Sound at all familiar?

Personal Development Today

As the personal development industry has evolved, especially within the past decade, terms such as the “law of attraction” and “the secret” have surfaced. These terms have spread like wild fire inside and outside the home based business industry. People were given the idea that they could attract absolutely anything they desired into their life through their focused thoughts. Basically, if a person could hold a concentrated thought for long enough that the “universe” would present this desire in physical form. Now… hold that thought for a moment while I go on.

The Allegory of the Cave

Topus Uranus is a dialogue between Socrates, Plato’s teacher, and Plato. In this dialogue, Socrates explains the Allegory of the Cave, sometimes known as Plato’s Cave, which further explains the meaning of Topus Uranus. It refers to a group of prisoners being chained to a wall in a cave to the point where all they can look upon is the rock of that wall. As people pass by the fires behind them, all they see are shadows being cast on the wall. The prisoners only know what the shadows on the wall look like. That’s their reality. That’s how they discern one thing from the next.

Suppose that a prisoner is freed and permitted to stand up and gaze around the cave. If someone were to show him the things that had cast the shadows on the wall, he wouldn’t recognize them. He couldn’t name them and would believe the shadows on the wall more than what lies before him. That’s his reality. Better yet, what would happen if that man was forced to look at the fire that once burned behind him? He would be struck blind and would try to turn his gaze back to the shadows on the wall, because that’s what he can see clearly. The shadows are real to him, not everything else. He wouldn’t be able to recognize an animal in real form over the shadow it cast upon the wall.

What if someone were to drag this prisoner out of the cave into the sunlight. Everything that he once knew to be real was only a figure on a rock wall. Do you think this prisoner would have an anxiety attack? He’d be a little distressed, wouldn’t he?

After some time on the surface, the prisoner would acclimate and learn. His eyes would eventually be able to look into the sun and realize that it is the source of warmth and light. He would learn a different reality. He would learn that his old reality, once just shadows on a cave wall, is no more his reality. His eyes have been opened, but only because he believed  and accepted what he was shown. Fear could have overcome him and pushed him back into the cave where he came from…back to the reality he had known for so long.

So here are a few though provoking questions:

Do your thoughts really create your reality? If so, are your thoughts and ideas hindering you? Is your reality at this very moment serving you? Is there another reality for you? If so, when are you going to decide to change your reality and how?

We have all heard of the common phrase, “The best place to start improving is in the space right between your ears.” Paraphrased of course. To change your reality, the change must, I say MUST start in your mind. The way we think and view our surroundings is our reality. What one man considers to be junk, another considers to be treasure. Some people can create nothing out of the same thing others can use to create amazing things. It’s all in our perception of what is possible and what is not.

No related posts.

I’ll never forget when we experienced our first thousand dollar day. Everything we had hoped for was gaining momentum. From that time onward, we became leaders in the direct sales industry. We had gone farther and earned more in a home based business than anybody we had ever personally known.

With that said, choosing the right network marketing company to join is extremely important. You’ve got to choose a company for where it’s headed, what value it offers the public and your ultimate earning potential. Even though I had experienced some amazing results for quite a while, I chose the right company, but with the wrong leadership. The opportunity was flawless but the brains behind the vehicle were destined for a crash.

So what did I do?

I pulled a Maverick!

If you’ve ever watched “Top Gun,” then you know the terminology. If you haven’t seen “Top Gun” then you are probably part of a group of individuals that grew up without electricity. Everybody I’ve ever known has seen it. But I did, I pulled a Maverick. While right in the middle of all the action, I broke away from it for a period of time, still watching from the side lines. I still had my hands on the controls, I still possessed the skills to create success, but I was hovering above the action just cold sweating it out, doing something outside of a home based business to generate income. I guess I was clenching the old dog tags, gathering my thoughts.

WHY?

I guess I felt betrayed. I thought the company I had joined in the beginning was going to be around forever. That’s what I honestly believed! But I was naive. Companies come and go left and right. Here one day, gone the next. It was my own fault. I didn’t have a plan B. I forgot my roots as a Boy Scout, to “Be prepared.” I didn’t want to join another company because I really enjoyed the one I was in. The product line, the income potential, the community….it was home to me. I guess all I was doing was waiting for the right moment to re-engage.

The Right Moment Came

After sitting on the sidelines for a little over a year, I’m back in the game and ready for action. The timing is right and the opportunity is wide open. It’s time to become a TOP GUN again. I’ve heard others say, “Sure. That’s easy for you to do because you already have the experience and all of your marketing still in place.” Dang right! And I started from scratch. Just like every new home based business owner will have to do. But with the right mentor, it’s a lot easier to do.

How to Become a TOP GUN?

Believe it or not, to be a TOP GUN in network marketing is an extremely simple concept. There’s no secret to it really. It’s the same with every opportunity. It’s a simple equation.

