Why People Think Like They Do
“We hate to be disturbed in the beliefs and prejudices that have been handed down with the family furniture. At maturity too many of us go into hibernation, and live off the fat of ancient fetishes. If a new idea invades our den we rise up snarling from our winter sleep. But there is no adequate reason why the average man should ever close his mind to fresh “slants” on life.” THE LAW OF SUCCESS
Even though we should be more open to what we don’t know, most are closed minded to new ideas and thoughts. People have become comfortable in their own skin. If you tell them there might be another way, they will won’t even bother to ask for an explanation. However, they have no problem telling you what they don’t believe. My question is, “How would you know what’s outside your door if you never step outside that door.” At least be open to knowing what you don’t know.
We watched the heroic actions of Charles Ramsey who saved three young women from years of being locked away by kidnappers. Thank God Mr. Ramsey got off his porch and went to investigate what he heard. In 1964 a young woman in NYC was not as lucky as 38 people watched her murder without calling the police. It’s obvious that being brave and having a big heart does not come with economic status. It is also obvious that there are two types of people in this world. There are those who are waiting for someone else to step in and do something and then there are those who rush in without a thought to aid another human being.
These young women had no choice. They were locked up for 10 years without the ability to come and go. They were held hostage. Unfortunately, there are many people who are free but continue to live in the prison inside their head. Life is precious, get involved, pay attention, be aware. Let’s stop living in our own private world and just like the movie Avatar take on the mantra of “I see you”
Treating your business like a business
I want you to start treating your business like a business. I know a lot of people get into the world of network marketing because they want to make a lot of money. That’s a good reason but it’s not the only reason. Often people get excited when they see big checks and think, “Yeah…I really need that.” But what you really need is the truth about how to view and what to do with your new business. YES my friend, what you signed up for is your own business, distributorship, company, affiliate…whatever you want to call it, you are now in business. I know you saw dollar signs and a way to get paid for doing less than you do right now but that’s not true. Let me break it down for you.
Whether you were able to start your business for $100 or $500,000, you have a responsibility to know what you’re getting yourself into. Don’t take my word or the word of the person that brings you in, learn about your business. Take the time to learn the rules of engagement and how it works. If you were to open a brick n mortar business, which I have, you would be required to sign a lease and guess what….they don’t care if you make one dime, all they know is it’s the first of the month and they want the rent. You signed it and each month you are expected to pay it. Let’s say business is slow and you decide after a year that this is not working. Well guess what, you still have 2 years left on that 3 year lease you signed and you must pay it. You can try to find someone to take over your lease but the owner of that building doesn’t care. I don’t care if he told you a Starbucks is moving into the complex and it should bring a ton of business, if it doesn’t happen….oh well.
Now I know when you get into MLM rarely does a person pay more than $500 to get into that business unless they’re loading up on product and then they could come into the company with $5000+ but in most cases it’s not that much. With that being said, a dollar is still a dollar and a hot dog stand has to adhere to the same business principles as a retail store in the mall. If you don’t believe me read the E-myth by Michael Gerber.
Becoming an Independent Business Owner puts you in the category of a 1099 worker. Notice I said, “worker” because in order to get paid, you must do some work. I don’t care if the person who brought you into the business said “It’s really easy, you just have to do this”, you owe it to yourself to learn the rules of engagement. This is not the lottery or Las Vegas. You will not just rub the magic lamp and have a genie appear. You my friend are in business for yourself but not by yourself. Well that sounds great because when I was Series 6 and securities licensed, other than my Broker who was there to give me advice and training, he never went on one appointment with me. Even when Gerald Willhite and I had a restaurant in Rancho Cucamonga, we took the hit when things got tough. The employees only wanted to know when they got paid.
I’m giving you these different scenarios because you need to understand that when you embark upon the world of being self employed, YOU have some responsibility in all this.Actually, I lied…..YOU take credit for our success and your failure. Don’t do it if you’re saying to yourself, “If I’m not making money in 90 days, I’m out.” Then you should go gambling for 90 days and tell me how that turns out for you. You should go get a 9-5 job and work 12 hours a day for 40 hours pay because you have got to count the hours you get up, get dressed, drive to work and drive home. Now you can divide the hours you spend on that job by how much they actually pay you.
