April Fools! That’s right. Today, April 1, here in the U S (I don’t know about other countries) is the only day when it’s ok to tell a white lie, fib, or stretch the truth.
So for the other 364 days per year in your business life, let me set the record straight. Commitment is just one of the traits, skills, or prerequisites for the attainment of success. Some others that come immediately to mind are perseverance, leadership, a deep seated “why” or passion, and a desire to help others in addition to yourself.
True, you must first have the desire for success, but desire alone is not enough. Because we know that success doesn’t come to just anyone, we also believe that the road may have some bumps along the way. And it’s the attitude of “I’ll do whatever it takes for as long as it takes” that defines commitment, and sets one apart.
If success is your goal in any aspect of life, commit to it, and believe that you will get it. The following video may keep you inspired.
Many times staying focused on our commitments is difficult in a busy world. So I created this video vision board as something can be watched everyday to keep thoughts and emotions flowing in the “right” direction. Of course, this video depicts a male…
Being a good leader means attracting others and guiding them toward success.
Would you like to be the type of leader that not only other people follow, but are initially attracted to? If so, in this post, you’ll discover how just one little 5 letter word can be used to provide the inspiration to become, as the US Army slogan says, “all you can be.” Or at least a better leader than you are today.
WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
John Maxwell writes extensively on leadership, and what he feels are its attributes and principles. Some time ago, I read an article by him in which he referred to that little 5 letter word, and it has stuck with me.
If I say the word, “ordinary” – what kind of picture does that produce in your mind?
Something that’s OK, or not bad, maybe, but certainly, not very exciting, right?
But what if I say the word, “extraordinary”. Notice how that changes the picture for you. That is something you could get excited about, and so could others, especially in terms of leadership. And the difference is all contained in those 5 little letters.
Five Letters That Can Make a Difference In Leaders
When it comes to leadership, you can move from ordinary to extraordinary by concentrating on the five “extra” letters, and by choosing to do the “extra” things other people choose not to do. But as John Maxwell tells us, they don’t have to be big things in order to make that difference.
Choosing to do the extra things has the power to transform common, usual, boring, normal, and average,
into
uncommon, special, amazing, incredible, and above average.
According to John, the difference separating the two is more often exaggerated in our minds, than it is in action or performance. Sometimes what we think of as a miniscule separation in execution can actually be monumental in term of results. John uses the example of the elapsed time of an Olympic champion over his nearest competitor to show the difference between wearing the Gold Medal and not. Can the slightest of margins change your ordinary life to become extraordinary?
LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT
What are some of the little “extras” that can help you make that change? How about:
* extra effort – doing more than what’s required. What are you willing to pay for success?
* extra time – investing your most valuable resource to improve yourself. What are you willing to give up for success?
* help – seeking the wisdom and counsel of those who have gone before . What are you willing to learn for success?
One might say, it’s really all about going the “extra mile”, when others don’t or won’t.
This is a video Rory made for the song “The Extra Mile”. Set to the inspirational story of the father/son team Dick and Rick Hoyt…this is a powerful message to all of us. Joey adn Rory’s friends Paul Sikes & Bonnie Baker wrote the song and the sing…
YOUR SUCCESS DEPENDS ON YOU
Putting out a little more effort, investing a little more time, and seeking help when it calls for it, can move you faster on the road to success. I once heard it said that the distance between ordinary and extraordinary is measured in a tea cup, not a wine barrel. Following John’s advice can help you become the type of leader you need to be – one that others will respect and follow.
For more wisdom from John, read his book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.
Og Mandino, personal development author and business philosopher
Recently I was re-reading some articles from previous years issues of Success magazine, and I came across an article on Og Mandino. I was impressed with his story of how he went from a drunken failure to become a great life and business philosopher, and author who influenced millions of lives. So I figured I would share my thoughts for people out there who had not heard of him.
OG MANDINO – EARLY ON
Og, which is a nickname for Augustine, was born in 1923. He originally had great dreams, but they were interrupted when his mother died suddenly. This shock caused him to abandon his plans for college, and instead enlisted in the armed forces as a pilot. It was here that he met and became friends with a fellow pilot who went on to become famous in Hollywood. Do you know who? (answer at the end of this post).
Afterwards, he got married, and attempted to make it in the world of insurance sales. This was a time of tremendous failure for him, and soon his frustration led him to a drinking problem, which ended up costing him his wife and child. At one point, he even contemplated suicide.
Think of that – one of the great business philosophers of this century, was just one step away from making a difference in NO one’s life.
