The other day I decided to hike a mountain I have been wanting to climb for a very long time. From where I was looking, there rested a small stone on the very top that I could see myself sitting on. Well, later on I found out it was more like the size of a small house! It was the highest point in the nearby area and I was set out accomplish my goal. It was around 9:30 am when I started the hike and I finished at around noon. Just me, my bottle of water and my thirst for adventure.

I reached the top of the mountain, looked around at the beauty that surrounded me and yelled at the top of my lungs, “Whoohoo!” The echo was amazing! If you think I’m strange, you may be right! I then sat down to empty my shoes of all the pebbles and dirt and just sat there soaking up my success! There was a slight breeze coming from the north east and no one but me and my thoughts. Talk about the ultimate place to visualize!

The longer I sat there, I started to notice a fan club of buzzards starting to build up overhead. At first there were only a few, then more started coming and by the time I decided to head back down the mountain, there were twelve. I could feel their desire for me to fall and die so that they could fulfill their purpose in life, scavenge!

Isn’t this just like our hike to success? The hike itself is where all the victory comes from. The harder the hike the stronger I become. There are obstacles to face, delays, hardship, smooth sailing, jumps, falls and many other things along the way that are all just part of the hike. Unless I had my goal of reaching that little house-like rock on the top, I might have given up after the first few “close calls” or rough spots. And the real treat is that once you have done it, it’s easier to do it again and again. Duplication and consistency are the keys to success in any industry. Sure, anybody can make  a sale…but can you do it over and over again, consistently.

Once you are at the top, there are always an abundance of those who are just waiting for you to slip up and fail so that they can feed off your scraps. It is their calling in life. The ratio is actually less than that of the buzzards. It is more like three to 5 out of one hundred! But the scavengers are always around….the ones who wish for your failure that tell you to quit. We as humans are still part of the animal kingdom. Why would things be any different for us? The buzzards are always there.

Regardless of opposition, the passionate and determined will always win. At times while on that hike, I lost site of the goal because I was too focused on the obstacles at hand. I simply had to step back, look up, and as I did, I realized I was a lot closer than I thought I was.

Guys, you are a lot closer to your goal than you really think you are. Trust me on this one. Five years ago, it was inconceivable to think that I could work three hours a day from home and make more income in a month than I had ever made in a year…….but I was a lot closer than I thought. Enjoy the hike, keep your eye off the obstacles and fixed on the goal.

I would like you to fill in the blank as you say this sentence to yourself: I am _________ by the people in this world. Just fill in the blank with the first thing that comes to your mind. Don’t try to think it through, just do it as it comes in flow. The first thought that enters your mind is the one that fills the blank.

What did you put in there? Are you disgusted by people? Are you amazed, set back, motivated, threatened, deranged? Depending on your answer, this is a great way to determine whether you are being at cause or being the cause.

Now, let’s rephrase that sentence a bit: I am _________ by those I associate with everyday. I am _________ by my family members.

What did you put in those blanks? Whether good or not, listen to the words your mind places there. Sure the word may change from time to time depending on how you allow your circumstances to effect your mindset, but ultimately, you choose the word to fill in the blank.

I once heard a phrase that went something like: If you would like to see more kindness in the world, become kind. If you would like to see more success in the world, become wildly successful. Become exactly that which you would like to see in the world. Only then will the world, in your mind, become what you would like it to become!

For me, I am “inspired” by the people in this world. I am “inspired” and “motivated” by those I associate with everyday. I am “empowered” by my family members!

Have you ever heard of TOMS Shoes? Here is an example of someone that inspires me in this world. This guy decided that he was going to start a company that made shoes and for every pair of shoes that someone buys, a pair is also given to a child in need somewhere around the world. TOMS Shoes is an example of someone deciding to be “At Cause” instead of “the cause.” He is making a difference in the world with his idea.

Do you think that it was easy for Blake Mycoskie to start this company? Do you think everyone thought it was a great idea, to start a company that gave away shoes? If you have read any of my articles or blog posts, you will know the answer. He was laughed at! People thought he was crazy and foolish. There were nay-sayers. There were people who didn’t want him to succeed because they wanted him to stay just like them, “the cause.”

Blake is part of the 3% of people that achieve their dreams. My hats off to him and the thousands of others like him who passionately follow their goals regardless of fear or opposition. I am INSPIRED by the people that surround me! You should choose to be as well! Here is a link to their site.

http://www.tomsshoes.com/

Be part of the ones that make a difference. It’s very difficult to make a significant difference in the lives of those around while sitting in your cubicle at work all day. Become an Entrepreneur. Start a business that inspires you! I have…..and I teach others, who inspire me, how to do it as well!

Enjoy the video.

For the next 30 days I am going to take a challenge to arise before the sun does. Why am I doing this? Well, there are multiple reasons.

First, I am a father of three girls all under the age of 8 and for the most part, the only “Me” time I get is early in the morning. I use this time to educate myself. I once read a quote by Mark Twain, “Don’t let schooling interfere with your education.” If I am not learning, I am wasting my life away doing nothing. What good am I and what difference can I make in the world if I am not making a difference in my life. Educate yourself! Learn as much as you can. As you do, apply it and use it to serve and inspire others.

