GREATER POSSIBILITIES

A few weeks ago on a Monday Morning Charge callI was listenig to Kip and Karl talk about dream stealers.  It dawned on me that this is seems to be one of the only industries where we really ever bring it up.  I don't ever remember going home and telling my spouse about a promotion and him saying "I hate that you're moving up the corporate ladder. Why don't you just stay where you are?"  It just goes to show you that people can be afraid of the possibilities, but only because they are thinking in the worst case scenario. If I quit my "steady" job (do those even exist in this economy, by the way?) to work for myself what can I lose?

• A consistent paycheck. I know exactly what to expect and when to expect it. 
• I get up by 7 and I'm in the office by 9.
• I work, I take a lunch break.
• And then I go home at 5.

There are problems with this scenario. They are called the other, GREATER possibilities. The ones we can create if we would just allow ourselves to let go of this false sense of control and wrong definitions of what "stability" mean.  What could be gained if we flipped the switch?

• Huge paychecks, that arrive all the time.
• Expecting it to always show up when it's supposed to, which is always the right time.
• I get up when I want to
• I eat when I want to
• I sleep when I want to
• And I do whatever I want in between!

I'm not sure which one sounds better to you, but I tend to gravitate to the GREATER possibilities.

I remember when I brought home my first check for my first sale in the direct sales industry. I was elated and I couldn't wait to show it to my doubting husband (ex-husband, that is).  He had ridiculed me, told me that I was involved with a scam and he would go on and on.  The odd thing is, that he was in one of the hardest sales industries out there- copiers.  And he was good at it. In my mind, I wanted him to teach me what he was doing so I could apply it to my new business.  He clearly did not envision that as a possibility.  I showed him the check, and he had nothing to say except "That's great. Now you feel free to go out and make the millions and I'll stay home and cook and clean."  In my mind I ingored his sarcasm and thought, "Okay!" 

Things got better for me, but not for him, and eventually we parted ways. His final words for me were "You'll never make it without me."  The empowered woman inside me rose right up and thought, "Oh, but I will. I will."

What if I had given up and given in and said he was right?  Where would I be today? None of us know, we can only speculate.  I'm just glad that I didn't buy in to his possiblities.

A couple years later I remember sitting out on the beach at a resort in the Dominican Republic.  I was sipping on a pina colada, enjoying the blue skies, the crystal clear water, and my financial independance.  I had to chuckle, because all I could think about was how he was the one missing out on this lifestyle because he could not see the GREATER POSSIBILITIES.

Give yourself the chance to succeed. Give yourself the chance to live a quality of life that the average person will never realize.  If you fail the first time, get right back up and do it again. If you fail the second time, dust yourself off, jump up and do it again.  Focus my friend.

Focus on the GREATER POSSIBILITIES and I believe that you will find they are in very close reach.

Update on Friday, May 22, 2009 at 02:19PM by Mary Dee

TJ and Denise...thanks so much for sharing! You are clearly both at a "turning point" in your lives. If you know WHY you want this new life, WHY you don't want to be bothered with debt, WHY you want to create financial success then your only option IS to succeed. The next question is...how long are you willing to see it through?

Some people want over night success...but over night success usually means a couple years of digging in to your business, investing your time in production versus playing, and focusing on revenue producing activities. It also means that you have to treat it like an investment...you put money in to it and you wait for the return, which in most cases is not instant. You have to be in it for the long run.

Here's one thing to not lose sight of either...the PRODUCT line at Wealth Masters is another way for you to start putting your financial house in order. Once you get the m1 in your hands,go sign up for the Wealth Acceleration Program (WAP). The WAP is a road map, created just for you, to show you the fastest ways out of debt, the best tips to retire early, etc. You may find ways to shave your budget and opportunities to grow your money in creative ways that never occurred to you before.

Lastly, thanks for the kudos Linda! I try to type like I speak, and other than that I guess I just really paid attention in English class! Or maybe it was all those silly 25 page term papers we had to develop in college? Or to reference an earlier blog...maybe I'm just that darn lucky :)

Turn Dissapointment into Gold!

