seeing the shooting and killing, he never would have had a thought like that. However, once the negative image had been locked away in his mind, it became a thought that he acted upon. You see this all the time with our youth being influenced by Hollywood. That is another article in itself.
In closing, our thoughts are powerful. Choose your programming wisely, and work hard to think positive. They say it takes more muscles in your face to frown than it does to smile. Smile for goodness sake, you look so much better when you do!
Much love and blessings,
Ron
It is ironic, if you believe in irony, that the patterns of your daily life experience are generally in line with the way you are thinking. There is a lot of truth to, "the power of positive thinking." Now that doesn't mean just because you say aloud and affirm that everything is going to be peaches and cream, it immediately becomes so. If it were that easy there would be a lot less violence in our society these days. However, making a consistent effort to remain positive and taking on your challenges from an optimistic perspective, rather than pessimistic, tends to offer a more enjoyable outcome.
Recently I heard an interview with Montel Williams. What an amazing story! Since he was diagnosed with MS, life has obviously not been the same. At first he was very upset about his diagnosis. He even went on to say that he threw himself in front of a taxi hoping to end his life. After a while he finally came to grips with reality and decided to change the way he was thinking about his illness. His testimony impacted me because of his willingness to accept things as they were and make the decision to remain positive. One of the interesting points he raised was how we as human beings are hardwired to think and react negatively. He went on to say that this was a defense mechanism providing the following example. Why do we say, "Be careful don't walk out into the road, YOU MIGHT GET HIT BY A CAR AND KILL YOURSELF." Could we not have simply said, "Be careful don't walk out into the road!" That statement alone would be appropriate for the situation. However, we continue to add the negative reason why it is a bad thing to do. "You might get hit by a car and kill yourself." The negative outcome anchors our sense of reasoning. Since most of our thoughts are centered in negativity, it is important that we consciously decide to think positive. He concluded by saying once we understand the power of our thoughts and choose wisely what we think about, there are no boundaries to what we can achieve.
My wife and I have observed for several years how true this really is. Especially since having kids! "Be careful with that glass, SO YOU DON'T SPILL THE MILK." Or, "Watch your step, SO YOU DON'T FALL AND BREAK YOUR NECK." We quickly respond by saying, "Think Positive, Focus on what you want." The Law of Attraction says you will get what you focus on whether you want it, or not. Whether you believe it to be true, that is exactly how it works. Again, that doesn't mean you focus on a million bucks and the next thing you know you're a millionaire. Or if you are sick and focus on a cure, that instantly you are back to perfect health. However, it does mean that you should do your best to keep a positive attitude.
Here is some homework. The next time you are out and about, whether it be at the grocery store, birthday party, or even church, pay close attention to people and how they talk. Listen to their words and observe their actions. How many people smile when they walk by? It is certain that you will see a pattern.
You can even see the negative mindset we have by simply looking at the slogans on clothing, bumper stickers, and coffee mugs. We live in a World where negativity is seen as funny, and positive thinkers are seen as false prophets. Large groups of people with common visions to positively impact the World are called Cult-like, weird and unusual. We live in a time where good is looked at as evil, and evil as good. Negative thinking stinks!
Being the Optimist that I am, there are still times when negativity takes control of my thoughts. For me, it is not easy to shake them once that occurs. Today, as I write this article, was one of those days for me. However, in the end, I realize the importance of shaking that "chip on my shoulder" as quickly as possible. Experience tells me that the more negative my thinking is, the worse off I feel, the less productive I am, but most of all, my negative attitude affects the people closest to me, my family. How about you?
"If our thinking is that important, why then do we spend so much time filling our minds with garbage?" The garbage you let in leads to "stinking thinking!"
Our 3 year old never watched a movie, or seen a television show with violence, until a few months ago. My wife rented a movie from the library about a dog. This dog happened to go back in time during that of the Civil War. As you can imagine, there were guns and killing. Though it was not graphic in any sense of the word, what happened? Now everything he picks up resembles a gun. He runs around the house shooting everyone and everything, saying, "I am going to kill you." The same thought that was running through my mind when asking my wife why she rented the movie. :-) Prior to his seeing the shooting and killing, he never would have had a thought like that. However, once the negative image had been locked away in his mind, it became a thought that he acted upon. You see this all the time with our youth being influenced by Hollywood. That is another article in itself.
In closing, our thoughts are powerful. Choose your programming wisely, and work hard to think positive. They say it takes more muscles in your face to frown than it does to smile. Smile for goodness sake, you look so much better when you do!
Much love and blessings,
Ron
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Yesterday is gone
So you decide to make some changes in your life. These changes can range from a many variety of things. Perhaps you decided it was time for a job change, or a re-location of where you and your family are going to plant your roots and settle down. (Yeah, you probably guessed it, a personal experience here)
Interesting how when everything is going your way, the decision to make the move looks fantastic, however, should anything start to go wrong, you begin to second guess yourself. You start to think along the lines of, “we shoulda……..” However, if not making the decision to change wasn’t what you really felt like was the right choice, then you probably wouldn’t have made it. Let me give you an example.
When we lived in Virginia, we were very settled. We owned our own home with land, carpet company, all new vehicles, and were definitely comfortable. However, both my wife and I hated what we did for a living. I was never home, most of our relationships were negative, and we were ready for something new. Something challenging and life changing. A chance to do something we loved and escape the lifestyle we were not happy with.
The opportunity came about in 2005, and we acted upon it. At first this decision was definitely accepted as an excellent move on our part. The new business we partnered in was flourishing, we had more time together since the business was all internet based, and everything seemed perfect. Good bye VA and hello MI!!
