Does a Law on Human Attraction Exist?

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“Opposites attract” is a law of attraction, at least where electromagnetism is concerned. But are there laws about attraction between two people? “In a world that is full of strangers” as a line in a famous song of the 1980’s goes, is there a clear set of rules that allows two people to fall for each other?

Is attraction a matter of chemistry?

Maybe. According to scientists, the attraction between animals of the opposite sex is all about chemicals called pheromones. The effect of pheromones in behavior of insects is the most studied to date.

It has been observed, at least in some experiments, that pheromones are responsible for communication among same species and colony of ants. The horrible odor released by skunks to ward off enemies is said to be a kind of pheromone. Some species of apes rub pheromone-containing urine on the feet of potential mates to attract them.

Some scientists believe that animals (usually the females) such as insects and mammals send out these chemical signals to tell the male of their species that their genes are different from theirs. This gene diversity is important in producing offspring with better chances of survival.

The perfume industry has capitalized on pheromones as a means to increase one’s sexual attractiveness to the opposite sex. Animals such as the whale and the musk deer were hunted down for these chemicals.

Lately, scientists are looking into the existence of human pheromones and its role in mate selection. There are many conflicting views in the realm of biology, chemistry, genetics, and psychology.

Most scientists would assert that these do not exist, or if they do, do not play a role in sexual attraction between a man and a woman. But new researches such as that conducted by Swiss researchers from the University of Bern led by Klaus Wedekind are slowly making these scientists rethink their stand.

Their experiment involved women sniffing the cotton shirts of different men during their ovulation period. It was found out that women prefer the smell of men’s shirts that were genetically different, but also shared similarities with the women’s genes.

This, like in the case of insects and other mammals, was to ensure better and healthier characteristics for their future children. But researchers also cautioned that preference for a male odor is affected by the women’s ovulation period, the food that men eat, perfumes and other scented body products, and the use of contraceptive pills.

Does personality figure in sexual attraction? Yes, but so does your perception of a potential mate’s personality.

According to a research conducted by Klohnen, E.C., & S. Luo in 2003 on interpersonal attraction and personality, a person’s sense of self-security and at least the person’s perception of his/her partner were found to be strong determinants of attraction in hypothetical situations.

What does this tell us? We prefer a certain personality type, which attracts you to a person. But aside from the actual personality of the person, which can only be verified through close interaction through time, it is your perception of your potential partner that attracts you to him/her, whether the person of your affection truly has that kind of personality or not.

This could probably account for a statement commonly heard from men and women on their failed relationships: “I thought he/she was this kind of person.”

So how does attraction figure in relationships?

You have probably heard that attraction is a prelude, or a factor towards a relationship. Most probably, at least in the beginning; but attraction alone cannot make a relationship work. It is that attraction that makes you notice a person from the opposite sex, but once you get to know the person more, attraction is just one consideration. Shared values, dreams, and passions become more significant in long-term relationships.

So should I stop trying to become attractive?

More than trying to become physically attractive, work on all aspects of your health: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Physical attraction is still a precursor. Remember, biology predisposes us to choose the partner with the healthiest genes.

Where your emotions are concerned, just ask this to yourself: would you want to spend time with a person who feels insecure about him/herself? Probably not!

There is wisdom in knowing yourself: who you are, your beliefs, values, and dreams. Don't pretend to be someone you aren't. Fooling another person by making him/her think that you share the same values and beliefs is only going to cause you both disappointments.

When you are healthy in all aspects, attractiveness becomes a consequence and not an end. As mentioned in the Klohnen and Luo’s research, a person’s sense of self-security matters, perhaps even beyond attraction.

But remember: do these things for yourself and not for other people. Only then can you truly harness your attractiveness as a person.



As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

Self Improvement And Success

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Everything that happens to us happens on purpose. And sometimes, one thing leads to another. Instead of locking yourself up in your cage of fears and crying over past heartaches, embarrassment and failures treat them as your teachers and they will become your tools in both self improvement and success.

Say this to yourself ... better yet, print it out and post it in a place where you will see it throughout your daily routine:

I Never See Failure As Failure But Only As:

- A learning experience!
- The negative feedback I need to change the course of my direction!
- The opportunity to develop my sense of humor!
- The opportunity to practice my technique and improve my performance!
- THE GAME I MUST PLAY TO WIN!

I remember watching Patch Adams. It's a great film that will help you improve yourself. Hunter “Patch” Adams is a medical student who failed to make it through the board exams. After months of suffering in melancholy, depression and suicidal attempts – he decided to seek medical attention and voluntarily admitted himself in a psychiatric ward.

His months of stay in the hospital led him to meeting different kinds of people. He met a catatonic, a mentally retarded person, a schizophrenic and so on. Patch found ways of treating his own ailment and finally realizes he has to get back on track. He woke up one morning realizing that after all the failure and pains he has gone through, he still wants to become a doctor.

He carries with himself a positive attitude that brought him self improvement and success. He didn’t only improved himself, but also the lives of the people around him and the quality of life in general. Did he succeed? Absolutely!

So, when does self improvement become synonymous with success? Where do we start?

*Stop thinking and feeling as if you’re a failure, because you’re not. How can others accept you if you can’t accept yourself?

*When you see gorgeous models on TV, think more of self improvement, not self pity. That isn't reality anyway! Self acceptance is not just about having nice slender legs, or great abs. Concentrate on inner beauty.

*When people feel down and low about themselves, help them move up. Don’t go down with them. They’ll pull you down further and both of you will end up feeling inferior.

*Mistakes are a great way to learn lessons. Don’t feel stupid and doomed forever just because you failed on your attempt to achieve something. There’s always a next time. Make room for self improvement.

*Take things one at a time. Don’t expect a black sheep to be renewed in the snap of a finger. Self improvement is a one day at a time process.

*Self improvement results in inner stability, personality development and SUCCESS. It comes from self confidence, self appreciation, self esteem and hard work.

* Set meaningful and achievable goals. If your goals are too far out of whack you will never reach them! Setting attainable goals is one of the keys to success.

*Little things to us may mean BIG things to other people. Sometimes, we don’t realize that the little things that we do like a pat on the back, saying “hi” or “hello”, greeting someone “good day” or telling Mr. Smith something like “hey, I love your tie!” are simple things that mean so much to other people. When we’re being appreciative about beautiful things around us and other people, we also become beautiful to them.

*When you’re willing to accept change and go through the process of self improvement, it doesn’t mean that everyone else is doing the same thing. The world is filled with people of different values and attitudes. Sometimes, even if you think you and your best friend always like to do the same thing together at the same time, he/she may decline an invitation for self improvement.

You should always remember that there’s no such thing as ‘over night success.’ If it was easy, wouldn't everyone be doing it? It's a wonderful feeling to hold on to the things that you already have in your possession, but realize that those are just some of the things you once wished for. A very nice quote says that “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” We are all here to learn our lessons. Our parents, school teachers, friends, colleagues, officemates, neighbors… they are our teachers. When we open our doors for self improvement, we increase our chances on the road of success.

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

Building Your Self Esteem; A Starter Guide To Self Improvement

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How do you stay calm, composed and maintain self esteem in a tough environment? Here are some tips you may consider as a starter's guide to self improvement.

Imagine yourself as a dart board. Everything and everyone else around you may become a dart, at one point or another. These darts will destroy your self esteem and pull you down in ways you won't even remember. Don't let them destroy you, or get the best of you. So which darts should you avoid?

Dart #1: A Negative Work Environment
Beware of the "dog eat dog" theory where everyone else is fighting just to get ahead. This is where non-appreciative people usually thrive. No one will appreciate your contributions even if you miss lunch and dinner, and stay up late. Most of the time you get to work too much without getting help from people concerned. Stay out of this, it will ruin your self esteem. Competition is at stake anywhere. Be healthy enough to compete, but in a healthy environment. one of my friends used to say "The best part about banging your head on the wall is how good it feels when you stop!" How true!!

Dart #2: Other People's Behavior
Bulldozers, brown nosers, gossipers, whiners, backstabbers, snipers, people walking wounded, controllers, naggers, complainers, exploders, patronizers, sluffers: all these kinds of people will pose bad vibes for your self esteem, as well as to your self improvement scheme. Stay away from them as mich as possible!