Dissapointment.

We've all faced it. It's part of every person's life and it's not something that we can just avoid or ignore.  It's one of those things that life throws at us and says "So, what are you going to do now?"

I remember being 18 years old and very excited about my very first network marketing company. It was the first time I had ever seen a presentation of this kind that clicked with me. It clicked when I saw the comp plan :)  The presenter was a good looking, professional guy in his early 30's and the room was packed. Looking back now, I find it odd that I would get that excited about water filtration systems but I guess when you put dollar signs behind just about anything the "thing" suddenly seems larger than life. Besides that, I was only 18- fresh out of highschool, diploma in hand, taking part time college classes, and working in management at the local grocery store making like $9/hr. I even remember my first raise: Congratulations, you now make 32 cents more an hour!  I definitely did not get excited about 32 cents. I'm pretty sure I was even a little insulted.

Over the course of the next 6 months I borrowed $5,000 from my parents, which they put on a credit card and simply gave me the bill each month. It was my first experience with credit beyond my car loan and Diamond Shamrock gas card.  I felt so responsible. I had a car payment, insurance, student loan, utilities...I was so grown up with my new found business that I was SURE would make me a millionaire in just one month :) I even danced around the living room singing the "I'm going to be rich" song and my mom was right there cheering me on. After all, they needed their $5k to be repaid! I went to the meetings. I danced on the stage. I went to the conference calls. I drove 10 hours to El Paso with my "upline" to go to a live training. My first sale was a $20 water bottle, of which I kept $7, that I sold to a guy I was dating. I'm pretty sure I didn't sell anything else after that. I did however, pay my parents back in full and I didn't care if I never saw another vitamin or water filtration system again.  Not long after that, the company folded and the owner, who I found so dynamic at the time, was arrested.

At 19 I found the perfect man. He was tall, dark and handsome. He had an amazing job in sales, pulling down 6 figures a year in his late 20's.  We went on nice trips. He bought me nice things. He went to church with me 3 times a week. He had lunch at my parent's house every Sunday and every week he would wash and detail their cars.  He participated in every birthday, easter egg, kid-friendly holiday under the sun with my nieces and nephews. Heck, he even helped my nephew get his first touch down at 4 years old against the "big kids."  This went on for 3 years. One day he proposed and at 22 I was getting married! What a dream. Or not.

Suddenly he did not want to go to church, AT ALL. Within the first month we were married he wanted to take a trip to Kentucky to visit his family. Two days before we leave he sits me down to tell me that the real reason we are going back is because he has to serve a few days in jail and pay a fine for a DUI he got a few months prior when he went home to celebrate his engagement with his buddies. He no longer wanted anything to do with birthdays or Sunday dinners and I distinctly remember our first Thanksgiving...he went out to play golf while the rest of us got thankful with each other at the house. He stopped coming home every night and he was moody. I remember waking up every day and telling God "Please let me love him or kill him, cause I can't do this anymore." I wanted to know what alien had abducted the man I dated and replaced him with this stranger I married.  You know this story- you might have one like it, and it ends the same way...in dissapointment. In divorce. I still remember the looks of wonderment in people's eyes when I told them I'm divorced...and only 25 years old.

But you see, these dissapointments came about for a reason. They were what I call the building blocks of experience. After my dissapointment with the mlm, I didn't let that taint my view of every company that held this model of business. However, I was much more thoughtful about what was realistic for me to do or not to do and in the timeframes that would or would not work for me before I invested in these kinds of things. Along came Kip, and because he was someone living a lifestyle that I wanted, I found it easy to relate to him and find the money to start my new business.  I knew what was involved and I didn't get caught up in the hype. Instead, I went to work. Dissapoinment has turned in to gold, it just took a few years for me to see it.  I love this industry. I love the freedom it awards to those who simply stick with it, and work through all the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, to get to the day when an income of 5 ot 6 figures a month is a reality and no longer a goal that seems light years away.  I love the personal growth that people receive and higher level of thinking that seems to follow as well.