Then it happened. One, stupid, unethical business decision, and everything changed. Something so small turned out to be so huge and it changed everything in a matter of moments. As things started to quickly spiral out of control, we lost our business, and now all of a sudden the decision to move wasn’t looking very good! We started thinking about what we left behind, the carpet company we had, the life we were living, no struggles or worries like any of the new challenges we were now facing. Instead of focusing on the future and looking for solutions in the present, we started to feel sorry for ourselves and began focusing on the past. The way things used to be. How we wish we never woulda…….. or we coulda…….. or we shoulda……..
Yesterday is gone! The decisions you made, when you made them, were based on the circumstances you were experiencing at that time. Like I mentioned earlier, if life was so good, why would you have been seeking change in the first place? Sometimes, OK a lot of times, in life, what you anticipate happening doesn’t always happen exactly as you planned. However, once you made the decision to change and acted on that decision, there is no going back. Accept it, and instead of focusing on yesterday, plan for tomorrow, and live for today!
See, had we never made that one stupid mistake, we would more than likely be Millionaires today. However, should we have not made that one stupid mistake, we would not have grown and become the people we are today. Though sometimes it is easier to feel sorry for yourself and regret certain decisions you might have made in the past, yesterday is gone forever, no matter what you do, that choice you made has already come to pass. Rather than dwell on your mistakes and wish you would have done things differently, learn from your mistakes, accept the fact that we are not perfect, dust yourself off, and start taking the necessary steps today to make tomorrow the way yesterday could’ve been!!
We need to stop beating ourselves up. Failure is a stepping stone for success. It isn’t a matter of, “am I going to fail,” but “will I get up and keep going when I do?”
Live for today, create for tomorrow!
Blessings,
Ron
Interesting how when everything is going your way, the decision to make the move looks fantastic, however, should anything start to go wrong, you begin to second guess yourself. You start to think along the lines of, “we shoulda……..” However, if not making the decision to change wasn’t what you really felt like was the right choice, then you probably wouldn’t have made it. Let me give you an example.
When we lived in Virginia, we were very settled. We owned our own home with land, carpet company, all new vehicles, and were definitely comfortable. However, both my wife and I hated what we did for a living. I was never home, most of our relationships were negative, and we were ready for something new. Something challenging and life changing. A chance to do something we loved and escape the lifestyle we were not happy with.
The opportunity came about in 2005, and we acted upon it. At first this decision was definitely accepted as an excellent move on our part. The new business we partnered in was flourishing, we had more time together since the business was all internet based, and everything seemed perfect. Good bye VA and hello MI!!
Then it happened. One, stupid, unethical business decision, and everything changed. Something so small turned out to be so huge and it changed everything in a matter of moments. As things started to quickly spiral out of control, we lost our business, and now all of a sudden the decision to move wasn’t looking very good! We started thinking about what we left behind, the carpet company we had, the life we were living, no struggles or worries like any of the new challenges we were now facing. Instead of focusing on the future and looking for solutions in the present, we started to feel sorry for ourselves and began focusing on the past. The way things used to be. How we wish we never woulda…….. or we coulda…….. or we shoulda……..
Yesterday is gone! The decisions you made, when you made them, were based on the circumstances you were experiencing at that time. Like I mentioned earlier, if life was so good, why would you have been seeking change in the first place? Sometimes, OK a lot of times, in life, what you anticipate happening doesn’t always happen exactly as you planned. However, once you made the decision to change and acted on that decision, there is no going back. Accept it, and instead of focusing on yesterday, plan for tomorrow, and live for today!
See, had we never made that one stupid mistake, we would more than likely be Millionaires today. However, should we have not made that one stupid mistake, we would not have grown and become the people we are today. Though sometimes it is easier to feel sorry for yourself and regret certain decisions you might have made in the past, yesterday is gone forever, no matter what you do, that choice you made has already come to pass. Rather than dwell on your mistakes and wish you would have done things differently, learn from your mistakes, accept the fact that we are not perfect, dust yourself off, and start taking the necessary steps today to make tomorrow the way yesterday could’ve been!!
We need to stop beating ourselves up. Failure is a stepping stone for success. It isn’t a matter of, “am I going to fail,” but “will I get up and keep going when I do?”
Live for today, create for tomorrow!
Blessings,
Ron
Stays together...
“A family that prays together, stays together.” No one ever could have prepared me for how difficult raising 4 kids was going to be. I have said many times, the most rewarding, yet hardest task one will ever have to experience in life, is raising up a family.
Raising kids actually reminds me a lot of building businesses. Seriously….. You invest a lot of time, money, and effort for years, not generally seeing the fruits of your labor for some time. Along the way you have some successes, as well as, setbacks. Sometimes you feel like there is progress, yet other times it seems as if you can’t do anything right. There is a saying, “you can’t please everyone, all the time!” So true in business, and in family!
It seems that the lessons your own parents were trying to teach you, as you were growing up, didn’t set in until you were older. My parents used to tell me all the time, “just wait until you have kids of your own….” It seemed that everything I did wrong, in their eyes, would make more sense to me when I seen my kids do the same things. As I chuckle when I say this, now with my kids, not only do I see what my parents seen, I find myself saying what my parents said! Can anyone relate?
There was one thing that my mom always told us kids as we were growing up. She told us that it was her wish that we would learn to love one another, and always be there for each other in times of need. My mom wanted more than anything for us to stay together as a family, even after we were grown. Something she said didn’t happen in her family, or my dads. Unfortunately she didn’t get her wish. Though I love my brother and sister very much, we do not have much of a relationship since becoming adults. All of us are on different paths, and we communicate very little.