THE DISCOVERY AND TURNAROUND
As he told it, Providence intervened and directed him away from the gun at the pawn shop, to a library nearby where he discovered the world of self-development, motivation and success. He turned this early discovery into a routine and lifestyle of pursuit of the principles and guidelines for achieving success from reading hundreds of books by many different authors.
Is this a step you would consider as part of your payment for success?
He re-entered the world of insurance again, this time working for one of his mentors, W. Clement Stone. This time though, having learned some very important lessons, he was determined not to fail.
Sometimes that’s all it takes. Desire, and the determination for action to make it happen.
LESSONS LEARNED AND SHARED
This time, he didn’t fail. Promotion followed promotion, and soon he was putting into words his own philosophies of success, as he developed into a personal development author in his own right.
His most famous book of the 19 he wrote, was The Greatest Salesman in the World. The wisdom in this book is contained in the 10 scrolls for successful selling and successful living. Each scroll contained a principle to be applied in one’s life. They are
1. I begin a new life.
2. I will greet this day with love in my heart.
3. I will persist until I succeed.
4. I am nature’s greatest miracle.
5. I will live this day as if it is my last.
6. Today I will be master of my emotions.
7. I will laugh at the world.
8. Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
9. I will act now. I will act now. I will act now.
10. I will pray for guidance.
As you can see by #10, Og Mandino was a spiritual man, and considered The Bible as one of the 12 greatest inspirational and self-help books ever written. He was a man of action, and he believed that everyone was unique, and deserved the opportunity to struggle for success. After all, he was able to turn his life around, and he believed that everyone with the desire to do so, could if they applied action to their dreams and aspirations.
I will act now. Success will not wait. If I delay, success will become wed to another and lost to me forever. This is the time. This is the place. I am the person. Og Mandino. By Geophrey A. Tenganamba: gtlivemore@gmail.com …
If you’ve read The Greatest Salesman in the World or any other books by Og Mandino, please share your thoughts in the comment section below. And the guy who became a Hollywood legend – Jimmy Stewart.
For other books and videos on business philosophy and success, please check out my Success Resources Store.
Anyone that has checked out my “About” page, has discovered that I’m a part time musician. I’ve played piano for over 50 years now, with various bands and combos. And this past weekend, I rehearsed with a former band that hadn’t played together for over 23 years.
We were surprised at how much we remembered of the songs, and it was great just getting together and playing with each other again. The reason for the rehearsal? Our upcoming “Key West” reunion concert this summer. “The Keys West” was the name of the band. It was a part time gig for all of us then too, but we were a fairly popular band back then, at least in our local area.
GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS
So it got me to thinking, that maybe the reunion idea could be applied on a personal level to anetwork marketing business as well.
How, you might ask?
Well, a reunion implies re-establishing relationships from the past, right? Time has a way of putting distance between people, especially as direct contact diminishes. And everybody knows that network marketing is a business of relationships and relationship building.
Even if you’re committed to the new method of building your business mostly online, there are still ways to accomplish this.
Creating your Mlm business on line is not necessary but ordinarily during your Network marketing trip you’ll discover yourself out of qualified prospects plus your comfortable market as you know it exhausted. This of course introduces that you by no. … It may not be about spamming those with your chance but trying to find great relationships that you can learn more about and come to be a live discussion. Find out about their enterprise, see how you may enable them to, and say to …
How long has it been since you reached out and actually talked with some of the people a little further downlinein your organization?
No, I’m not talking about the voicemail blast that you sent out last week. But actually picking up the phone, and trying to connect again with some of the minor team members in your organization. Your success depends on the teamwork you develop.
mlmfreecoach.com MLM is a team relationship mentoring Tom Big Al Schreider Art Jonak Lilly Kremer Pets Wildlife Animals winalite Agel Alticor Amsoil Amway Quixtar BioPerformance Cobra Group Deutsche Vermögensberatung Discovery Toys Equinox Internatio…
When you reach out to them, try to determine where they’re at in the life of their business. What did they want to accomplish, and have they? Are they still using the products or service? If they kind of “fell away”, do you know why? Is there any assistance you can offer that will get them engaged again?
Reach out to build relationships
Just some of the things that you might learn, if you can make the time and effort to reach out again. They’ll probably appreciate just hearing from you. And there’s a possibility that it could end up being a win-win.
So with that in mind – is it reunion time for you too?
If you found this information helpful, please comment below, and/or share it with others on Facebook or Twitter. To work with me in network marketing, check out the banners on the right.
