MLM goals

What might you need to remember?

This is a question that a friend asked of me recently. We were talking about supplements and he was talking about a company his sister was involved in and I tuned in to find out more. Why? Cause in all honesty I'm an MLM wannabe. And once upon a time I was a wannabe in construction as well as in the concert lighting industry-but I persevered to becoming an builder and going on tour- but anyway. I guess becoming a student of the industry coupled with persistence makes success possible-at least it has for me. This awareness is golden because many people I mention my occupation to have either been burned or make reference to ponzi schemes. A quick Google search returns information on the most notorious and the man who is credited with the name Charles Ponzi an Italian emigrant to the US in the early 1900's. So as I listened I thought about how thankful I am that I didn't have large amounts of cash to lose going from one guru to another being passed around becoming a literal junkie of lead buying scams and endless failures.

Just being grateful doesn't lead to a good opportunity to help others see the reality of their superstar, heavy hitter, pushy, pyramid scheme distributors' dream killing tactics. But it does leave me in a good position to learn from the mistakes of others and really utilize the proven, duplicable system developed by the successful members of my mastermind team. The best thing about my team is that there is no 'agenda' as we represent many different companies in the field and there is never any products or companies mentioned. Just a genuine altruism, which is a refreshing motivation to continue to take action in building a successful network marketing organization. So what does this all mean to me and what do I have to remember?

I must always keep in mind what a wise man once said to me, "If it's difficult, you're doing something wrong. Step back and look for a different approach." Difficult is not to be confused with strenuous. If I am continually running into roadblocks that come from inside or from outside, I can take a breather and stop taking myself so seriously. I have no problem with learning and working hard towards a goal-provided that I can help others and have fun along the way! I mean, if it's not enjoyable why do it? The last time I checked, THIS IS IT! This is our one time chance at this life, so having fun is imperative. That was one of the first things I learned in this mastermind team, what kind of personality I have-or at least which is the most dominant anyway. Blue, blue, blue blue blue blue! And not the sad, staying inside the house on a sunny day blue. But the dream the bigger dream blue; while having fun painting the picture, helping others, and enjoying the gift of this wonderful life blue.

Traffic, where are all the people?

I spent some time last night following some suggestions for target marketing, which entailed creating an account on a service called Traffic Swarm. If you've never checked it out, it's interesting to say the least. As with any other online business they have a 'pro' version or a 'free' version or its equivalent. The free version allows for you to activate your account by simply browsing ads for home based business, network marketing, multilevel marketing, income opportunities, passive income, wealth, wellness, lead generation, you get the picture.

So as I went through and checked out the different sponsored/listed sites I got to thinking about how many people are looking to create income opportunities on the internet. There is definitely an aggressive market for working from home, firing your boss, residual income, completely automated-you don't have to do ANYTHING! opportunities. Wow, nothing? Really? I was raised by a single mother and didn't have my father a part of my life due to alcoholism, so there was not a lot of money to buy luxuries like nice clothes. This is something I am extremely grateful for today.

I wanted a few things that my mother couldn't afford as a teen and petitioned the great State of Texas for a working permit at 13, which they granted with conditions. My first job other than chores was working for Arby's a sandwich shop. I don't remember much about the day to day stuff but do remember the people involved. I know that it was during that first job that I really started to form an understanding of what I would do for the rest of my life-helping people.

So as I clicked through enough links to activate my account on Traffic Swarm I got to thinking what am I doing here? What will I write that hasn't already been written? And it dawned on me that all of these superstars with their turnkey, recruit...recruit...recruit!, replicated websites, scams, and automated downline builders-where you NEVER have to call any PEOPLE! I came to a realization that it is about the people for me, it's about hearing their hopes, their dreams, about their experiences, their children, their successes and failures.

I had a man once ask me if I wanted 10 years of success, right now? And being at a low spot in my life I said, "of course!" And he told me two of the most important things I have ever heard. He said, "first you will miss all of the miracles along the way. And second if you didn't have to work for it, then it won't have enough meaning to fight to keep it flourishing." I now understand about not missing all of the miracles along the way-10 years later. And I have no problem learning and working and growing to build a wildly successful, highly prosperous, fun loving and having, network marketing organization.

And I know in my heart that I could no more join an automated opportunity that adds 10,000 people to your organization before you can fall asleep than I could rob a bank, or gamble and lose someone's retirement in the stock market. I'm just not concerned with any opportunity that doesn't value the people who are willing to work to improve themselves and this world one person at a time.