For me, this is a goal that I have taken on from my mom and wish the same thing for my kids. Over the years I had to ask myself, “what can we do to instill this sense of love and appreciation for one another in our family?”
It wasn’t until late 2007 when we really started seeking God in our lives. Shortly after we lost our 1st internet business since moving to Michigan, we quickly realized that something needed to change. Since we always believed in God, just didn’t attend church or focus on our spiritual growth much before, we decided to do so. Our entire family took to attending church and growing in the Lord very well. Sundays became a day that we looked forward to. Church become so enjoyable that we began to seek a Sunday Night and Wednesday Night service.
As we continued to grow spiritually, and came to know Christ in our lives as Lord and Savior, everything changed. I began to realize that the love my mom wanted for her family, that she couldn’t figure out why it was missing in our lives, was Jesus. Since our family has found Christ, the difference in how each of us act toward one another is amazing. Though we all have different personalities and like different things, there is a common bond that each of us share which keeps us united. The principles taught in the Bible, especially when acted upon in your life, are truly life changing. Our experience has been nothing less than amazing.
Though my mom passed away over 3 years ago now, she would be happy to know that we have found the missing ingredient in our lives. Her wish may not have come to pass in her family while she was alive, however, she instilled that same dream in me, and I am sure it will come to pass in my family! I am also confident, since God was able to move in mine and Melisa’s life, there is still time for Him to move in my brother and sisters lives also!!
My mom planted a seed in me many years ago. Eventually that seed started to sprout and now has begun to grow. In business and family, the fruits of your labor may not always show up right away, or in the exact fashion that you may have hoped for. However, with belief, consistent effort, and persistence, in time your desired result will manifest.
I want to give a special thanks to a special woman who, through her love and example, influenced my becoming the man, husband, and father I am today.
Miss you mom!
Much love,
Ron
Raising kids actually reminds me a lot of building businesses. Seriously….. You invest a lot of time, money, and effort for years, not generally seeing the fruits of your labor for some time. Along the way you have some successes, as well as, setbacks. Sometimes you feel like there is progress, yet other times it seems as if you can’t do anything right. There is a saying, “you can’t please everyone, all the time!” So true in business, and in family!
It seems that the lessons your own parents were trying to teach you, as you were growing up, didn’t set in until you were older. My parents used to tell me all the time, “just wait until you have kids of your own….” It seemed that everything I did wrong, in their eyes, would make more sense to me when I seen my kids do the same things. As I chuckle when I say this, now with my kids, not only do I see what my parents seen, I find myself saying what my parents said! Can anyone relate?
There was one thing that my mom always told us kids as we were growing up. She told us that it was her wish that we would learn to love one another, and always be there for each other in times of need. My mom wanted more than anything for us to stay together as a family, even after we were grown. Something she said didn’t happen in her family, or my dads. Unfortunately she didn’t get her wish. Though I love my brother and sister very much, we do not have much of a relationship since becoming adults. All of us are on different paths, and we communicate very little.
For me, this is a goal that I have taken on from my mom and wish the same thing for my kids. Over the years I had to ask myself, “what can we do to instill this sense of love and appreciation for one another in our family?”
It wasn’t until late 2007 when we really started seeking God in our lives. Shortly after we lost our 1st internet business since moving to Michigan, we quickly realized that something needed to change. Since we always believed in God, just didn’t attend church or focus on our spiritual growth much before, we decided to do so. Our entire family took to attending church and growing in the Lord very well. Sundays became a day that we looked forward to. Church become so enjoyable that we began to seek a Sunday Night and Wednesday Night service.
As we continued to grow spiritually, and came to know Christ in our lives as Lord and Savior, everything changed. I began to realize that the love my mom wanted for her family, that she couldn’t figure out why it was missing in our lives, was Jesus. Since our family has found Christ, the difference in how each of us act toward one another is amazing. Though we all have different personalities and like different things, there is a common bond that each of us share which keeps us united. The principles taught in the Bible, especially when acted upon in your life, are truly life changing. Our experience has been nothing less than amazing.
Though my mom passed away over 3 years ago now, she would be happy to know that we have found the missing ingredient in our lives. Her wish may not have come to pass in her family while she was alive, however, she instilled that same dream in me, and I am sure it will come to pass in my family! I am also confident, since God was able to move in mine and Melisa’s life, there is still time for Him to move in my brother and sisters lives also!!
My mom planted a seed in me many years ago. Eventually that seed started to sprout and now has begun to grow. In business and family, the fruits of your labor may not always show up right away, or in the exact fashion that you may have hoped for. However, with belief, consistent effort, and persistence, in time your desired result will manifest.
I want to give a special thanks to a special woman who, through her love and example, influenced my becoming the man, husband, and father I am today.
Miss you mom!
Much love,
Ron
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Keep Going...
Challenges, Struggles, Stress, Financial Worries, Relationship Troubles, It's One Thing After Another..... Any of these sound familiar? One of my mentors once said, "If you are going through Hell, KEEP GOING...." Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation …” (John 16:33).
So, how about it? Do you believe that growth happens during those times of our greatest struggles and hardships? Have you ever heard of the expression, "Lesson continued until lesson learned?" Or, "That which does not kill us, strengthens us?" Or, "God only gives us what we can handle?"
In truth, life is definitely not easy!!!
However, if we analyze these statements, can we find peace during times of hardships? In essence if we are struggling, regardless as to the circumstance, is there a lesson that we are supposed to learn from the experience? Looking back on our life it is evident there is truth to this. We never appreciated an abundance of money, until we experienced the lack of it. We didn't appreciate family living close, until we moved 800 miles away and had no family nearby. Just to name a couple.... Early in our learning about Prosperity we heard our mentor say, "In order to truly experience and appreciate prosperity, you must also experience poverty."