Vision + Ambition + Consistent Action = TOP GUN

That’s it! There are other things you can add to the equation that will make things easier, but that’s the equation that produces results. That’s all I’ve done. Because of the vision I held for my future and my ambition to achieve that vision, I was able to put one foot in front of the other and make things happen. I consistently advertised, lived the lifestyle, called potential clients, wrote those blog posts, built that website, printed and handed out fliers, went to all the training events, attended the conferences and masterminded with other leaders. It wasn’t up to my mentors to do it for me, or even show me how to do it all. I had no idea how to build a website and didn’t even know what a blog post was, but I learned it because it was going to bring me closer to my goals.

How many of us have pulled a Maverick in our business careers. We jumped in with both feet, created some success in the industry, ran into a speed bump in life and withdrew ourselves from everything? How many of you are waiting for the right timing to jump back into things? How many of you are waiting for the right time to simply begin?

Not everyone can have a happy ending….and it’s not for any other reason but the pure fact that… everyone doesn’t deserve it. Only the ones who work for it truly deserve it. Those who deserve it will one day soon, metaphorically, be sitting on a motorcycle,  in front of the sunset, wearing a leather jacket  and slick shades, with the Top Gun soundtrack playing in the background. They’ll have their glory day in the sun.

It’s time to get a piece of the action. Come join me if you’re ready.

No related posts.

So in this post, I want to set the record straight for those who are in fact “Lying” through their teeth but don’t know any better, are teetering on the edge of fakin’ it or are teaching their new recruits to wrongfully fake it.

“Fake It” – It’s Image Today

In today’s fast paced world, it’s all about how much you can get done in the least amount of time possible. How fast can you rise to the top and who can you step on to get there. And to get to the top, you have to feed people an image of who you want to become….not who you really are. Many network marketing companies are doing it the same way. They’re putting all the focus on the rich and wealthy lifestyle, the fancy cars and loads of cash! Work two hours a day and make millions, all from the comfort of your poolside chair. But what they’ve really done is created a monster. They’ve taken the focus from the actual product and have handed the industry over to those who put image over principles and standards.

I personally know those who have posed next to their dream car or home for a quick snap shot and later posted that image to their site with the words, “My new Jaguar!” Selling the fake image at its best.

Now tell me, if wealth is the product, then how effectively can I sell you riches if I’m struggling to make my bills…which is why I started looking for a home based business in the first place? I can’t…unless I lie about it. Who would buy the promise of wealth from someone who knows nothing of it. If I just got started in that business, as a newbie, I would feel like I had to put on a “fake it” image until I could start having results.

Putting on this fake image is more damaging than just lies. It will eventually take a financial toll. There are those who feel like they have to go out and buy that new hot rod, eat out at fancy restaurants and travel the world when their income can’t support it. They’ll find themselves up to their neck in debt before they know it, if they’re not careful…and all just to maintain an image they’ve created for themselves before their income reached that level.

A Lesson I Learned From a Salesman

Now, before I tell you this extremely important lesson, know that this salesman is the man. He gets results and is a good friend of mine. So, if my buddy reads this, I apologize ahead of time…but he already knows we don’t sell the same way.

Right or Wrong – When you’re selling something to someone, it doesn’t matter what you tell them about yourself, your personal life, your job, or even your religion….even if everything you’ve said was a lie….as long as everything you say about the product you are selling them is true.

If the end result equals a sale for you and a happy customer, does that justify everything else you just did? Sure, you may never see that person again in two lifetimes and everything you told the customer other than the product information doesn’t technically matter….but it’s a toss up.

LESSON – It will come back to bite you. That’s the lesson I’ve learned. If you’re lucky, maybe it won’t get you. But as for me and my house, we know it will. I can’t sell that way because I wouldn’t want to be sold that way!

“Fake It” – The Correct Image

“Fake it ’til you make it” really just refers to your leadership abilities. Act like the leader who is having the results, don’t lie about your results. The important message that you must understand is that people will follow you for where you are heading, not were you’ve been. Don’t ever feel like you have to put on a fake image to impress your future business partners and customers. In business, integrity is everything and I feel that the network marketing industry has taken a hit because of the improper use of the “Fake it” concept. And what you’ll notice is that the companies who sell wealth instead of quality products will never hold on. They’ll disappear. I’ve seen it.

And if all else fails, and you’re struggling with being the leader, just be excited. People will get started in your business, even though you’re the greenest one around. Just stay close to your goals and be yourself!

I’d like to hear from you. What’s your opinion on “Fakin’ it ’til you make it?” I’d love to start a discussion on it. Voice your opinions below.

No related posts.

I’ve been in those same shoes, but haven’t really been as hesitant. And that’s brought me some trouble a time or two, but I don’t ever regret doing it. Regardless of the outcome, if there’s something that I want to do or try, bottom line, I’m in and ready to go. Why waste so much time thinking about what could have happened or what might happen, just take action today and find out.

