The unwritten law of success has always included, and begins with, thanksgiving. Gratitude is the act of showing appreciation. It is always said that, unless you are grateful for what you currently have, you will never be blessed with more. As I show that I can appreciate and manage all that I do have, it merits the fact that I deserve more.

Success Begins with Thanksgiving

I actually take time every single day, not just on Thanksgiving day, to think of all that I have in my life right now that I am grateful for. I think of my children, my home based business, the roof over my head, my vehicles, my family, friends, my church and yes, at times, I even think of my Sony LCD TV (Which is bigger than anything else in my house)! No matter what stage I am at in my life or whatever my circumstance, the day will ALWAYS go smoother if I simply spend some time to reflect on the things that are most important to me. As I think of my children, I have a little more temperance. As I think of my business, I become more passionate about changing peoples lives. As I think of my faith, my testimony is strengthened. As I reflect, I become stronger in every area that crosses my mind.

I once read a quote that stated something along the lines of, “Gratitude is pointless when kept quiet.” The best form of gratitude is the kind shared with those you are grateful for. It not only strengthens you, but the other person as well. So take some time to tell those who are closest to you how grateful you are for them and how much they mean to you. Chances are, they really needed to hear it, and may not hear that sort of thing very often.

Take the approach this holiday season to see who’s life you can effect in a positive way instead of who can effect you. Be the proactive blessing in other people’s lives. You deserve it and so do they!

Happy Turkey Day to everyone here in the US! Any holiday that involves a ton of food and family, I’m in!

This is a perfect example of one of the biggest Losers of all time! Many of you will know exactly who this is at a glance. Check out the amazing record of failures this guy had in his life compared to the amount if wins. It’s pretty shocking. I bet he was made fun of quite a bit by his peers and was told to give up on his dreams….

• 1831 – Lost his job
• 1832 – Defeated in run for Illinois State Legislature
• 1833 – Failed in business
• 1835 – Sweetheart died
• 1836 – Had nervous breakdown
• 1838 – Defeated in run for Illinois House Speaker
• 1843 – Defeated in run for nomination for U.S. Congress
• 1848 – Lost re-nomination
• 1849 – Rejected for land officer position
• 1854 – Defeated in run for U.S. Senate
• 1856 – Defeated in run for nomination for Vice President
• 1858 – Again defeated in run for U.S. Senate

How pathetic is this guy!? Well allow me to introduce you to Abraham Lincoln, elected President of the United States of America in 1860!

How many times was he defeated before he won? Count ’em! Whenever you hit a hard spot, don’t EVER think that you are special….or any different than anyone else who has chosen to go down their own road of success. Talk about a perfect example of persistence and willpower. You can accomplish ANYTHING you set your heart on. Celebrate your losses….because all they have done is put you that much closer to the wins!!

Let me ask you a question: Why is it important for you to be as wildly successful as you possibly can? To add to that, why is it important for you to achieve extraordinary results beyond that of anyone you currently know? Now I’m talking about financial and lifestyle results….results that mostly everyone wants but will never achieve because of lack of action.

One of the most common reasons that people do not take action is the fact that they just simply have no idea how to take the first step. Another common reason for lack of action is not the fact that they don’t know how, but that they are terrified to start. So instead of knowledge being the issue, confidence and skepticism is. Maybe it all ties right back to a simple word called “Desire!” If their desire was strong enough then they would gain the knowledge and overcome their fears. It all wouldn’t be an issue then. But how does someone who has never seen anyone else create huge results in their personal and financial life get that desire? Most of us base our desires from some sort of example right? If you see a family driving a Chevy Suburban down the road, it looks nice, they all look like they’re having a blast and you have always had a desire to have a family, you then set them as your example of what you want to achieve in your near or distant future. Examples are what drive people’s ambitions in life.

Make an example out of yourself!

There exists in this world a select group of people that think outside of the limits that surround them. They are the creators of opportunity and set the example. They, in a sense blaze the trail of success. Where no trail existed they create one.

If you think about the word “blaze,” what comes to mind? Well for me, I think of fire…..not just a simple campfire but a huge friggin’ blazing, sparks flying, blue, yellow, red and orange flames type of fire. This is a fire that will be seen by more than those that are standing right next to it. It’s something that can’t be missed. It’s a beacon or a mark which can be see by many.

