Many of the great and successful entrepreneurs of our time knew, even in times of bankruptcy and serious hardships, that they were successful and great! When I first started in Network Marketing I was making about $40k a year working a job. This is a great example of knowing who I was to become instead of who I was being at for the last 10 years of my life. I was speaking with people who were making well into the 6-figure incomes and was a little intimidated. I was speaking with CEO’s and big business owners and thought that these people knew more, had more going for them, and were larger and better people that me. At first, that is the mindset I had and that was who I was being. Do you think anyone wanted to get started with me in my business? Not very many did until I could change the view I had of myself. I had to change my belief of who I was and what defines me. My income surely does not define me nor does a label such as CEO. That is just who and I being at that moment in time.

In order to be successful in any venture and especially in Network Marketing, a person has to have a clear understanding of where they are going, who they want to be, and how to get there. Coming from a person who used to make the national average in income to someone who makes well beyond that now, I had to envision that for myself and become that person before I even had the results. I guess you can call it “Thinking outside the Box!” In other words, having the ability to look beyond your current situation. That, is what defines you! 

#2. It is a reward for the level of service you render to the public. The greater the value of your service, the greater the amount of money you receive. The greater the value you put on your service, the greater your income is. That is key! People will pay you what they think your service is worth. If you put no value to what you are offering, that is what people will expect to get it for. Why to people pay $1000.00 or more for a pair of shoes in Beverly Hills when you can buy the same shoes at the outlet malls for $59.95? It is the value you put on your product or service that determines what people will pay for it. If you offer a business opportunity, what do you value the opportunity as? What has it done for you?

#3. Money is meant to be in flow, meaning, used. Money is energy. Energy has to go somewhere and be used or it just dies off. You can’t keep a battery charged forever, eventually it loses its power. The same goes for money, it was made to be spent, exchanged, traded, passed on, shared, and moving from one hand to the next, not hoarded. Those who have the highest degree of wealth understand this concept. In order to keep the flow of money coming in their direction, the dam has to be open. There has to be somewhere for the money to go. Money is a river, not a lake. I’m not telling you to be foolish with your money and spend all of it as soon as you get it, but make sure you have a use for it.

Understanding what money is, what it is used for, and how to keep it flowing into your life. This all sounds so simple right? How much money is flowing into your life? Is it always there when you require it to be? Do you understand the true value of your service or opportunity? Are you making the income you feel you deserve? Is money steadily flowing into your life as much as it is flowing out? The sooner you truly understand these three truths, the more abundant your life will become!

The simple truth about money is that there is plenty of it. More money is being made every single day and it does grow on trees. It is mostly made of paper! If we took all the money in the entire world and divided it up among everybody, we would all be wealthy. There is plenty to go around. So why are so many people broke? That is a whole new topic.

One of the most important things to know about money, is that it’s always in flow. Think of it as a river…and not just a trickling stream but a roaring and raging river that will never run dry. That is the flow of money and all you have to do is step in front of it. There are a million different ways to make a million dollars in this world the key to stepping in front of that river, is in your head.

Think about this, if you have negative thoughts about a person, basically thinking he is the root of all evil, he is never around and everytime you think of him, you have harsh and negative feelings towards him. Answer this question: Would you hang around someone who had those feelings towards you? No you wouldn’t. You would be everywhere else but there. It’s the same for money. It will come to those who appreciate it, who work for it, who use it in flow and who know of it’s potential for goodness and lifestyle. That is the person who attracts true wealth into their wallets! That is the person who money will hang around with.

If there is one thing I would like you to take away from this article regarding money, it would be: You are a money magnet! Everytime you find a quarter on the ground or make a big check, repeat that phrase in your head. You will be amazed at the effect it will have on your bank account!

#1. Instead of only having 2 weeks paid vacation, I have over 3 months. In doing what I do, it doesn’t matter where I am in the world. As long as I have my laptop, a phone, and the internet, I am generating income. How many people do you personally know that can be on a beach in Cancun or in Rome with their family and still make thousands? It is a lot easier than you think! Do you really know what it is like to not remember what day it is. Monday or Saturday? It’s really the same thing to me. I always miss the holidays that most people treat as gold because they usually get the day off. Everyday is a weekend and everyday is independence day for me. I celebrate my independence from bondage!