Dart #3: Changing Environment
You can't be a green bug on a brown field. Changes challenge our paradigms. It tests our flexibility, adaptability and alters the way we think. Some changes will make life difficult for a while. They may cause stress, but it will help us find ways to improve our selves. Change will be there forever, we are susceptible to it. It is inevitable and we must be comfortable with its presence.

Dart #4: Past Experience
It's okay to cry and say "ouch!" when we experience pain. But don't let pain transform itself into fear. It might grab you by the tail and swing you around. Treat each failure and mistake as a lesson.

Dart #5: Negative World View
Look at what you're looking at. In other words, don't wrap yourself up with all the negativities of the world. In building self esteem, we must learn how to make the best out of the worst situations.

Dart #6: Determination Theory
Your behavioral traits are said to be a mixed end product of your inherited traits (genetics), your upbringing (psychic), and your environmental surroundings such as your spouse, your company, the economy, and your circle of friends. You have your own identity. If your father is a failure, it doesn't mean you have to be a failure too. Learn from other people's experiences, so you'll never have to encounter the same mistakes.

Sometimes, you will wonder if some people are born leaders or positive thinkers. NO. Being positive, and staying positive is a choice. Building self esteem and drawing lines for self improvement is a choice, not a rule or a talent. God wouldn't come down from heaven and tell you "George, you may now have the permission to build self esteem and improve your self."

In life, its hard to stay tough. Especially when things and people around you keep pulling you down. When we get to the battle field, we should choose the right weapons to bring and armor to use. We need to pick those that are bullet proof. Life's options give us an array of additional options. Along the battle, we will get hit, kicked, and bruised. Wearing a bullet proof armor (ideally) means "self change" or "self improvement." This is the kind of change which only comes from within ourselves, voluntarily. Armor, or Self Change, changes 3 things: our attitude, our behavior and our way of thinking.

Building self esteem will eventually lead to self improvement if we start to become responsible for who we are, what we have and what we do. Its like a flame that should gradually spread like a brush fire from inside and out. When we develop self esteem, we take control of our mission, values and discipline. Self esteem brings about self improvement, true assessment, and determination.

So how do you start erecting up the building blocks of self esteem? Be positive. Be contented and happy. Be appreciative. Never miss an opportunity to pay a compliment. A positive way of living will help you build self esteem. This is your start to self improvement.

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

The Key To A Better Life

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Time management is basically about being focused. The Pareto Principle, also known as the '80:20 Rule', states that 80% of efforts that are not time managed or unfocused generates only 20% of the desired output. However, 80% of the desired output can be generated using only 20% of a well time managed effort.

Although the ratio '80:20' is only arbitrary, it is used to put emphasis on how much is lost or gained with time management.

Some people view time management as a list of rules that involves scheduling of appointments, goal settings, thorough planning, creating to do lists and prioritizing.

These are the core basics of time management that should be understood to develop an efficient personal time management skill. These basic skills can be fine tuned further to include the finer points of each skill that can give you that extra reserve to make the results you desire.

But there are more skills involved in time management than the core basics. Skills such as decision making, inherent abilities such as emotional intelligence and critical thinking are also essential to your personal growth.

Personal time management involves everything you do. No matter how big or how small, everything counts.

Every new piece of knowledge you acquire, each new bit of advice you consider, each new skill you develop should be taken into consideration.

Having a balanced life-style should be the primary goal in maintaining your personal time management. This is the main aspect that many practitioners of personal time management fail to grasp.

Time management is about getting results, not about being busy.

The six areas that personal time management seeks to improve in anyone's life are physical, intellectual, social, career, emotional and spiritual.

The physical aspect involves having a healthy body, less stress and fatigue.

The intellectual aspect involves learning and other mental growth activities.

The social aspect involves developing personal or intimate relations and being an active contributor to society.

The career aspect involves school and work.

The emotional aspect involves appropriate feelings and desires and manifesting them.

The spiritual aspect involves a personal quest for meaning.

Thoroughly planning and having a set of things to do for each of the key areas may not be very practical, but determining which area in your life is not being giving enough attention is part of time management.

Each area creates the whole you, if you are ignoring one area then you are ignoring an important part of yourself.

Personal time management should not be so daunting a task. It is a very sensible and reasonable approach in solving problems big or small.

A great way of learning time management and improving your personal life is to follow several basic activities.

One of them is to review your goals, whether it be immediate or long-term goals, often.

A way to do this is to keep a list that is always accessible to you.

Always determine which task is necessary or not necessary in achieving your goals and which activities are helping you maintain a balanced life style.

Each and every one of us has a peek time and a time when we slow down, these are our natural cycles. We should be able to distinguish that its time to do the difficult tasks when we are the sharpest.

Learn to say "No". You actually see this advice often. Heed it even if it involves saying the word to family or friends.

Pat yourself at the back or just reward yourself in any manner for an effective time management result.

Try and get the cooperation from people around you who are actually benefiting from your efforts of time management.

Don't procrastinate. Attend to necessary things immediately. Make the main thing, the main thing!

Have a positive attitude and set yourself up for success. But be realistic in your approach in achieving your goals.

Have a record or journal of all your activities. This will help you get things in their proper perspective.

These are the few steps you initially take in becoming a well rounded individual. Personal time management is the art and science of building a better life.

From the moment you integrate time management skills into your life, you have opened several options that can provide a broad spectrum of solutions to your personal growth and create more doors for opportunities to knock upon.


As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

Ethics: Doing The Right Thing Isn't Always Popular

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In order to live by your own ethical standards, you must first define and know what they are! Life today moves faster than ever.

Getting ahead, making lots of money, becoming successful and winning often is associated with "No Matter What!"

But is this ethical? Ethics are ignored and pushed aside all too often both on a professional and personal level.

Ethical behavior and standards need to be revisited by courageous leaders who are willing to take on unpopular issues. We can all make a difference by questioning things that don't seem ethical to us. We must let our views on the subject at hand be known!
Ethics need to be kept at the highest priority. This will keep our minds open to changes that might just be very important.

You must allow your mind to remain open. A closed mind accepts the "status quo" and can't see the reasons for supporting political and social concerns that need to be addressed. Closed minds support the old adage that "That's the way it's always been.

"Taking the "high road" requires courage and "doing the right thing" is not always popular! People who put their lives on the line to bring about the necessary changes on issues are people who put ethics first on their list of priorities.

Now, a lot of times people in political leadership positions or who are popular often obtain those positions in an unethical manner. Once they obtain their desired position, it is likely that their ethical conduct will continue in order to retain that position.

Some of them feel that they are "above the law", and it is our responsibility to insist that the people who hold positions of power function ethically. Laws are created for everyone and should be enforced for everyone equally; there are no exceptions!

America was founded on the principals of equal rights and freedom for all people. The reason America has grown is because of the open minds willing to accept new ideas and positive changes.

This means living by our defined values (ethics). Our shared ethical values keep us free and allow us to grow and stay strong. We can make a difference in conduct by setting a good example with high ethics.

So you are asking: "What can I do?" Here are a couple of suggestions:

1] If you are involved with situation, or see a situation, where ethics are being ignored or compromised, speak up! Make your objections known! Involve other people in the discussion when it is appropriate or required.

2] Set an example for others. Speak up, write letters, and do whatever you can to change the unethical behavior and bring it to the attention of other parties involved in the situation. Ask other
people to join you in your objections.

A group is stronger and has more influence that an individual standing alone. That doesn't mean that if nobody joins you in your objections you should just forget about it. You still need to voice your opinion and objections until somebody listens!

3] Make it one of your priorities, or even your mission to make a difference in areas where you believe ethical standards need to be raised. Take a job or join a political campaign, whatever you need to do to change the situation.

Keeping ethical conduct as a priority will assure that we all have a "future so bright we'll need to wear shades." We need to encourage and develop leaders in all aspects of our lives who make ethical behavior and standards the top priority in everything they do.

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

Adventures In Creative Thinking

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How many times have you caught yourself saying that there could be no other solution to a problem – and that problem leads to a dead end? How many times have you felt stumped knowing that the problem lying before you is one you cannot solve. No leads. No options. No solutions.

Did it feel like you had exhausted all possible options and yet are still before the mountain – large, unconquerable, and impregnable? When encountering such enormous problems, you may feel like you're hammering against a steel mountain. The pressure of having to solve such a problem may be overwhelming.