Another saying which I remember hearing many times growing up was, "You don't appreciate what you have until it is gone." Or, "The grass isn't always greener on the other side." Again, to experience both sides of any situation seems to offer a better sense of understanding. Indeed a lesson learned...
Life is definitely a learning experience. Over the years we have learned that no matter the situation you are facing, stay strong, expect the unexpected, and most of all, have Faith, that you will overcome it. Embrace each experience as a life lesson and learn to enjoy the ride.
Everyone will experience peaks and valleys! Time does not slow down for anyone. Stay strong and keep going.....
In Christ,
Ron
"Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength." Arnold Schwarzenegger
So, how about it? Do you believe that growth happens during those times of our greatest struggles and hardships? Have you ever heard of the expression, "Lesson continued until lesson learned?" Or, "That which does not kill us, strengthens us?" Or, "God only gives us what we can handle?"
In truth, life is definitely not easy!!!
However, if we analyze these statements, can we find peace during times of hardships? In essence if we are struggling, regardless as to the circumstance, is there a lesson that we are supposed to learn from the experience? Looking back on our life it is evident there is truth to this. We never appreciated an abundance of money, until we experienced the lack of it. We didn't appreciate family living close, until we moved 800 miles away and had no family nearby. Just to name a couple.... Early in our learning about Prosperity we heard our mentor say, "In order to truly experience and appreciate prosperity, you must also experience poverty."
Another saying which I remember hearing many times growing up was, "You don't appreciate what you have until it is gone." Or, "The grass isn't always greener on the other side." Again, to experience both sides of any situation seems to offer a better sense of understanding. Indeed a lesson learned...
Life is definitely a learning experience. Over the years we have learned that no matter the situation you are facing, stay strong, expect the unexpected, and most of all, have Faith, that you will overcome it. Embrace each experience as a life lesson and learn to enjoy the ride.
Everyone will experience peaks and valleys! Time does not slow down for anyone. Stay strong and keep going.....
In Christ,
Ron
"Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength." Arnold Schwarzenegger
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
There is power in numbers part 2
To continue with leverage, the next best term is compounding! "The power of compounding was said to be deemed the eighth wonder of the world - or so the story goes - by Albert Einstein."
Wikipedia defines, "Compound interest arises when interest is added to the principal, so that from that moment on, the interest that has been added also itself earns interest. This addition of interest to the principal is called compounding (for example the interest is compounded)."
So as you earn interest, then re-invest that interest, your investment begins to grow, picking up speed over time. Though this article is not about compound interest, the dynamics of building a network marketing business are similar.
When you begin your business, it is just you. Then you sponsor a couple of people on your team. Now you have two people and yourself building the business. Now those 2 new team members sponsor 2 people each. Now you have six people and yourself building the business. Just for the sake of illustration, let us go another level and say that all 6 team members sponsor 2 more people each. That would add another 12 people to the existing 6 plus you. What started off as just you, has now grown to 19 people in the business over time.
As you continue to work with your team and grow your business the amount of people joining your team will continue to compound and eventually you will hit exponential growth. Once that happens, the rest is history. Wikipedia says about Multi-Level Marketing, "exponential increases are promised to appear in each new level of a starting member's downline as each subsequent member recruits more people."
There is huge power in numbers. Leverage, Compounding, Exponential Growth = Wealth, Lifestyle, Freedom
Our business model is so powerful, with its many benefits and opportunities, it would be difficult to fathom why anyone would pass it by. Interestingly enough we have spoke with many people over the years and many have at least "tried" an MLM business. Yet they are not still actively engaged, learning, or building? The only conclusion that we were able to come up with is their lack of understanding the business model itself, and/or, missing out on the first piece of leverage that comes with the business. Like I mentioned in part 1, "You are in business for yourself but not by yourself."
Randy taught me early in my Networking career, "MLM is a learning and teaching business." Therefore when you get involved in Network Marketing, understand you must learn the business first, then teach others what you learned. Sadly some people do not learn everything about the business before they begin teaching others, and that negligence produces inadequate results, not only in their business, but that of those people who they were responsible for helping.
There is no greater industry, especially for the average person, than joining a Network Marketing business. Before you do, 1. Learn about the industry 2. Find a company that offers a product or service that you are passionate about 3. Join with someone that is actively engaged and committed to building their business 4. Commit to using your companies product or service 5. Learn, Learn, Learn 6. Teach, Teach, Teach 7. Build, Build, Build 8. Never give up
To your success!
Ron - Independent Isagenix Associates
Wikipedia defines, "Compound interest arises when interest is added to the principal, so that from that moment on, the interest that has been added also itself earns interest. This addition of interest to the principal is called compounding (for example the interest is compounded)."
So as you earn interest, then re-invest that interest, your investment begins to grow, picking up speed over time. Though this article is not about compound interest, the dynamics of building a network marketing business are similar.
When you begin your business, it is just you. Then you sponsor a couple of people on your team. Now you have two people and yourself building the business. Now those 2 new team members sponsor 2 people each. Now you have six people and yourself building the business. Just for the sake of illustration, let us go another level and say that all 6 team members sponsor 2 more people each. That would add another 12 people to the existing 6 plus you. What started off as just you, has now grown to 19 people in the business over time.
As you continue to work with your team and grow your business the amount of people joining your team will continue to compound and eventually you will hit exponential growth. Once that happens, the rest is history. Wikipedia says about Multi-Level Marketing, "exponential increases are promised to appear in each new level of a starting member's downline as each subsequent member recruits more people."