Marriage has been a whole new experience as well. I have more realistic expectations. I know that I love my husband but there are moments where I just don't like him very much and we have to work through it.  He's kind and consistent and he knows how to deal with me when I'm not being so likable as well. I've seen him transform over the years...or maybe I've just seen him become more of who he really already was.  I know that communication is important. I know that name calling, hurtful criticism and the silent treatment are NOT the foundation of a good marriage! Knowing what not to do is almost as good as knowing what to do in certain situations. Again, it's past dissapointment that has turned in to gold.

What dissapointments are you facing today?  Are you going to let your reaction frame resentments or are you going to look at the situation and decide how to handle it differently the next time?

Amazing things are waiting on you to simply form a better attitude about the situation and move forward.  Turn your dissapointments in to gold, and you'll appreciate these experiences so much more when you see the value they bring you in the end!

Happy Ending Anyone?

Happy Old Year...and I wish you a very Happy New one too!

These last week's have been packed, and to say that Holiday season was my busiest is to also say that it was my best! A few weeks ago we added a new baby to the family...a little long haired dachshund that I named Teeny Weeny. I wasn't sure how our 65lb. chocolate lab, Mango, would respond. The day I brought Weeny home, Mango had actually caught a squirrel in the yard and that squirrel met it's demise.  Weeny is smaller than a squirrel at this point. However, Mango has been nothing but gentle and patient with the new pup and they really enjoy eachother's company.  Looks like we aren't done adding on to the family yet...Mango is now pregnant and will yield a healthy litter of chocolate lab pups in about 60 days. It's puppy season at my house, apparently! Like I told my husband...hey, they're cheaper than kids!!

And yes, you heard right, and I'm still getting used to using the word "husband." On New Years Eve we decided to celebrate Hollywood style, so we went to the Hollywood Chapel in the heart of Hollywood and tied the knot. We spent the Honeymoon in Beverly Hills and Westwood...2 of my favorite areas and my old stomping grounds. We took a helicopter ride all over greater Los Angeles and it flew us right up to the giant Hollywood sign.  I was thrilled. Bobby used to be an air traffic controller, as well as a fireman who did air rescue, so he is less than fond of helicopters. He was sure to inform me that last year was the worst year in history for life flight helicopters. All I could do was laugh and remind him that statistics prove that riding in a car is still more dangerous than being in a plane/helicopter/etc, yet we manage to get on the roads just about every day!

Another reason for the trip out west was for my movie. "Contract Killers" was entered in the Beverly Hills Film Festival so we got to catch a viewing on the big screen.  I'm very proud of my film and I hope you all go out and rent it next month when it releases to video!!

2008 is behind us, and mine definitely ended on a good note. I'm up and running in 2009 and SO looking forward to all the great, prosperous things that will develop in 2009.  How about you? Have you had a chance to reflect on how you did last year? What did you expect, and what were your actual results? If you're less than pleased with the answer, then I have some really good news for you.

Ready?

           Are you sure now?

                                       Cause this is really BIG news...

You've just received a brand new 365 days, an entire year, to create NEW and entirely DIFFERENT results than what you had last year!!! I encourage you to make the absolute best of it, and take nothing for granted. Love more, live more...and may 2009 be your BEST year ever!

What Matters Most

I love this time of year. A time where the Holiday's are rolling in and next thing you know we'll be around the tree celebrating Christmas and the New Year. By the way everyone, Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you got to spend it with those that you love and that you found much to be thankful for.  The clock is ticking down and this year is almost over. In about a month, this year gone, bye-bye, finito.

Here's my question for you: Did you make 2008 count?

Was it everything you wanted in your business or at your job? Was it everything you wanted in your personal relationships? How about your own personal growth and development?

Sometimes those are tough questions to answer. However, when we get honest with ourselves that's when we can usually identify the real parts of our lives that could use some work.  And working on these things is a good thing...it means we are opening up the opportunity for each of us to make some progress in our lives.