But rejoice! There might be some hope yet!

With some creative problem-solving techniques you may be able to look at your problem in a different light. And that light might just be at the end of the tunnel that leads to possible solutions.

First of all, in the light of creative problem-solving, you must be open-minded to the fact that there may be more than just one solution to the problem. And, you must be open to the fact that there may be solutions to problems you thought were unsolvable.

Now, with this optimistic mindset, we can try to be a little bit more creative in solving our problems.

Number one: maybe the reason we cannot solve our problems is that we have not really taken a hard look at what the problem is. Trying to understanding the problem and having a concrete understanding of its workings is integral in solving the problem. If you know how it works and what, exactly, the problem is, you will then have a better foundation to work on solving the problem.

Try to identify the participating entities within the problem and what their relationships are with one another. Take note of the things you stand to gain and stand to lose from the current problem. Once you do that, you will have a simple statement of what the problem is.

Number two: try to take note of all of the constraints and assumptions you have included in the scope of the problem. Sometimes it is these assumptions that obstruct our view of possible solutions. You have to identify which assumptions are valid, in which assumptions need to be addressed.

Number three: try to solve the problem in parts. Solve it going from a general view and move towards the more detailed parts of the problem. This is called the top-down approach. Write down the problem, and then break it down into manageable sections. Once you do that, come up with a one-sentence solution to each smaller portion. The solution should be a general statement of what will solve that particular portion of the problem. From here you can develop the solution further, and increase its complexity little by little.

Number four: although it helps to have critical thinking onboard as you solve a problem, you must also keep a creative, analytical voice at the back of your head. When someone comes up with a prospective solution, try to think how you could make that solution work. Try to be creative and remain open-minded tot he suggestions. At the same time, look for chinks in the armor of that solution.

Number five: it pays to remember that there may be more than just one solution being developed at one time. Try to keep track of all the solutions and their developments. There may be more than just one solution to the problem. If this is the case then you will need to eventually decide which solution is the best one.

Number six: remember the old adage "two heads are better than one." This is truer than it sounds. Always be open to new ideas. You can only benefit from listening to all the ideas each person has. This is especially true when the person you're talking to has had experience solving similar problems.

Organizing collective thought on the problem subject is much better than trying to figure it out on your own. Get yourself a "Mastermind Group" to assist you in resolving the problem satisfactorily.

Number seven: be patient. As long as you persevere and stay focused, there is always a chance that a solution will present itself. Remember that no one ever created an invention successfully the first time around.

Creative thinking exercises will also help you in your quest be a more creative problems solver. Here is one example:

Take a piece of paper and write any word that comes to mind at the center of the paper. Now look at that word, and then write the very next two words that come to your mind. This can go on until you can build a tree of related words. This helps you build logical thinking skills and fortifies your creative processes.

So, next time you see a problem you think you can't solve, don't panic. Panicking never solved anything and in most cases it will make the problem even worse! The solution might just be staring you right in the face. All it takes is just a little creative thinking, some planning, and a whole lot of perseverance.

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

Your Essential Guide To Stress Management

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We all have our own favorite expression when it comes to being stressed out. But when it comes down to it, I think it’s how we work, or even relaxed for that matter, that triggers stress. Ever been stressed out even when you're well relaxed and bored? I know I have. Here are some techniques that you can implement easily to help relieve your stress level.

It's important to find ways to decrease and prevent stressful incidents, but no matter what they are going to happen. The best way to handle them when they do occur is to decrease your negative reactions to stress. Here are some of the things that can be done. You can do a few of them in a longer span of time, but you should try to use these techniques whenever you can as the situations occur.


Time Management
---------------

Time management skills can allow you more time with your family and friends and increase your performance and productivity. This will also help reduce your stress.

To improve your time management:

- Save time by focusing and concentrating, delegating, and scheduling time for yourself.

- Keep a record of how you spend your time, including work, family, and leisure time.

- Prioritize your time by rating tasks by importance and urgency. Redirect your time to those activities that are important and meaningful to you. Don't move on to an unimportant task until the top priorities are complete!

- Manage your commitments by not over, or under, committing. Don't commit to what is not important to you.

- Deal with procrastination by using a day planner, breaking large projects into smaller ones, and setting short-term deadlines.

- Examine your beliefs to reduce conflict between what you believe and what your life is like.

- Build healthy coping strategies.


It is important that you identify your strategies for coping with different situations that could, and probably will, arise. One way to do this is by recording the stressful event, your reaction, and how you handled it in a journal. With this information, you can work to change unhealthy strategies into healthy ones. Those changes will help you focus on the positive and what you can change or control in your life. Jim Rohn (my favorite personal development mentor) says that "The same wind blows on us all, it's the set of your sails that determines the course you will take in your life ..." Think about this profound statement ... it is SO true!


Lifestyle
---------

Some behaviors and lifestyle choices affect your stress level. They may not cause stress directly, but they can interfere with the way your body seeks relief from stress.

Try these tips:

- Balance personal, work, and family needs and obligations. This can be difficult at best sometimes and can be a source of stress on all by itself!

- Have a sense of purpose in life.

- Get enough sleep, since your body recovers from the stresses of the day while you are sleeping.

- Eat a balanced diet for a nutritional defense against stress.

- Get moderate exercise throughout the week.

- Limit your consumption of alcohol.

- Don't smoke.


Social Support
--------------

Social support is a major factor in how we experience and handle stress. Social support is the positive support you receive from family, friends, and the community. It is the knowledge that you are cared for, loved, esteemed, and valued. More and more research indicates a strong relationship between social support and better mental and physical health.


Changing Your Way of Thinking
-----------------------------

When an event triggers negative thoughts, you may experience fear, insecurity, anxiety, depression, rage, guilt, and a sense of worthlessness or powerlessness. These emotions trigger the body's stress sensors, just as an actual threat does. Dealing with your negative thoughts and how you see things can help reduce stress. Try to replace your negativeness with positive thoughts.

-Thought replacement helps you stop a negative thought to help eliminate stress. Try to always see the "bright side" of any situation. This may be difficult, but it is necessary.

Let me tell you a quick story related to the last statement before moving on:

Four years ago I was laid off from my $80,000 per year job. We were on a 10 year contract for research and development of emerging Air Traffic Control Systems for the US government! Two years into the contract, we were given 3 days notice, no offer of alternate employment, and no severance pay! When the War in Iraq began, the government pulled all of our project money and put it towards Homeland Security. Now, we support our troops and our country to the fullest, but talk about a panic attack! Robin and I had no idea what to do or where to turn! They sent 200 people packing and put them out on the street. I admit that at first we were in panic mode and only saw the negative side of the situation. But after a few days we realized that this could be a blessing in disguise. This was the beginning of our Network Marketing careers and we have NEVER looked back since! It ended up being the BEST thing that ever could have happened! My personal stress level went down and my blood pressure actually dropped to normal levels and I didn't have to take my blood pressure medication any longer! My doctor asked me: "What did you do? Your blood pressure is normal!" My answer? "I got laid off!" Incredible!

So let's move on, I just wanted to share that story to make a point about the importance of last bulleted statement. It should not be overlooked!

- Disproving irrational thoughts helps you to avoid exaggerating the negative thought, anticipating the worst, and interpreting an event incorrectly.

- You need to always identify all aspects of a stressful event and find positive ways to deal with it.


Changing your communication style helps you relate in a way that makes your views known without making others feel put down, hostile, or intimidated. This reduces the stress that comes from poor communication. Use the assertiveness ladder to improve your communication style.

Even writers like me can get stressed even though we're just using our hands to do the talking. Having to sit for 7 or 8 hours at a time is already stressful enough, and we have our own methods to relieve stress. Whether you're the mail person, the CEO, or the average working parent, stress is an unwanted visitor you would love to remove from your home, work, and especially your life.


As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

The Basics of Goal Setting

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The basics of setting a goal is an open secret known by top-caliber athletes, successful businessmen (and businesswomen), and all types of achievers from all different fields and professions. The basics of setting goals give you short-term and long-term motivation and focus. They help you set focus on the acquisition of required knowledge and help you to plan and organize your resources and your time so that you can get the best out of your life.