There is huge power in numbers. Leverage, Compounding, Exponential Growth = Wealth, Lifestyle, Freedom
Our business model is so powerful, with its many benefits and opportunities, it would be difficult to fathom why anyone would pass it by. Interestingly enough we have spoke with many people over the years and many have at least "tried" an MLM business. Yet they are not still actively engaged, learning, or building? The only conclusion that we were able to come up with is their lack of understanding the business model itself, and/or, missing out on the first piece of leverage that comes with the business. Like I mentioned in part 1, "You are in business for yourself but not by yourself."
Randy taught me early in my Networking career, "MLM is a learning and teaching business." Therefore when you get involved in Network Marketing, understand you must learn the business first, then teach others what you learned. Sadly some people do not learn everything about the business before they begin teaching others, and that negligence produces inadequate results, not only in their business, but that of those people who they were responsible for helping.
There is no greater industry, especially for the average person, than joining a Network Marketing business. Before you do, 1. Learn about the industry 2. Find a company that offers a product or service that you are passionate about 3. Join with someone that is actively engaged and committed to building their business 4. Commit to using your companies product or service 5. Learn, Learn, Learn 6. Teach, Teach, Teach 7. Build, Build, Build 8. Never give up
To your success!
Ron - Independent Isagenix Associates
There is power in numbers part 1...
Earlier today I was watching a DVD from an issue of Success Magazine and it happened to have a clip from a talk given by Robert Kiyosaki. Rich Dad Poor Dad was the very first book I read back in 2003 which started me on my quest for building residual streams of income. There was a term that he used called "leverage." Leverage is one of the secrets of the Rich.
John D. Rockefeller was quoted as saying, "I would rather have 1% of 100 people's efforts, as opposed to 100% of my own effort." He understood the meaning of leverage. When working at a job for example you are being paid on your own effort. Whereas the owner of the business, whom you work for, is being paid on the efforts of those people he employs, in addition to, his own effort. The owner has created leverage. Can you see the benefits of creating leverage in your life?
Another quote that I love by Kiyosaki is, "The Rich build networks, while everyone else looks for work." Now there are a lot of people who have become very Wealthy as Employees working for big corporations, however, it seems a lot of the most successful people are self made Entrepreneurs.
Personally, when my wife and I decided to embark on our journey, the biggest hurdle we had to overcome was our ignorance. That is, we simply didn't know what we didn't know. The thought of investing money and taking risks was a very scary scenario. Both our parents worked jobs, and still to this day, do. Yet there was something in our lives that we just knew was missing. We wanted more in life than just working a 9-5 job. If you could choose to be Rich, who wouldn't?
When we were introduced to Network Marketing, the business model made sense. Only because we learned about leverage prior to looking at the industry. The first time we seen Randy Gage draw circles on a whiteboard and explain how to build a network we were hooked. Then we heard these most comforting words, "You are in business for yourself but not by yourself."
If you join the right company, there will be a team of people that you will be working with. This is very important. As with anything new, it takes time to learn and get good at the business. This is the first part of creating leverage in your business. I know for us in the beginning, we leveraged the time, experience, and knowledge that our sponsor had while we were learning. In this business, like many others, you learn as you go.
Now, as the business has grown, the shoe is on the other foot. While I still work with my sponsor, and might I add Alicia is awesome, it is my responsibility to mentor and train the people who are getting started on our team. For every new team member that begins to build their business, we are creating more and more leverage. As you can imagine, the more leverage you create, the faster your business grows.
First, it is your own effort and that of your sponsor to help get you going. Then you have 4 people in your team, 10, 25, 75, 105, 225, and so on.... I am here to tell you, there is power in numbers. Think about it this way, at your job, what if you were paid for your efforts, and also received a 6% bonus of everyone's paycheck who works with you? How cool would that be? Would you be interested in helping those other people at work make more money? Would you be interested in helping the business grow, as now you have more of an incentive than just getting paid for your own efforts? Of course you would..
A networking business is built in that same way. As you start building your business, you will get paid based on your own efforts. However, as your team starts to grow and other people in your business are now making money, you start to earn a % of their income as well. The more money they make, the more money you make. Can you see why Network Marketing is so powerful. When it is done right, and people understand how the business works, everyone works together and wins together.
Now, this leads me to my next point, "The power of compounding..." Check out part 2 of this article!
In Christ,
Ron Curtis, Jr.
Independent Isagenix Associates
John D. Rockefeller was quoted as saying, "I would rather have 1% of 100 people's efforts, as opposed to 100% of my own effort." He understood the meaning of leverage. When working at a job for example you are being paid on your own effort. Whereas the owner of the business, whom you work for, is being paid on the efforts of those people he employs, in addition to, his own effort. The owner has created leverage. Can you see the benefits of creating leverage in your life?
Another quote that I love by Kiyosaki is, "The Rich build networks, while everyone else looks for work." Now there are a lot of people who have become very Wealthy as Employees working for big corporations, however, it seems a lot of the most successful people are self made Entrepreneurs.
Personally, when my wife and I decided to embark on our journey, the biggest hurdle we had to overcome was our ignorance. That is, we simply didn't know what we didn't know. The thought of investing money and taking risks was a very scary scenario. Both our parents worked jobs, and still to this day, do. Yet there was something in our lives that we just knew was missing. We wanted more in life than just working a 9-5 job. If you could choose to be Rich, who wouldn't?
