Childhood Dreams

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been watching the Little League World Series. Teams from Massachusetts, Texas, Chinese-Taipei, Mexico, Curacao and California. Of course, it started with 16 teams, 8 international and 8 United States teams. By the time, I finally realized it was on, it was already down to these last six teams competing for the United States Title and the International Title. As of Saturday morning it was down to just four teams and what a great journey it was to even get to the top four of the entire world! The Chinese-Taipei took the international title over Mexico. Chula Vista California took the United States title over Texas. Chula Vista took the World Series title over Chinese-Taipei.

Watching the last strike being pitched by Kikko was an emotional event for everyone involved. These young athletes trained long and hard to get to this one and a lifetime event. One has to wonder when do they truly have time to be kids when they train so hard throughout the year. Although many of them don’t even have the Little League World Series in their wildest dreams to even accomplish while playing little league. I know I never did. My dad only taught us to have fun while playing the game. Sometimes, I wonder if I would be different if he had taught us to be a bit more competitive during those years of learning about playing together as a team. He loves the game and will always be a part of the program. Today as a retiree, he now is an umpire for the local little league program. After watching the series with him, I have decided that it will now be a goal of mine to take him to the event within the next five years.

Ok, where was I going with this story? I think we all seem to forget what it was like to be a kid. We are all afraid to just go out there and have fun in what we do. We are all too stressed and too busy to take time out and truly see what is happening before our very eyes. Our kids are growing up and becoming their own individuals because we are too busy making sure that the bills get paid each month. When was the last time you truly had a family outing? Better yet a family vacation?

Just a few weeks ago, I took time out of my work schedule to do just that with my family down in Orange County. I did it for a few reasons. The first being that it was the anniversary date of my grandfathers death, 30 years. The second being that I have so many younger cousins that I have no clue which child belongs to which cousin! I was always known as the workaholic whenever there was a family event. Money was always more important than family. Funny how time does change the way we view things. Sure each family still has its own emotional roller coaster. I am not sure there is a family that isn’t a bit dysfunctional. Honestly, I think that’s why we choose to work instead of learning how to deal with the situation. Just because we age doesn’t necessarily mean we are truly that much wiser. However, I have come to find out that we do tend to constantly look back on life and wonder if things could have been better.

Have all of your childhood dreams come true? Do you remember what they even were if you had any? I know I haven’t. My all time dream was to travel the world but lost it when I ended up having fear of flying due to control issues because I couldn’t see the pilot! I am traveling more and have now been on a few flights just not overseas yet. One step at a time. As some of you might have heard, Progress over Perfection!

I want to leave you with a few things that I have read from the current issue of the Success Magazine. It is from the short article The Kid In You, Regaining the Magic and the Possibilities on page 15 of the September Issue.

* Be Grateful- Rather than worrying
about what might go wrong in the
future or in the setbacks and
slights in the past, focus on what’s
GREAT about your life now and what
you can do to make it better.

* Believe in the Possibilities- Believe
your dreams will come true;
determine what steps you can take
toward your goals today and take
action.

Just remember that as long as you do the footwork, the possibilities are endless. Wishing you all success on your journey and remember to also have fun along the way.

New Habits

First off, I want to take a few minutes to apologize for not keeping up to date with this blog. Just as I started blogging, I had also started to become more focused at my day time job. Through that, I ended up getting promoted to the Store Manager. This has helped me financially but had taken me off track of truly being able to help others out there who are also looking to get better with their online marketing. For this, I apologize for not keeping my end of the bargain as being a coach and leader.
I am human just like anyone else. I have to learn new habits with each new promotion that I get in life. Habits also take time to learn. They say it takes 30 days of consistently doing a new habit before it becomes it is truly part of your daily routine. The key is how to truly stay consistent with the new habit?
This also goes in hand with motivation. How motivated are you to make the change to develop the new habit? If we are not motivated enough to make the change to develop the new habit, how can we be consistent, right? However, I have found that as long as you have a support group and trusted friends that have the same vision as you do, then developing these new habits are that much easier. As long as you stay in close contact with your mentors then you can always expect to become better in whatever changes you want to make in life whether, personal or career oriented.
One of my mentors is Niurka, I had a chance to see her at the Success Symposium back in May of 08 in Anaheim, CA. I was going to share a video like I usually do with my posts, however, her videos aren’t on youtube like the others. Therefore, if you have an account on facebook, you would be able to find her fan page and then watch any of her videos that she has posted. Here is a link http://twurl.nl/p7eyfj

Until next time. Have a great week!