Bottom line is this. Before you get involved in ANY company as a 1099 worker, make sure it’s what you want to do and you are willing to do what you need to do. That monthly payment you make each month is THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS. There is no free lunch or free car. When you do the math, you’re really paying for doing your business. I don’t know a single business owner who doesn’t have costs associated with doing business. You may make enough commissions to cover the cost of doing business but it’s still a cost. So spend some time learning how to be a real business owner, a real entrepreneur not a want-repreneur. That’s someone who wants it but isn’t willing to do the work to get it. You wouldn’t open a retail store and then only go in it once a week to check on things because if you did you would be out of business before you know. Now the great thing about network marketing is that you have a team. With teamwork it makes our life so much sweeter. Even still teams are made of humans and humans can be unpredictable so although it’s great don’t be dependent. If you feel that you’re not getting the support you would like to have, then reach out to someone else until you find that right person. There are no guarantees that people will always behave the way we would like them to so try not to wear your heart on your sleeve. There are great leaders out there but nothing says you can’t become the leader you wish you had. So treat this business like a business and it will pay you like a business but if you treat it like a hobby then it will pay you like a hobby. We have the perfect business until we put YOU in it.
Today’s lesson is…….
I know you want to help EVERYONE win. I know you believe we can change the world. I know your heart is in the right place and it’s not about the money but about helping people live a better life. I know that and I believe you. Now for the lesson. You’re going to need to take notes and listen very carefully to my words.
There are people in this world who are very happy being miserable. They get high off complaining about everything that’s wrong in this world. They get a rush out of blaming the government and the President for every problem in the world. They don’t have any mirrors in their homes because if they did they would look in the mirror and know that life and everything you get out of it starts with the person looking back in the mirror and that would be YOU. I’m not saying that what goes on in the government on a local and national level is not important, I’m just saying that YOU probably aren’t going to do anything about it by talking about it so much. There are things in life that people can do to change their lives and they just don’t want to. Right now, we could show the average person how to take advantage of tax laws that would save them money and put money in their pockets but they’re too lazy to do it. Sandy Botkin lays it all out in his book “Lower Your Taxes Big Time” but they would have to read the book and we know how much work that is. Now with YouTube, they could just watch a video as long as it isn’t over 4 mins long. Yet they can watch a reality TV show or sports program that lasts 2 hours. Apathy is a club with the most members in it. Shouting, screaming, blaming, talking doesn’t solve problems…action solves problems. If people can’t solve the basic problems of their lives, how is bringing to our attention what’s going on in Washington DC or right in our own backyards going to change anything. If you ask them if they’ve got a plan, I guarantee you they don’t. So get use to it….a great majority of people fit into this category. Love on them, but don’t spend a lot of time with them. By time, I mean don’t listen to their crap. Tell them you’re allergic to complaining and blaming and your doctor told you to stay away from people like them. Take a picture of their face when you say this and post that on Facebook.
Life is not easy but it’s such a fun ride. I can’t imagine not trying to create a better life. It doesn’t feel good to fall down, but it feels amazing when your realize you actually got back up and get another chance. I’ve been a single mom for 20 years and I haven’t had a JOB for that long. It’s been work and I’ve won a few, lost a few, made friends and lost friends but I keep on getting up and trying again. What are the options…giving up? There’s tons of opportunity out there if you open your eyes and believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, how about God. ” I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me” Do you believe that? So my advice to all you out there who believe you have found the magic pill that will create happiness beyond belief…..keep taking them and sharing what you know. One day people will WAKE UP and they might even remember that you were the person who tried to help them do it. Success is not for everyone and that is their choice. Success does not discriminate…..people push it away. It is as attracted to you as you are to it. The right people will be attracted to your enthusiasm and the ones who are not did you a favor by staying away. Be grateful for that and keep it moving.
Freestyle writing helps you to blog on purpose
If you are thinking about starting a blog, try freestyle writing. For those of us who are new to blogging and I consider myself a newbie, freestyle writing might be just what the doctor ordered. It’s a chance for you to write without structure and to express yourself without editing. Sounds like dancing as though no one is watching and we know how much fun that is because you really cut loose. So here we go.
I really want to help people win in business. I’ve been self employed for the last 20 years and I’ve learned a lot from working 9-5 and I’ve learned even more from being a 1099 sales person. I love sales. I have no problem with it, I think it’s like sharing and I only share what I believe in. I don’t understand why it makes some people so uncomfortable. I could never do a job that is just about doing what I’m told without the ability to contribute and expand my brain. There is this big amazing world out there with so much opportunity and to sit in the same spot for 20 years doing the same thing day in and day out just to get a retirement check is off my radar…..I would die of boredom. That being said, it obviously works for a lot of people and I take my hat off to you because I am 100% unemployable. I would probably quit before they fired me.
In the course of those 20 years, I have experienced a lot of ups and downs both financially and emotionally. When things are going great and you are making the best decisions and making a lot of money for yourself and other people, they love you. Make some bad turns, lose some money or take a stand and the support gets less and less. You become the bad gal….the forget when you were the great gal. It’s your fault, I blame you, how could you, you got me into this. Taking responsibility for their decisions becomes your issues because we all know you were holding a gun to their head when they made these joint decisions. So what am I ranting about?
