Dr. Blue Man

Integrity Is the Real Bottom Line

Is integrity important today? The dictionary defines integrity in terms of soundness of moral character, adherence to ethical principles and being unimpaired. Its Middle English root is related to integrate (to bring together as a whole) and integral (complete and whole). These references to wholeness rightly suggest that integrity affects all aspects of our lives, which is why it is like a healthy investment portfolio filled with blue chip stocks such as honesty, fairness and loyalty.

It seems to me that integrity that strengthens an inner value system is the real human bottom line. It means that you don’t base your decisions simply on being politically correct. You do what’s right, not what’s fashionable. You know that truth is absolute, not a device for manipulating others. And it’s not just in the major decisions that this quality is needed. 

Returning phone calls, showing up to meetings on time, paying your bills, are little things but complete integrity in little things is no little thing at all. As it has been said many times, “The devil is in the details” and “elephants don’t bite, but fleas do.” There are no degrees of integrity. You have it or you don’t. Being slightly dishonest may be a safe adventure for a time. But one day, inevitably, little details will be noticed and the piper will have to be paid. Your word is more valuable than a surety bond. What you are speaks so loudly no one can really hear what you say. If what you do matches what you say, your life will speak forcefully indeed. In people, we value honesty more than any other virtue. We expect it from our leaders. We must demand it from ourselves.

The BEST single tool.

I have noticed that many distributors “need” tools to build their business. They buy CDs, DVDs, magazines, literature, samples and more to hopefully get their prospect interested in their business.

But have you ever seen a big MLM leader carry around a big flip chart a Power Point presentation or handfuls of brochures?  Of course not.

The leader has learned the skills of how to get the prospect interested by changing the prospect's mindset and tools do a lousy job of changing people's minds.

So if you are a brand new distributor, of course, invest as much as you can on tools because you don't know what to say to change your prospects' mindsets.

But, as soon as you can, learn the skills of changing your prospects' mindsets effectively and immediately. Learn how to talk to people, but more importantly, learn how to listen to them.

What comes first? Success or attitude?

Do you ever notice that the successful people have a positive personality type and attitudes?   

Does the positive attitude come from them being already successful?

Or, maybe these successful people had the positive attitude first -- and that positive attitude propelled them to success?

You be the judge.

While it is easy to have a great attitude when you are already successful, usually the positive attitude comes first and demonstrates itself by attracting success.

There is an old saying that “if success was easy, everyone would have it”.  It's a matter of desire. People usually get what they want most.

For instance, there is a choice between a good television show and attending a business opportunity meeting. Some people will want to see the television show more than they want the success that comes from attending opportunity meetings with guests.

So, they watch television because they truly want that more than the long drive to hear a boring speaker at the meeting.

The same holds true when talking to people. I was asked a question that changed my life and would like for you to think about it.

• Do you want the calm, non-threatening day-to-day life void of rejection and challenge?
• Or, do you want success more than your desire to avoid rejection and challenge?

Sobering, isn't it? Many people say they want success, but deep down they want activities that pose a lesser challenge.

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2010 GOALS Be responsive, not reactive!

Many of us get overwhelmed with life from time to time. We have so many things that we are responsible for on a daily basis. Whether it is building a relationship with a loved one, paying bills, or balancing our budget, life can be challenging at times. I have discovered that when we get overwhelmed with our responsibilities, rather than being responsive to the circumstances of life, we sometimes begin to be reactive, and, that is where trouble begins. When we become reactive, we often say or do things that we later regret. It is not healthy to live in a reactive mode. However, when we are responsive instead, we give ourselves a little more time and margin in the circumstances of life. We can take the necessary steps to plan ahead so as not to end up on a dead-end street.

Stop and think for a moment. When do you get the most stressed in your own personal life? Isn't it when you are running out of time or options in a particular situation or set of circumstances? When that happens, we no longer have the ability to use our best judgment and thinking in order to be responsive in a healthy way. We begin to have a "knee-jerk" reaction and behave in a reactive way. And, that is not a very good thing for anyone involved.

Years ago, when I first started my business, I was having a conversation with a friend of mine. He was much older and wiser in business and was doing all that he could to help me get started. As we talked, he said, "Your office is not very responsive." I asked what he meant by that. He told me that he had to call several times to get the answer to one simple question and that he often felt he got the run-around. That really disturbed me. I was not aware of that situation. But, as I said, that was almost 10 years ago when I was first trying to get my business up and running and knew very little about it myself. He told me that one of the most important things a business can do is to be responsive. He said when you communicate clearly and in a timely fashion, it helps people feel better about their relationship with you, not only in business, but on a personal level as well. He said if you are not responsive in your business dealings, you will soon become reactive. Those reactions may then necessitate damage control, which requires more time, effort, and energy and often creates unnecessary stress.

Even though the conversation was a little painful at the time, it was very much needed. I certainly received what he said to me because he was a trusted friend. I had a good talk with my staff about it later and everyone agreed that we could do better. That is what I am talking about. That is what it means to be responsive and not reactive.

I do not know what circumstances or situations you are facing in your own life or business, but I can assure you that putting things off until the last minute and waiting until the water level is very close to your nostrils is not wise and will not offer you the opportunity to be responsive. You will become reactive because your choices are limited.

Although I have not mastered this principle yet, I certainly make it part of my daily life. I have discovered that if I stay ahead of things that are coming up, it gives me many more options, especially when there are issues that need to be adjusted or modified. It is so much better to have a little bit of breathing room in order to be responsive than it is to be out of oxygen and forced to be reactive in trying to find a last minute solution.

Look into the way you do life yourself, whether it is in your school work, business relationship, or family life. Let me encourage you to think in terms of planning ahead and being more responsive in every area. It certainly creates a different dynamic in everything you do, and in the end, gives you more peace of mind.

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Change, the Only Constant

There’s an old Chinese proverb that seems to be more relevant today than ever before: “If you haven’t seen a man or woman for three days, look them over very carefully when you next encounter them, for they will have changed dramatically during that three-day period.”

More changes are crammed into every day of our lives than our grandparents experienced in decades—and this process is just beginning. Every 15 seconds a new Web site is launched! Every 15 minutes a new technological breakthrough occurs! Every 15 days a new product or service is introduced that didn’t exist before! Consider for a moment that the musical greeting card you ordered via the Web has more computing power than existed on the planet when the first satellite went into orbit.

Recently, I met with a group of college students to discuss an upcoming business seminar and I asked them some questions- their answers astounded me!  I asked if they all had used a pay phone- most hadn’t.  Had they ever seen or used a rotary dial phone- most had seen them, none used them.  Had they ever owned or used a pager- no.  Had they ever had a TV with no remote- no.  Had they ever booked travel with a physical travel agent- no, but they thought their parents had.  WOW!

What about the computer’s impact. Designed as a tool for managing complexity, it also adds complexity, just as freeways seem to add more traffic. The computer enables us to sort, store, retrieve and transmit information with ever-increasing speed. But the faster data can be analyzed, the faster decisions are expected, and the greater the pressure to reach them. And the computer’s efficiency is hardly lost on our competitors. They utilize them to produce goods and services of comparable quality, for less money.  The pony express was a technological marvel for information delivery, then the train, overnight delivery, the fax.  Now it seems that we need to get information before we send it.

As the year comes to a close and the 2010 arrives, let’s decide to welcome change rather than try to resist it. Learn how to make change work for you rather than against you. Develop unique strategies and skills that enable you to create opportunities from challenges. In response to rapid change, introduce it in the form of new business systems, pricing and marketing that increase effectiveness and efficiency; create new products and new services; lower costs and encourage ideas to enhance productivity.

In everything we do, there are more choices available today than at any other time in history. To become the “brand” or “person” of choice, give others what they want in a time-starved world. Save others time and money, and you will gain more time, freedom and wealth.

I challenge you in the year ahead to embrace change and make it work to your advantage!

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Thoughts on 2009 and 2010

The holiday season traditionally includes time to celebrate with friends and family another year gone by.  The holiday season is also a time for reflection and anticipation: looking at the year gone by and ahead to the year in front of us.  When I look back at the past year, I examine what worked, what didn't work, and what I have learned from it all and what I should have learned from it all.  There is also that element of excitement as we look forward to the New Year -- 2010.  (Have you noticed that we have gotten so used to referring to previous years in this century as "oh-eight" or "oh-nine" that many are referring to next year as "oh-ten?"  Why wouldn't we simply refer to it as "ten"?)  The holiday season provides us a seemingly magical transition from the old to the new as if this season provides us a fresh, new start. 

 

In reality, this symbolic "transition" from 2009 to 2010 is merely a flip of the calendar.  When you really think about it, moving from December 2009 to January 2010 is fundamentally no different than moving the calendar from November 2009 to December 2009.  Yet, there is something magically symbolic about moving into the New Year.  This is very similar to the seasonal transitions from winter to spring as people seem to get a lift from the warmer, sunnier days of spring.  Or moving from the first half of the game to the second- your competition is the same, your teammates are the same, the referees are the same- but hopefully it will be different.  There is an uplifting anticipation associated with anything new.  However, making this symbolic new effective and meaningful in our lives, involves more than a party or a celebration or a flip of the calendar.  It requires understanding and commitment. 

 

To that end, as you ponder and reflect and celebrate the transition of 2009 into 2010, I encourage you to look at four aspects of your world:

 

1. Where have I been? 

2. What have I learned?

3. What will I change?

4. Who will I help? 

 

In my world, the lessons learned in 2009 are extensive.  In order to keep this section length appropriate, I have left out my experiences and thoughts as to each of the above questions.  If you want to hear and relate stories, contact me, I would be happy to share and learn. 

 

That said my 2009 featured challenges I could not have predicted or expected and also provided wonderful friends and contacts who have had a significant impact in my life.  As I look ahead to 2010, I am excited about building better relationships with the people and becoming a better husband, father, and businessman.  Yes, 2009 was not much fun.  But, it was a great learning experience.  I look forward to applying the lessons learned from the past to provide fundamental change and opportunity in the upcoming year.   

 

I trust your reflection and anticipation exercise will be as enlightening and productive as mine were.  More importantly, I look forward to sharing in the excitement of a very productive, prosperous, and powerful new year with each of you.  Best wishes to you, to your family, and to all of your activities in 2010!! 

 

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Helping Others and Yourself Grow Through Mentoring

Men-tor.  n. A wise and trusted counselor or teacher.

Looking for a way to help your people develop, grow, and improve their performance? Like to do the same for your-self? If so, you need to try MENTORING. If ever there was a "win-win" process, this is it!

By definition, mentoring is a relationship between an experienced person and a less experienced person for the purpose of helping the individual with less experience learn and grow. Mentoring is a great way to serve your people... and yourself. As team members develop in both knowledge and skills, their performance naturally improves. When that happens, everyone wins. And you'll find that YOU grow by mentoring, as well. As you reflect on your life experiences and distill them into nuggets to share with others, you "re-experience" the wisdom that's inside of you. What's wrong with that picture? NOTHING!

