PERSEVERE

• Persist no matter what.
• Endure discomfort.
• Request help.
• Steadfastly hold on to your beliefs and values.
• Envision triumph.
• Very consistently keep at it.
• Embrace adversity as your teacher.
• Refuse to give up.
• Enjoy and celebrate every tiny bit of progress!

What others think about you...

People all around you are already thinking things about you – they just haven’t told you yet. BUT, if you decide to do things differently… like suddenly you decide you are going to run a marathon, sell your house or car, go abroad for a longer period of time or start a brand new career, then suddenly you will hear a lot of comments from people, as well as rumours beyond your belief.

The fact that people are so interested in you will come as a total surprise, who could have guessed… it is as if the Niagara Falls have been closed for renovation and just re-opened and the most popular topic is ”YOU”!

Let’s imagine you are looking at starting up a new business or changing careers. I can promise you that you will get a lot of suggestions, good advice from friends, relatives, neighbours and colleagues at work. Suddenly they have become (self-appointed) future strategists, trend analysts, experienced entrepreneurs etc.

Is this advice or real advice? Most often it is jealous colleagues that wish they too would dare make a change in their lives, or Mom and Dad who are worried you might get in with the wrong company or because they are just worried about you (though they wouldn’t express themselves in those exact words… but it is helpful if you understand what they really mean).

When I started my own home based business friends and relatives said: look upon it as money well invested in an education. And they were right – it has been a real good investment in education. I can’t even start explaining what it has meant for my personal development. Several of my friends thought I was nuts. Relatives, colleagues at work and old student friends gave me lots of advice, and most of their advice was meant to scare me off my initial ideas, and was well packaged in the words: I really care about you!

If you as an adolescent or older for that matter, have decided what you would like to do, and what education you would like to pursue, You Are Not Allowed To Change Your Mind Afterwards…  or are you?




Published in Better Networker 26/10-2010
http://www.betternetworker.com/articles/view/personal-development/mindset/what-others-think-about-you

What is the best business for a mediocre person?

I am talking about the best business for those who sit at home pondering different ideas (between television programs in the evenings) thinking about what they are going to do when they have found the perfect innovation that nobody has thought of before, or dreaming away while at work, thinking about being free and having control over their lives and their entire day and time. Why not, include finding one of those get-rich-quick solutions and that it would work, just this time?

The answer is… brace yourself …  It Doesn’t Exist!.  Mediocre people don’t become successful entrepreneurs. That is if you don’t want to devote more time to your business than you did when you were employed, and you don’t want to step out of your comfort-zone and you don’t want to do things that you thought you would never do or work hard to get what you really want! If you simply don’t want to, then at least spare you and your family the trouble that “trying” will cause.

If you on the contrary would like to develop personally, go against your fears and conquer them, achieve a fantastic lifestyle where you decide your life, work and socialise with people of your own choice, have time to spend with your family when you choose and when they need you, then maybe you are ready to start your own business.

Are you ready to challenge yourself, find out how far you are willing to go to achieve your goals, test how strong willed and determined you are, how teachable you are and are you ready to accept help from those who already are successful? Do you have the discipline to work without a boss watching over you?

The facts are, that those people who decide to start working from home with their own business have made a decision that they no longer want to be mediocre. They will not settle for less and would like to stretch themselves as far as they can, and test their own strengths. They stay focussed on their goals every single day, and become the best boss they ever had, and they work harder for that boss than any other boss they have ever had. They have full control over their finances and make a monthly budget. They do exactly what is needed to achieve success.

I made a decision to realise my dreams 10 months ago … Where are your dreams taking you?



Published on BetterNetworker 26/10-2010
http://www.betternetworker.com/articles/view/personal-development/discipline/business-mediocre

An interesting story about mindset

As my friend was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from the ropes they were tied to but for some reason, they did not. My friend saw a trainer nearby and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away.

"Well," he said, "when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free." My friend was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before? So make an attempt to grow further.... Why shouldn't we try it again?

Moral:

"YOUR ATTEMPT MAY FAIL, BUT NEVER FAIL TO MAKE AN ATTEMPT."

Questions are the answer

As Trent Hamm tells it, “I sat at the kitchen table flipping through the mail, seeing bill after bill after bill. I tore open a couple of them immediately, wanting to see the terrible news in its full glory. I began to calculate what I could afford to pay and what I could not. I began to quickly realize that the pile of bills I just received not only wouldn’t be covered by the current balance of my checking account, but that my next paycheck would not cover them either — and that was if I spent absolutely nothing on food, gasoline, or anything else.”

“I sat there completely stunned for a moment. Then I got up and went into my son’s room, closed the door behind me and sat down in the rocking chair across from his crib. He was so tiny laying there, less than six months old, and sleeping so peacefully there without a worry in the world. As I watched him lay there, gently breathing, emotions poured through me. Guilt. Shame. Embarrassment. Pain.” “I was failing this wonderful little boy, this child who had already brought incalculable joy into my life.