Staying true to yourself and learning from that journey that God so blessed us with. Every single step we take is on purpose. There is a reason for everything but when we are going through it we don’t understand why. It’s a cleansing process and it is so refreshing once you embrace it. It’s all good and it’s a badge of honor that we get to wear. Don’t wear it on the outside, wear it on the inside so you can remember the struggle. It’s like a beautiful day after a storm when the rain stops and the sun comes out. Take it for what it is and grow into the person you were meant to be. I know I have and I know I will continue to do so. It’s why I’m here.
So I blog to teach, to inspire, to encourage, to show my flaws, to give support, to show I’m human, to set an example, to tell the truth, to be authentic, to be of service. I am clear on my purpose, got my voice back and on the road to helping those who will allow me to help.
Competition and the Rules of Engagement
Years ago I was in a lawsuit against a former employer and the case ended up going to arbitration. I thought it was going to be a fight to the death and that both attorneys would have it out for each other. Although I did win the case, I noticed that during this week of what I thought was “Us versus them,” the two attorneys went to lunch with each other and were often seen on break laughing and having a great time with each other. The owners of the company that I sued and I didn’t speak at all and actually acted like we hated each other.
I heard a similar story from a friend who played in the NFL. He said the owners would discourage players from associating with other players from opposing teams yet the owners had parties together, vacationed together and even made money together.
Then there’s politicians, same game. Many Republicans and Democrats are good friends until they go to work and then it’s really about winning or losing. It’s hilarious to me when I see people getting so consumed with what’s going on and they don’t realize, none of them are being affected by what they do….we’re just pawns in a game that we can only win if we become one of them. It’s a private club that you’re not invited to. If you think your bitching and moaning about anything will change it, you should have them increase the dosage on your medication.
I was in a MLM company that felt very threatened when leaders looked for leaders outside the group. My friends Charles Vest and Ray McDonald and I came together to create the MMA..Master Mind Alliance. We were on 3 different teams and we wanted to come together to pool our talent and resources and help the average person with support and access to people they probably couldn’t reach on their own. Guess what happened when we had over 300 people on this call? We got a letter from the corporate office telling us we were in violation. Violation of what? Well even though we were independent contractors and had signed nothing with this type of stipulation, we were told to shut it down. Why? Because people fear losing control. Control of your mind that is. Now we can’t have people thinking for themselves can we? Because if they were to find out that there are places out there were people really are FREE….well they might all leave and want to go there. Kind of like the wizard behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz. Or like Hotel Transylvania where Dracula tries to keep his daughter Mavis away from humans.
The reality is that people of influence and people of substance are not afraid of a little friendly competition in the “game of life. People who leave corporate America and political office often collaborate and communicate with each other on a regular basis. Don’t get caught up in that silly nonsense that says when you leave a company, especially MLM, that you cannot still be friends or associates with the people you are leaving for another opportunity. That would be too much like a cult instead of an actual business. If someone aims to control what you say, who you say it to and what you do with YOUR life, then you might want to rethink that opportunity because something is not right. Know the rules of engagement. There’s definitely a game being played, just make sure the rules aren’t made to keep you in control. Own your life and pay attention to the signs. And remember the motto that all the big players in life live by, “It’s not personal….it’s just business.”
The Slight Edge
I started reading the Slight Edge by Jeff Olson again because I think it’s a great book for people looking to create a more successful life. It’s one of many favorites in my library. The best gift we can give to someone we care about is knowledge. The best thing they can do in return is to apply that knowledge and work toward a better life. Many people choose to spread the “bad news.” I choose to be a servant of wisdom. An ordinary person with an extraordinary purpose to share what I know with those who wish to know. Hoping my life story will encourage others to live a better life and dream again. Here is why I love The Slight Edge.
“Why is everyone so…down? Everything these people need to know to change their lives for the better is already available. All the information they could possibly need to put them on a path of extraordinary success and fulfillment is out there, in books and tapes, videos and workshops. There are people to help them–rich, living resources to guide them, be their mentors, teachers, coaches and allies.” The Slight Edge
If something is not right in your life or you’re hanging out with people who take pleasure in being miserable, then you must change your friends, and maybe even yourself. Everything you desire is right within your reach. There are many of us out there saying what I learned from my dear friend Karen Joyce, “How may I be of service.”
