Are You Afraid Enough?

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.Anais Nin (1903-1977)Writer

What motivates us to change? Dissatisfaction? Maybe. Extreme fear? Maybe. Most likely, however the motivation is that we are so uncomfortable or so afraid in our current situation, that we will do anything, including change.

Change is difficult for almost all of us and sometimes it takes a lot to convince us that something should change. When we are looking at a business opportunity in multilevel marketing, particularly if we are thinking this could be our new full-time job, what makes us decide to take the chance?  How uncomfortable would you have to be to make a change? Maybe you have already started in a new business, things are not going well, and you know you need to change. How bad would things have to be before you decided to change?

Maybe you have put off participating in the training opportunities that might be available to you through your company. How many calls do you have to mess up before you get tired of messing up calls? How much money do you want to spend before you start really making money? How bad to things really have to get before you are willing to change? Wouldn’t participating in the training be a lot less painful than making all the mistakes?

Maybe you don’t want to pick up the phone. How much does your business have to falter before you get up the courage to actually pick up the phone and make a call? How dissatisfied are you with the way things are going? Maybe now is the time to make your move. Picking up the phone might be less painful that the stress you are going through thinking about it.

Why would you want to wait until things got so painful that you feel like you have no other choice? If you have waited that long, why not ease your pain and do what you need to do? Making the changes and doing what you need to do can’t be any more painful that what you are putting yourself through right now.

The business is there to make your life better. You started in the business to help you achieve some goal that you set when you first started in the business. Use your fear to make the changes you need to make and enjoy the success you are looking to achieve.

Are You Staying Focused ?

Today I start with a quote. “Lay hold of today’s task and you will not depend so much upon tomorrow’s.” Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4B.C.–65A.D.) Roman philosopher and statesman

Spring is almost here. You can feel it in the air. With spring all kinds of reasons to put off working your business come to light. It is just too nice out to work is a particularly favorite among those of us who have been stuck inside for the last six months of this endless winter. My house is a mess is also a great one since most of us, in spite of our best efforts; now know what it is like to live on a beach with the unrelenting sand that seems to always be somewhere no matter how much we sweep.

Spring is also a good time to evaluate your business. The first quarter of the year is gone. Are you where you wanted to be by now? Why not? What can you change to make sure the second quarter is more effective? Maybe you did something really well. Did you pass on that information to your team? How about your team anyway? How are they all doing? What can you do differently to help them?

By staying focused and evaluating your business, you can reap the benefits. Remember the 90 day rule—the work that you put in now will take 90 days to come to full fruition. In 90 days, it will be summer and even more distractions. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to take a family vacation that you earned by working hard now?

Growing a business and taking care of your team takes time and energy on a consistent basis. There are always distractions. The key is to have goals, have a plan, and have the discipline to do the work. No one is above getting distracted occasionally by a beautiful spring day, just don’t let the distractions become the norm and negatively affect your business. If you start to feel restless, plan a little distraction as a reward after you complete Remember that there is always someone depending on you—even if it is only you!

Are you ready to focus or will you continue to chase the brass ring that is just out of your reach?

Click here to get the brass ring

“You Owe Me !” The Danger of Entitlement

There was a man who was very tired of working. He didn’t make much money and didn’t see any chance of making more in the near future. He didn’t like his current living situation, but couldn’t see any way to change it. He had minimal skills and ambition and didn’t think he could make it through school. He was just tired of living this way. He deserved better. He worked hard. He decided to get some money quickly. He went to the ATM and put a blank piece of paper in a deposit envelop. He put the envelope into the machine and deposited a pretend $5,000 check. He then immediately withdrew the maximum that he could, $1,000. He did this over the next two days until he had $3,000.  He thought he wouldn’t get caught. He then went and bought new clothes and put a deposit down on a condo and got ready to move in.  Of course, this all came crashing down and he ended up getting arrested, having to back the money he took, and putting himself in a far worse position than he was before. This man who was so tired of life, who felt that he deserved better even though he wasn’t willing to work for it, and was willing to take a huge risk to get what he wanted is 19 years old. At 19 years old he felt that he had worked enough and that somehow it was okay to take what he wanted even though he hadn’t earned it.

The entitlement thinking can hit anyone at any time. The idea that you deserve something even though you have not worked to earn it becomes more common every day. Even more common is the idea that you work hard and so you are entitled to something more than you have or that you are somehow entitled to take it from someone else.

Multilevel marketing is particularly prone to this type of thinking. Sometimes this is from promises made by an overzealous distributor of wealth with little or no work. (Promising that the business will grow and the money will come automatically if you just buy the required amount of product every month.) Or promising automatic results from some kind of system they have developed. Or, maybe the worse promise of all, that they will build the business for you.