He relied on me for everything and because of my poor decision-making and my selfishness, I was letting him down. I closed my eyes and didn’t realize at first I was crying, almost uncontrollably. My wife came in and put her arm around me. Eventually my sobbing woke up my son, who also began to cry. Sarah held us both.”? - Exerpt from “Get Paid For Who You Are”.

This is something that I feel that many of us can relate to however, the sad reality is that although many people may find themselves in these type of circumstances, there are VERY FEW which find the heart to pull themselves out it. The masses simply just submit to their defeats and say to things to themselves such as, “You’re so far in debt…what makes you think you can get yourself out of it?”

The story goes on to say that Trent really began to evaluate his circumstances and changed the QUESTIONS he began to ask himself. Instead of saying, “Gee…I can’t do this…”, he began to ask himself, “How can I do this?”

You see when you change the questions that you ask yourself you change the direction of which way your mind focuses. In the story above, it could have been VERY easy for Trent to simply just throw in the towel and quit however, his love for his son and for his wife was FAR too strong to give up on them. Instead, he started to ask himself different questions which immediately shifted his energy from the negative to the positive.

When you ask yourself a question that is focused on the negative end of your current state of affairs, your mind immediately begins to look for other reasons and variables to make the situation seem even worse than it is! The troubling part of this is that many of us were conditioned this way as we were growing up. We were given these inferiority complexes which caused ourselves to think, things such as, “I’ve failed before…what makes me think I can succeed again?” Or… “I can’t be successful! I don’t even have a college degree!”

Whether you choose to believe it or not, the questions that we ask ourselves and other people give us power. If you find yourself in circumstances that you are currently not enjoying, it may be time to start asking yourself some new questions. Undoubtedly, the quickest way to change your focus is by asking what I call…

The Magic Question

Your mind is a very powerful tool and can be used to your advantage providing that you ask it the right type of questions. If you are serious about changing your life and the results you are currently getting, without question the most powerful thing you could ever ask yourself is, “How can I…(fill in the blank)?”

Whether you want more money, more time, freedom, more fulfilling relationships, better health, or a stronger spiritual connection, when you ask yourself “How can I…” you literally open yourself up to the infinite. The trick to really make this strategy shine is to constantly ask yourself that question.

• “How can I get out of debt?”
• “How can I attract a better business partner?”
• “How can I lose this unnecessary weight?”
• “How can I feel more fulfilled with what I’m doing?”
• “How can I contribute more to our world?”

The bottom line is that you have the choice to choose what you focus on in this world and if you find that your current results are not to your liking, you may need to evaluate the type of questions you are asking yourself or other people. Remember, it’s not only the questions that you ask, but also the questions that you don’t ask which shape your destiny.

How To Apply The Power Of Questions

I’m going to give you a powerful exercise that has been very beneficial in my life and will completely change your focus should you decide to use it in yours. The exercise is asking yourself the following questions each morning when you wake up and each evening before you go to bed.

Morning Power Questions

• What am I happy about in my life now?
• What am I excited about in my life now?
• What am I proud about in my life now?
• What am I grateful about in my life now?
• What am I enjoying the most in my life right now?
• What am I committed to in my life right now?
• Who do I love? Who loves me?

Evening Power Questions

• What have I given today?
• What did I learn today?
• How has today added to the quality of my life or how can I use today as an investment in my future?

Are you beginning to understand how powerful the questions we ask truly are and how big of an impact they could have on your future?

Leave me a comment in the box below and share your thoughts on this matter as the true learning comes from discussion. With that, I hope you’re having a lovely day and I cannot wait to share more with you. Go forth and live with passion!

Donkey in the well - A life lesson

This life lesson was forwarded to me in an email by a very dear person in my life who had just found out they were being forced to leave their job. As most of us would be heart broken at that kind of news, this person saw through the disappointment and sent this story to me.

After I read it, I thought “Wow”. I can learn a life lesson here. I don’t know who originally wrote it, so who ever you are, thank you very much!

“One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.

Finally, he decided the donkey was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey did something amazing.  He shook it off and took a step up.

As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.

Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember the five simple lessons in life to be happy:

Free your heart from hatred – Forgive
Free your mind from worries – Most never happen
Live simply and appreciate what you have

Give more

Expect less

The rest of the story….

The donkey later came back, and bit the farmer who had  tried to bury him. The gash from the bite got infected and the farmer eventually died in agony from septic shock.
The moral of the story….

When you do something wrong, and try to cover your ass, it always comes back to bite you.”