Second, there is a power spoken of in ancient scripture about arising early. I certainly don’t write all these blog posts just to write them. I do it to teach people what I have learned. Scriptures were written to teach wisdom. Amazingly enough, the principles taught thousands of years ago still work today, and may even be working better today than then. Just as I write, they have written, with the intent for others to read. Scripture reads, “Retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.”

Third, I take a moment every morning to express my gratitude for all that I have and know. This is actually the first thing I do every morning. Unless I am grateful for what I currently have, I will never be blessed with more. As I take the time to think of all the abundance in my life, more abundance is added to it throughout the day.

Fourth, I set goals in the morning and come up with some of my best ideas. My mind is rested and fresh. Ideas just pour in like rain in the morning time. It is a self mastery period for me. Visualizing, goal setting, thinking of ways to improve, saying affirmations and setting courses of action for the day are a few of the things I do. For all you fisherman, remember, the big fish are always caught in the morning!

During this challenge I will think of 5 new ideas that will move me toward my goals, every morning. At the end of 30 days, I will have a ton of new ideas to work with, of which, many will already be put into action. I will have my journal on hand to keep record of these ideas as they come to me. I challenge each of you to do the same.

Think about the power that comes with arising early on your own terms. What I mean by, “your own terms,” is doing it not because you have to, but because you choose to. If you are employed and are compelled to get up before the sun does, wake up a little earlier on your own terms. Claim victory on your day instead of giving credit to someone else or doing it because you have to. It will change your outlook. I promise.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I love getting up early. I love it even more than sleeping in, but it can be hard, if you’re not in the habit of doing it. Once that habit is created, it is as easy as brushing your teeth every morning. So starting tomorrow, June the 6th 2009, I’ll beat the sun up.

If you’d like to take this challenge along with me, congratulations! Let me know your thoughts and experiences! See you in the morning!

Amy had a conversation with a fellow associate the other day who shared his story of success. It’s a great story. He got started in this business opportunity and set his goals to replace his current 6 figure income. All he wanted was to be able to quit corporate America and to do that, he had to replace his income. His motivation to be home with his daughter was his fuel. Well, in a fairly short period of time he accomplished his goal. He retired himself from corporate America and was still making his 6 figure income. Shortly after, his results dropped a bit. He was still making a good income but not as much as he was. He just couldn’t figure out what the difference was between then and now.

I think the answer is clear. It goes back to when he got started. He had a clear definition of what he wanted. He had a vision of quitting corporate America so that he could enjoy his family and travel the world. He accomplished that goal. Then what? Did he set a new vision for what he wanted in his life? He failed to set a new goal or purpose that he was as passionate in reaching as the first one. That was the gap.

A man without a vision is for himself and his future is a man without purpose. What happens to something that has no purpose? It is thrown away and considered to be of no value. It is useless, worth nothing.

So you get the point. Unless you have a purpose, and know your purpose as clear as day, you will be wasting your life away. Others without a purpose will begin to be attracted to you so that you can all sit around and be purposeless. So if you have been wondering why some of your friends seem to have no life, take a look at your own life. Hold yourself accountable and set a purpose.

My purpose is to assist a ton of people this year in quitting their jobs by making a massive income from home in this business, and how to I do that? I will make a ton of money myself, enjoy my lifestyle to the fullest, and teach how I have done this to all those who are as ambitious and motivated as I am.

This is the only way to lead. Do it yourself and then show others how to do it as well. In order to effectively “do it,” I must have a purpose. Be purpose driven and make things happen. Know what you want and then go get it!

Have you ever been on a roller coaster at six flags, Disney Land, or some other amusement park? Do you remember the feeling you get as the coaster is rising to the top of the first summit? Do you remember the feeling that you get when you experience that weightlessness right before you drop to the bottom of that summit? Or, have you ever been cliff jumping, bungee jumping or sky diving? Can you remember what it felt like as you were in that plane or on the top of that cliff moments before it was your turn to jump? Think real hard now. Visualize what it felt like. You start to recreate those feelings right? You know what it feels like to do it and when your mind makes the connection, a feeling is recreated. You have a perfect knowledge of what it felt like to go on that roller coaster or to jump out of that plane and can now recreate that feeling.

Now that you know how to recreate a feeling, is there any difference between recreating a feeling that you have experienced physically and recreating or creating a feeling you have experienced mentally, in your visualizing? We know that in order to truly be connected to your goal you must be able to believe that you are already in possession of that goal. There should be zero doubt in your mind that you will achieve your goal in the specified time period. If it is a car that you have set as your goal, what color is it, how fast does it go, what do the pedals feel like when slammed to the floor, how does it smell inside, how does it feel when you grip the steering wheel, how does it feel when you crank the radio up? Are you really there? Are you really in that car?

Now here’s the connection to the feeling side of it all. Do you remember that feeling you recreated with the roller coaster? If you are as passionate about achieving your goal to get that new car, then you will have a feeling that burns within when you think or visualize having that car. It will feel like that feeling or that goal is about to explode from your chest at this very second and because of that feeling, your actions will be constant and extremely persistent in moving towards achieving that goal. It will feel like it is going to happen now, not tomorrow but now! If you have to wait another second for this goal to materialize right in front of you, you might not be able to cope! It fuels you and gives you the energy, the ambition and the drive to go out and get it! It is more than a want or a hope now, it is definite because you have made it so with your emotional connection to this goal. It will happen, because you know it!

So, let me ask you….Have you been achieving your goals? This might explain why.