When we were introduced to Network Marketing, the business model made sense. Only because we learned about leverage prior to looking at the industry. The first time we seen Randy Gage draw circles on a whiteboard and explain how to build a network we were hooked. Then we heard these most comforting words, "You are in business for yourself but not by yourself."
If you join the right company, there will be a team of people that you will be working with. This is very important. As with anything new, it takes time to learn and get good at the business. This is the first part of creating leverage in your business. I know for us in the beginning, we leveraged the time, experience, and knowledge that our sponsor had while we were learning. In this business, like many others, you learn as you go.
Now, as the business has grown, the shoe is on the other foot. While I still work with my sponsor, and might I add Alicia is awesome, it is my responsibility to mentor and train the people who are getting started on our team. For every new team member that begins to build their business, we are creating more and more leverage. As you can imagine, the more leverage you create, the faster your business grows.
First, it is your own effort and that of your sponsor to help get you going. Then you have 4 people in your team, 10, 25, 75, 105, 225, and so on.... I am here to tell you, there is power in numbers. Think about it this way, at your job, what if you were paid for your efforts, and also received a 6% bonus of everyone's paycheck who works with you? How cool would that be? Would you be interested in helping those other people at work make more money? Would you be interested in helping the business grow, as now you have more of an incentive than just getting paid for your own efforts? Of course you would..
A networking business is built in that same way. As you start building your business, you will get paid based on your own efforts. However, as your team starts to grow and other people in your business are now making money, you start to earn a % of their income as well. The more money they make, the more money you make. Can you see why Network Marketing is so powerful. When it is done right, and people understand how the business works, everyone works together and wins together.
Now, this leads me to my next point, "The power of compounding..." Check out part 2 of this article!
In Christ,
Ron Curtis, Jr.
Independent Isagenix Associates
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Are you disciplined enough...
So you think it might be time to start your own business, eh? Thinking about entering into the world of the Entrepreneur? Are you disciplined enough?
There is much required of you when making the leap of Faith to do so. More than just money to invest, time to invest, books to read, cds to listen to, meetings and seminars to attend. Oh yes, much more than that will be required of you if you are going to succeed in your own business.
Ever since we were young we have been trained up to obey orders in our life. As a young child it was your parents who instructed you on what was right and wrong. Then we enter our school years and our teachers began to instruct us. Finally we enter our adulthood and for 95% of us our boss continues the pattern.
What time you wake up in the morning, where you live, what you drive, when you take your vacations and so on are generally determined by your job. I chuckle when I think back to high school and see the similarities of working a job vs. attending school. The evidence that we are trained up and programmed to perform certain responsibilities each day are too similar.
Mon-Fri you attend school from 7amET - 3pmET, amazing, 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week. The typical expression for a full time job is working Mon-Fri from 9amET - 5pmET, 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week. In school you were told when you were to switch classes. At work you are told when you can take a cigarette break. At school you had a set time for lunch. At work, you do too!! At school you needed permission from your teacher, or the principal, to take time off from school for whatever reason. At work you have to request time off from your boss. We can go on, but I think you get the point.
As an Entrepreneur there is no one that is going to stand over you and tell you when and where you need to be everyday. What projects need to be completed? How many hours per day you are going to work? How much money you will earn every week for doing so? Oh no, it is nothing like that at all. As a matter of fact, if you are not self disciplined enough to work, even when you don't want to, there is no way you will ever make it as an Entrepreneur.
So I ask the question again, "Are you disciplined enough?"
Are you willing to get out of bed everyday and work 8-10 hours, or more if required, without having to report to anyone? Are you willing to work hard without much compensation at the start of your business venture? Are you willing to invest time and money into getting your company up and running? Can you handle the criticism and negative feedback of your peers and family while you start to pursue your dream of becoming financially free? Will you commit to your business plan, making necessary changes as you go, and persevere long enough for your business to establish itself successfully in the marketplace? Will you consistently do what it takes, long enough, without needing to be told what to do next?
When you are your own boss, you must hold yourself accountable. If you don't get up in the morning and go to work, work won't get done. It may seem like an easy thing to do, however, it is an even easier thing not to do!
I have been an Entrepreneur since 1999, and let me tell you, it has not been easy. There have been plenty of times when I chose to play with my kids instead of make phone calls that needed to be made for our business. Slept in late and missed important phone calls and/or appointments. Procrastinated getting work done and wasted entire days doing nothing. The list goes on, however, there is one thing that I did do right......
I kept moving forward. Over the years my wife and I both have learned how to utilize our time efficiently. How to be great stewards with money, not to focus on how much you make but how much you keep. Proven the theory that written goals are much more effective than not writing them down. Waking up in the morning when you don't want to is necessary, and also staying up late, in order to build a successful business. That delaying your gratification for just a little while can lead to much better decisions long term. We realized that we are not perfect, only Jesus can make claim to that, yet were determined, committed, and willing to persevere long enough, until we were able to get it right!
How long will it take? Only God knows, each of us are different. For us it has taken nearly 12 years, however, the results were worth the investment!
So, how about it? Are you disciplined enough? We believe in you! Make the decision to get started, and do it today.....
In Christ,
Ron - TheUnaverageAverage
There is much required of you when making the leap of Faith to do so. More than just money to invest, time to invest, books to read, cds to listen to, meetings and seminars to attend. Oh yes, much more than that will be required of you if you are going to succeed in your own business.
Ever since we were young we have been trained up to obey orders in our life. As a young child it was your parents who instructed you on what was right and wrong. Then we enter our school years and our teachers began to instruct us. Finally we enter our adulthood and for 95% of us our boss continues the pattern.