#2. I eat breakfast with my kids on Monday mornings, and Tuesday mornings, and Wednesday Mornings, and Thursday mornings etc,. I have the priveledge, that most people will never have, to sit and eat a bowl of Lucky Charms with my kids while listening to the soundtrack of “Surf’s up!” I don’t wake up in the mornings thinking of what work I have to do. I wake in the mornings thinking of how to enjoy my day. My kids wake me up. They are my alarm clock!

#3. I work 3 hours a day, Monday through Thursday! I work a total of 20 hours a week…..MAX! How many people have that kind of a work schedule and still make a huge income. Now, when I say a huge income, I really mean that. I mean, how else would I fund my 6 vacations that I plan on taking this year! How can I afford that kind of a lifestyle. Some may think of me as wealthy and I feel I haven’t even scratched the surface yet! What would you do with the rest of your day after only having a 3 hour work day? Finally enjoy your life, maybe?

Now you have been introduced to the concept of the 3 hour work day and a few of the things that I will never take for granted again. I love this business and what it has provided for my family and I. Everyone deserves to have these things in their life as well. It’s as simple as a choice….a choice to stop settling and to start living!

When in there do you have time to go to the park with your kids, or watch their school play or athletic events? Will you ever get to see you children walk for the first time or say “Dadda?” When is there any time for improvement? When do you find time to relax, have fun, and enjoy the things that mean the most to you? Some might say they do all those things on the weekend. Ok, good for you. So you get two days, out of seven to have fun, spend time with your family, travel, improve yourself, attend events, and live your life. If you are currently doing this, you are settling! I will say it straight out. You are settling for what someone else has given you. They say I get five or more days a week and you get one or two, with a two week vacation, and you say DEAL!

I would personally tuck my tail in between my legs and say, “Ok, boss, I will be your slave!” That is really what you are saying!

There is much more to life than working. I believe in hard work, don’t get me wrong, but for myself and those I care about. Not for a boss. Let me introduce you to a 3 hour work day. That is what I do. I work 3 hours a day, Monday through Thursday. So what am I doing all day? Not working to make money. I make plenty of that. I am working on myself, my fun, my hobbies, my family, my religion, and it is my choice.

If you think like an entrepreneur, there are businesses out there with leverage that allow you to work completely part time, and to become literally WEALTHY! It’s just that you don’t know about them. Well, if there is anything I can tell you in this article, it would be, “Start Looking!” Your life depends on it!

Other than just the dollars…what else is it costing you? Your health? Your sanity? Your family? Your Time? There is some more food for thought! How many times have you worked that highly stressful 12 hour day? After a week of that, have you gotten much sleep? Are you stress free? Have you spent any time with your family. Have you done anything productive for yourself? No! Most likely you had very little sleep due to the stress, you got angry at your kids and your wife when you got home for no reason and barely had time to say “hi” to them before they went to sleep. For what? For your boss? You must really love him to sacrifice all that you are!

Do you know the real definition of J.O.B? J.O.B. = Just Over Broke! According to the latest statistics, the average US family income is $31,000. I used to live off of 36k and could barely afford to go to the movies and buy popcorn at the same time. I was renting, I had one car, and was not living a life of luxury. That is scraping by!

I am not in any way down playing a job or employees. We need them as employers and entrepreneurs. There is a very small percentage of individuals that really get to live their dreams. I believe it is less than 3%! How pathetic is that? What category are you in….the 97% or the 3%? How much is your job costing you? It’s really costing you your life!

There’s an English proverb that goes: “One father is worth more than a hundred schoolmasters.”

Fathers can teach their children many important lessons. Father’s Day is Sunday, June 15, and it brings to mind some of the valuable lessons I learned from my father, Jack Mackay. I’ve shared many of them with you in my books and columns, but here they are, in one nice package, for the 64.3 million fathers out there.