Setting clearly defined short term and long term goals will enable you to measure your progress and achieve personal satisfaction once you have successfully met your goals. Charting your progress will also enable you to actually see the stages of completion leading to the actual realization of your goals. This eliminates the feeling of a long and pointless grind towards achieving your goal. Your self-confidence and level of competence will also improve as you will be more aware of your capabilities as you complete or achieve your goals.

The basics of goal setting involves deciding what you really want to do with your personal life and what short term and long term goals you need to achieve it. Then you have to break down your goals into smaller and more manageable targets that you must complete along your way to achieving your lifetime targets. Once you have created your list waste no time in working towards achieving your goals.

A good way to have a manageable list is to have a daily and weekly set of goals. By doing this you will always be in the position of moving towards your long term goals. Every day will give you the opportunity to fulfill a certain goal giving you the feeling of accomplishment.

Here are some pointers that should be taken into consideration in setting goals and achieving them:

Attitude plays a very big role in setting and achieving your goals. You must ask yourself if any part of you, your mind, or your environment is holding you back towards completion of even your simplest goals. Is there anything that is being a hindrance or putting your plans into disarray? If you do have problems in these areas, then you need to address these problems immediately. Solutions may include a visit to a doctor or psychiatrist to control your emotions, changing the people you hang around with, or changing your environment so that they are all conducive to obtaining your desired goals.

Careers are made by good time management practice and working towards established goals. Failing in a career is often attributed to bad time management. Careers require a lot from an individual which often makes the career the life of the individual. Plan how far you want to go into your career and maintain goals to help you reach the level of success you wish to achieve.

Education is paramount in achieving your goals. If your goals require you to have a certain kind of degree, or require a certain specialization, or demand a certain skill to be developed, make plans for receiving the appropriate education.

Also, your family should never be left out of your plans. If you are just starting out then you have to decide if you want to be a parent or when you want to be a parent if you aren’t one already. You also have to know if you really would be a good parent and how well you could relate to extended family members.

Personal financial situations also play a major role in achieving your goals. Have a realistic goal on how much you really want to earn. Make it a specific number, not an estimate or a range of numbers. You must be able to create plans or stages by which you will be able to reach your earning potential.

Physically gifted individuals may be able to achieve sports related goals like being in the National Basketball association or National Football League. Determining your physical capabilities should be one of your priorities. Physical limitations could however be conquered with proper planning and goal setting.

As the saying goes -'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy', or something to that effect, is by all means true down to the last the letter. Giving yourself a little pleasure should be included into your plans. You will drive yourself into the dirt if you just work, work, work and do nothing else. Rest and relaxation is a requirement and time should be set aside weekly to refresh your mind and give it a break.

To start achieving your lifetime goals, set a quarter of a century plan, then break it down to 5 year plans then break it down again to 1 year plans, then 6 month plans then monthly plans, then weekly, then daily. This gives you long term, mid-range and short term goals to aim for.

Use a planner and schedule your time for the entire week every Sunday. Sunday is a day off for me but I take the 30 to 60 minutes it takes to plan out my entire upcoming week. That way on Monday morning I can get right to work! First, list your projects or tasks that need to be completed, and then prioritize them according to importance. What will make the most impact on your life or business? These would be the top priorities, and so on down to the lowest priority. Next, you will schedule out your week on the planner pages. As you go through the week, make sure that each day, you complete your priority tasks FIRST before moving on to another task. You will see great improvements in the amount of meaningful work you get done throughout the week and how far you get working towards your ultimate goals.

Remember, as Jim Rohn states, “The major purpose of a goal is NOT the achievement of the goal, the achievement of the goal is secondary. The major purpose of a goal is what you become in the pursuit of it.”


As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

The 5 Basics Of Team Building

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com


There are 5 basic parts to building an effective and efficient team. If you incorporate these 5 basic principles you and your team will be successful and unstoppable!

Principle #1 - Training: In order to motivate people to learn, show them how the training can improve their lives and their potential. During this process, you will further your own goals through implementing and supporting learning activities. There are few things you need to keep in mind.

Don't skip the basics. They should be reviewed for everyone on a regular basis. They form the core foundation for everything that follows.

Use a "need to know" approach. Adults don't need broad training that isn't related to their job functions. They need specific training that will help them perform their duties, so tie the training offered into their daily functions.

Stress the personal benefits. Unfortunately, first and foremost, people are always interested in "WIIFM?" … What's In It For Me? If they don't see a personal benefit, they will not do what you are asking of them. So you need to show them how it benefits them personally as well as the team.

Give hands-on training. Experience is the best teacher. Most people, including myself, will learn a lot quicker and easier if they "Get their hands dirty." Simulation and role playing can be effective methods for hands-on training. Heck, they might even have fun with it and you never know what kind of creative ideas could pop up out of nowhere!

Keep the training session short. If they are too long, people will lose interest, become board, and not remember what they were taught. Teach them a lesson, allow them time to apply the lesson learned, and then move n to the next lesson. It is said that after 2 hours of straight training or lecture, the mind begins to wander and you aren't getting through to them any more anyway. So why waste your time and theirs? Keep it short and the training will be more effective.

Recognize that all people are different. Just because John comprehends the training immediately doesn't mean Mary will (and visa-versa). Have patience with the people who need more time and assistance than the others and give them what they need. In the long run they will be grateful and more efficient and effective.

Match the training to each individual person. If Mary works in the computer repair department and John simply uses a computer to help with his tasks, they obviously don't need the same training. Mary might need a computer repair course where John might need to know about spreadsheets.

Principle #2 - Delegating: You can't build a team without effective delegation. It's all too easy for a leader to fall into the trap of doing things themselves because they "want it done right." You have to learn to delegate tasks so that your time can be used optimally.

Have a clear definition of the task. Let them person know the results you are seeking and what benefits will come from completing the task rather than telling them how to do it. This allows for creativity. They come up with an idea that you never thought of which completes the task more efficiently or more productively.

Assign authority. Decide who is capable of performing the task and then give them the authority they need to complete the job on their own. Don't hold them back by micro-managing them.

Be crystal clear about who will be accountable for what. This will instill pride in their workmanship and will remain with the people delivering the results.

Offer guidelines. This reinforces your expectations to competent people and helps the unskilled or uncertain people learn what you expect from them.

Don't micro-manage! Monitor the progress of the tasks you have assigned, but don't hover over the people. You will make them nervous and resentful. It will give them the feeling that you are not confident of their abilities. If you micro-manage everything, you are not using your time effectively and you might as well do it yourself! At that point, what's the sense in delegating?

Provide feedback on progress. Ask the person their thoughts on the progress of the task. Offer suggestions, but don't make it concrete. You must allow for them to accept or reject your suggestion to a certain degree. Feedback, especially positive feedback, helps people improve and work harder towards accomplishing the intended goal. This is crucial!

Reward and recognize a job well done. Like feedback, positive reinforcement for a good effort is crucial. It allows people to feel they are doing a good job (assuming they are) and it motivates them to maintain the same level of competence and quality of work, if not improve upon it even further.

Principle #3 - Gratification: To maximize productivity and loyalty, create an atmosphere that is as stress free as possible. Finding a way to make the work enjoyable is conducive to people applying their talents and energy to reach the desired results.

Principle #4 - Directing: When you give people direction, challenge them to use their talents, and give them the independence to achieve their goal, you have helped them to fulfill their personal potential and that of the team. The team should create its mission statement itself. This gives them the pride of ownership. You can continue directing your team and use their mission statement and sense of pride as a motivator to achieve excellent results.

Principle #5 - Motivation: Directing your team is just the start. They have to be motivated! One of the best ways to motivate the team is through recognition and rewards. To most people recognition is more important than the pay associated with their successful completion of the task! It's commonly called "A Ego Trip." It sounds frivolous but it is important none the less. People thrive on it, some more than others, and it is a fantastic motivator!

Always praise your team in public, but correct them in private. There is no need to embarrass anyone and correcting people in public will eventually lead to embarrassing yourself. Nobody will want to be on your team, and productivity will slow down because everyone will be too afraid of being publicly ridiculed. They will take precautions and be extra careful not to make a mistake.

Praise what's right and train what's wrong. It's just plain stupid to fire somebody who needs training. Instead, get them the training they need. You never know, they could be your next superstar! Praise things that are working well to reinforce confidence. Provide training where improvement is required.