What time you wake up in the morning, where you live, what you drive, when you take your vacations and so on are generally determined by your job. I chuckle when I think back to high school and see the similarities of working a job vs. attending school. The evidence that we are trained up and programmed to perform certain responsibilities each day are too similar.
Mon-Fri you attend school from 7amET - 3pmET, amazing, 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week. The typical expression for a full time job is working Mon-Fri from 9amET - 5pmET, 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week. In school you were told when you were to switch classes. At work you are told when you can take a cigarette break. At school you had a set time for lunch. At work, you do too!! At school you needed permission from your teacher, or the principal, to take time off from school for whatever reason. At work you have to request time off from your boss. We can go on, but I think you get the point.
As an Entrepreneur there is no one that is going to stand over you and tell you when and where you need to be everyday. What projects need to be completed? How many hours per day you are going to work? How much money you will earn every week for doing so? Oh no, it is nothing like that at all. As a matter of fact, if you are not self disciplined enough to work, even when you don't want to, there is no way you will ever make it as an Entrepreneur.
So I ask the question again, "Are you disciplined enough?"
Are you willing to get out of bed everyday and work 8-10 hours, or more if required, without having to report to anyone? Are you willing to work hard without much compensation at the start of your business venture? Are you willing to invest time and money into getting your company up and running? Can you handle the criticism and negative feedback of your peers and family while you start to pursue your dream of becoming financially free? Will you commit to your business plan, making necessary changes as you go, and persevere long enough for your business to establish itself successfully in the marketplace? Will you consistently do what it takes, long enough, without needing to be told what to do next?
When you are your own boss, you must hold yourself accountable. If you don't get up in the morning and go to work, work won't get done. It may seem like an easy thing to do, however, it is an even easier thing not to do!
I have been an Entrepreneur since 1999, and let me tell you, it has not been easy. There have been plenty of times when I chose to play with my kids instead of make phone calls that needed to be made for our business. Slept in late and missed important phone calls and/or appointments. Procrastinated getting work done and wasted entire days doing nothing. The list goes on, however, there is one thing that I did do right......
I kept moving forward. Over the years my wife and I both have learned how to utilize our time efficiently. How to be great stewards with money, not to focus on how much you make but how much you keep. Proven the theory that written goals are much more effective than not writing them down. Waking up in the morning when you don't want to is necessary, and also staying up late, in order to build a successful business. That delaying your gratification for just a little while can lead to much better decisions long term. We realized that we are not perfect, only Jesus can make claim to that, yet were determined, committed, and willing to persevere long enough, until we were able to get it right!
How long will it take? Only God knows, each of us are different. For us it has taken nearly 12 years, however, the results were worth the investment!
So, how about it? Are you disciplined enough? We believe in you! Make the decision to get started, and do it today.....
In Christ,
Ron - TheUnaverageAverage
Friday, July 2, 2010
Your strongest relationships...
This article has been inspired by our Isagenix family. It is true that some of our strongest relationships have come to be known because of our business. Just like that of your immediate family and church family, in the networking world you also have your business family.
There is a strong set of emotions that are developed with each person/family that joins your team. For anyone who has never experienced success in network marketing, you cannot understand, however, for those that have, you know exactly what I mean.
I was talking with one of our newest teammates the other night from Alaska. I had told her that she has yet to meet some of her best friends. As she continues to grow her business, she will develop relationships with people from all over the globe. People whose lives she will impact both healthwise and financially......
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE...
There is a strong set of emotions that are developed with each person/family that joins your team. For anyone who has never experienced success in network marketing, you cannot understand, however, for those that have, you know exactly what I mean.
I was talking with one of our newest teammates the other night from Alaska. I had told her that she has yet to meet some of her best friends. As she continues to grow her business, she will develop relationships with people from all over the globe. People whose lives she will impact both healthwise and financially......
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE...
Thursday, July 1, 2010
The weakest link...
Saturday afternoon we spent time with Josh and Karly Knapp, and family, in Kalamazoo. Our two families are quickly becoming very good friends! Around 6pm or so we decided to visit Apple Knockers in Vicksburg for an ice cream. Yummy....! Afterwards we walked to the local park so our kids could run out some energy before we ended our visit and returned back to Allegan.
While at the park, my oldest son Talen, was on the swing. One of my favorite things to do is twist my kids up in the swings and let them fly! So I did, and he had a blast. This of course led to the other kids, Tyrus and Alexis, wanting to do the same. Once they had finished, I asked Talen if he wanted to go again, this time we would twist him to the maximum and see how fast we could get him zinging!! Talen was all for it! He sat on the swing and I began to twist. Higher and higher and higher, to the point where he barely had anywhere to hold on and there was no more chain to twist. He was literally higher in the air than I am tall. As I released him, giving him a bit of an extra push to start the spinning out quickly, he was off, and I mean he was flying. As we watched him spin, round and round and round, about halfway through the ride, one of the links snapped, and Talen quickly found himself lying on his back laughing and also wondering what had happened. As for the rest of us, we were laughing and in shock that this happened. Nobody was hurt and the experience was very much enjoyable.
After this had happened, while we went back to our vehicles to head home, I told Josh that somehow I was going to turn this event into an article. I mentioned to him that there must be a lesson we can learn so that the article will have value to those who are reading it. With some thought, we came up with, "The weakest link."
So here is the lesson. As we learned from this experience, Talen, Tyrus and Alexis, all spun on the swing. However, when Talen went the second time, something happened. Just one of the links snapped, and the chain was broken. Can anyone say teamwork? Think about each link on the swing as a member of a team. When each link is working in unison with each other, everything works properly. However, should even just one link break, the whole team feels the effect. It only takes one sour grape to ruin the bunch.