Courage

Where does this precious quality come from? Is it nurture or nature? Is it a learned behavior acquired by watching the behaviors of others? I don't know, don't want to know, and further don't really care. I know it when I see it in another and have been attracted to such folks making lasting friendships with them. These are the kinds of people you want not only in your business but in your community and life as well. The courage to tell it like it is, the courage to say that's not a business model I'm willing to associate myself with-no matter how much money is involved.

The courage to really know oneself, the courage to inspire others, the courage to open the conversation so the prison walls of loneliness fade into the far off distance of another lifetime. The courage to give freely of oneself without freely giving oneself away. The courage to pursue one's dreams while understanding that it is only by helping others to a solution to their problems is all of this possible.

So, one might ask how does all of this relate to network marketing? It all sounds aloof and surreal-life is simple not like that. This is where personal commitment and courage meet the status quo. Dreams are not only discouraged but actively attacked from so many fronts in society that very few of make it to a successful realization. As a child my dream was real simple-I just wanted it to stop. All the fighting, the cruel words, all the things that transpired that no one ever talked about.

My dream was not possible then because we didn't have any solutions. We didn't have anything to compare it against, and we didn't have the courage to ask for help. Boy did I learn that lesson well, I look back and can honestly say that asking for help almost killed me-literally. But when I acquired the courage to say, "I don't know what I'm doing, can you please help me?" My life has never been the same since. People have not only shared their dreams with me, but have inspired me to use my creative imagination to create my own-what a gift!

In my mastermind community the amount of courage among the individuals is without equal in any one place, at any one time. There are many things I want to lose and replace with more of this precious quality. What do I want to lose? I want to lose the death grip on the self-sufficiency that served me so well as a child, a survival tool that has no capacity to allow dreams. I want to lose this idea that only a select certain few are capable of success, anyone with the commitment to personal growth can succeed. I want to lose many misconceptions about work, if I come up with results that are above and beyond I want to be paid or pay accordingly.

I know that my company shares my philosophy in many ways-especially the results. I'm inspired by the courage of the people on my team as well as everyone who is in my mastermind group. Courage is what sets one apart from a life of the ordinary to a life capable of the extraordinary. My dream as a youth has been fulfilled because I could finally say with an honest humility, "I don't know what I'm doing, can you please help me?" The courage it took to say those words again and again over the years has led me to a life that people like myself could only dream about, and today it's my reality! I pray that I continue to have the courage to be a light for others to make it from bridge to shore.

Determination

I awoke this morning to the joy of the dog that claims me, Sanyu, just a waggin' his tail overwhelmed with the whole prospect of being alive. I imagine him saying to me, "Let's go, we're alive, we're healthy, isn't it great? Let's go!" Some might say he just needed to go outside to take care of business, but you know I get to choose and I think it's truly the former. Much like my mastermind group, consisting of hundreds of positive, like minded individuals from all over the world up to the challenge of sharing a true altruistic vision of leadership to humanity. Half-empty? Not a chance!

As I settled in last night I was imagining my network marketing organization, the people-yes the people are what it's ALL about, and I was thinking about how incredible it is to choose who you will work with. And I came to the conclusion that only positive people who firmly believe in self-improvement are the only folks I can go that extra mile for in my organization. I mean anyone can get up and go to a job with the sole purpose of earning a paycheck, but at what cost? Health? Time with family? I have always been attracted to companies with a passion for what they were contributing to the world, and then moved into creating homes for people who were living in mere houses. But my passion is people, I like meeting them, helping them, learning from them, listening to them, sharing experiences with them, and conversing with them.

I searched and educated myself and quite by chance ran into the group of people who comprise my mastermind group. I am ever so grateful. I felt like I was pushing a huge round boulder and while I would strain, and strain and make a small bit of progress the cost of moving it by myself was just more than I could handle while achieving a healthy prosperity. I will always look fondly back on this time of my life and laugh with the leaders of my organization. I've finally come to the meat of the post, determination. I turned on the music after letting out the dog and started dancing while making breakfast, you all dance while making breakfast right? Well, anyway my roommate has two dogs as well one big one, and a Chihuahua-the ring leader.

Her name is Sandy and she doesn't have the same enthusiasm as Duke and Sanyu to traipse the yard barking at squirrels and joggers in the neighborhood. Not a chance! She always looks in through the glass door at me dancing and cooking-I know she thinks, "Wow, look at those moves!" or more likely I could concede that she has a solid determination to acquire some kind, any kind of scraps. But that kind of determination has helped me overcome many obstacles and challenges to now have help with that huge boulder-there's nothing like a few extra hands on ANY task. So Sandy and I will stay patiently standing at the door to let in the next group of people who are willing to stop pushing the boulder alone.