When you respect your team and work with them to improve, you create an atmosphere which breeds personal motivation in people and allows them to do their best. Build professionalism within your team by encouraging them to maintain a high standard of performance. Maintain the ideal that it's not the job you do, but how it is done that counts.


As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

Acquiring Power Through Self-Development

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com


It is the natural right of every human being to be happy and to escape all the miseries of life. Happiness is the normal condition, as natural as the landscapes and the seasons.

It is unnatural to suffer and it is only because of our ignorance that we do suffer. Happiness is the product of wisdom. To attain perfect wisdom, to comprehend fully the purpose of life, to realize completely the relationship of human beings to each other, is to put an end to all suffering and to escape every ill and evil that afflicts us.

Why do we suffer in life? Because in the scheme of nature we are being forced forward in evolution and we lack the spiritual illumination that alone can light the way and enable us to move safely among the obstacles that lie before us.

Usually we do not even see, or suspect the presence of, trouble until it suddenly leaps upon us like a concealed tiger.

One day our family circle is complete and happy. A week later death has come and gone and joy is replaced with agony.

Today we have a friend. Tomorrow he will be an enemy and we don't know why.

A little while ago we had wealth and all material luxuries. There was a sudden change and now we have only poverty and misery and yet we seek in vain for a reason why this should be.

There was a time when we had health and strength; but they have both departed and no trace of a reason appears.

Aside from these greater tragedies of life, innumerable things of lesser consequence continually bring to us little miseries and minor heartaches.

We most intently desire to avoid them, but we never see them until they strike us, until in the darkness of our ignorance we stumble upon them.

The thing we lack is the spiritual illumination that will enable us to look far and wide, finding the hidden causes of human suffering and revealing the method by which they may be avoided.

If we can reach illumination, the evolutionary journey can be made both comfortably and swiftly. It is as though we must pass through a long, dark room filled with furniture loosely scattered about.

In the darkness our progress would be slow and painful and our bruises many. But if we could flip the switch that turns on the light, we could then make the same journey quickly and with perfect safety and comfort.

The old method of education was to store the mind with as many facts, or supposed facts, as could be accumulated and to give a certain exterior polish to the personality. The theory was that when a man was born he was a completed human being and that all that could be done for him was to load him up with information that would be used with more or less skill.

The alternative idea is that the physical man, and all that constitutes his life in the physical world, is a very partial expression of the self. That in the ego of each there is practically unlimited power and wisdom.

These may be brought through into expression in the physical world as the physical body and its invisible counterparts, which together create the complex vehicle of the ego's manifestation.

That in exact proportion, conscious effort is given to such self-development will spiritual illumination be achieved and wisdom attained. Thus, the light that leads to happiness is kindled from within and the evolutionary journey that all are making may be robbed of its suffering.

Why does death bring misery? Chiefly because it separates us from those we love. The only other reason why death brings grief or fear is because we do not understand it and don't comprehend the part it plays in human evolution.

But the moment our ignorance gives way to comprehension, such fear vanishes and a serene happiness takes its place.

Why do we have enemies from whose words or acts we suffer? Because in our limited physical consciousness we do not perceive the unity of all life and realize that our wrong thinking and doing must react upon us, through other people, a situation from which there is no possible escape except through ceasing to think evil and then patiently awaiting the time when the causes we have already generated are fully exhausted.

When spiritual illumination comes, and we no longer stumble in the night of ignorance, the last enemy will disappear and we shall make no more enemies forever.

Why do people suffer from poverty and disease? Only because of our blundering ignorance that makes their existence possible for us, and because we do not comprehend their meaning and their lessons, nor know the attitude to assume toward them.

If we had the wisdom to understand why they come to people, why they are necessary factors in their evolution, they wouldn't burden us any more. When nature's lesson is fully learned, these silent teachers will vanish.

That's the way it is with all forms of suffering that we experience. They are at once reactions from our ignorant mistakes and instructors that attempt to point out a better way.

When we understand the lessons they teach, they are no longer necessary and disappear. It is not by the outward acquisition of facts that men become wise and great. It is by developing the soul from within until it illuminates the brain with that flood of light called genius.

Personal Development and Self-Improvement on a consistent basis will flip the light switch for you. Start today …

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

A Leader Communicates Effectively: Learn To Listen!

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com


There is more to effective communications than just being able to express yourself verbally. You must be willing and able to listen to others! Learning to listen is more than half the battle.

Listening is the way you learn what is going on and how it affects people. Usually, when there is a problem in an organization, it's because the leader hasn't listened to what is going on until it's too late and the situation has occurred.

There are two things you can do to grow your listening skills.

First, practice effective questioning. Think about questions you need to ask and ask good questions. You need to hear the answers from others, so don't have any preconceived notions about them.

Second, look for feedback. Giving and receiving feedback is a win-win situation. Ask for feedback from all members of the team, or group, and listen to it with an open mind. You need to remain open minded in order to effectively evaluate the answers you receive. This will also build trust amongst the group.

As a leader, you will eventually, and from time to time, have to deliver bad news to your team members. This is when your listening skills are the most critical. You must be as sharp as possible in listening to the feedback from team members in a bad situation so that you can effectively determine the impact this has on the people as individuals, and on the group as a whole.

There is a sequence of emotions that everyone goes through when they hear bad news. It starts with shock, moves to anger, rejection, and finally acceptance. After you tell them the news, you must become a top-notch listener. You must ask the right questions and ask for feedback so you know what people are feeling. Once you do this, you can help them move through the stages to accepting the situation.

Every leader is also faced with some form of conflict at one time or another. As the leader, you will be the one the group looks to for resolution of the problem. Conflict should be handled rapidly so it isn't lingering over the heads of the group or people involved. Lingering problems can cause reduce productivity, poor decision making and destroy relationships. Conflict can not be ignored, hoping that it will simply go away. If you don't feel comfortable handling conflict resolution or confronting conflicts, you should not be a leader. It's as simple as that! Your strength as a leader will be measured on your awareness of the conflict and your ability to resolve it. If you don't, or can't perform these functions, you will lose the respect of the team and people will begin to leave the organization or interrupt its progress. Communication is the key to conflict resolution. There are several steps you can take in these situations.

First, collect information. Listen to all party's point of view. Get the opinion of outsiders if you feel it is required. The viewpoints will most likely be totally different. You need to know the feelings along with the facts from all sides in order to successfully resolve the conflict. You must ask difficult questions and listen for the answers to determine the correct path to take to resolution.

Clarify the issues. Restate the points that were made and ask the people to correct you if you misunderstood what they were saying or feeling.

Identify common ground. Move to neutral territory. This is important so that one person does not have an advantage while another is disadvantaged. Whether this is perceived or factual, it will play a role in resolving the conflict and could cause animosity towards you from one party or the other. If one person feels slighted, or that you put them in an unfair situation, you have lost their respect. Use your power as the leader to determine where and when the discussions will take place and how you will proceed. Remember, you are in charge and they came to you for help! If you need to sit people down to talk together, a round table is the most non-threatening arrangement.

Create an action plan. Be a mediator if possible and let the group discover the plan. If the group is too large or totally disagrees, you will need to step in and assign a resolution and delegate who will perform what actions. Be sure to set a deadline for the actions and assign responsibility for their completion. Communicate the assignments, making sure they are crystal clear to everyone involved and check to be sure you were understood correctly.

If a conflict cannot be resolved (which is rare but does occur), you will need to make the decisions yourself that are best for the group and the mission as a whole. Tell the group that you are making the decisions and taking the actions that you feel are best for everyone and explain why you feel that way.

Conflict can actually be healthy. It could possibly expose differences of opinion that can create an exchange of ideas to help move you and your team forward. The key is not to allow confined frustration to hamper productivity or cause people to give up. You must act quickly and authoritatively in these situations.

Your goal is mature communication amongst the team members. This type of communication allows the words, thoughts and messages to be delivered with a balance of emotional and intellectual intensity. As a leader, you have to understand that people will respond from a place of emotion initially and logic does not play a part there. Allow them time to move from emotion to intellect so they can reason out the problem intelligently, not emotionally. Don't be judgmental, and allow people to express themselves. Your sensitivity is vital and you can't ignore the emotions involved.