Teamwork is extremely important for just about anything you do in life. At your job, there is a team of people who are each responsible for a particular task.
Many times you will hear of situations or circumstances where someone on the team is not performing their job to the best of their ability. When that happens other people have to pick up the slack. This can cause animosity amongst the team and create major issues in the overall productivity.
Yet there are other circumstances where the team members not only perform their job with high levels of productivity, they also go over and beyond their call of duty. Thus creating a team which is strong and capable of handling any task sent their way. There is power in working together as a team.
As another example, think about a family. First of all there is the mom and dad. Before becoming a couple, each was their own individual. Once getting involved in a relationship, they then became a team of two. It does require work to make a relationship last, and it will require effort and sacrifice on both parties to make it happen. Then enters children. Now the team just became larger. Each member of the family has its role to play in the team, especially as the family/team continues to grow. In our family we are known as, Team Curtis Family. Melisa and I have four children. When all six of us are working together as a team, life can be pretty good. However, should even one of us, adults or children, not play our role, things can get crazy, FAST!!
Dads are expected to work and take care of the financial aspects of the relationship, while also devoting his time to the family. Moms are always busy taking care of the house, raising the children, supporting dad, just to list a few. (Women/Moms are amazing!!) Then the older kids are needed to help with chores around the home, in addition to their studies, and also assisting with their younger siblings. The younger children also play a huge role on the team.
It is their job to keep their older brothers and sisters in line. They have to lead by example, constantly reminding their older siblings to stop fighting, wash the dishes, and do their homework. Heh heh, and you think I am joking!! (Well, kinda, but if you have younger children you know what I mean!)
My point is, regardless as to the exact circumstances, or situation, when you work as a team, productivity is at its peak potential. Six hands working on the same project will always outperform one, in theory anyhow! There is power in numbers.
So remember, the next time you are working on a project at work, cleaning the kitchen after dinner, or twisting on the swings at the park, it only takes one weak link to break the chain. Work as a team, grow as a team, and win as a team!
Blessed to be a Blessing,
Ron - TheUnaverageAverage
While at the park, my oldest son Talen, was on the swing. One of my favorite things to do is twist my kids up in the swings and let them fly! So I did, and he had a blast. This of course led to the other kids, Tyrus and Alexis, wanting to do the same. Once they had finished, I asked Talen if he wanted to go again, this time we would twist him to the maximum and see how fast we could get him zinging!! Talen was all for it! He sat on the swing and I began to twist. Higher and higher and higher, to the point where he barely had anywhere to hold on and there was no more chain to twist. He was literally higher in the air than I am tall. As I released him, giving him a bit of an extra push to start the spinning out quickly, he was off, and I mean he was flying. As we watched him spin, round and round and round, about halfway through the ride, one of the links snapped, and Talen quickly found himself lying on his back laughing and also wondering what had happened. As for the rest of us, we were laughing and in shock that this happened. Nobody was hurt and the experience was very much enjoyable.
After this had happened, while we went back to our vehicles to head home, I told Josh that somehow I was going to turn this event into an article. I mentioned to him that there must be a lesson we can learn so that the article will have value to those who are reading it. With some thought, we came up with, "The weakest link."
So here is the lesson. As we learned from this experience, Talen, Tyrus and Alexis, all spun on the swing. However, when Talen went the second time, something happened. Just one of the links snapped, and the chain was broken. Can anyone say teamwork? Think about each link on the swing as a member of a team. When each link is working in unison with each other, everything works properly. However, should even just one link break, the whole team feels the effect. It only takes one sour grape to ruin the bunch.
Teamwork is extremely important for just about anything you do in life. At your job, there is a team of people who are each responsible for a particular task.
Many times you will hear of situations or circumstances where someone on the team is not performing their job to the best of their ability. When that happens other people have to pick up the slack. This can cause animosity amongst the team and create major issues in the overall productivity.
Yet there are other circumstances where the team members not only perform their job with high levels of productivity, they also go over and beyond their call of duty. Thus creating a team which is strong and capable of handling any task sent their way. There is power in working together as a team.
As another example, think about a family. First of all there is the mom and dad. Before becoming a couple, each was their own individual. Once getting involved in a relationship, they then became a team of two. It does require work to make a relationship last, and it will require effort and sacrifice on both parties to make it happen. Then enters children. Now the team just became larger. Each member of the family has its role to play in the team, especially as the family/team continues to grow. In our family we are known as, Team Curtis Family. Melisa and I have four children. When all six of us are working together as a team, life can be pretty good. However, should even one of us, adults or children, not play our role, things can get crazy, FAST!!
Dads are expected to work and take care of the financial aspects of the relationship, while also devoting his time to the family. Moms are always busy taking care of the house, raising the children, supporting dad, just to list a few. (Women/Moms are amazing!!) Then the older kids are needed to help with chores around the home, in addition to their studies, and also assisting with their younger siblings. The younger children also play a huge role on the team.
It is their job to keep their older brothers and sisters in line. They have to lead by example, constantly reminding their older siblings to stop fighting, wash the dishes, and do their homework. Heh heh, and you think I am joking!! (Well, kinda, but if you have younger children you know what I mean!)
My point is, regardless as to the exact circumstances, or situation, when you work as a team, productivity is at its peak potential. Six hands working on the same project will always outperform one, in theory anyhow! There is power in numbers.
So remember, the next time you are working on a project at work, cleaning the kitchen after dinner, or twisting on the swings at the park, it only takes one weak link to break the chain. Work as a team, grow as a team, and win as a team!
Blessed to be a Blessing,
Ron - TheUnaverageAverage
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