My area of opportunity is in an area many of us are familiar with...weight.  I moved to Sugar Land last October and I've managed to pack on 22 extra pounds. I'm pretty sure that's about the weight of the turkey we ate today. It's the size of my friend's medium sized mutt. It's a bag of rice. Ugh. I could keep going.  For all the great leaps and bounds I've made in other areas, it's been a heavy price to pay on my waist line, so now it's time to shape up again.  I just saw Deanna speak on health and wellness at the incredible m2 Wealth Conference we just wrapped in Marco Island, and I have a new motivation and insight on shaping up again. She called me out for sitting at my desk for 14 hours a day. Fourteen hours is an exaggeration of course, but it might as well be true. So, now I'm flying back home tomorrow and I'm committing to getting back in to shape and keeping it as part of my lifestyle.  When I lived in L.A. I went hiking almost everyday. I'm pretty sure the best I've done since I moved to Sugar Land was go to the gym here and there. Just because there aren't mountains to climb doesn't give me an excuse to not get some exercise.

I encourage you to jump on the band wagon. Obama is facilitating change in our government so let's facilitate some change in our own lives. Find ways to make your relationships better. Find ways to improve your business or your work life. Find ways to dig deep, and get rid of that second personality that isn't doing you any good in your personal relationships. The truth of the matter is that we make time for the things that are important to us.  So let's figure out what really matters, and get to working on it!

Update on Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 11:06PM by Mary Dee

I've been faithful to keeping my food journal, reducing my portions and going back to the gym. This week...I lost 3 lbs! Woot!!!

Law, Luck or Blessing?

I learned this new buzz phrase a few years ago and it was called "The Law of Attraction." I also heard many other people say that the "law" was hocus pocus and people just want to create these theories around things just being 'how they are.' The hopefuls out there call it good old, plain old "good luck." But then, people who are like my family (as well as my family) would correct me and tell me there is no such thing as luck and every good thing is a blessing from God.

Well, who am I to argue with any of them? From my point of view I don't care where this good fortune comes from, I just know that I must have the recipe right. I take a bowl, mix in a little faith, a cup of optimism, a dash of hope, then I focus on results and viola! My good fortune seems to appear out of nowhere, just when I least expected it.

But wait...I DID EXPECT IT.

--> I'm coming back from a trip and I have managed to misplace my day planner. Not just ANY day planner...the one I have had for over 10 years now. The one I probably should replace but won't.  So I call the airlines, the airport...nothing. Nada. How oh how will I get through the rest of my weeks when my life is organized in one little 9x7 day planner?  I relax. I remind myself that I love that day planner and it's going to show up. As a matter of fact, I tell Mike that I know it's going to show back up, and that is why I'm not going to order a new one just yet. Mike knows me, and he says, "You know, if you were anyone else that might surprise me- but I believe you and I bet it shows up." 2 days later I'm calling Mike to tell him I just got a call from Continental's warehouse in Houston and have made arrangements to pick up my previously misplaced day planner.

--> I'm walking through the airport in Frankfurt, Germany and I'm about to go through the gate to catch my flight back to the U.S.   I reach in to sweatshirt pocket to find that I'm missing my passport and my cell phone. Uh-oh. I freak out for about 15 seconds and then I turn around to go back across the airport to retrace my steps. I take 10 steps, and a guy is walking towards me holding up a passport and as he hands it to me he says "I thought it looked like you in the picture." I take a thankful sigh of relief and then decide to rummage through my carry on one more time...and I find my phone. I meet my boyfriend on the other side and he says to me "Did you find it?" And I say, "Find what? I never lost anything!!"  Then I get on the plane, prepared to sit for 8 hours and amuse myself on the flight home, and as I reach up to touch my ear I realize that I am missing an earring. It must have fallen off when I took off my hoodie back at the security check point. Darn it. I search the hoodie. I search the floor. I pretty much pull out my seat (is that the floatation device I see?) but lo, no earring. After a full day of flying I get home, and begin pulling off my clothes...out flies my earring. How about that? I really DIDN'T lose anything. After all, I had already told myself (and my boyfriend) that same thing earlier!