My dad headed the Associated Press in St. Paul, Minn., for many years. He lived by deadlines. When he told his 10-year-old fishing partner, “Be at the dock at 7:30 a.m.” and I arrived at 7:35, I would be holding my fishing pole in one hand and waving bon voyage with the other. Time management 101.

When I began my career selling envelopes, I asked my father how I could make twice as much money as my fellow sales reps.

He asked me how many sales calls my peers made every day. I told him that everyone made about five calls a day, and I could match them call for call.

“No good,” he said. “Do what they do and you’ll make what they make. Figure out how you can get to 10 calls a day and your income will double.”

We worked out a game plan, which became a life plan. I learned when the buyers were in the office and worked according to their schedules, which sometimes meant anytime from 6 a.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday mornings. I quit making cold calls, was among the first to get a cell phone and learned many other time management tips from my father.

TRUST is the most important five-letter word in business and in life. When I was only eight years old, he said: “Son, would you like to learn a lesson that might save your life some day?”

“Sure I would, Dad,” I answered.

“Just slide down the banister and I’ll catch you,” he urged.

I slid … and landed on the carpet. As I dusted myself off, he announced, “Never trust anyone completely. Keep your eyes open and your wits about you.”

Similarly, my father encouraged me at a young age to keep track of all the people I met on Rolodex cards, now on my computer. He was a master networker. He knew where to get stories, much like I learned where to get sales.

Maybe the most important lesson my father taught me was that your best network will develop from what you do best. In my case that was golf. When I joined the sales game after college, where I had been a varsity golfer at the University of Minnesota, my father suggested I join Oak Ridge Country Club, which I couldn’t afford. Because Oak Ridge was historically at the bottom of the city golf league, I offered to play for them and try to win them a championship. Six months and numerous meetings later, I was admitted to the club where I gained access to many of the major companies around town.

My father also taught me that the big name on the door doesn’t mean diddly. You have to know who the decision makers are.

In addition, he warned me against telling anyone how I vote. That’s why it’s a secret ballet. The Democrats think I’m a Republican, and the Republicans believe I’m a Democrat.

My father’s greatest professional attribute was his nose for a good story and his indefatigable zeal in getting it. He taught me the same desire, determination and persistence for sales.

After a skiing accident that landed me in the hospital for 35 days in neck traction, he told me, “You can take any amount of pain as long as you know it’s going to end.”

My father taught me many more life lessons, among them:

• They don’t pay off on effort . . . they pay off on results.
• No one ever choked to death swallowing his pride.
• He who burns his bridges better be a damn good swimmer.
• Education is like exercise. As soon as you quit you begin to lose the benefits.
• It’s hard to soar like an eagle when you’re dressed like a turkey.
• If you win say little. If you lose say less.
• We are judged by what we finish, not by what we start.

Mackay’s Moral: One person can make all the difference in the world—a father, for example.

Now, why, when most are alive and able to enjoy these things in their fullest do they not? Why are they are work, putting in 12 hour days for a wage when they could be spending time with their loved ones or doing things that truly create joy? Well, the answer to that is money! Some would blame money for their inability to experience joy. Money is not at all the issue….it is just your choice as to how you earn money. It’s not that your ability to make money is any different than anyone elses, it’s just the way you have chosen to make that money that is hindering your lifestyle.

If you have chosen to earn money by getting paid for your time, then there is a limit to what you can make. We all know that there are only 24 hours in a day. We all have those same 24 hours. Getting paid $10 an hour for 24 hours will only bring a profit of $240.00 a day. That is the maximum you could earn and we all know that one cannot work without sleep. At least, we shouldn’t though there are many people who do.

Now if you take those same 24 hours and leverage your time with the efforts of other people, then you have the true potential to earn a limitless amount of income. To give you an example, take a chiropractor. A chiropractor is paid for his time. He can only see so many patients a day no matter how many people are lined up outside his office. However, if he hires other chiropractors, he can, in a way, leverage his time for more profit through the efforts of others. Everybody who is anybody that has the freedom to enjoy the things that are most important and meaningful in life understands this concept. I work 4 hours a day. I do what I want when I want and still have the income to do it with. The same is opportunity is available to anyone. It’s just a choice of how you are paid!