Why WakeUpNow
I get a lot of calls and a number of opportunities presented to me since leaving WorldVentures. I am not by experience a seasoned networker, but I was able to hit the Top 20 (legally) It wasn’t a “fluke” I truly believed in the product and that’s one reason why I went on 14 vacations. I made some great money but the sad part is my team did not….Out of 5000 people there were a handful that did. After leaving WV’s because of my own personal reasons, I was sought out and I also got out there to learn this industry. I’ve been a business owner for the last 20 years and had some successes and some failures. What I didn’t do is let those failures define me. After being mentored for over a year by my mentor, Karen Joyce, I slowly began to find my voice and my authenticity. After Karen’s death, I really began to question how might I be of service. I had fun and made money in a couple of businesses, but I honestly could not say that they were my passion or that I felt I was really helping people change their lives. Obviously that lifestyle and income was changing mine, but it felt like I was leaving people behind. I began studying MLM and was told to look for several things, which I will share with you. I decided to become a student of “the game.” Even though it may be considered a “game” there are certain games I would not play.
I went back to school and am currently getting my degree in Environmental Studies. This move was influenced by the birth of my granddaughter, Kayla Mancell and it would lead me to significance. My concern for her and the welfare of the next generation has lead me to this point. After a number of opportunities of “hit and miss”, this time I did my homework. My reasons for committing to WakeUpNow are as follows.
1. Kirby Cochran and Jason Elrod
For me and this is just my opinion, I was tired of dealing with heads of companies that know little to nothing about how to run a business. I wanted to be involved with people who were successful before Network Marketing and who like Warren Buffet are smart enough to see a great opportunity and look at it the same way.
2. A comp plan that even the novice could win with. I told myself I would never do another binary and without listening to my voice, I did…and each time it was a mistake. This comp plan could not be simpler Sponsor 3…help them get 3 and now with 12 people on your team your residual is $600 no sign up just $99 a month. Get 3 and yours is FREE
3. Products that people can and will use. Grocery, coupons, Taxbot, Finance, Maketplace, Identity Theft, Computer Guard, Vacation Club…etc. Most people save $300-$400 a month by using the services. True value in a business box. $24.95 for retail customers (you make $10 residual) Fundraiser with $10 going to non profit
4. The ability to create a team of leaders where our voice is heard. Gerald Willhite is the Director of Group Travel and works directly with CEO Kirby Cochran
Right now Utah and Sacramento are the fastest growing markets. However, we just brought in a top leader in Dallas….so that is bound to change very soon. This is wide open in the United States and we are open in India, Singapore and Canada and MX are next.
Significance and value are what I was looking for and as Karen Joyce my dear friend told me before her death….I would find such a place if I let go of what didn’t go right and move back to my authentic voice. I am happy to say, I’ve found my way back home! If you know someone who is looking for the same, have them contact me Robyn 909-231-8785 LADIES!!! We really need your leadership.
Reflection
Taking a moment to reflect on life. I think we should all take a moment or two and reflect on life. Reflect on our past, our present and the direction we are headed. Don’t get stuck in the past, but acknowledge it, what you’ve learned and make a promise to be better and do better. Stand firm and get a good sense about where you are headed. Proper planning and direction can put you on the right path to success. More than anything….do not let other people define who you are. That task belongs to you. LIVE…LOVE and LEARN in the present. Stay focused on the prize and don’t get caught up in other people’s version of reality. Stay true to what is authentic to you. And don’t forget to breathe……
I’m Know I’m Not Crazy!
Today I woke up so sure that my life is heading in the right direction. Have you ever felt that finally after years of struggle and trying to figure what path to take…..you now see it very clearly? For me, the key has been keeping an open mind and a grateful heart. However, the biggest moment has been realizing that I know a lot more about life than I thought. My mantra is simple for 2013. “I know I’m not crazy” Once you own that you really are intuitive, you really can read people and certain things about certain people and things are exactly what you thought…..you are on your way to living an authentic life.
People will try to convince you that you are wrong and that you are confused about what you see, but I’m here to tell you that there is something liberating about finding your voice. I am not talking about judgements on people because you don’t like their religion, politics,or them. I’m talking about this quote from Maya Angelou, “When people show you who they are…believe them” This could be one of the biggest steps in taking control of your life.
Stand in your truth. Listen to your inner voice and know what you know. The universe will show you many beautiful things and your path will open up.
I’m so excited to share with you what I’ve learned. The good, the bad and the helpful. Life is so amazing when you realize the lessons are here not just for you but to help others have a blessed and fulfilled journey. Share what you know that can help someone else go from showers to sunshine.
Dolphin Rescue
Dolphin Rescue I saw this today and thought it was so amazing. I hope you enjoy it and think about the beauty of these amazing animals. He asks for help and he gets it.