So, consider adding mentoring to your leadership strategies. And as you do, keep the following in mind:

All mentoring relationships need to focus on the people being mentored. Remember that it's not about you - it's about them. Accept them for who they are. Help them advance at their own place.

Avoid treating people you are mentoring as incompetent or incapable. Rather, think of them as individuals lacking in experience... valuable team members who need guidance. And don't forget where YOU came from. Earlier in your career, you didn't know what you know now. Why should they?

Don't criticize or belittle. Instead, help "mentorees" think through the consequences of their behavior and to identify more positive ways of handling difficult or troubling situations. And, by all means, hold the people you are mentoring responsible for their success. Be willing to give of yourself and your time, but insist that they do the same.

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Doing the Uncommon

It seems to me people construct their realities more than they realize.  Ask someone how they are doing and you get- “I’m getting by” or “fine under the circumstances”, or my favorite- “not bad”; none of those answers inspire me with confidence.  How about you?  I heard it once said that “You only get the right answer when you ask the right question”.

I would like to suggest a key question: what can you do, starting today, that will make a difference? What can you do during economic chaos? What can you do when everything has gone wrong? What can you do when you’ve run out of money, when you don’t feel well and it’s all gone sour? What can you do?

Let me give you the broad answer first. You can do the most remarkable things, no matter what happens. People can do incredible things, unbelievable things, despite the most impossible or disastrous circumstances.

Here is why humans can do uncommon things: because they are uncommon. We can overcome incredible odds.  Debbi Fields was told “a cookie store is a bad idea…” She did the uncommon.  Albert Einsteins’s teacher told his father “it doesn’t matter what he does, he will never amount to anything”.  HP rejected Steven Jobs’ application with “we don’t need you.  You haven’t gone through college yet”.  He did the uncommon. The Beatles were told "The only thing different is the hair, as far as I can see. I give them a year." By Ray Bloch, musical director, "The Ed Sullivan Show" .  They did the uncommon

We can turn nothing into something, pennies into fortune, and disaster into success. And the reason we can do such uncommon things is because we are uncommon.  Try reaching down inside of yourself; you’ll come up with some more of those remarkable human gifts. They’re there, waiting to be discovered and employed.

With those gifts, you can change anything for yourself that you wish to change. And I challenge you to do that because you can change. If you don’t like how something is going for you, change it. If something isn’t enough, change it. If something doesn’t suit you; change it. If something doesn’t please you, change it. You don’t ever have to be the same after today. If you don’t like your present address, change it—you’re not a tree!

If there is one thing to get excited about, it’s your ability to make yourself do the necessary things, to get a desired result, to turn the negative into success. That’s true excitement.

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The Swiss Army Knife and life

Over the past eighteen months, we have all been on our own very unique journey.  Declining revenues, trimmed budgets, shrinking markets, increased receivables, canceled projects, and the like have all smacked many of our businesses squarely in the face. 

I was in a meeting the other day where the facilitator talked about the challenges we face today are like having a Swiss Army Knife, where we have to discover tools we have never had to use before.  What a great analogy.  As we move through this "new economy" with our Swiss Army Knife in tow, remember that we are on a journey.  This is uncharted territory.  There are no road maps.  There are no compass points.  There are no historical references.  What we have experienced and are experiencing is all new to everyone.  So, you will need to explore thoughts, ideas, connections, relationships, partners, and strategies that you never thought about before.  And, despite the unavoidable stress, this is actually quite good for us.
 
Remember the lessons learned from the Swiss Army Knife and listen for the opportunities, look for the possibilities, and be receptive to the discussion.  You will be quite surprised at what you discover.  And you will have some great stories-good ones, interesting ones, and funny ones-to share when you celebrate your success on the other side of this unique educational period.

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Leaders are made not born

It is often said that leaders are made not born; I believe this to be true.

The topic of leadership has been and continues to be one of the most vital topics. From ancient civilizations to modern-day multinational corporations, men and women of passion, fervor and zeal have sought to discover the secrets of moving others beyond the gray of their mundane reality to the extraordinary life that can and does exist.

Every organization or collection of people, from large to small, requires ardent and skilled leaders. It has been said that everything rises and falls on leadership, and it is true. Every group—families, cities, churches, associations, and yes, even nations—fulfills its purposes and potential based on the leadership it is shown.

Be assured that there will be a leader of every group. There will be those who influence others, even if you don’t. There may even be unscrupulous people who use their abilities to lead others astray. The quote “All it takes for evil to prevail is for the good man to do nothing,” remains true today as it has through the annals of time. This is the compelling motive for you to rise up and lead the way for others.

Our families depend on it.

Our community groups depend on it.

Our nations depend on it.

People will follow you for two reasons: They follow you because of your character, for who you are. They also follow you for your skills, for what you can do. The best leaders challenge us to be better than we think we can be.  They challenge us to do more than we think we can do. 

Make every effort to impart skillful and honorable leadership to those who would look to you for your wisdom, your guidance and your belief in the promise of the human spirit.

Someone will lead. Will it be you? If not you, then who will lead?  If you will not lead now; then when?

Today, more than ever, you are needed. Your strong character is needed. Your finely honed skills are needed. I hope you will rise to the challenge.

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4 I’s- Lessons Learned from Mr. Demond Crump

What a weekend!  I am overwhelmed with thoughts and lessons learned this weekend by Demond who exceeded every expectation that any of us had.  For those of you that had the opportunity to spend some time with him you realize what a gift we had.  For those of you that didn’t, I will inadequately try to share some of the lessons that we learned from him.

 

The first lesson is the lesson of industriousness which has two components- hard work and planning. In terms of hard work, Demond demands more of himself than he does anyone else and he leads by demonstrating that on a daily basis not just talking about it.  The second component is planning.  In this respect, he had become a true student of the business.  Hard work without a plan is where most people in America are right now.  Coach Wooden always taught us “undirected diligence” is not very efficient”.                    

 

The second lesson is initiative.  Initiative is having the courage to make decisions and take action.  Again, Demond is a demonstration of a principle coming to life.  He shared that the first 40 people he spoke to about the business told him “no”.  But he overcame with his initiative, his courage, and his action.  He KNEW that he had the answer for him and his family and was undeterred by those who thought he didn’t.

 

Thirdly, intentness.  This is the combination of perseverance, tenacity and focus.  Intentness is the ability to avoid distractions and ignoring the good in favor of going for the best.  Our world is full of immediate gratifications and mediocrity.  Demond demonstrated and shared that we need not settle for that life.

 

Finally, integrity.  For all of us this should be the glue.  The glue for family life.  The glue for our business.  Integrity is the combination of truth, honesty, sincerity, and reliability.  Demond shared you have to strive to have integrity all the time because there are no “big and little” items.  Some define “Little” items like returning phone calls, calling back when you say you will, and being on time for meeting; to Demond they are all “big” items. 

 

In closing, I would encourage all of you to go to his website- www.spiritofteamvision.com and click on his training tab- it will take your business and your life to the next level. 

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Leadership Thoughts

I recently spoke at a local university and I closed by asking the students how they would differentiate themselves from the rest of their classmates, from the students at the next university, from the students all over the country. I believe that part of the answer is leadership, so I decided to put down a couple of thoughts on the subject from various sources.  Some of these thoughts I have heard, some are observations.  Let me know what you think.

Leaders, whether in the family, in business, in government, or in education, must not allow themselves to mistake intentions for accomplishments.

Managers help people to see themselves as they are. Leaders help people to see themselves better than they are.

Leaders must not be naive. I used to say, “Liars shouldn’t lie.” What a sad waste of words that is! I found out liars are supposed to lie. That’s why we call them liars—they lie! What else would you expect them to do?

We must learn to help those who deserve it, not just those who need it. Life responds to deserve, not need.

My mentor said, “Let’s go do it,” not “You go do it.” How powerful when someone says, “Let’s”!

Leaders must understand that some people will inevitably sell out to the evil side. Don’t waste your time wondering why; spend your time discovering who.

When dealing with people, I generally take the obvious approach. When someone says, “This always happens to me and that always happens to me. Why do these things always happen to me?” I simply say, “Beats me. I don’t know. All I know is that those kinds of things seem to happen to people like you.”

We could all use a little coaching. When you’re playing the game, it’s hard to think of everything.

A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better.

As a leader you should always start with where people are before you try to take them to where you want them to go.

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Personal Test - Do You Put Yourself Down?

When you disregard your positive qualities by telling yourself, “I’m too fat, I’m no good, I never do anything right, I can’t talk to people, people don’t like me…” you’ll always find verification of what you’re looking for.

Dr. Richard Carlson says: “Putting yourself down reinforces rather than corrects your imperfections by placing unnecessary attention and energy on everything that’s wrong, rather than what’s right with you. Why would you do this knowing the only possible result is a negative outlook, more negative feelings and less appreciation for the gift of life? People who regularly put themselves down are often seen as complainers, not to mention the example they set. Everyone has aspects of themselves they’d like to improve, but this doesn’t mean you should beat yourself up. Here on earth none of us is ever going to be perfect, but putting yourself down isn’t the answer.”

If you want to be a leader who attracts quality people, the key is to become a person of quality yourself. That doesn’t mean that you are perfect or that you wake up tomorrow being almost perfect.  I believe that leadership is the ability to attract someone to the gifts, skills and opportunities you offer as an owner, as a manager, as a parent AND helping those people reach THEIR potential.  What’s important in leadership is refining your skills. All great leaders keep working on themselves until they become effective.   I believe leadership is a skill that is developed and built NOT a talent or a gift that is something you are born with.  Here are some specifics:

1)    Learn to be strong but not impolite.

John Wooden is one of the strongest yet most polite men I have ever met and he always seems to take this extra step you must take to become a powerful, capable leader with a wide range of reach. Some people mistake rudeness for strength. It’s not even a good substitute.

2)  Learn to develop humor without folly. 

In leadership, we learn that it’s okay to be witty but not silly; fun but not foolish.  Humor is such a magnet.  But we must be very careful to define this properly.  For years, I thought laughter meant something was humorous - not always true.  I learned this lesson years ago on the golf course.  It seems that one of the “normal” behaviors is to laugh at the other guys- for missing putts, for short drives, etc. I have to admit I was one of the biggest contributors until I realized that it wasn’t really funny or uplifting.

3)    Learn to be bold but not a bully.

It takes boldness to win the day. To build your influence, you’ve got to walk in front of your group. You’ve got to be willing to take the first arrow, tackle the first problem, and discover the first sign of trouble. Like the farmer, if you want any rewards at harvest time, you have got to be bold and face the weeds and the rain and the bugs straight on. You’ve got to seize the moment.

4)    Learn to be humble but not timid.