So the questions lies: Are leaders born with the gift of leadership? I have been to seminars and workshop that were designed to attempt on creating leaders out of the people who attend. Can you create a leader, on your time, as a mentor? Can you teach leadership to someone who has a burning desire? Is there a course that can instruct leadership and speed up the process? I mean, we have all seen it. In a group of children, it is very clear which ones have the natural ability to lead. Is it the same for adults?

I think that many people are born with the natural ability to lead, and we are all given different talents that can be nurtured and excercised in order to reach their potential. But even if we are born with the natural ability to lead, there are still choices to be made in order to nuture and harness that ability. Just because someone is incredibly athletic doesn’t mean that they choose to be the next Michael Jordan of our time. People CHOOSE to be leaders. It is something that is learned, and not taught. One has to want to lead, in order to be a leader. We are not born with the ability to lead…..we are given the opportunities to lead. We are not born courageous, we are given opportunities to be courageous.

It is by acting on those opportunities we are faced with everyday, opportunities to demonstrate our leadership, is what makes us a leader. I once heard that you do not fail all at once. It is not one sudden moment where everything comes crashing down. It is one small moment after another over a longer period of time that causes our ultimate failure. The same goes with leadership. It is one small, or large act of leadership at a time over a long period of time that turns followers into leaders.

“In primitive times, women clung to the strongest male for protection. High-status males displayed their prowess through their kickass attitude. Believe in yourself and show it in your
attitude. Use your bigthinking attitude for everything you do in life.”

2. You are what you think you are
“Most people think too little of themselves and devalue their own abilities. They give other people credit for being smarter than they are and downplay their own intelligence. Reverse this: give yourself credit for being smarter than most people, because it’s true.

“People take their cues from you as to how they should think about you. Develop an attitude that you are worth a lot, then others will value you. Walk briskly and purposefully, eyes looking straight ahead like someone who knows where he or she is going.”

3. Go first class
“Let your shoes, suits, shirts, ties, coats and accessories tell the world that you understand and value quality. If you do not have a big budget, buy fewer items, but better quality. Let everything you do and own convey an image of importance.”

4. Ditch your doubts
“Big thinkers conquer their doubts. When in doubt, believe in yourself and assume you’ll succeed. Nobody can do this for you. Do not grab for someone else’s reassurance when you
are feeling inadequate. Develop your own selfbelief. If you believe you can do something, other people will believe it too.

“Give off the attitude that you’re important and worth listening to. People will see by your face and by your bearing that you are selfpowered, a leader who makes things happen.”

5. Speak your mind
“Speak like a big thinker. Get in the habit of speaking out in business meetings and social gatherings. Make sure you know what you want to say, then speak with the attitude that you have something important to say. Do not be afraid of what other people think.”

6. High flyers flock together
“Hang out with other big thinkers. People in your environment have a great impact on you. Join clubs, associations and organisations where the successful congregate. Think of yourself as someone important to know. The most important person in any gathering is
the one who is most active in introducing him or herself. When meeting a new person look them in the eye and be sure to get their name and give them yours. Drop all your friends who are negative and think small. Seek advice from people who know what they’re doing.”

7. Get tough
“People are not going to just hand you money. People fight and kill for money. You have to use leverage to extract top dollar. Threaten to inflict some pain before you get some pain. In every successful real estate deal, I’ve had to make my opponent feel the pain of what he would lose if he did not do the deal with me, and the pleasure of going forward
and giving me what I want.

“Look at job negotiations. Most people get their biggest raises when they change jobs, or threaten to change jobs. When negotiating for money, build up the value of your presence to the company and increase the loss the company will suffer in losing you. Always be ready to walk.”

8. Be prepared for setbacks
“A failure is not a defeat. Learn from your mistakes and view your setbacks as the cost of getting an education. Engage in constructive self-criticism. Learn your lessons quickly, then move on. Remember, persistence plus learning from mistakes equals success.”