LLC stands for Limited Liability Company, and is one of the options when starting a business. Another common business type for certain situations is a partnership, for example when both husband and wife are working the business together. Many of us, when we entered the world of network marketing, chose to start our new mlm business as a sole proprietorship. This was the simplest one, and presented no hassle.
THAT WAS THEN…
But is there a time in your business life to move on? Has your online business grown bigger than you first thought it would? Or, if you believe in the idea of multiple streams of income, are you in more than one business opportunity now?
IS IT RIGHT FOR YOU?
Perhaps it’s time to consider an LLC to see if it might be right for your situation. The following infographic should educate as it features key points to consider.
Is an LLC right for your business?
I’m not saying that this is necessarily the right choice for you at this time, but it doesn’t hurt to become familiar with the benefits, as well as the disadvantages that this business type brings with it.
You started your network marketing business with one approach, in your own name as a sole proprietorship. Now you … Typically, you can NOT transfer a business license from your sole proprietorship name to your new LLC.
IT’S YOUR DECISION
It’s always good advice to check with your personal tax attorney or accountant to get their input. Whether you decide to keep your business as a sole proprietorship, or look at the option of an LLC or partnership, it’s all up to you, and what you feel is the best solution for your situation.
Believe me it’s been a long, long time since I stepped out on the court to compete in the game of basketball. In fact, I really only played one year in high school. I was a skinny kid, and not very good, so the next year I opted for jazz band instead, which steered me to my eventual degree in music. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t understand the game and the strategies. My court heroes at the time were names like Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Jerry West, Bob Pettit, and Elgin Baylor. (Am I showing my age?) The responsibility of implementing and teaching those strategies, from the bench at UCLA, was another person that was making a name for himself, Coach John Wooden.
John Robert Wooden (born October 14, 1910) is a retired American basketball coach. He is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player (class of 1961) and as a coach (class of 1973). He was the first person ever enshrined in both categorie…
Direction On and Off the Court
John Wooden lived to be almost 100 years old and was one of the winning-est coaches in college basketball. But coach John Wooden wasn’t only a success in the game of basketball, he was also a success in the game of life. He was a positive thinker, an innovator, and a motivator that was able to transform his command of the game into other areas outside basketball.
Advice From Dad
He was often heard quoting the “two sets of three” which he said he learned from his father. “Never lie, never cheat, never steal” and “don’t whine, don’t complain, don’t make excuses”. Timeless advice still today. And certainly things that can be applied to entrepreneurs in their business endeavors.
John Wooden was also known to have carried in his wallet a piece of paper given to him by his father that contained the following advice:
Be true to yourself.
Make each day your masterpiece.
Help others.
Drink deeply from good books.
Make friendship a fine art.
Build shelter against a rainy day.
Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.
The 9 Self Promises
John Wooden was certainly given good advice from his father, but John also came up with some pretty good insight and leadership principles on his own, which he followed and taught. John imparted some of his leadership wisdom through the written word. Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success: Building Blocks For a Better Life
and Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization
showcased his ability as an author. John Wooden felt that if you made the following 9 promises to yourself, you would be well on your way in your pursuit of happiness in life. They are:
1. Promise yourself that you will talk health, happiness and prosperity as often as possible.
2. Promise yourself to make all your friends know there is something in them that is special that you value.3. Promise yourself to think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best in yourself and others.4. Promise yourself to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
5. Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
6. Promise yourself to forget the mistakes of the past, and press on to greater achievements in the future.
7. Promise yourself to wear a cheerful appearance at all times, and give every person you meet a smile.
8. Promise yourself to give so much time improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
9. Promise yourself to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit trouble to press on you.
www.ted.com With profound simplicity, Coach John Wooden redefines success and urges us all to pursue the best in ourselves. In this inspiring talk he shares the advice he gave his players at UCLA, quotes poetry and remembers his father’s wisdom.TEDTa…
An Example To Follow
Leadership is all about setting an example to inspire others to achieve their individual and team goals. We as leaders would do well to make these nine self promises, and see how far it takes us. It’s not about being the MVP on the basketball court. It’s about using leadership to develop teamwork that produces lasting results – something Coach John Wooden was very, very good at.
April Fools! That’s right. Today, April 1, here in the U S (I don’t know about other countries) is the only day when it’s ok to tell a white lie, fib, or stretch the truth.
True, you must first have the desire for success, but desire alone is not enough. Because we know that success doesn’t come to just anyone, we also believe that the road may have some bumps along the way. And it’s the attitude of “I’ll do whatever it takes for as long as it takes” that defines commitment, and sets one apart.