You can’t get to the high life by being timid. Some people mistake timidity for humility. But humility is a virtue; timidity is a disease. It’s an affliction. It can be cured, but it is a problem.  Humility is almost a lifelong endeavor. A sense of awe of where you belong in the overall scheme of the universe.  A sense of wonder. An awareness of the human soul and spirit. An understanding that there is something unique about you. Humility is a grasp of the distance between us and the stars, yet having the feeling that we’re part of the stars.

5)    Learn to be proud but not arrogant.

It takes pride to build your ambitions. It takes pride in your community. It takes pride in a cause, in accomplishment. But the key to becoming a good leader is to be proud without being arrogant.  I believe ALL have us have egos but we need to learn to manage ours to be better leaders.  I believe I have seen the worst kind of arrogance.  It is arrogance from ignorance. It’s intolerable. If someone is smart and arrogant, we can tolerate that. But if someone is ignorant and arrogant, that’s just too much to take.

6)    Learn to be kind but not weak.

We must not mistake weakness for kindness. Kindness isn’t weak. Kindness is a quiet type of strength. We must be kind enough to tell someone the truth. We must be kind enough and considerate enough to lay it on the line. We must be kind enough to tell it like it is and not deal in delusion and manipulation

7)    Learn to be a chameleon. 

Life is unique. Leadership is unique. The skills that work well for one leader may not work at all for another. However, the fundamental skills of leadership can be adopted to work well for just about everyone: at work, in the community and at home. A chameleon changes to reflect his environment- so do good leaders.  If you are meeting someone one on one try to match their mannerisms so that they feel more comfortable. 

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Economics have Changed - Have You?

 

I recently heard the mayor of Detroit report that the unemployment is 30% and “that may be a little low”.  He also reported that the unemployment rate in the US has reached a "27 year high." Worse -- Big companies like Starbucks, AOL, Boeing, Pfizer, Home Depot and thousands of smaller companies are planning massive layoffs in the months ahead.

There are now OVER 11.1 million workers with no paycheck and that number is much higher for those with reduced paychecks.  This is the worst decline in US history and many experts believe that unemployment numbers will "double" in the next 12 - 24 months.

....Yes, "double."

 

So now what?  There are two pieces of advice I have for you.

 

1. REINVENT YOURSELF!

 

If you think of yourself as Joe, manager of “ABC, Inc.”- reinvent yourself.  If you think of yourself as Joe, worker at “XYZ Corp.”- reinvent yourself.  How?  Start thinking of yourself as owner of YOU, Inc. You, Inc. can do multiple things.  “My” You, Inc. owns an internet travel and shopping business, a mortgage company and a sales consulting firm.  What about yours?

 

I am always looking for other peoples’ perspective; one of the best ways I have found to do this is by finding great quotes.  Let me share a couple:

 

"Most people work 40-plus hours a week at jobs they don't like to buy things they don't need." —anti-consumerist Madeline Nelson

"I had one of the best jobs in the world, but there is a world of opportunity." —Chris Sacca, former head of special initiatives at Google

The American Dream has been roughed up lately. There is doubt where there once was direction. There is retrenching instead of renaissance. But there is one place where you can still dirty your hands with hope, display your ingenuity, taste a measure of independence, and feel a bit like your great-granddad must have felt--fresh off the boat, testing your potential.

2. START A BUSINESS

I know you've thought about it, too. Maybe you've been developing an invention in your head for years and now you're considering patenting it. Or maybe you have a special family recipe or an idea for a Web site, or you simply wonder what you could become if you put as much effort into working for yourself as you now do for someone else.

"In an economic downturn, entrepreneurship is usually the savior," says Chad Moutray, Ph. D., the director of economic research for the Office of Advocacy at the Small Business Administration (SBA).  Although you may find it difficult to believe in the government, the economy, and even the future, there's still one thing you can have unwavering faith in: yourself.

 

 

 

Top Ten Tiger Woods Lessons for Success

 

When I say the name Tiger Woods- what is the first word that comes in your head?  Golfer?  Wow?  Winner?  Unbelievable?...

Tiger Woods is arguably the most recognized athlete in the world.  He has elevated his sport to a new level.  He has set new standards for consistentency and excellence.  Newsweek recently asked him what his “secret of success” was.  I found his answers very insightful.  Let me know what you think.

1.     Expect to win. Know in your heart that you are a winner.

2.     Let your expectations show. Express no doubts, let your competitors and your friends know that you have none.

3.     Work, practice, work, and practice some more. At the top of his field, he can still be seen hitting buckets of balls until dark - even if he's just won.

4.     Dress and act like a winner. This is a part of keeping yourself in a winning frame of mind.

5.     Have a sense of drama - don't create it but know it when you see it. You don't have to seek out publicity, but know how to accept and use it when it comes to you.

6.     Know that there is always room to grow. Being the best does not mean you can't be even better.

7.     Hang with the winners. They understand the pressures and situations in which you will find yourself.

8.     Put yourself in situations where you are not known as a success. May be difficult, but this helps you to stay real.

9.     Value and protect your free time and do what you enjoy. The discipline of being a winner needs a safety valve from time to time.

10.   Remember those who need help. Somewhere, someone helped you - be willing to give back.

 

Source: Newsweek.

 

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Thinking of Quitting? Don’t!

George Frideric Handel was a musical prodigy. You probably know him best as the composer of the “Handel’s Messiah”, but perhaps you don’t know how it “happened”.

At twenty-one he was a keyboard virtuoso. When he turned to composing he gained immediate fame and soon was appointed Kapellmeister to the Elector of Hanover (later King George I of England).

 

When Handel moved to England his fame grew. By the time he was forty he was world famous. But despite his talent and fame he faced considerable adversity - some internal, some external. Rivalry with English composers was fierce. Audiences were fickle; sometimes they didn’t turn out for his performances. He was the victim of the changing political winds. Several times he found himself on the verge of bankruptcy. His problems were compounded by failing health. He suffered a stroke which left his right arm limp and damaged the use of four fingers in his right hand. Although he recovered, it left him battling depression.

 

Finally, at fifty-six, Handel decided it was time to retire. Discouraged, miserable and consumed with debt, he felt certain he’d land in a debtor’s prison. So on April 8, 1741, he gave what he considered his farewell concert. Disappointed and filled with self-pity, he gave up. But that year something incredible happened. A wealthy friend named Charles Jennings encouraged Handel by visiting him and giving him a libretto based on the life of Christ. The work intrigued Handel so he began writing. Immediately the floodgates of inspiration opened. For three weeks he wrote almost nonstop. Then he spent another two days creating the orchestrations. In twenty-four days he had completed the 260-page manuscript of Messiah.

 

Thinking of quitting? Don’t!

 

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Gripped by Fear?

False Evidence Appearing Real.  Ben Franklin once said that 90% of what we fear never happens - not a very efficient or effective use of time or energy is it?

Have you ever felt the grip of fear? Like the feeling you get when you’re already short of funds for the month and an unexpected bill arrives... the fear of rejection you feel before you pick up the phone to make certain calls... the fear of speaking up in a meeting when you know you’ve got the solution to the problem?

Has the fear of failure (or the fear of success) kept you from starting that business you’ve always wanted . . . or going after that job that you’ve secretly coveted for such a long time?

Especially in our current economic environment, the biggest barrier that most people have to overcome is fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of making decisions. Fear of change. Fear of confrontation. Fear of loss. Fear of failure. And of course the big one–fear of success!

I see it when I speak to groups.  I see it when I meet with people one on one.  I hear it when I talk to people on the phone.  It is everywhere.  I have two solutions. 

The first is to conquer fear with action.  Next time fear strikes - move in THAT direction.  To quote Nike - “just do it”.  Afraid to pick up the phone- just do it!  Afraid to address the group - just do it! 

The second is to pick up a book called Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear by Max Lucado.  In my opinion, it is a great book and easy read - the ultimate result though is what YOU will do with it.

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Leadership Lesson from the Blue Man Group

 

I have seen the Blue Man Group on numerous occasions and obviously have a great affinity for their ‘blueness”.  One of the reasons for this is what I would like to call their leadership lesson.

 

As you may or may not know- there are multiple Blue Man Groups.  They don’t fly from NYC to Chicago to Las Vegas in one day to do a show.  They were formed in 1988 with three members and performed the first three years of the New York theatrical run without understudies. They continue to perform, but the company has expanded to include close to 60 Blue Men and over 50 musicians, all of whom rotate into the shows and work on other projects in various combinations. Blue Men are performers of either gender who meet specific physical requirements (athletic build, height between 5'10"-6'1"), specific performing talents (percussion, acting, non-verbal communication), and certain personality traits (openness, charisma, willingness to collaborate), among other qualifications. 

 

The leadership lesson is this: it is ALL about the team.  There are no names.  There are no individual accomplishments.  There are no awards.  Part of the selection process is the ability to work in a team environment- personal glory is not accepted.  The upside is that if someone is sick or unable to perform- the show goes on.  Let’s build a team like that!

 

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How Did You Get So Rich?

 

We stumbled on to a new show that we find fascinating.  Joan Rivers gets herself invited to wealthy peoples’ houses and asks, “how did you get so rich?”  During each episode she takes us inside the mega-mansions of everyday Americans who started out with nothing except great ideas in their heads and determination in their hearts, and turned it all into a bloody fortune. Without exception, the people she visits with are nice people that are willing to share with her their life and the struggles.  That’s right the struggles.  Not one of them made it “easily”.  There was a great deal of work, tenacity, singleness of focus, overcoming their friends and families “advice”, and in some case overcoming themselves.

On the show a couple nights ago Joan introduced us to a Croatian immigrant named Robert Herjavec who grew up with dirt floors and no running water. His hard work has paid off: He now has his own 55,000-suqare-foot home with his own ballroom to dance in, paints his walls with liquid gold and swims laps in an indoor pool that he doesn’t heat! Some people may call that frugal or thrifty but she called it cheap and chilly! He also has seven different Lamborghinis, each in a different color for every day of the week.

She also interviewed  the inventor of the five-chamber bubble blower who is so rich his dog has a walk-in closet and a private chef. This pampered pooch also has a psychiatrist because at times, he gets stressed out.

A number of “commonalities” have hit me.  They all have done it “on their own”.  None of them have had a job and lived on less than they made to get rich.  All of them own something.  Almost all are “rags to riches” stories or at relative to where they are now.  All of them “left the good for great”.  Some wanted to be rich and set the goal.  Others did what they loved doing and got rich.  Some were inventors- which means they recognized a need and built something to fill it.  Others found a business system and maximized it for them.  Most of us are held hostage by our choices which include our choice of making a living.  It seems to me that most people live on “fixed income”.  Let’s think about that.  Fixed income by definition means that your income is fixed- it can not go up or down- it is fixed.  Most of the time that term is used when it applies to government pay but don’t most that have a job live on fixed income?  The answer unfortunately is yes.   