So be a great example. Your actions will speak louder than your words! You will not have the respect of your team if you don't "walk your talk." And learn to listen!


As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

10 Ways To Empower Your Communications

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com


There's much more to conversation and communication that anyone could ever realize. You can watch talk shows, listen to radio programs, visit (and participate in) clubs dedicated to public speaking, hold ordinary conversations, etc. Certain rules apply when it comes to interaction through words. It may sound tedious, I know, but even though it's your mouth that's doing the work, your brain works twice as hard to churn out the information. So what better way to start learning to be an effective communicator than to know the very person closest to you: yourself.

1. What you know: Education is all about learning the basics, but to be an effective speaker you have to practice what you've learned. My times as guest at every Toastmasters' meeting I go to taught me that we all have our limitations. But that doesn't mean we can't learn to share what we know in an effective manner.

2. Listening: It's just as important to ask questions. Sometimes listening to the sound of our own voice can teach us to be a little bit more confident with ourselves and to say the things we believe in with conviction. When in normal conversation, you should be listening more than talking, especially in a business situation. And don't interrupt when somebody else is talking ... that's just plain rude! You have 2 ears and 1 mouth ... use them proportionately!

3. Humility: We all make mistakes. Sometimes that throws us off track and then we tend to slur our words, stutter, or maybe mispronounce certain words even though we know what the word is and it's definition. So in a group speaking setting, like Toastmasters, don't be afraid to ask if you're saying the right word properly. If they're unsure about it then make a joke out of it, it'll ease the tension and calm you down. I promise you, it'll make everyone laugh and you can simply brush it off.

4. Eye Contact: When it comes to directing your attention to your audience with an eye-catching gaze, it's important that you keep your focus when talking to a large group in a meeting or a gathering. If you feel comfortable talking with one person in the audience in particular then focus mainly on them, but scan the room as well occasionally. This practice will make you less nervous. I get nervous every time I speak to a crowd, and I've done it plenty of times. As I get more into the presentation or conversation I notice that the nervousness goes away, I think you will too if you stay focused on the topic and pick a friendly face to look at, but don't forget to scan the room too!

5. Kidding around: A little bit of humor can do wonders to lift the tension, or worse, boredom when making your speech. That way, you'll get the attention of the majority of the crowd and they'll feel that you're just as approachable, and as human as they are. They will feel more comfortable and so will you.

6. Be like the rest of them: Interaction is all about mingling with other people. You'll get a lot of ideas, possibly make good contacts, and find out through conversation what makes them tick. Don't act like you're better than everyone else. People don't like that, and you just might not be!

7. Me, Myself, and I: Admit it, there are times you sing to yourself in the shower. I know I do! Listening to the sound of your own voice while you practice your speech in front of a mirror can help correct the stress areas of your pitch. And while you're at it you can spruce up as well.

8. With a smile: A smile says it all, much like eye contact. There's no point to frowning in a meeting or a gathering. You can express what you're saying better when you smile. The audience will also feel more comfortable listening to you because, believe it or not, they can tell a lot about your personality just from the way you present yourself non-verbally.

9. A Role Model: Everyone should have a mentor. There must be at least one or two people in your life that you look up to, admire, and that you have listened to when they're at a public gathering. Sure they read their lines, but taking a mental note of how they emphasize what they say can help you once you take center stage.

10. Preparation: Make the best out of preparation rather than just scribbling notes and being in a hurried panic. Some people like to write things down on index cards, while others resort to being a little more silly as they look at their notes written on the palm of their hand (not for clammy hands, please). Just be comfortable with what you know since you enjoy your work. After you've done the same presentation or speech multiple times you'll get better at it and you won't need notes. But you still need to be prepared. You must get into the mindset required to give your presentation so you don't look like a dope standing up there. Somebody once asked Jim Rohn, "How do you do it? You give a 3 hour seminar and no notes?" ... his answer? "Well I've done it a few thousand times!" Be prepared!

And that about wraps it up. These suggestions might seem rather amateurish and basic, but you wouldn't believe the people who just disregard them or worse, don't even think about them! I've learned to empower myself when it comes to public or private speaking. But still, it never hurts when you are around other people to listen to how they carry on conversations. Take mental notes on how they act, how they present themselves, and how they say certain things. The way you present yourself and how you prepare yourself are crucial!


As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

10 Secrets To Earn A Million In Network Marketing

Copyright © Success Network Group
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Do you deserve to earn a million dollars in Network Marketing? This article highlights a 1 hour course taught by a famous millionaire and Network Marketer where he shares his secrets to earning a million dollars in the Network Marketing industry along with some of my own thoughts and experiences!

Are you tired of hours and hours of calling leads with no results? Tired of getting "no shows" to your appointments and getting rejected constantly? Are you frazzled and asking yourself "What's going on? Why isn't this working?"

Here are ten secrets for earning a million dollars in Network Marketing:

First, write down your IT, your WHY. What was IT that got you into Network Marketing? WHY did you look at Network Marketing in the first place? Something brought you here … what was IT?

1] Self Belief: What happened from that IT? Your self belief went down and met your self doubt. You have to raise your income to match your dreams, not lower your dreams to meet your income. This is why 95% of people in Network Marketing are failing or have failed! You must believe in yourself! You have to believe that you CAN do it! Take the ceiling off of your income, the income potential in Network Marketing is UNLIMITED!

2] Fall in love with your phone: You have to love to contact people! Most people don't love their phone. It feels like a 10 ton weight when they try to pick it up. You need to learn to make the phone your best friend. Buying leads and loading them into an autoresponder and never speaking with anyone simply doesn't work by itself. There has to be personal contact involved! Make your phone your best friend!

3] Contact and Invite: Make contact and invite, don't make contact and "fire-hose" them with information! Treat the business with respect. If you treat the business with respect it will respect you. If you treat it like a business it will pay you like a business, if you treat it like a hobby it will pay you like a hobby.

You have to learn to invite people to your meeting, presentation or conference call. Be an information tour guide! If you are on the phone more than 90 seconds on each call you are never going to make it! Professionals sort, amateurs convince. Be professional!

4] Rejection: Get used to it and learn to love it! It's going to happen ALL the time! Remember that it isn't personal, they are rejecting themselves. The people you are talking with are thinking "This is too good to be true."

We are taught for (at least) 12 to 20 years of our lives that we are suppose to get an education and then go get a good job and support our family. We are simply never taught the right kind of knowledge to be successful in life! Now you are presenting them with an opportunity that can create freedom for them and they are disapproving of it.

You need to them to get to a level of approval inside themselves, if they don't reach that level you will be rejected. You must convert rejection into approval, then approval into application, then application into agreement, then agreement into distributor. Then you teach that person to model you and duplicate. Your business should have a system in place for all of this. People are not duplicable, but systems and processes are!

5] Slave camps do exist: It's called having a job. If you stop and really think about it, by following the standard belief system accepted by society you are leading the life of a drone. You get up, shower, eat, go to work for 8 (or more) hours, come home when your boss tells you it's ok to leave, eat, and relax a little before bed. Then you get up the next morning and start all over again. Kind of monotonous isn't it?

I was a slave until 2003 ... NO MORE! It's time to get your life to the next level ... seek freedom and be willing to pay the price! I guarantee you it's worth it!

6] Objections are awesome: You should be looking for people who will give you objections. Most Network Marketing people tell you to look for people who WON'T give you an objection, look for people who will sign up. This is wrong! An objection is simply a question or concern in disguise. People who give you objections are normally inquisitive, sharp, positive, aggressive, intelligent people. These are the people you want in your business!

You need to recruit UP, not DOWN. This will cause you to have to go outside of your comfort zone, but you need to do it if you want to achieve freedom. Get yourself around people who are making the big numbers you keep hearing about. Don't hang around the small fish that are only making a couple hundred bucks a month. Get yourself around the ones making 5, 6 and 7 figures each month! How can somebody who isn't actually doing it teach you how to do it for yourself? The answer is: They can't!

7] Work with strength: Don't waste your time with weak people. Work with your strong people. Too many people try to recruit easy people so they can say "I got one." This is dead wrong! If they are excellent, go after them. Don't keep building and building and building with weak people, you'll never get anywhere.