A business is a business and no business happens automatically. Someone somewhere has to do some work and usually has to do some pretty hard work on a consistent basis. Of course there are ways to work smarter and more effectively, but somewhere along the line, work has to happen. Money is exchanged for things of value period. You can’t get more money unless you have something of value (skills, product, whatever) and you can only exchange that thing of value for money if you work.

This all may seem obviously, but many people seem to never learn this principle, or, as they get older, forget it. Everyone is looking for the easy way. Multilevel marketing can offer you an opportunity to provide something that people will pay for, but it is up to you to make that happen.

“If any would not work, neither should the eat” GOD (The Bible) II Thessalonians 3:10

Are Your Leads Leading You Astray?

Advertisements for leads are everywhere on the web and they promise everything from wealth to automatic ways to grow your business. But can a lead system really deliver? Are they really worth the money?

Lead systems can be effective and can be used to grow your business. In fact, if you really want to expand your business, they should be part of your efforts. However, you should look carefully at the system before you invest to make sure it will meet your need. Researching can save you not only money, but a lot of frustration as well.

First ask where the company is getting the leads.  There are lots of sources including responses from various kinds of advertising (television ads, internet ads, etc.). If they won’t tell you their source, look elsewhere.

Second ask if the leads are verified in any way. In other words, are you sure the information provided is accurate. If you are getting 1,000 leads and 500 turn out to have false information, obviously they are not going to do you much good.  The exception to this is if you are offered a large number of leads for a small price. If that is the case, you can probably expect that many of them may not be good.

How old are the leads? Information changes quickly and the older the lead the more likely the information is to be outdated.

How many people receive the same leads? There is nothing worse than sending someone an email about your business when they have already received 10 similar emails.

What kind of response rate to the leads generate? The response rate might also determine the price. It is not unusual to be offered leads of various qualities with corresponding variance in price. Just remember, you get what you pay for.

Do they offer a mailing system? Leads and contacts are a numbers game. You can expect a certain number of responses for a certain number of inquires emailed out. Sometimes those numbers can be pretty high. Lead systems that also offer you a way to email large numbers of people without setting off the red spamming flags are essential.

Do they offer any training? Training on how to use the leads is also essential. Training can include how to develop a letter to send to your leads, how to keep track of the responses, and how to test your system. Having a system to keep track of the responses and respond in a timely manner to requests is particularly important.

A lead system is just another tool to build your business. No system, no matter how good, can replace the work necessary to build your business.  Use this tool wisely and you can reap great rewards.

“Lead me not into to Temptation, but deliver me from the Bad lead.”  Dr Robin Rushlo

Are You Working Against Yourself?

There are many things that can interfere with your ability to give your best to whatever you are going.  Sometimes we are tired, sometimes we just have too many other activities getting in the way, and sometimes we just get lazy. These distractions come and go. The one persistent problem that can get in your way is thinking.

Now, I don’t mean critical thinking where you truly assess what you are doing, how you are doing it, and make adjustments accordingly. I am talking about what is sometimes called “stinking thinking.” Stinking thinking is the idea that you are thinking too much about the bad and not concentrating enough on the good. All of us fall prey to stinking thinking as some point, no matter what career or activities we pursue. However, when stinking thinking invades our thoughts several times a day, we are working against ourselves.

Many of us were raised by parents who spent a lot of time worrying. They worried about everything: money, their spouse, their kids, even what they were going to have for dinner tonight. They spent so much time worry that they sometimes forgot to look at what was going well. Unfortunately, many of us picked up our parents bad habits.

How do you combat stinking thinking? Probably the most important thing is to have a plan. If you have trouble coming up with a plan yourself, work with someone, a mentor or a friend, to come up with a plan. Second, stick to the plan. If you have a goal in mind and way to get there, you are much less likely to get off track and start falling prey to self-doubt.

Don’t forget to look at what is going well. If you have gotten off track a little or things are going exactly as you planned, you are undoubtedly doing something right. As long as you are still working toward the goal and moving forward, then you are heading in the right direction. If you start worrying excessively about the fact that things have not gone exactly as planned, you can actually cause things to go even more off track. Again, don’t work against yourself. If you feel discouraged, go back to the person you worked with on the plan. Talk out what is going on and how you might change things. You might be surprised to find that you are doing everything right it is just taking more time than originally planned. Or you may find that you need to adjust something a little bit.

The ability to stay on track and stay positive takes discipline and practice. The effort is well worth it when your business thrives and you achieve success.