 

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WORDS - Less is more

 

I was thinking about the power of words recently.  There are some words that can bring a tear to your eye.  There are words that can get you angry.  Some words can even create action.  So I decided to look at some famous documents for fun.

 

Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, which has defined our nation, is all of 268 words.

 

The Declaration of Independence runs about 1,300 words.

 

The Constitution, which has served us for more than two centuries, comes to some 5,000 words.

 

The Holy Bible has about 773,000 words.

 

The famous novel, A Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powels has more than 1,000,000 words.

 

The federal income tax code and all its attendant rules and regulations: 9 million words and rising.

 

I think that less is more - don’t you?

 

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Keep Your Mind Tuned to the Success Station - CHANGE THE STATION

 

In Chris Widener’s blog he writes that we need to keep our mind tuned to the success station.  He uses the analogy of a radio station to illustrate how our thinking can be improved by listening to positive rather than negative stuff.  A couple of thoughts occurred to me that I wanted to share. 

 

Many of us grow up listening to the radio, the question is what station?  Perhaps you grew listening to WYCDT (You Can’t Do That).  When you tried to ride your bike you were told YCDT.  When you tried to make the varsity team you were told YCDT.  When you wanted to go to college, get a nice car, and start a business… you were told YCDT.  Well that radio program needs to change so CHANGE THE STATION.

 

Maybe you grew up WYCHT (You can’t have that).  When you wanted your first bike or Barbie you were told YCHT or we can’t afford that.  When you wanted a new outfit you were told YCHT.  Maybe it was an Xbox, computer, iPod, cell phone… CHANGE THE STATION.

 

The station you choose to listen to is your choice.  No one can force you to listen to a particular station.  If you don’t like what is playing CHANGE THE STATION!

 

We live in a world today were we are bombarded with messages and experts tell us most of them are negative.  It is not easy to find the positive stations, but they are out there so if you are listening to negative - CHANGE THE STATION.

 

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Gift or Skill - What's the difference?

I was recently told that I “had a great gift with people”.  My first response in my mind was “you’ve got to be kidding” because I remember all the faux pas, wrong words at the wrong time and all the times that I have just felt totally out of place in a social setting.  But I think this concept raises a great teaching point and that is that people skills are a SKILL not a gift.

 

Webster defines a gift as “natural abilities or qualities or something acquired without compensation”.  For most of us, the ability to deal with people is not natural in any way, as a matter of fact; most of us find it very unnatural. To me it is an important distinction because if I accepted the ‘fact” that it was a gift I would be forced to accept the breadth and depth of my existing abilities.   On the other hand, if I accept the fact that it is a skill that can be developed and perfected like other skills such as painting, running, sports, etc. and recognize there is room for improvement, I can decide to improve.

 

So then, what are people skills and how are they developed?  In my view, people skills are the abilities to build relationships with a wide variety of people, in other words being relatable.  So how is this done?  One of the first steps is to be willing to get out of your comfort zone.  Your comfort zone by definition is comfortable but there is no growth while there.  We all have people that we feel more “comfortable” with than others.  The biggest reason for this is there is a common ground to build on.  Perhaps it is your church and beliefs.  Perhaps it your ethnicity or gender.  Perhaps it is educational or socioeconomic background.  When you meet someone new the goal is to build some level of common interest.  The best way I know how to do this is by asking questions and finding out about them and then sharing something about you.  Have you ever met someone that was easy to talk with?  Have you ever met someone that you immediately felt comfortable with?  Why?  My guess is that you and they found a common ground.  My suggestion is for you to mirror that activity because it works.

 

I have developed 3 people principles that I believe are pretty universal regardless of age, geography, education, etc. 

 

People Principle #1 - People would rather buy than be sold.  Think about your own experiences.  Think about a really good sales experience you had as a consumer.  It doesn’t matter if you were buying a house, car, or ice cream cone.  What made it good?  Now, think about a negative one.  Again, it does not matter if you were buying a house, car, or ice cream cone.  What made it bad?  For most of us, in the good experience we felt like we were in control; in the negative we felt like weren’t.

So my question to you as it relates to YTB is, are you selling or helping people to buy?  If it is the former my guess is you are not optimizing the opportunity.  If you help people buy you are really helping solve THEIR problems (not yours).   My personal experience validates this.  There were a number of people that I tried to close by letting them know if they bought their site right now I would qualify for my weekly bonus.  Would you like to guess how many I closed?  Let me help you-exactly zero.  Why because I was selling not helping people buy.  Why because I was focused on me and not them.  Again, let me ask you the question- are you helping people buy or selling?

 

People Principle #2 - People are more interested in their own agenda than yours.  In a previous post we looked at Gran Torino and how there are people skills lessons everywhere.  In that movie, Clint Eastwood’s son comes over and lets him know that he believes he (Eastwood) would be better off moving in to a senior citizen center.  You could visibly see Eastwood react negatively.  Who wouldn’t when being told what to do? Not having very good people skills, the son did not pick up on that and progresses to tell Eastwood why- because he won’t have to cut his own grass (which he loves doing) or shovel the drive in the winter.  Eastwood gets angrier.  Again, the son pushes forward and lets him know that he has actually done research and come up with some choices.  Eastwood simply throws him out of the house.

 

Let’s replay that scene with a little people knowledge.  First, if Eastwood’s son would have started with a question like “have you thought about moving in to a senior center?” he likely would have gotten a different result because Eastwood would have responded by saying that he did not want to have anything to do with them.  End of conversation.  If Eastwood had actually considered it, he would have said yes it may be a good idea and a conversation would have ensued with a resolution that was good for both he and his son.  As it was, there was a further disintegration in their relationship because the son started with his own agenda and not his father’s.

 

Let me ask you to consider whose agenda are you starting with yours or theirs?  If you start the conversation with “I am excited…..” I would suggest you are starting with yours not theirs.  Start with a question about how they are doing and if they have figured what is going on with the economy (you can guess what people say to that at this time).

 

People principle #3- People don’t know themselves as well as they think they do.  At seminars that I have done around the country I have asked “how many of you have said at one point that you would never get involved with a network marketing company?”  Without exception, it is always at least 50%.  That means 1 out of 2 have said “no” and now they are a “yes”.  How does that happen?  For some, it is the economy that is driving them to do something that they said they would never do or never do again.  For others, it is the success of a friend in our business.  For still others, it is the YTB business model and the fact that we don’t have inventory or quotas.  Polite persistence is the answer.  Notice the first word-polite.  It is not a constant hourly or daily barrage.  It isn’t calling weekly and saying “are you ready yet”. It is our job to find out where they are, answer their questions, and find a way to add value to their lives.  Keep in mind that not everyone will join our team and it doesn’t matter how often you ask.

 

Remember…we are ultimately in the people business.  Our job is to find people that are open to our system. Our job is to improve ourselves and learn to reach out to more and more people.  Our job is to connect to more people.  Our job is to find ways to add value to others’ lives.  Our job is to help our team reach their goals.

   

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Convention Take Aways

 

One of the takeaways I had from the convention is that it seems one of the ways that people choose to live their lives is either as a Victim or Victor.  At the convention, there were thousands of people who had decided that they were going to make some changes in their lives, get out of their comfort zones, and take control of their financial futures.  We hear a lot about victims these days and it reminds me of the Eagles song called “Get Over It”, which starts out by defining the difference:

I turn on the tube and what do I see
A whole lotta people cryin' "Don't blame me"
They point their crooked little fingers at everybody else
Spend all their time feelin' sorry for themselves
Victim of this, victim of that
Your momma's too thin; your daddy's too fat

Get over it
Get over it

Don’t become a victim of yourself. Forget about the thief waiting in the alley; what about the thief in your mind? It is not what happens that determines the major part of your future. Life happens, happens to us all. It is what you do about what happens that counts.

I have heard people say, “The country is messed up.”  To me that’s like cursing the soil and the seed and the sunshine and the rain, which is all you’ve got. Don’t curse all you’ve got. When you are mayor of the world, you can rearrange this whole deal. Until then, you’ve got to take it like it comes.

Walk away from the 97% crowd. By the way, that is approximately the 20% of the 20%. Don’t buy in to their excuses. Take charge of your own life.

Take the advice of the Eagles and take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of. You don’t have charge of the constellations, but you do have charge of whether you read, develop new skills, and take new classes.

Your paycheck is not your employer’s responsibility; it’s your responsibility. Your employer has no control over your value, but you do.

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The Money Vacuum

I have noticed over the years of talking with people about financial matters that for most people, money has an amazing ability to go just barely far enough to cover their needs. A huge majority of people claim that they live "paycheck to paycheck", and the truth is... they do... even though most don't have to.

The really weird part is... that it doesn't seem to matter whether they make $20,000 a year, or $200,000 a year. People at all different income levels are living check to check. Now how can that be?

This magical vacuum I'm talking about is our monthly spending. Somehow, despite our best efforts... our spending tends to either shrink or expand to match the amount of money we have available.

We deposit that paycheck into our checking account, and amazingly... regardless of how much or how little it is... by the end of the month it's gone... and we just made it, again.

Now, the interesting thing is... that this same weirdness that keeps people in bondage their whole lives can actually be put to work for you and radically alter your financial life.

The key is this--and I know you've heard it before--Pay Your SELF First.

Now, almost all the time, the reaction to this statement is, "But our finances are way too tight to be able to do that. "Well that certainly may be true... but it's a rare case where it really is.

More often than not, that magical money vacuum is the real culprit. When there's money in the account, we tend to spend it. We buy those extra "things" that we don't really need, and aren't really that important to us. We eat out more often. We buy the name brand instead of the generic version. Even if we were working with more money than normal... at the end of the day you're left wondering, "where'd it go?"

On the other hand, when there's not much to work with... we somehow find ways to stretch that money just far enough to get us through. That's the beauty of our magic vacuum... it's appetite adjusts to what's available to it.

So the deal is, if you'll just pay yourself first--10% of your take home pay--you pay this just like you would any other bill... and your spending will somehow adjust itself to what you're working with. Every check, 10% goes into savings... and you'll be amazed at how fast it builds up for you.  Ask yourself how much you would have amassed had you had this habit for the last 5, 10, 20 years?  How much different would you financial situation be?

We all know life happens, and it's a whole lot easier to deal with that $500 car repair when you already have the money in the bank. Most people just never figure out how to get it there in the first place.

Sure, it might be a little scary when you start doing this... "what if there isn't enough money to pay the bills?" I think you'll be surprised to find that there is. And if somehow that's not the case one month, you can easily transfer the money from savings to checking... so the fears are really unfounded.

If you have to transfer some back to checking, so be it. If you have to start with 5% or even 1% instead of 10%... so be it... the main thing is you get started.