Is Network Marketing a Profession?

How many times have you felt that you can’t do something? I can’t talk to strangers. I can’t get up in front of a group of people. I can’t forgive him/her. I can’t go back to school. Okay is this somewhat starting to make sense. As we go through life, we are always faced with new challenges. Sometimes, we truly just hit a fork in the road and have no clue which way to go.

Some could refer to this as a mid-life crisis. Although sometimes it happens even in our late 20′s or early 30′s. I would say that that is hardly mid-life! Maybe back in the early 1900′s but today so many people are living much longer. The voice of the world lived to be 92 years old! Walter Cronkite for others who don’t know him. Heck, even the late George Burns with his cigar smoking lived to be nearly 100 years old! Anyway, back to my original intent.

So many of us fear the unknown because we don’t know what is going to happen. What if they say no to me. What if they laugh at my presentation. What if I forget to say something that is important. And what if they actually said yes and didn’t laugh and didn’t know that you messed up the presentation. The only person who is making themselves miserable is you. As they say, we are our worst critic! So get over it and take that first step. As my friend Gavin posted earlier in his mlmintwo.com video. If you think you can’t, you are right!

Often we fill our head with all the negatives in the world that we forget that the only way to truly change is by not being afraid and knowing that you are never alone in this journey that we call freedom. There are so many support groups online and offline that you can find who are willing to help you get back on the right track. Network marketing is also a profession. Didn’t you have to go to school to learn how to do your current job?

This is no different. You have to learn the right skills. You have to learn truly how to have faith and learn to believe that you can do this. The only difference is that we do not get a grade from the teacher. The only way you know that your doing things right is if your starting to attract the right people to you and they want to know what you are doing in life! New doors are constantly opening for you if you keep an opened mind.

Here is a video about the human emotion from Gregg Braden that was shared with me earlier today here on facebook by Tim Upton.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqcBHwYmCHw

Become the student of networking

I was reading an article in the newest edition of the Networking Times and came across this article, The Promise of the Business. A conversation with Ramin Mesgarlou. I found this article rather interesting because he spoke about how the industry has been bruised and battered by deception, embellishment, and exaggeration. People don’t lie and exaggerate because they are bad people but because they were trained by their unskilled and uneducated upline in the business. Hmmmm does this sound familiar to a few of you?

Sometimes we see the vision in getting started with a home based business, and then we try to be coachable and duplicatable only to find out that our upline leaders are only teaching us what they know or only what they want us to know in the industry. However, there are still some of us who left in the dark trying to figure out how to do this business because our sponsor who got us in quit, his sponsor quit and so on up the line. You have a few choices to make. You yourself either quit, find another business, or you find other leaders and mentors who have more experience and who will take the time to help you along your journey.

What I have found out that network marketing is truly a profession and that its just like a job. When you first start, your nervous and anxious and you have no clue what you are doing. It takes someone to train you how to do the job. Remember what it was like the first day you started a new job? Did you have all the right skills? Did you know how to operate all the programs? Sure sometimes, we get jobs that are related to our fields and we get compensated for it. Hmm isn’t networking marketing the same thing? You get compensated for the skills and how many people you can help. Oh wait that’s right you don’t get paid to train in the corporate level unless you work for Denny’s as a certified trainer.

Yes, I was a certified trainer for Denny’s at one point in time. Every time I had a new server, during the first week of their employment, I got paid an extra .25 cents an hour to help train this person on how to be a server for our company. Teaching them about restaurant safety, how to take orders, enter them into the computer, how to use the register, how to bus tables and etc. You see in the network marketing profession there truly isn’t any difference. One must truly learn all the skills it takes to do this business properly. As Eric Worre states, it takes up to three years just to learn all the skills.

The only reason why others seem to excel in this business is because of their own life experiences that have helped them such as getting the jobs in their related fields in the corporate world. It takes up to five years sometimes to even start making that 6 figure income. We don’t get rich over night. So many people forget that the word “work” is in the word “network.” Sure its a different type of work as Michael Clouse states, ” I teach others how to own and operate their own business using sweat equity instead of the bank’s money.”

If you haven’t heard of Michael Clouse, you can check him out, you can check him out at http://www.nexera.com/msc/ Also check out his Prospecting 101 CD.

Don’t ever give up on your dream and just learn to become the student of the industry and do what it takes to make it. Anyone in the industry will take the time to teach you, if you show that you are truly coachable!