A Company Review: Asantae Java™. Coffee for Your Health

Coffee: A favorite beverage around the world, particularly in the United States. 75% of the adults in the United State drink at least one cup of coffee daily. We’ve all heard the good, the bad, and the even worse about coffee. But we’ve also heard about the benefits including the fact that coffee is rich in antioxidants. Coffee has more antioxidants than wine, tea, vegetables and even fruit. Once more the quality of antioxidants in coffee are more bioavailable.

What if we could feel really good about drinking that cup of morning coffee? What if the health benefits were so good we could even have another cup in the afternoon or even the evening? That time has come. Now there is a coffee with three times the antioxidant level higher than the already high level found naturally in coffee. Scientists at Asantae Java™ have spent seven years perfected a roasting process called the Health Roast Process™. Through this process, Asantae Java™ is able to replace the antioxidants that are lost in the normal roasting process. This results in not only a great cup of coffee, but a healthy one as well. Premium coffee has far more antioxidants than other food sources and Asantae Java™ has 50%-300% more antioxidants than other premium roast coffees.

Why are antioxidants important? Antioxidants are necessary to fight to the free radicals that result from the stress of daily living. These antioxidants can cancel out the cell-damaging effects of these free radicals. More antioxidants can also lower the risk of heart disease, some neurological diseases.  They can also protect against some cancers and delay the onset of many other age-related diseases including Alzheimer’s and macular degeneration.

The same process that results in the high number of antioxidants also means a great cup of coffee. Don’t like the bitterness and after bite of some premium coffees? With Asantae Java™, all you get a smooth cup of coffee with none of the bitterness or after bite. Does the acid in coffee bother your stomach? The Healthy Roast™ process also decreases the amount of acid in our coffee which could mean less stomach upset for you.

You can have your coffee and your health too thanks to Asantae Java™. You’ll love Asantae Java™ for the taste. Being able to feel good about drinking your coffee is just a little something extra from Asantae Java™ to you.

Coffee Review

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Are You Cut Out for Network Marketing?

People that are attracted to network marketing come from all walks of life and for various reasons. While anyone can be successful in network marketing or multilevel marketing, there are certain personality traits that can make you more successful. If you don’t come by these traits naturally, then you need to develop them.

Probably the number one trait that keeps people from getting into multilevel marketing or stops them from being successful is that they are risk-adverse. Risk aversion refers to risk taking of any kind. It may involve the financial risk of getting involved in a new business (although for many companies the risk is not that great), but more often it is being afraid of the risk of trying something new. People let their fear overcome their potential. If you cannot overcome your fear you can make your chances of success very slim indeed.

A second trait is the perception that you know better. If you are new to multilevel marketing, some of the methodologies may seem strange to you. They may even seem to go against traditional logic. You may be inclined to “reinvent the wheel.” This attitude can sabotage your business very quickly. The key to overcoming this tendency is simply to look at what has been successful in the past. If it is has been successful for so many people, why would it not work for you? Everyone brings their own style to their business, but you have resist the temptation to try to do things in a totally different way—at least until you understand more about how the business works!

Building a network marketing business takes time and patience. A strong organization is not built overnight. You want strong people in your organization. Building a business quickly only to have half of your people drop out in the first three months is not only detrimental to your ego; it doesn’t do much for your pocketbook either. Taking the time to find quality people takes practice, training, and time.

Taking everything personally will also cause you unnecessary pain in the network marketing business. To build the business you have to talk to people—lots and lots of people. Some will be more enthusiastic that others to hear from you. You have to learn to not take no gracefully. While there have been lots of articles and books written about this subject, it take practice to get over hearing no and not taking it personally.

Being successful in a network marketing business takes a real desire to do what needs to be done. Do you have what it takes?

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

Thomas Edison

Attitude is a Choice What is Yours?

No matter what line of work you are in, the importance of attitude cannot be over stressed. Attitude has been linked to success, over feelings of happiness, and even health (1). An entire industry has been devoted to attitude through affirmations. Of course, the very first step is deciding to control you attitude. Sometimes this can be easier said than done.

Viktor Frankl (Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist) said, “The last of the human freedoms to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” There is perhaps no other industry where this is tested more than in multilevel marketing. There are numerous reasons to choose to have a bad attitude when it comes to your multilevel marketing business. These include: the system doesn’t work, my upline doesn’t care, my downline isn’t doing anything, I’m too busy to work my business, I’m never going to make any money, and so on. In other words, I want to give up because I don’t think this will work anyway.

But what if you could change your attitude to say what if it all went right? What if I could work through the difficulties? What if I could devoted my time and effort in a positive way to growing my business? What is possible? By doing nothing more than changing your attitude, you can change your business and your life forever.