This savings cushion will quickly become a habit and build up faster than you'd imagine. Having this cash reserve in place creates an abundance mentality and benefits you in more ways than I can go into in this email.

Your new habits, combined with a debt elimination plan, and learning how to begin making this money work for you, instead of you having to work for it... are just the kinds of things that over a little time... routinely make millionaires out of ordinary people working ordinary jobs.

James Dyson, the inventor of the Dyson Vacuum, has a saying that we need to keep in mind as it relates to our money vacuum- “failure is expected-not accepted”.  It is okay to try and fail and try again- just don’t stay broke.

We all dream of how things could be one day... and the beautiful thing is, we can choose to take action... we can make this the one day!

 

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“Don’t get your hopes up”

 

How many times have we heard this?  Whether you are trying to make a team or the choir.  Mom says, “Don’t get your hopes up”.  When we go on our first date or have our first “true love”, we hear, “don’t get your hopes up”.   We apply for college or that ideal job - “Don’t get your hopes up”.  We start a business we hear our well meaning friends and family echo the refrain - “don’t get your hopes up”.

 

Maybe that is part of the problem we are experiencing as a country right now - our hopes have been minimized.  I would advise the exact opposite- get your hopes as high as possible!  I recognize that mom and dad, friends and family are trying to protect us from the fall and crash but are they inadvertently stealing our dreams as well.  If we live our life protecting against hurt and disappointment, I am not sure that is really living.

 

I wonder if Bill Gates had high hopes for Microsoft.  I wonder if Steve Jobs was advised to “not get his hopes up” when he started Apple. 

 

 

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Money Management Lesson - the Hard Way

One of the more common questions we get is, "Where do I find extra money to help me get out of debt faster?"

Well, there certainly are a multitude of options, but one of the easiest I've found in my life is what I call the "It's only's".

Shortly after my oldest son was born, to say money was tight would be an understatement... and I'll never forget the trip to Meijer that changed my life.

It was a quick trip... just need a few essentials... and when we reached the checkout isle we had about two thirds of a cart of groceries... grand total $184 and change... What?!

I was steaming the whole way home... what the heck did we buy?

Well, as soon as the groceries were put away, I started pouring over the receipt... starting with those $30 plus things that we must have bought that made that total so big... but there weren't any--well, except for the diapers, but we had to have those...

Next, $20 items... then $15... then $10... still nothing "non-essential"...

It wasn't until I got to under $5 items that I started finding "things we could easily do without"... to the tune of $67 worth!

You see, what happened was as we were going through the store, something would catch the eye... a bag of chips maybe... a candy bar that I haven't tried in ages... a neat looking nick-knack?

And each time, it'd be, "well it's only... (insert tiny price here)"

No real damage is done on a single isle... but Meijer is a 200,000 square foot store!

It's amazing how $0.97 adds up... and that memory's been with me ever since.

So, if you're trying to save a buck or two... start by catching yourself when you say, "It's only"

It’s only 50 cents between a medium and large drink at Starbucks.

It’s only…..

 

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Self-Confidence is a key

In my opinion, one of the biggest challenges of this business is instilling self confidence and personal credibility into your team.  The world sucks it out of all of us.   But that obstacle, like so many can be overcome - but how.  I believe it is a little knowledge and a lot of action.  So let’s start with a little knowledge.

Having confidence means you believe in yourself and that you trust your own judgment and resourcefulness. In his many books on self-esteem, Dr. Nathaniel Branden defines self-esteem as the sum of self-confidence and self-respect. For him, self-confidence is when you know that you have the wherewithal to function reasonably well in the world.

I had a professor in grad school named Dr. Jennings who believes that there are really two levels of self confidence- primary and secondary.  Primary self confidence according to Dr. Jennings is the knowledge that whatever life throws at you, you can overcome.  His research indicates that this comes from failing and getting up, and failing and getting up.  In other words, you feel competent to make choices, competent to satisfy your needs, to chart the course for your life. Having confidence in specific situations, such as in gaining influence with someone, flows from a general self-confidence about your ability to meet life’s challenges.

A person who exhibits confidence appreciates a sincere compliment and doesn’t brush it off. A confident person is comfortable giving, and receiving, compliments. He’s also able to handle criticism if it comes his way because he basically likes himself and knows that a single negative incident won’t change that.

Confidence in yourself is built up over time. You can fake confidence, and you may need to at first, but real self-confidence comes from a history of small victories and accomplishments that add up to a sense that you can handle yourself well in most every situation. I suggest you take an inventory of the major accomplishments you’ve achieved over the past few years. Then remind yourself of the minor ones, too. What about the computer course you completed? What about joining YTB? What about speaking to that group at church?  Did you know that public speaking is the #1 fear in America?  What about your marriage and those kids you’re raising? That is an accomplishment. Don’t be falsely modest. Tell the truth about how hard you worked and what sacrifices you’ve made. If you can’t think of any, then begin by congratulating yourself for living as long as you have. Sheer survival is an accomplishment these days! Seriously, it pays to take the time to know your strengths and appreciate them. What’s unique about you? What skills do you bring to an organization or project that you can count on?

Dr. Tony Alessandra says that, “Confidence is a fundamental trait for flexibility. It’s hard to be flexible when you’re fearful or easily intimidated. Confidence is indispensable if you want to engage someone’s attention.”

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Self Improvement = Reading?

It has been said that standard education will get you jobs, and self-education will make you fortunes. This is no doubt true, and I believe that reading is a key skill necessary to self-education. Statistics say the average CEO in America reads 4-5 books per month while the average American reads 1 book per year! This same statistic goes on to say that 60% of those average Americans don't even get past the first chapter in that one book! You may shrug your shoulders and say – okay big deal – so what? I am not comfortable reading, I gave up reading after school, I am not a reader and why should that bother me?

Whether it should bother you or not is for you to decide - remember breaking through means expanding your comfort zone.  I simply share the facts with you. So here is another interesting fact: The average CEO of a Fortune 500 company will earn an average of 536 times the salary of the average employee of the company he runs. This means that the employee of that company will work for a year and a half to equal the salary of the CEO for one day! What an extremely amazing and true statistic! Now, I am not going to suggest to you that the only difference between the CEO and the average employee is that the CEO reads a lot of books and the employee doesn't; however, I will suggest to you that is one of the major differences.

Now, if it is true that knowledge and even reading has a correlation to income, and I believe that it does, then wouldn't it be logical to conclude that it is in our benefit and interest to read?

The human mind is the greatest computer ever created. Nothing in the world will ever compare to it. It is a truly phenomenal machine that, when fed, will respond with results that will astound you. Benjamin Franklin told us that if we take the pennies from our pockets and put them in our heads, our heads will then fill up our pockets once again. This is so true. The person who invests time educating himself will reap a lifetime of extra knowledge, fun and income.

So let's do what Franklin suggested and spend our pennies on books. As we read these books gain more and more knowledge, we'll look back in amazement as our knowledge and quality of life increases. My hope is that it will spark a fire in you to learn even more, and in doing so, develop and use more of your potential. Do this by continually learning and feeding the flames with information, knowledge and action.

Click on my logo below and view some of my personal recommenations listed on my home page.  Please feel free to share others that you have found to be beneficial.

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Problems Are a Normal Part of Success

For years when people asked me if I have any fears I would respond, “Failure”.  I have come to understand that failure is really the first part of the success cycle.  I used to avoid situations that I couldn’t control because I might fail.  I used to avoid uncomfortable situations because I might fail.  I used to avoid meeting new people because I might fail….  Life as you guess was about avoidance of failure NOT about growing toward success.  Life is different now.

I recognize now that failure is just the first step in the success cycle.  If one doesn’t fail he doesn’t have the opportunity to grow or succeed.

When asked, “How do you develop that perspective in life?” my response might sound negative at first. I answer, “Always be prepared for a surprise. The surprise might be a negative surprise. Something is going to happen in your day, whether you are late because you got stuck behind a train or your car had a flat tire—something is going to happen. And the key is your ability not to take mole hills and look at them as mountains.”

Problems are a normal part of change. Things are changing so rapidly that there are going to be problems you face. So you must look at failure as an event, not as a person. I’m not a failure. Maybe I’ve had a failure or a temporary inconvenience. I’ve had a stumbling block, and the idea is to turn the stumbling block into a steppingstone, and step on it instead of stumble over it. So look at failure as the fertilizer of success.

Fertilizer stinks, it smells. You see that guy putting it on his lawn and you say, “Wow, that guy fertilized his lawn.” You fertilize your mistakes. You don’t wallow in them, lay in them, roll in them; you pick yourself up off your mistakes and learn from them. You try not to repeat that same thing again. But you look at it as a temporary inconvenience, as a detour—not as a failure.

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The Power of Hope

WOW!!!!  As I reflected on the events at the convention a couple of items jump out.  The first is the company’s continued effort to enhance the product offerings.  It seems to me that they are committed to helping us in the field, sometimes more than we are committed to helping ourselves- that is to be commended! 

The other thing is hope.  I saw it in peoples’ eyes.  I saw it in the way they walked.  I heard it in their voices.  I felt it in their hugs and congratulations.  The media has convinced us that we are living through hopeless times.  I disagree and I saw the evidence last week at the convention.

 

Let me share with you one story.  I got an email from someone that while they were at the convention someone had robbed their home.  Devastating, right.  Aggravating, right.  But they chose to look for the positive and use it as motivation to build their business.  That to me is the power of hope!

Is That Opportunity at the Door?

Somebody said you have to love what you do, but I don’t think that’s not necessarily true. What is true is that you have to love the opportunity—the opportunity to build life, future, health, success and fortune. Knocking on someone’s door or making that extra call may not be something you love to do, but you love the opportunity of what might be behind that door or call.

For example, a guy says, “I’m digging ditches. Should I love digging ditches?” The answer is, “No, you don’t have to love digging ditches, but if it is your first entry onto the ladder of success, you say, ‘I’m glad somebody gave me the opportunity to dig ditches, and I’m going to do it so well, I won’t be here long.’ ”

You can be inspired by having found something, even though you are making mistakes in the beginning, and even though it is a little distasteful taking on a new discipline that you haven’t learned before. You don’t have to love it; you just have to learn to appreciate where you live, appreciate opportunity and appreciate the person who brought you the good news—the person who found you.

Appreciate the person who believed in you before you believed in yourself. Appreciate the person who said, “Hey, if I can do it, you can do it.”

If you will embrace the disciplines associated with the new opportunity, and you will soon find that your self-confidence will start to grow, that you will go from being a skeptic to being a believer. And soon, when you go from person to person, talking to people, you will find it to be the most thrilling opportunity in the world. Every person you meet—what could it be? Unlimited!  Maybe, a friend for life. The next person could be an open door to retiring. The next person could be a colleague for years to come. It’s big-time stuff. And sometimes, in the beginning, when we are just getting started, we don’t always see how big it is.