Find yourself strong people and work with them to grow their business and your business will grow and you will have more security in the long run. Don't fall into the rut of just signing up anyone and everyone. That's not what you want, you want strong people; leaders!

8] Freedom is in depth, not width: Identify your leaders and work with them. Too many people go wide when they need to go deep. It's impossible to support that many people. Picture your business as a building. How strong is it? The foundation on a building goes deep, not wide. The foundation for your business should replicate that. Take a look at your business, how strong is your foundation? Will it stand on its own if you turned around and walked away right now? Map out your group, identify leaders, replicate your business, find your depth and make it concrete.

9] Mentors: Do you have one? Do you have a Mastermind Team? Write down the 5 people you associate with every day. Ask yourself "Have these people earned over a million dollars in Network Marketing?" Do you have even one that has? At least one of these people must be a Network Marketing millionaire, preferably all of them. These are the people you need to get around ... NOW!

You must be around people who are where you want to be and stay around them. The major reason people don't get into Network Marketing is because of no time and no money. These are exactly the reasons they SHOULD be in the industry!

10] Decision: These are the most powerful 8 letters in the alphabet when put together. You must make a decision right now to change your life. You must decide to cutoff and release the past. How are you going to respond? Your past is robbing you of your dreams and of making 7 figures a year in Network Marketing. Your past is holding you back; your job, your associations, etc. You have to let them go if they are not getting you where you want to be!

My mentor says "It was your best thinking that got you to where you are today, obviously that wasn't good enough." Think about that statement, it's SO powerful! Your past has affected your life up to where you are right now. You must make the decision to cutoff and release the chains that are holding you back. You must make the decision right now to release and cutoff anyone you associate with who is not making 6 or 7 figures in Network Marketing. Then you must take the action!

Right now, make the commitment to change your life. Make the decision, take the action, and don't wait any longer! Nobody can make you do this but you. Today is the day!


As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

7 Tips To Help You Benefit From Positive Thinking

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com


I'm sure you have a bright idea hidden somewhere in the back of your mind that you just can't wait to test out. Of course you're not the only one with a bright idea. So what motivates you to crank out those creative, or even inspiring, juices to their utmost flavor?

It's always best to set up an achievable personal goal, where you can accomplish the most in record time, such as mowing the lawn in an hour. A correct and positive attitude in whatever you do will make life easier, and even enjoyable.

Here are some tips to help maintain a positive mental attitude. An idea takes time to form in your head and is always at work, even while you are busy just sitting.

Positive thinking can help you realize things that you never thought were possible. Thinking big is indeed the American way and that's what made our country prosperous!

1. Take passionate action towards living your life by design. Talk is cheap. Action = deposits in the bank and a passionately authentic future. Without it, passion is void.

This is a perfect example of what dreams are made of. You start by tinkering with your mind, then with your hands. And if the idea weakens, you can always go back to it later until you finish it.

2. Commit to yourself as well as those you love to create a powerfully fulfilling life you can love. Instead of reacting, commit to creating from your heart and soul, out of love rather than fear.

The dream will always be there, but a dream will still be only just a dream without activity and forward motion. Take action and you'll be amazed as the transformation begins.

3. Recognize and embrace the thought that each moment is perfect, regardless of its outcome. Every time you hit on something that may appear too extreme, why not give it a shot and see if it will work?

You will be surprised to see that there are other ways to get a task done in a reasonable time. If you are not pleased with the outcome, decide to use that moment to learn from and make the appropriate and required adjustments.

Failure doesn't have to be a negative thing. Use your failure to learn and grow … and to not do the same thing again!

4. Dwell completely in a place of gratitude. Learn to utilize what you have in your hands and make use of it in the most effective and constructive way.

Slipping into neediness will become less of a habit when you repeatedly shift towards gratitude. Stay away from a poverty state of mind.

Focus on what you want, not what you don't have! Whatever it is you focus on, that is what you will get.

Don't focus or think about not being poor, think about being rich! If you focus on not being poor, you will only attract negativity and will get more of the same … poverty. Focus on being wealthy and you will attract wealth!

Look at yourself every morning and every evening in the mirror. Tell yourself "I am successful!", "My bank account is overflowing!", "I have no financial worries!" etc.

You need to speak your future, not your present. You need to concentrate and focus on your future, not the situation you are currently in, otherwise your current situation will never change!

5. Use a Passion Formula of Recognize/Reevaluate/Restore in place of the Shoulda/Woulda/Coulda whirlwind. The former is based on increased knowledge and abundance while the latter focuses on scarcity and lack.

As you face people or tasks that may seem more difficult than climbing the summit of the Himalayas, allow yourself to realize that the task itself is just as important as delegating the task to the proper person who can manage it.

6. Keep humor at the forefront of thought, laughing at and with yourself when possible. You may find yourself quite entertaining when you loosen up!

Life has too much to offer for you to mope around in self pity. Humor is very attractive, very passionate: life-giving.

7. Believe that you are the architect of your destiny. No one can take your passionate future from you, except for you! Create your life authentically. As long as there's still breath in your body, there is no end to how much you can accomplish in a lifetime.

The concept of thinking big is all about enjoying your work. This will lead to celebrate a discovery that is born within your mind and then created with your hands. Watch everything flow into place with perfect, passionate precision.

It's interesting how people get hung up by something as trivial as learning to use a computer when nowadays computer companies are manufacturing software that even the kids can use.

I don't mean to be patronizing, but that's really just a result of not having any positive thinking in your life; you'll just end up as a dim bulb in a dark corner.

So instead of subjecting yourself to what you will be doomed for, set your own path by taking the first step with a positive attitude. Everything is possible and "What the mind can conceive, a man (or woman) can achieve!"


As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

7 Tips For Stress Management

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com


They say there's more than one way to skin a cat. The same applies when you start tearing your hair out with all the frustration, grief, anxiety, and yes, stress.

It's a state of mental conditioning that's like taking that bitter pill down your throat. It causes you to lose your sense of self, and worse, your sanity. Just thinking about it can drive anyone over the edge and out of control.

As one (ex)stressed-out person to another, I know how it feels. Believe me, there are many variants when it comes to stress. Coping with life, and carrying the problems that may or may not belong to you, can whittle away at the little joy and happiness that you carry once you head out that door.

You can't blame people for being like that; they have their own reasons, just like we have our own reasons for allowing stress to weigh us down too.

They say that stress is all in the mind. Ok ... so ... what's bugging you anyway?

There are several ways to manage stress, and eventually remove it from your life. So let's divide it into a seven different processes. I promise it's not going to be too taxing on the body or the mind.

1. Acknowledge that stress is good

Make stress your friend! Based on the body's natural "fight or flight" response, that burst of energy will enhance your performance at the right moment.

I've yet to see a top sportsman totally relaxed before a big competition. Use stress wisely to push yourself that little bit harder when it counts the most.

2. Avoid stress "sneezers"

Stressed people "sneeze" stress germs indiscriminately and before you know it, you're infected too!

Protect yourself by recognizing stress in others and limiting your contact with them.

Remember, in some of my other articles I mentioned getting the negativity out of your life? Disassociate yourself from negative people and things. It won't be easy, but just this one thing alone will relieve a whole pile of stress!

3. Learn from the best

When people around you are losing their head, who keeps calm? What are they doing differently? What is their attitude? What language do they use? Are they trained and experienced?

Figure it out from a distance, or sit them down for a chat. Learn from the best stress managers and copy what they do.

4. Practice socially acceptable heavy breathing

This is something I've learned from a friend of mine who is always at the gym: You can trick your body into relaxing by using heavy breathing.

Breathe in slowly for a count of 7 then breathe out for a count of 11. Repeat the 7-11 breathing until your heart rate slows down, your sweaty palms dry off and things start to feel more normal.

5. Give stressing thoughts the red light

It's possible to tangle yourself up in a stress knot all on your own. "If this happens, then that might happen and then we're all up the creek!"

Most of these things never happen, so why waste all that energy worrying needlessly? Focus on the task at hand, it'll all work out!

Give stress producing thoughts the red light and stop them in their tracks. Ok, so something might go wrong; but how likely is that, and what can you do to prevent it?

Relax and think logically about the situation! If something does happen to go wrong, look at it as a learning experience so it won't happen again!

6. Know your trigger points and hot spots

Presentations, interviews, meetings, giving difficult feedback, tight deadlines; my heart rate increases just writing these down! But they have to be done, so why worry about it? You'll do just fine!