So here’s a list of ten things to do right now, not later:

Buy a home

Of course, do it when you are financially able to. Instead of wishing you had a place you could call home and make your own, some where you’re kids can come home to when they have families of their own, start now.

Go on vacation

I have heard horror stories of people who have YEARS of vacation time built up at work who have not had a vacation in over five years. What in the HECK are you thinking. Take your family on vacation! Your loved ones and the memories you have with them are what matters most. Go now!

Have a child.

You’re definitely not getting younger. You don’t want to be grandma or grandpa age when you’re kids need you the most! So what if you’re in college or at the start of your career. It all comes second to the joy you will experience with children.

Start that business

If you have a great business idea, put it to action. There will always be those who are skeptical. They’re they nay-sayers but you’re the visionary. Fear is just a figment of your imagination and a tool that destroys dreams. If you need help with a business plan, get with your local small business association. They’ll help you set one up for FREE! There’s no excuse. Get started now!

Ask him/her out or ask him/her to marry you.

You’ll never know unless you ask! Asking or not asking is the success and failure of everything. Life is too short to wonder what could have happened. Be bold, be yourself and go for it! The best relationships are based on communication….and asking is the start of that. Your marriage will be the single most important and influential decisions of your life. So get to it!

Serve others

I don’t know if you’ve figured it out yet, but serving others is one of the reasons we are here. All the gold, silver and money in the world won’t even buy a crumb in the restaurants of Heaven. Do unto others and you would have them do unto you.

Donate to your charity

If you’re financially able, donate something to the charity of your choice. If you’ve ever been in a tough spot, financially or physically, you’d appreciate a little help too.

Make a bucket list

A bucket list is a long, not short, but long list of things you would like to accomplish before the end. Whether it’s traveling to Rome or sky diving, if you want to do it, put it on the list. Start on #1 just as soon as it’s on the list and check them off one by one as you make it happen.

Get an education

If you want a better job, more knowledge or just the status a degree can bring, apply for college or start taking courses. you’re never too old. Jim Rohn once said that the best education is “Self  Education.” Always keep learning and educating yourself. He also said that a formal education will get you a job, but self education will make you a fortune. I couldn’t agree more!

Go to church

For most people, it’s been a while since they’ve attended church. If that’s you, start going. This isn’t a debate on religious principles, it’s a principle of morality. That basics of what’s right and wrong seem to be missing in most of the world out there and there are very few who will stand up for what’s right in the face of opposition. Church can give you purpose and inspiration if you are lacking.

Excercise

This is #11 but needs to be in here. People tend to treat their belongings, businesses, and people around them, the same way they treat their own bodies. The mind and the body are one. If the body is weak, so is the mind. One without the other is a waste, but together, at their peak, they are powerful. Stay fit.

Conclusion

Always be moving forward without fear. You can accomplish more that you think you can and more than you already have. Life IS short. Make the most of it while you have the strength and resources to do so. No regrets!

No related posts.

In the midst of conflict, injuries will occur. Sometimes these injuries are self inflicted and other times they are caused by sources outside our control.

There are those who have been injured many times, who, because of their many scars, shy away from the battle.  They avoid confrontation and action. They’re scared of being injured, or injured again. So instead of facing their enemy, they avoid them at all costs, even at great personal loss. They let the fear of pain and loss take over their life. Their actions become less valiant and their potential squandered. Instead of being dependable and independent, they become dependent and are in need of protection. They lose their self worth and find themselves living in the gutters and the filth of this war, feeding off the leftovers of the rest.

There are those who experience victory on the battlefield. They are those who have no fear, or at least know how to control it and overcome it. Despite the danger at hand, they are the ones who face obstacles and deal with them as they come, one by one. They run at their enemies, and when all hope appears to be lost, they charge. As they move forward through the smoke and haze of the unsure, they will most likely inflict a few wounds upon themselves, but in the end, if they are strategic, use good judgement, and are persistent, they will be victorious.

This great eternal battle is at hand. We cannot avoid it. It’s a fight between success and failure, good and evil, prosperity and poverty. There will be those who fall by the wayside. There will be those who quit and hide. But there will also be those who inspire, excel, and succeed. There will be those who taste of that sweet, sweet victory, and to those few….and they will be few…I salute you. You are a warrior, a pioneer and a hero. You few make this great world what it is because you know what you want. Because of this surety, you are the ones others look to for moral, financial and emotional guidance.

You are fulfilling your purpose here…and that purpose is to be all that you were created to be. You are acting like an eternal being, who is not just existing in a physical world, but creating it. You are using the talents you were blessed with, and are multiplying them and using them for good.

You are a general, and a warrior. Stay that way, because you are saving more lives in this great battle than you know.

No related posts.