So, before you are tempted to give up or get discouraged, remember, all success is based on long-term commitment, faith, discipline, attitude and a few steppingstones along the way. You might not like the stone you are on right now, but it’s sure to be one of the stones that lead to great opportunities in the future.

I heard a song once that asked if the stones on your road were stumbling blocks or stepping stones.  It is up to us to choose!

Serious Questions and the YTB Convention

 

Ask yourself the following questions:

 

n  Is what you are doing financially working?

n  Do you run out of money before month?

n  Will you run out of money before life?

 

If you aren’t happy with the answers let me ask one more- why not join us this week in St. Louis for the YTB Convention.  I will personally guarantee an answer to each of those questions.  If you are like me, sometimes you don’t like the questions because you don’t like the answers.  The definition of insanity is to do the same thing and expect a different result.  Hoping “IT” (your financial life and future) changes is not a healthy strategy.  We will have a lot of answers and some great new announcements - please join us!

 

 

Just do it.

Noted in their book, Who Are They Anyway?  authors Gallagher & Ventura , reveal the most important words of personal responsibility are as follows:

The 10 most important words:
I won't wait for others to take the first step.
The 9 most important words:
If it is to be, it's up to me.
The 8 most important words:
If not me, who? If not now, when?
The 7 most important words:
Let me take a shot at it.
The 6 most important words:
I will not pass the buck.
The 5 most important words:
You can count on me.
The 4 most important words:
It IS my job!
The 3 most important words:
Just do it!
The 2 most important words:
I will.
The most important word:
Me

It seems to me that one of the social crisis’s that we are faced with is the move away from personal accountability.  The American ideal of pulling oneself up by his bootstraps is dissipating and being replaced by a reliance on my boss, my company, my union, my government, my…  In my view, it is time to replace it with the Nike slogan- “Just do it”.  No excuses.  No blaming others.  No waiting for a better time or place.  Those three simple words can and will open up new opportunities if only you "Just do it"! 

 

 

Prescribed by,

 

Dr. Blueman

The upside, downside to change

As a leader, deciding to make changes is the easy part. Getting people to change with you is much more difficult. Why is that? Quite simply, change is an emotional process. We are all creatures of habit who usually resist it, and welcome routine. Uncharted waters are scary!

In the long run, however, sameness is the fast tract to mediocrity. Ultimately, mediocre thinking and acting will catch up to you.  It is has caught up to companies that weren’t willing to or couldn’t change like GM and Chrysler; and, it will catch up to us as individuals.

Tuli Kupferberg said it best... "When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge." And, that is your challenge...to convince yourself and your team that the new world you are trying to create is better than the one you're in. Is it easy? Of course not. It takes planning, commitment, patience and courage.

The truth, of course, is that change can be a wonderful gift. In fact, it is the key that unlocks the doors to growth and excitement in any organization. And, most importantly, without it...your competition will pass you by. A big part of success, as a leader, will be your ability to inspire your team to get out of their comfort zones; to assure them that even though they are on a new path, it's the right path, for the right reasons.

That's what this business is all about....ideas, to inspire, to motivate, and to encourage your team to move forward and to embrace change.

 

Prescribed by,

 

Dr. Blue Man

 

visit www.drblueman.com

Believing is Seeing!

I am frequently asked how and why I believe that “believing is seeing”.  There are a couple of reasons. One is that I am a rebel at heart and if someone tells me something is true like, “seeing is believing” I will try and prove the opposite.  The other is; it works!

It's been estimated that we each have upwards of 50,000 thoughts per day. How many of yours are negative? Sometimes you have to do a mental spring cleaning to get rid of those negative ones that have become ingrained attitudes. Stopping self-destructive thoughts is like stopping any other bad habit—it takes time and effort.

Among the most effective ways to do this are visualization and affirmations. Affirmations are positive statements about yourself that you repeat over and over in your head until they're programmed into your subconscious.

Visualization, or "imagineering" as Walt Disney called it, is mentally picturing yourself the way you want to be. You've heard the old saying "I'll believe it when I see it"? Well, the reverse is also true: "I'll see it when I believe it!" Affirmations and visualizations may not feel true at first. They may not even be true! But they can become so.

Consider what happens when you tell yourself over and over, "I'm lousy at remembering names." There will never be any improvement there. So if you catch yourself saying, "I'm terrible at remembering names," stop and immediately say to yourself, "I'm good at remembering names."

Or consider the effect of telling yourself, "I'm feeling pretty good today." Or "I can lose ten pounds." Or "I am good at getting people to see things my way." Anything you say to yourself over and over will actually influence your reality.

Writing down your affirmations in some handy place-above your desks, on your bathroom mirror, on the dashboard of your car-will help keep them in mind as well as in sight. Use affirmations and visualizations to project what success will feel like and look like. Imagine, in as much detail as you possibly can, how you feel as the boss singles you out for exceeding your quota, or how the audience hangs on your every word during your speech, or how your confident presence causes heads to turn everywhere you go.

Rx,

 

Dr. Blue Man

 

visit www.drblueman.com

Golf lesson, Life lessons

The other day I took a golf lesson from our pro.  What I didn’t know was that he was going to give me a lesson on life!  He asked me to hit a couple of balls - which I did (pretty well, I thought).  He asked me if I really wanted to improve my golf swing.  Yes, I said.  Then he gave me the first life lesson - “OK, if you really want to - we are going to have to start all over”.   “All over?”  I said.  Yes.  Wow, it was incredibly uncomfortable.  I hit one left, one right, swung and missed; finally I hit a good one.  It was uncomfortable, embarrassing, and disconcerting.

 

Life lesson: whenever we have our fundamentals challenged we are going to feel all that and more. 

 

As I “mastered” the first change (the grip), he asked if I was ready for another.  Another?  Another trip into the unknown, uncomfortable, embarrassing, disconcerting… Yes, I said.  “too much left hand”, said Barry.  “That is really hard to change - do I have to?”, I asked.  “Only if you want to get better”, was his response.

 

I went to a qualified mentor.  Someone who knew and practiced more than I about golf.  I believe there is a life lesson in that as well.  Why are we so quick to take advice from our neighbors and friends if they have do not have the expertise or knowledge to give us the advice that they are giving?

 

Isn’t that like life?  We want to do it the old and comfortable way.  We don’t realize sometimes that we have to be inconvenienced, embarrassed, and uncomfortable to get better.  Ask yourself the following question- “do you really want to improve your life?”

 

If the answer is yes- let’s start all over from scratch, build on what is working and not on what is not.  I understand that the Armed Forces use this strategy as well.  Tear down everything so that they can build on a more solid foundation.  We should take a lesson from Barry and the Armed Forces!

 

 

Prescribed by,

 

Dr. Blue Man

 

visit www.drblueman.com

Life plans and vacation plans

It is summer time and time to plan and take our annual vacation.  I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations with better care than they plan their lives. Perhaps that is because escape is easier than change.

If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they may have planned for you? Not much.

The reason why most people face the future with apprehension instead of anticipation is because they don't have it well designed.

The guy says, "When you work where I work, by the time you get home, it's late. You've got to have a bite to eat, watch a little TV, relax and get to bed. You can't sit up half the night planning, planning, and planning." And he's the same guy who is behind on his car payment!

You can and should have more.  Let’s plan to get it!!!!

Stay tuned,

 

Dr. Blueman

www.drblueman.com

Freedom Reflections

I wish you all Happy 4th of July!  When you look up the word freedom in the dictionary, you'll find many definitions, but the one I like best says: The capacity to exercise choice; free will.

What's your definition of freedom? Time freedom, financial freedom, freedom to be yourself? Isn't it interesting, though, that in order for you to experience or gain freedom you must sacrifice something? Perhaps I should frame it another way, with other words -- discipline or choice. Jim Rohn says “discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” So let me ask you... What results have you accomplished and are you satisfied with your results?

If so, congratulations! If not, what simple disciplines or "choices" can you make that will make a world of difference in your accomplishments?

That's something to think about this week. But don't just stop at thinking! Act! You have the ability and the skills to create more freedom for whatever it is you want in your life!

It seems to me that freedom starts in your head and heart and is not complete until it gets acted out in our lives.

Happy Independence Day!!

Dr. Blueman

www.drblueman.com

Living life defensively or offensively?

I had a meeting today with a relatively new acquaintance and when I asked him how he was doing he had very interesting response - “I am playing defense right now”.  WOW, what a description of how a lot of people are living right now.  Playing defense.  Not playing to score, playing just to stop the opponent from scoring.  Not playing to win, just playing not to lose.  Not looking to enhance your position but only not to lose any more. 

 

The economy has had an impact on almost everyone but we all have a decision about how we are going to respond to it.  Are we going to wallow and whine about what we had, about what we lost, about what we were going to do or have?  If so, good luck with that strategy.  Why not look around and recognize that chaos creates opportunities and decide to pursue one?

 

I am reminded of some people that had some issues and conquered them.  Sir Edmond Hillary, his first attempt to climb Mt. Everest ended in disaster but he persevered and won.  Amelia Earhart tried to break the gender barrier in flying and ultimately overcame that and so much more.  Jackie Robinson had to overcome prejudice and negativism rarely seen and is now viewed as a true American hero.  The question is what about you?  What are you overcoming?  Bills.  A job you don’t like.  A house or neighborhood you would rather move out of.  College for the kids. The list is endless.  Are you playing defense when you should be playing offense?

 

 

Dr. Blueman

www.drblueman.com

Clothe yourself in confidence

The other night Janice and I watched a program called What Not to Wear.  It is an “extreme makeover” program for people and in this case, a woman.  The outward and inward transformation that took place was remarkable - the focus here is on the inward.

Why is it that some people seem to be able to accomplish almost anything they attempt, while others can not seem to accomplish anything?  One component in that is self confidence.

True self confidence (not arrogance or cockiness) is the difference between feeling unstoppable and feeling scared out of your wits. Your perception of yourself has an enormous impact on how others perceive you. Perception is reality — the more self confidence you have, the more likely it is you’ll succeed.

Although many of the factors affecting self confidence are beyond your control, there are a number of things you can consciously do to build self confidence. By using these 10 strategies you can get the mental edge you need to reach your potential.

Build Self Confidence

1. Dress Sharp

As evidenced by the show, clothes don’t make the man or woman, but they certainly affect the way they feel about themselves. No one is more conscious of your physical appearance than you are. When you don’t look good, it changes the way you carry yourself and interact with other people. Use this to your advantage by taking care of your personal appearance. In most cases, significant improvements can be made by bathing and shaving frequently, wearing clean clothes, and being cognizant of the latest styles.

This doesn’t mean you need to spend a lot on clothes. One great rule to follow is “spend twice as much, buy half as much”. Rather than buying a bunch of cheap clothes, buy half as many but select high quality items. In the long run this decreases spending because expensive clothes wear out less easily and stay in style longer than cheap clothes. Buying less also helps reduce the clutter in your closet.