Make your own list of stress trigger points or hot spots. Be specific. Is it only presentations to a certain audience that get you worked up? Does one project cause more stress than another? Did you drink too much coffee (I used to)?

Figure out how you can change these things so they are not a problem and not a cause for worry for you. You'll perform the task better, more professionally and with much greater ease without putting undue burden on yourself.

Knowing what causes you stress is powerful information. If you know the cause of your stress you can take action to make it less intense.

Do you need to learn some new skills? Do you need extra resources? Do you need to switch to decaf (I did and it helped immeasurably)?

7. Burn the candle at one end, not both ends

Lack of sleep, poor diet and no exercise all wreak havoc on our body and mind. Kind of obvious, but worth mentioning as it's often ignored as a stress management technique. Don't burn the candle at both ends; you'll be the one ending up getting burned!

So having stress can be a total drag, but that shouldn't hinder us in finding the inner peace of mind that we've wanted for so long. Learn how to manage your stress and you'll be so much the better for doing it!


As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

10 Ways To Start Taking Control!

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com


At first glance, it would seem that positive thinking and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) have nothing to do with one another. But many people with ADD develop negative thinking patterns because they become frustrated by their challenges and frequent feelings of being overwhelmed. This negative outlook then makes it even harder for them to manage those challenges and move forward. This is not just true for people with ADD, but in all of us!

Practicing positive thinking allows people to focus on their strengths and accomplishments, which increases happiness and motivation. This, in turn, allows them to spend more time making progress, and less time feeling down and stuck. The following tips provide practical suggestions that you can use to help you shift into more positive thinking patterns:

1. Take Good Care of Yourself:

It's much easier to be positive when you are eating well, exercising, and getting enough rest.


2. Remind Yourself of the Things You Are Grateful For:

Stresses and challenges don't seem quite as bad when you are constantly reminding yourself of the things that are right in life. Taking just 60 seconds a day to stop and appreciate the good things will make a huge difference.


3. Look for the Proof Instead of Making Assumptions:

A fear of not being liked or accepted sometimes leads us to assume that we know what others are thinking, but our fears are usually not reality. If you have a fear that a friend or family member's bad mood is due to something you did, or that your co-workers are secretly gossiping about you when you turn your back, speak up and ask them. Don't waste time worrying that you did something wrong unless you have proof that there is something to worry about.


4. Refrain from Using Absolutes:

Have you ever told a partner "You're ALWAYS late!" or complained to a friend "You NEVER call me!"? Thinking and speaking in absolutes like 'always' and 'never' makes the situation seem worse than it is, and programs your brain into believing that certain people are incapable of delivering.


5. Detach From Negative Thoughts:

Your thoughts can't hold any power over you if you don't judge them. If you notice yourself having a negative thought, detach from it, witness it, and don't follow it. Think positive thoughts as often as possible!


6. Squash the "ANTs":

In his book "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life," Dr. Daniel Amen talks about "ANTs" - Automatic Negative Thoughts. These are the bad thoughts that are usually reactionary, such as "Those people are laughing, they must be talking about me," or "The boss wants to see me; It must be something bad!" When you notice these thoughts, realize that they are nothing more than ANTs and squash them!


7. Practice Lovin', Touchin' & Squeezin' (Your Friends and Family):

You don't have to be an expert to know the benefits of a good hug. Positive physical contact with friends, loved ones, and even pets, is an instant pick-me-up.

One research study on this subject had a waitress touch some of her customers on the arm as she handed them their checks. She received higher tips from these customers than from the ones she didn't touch!


8. Increase Your Social Activity:

By increasing social activity, you decrease loneliness. Surround yourself with healthy, happy, successful people, and their positive energy will affect you in a positive way!


9. Volunteer for an Organization, or Help Another Person:

Everyone feels good after helping. You can volunteer your time, your money, or your resources. The more positive energy you put out into the world, the more you will receive in return.


10. Use Pattern Interrupts to Combat Rumination:

If you find yourself constantly worrying about everything, a great way to stop it is to interrupt the pattern and force yourself to do something completely different. Rumination is like hyper-focus on something negative. It's never productive, because it's not rational or solution-oriented, it's just excessive worry. Try changing your physical environment - go for a walk or sit outside. You could also call a friend, pick up a book, or turn on some music.


When it comes to the corporate world, following protocol is pretty much the religion. Knowing what needs to be done is the basis of productivity, but interaction and having a steady mind makes for true productivity.

There are those who seem to work well even under pressure, but these people are the minority. We are all human and imperfect. To allow these little things like stress under our skin won't solve our problems. So why worry about it? Take control of yourself and the situations around you; you'll be much better off!


As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

How Are You Spending Your Dash?

www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com


This is an awesome poem written by Linda Ellis and I just wanted to share it ... if you think about the words and their meaning it really makes you reflect and think about your life ... so enjoy it!

The Dash
By Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
from the beginning … to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth
and now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own,
the cars … the house … the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard;
are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what's true and real
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
and more often wear a smile …
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read
with your life's actions to rehash,
would you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent your dash?


As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional Network Marketers for 4 years. Are you serious about changing your life? Are you motivated and trainable? If so, we want to hear from you right away: request an immediate interview!

So What's The REAL Scoop About Making Money With Network Marketing?

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com


You hear it all the time ... "I got ripped off" ... "MLM is a scam" ... "Only a fool would get into Network Marketing." I agree with some of what people are saying, but not even close to 100%. There ARE a lot of scams out there and a lot of people HAVE been taken for a ride, including us.

We got connected with one company, who will remain nameless, and over the past 4 years we lost a total of $70,000! Yeah ... stupid on our part, but it was a legitimate business, the fault was mainly ours.

Once people realize that there are legitimate opportunities out there, and that sometimes the fault is theirs and not the company they are associated with, the better it'll be for everyone. The income potential in MLM or Network Marketing, whatever you want to call it, is UNLIMITED!

The MLM, or Network Marketing, industry has unfortunately gotten a bad name because of poor companies, making poor decisions, and ripping people off. Fortunately, this is not true with ALL companies, or the industry as a whole.

Donald Trump was interviewed one time by Jay Leno on his show. Jay asked him "Donald, if you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?" Mr. Trump's reply was "I would have gotten into Network Marketing."

The audience started laughing and making comments about his answer. Mr. Trump walked to edge of the stage and pointed at the audience and said "That's why you're sitting there and I'm up here." The audience went silent!

This is Donald Trump we're talking about! Whether you like him or not, you HAVE to admit he knows what he's doing ... his bank account proves it!

You know ... we all go to school for 12 to 20 years of our lives and we are taught NOTHING about wealth and success - we are taught how to be employees! The majority of the people in the world can not, and will not, believe there is a better way!

Let me tell you what happened to my family. This is not fiction; this is actually what happened to us in 2003:

I was a Computer Scientist for 17 years working on research and development of Air Traffic Control systems for the FAA. One day our supervisor called 200 of us into a conference room for an "emergency meeting". In that meeting he told us that we all had 3 days to pack up our cubicles and on April1, 2003, the project would be closed because the government "diverted" our project funds to another project.

Three days notice, no severance pay, no offer of alternative employment ... 200 of us went out the door. Two weeks later, the 5 supervisors went through the same thing! I went from an income VERY CLOSE to 6 figures to nothing in 3 days.

Again, this is not a fictional story … this is actually what happened to my family and I! I swore that I would never get put in that situation again!

We got into Network Marketing, lost $70,000 over the next 3 years, and then joined the company we are associated with currently. We are making money again, living better than we used to, and helping other people to change their lives! We travel where we want, when we want and for as long as we want.

Money is not an issue and the bills are paid! We don't even care about the bills anymore - we just pay them as they come in!

So please don't tell me that the ENTIRE MLM and Network Marketing industry is a scam; that simply isn't true. We're living proof and there are a lot of others proving it every day too!

Change your thoughts, change your attitude, change your lifestyle and you will change your life. What ever company you get involved with, be SURE to do your due diligence. Check it out thoroughly and be careful and you'll do just fine.


As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional Network Marketers for 4 years. Are you serious about changing your life? Are you motivated and trainable? If so, we want to hear from you right away: request an immediate interview!