Here is a clip of Michael Clouse

It starts with you

On Thursday afternoon, June 25, 1990, one of the most influential singers of the 80s was pronounced dead due to a cardiac arrest. Now regardless of what your feelings are towards the individual. He had touched several people from the time he was 5 years old with Jackson Five to the time he was in his 40s.
Unfortunately, he has had some negative press due to some allegations, which led to him giving up his Neverland Ranch here in the Santa Ynez Valley in California on the central coast.

As I was finding some songs on youtube to get in with the tributes as others were doing here on Facebook, I had come across several songs that I had heard growing up and some that I had never heard of due to not really listening to much of the music made in the late 90s and new millenium. The songs that mostly stick out to me are We are the World, Heal the World, Black or White and Man In the Mirror. Each one of these songs has a message about taking that first step and changing and coming together to help make this place a better place.

As we are now in the middle of the toughest economic times, employers are still cutting hours, laying people off and forcing people into early to cut back on costs. Even employee benefits are being eliminated for some. How does one keep in the game and not become part of the cutbacks? As Jim Rohn, states “What value will you bring to the marketplace?’ As many others have said, “If you want to earn more, you have to learn more.” As Jack Canfield also shares in an audio provided by my friend Marc Korn here on Facebook, one is never too old to get what they truly want out of life. A 65 year old woman goes back to college to get her degree and is now a professor in that field! So what is your excuse? Either way five years are going to come and go.

Regardless of our past and circumstances, you can still find that passion you have and do what you love to do instead of settling for just the way it is. Life i s a journey. One in which we either learn to make the most of, or one in which we wonder what could have been. What dreams and aspirations did you have while you were growing up as a child? How many of those have you accomplished?
I would like to share this video by Mr. Jeff Olson, the author of the Slight Edge. After listening, then ask yourself while your getting ready for your day, what change will you make today?

Inspired by Todd Falcone

I received an email today from Todd Falcone since I belong to his Fearless Networker newsletter and it seemed to hit home. After coming online, I have found out that most people end up trying to get you to join their opportunity. We wonder why we struggle to make it only to find out that if we weren’t constantly getting bombarded with links from DM’s on twitter or spam email or even those automated phone calls! How the heck did they get my number? I didn’t ask for new information via the net. I am already with a company!
At any rate, I want to share with you what he stated in his newsletter this week. There are ten steps to being successful.

You don’t want to go from company to company, be known as a “jumper”, and ruin your reputation by marketing on baloney, do ya? Didn’t think so.

Remember…SUCCESS LEAVES CLUES.

If you don’t know what I mean by that, you may want to read that phrase again and let it sink in until you get it.

There is soooooo much money to be made, so much time freedom to be had, so many lives to impact in a positive manner in this profession, but the only way to do it, is baloney-free.

Here’s how you do it right:

1. Pick a company.
2. Make the commitment to build it.
3. Start building it and don’t stop.
4. Help people get what they want and maintain your focus.
5. Work hard and work smart.
6. Don’t quit.
7. Be honest…first and foremost with yourself!
8. Be REAL. In other words, be genuine.
9. Keep working on your skills.
10. Lead by example.

See the whole concept of being online is to bring value to others. How are you going to stand out above the rest? We are all trying to do the same thing sometimes. People join people not companies! Once you learn how to truly care about the people you want to work with only then will they see that you are for real. As Zig Ziglar states, “If you help enough people get what they want, then you will get what you want.”

For the rest of the article from Todd Falcone go to www.toddfalcone.com and look for the article titled, The Next Trillion Dollar Giant is Now Launching.

He also has a weekly call on Monday’s at 5pm pst. This is his M*L*M power hour. Just dial 641-594-7500 and enter code 248873#

Bringing value to the market place.

Seems like this week has been an eye opener for learning how to adjust to the new economy and accepting that corporations are laying off people left and right.  Some either through cutbacks while others are closing the doors for good.  There must have been something in the air because just the other day, I decided to post a video from one my mentors Mr. Jim Rohn where he explains the whole importance of learning new skills and making yourself more valuable.

I was watching my weekly Sunday night/Monday morning show of Joel Osteen at midnight on the abc family channel yesterday and even his sermon was on doing your best and going above and beyond the call of duty.  Those who don’t seem to bring value to the company, or who do not have an upbeat attitude usually are also the ones who get skipped on promotions , hours are cut, or just finally let go.  Atlhough, I often wonder why there are some people who were hired in the first place!  Those are the ones who are hired by who they know rather than by what they know, aren’t they?