2. Walk Faster

One of the easiest ways to tell how a person feels about herself is to examine her walk. Is it slow? tired? painful? Or is it energetic and purposeful? People with confidence generally walk quickly. They have places to go, people to see, and important work to do. Even if you aren’t in a hurry, you can increase your self confidence by putting some pep in your step. Walking 25% faster will make to you look and feel more important.

3. Good Posture

Similarly, the way a person carries herself tells a story. People with slumped shoulders and lethargic movements display a lack of self confidence. They aren’t enthusiastic about what they’re doing and they don’t consider themselves important. By practicing good posture, you’ll automatically feel more confident. Stand up straight, keep your head up, and make eye contact. You’ll make a positive impression on others and instantly feel more alert and empowered.

4. Personal Commercial

One of the best ways to build confidence is listening to a motivational speech. Unfortunately, opportunities to listen to a great speaker are few and far between. You can fill this need by creating a personal commercial. Write a 30-60 second speech that highlights your strengths and goals. Then recite it in front of the mirror aloud (or inside your head if you prefer) whenever you need a confidence boost.

5. Gratitude

When you focus too much on what you want, the mind creates reasons why you can’t have it. This leads you to dwell on your weaknesses. The best way to avoid this is consciously focusing on gratitude. Set aside time each day to mentally list everything you have to be grateful for. Recall your past successes, unique skills, loving relationships, and positive momentum. You’ll be amazed how much you have going for you and motivated to take that next step towards success.

6. Compliment other people

When we think negatively about ourselves, we often project that feeling on to others in the form of insults and gossip. To break this cycle of negativity, get in the habit of praising other people. Refuse to engage in backstabbing gossip and make an effort to compliment those around you. In the process, you’ll become well liked and build self confidence.  By looking for the best in others, you indirectly bring out the best in yourself.

7. Sit in the front row

In schools, offices, and public assemblies around the world, people constantly strive to sit at the back of the room. Most people prefer the back because they’re afraid of being noticed. This reflects a lack of self confidence. By deciding to sit in the front row, you can get over this irrational fear and build your self confidence. You’ll also be more visible to the important people talking from the front of the room.

8. Speak up

During group discussions many people never speak up because they’re afraid that people will judge them for saying something stupid. This fear isn’t really justified. Generally, people are much more accepting than we imagine. In fact most people are dealing with the exact same fears. By making an effort to speak up at least once in every group discussion, you’ll become a better public speaker, more confident in your own thoughts, and recognized as a leader by your peers.

9. Work out

Along the same lines as personal appearance, physical fitness has a huge effect on self confidence. If you’re out of shape, you’ll feel insecure, unattractive, and less energetic. By working out, you improve your physical appearance, energize yourself, and accomplish something positive. Having the discipline to work out not only makes you feel better, it creates positive momentum that you can build on the rest of the day.

10. Focus on contribution

Too often we get caught up in our own desires. We focus too much on ourselves and not enough on the needs of other people. If you stop thinking about yourself and concentrate on the contribution you’re making to the rest of the world, you won’t worry as much about your own flaws. This will increase self confidence and allow you to contribute with maximum efficiency. The more you contribute to the world the more you’ll be rewarded with personal success and recognition.

Stay tuned,

Dr. Blueman

www.drblueman.com

Comfort Zone

In his white paper, “From Comfort Zone to Performance Management”, British management theorist, Alasdair A. K. White defines the comfort zone as “a behavioral state within which a person operates in an anxiety-neutral condition, using a limited set of behaviors to deliver a steady level of performance, usually without a sense of risk”.

 

The underlying theme of the majority of my posts is about comfort zones because it is such a crucial issue for us to understand in order to move forward in our lives. 

 

Most of us love the familiar. Whether we realize it or not, we put a lot of work into ensuring that certain things in our lives remain constant. This personal “comfort zone” is the invisible, but very real area that defines the boundaries of what we know and understand. By staying within this comfort zone we reassure ourselves that we are safe. And as long as we are safely held within the walls of what we know, we feel secure and confident.

 

As we move closer to the edges of that zone we begin to feel a bit shaky and unsure of ourselves. But those edges are where we grow. And by stretching those boundaries we increase our ability to receive. T. Harv Eker, the author of The Secrets of The Millionaire Mind has said that “our comfort zone equals our money zone”.  In order to have more money in our lives we must expand our comfort zone. I would add that our comfort zone equals our joy zone and our success zone.  So if you want more of anything in your life, the place to start is with your comfort zone. By expanding your comfort zone you will get more of what you want. It’s that simple.

 

Now it sounds easy enough, but most of us have built up some pretty sturdy walls around our comfort zone. Pushing them out or breaking them down requires conscious, concerted effort. And I have found that it’s easier to expand the comfort zone in small, steady, steps than in great big leaps. But in order to do that, you need to intentionally take expansive action on a daily basis. So to get you started, I’ve borrowed a list from www.evolvingtimes.com, of 50 actions that might expand your comfort zone.

 

Keep in mind that the parameters of everyone’s comfort zone are different. So if you already love to Scuba dive, number 30 on this list isn’t going to expand your comfort zone very much! But there are most likely other items on this list that will work for you.  Also realize that many of these can, and may need to be, turned around to work for you. For example, number 6 is “Be the first to say, “I love you.” But if you’re the one that always says I love you first, you’ll need to turn it around to “Let the other person say “I love you” first.” For some of you, that’s going to be quite uncomfortable, especially when the other person doesn’t say “I love you!”

 

This is not meant to be an all-inclusive list. It can’t be. Instead, it’s a catalyst and a reminder for you to take small steps each and every day that expand your comfort zone. 

 

Here’s the list:

 

1. Try some new food.
2. Go on a silent retreat.
3. Ask for a raise.
4. Smile at strangers.
5. Say hello to people in the grocery store.
6. Be the first to say “I love you.”
7. Perform at an open mike night.
8. Eat at a local restaurant by yourself.
9. Take a day off from work to volunteer at your child’s school.
10. Go back to school.
11. Start a new business.
12. Moonlight as a waitperson.
13. Unplug the TV for a week.
14. Write in a journal every day.
15. Learn to surf.
16. Go to a different church/temple each week.
17. Get your news from different sources.
18. Live in another country.
19. Do a house-swap for a month.
20. Use public transportation.
21. Wear an outrageous outfit.
22. Meditate for 15-minutes a day.
23. Put your cell phone in a drawer for a full week.
24. Make a fool of yourself - on purpose.
25. Call someone you admire in your community and ask them out for lunch.
26. Ask someone you admire to be your mentor.
27. Switch sides (of the bed) with your partner.
28. Confront a phobia.
29. Jump out of a plane (with a parachute please!).
30. Learn to scuba dive.
31. Say I love you to your parents/children/siblings/friends.
32. Admit you were wrong.
33. Go to a movie by yourself.
34. Take responsibility for something you didn’t do.
35. Give away all one-month’s income.
36. Give a public talk on a topic you’re passionate about.
37. Join a networking group.
38. Disconnect the Internet for a week.
39. Ask for help.
40. Get a part time job as a checker at your local grocery store.
41. Enter an art show.
42. Forgive someone.
43. Join Toastmasters.
44. Start a blog.
45. Ask for a partial or complete telecommute arrangement at work.
46. Take lessons in something you’ve always wanted to try (art, music, woodworking, dancing, etc.).
47. Learn a foreign language.
48. Read a book in a genre you don’t usually read.
49. Delegate more of your work.
50. Get up an hour earlier than usual.

 

 

Get started today!

 

Stay tuned,

 

Dr. Blueman

www.drblueman.com

 

 

 

 

ESPN Features: Walk On

I thank our friends, Lucy & Peter Becht for sending this video to me.

If you play golf, you should watch this video...If you don't play golf, you should watch this video.

If you ever had a dream, please watch this video...If you have never had a dream, please watch this video.

Never, ever, let anyone tell you that you can't accomplish a goal when you have made a commitment accomplish that goal!

Click here to view video of DJ Gregory.

See you on the other side,

Dr. Blueman

www.drblueman.com

 

 

 

 

 

$ucce$$ Formula™ - Part 2

 

In my previous post, we looked at the activity component of the formula. Let’s now focus on the U.  Some call it personal development.  Some call it the law of attraction.  It is my observation that it is impossible to build a successful organization without a consistent, fantastic attitude that inspires others to do what they would have done by themselves.  I call this the "U component".  It consists of your “relatability quotient” + your comfort zone (and willingness to expand it) + knowledge and execution of pp (people principles).

 

We will take the next couple of blog posts to examine each of these and my hope is to once again give you the hope and knowledge that challenges you to move to a better place.  Our business (and I believe any business) is more about failure and overcoming that failure than it is about being an “overnight success” or “getting rich quick”.  Please don’t be discouraged by that description- rather, understand that struggle and failure are part of success in any great endeavor.  Don’t shy away from that aspect of success- embrace it and know that the development, maintenance, and protection of a great attitude can dramatically enhance your likelihood of a major life victory in network marketing. Here’s why.

 

I believe one of the most powerful resources available to us is our attitude.  Our attitude touches everyone in a positive or negative way in every part of our daily life.  I’d like to share a recent story which crystallized this truth in my own mind.  I recently met with a very sharp, unemployed worker who had worked for one of the auto companies for 20+ years.  He appeared to “get” the model and committed to get back together the next week with he and his wife.  In the mean time, he evidently spoke with someone who had a negative network marketing experience.  So here is this man evaluating two experiences from each end of the continuum- one with a very positive experience in network marketing and one with a negative one.  Which view would win out? 

 

My question to you is which one wins with you?  Ask yourself this question: if you heard a positive and negative report about a movie which way would you lean?  It is my observation that the negative usually wins out- the ultimate question is why?  I believe the reason is that we live in a negative world and most take the path of least resistance.  Our mission is to pull a person out of the muck and mire that is destroying their lives.

 

Your positive attitude I believe is a key part of the “relatability quotient”.  People are looking for positive people to lead them- I challenge you to be one of them.

 

Stay tuned,

Dr. Blue Man

www.drblueman.com

$ucce$$ Formula™ Part 1

 

One of the most often asked questions seems to be, “What is the secret of success?” 

I don’t know that I am smart enough to know the one secret to success but it certainly appears that there are principles that universally apply.

The origin of the $ucce$$ Formula™ is my son’s college dorm.  I was in his room recently and picked up a copy of one of his text books and asked him what it was and he said “Three Dimensional Calculus”.  That gave me the inspiration to “create” the formula:

ϒΤΒI = Σpeople+θpeople+U+3(pp)

Where u = relatability quotient + cz + self confidence

pp= people principles 1,2,3 knowledge + execution

Over the next several blogs I will outline how the $ucce$$ Formula™ when applied can help grow your business.