Remember, you attitude, good or bad, is contagious. This is particularly important if you are a leader. A negative or disinterested attitude will be picked up by others in your organization and will become a self-fulfilling prophesy. By being convinced that nothing is going right, you translate this to your team and guess what? Nothing will go well. On the other hand, if you go through the day emphasizing the things that are going well, solving problems with in a positive way, using issues that come up as learning experiences, and being convinced that things are really going great, great things will happen you’re your team. Positive or negative, you will get exactly what you think you will get.

Make a conscious decision to always maintain a positive attitude for your business no matter what else is going on. This takes discipline, but you will be rewarded in the long run and your team will benefit as well. You never know what kind of day someone is having, but if you always portray a positive attitude it will be contagious and will impact your business in very positive ways.

“Just remember you are what you say you are”. The Blindguy with vision.

1.       Campbell, Bruce.  Optimism, Hope & Control:  Attitudes and Health, CFIDS & Fibromyalgia Self-Help.

Do I Really Have to Start Somewhere?

You have joined that new business. You are very excited about this new adventure since you have never done anything like this before. You products arrive. You get the welcoming email from the company. Your website is up and running. You are ready for business! Then, the reality sets in. You have to actually DO something. The excitement is now replaced with fear. You worry about doing something wrong, telling someone the wrong thing, not knowing how to fill out order forms, not knowing the company well enough…pretty soon you decide that maybe you will start tomorrow.

One of the biggest mistakes that people in a new business make, particularly a new network marketing business, is to think they have to know everything before they can do anything. The truth is, you have to start somewhere and you don’t need to know much of anything to get started. Most companies will give you an idea of where to start, usually with telling your friends and family about your new business. Other companies have specific training programs that you can plug into to get the training you need to get started. Don’t wait until you are comfortable. There are people in network marketing who never get comfortable.  The business is complex and frequently changes. New products are introduced, the compensation plan changes, there are incentives, new areas open up for business, and others. You will also be in the process of learning something new.

The easiest way to get more comfortable, particular about talking to people about your business is to practice. Most of the time, the person that brought you into the business is more than happy to help you learn how to talk to people. They can listen to what you plan to say and give you advice. They are also willing to help you when do make a phone call by listening in if you want. The people that brought you into the business are also a great resource for questions. There is nothing wrong with telling someone that you are talking to that you don’t know the answer to their question, but that you can find out.

Just remember, everyone started somewhere. The top person in the organization had to start by talking to someone. The more you talk to people, the more comfortable you will become. So don’t let fear, insecurity, or an obsession for knowing absolutely everything about the company and/or the products stop you from building your business as big and as fast you want.

Are You Motivated and Taking Care of Business?

As winter moves slowly along, many people find that their business lags as well.  For some, the endless days of gloom affect their ability to get motivated. Some are still trying to recover from the frantic pace of the holidays. Sometimes it is just difficult to get motivated to do much of anything.  This time of year, it may be useful to remember the 90 day rule. The 90 day rule says that that what you do now will come to full fruition in 90 days.  In 90 days, it will be almost May. Spring and that means graduations, cleaning, planting, and all the other activities that happen that time of year. Wouldn’t it be better to work harder now and continue to build your business?

There are lots of things you can do to get yourself motivated. You can read a good motivational book. Rudy’s Insights for Winning in Life comes to mind. Read any book or article by Jim Rohn. Or pick someone you admire and read their biography.  If nothing else watch an inspirational biography on A&E. The sources and types of inspiration out there are almost endless, so take advantage of the resources.

This might be a good time to look at what you accomplished last year. Even if you aren’t where you thought you might be by now, look at the positives of what you did accomplish. What was your best month last year? What happened that month that made you so successful? Could you do it again now? Why or why not? Try to recapture some of the excitement that you experienced when you were successful.

Talk to someone. If you are having trouble getting on track, talk to someone who is experiencing success right now and see what they are doing. Ask them for suggestions of how you might get back on track or if they have any ideas. Take those suggestions seriously and implement them into your business.

Try doing things a little differently than you have in the past.  Maybe you need to work at a different time of day for a little while. Maybe you need to take your computer and work somewhere else. A change in scenery and atmosphere can be both pleasant and motivating. This is especially true if you have been trapped in the house for an extended period of time.

Take a little time off. Taking a break of things temporarily can invigorate you and get you motivated again. Everyone needs a little fun and you will be happier and your business will benefit if you are happy to be doing what you are doing. You attitude is important to the success of your business, so make sure you are motivated, focused, and ready to work.