Blaze a Trail of Success

So it’s vitally important for you to blaze your own trail of success. It leaves a flaming path for others to follow. It’s a beacon pointing the way to results. The more  blazingly successful you are, the more influence you will have on others and the longer your trail of flames will last before they fizzle out. Now don’t get me wrong here. There will be people who just sit there, watching this blazing trail of success you have just created, thinking to themselves, “Wow! Cool! I wish I could do that too!” Yet, they don’t follow the trail out of fear for being burned! Or, there just simply isn’t enough desire to do so. But, there will be those who will follow your trail and will experience success as well, making your blazing trail even bigger and more noticeable.

So guys, blaze on and blaze big!! Don’t look back at your own flames, that’s all history. People will follow and you can know that you were the one that started it all!

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’d like you to meet one of my business partners! We seem to work pretty well together….she sleeps and I’m the head rest. Frankly, all this computer stuff just bores her to death so I have decided to take on the roll of advertising online even though she is a huge part of it still. She does more advertising for me than she knows, just being her. So whether she is helping me shave, falling asleep on me while I work or just wanting to play, she is reminding me that I am successful! My reason for doing what I do is to be at home. This picture is my success!

Choosing business partners is a serious matter and I have chosen mine already. I have more than just one. I have chosen them because they inspire me and remind me to have fun. They’re loyal and honest. I love seeing the world through their eyes as it gives me an entirely new perspective. They greet each day with new excitement and energy. There is never a dull moment and they definitely keep me on my toes. Most importantly, I love them. They are my family!

Honestly, let me ask you a serious question. Who would you rather spend the most time in your day with? Your Boss, your business partner, your employees or your spouse and kids? I guarantee that nobody in this world deserves more time with you than your own family. Yes, you must still build relationships, do business, make money, go to church and all that stuff, but not at the sacrifice of those you love the most, your business partners for life, your family.

If you have a goal to have more time for your family, what are you waiting for? Something is not going to fall out of the sky and hit you on the head saying “here it is!” Although, that would be nice at times. It would be so much easier. I actually quit my job before I had the income to replace it because I knew that wasn’t the life I wanted to live. That was nearly 5 years ago. Now, I am successful. I work from home, make Great money and am living the lifestyle I chose to live nearly 5 years ago when I quit my job. I didn’t hesitate on that decision and neither should you. Don’t find yourself five years from now still wishing to have more time to spend with your family or for that lifestyle change.

What’s more painful for you: Spending your entire life wishing, or, taking a risk at your dreams and failing? I sure hope you chose the first. You can always try again at your dreams but will never, ever get your life back. Make it happen!

You all remember the game you used to play back in grade school called “Follow the Leader” right? If not, allow me to refresh your memory a bit. The basic concept of the game is to have one person doing things that everyone else has to follow, or mimic. There’s no real way to win the game as far as I can remember unless everyone else in the game can’t duplicate what the leader is doing. I think the reason the entire game was invented was to teach kids how to follow instructions and to keep them entertained.

Again, as I have mentioned before, as we grow up we tend to forget some of these simple lessons. Maybe it’s not so much that we forget, but maybe we just get more stubborn. While some people completely forget, others take these lessons way too literal. Some people get stuck in the follow mode and will never become the leader. Others get stuck in the leader mode and never learn to follow. There is a reason why you must switch back and forth from follower to leader constantly, or just do both at the same time.

I speak to people everyday who are looking to create something more out of their lives. They are tired of the daily grind, tired of struggle and tired of not having results. They tell me that all they want is the lifestyle that I currently have. They want the money, the ability to travel with their family, the time freedom and the business to provide it all. So I show them what I do and how they can turn around and do the exact same thing. You see, this is their opportunity to follow the leader. I know how to make it happen. I am the leader.

It is common sense to say that if you want something that someone else has, figure out what they have done to get it and do “that.” It’s the simple concept of “Follow the Leader.” But just as in school, some people don’t want to follow the leader and think they know all there is about how to create that success they long for. So they sit out of the game, doing nothing.

In order to get something you have never had, you must do something you have never done! So how are we all to learn how to do something we have never done? It’s simple, find someone who has done it and follow the leader! Even the leaders have leaders to follow. Just because I have been able to assist many people in realizing their ultimate lifestyle doesn’t mean that I know all there is to know about success. So I too must find the leaders who have what I want and follow them! It’s a continual process. Where you are on the level of success determines how much you are the leader and how much you are the follower.

If it is lifestyle you are looking for, time, money, passion, personal development or a business opportunity, play a little game of “Follow the Leader” with me. I’ll lead, you follow, until you are ready to lead yourself!