The goal of our business for most of us is to create income.  We will start with that.  YTBI is your income derived from YTB.  That income is essentially a function of 4 things:

Σpeople- the number of people you talk with and share the business with.  There is an old cliché that states if you want to double your business double your failure rate.  If you are talking to one a week, talk to one a day; if you are talking to 5 a week, talk to 5 a day…

Our business, all business is a function of finding people that are interested in your product or service.  Not everyone who buys coffee buys it from Starbucks.  But they have created enough prospects that have become customers and they are doing pretty well.  The same can be said for Wal-Mart, Lexus, Merck, ….  ALL businesses are in the constant challenge of attracting new customers and providing service to retain them.  So are we.  The more people we talk with, the more we will find.

Is it easy?  No, but the rewards can be substantial.  Take a look around at business successes- many created a new way to do something and were told their ideas were never going to make it- Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Wally “Famous” Amos, and the list goes on and on.  Anyone that challenges the status quo is going to face criticism and ridicule.  But we all have a choice- challenge the status quo and get the rewards that follow or accept the status quo and the life that follows.

Θpeople- the quality of people you talk with and share the business with.  There are some common characteristics about people that are successful in this business.  The “normal” market segments do not apply- age, education, race, geography, etc.  We are looking for people that are financially ambitious, people oriented, and entrepreneurially minded.  I believe that if people have those three characteristics we have an infinite better chance for them to see our business model, embrace it, and help us build it.

It is my belief that everyone “buys into” an economic model.  For some, it is employment.  For others it is entitlement.  For us it is entrepreneurship.  I don’t believe it would be possible for someone in either of the first two to convince me to “join” their system and I don’t believe it possible to convince those that are proponents of the first two to “join” ours.  Reviewing a previous example, Starbucks makes money only when someone “joins” their team because they like the coffee, convenience, or ambience.

Coming Soon…$ucce$$ Formula™  - Part II

UP

My wife and I went to see the new Disney Pixar movie, UP last week.  Great movie and what a life lesson!  The lesson that jumped out a me was how a 78 year old man, Mr. Fredericksen finally fulfilled his lifelong dream of an adventure- persistence pays!.  Carl and his wife Ellie, had a lifelong goal to follow their mentor’s mantra of “Adventure is out there!”

 

The lack of action initially caused Ellie to miss the trip because life got in the way.  I wonder how many of us have let life get in the way of our dreams.  H. D. Thoreau once wrote, “most men live lives of quiet desperation and die with a song still in their heart”. 

 

Set a goal and go for it!

 

 

Rising to the Challenge

There is something to be said for overcoming adversity, whether in a personal or professional setting. Your challenge may be physical, financial, emotional, or relational.  Despite the fact that we all moan and groan about the various challenges in our lives (okay, well at least I moan and groan), those very challenges are responsible for shaping us and giving us incredible confidence once we overcome them.

For example, this past year I have struggled like an absolute nut-job to reach Level 3 Director. It is an enormous change and a challenge that had me ready to throw in the towel on a number of occasions, but I persist until I reach that goal.  As I reflected on my pursuit, it dawned on me that I have not hit any goal that I set in the timeframe that I set them in my entire YTB career.  I set a goal to be Level 1 in 8 months- it took me 12.   I set a goal to be Level 2 in 8 months- it took me 10. And I now cannot believe how much better off I am. I am a richer person for having gone through the challenging experience.

But my observations are nothing new. Years and years ago, Winston Churchill laid out this gem: "If you're going through hell, keep going." I think that we can all agree that good ol' Winston Churchill knew what he was talking about.

Let me challenge you- do you want/need to make more money?  Do it.  Do you want/need to get in better shape?  Do it.  Do you need to spend more time with your spouse and kids?  Do it.  There is SO much more than getting by- I challenge you to find it!

knowledge.

Why do most Americans struggle financially when there are more books and information today on wealth principles than ever before?   Why do most Americans struggle when we live in the most prosperous country in the history of the world?  Why are there more new millionaires and bankruptcies at the same time?  I believe a significant part of the problem is that many labor under false ideas about money, work, prosperity and wealth.

 

What if what we think we know isn’t really true?  It seems to me that there are really 4 categories of knowledge. 

 

The first are things that we know that we know.  Those are things that are verifiable - things like oceans are large and wet; the square root of 4 is 2; the earth orbits around the sun, etc. 

 

The second are things we know we don’t know.  These are such things as most of us know we don’t know how to do brain surgery; we know that we don’t know how to fly a plane, etc. 

 

The third category you will find the things that we think we know.  Generally speaking, these are “facts” that we are told by others and we accept them until we are proven wrong such as, “So and so is a good person; such and such is a good company to work for….”  There is some danger in following this recommendation blindly.  How many of us have invested in a “can’t lose investment” only to lose because our advisor or recommender was not fully informed of the details. 

 

The fourth category is the one I would like to spend some time with. These are things that we don’t know that we don’t know.  Obviously, this is an infinitely larger category than the other three.  I wonder how many are sure we KNOW the right and most efficient roads to financial success.  Many of us “know” that the best way to get ahead is by having a “nice and secure” job even if it means that we spend our lives stuck in a situation that doesn’t bring us any joy. 

 

Let’s look at the “facts”. When we carefully analyze such traditional advice, we begin to see the other side.  When we study the lives of the ultra successful, we find a common thread: all of them pursued their passions instead of ignoring them or stifling them for the sake of “security”.   Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them”. Where would the world be if Walt Disney, Bill Gates, Nelson Mandela, and Henry Ford had followed the “facts” and worked at a job?

 

Many of us “know” that we should “max out our 401K”.  Let’s look at the facts.  Putting your money in a 401K lets your money stagnate beyond your control - where it can be put to productive use today.  The whole idea of “retirement” needs to be reconsidered and redefined. 

  

According to one study 75% of workers want to retire before age 60, only 25% believe they will.  Another study indicates that 2/3 retirees need to go back to work.  Is that plan working?   The present idea of retirement began around 1935, when it became evident that the only way to get older people to stop working for pay was to pay them enough to stop working.

 

A Californian, Francis Townsend, initiated a popular movement by proposing mandatory retirement at age 60. In exchange, the Government would pay pensions of up to $200 a month, an amount equivalent at the time to a full salary for a middle-income worker. Horrified at the prospect of Townsend's radical generosity, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed the Social Security Act of 1935, which made workers pay for their own old-age insurance. 

 

The implication of retirement is that you have become unable to perform your task or have done it long enough and want to do something else - both implications are that you no longer enjoy it.  What if you enjoy your money making activity?  Would you ever need to retire?  I don’t think so.  We can and must overcome our financial misperceptions that limit our potential if we want to be free as individuals and a country.

 

My main purpose is to challenge people to think more deeply and to raise their financial awareness to see through old “facts”, fallacies, and in some cases lies.  It’s to educate so that we can discern truth from falsehood so that more of us can avoid some of the pitfalls that come from well-intentioned bur wrong steps.  My goal is to help people have more power, more happiness, and more purposeful lives.

hope.

Hope is defined as a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.  In his Nobel lecture, Elie Wiesel said, "Just as man cannot live without dreams, he cannot live without hope. If dreams reflect the past, hope summons the future."  So why is it that some have a “hopeful” attitude and others don’t?  More importantly, can one change ones perspective as it relates to hope? 

Since hope is the anticipation that some good will eventually arrive, and perhaps also the means by which a person can anticipate a good outcome.  Dale Carnegie once stated that, “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”     

Historically, hope was personified in Greek mythology as Elpis. When Pandora opened Pandora's Box, she let out all the evils except one: hope. Apparently, the Greeks considered hope to be as dangerous as all the world's evils. But without hope to accompany all their troubles, humanity was filled with despair. It was a great relief when Pandora revisited her box and let out hope as well. It may be worthy to note that in the story, hope is represented as weakly leaving the box but is in effect far more potent than any of the major evils. In some faiths and religions of the world, hope plays a very important role. Hope can be passive in the sense of a wish, or active as a plan or idea, often against popular belief, with persistent, personal action to execute the plan or prove the idea. Consider a prisoner of war who never gives up hope for escape and, against the odds, plans and accomplishes this. By contrast, consider another prisoner who simply wishes or prays for freedom, or another who gives up all hope of freedom.

So what about you?  Do you have hope that your future can be better than your past?  Do you have hope that you can improve your financial situation?  Do you have hope that tomorrow can be better than today? 

Your life tomorrow will be the same as yesterday with two exceptions: the people you hang out with and the books you read. 

My advice: seek a new network and read some new books. 

I have offered up a few suggestions in Nick’s Picks at www.drblueman.com. 

New Power Team Announcement!

Make the DECISION today to get to your Power Team.  Every single person that is building their Marketing Business should be a Power Team Leader by June 1st!  Don't let this great opportunity pass you up.  Get to your Power Team and a help a few other people get to their Power Team and before you know it, you will have your first or another $1000 Leadership Bonus. 

If you already have 3, 4 or 5 travel websites sold you have just been promoted and the next personal sale will start your power team.  If you have 1 or 2 sold, when you sell the 3rd, you will be promoted and the next personal sale will start your power team.

Think about this for new RTA’s:

If you join YTB and sell 6 travel websites in your first 14 days in the business you will now earn $950.00**

And then only 3 more travel store sales anywhere in your power team will net you $1,150.00** to $1,300.00** !

We are talking about $2,250.00** for 9 travel store sales!

Let's help some people make some money!!!!!

**$950 - Breakdown
1st 3 travel store sales (first team):        3 x  $50 = $150
next 3 travel store sales (power team):   3 x $100 =$300
bonus if you do this in 14 days:               $500
TOTAL                                                    $950

**$1,150 Breakdown
3 travel store sales in your power team made by other RTA's : 3 x  $50 = $150
Leadership Bonus for 6                               $1,000
TOTAL                                                       $1,150

**$1,300 Breakdown
3 travel store sales made by you:  3 x $100 =  $300
Leadership Bonus for 6                                 $1,000
TOTAL                                                         $1,300

**$2,250 Breakdown
First 6 sales ( see above)      $950
Next 3 sales ( see above)      $1,300
TOTAL                               $2,250 

Good news and bad news...

First the bad news: The jobless rate in the United States is now 6% higher than it was before the recession of 2001. Not good. And downright dangerous...

 

Manufacturing jobs have shed over 212,000 jobs in the past year. The Financial Services industry has shed over 79,000 in the past year. And that’s only two industries.

 

Are you still relying on a 'JOB' to dictate your future?

 

I sure hope not. The times have changed. BIG time. The question is: Will you change with them?  If not, you could be in for quite a rough ride...

 

The good news: You now have a very, very real "never before seen" solution to the unemployment crisis unfolding in the United States.

As a matter of fact, you not only have a solution, you have a game plan, a proven business model, a support system, AND a team of experts in place to assist you every step of the way...