Written by Sue Knapstein 

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How to acquire a positive mindset

A positive mindset can be very powerful and very influential in your life. It is something that can be acquired by anyone by simply making a decision to think differently. To help change what you believe and how you think, you should investigate the ideas of the people you admire. Expose yourself to motivational and inspirational books and seminars. Although books alone will not transform you into a person with a positive mindset, the information the author shares may suggest a plan that can help you become more positive and optimistic.

Unless you expose yourself to the ideas of positive and successful people, habitual negative thoughts and lifestyle will not produce a person with a positive mindset.

A positive mindset is a way of life and lifestyle that sets you apart from people who are negative and miserable, you know what they say about "misery loves company". A positive mindset is not the same as a carefree existence. A person with a positive mindset operates with a plan instead of flying by the seat of his or her pants.

Learn to be flexible, exercise taking the opposite point of view contrary to your opinion. Entertain the thought that other people may be right and you may be wrong.

Become the person you want to be when you approach everyday with a positive mindset instead of finding something to complain about. Commit to changing the way you talk by not complaining. Simply put, if you can't say anything positive, don't say anything at all.

Positive affirmations are a popular tool to acquire a positive mindset. Some people advise writing positive affirmations on paper 20 times daily. You can also verbally state positive affirmations (using silent self-talk) or in private (in front of a mirror). There are a few key points to remember when writing affirmations. They are as follows:

Affirmations must be stated in the positive.
(I now only weigh ___ pounds)

Affirmations are more effective when you include your name.
(I, Mary, am a successful entrepreneur)

Affirmations must be in the present tense.
(I, Bob, am now a 6 figure earner)

Affirmations must be very specific.
(I, Elizabeth, generate $15,000 a month)

Adding the word "now" to your affirmation will make it more immediate.
(I , Laura, deserve to have a great relationship now!)

As you focus on acquiring a positive mindset it is important to document your goals and objectives daily. Start a journal with nothing but goals, accomplished objectives and aspirations. As you implement your plans document all your successes in your journal. Gradually you will learn to view the person in the mirror with renewed respect and admiration.

Developing a positive mindset is one of the most powerful and most rewarding life strategies there is. Positive thinking and a powerful attitude toward life is an essential key in life success and having a healthy mind and body. Positive mindset is your key to success in life and in business. At a personal level it will transform your life, your health and renew your passion for life. Professionally, you can use the power of a positive mindset to create success and reach your financial goals.

Positive people can recognize good opportunities and realize their potential. Negative people fail to recognize opportunity when it is presented to them. Positive people expect to succeed and negative people expect to fail. Whether you believe you can or cannot achieve something you are right. So why not believe that you "can".

Having a positive or negative mindset is merely a choice. Choosing to have a positive mindset will allow you to attract amazing opportunities and successes in your life. Choosing to be negative will only attract more negativity and failures in your life. How will you choose to live your life?

Successful business people are not like ordinary people.

Successful business people are not like ordinary people. They have character traits that set them apart. Someone who has these traits will most likely succeed in network marketing where it pays to be confident, be able to sell yourself and ideas to others, create a brand and above all, be persistent, which is the way of the future when it comes to marketing.

Confidence is the key component in a personality trait that leads to success in a marketing business. Without confidence, even those with the best products and plan will fail as they do not exude this necessary mindset that others will subconsciously respond to. Those who succeed in marketing business have an unwavering confidence in their abilities. This is achieved by achieving goals that you set for yourself and personal growth.

Selling yourself is also necessary and will be an easier mindset to have when you have confidence. Your network marketing depends on those who will join your business. You have to let people know what you have to offer when it comes to selling yourself and your business. It is not enough to just say that you are rich and knowledgeable. You have to be able to back it up. You can do this when you establish yourself as an expert in your field.

Once you establish a name for yourself in the business, you have to build a brand. This takes time but means that when people see your business or your name, they will associate it with you. This is an important aspect in a successful network marketing business and will bring leads to you. In order to get to this point, you have to be willing to devote a great deal of your time to your business and on your personal development. This means persistence and executing your business plan.

Persistence is the most important personality trait for anyone to succeed in a business of their own. Giving up should not be an option. The most successful people in network marketing are those who gave 100 percent to their business. You cannot slack off on your business. Nor can you throw in the towel each time something goes wrong. Having your own business involves setbacks - there is no way around that. But if you are determined to make it, you will. Those who fail are quitters. If you have what it takes when it comes to starting a business, such as determination that allows you to shrug off any roadblocks and overcome them, you will not only succeed in your own network marketing business but in any business of your choice and most important, you will succeed in the game of life.

These personality traits are essential to those who are seeking to become successful in network marketing. These traits can be learned and perfected as the business moves along. In order to have what it takes to succeed in any business of your own, you need to be determined and confident so that you can sell yourself and establish your brand.

For any entrepreneur looking to be successful in business you will need to learn how to effectively market your business and attract quality leaders to your network marketing business.