--> I'm on a cruise. A cruise with predominantly seniors who like to play bingo. I'm getting a head start apparently because I too, like to play bingo! I play the first night and manage to lose at 5 different games of bingo, all with prizes ranging from $100-$150 a game. I leave a bit baffled because I can feel the winning in my bones.  Oh well says I...there will be more bingo. Next bingo game on another night, and the jackpot is one game with a grand prize of $1500. I tell everyone at dinner that I have to leave promptly after dessert because I'm going to win bingo and the jackpot is $1500. They chuckle. Keri says to me "Good luck" and I say "Thanks, I receive that!"  My boyfriend mocks me, and I tell him that I don't need his negativity because I feel way too much like a winner tonight and he does not need to participate.  He gets quiet and politely tells me that he will meet me after bingo for the show. I buy my bingo card with enthusiasm, and as he hands me the card full of my "lucky" numbers I say to him "This IS the winning card right?" He smiles, cocks his head and says "I hope so!" I nod my head and say "Me too!" Ten minutes later, I'm sitting virtually in the middle of the room and I jump up, do a little happy dance and say "BINGO!"  They come verify my winnings. The winnings I don't have to split with anyone- and I whisper a little prayer of thanks cause maybe I should be more excited, but I'm not, cause I had already told everyone I was going to win and I did!  My boyfriend walks in, unbeknownst to my situation, yet suspicious to my smirking and giggling. He starts to giggle too, and when he says "What?!?!" I open my purse to reveal $1500 in cold hard cash that I won playing cruise ship bingo :)

--> I go to Las Vegas this last weekend to an event called "Diamonds are Forever." They announce that they are going to draw for 2 diamonds, almost a karat in weight each.  I'm determined to win that diamond and even though the "chance" is in the draw, there are strategies in the game that can make your name more likely to come up. The technology made the screen show 100's of balls rolling around the screen- much like you see in those lottery drawings. The more people you connected with and exchanged information with (through the electronic gadget) the more points you would gain, and the heavier and bigger it would make your ball.  On day 1 I was in the lead. They drew 4 times for prizes and I didn't get even one of them.  Ugh. I could really go for that digital picture frame, you know? Then I remind myself that my eyes are really set on the diamonds. For the rest of the weekend I'm telling the staff, my colleagues, and perfect strangers that one of those diamonds has my name on it. One of those diamonds is going home with me.  The diamond called, and it can't wait to be part of my collection. I sit down at dinner on the final night and inform my entire table that they are going to get to see me go and collect a diamond on stage tonight. By now, you know where this is going...and yes, my new diamond is beautiful, thanks for asking :)

And just think, those were all in just the last couple of months!

So am I lucky? Really blessed? Is it the "law of attraction?"  I'm not sure, but I am sure of this...my new found effort is to focus on winning at least $10 million dollars in the lottery. Now granted, you have to play to win, so half my battle will be remembering to stop and get a ticket.  Are you laughing yet? I mean, why not?  If I am so blessed/lucky/exercising the law then WHY NOT? So I'm putting it out there...and I look forward to the day when I get to write the follow up on this blog so I can tell you that I'm laughing all the way to the bank!  Plus, I actually KNOW what to do with that kind of money (thank you Wealth Masters!)

Forrest Gump's momma was right. Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. But the part she forgot to tell you, is that sometimes, if you remember the shape of the chocolate you had once before, or maybe that it's a little darker than the other pieces, or maybe it has one of those extra squiggly designs on top...that once in a while you DO KNOW what you're going to get. (And take it from me...I've eaten lots of boxes of chocolate in my lifetime!)

I'm interested in what you think...so tell me, is it just dumb luck, be blessed or that good old law of attraction?  And what about you, what have you been attracting in your life?