Sure I have had my share of those jobs as well.  Trust me it was scary having to go back out there and find a job with a company in which I truly didn’t know anyone.  However, I did what it took.  I always made sure I had an updated resume turned in with my application and always made sure I dressed the part even while turning in the application.  I also always made sure that I met the manager the day I turned in the application so they at least had a picture of the face to go with the application.  How many of you have even taken  time to write up a thank you letter after having an interview with a potential employer?  Yeah, I used to think it was crazy too when I first heard of the concept, but after doing some thinking, I came to realize that its just one more way of standing out from your competition.  Hmm maybe that is why Reese Witherspoon’s character always sprayed perfume on her resume in Legally Blonde!

Anyway, getting back to value, some of you might also want to look up another mentor of mine. Mr. Brian Tracy.  He stresses the concept of continued learning even through adulthood.   Some statistics that he has found through his own research is that the average person increases their salary about 2 -3% annually and yet just about the same time they get their raise inflation also increases the same percentage.  Hmm no wonder we can never get ahead of the game!  However, he also found out that those who succeed are the top achievers who usually increase their incomes by 11% due to their continued learning and growing as an individual.

www.briantracy.com for more information

If you are on twitter, you might also want to be sure to follow @darrenhardy, the publisher of Success Magazine.   You can also sign up for the ezine through www.successmagazine.com.  If you subscribe to the magazine, you also get a dual disc which contains an interview with the Darren and profiled successor of the current issue.

If you truly want to get ahead of the game and want to see what other achievers are doing, then stop by and take a tour of the website.  Tony Hawk, Tony Robbins, Suze Orman, Dr. Emit Oz, Colin Powell, and  Richard Branson are just a few of the people who have been featured since its re -release date about a year ago.

Thanks again for stopping by and have a great day!

Personal Development to Greatness Part 1

When was the last time you worked on your market skills so that you become more valuable?

Just Do IT

To all those people out there who are afraid to just stay the course and to the activity. Tonight Art Williams is my guest speaker.

Maybe he might have some inspiration for all of us to remember to “Just Do It” even when we aren’t in the mood!

Until next time

Connecting with People

Well after some time being on the internet trying to understand how online marketing works, I can honestly say that I have been in contact with a few people who have touched my life. Through twitter I met an individual who lives in New Jersey who has taken the time to help me truly understand the value of being a servant leader. Through him I met an individual through Facebook who has taught me not only the principles of attraction marketing but more importantly the principles of “permission marketing.”
After being an active member on twitter, I was starting to get irratated by all the DM’s with links that were sent to me without the new followers ever taking the time to say hello or getting to know me as a person. So those DM’s I immediately just delete. So if you have sent me a DM and wondered why I haven’t responded to your message there is your answer.
There was a tweet today by Eric Worre that was sent out regarding sixth grade and what was the one thing that they remembered. I had actually remembered a few things and responded with a tweet and it had me thinking even more about my life.
It all started with a phone call tonight to an individual who lives in Kansas. I had been following him on twitter but haven’t connected with him due to my day job. I had a question for him regarding blogs so I sent him a tweet for help. I didn’t know anything about blogging. What program to use? What costs would there be? How do I even write? I only knew that I had to get one started and I wanted to have it up and running today! Well what I thought would be a short quick answer turned into a three hour conversation.
I found out that he was in the midst of writing a book and he had given me some valuable information about marketing. He asked me what the reason for the blog would be used for and my immediate response was for business purposes. Then he asked about a target market. “Ummm well everyone of course!” was my response. He truly was picking my brain and then asked a few more questions. I never thought that writing something would be so difficult. Its only a blog! He gave me ideas as to which programs to use and even suggested a few others for me to follow on twitter. Mind you I had never spoken to this guy on the phone before and yet he stopped what he was doing and spent three hours of his own time on the phone with me to help me.
In fact, it is because of him that I am now writing my first blog. The moral of the jibberish is that one should never forget about the people that they come in contact with over the course of their lifetime. We all get busy in our day to day lives but when was the last time you picked up the phone and actually connected with someone who has touched you in some way? He reminded me to contact someone that I had chatted with briefly on twitter, and I sent her a DM right as I was thinking about it so that I would not forget.
The more we spoke he reminded me that the people online are just as valuable as the people you meet in your daily lives away from the computer. I have decided that I need to go back and start being more grateful to the people I meet whether its through the internet or in reality life. Have you ever gone back to one of your teachers and thanked them for the time they spent with you? I know I haven’t and I am making it a mission to call one by the end of the week.
Until next time, have a great day!