The Success Network Group

Does a Law on Human Attraction Exist?

2007-12-20T22:51:00.000-05:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

“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

2007-11-25T09:21:00.000-05:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

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

2007-11-14T07:43:00.000-05:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

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

2007-11-10T12:10:00.000-05:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

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

2007-11-03T22:02:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

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

2007-10-25T07:35:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

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

2007-10-13T09:16:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

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

2007-10-08T07:31:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

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

2007-09-23T08:45:00.000-04:00

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

2007-09-15T09:42:00.000-04:00

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!

2007-09-01T09:33:00.000-04:00

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

2007-08-19T22:12:00.000-04:00

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

2007-08-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

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

2007-08-03T18:54:00.000-04:00

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

2007-08-02T09:09:00.000-04:00

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!

2007-07-28T08:44:00.000-04:00

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?

2007-07-17T08:30:00.000-04:00

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?

2007-07-12T08:42:00.000-04:00

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!

Always Put Your Family First! - We Love You Mom/Nana!

2007-07-05T09:46:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone:

This post is on a more personal note.

I have not posted very much in the past 6 or 7 weeks as my mother was hospitalized and we spent a lot of time with her and my father and not much time on our businesses or blogs.

This brings to the forefront one of the most important lessons in life that we all need to know:

Family ALWAYS comes first!

NO MATTER WHAT!!

I'm not going to go into details, but my mother was very ill and in ICU and on a ventilator throughout almost the whole time she was in the hospital.

My mom passed away on July 3rd, just 12 days after her 78th birthday.

She was a great person who always thought of other people before herself. She always wanted to make sure everyone had whatever they needed. She loved her husband, children, grandchildren and all of the family. She was the most unselfish, caring person I have ever met in my life ... and I'm not just saying that because she was my mother ... that's just the way she was ... you can ask anyone who knew her ...

We will miss you every day Mom ... it already hurts that you're gone, but we take comfort in knowing that your suffering is over and that you are in a much better place now, in peace, surrounded by loved ones and with our Lord.

THANK YOU LORD FOR GIVING US THE TIME WE HAD WITH HER, AND HER WITH US!

FOR THIS WE ARE ALL GRATEFUL!

GOD HAS BLESSED YOU (AND US WITH YOU) AND WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP YOU SAFE MOM - YOU COULDN'T BE IN BETTER HANDS!

I LOVE YOU MOM!

Love, Louis

XO XO

I LOVE YOU MOM!

Love, Robin

XO XO

I LOVE YOU NANA!

Love, Kristine

XO XO

I LOVE YOU NANA!

Love, Nicholas

XO XO

Mom's Favorite Verse:

1 Corinthians: Chapter 13

Love

And now I will show you the most excellent way.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging symbol. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but I have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain; faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Posting to this site will resume sometime around the end of next week ... thank you and God Bless you all!

So Who's Really In Control Of Your Life Anyway?

2007-06-19T10:39:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

Jim Rohn says it perfectly: "Work harder on yourself than you do on your job!" and "Formal education will make you a living; Self education will make you a fortune!"

We all go to school from 12 to 20 years (or more) of our lives to learn how to be employees. We are taught the principles and morals of completing school successfully, finding a spouse, having kids, and then getting a good job to support the family until we grow old and die, or retire (and are most likely broke), whichever comes first.

Isn't there more to life than this? Of course there is! At no time are we ever taught the principles of wealth and success. In order for us to learn these principles we must education ourselves on the subjects.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not telling you to drop out of school. The studies and knowledge acquired in school is very important in order to make you a well-rounded person. But there's so much more to it than that; we just never know it until we are exposed to it. Unfortunately, most people will never be exposed to what they need to become truly successful in life.

Insanity is sometimes defined as "Performing the same tasks over and over and expecting different results." I had a friend who used to tell me "The best part about banging your head on the wall is how good it feels when you stop!" Think about these two phrases ... do they make sense to you?

Consequently, if you continue to do the same thing today that you did yesterday, you will continue to have the same thing today that you had yesterday.

Are you wealthy, broke, or somewhere in between? Do you enjoy your life or are you stuck in a dead-end job and miserable? Are you looking forward to your future, or are you just living life as it's handed to you?

Why let others control your life's outcome? Don't you realize it’s totally up to you to determine your life's results?

People say: "I'm fine with my job; my boss lets me go on vacation once a year and I have sick leave and personal days. I go to work each day and come home at night and watch TV, and they pay me to do this! And I get a raise every year too!"

Listen to what you are saying! "My boss LETS me go on vacation." Well that's awful nice of him (her)! Do you realize your boss also tells you where you can go on vacation? Oh yes they do!

They determine where you can go by the salary they pay you! If they don't pay you enough to be able to go to Paris then guess what, you're not going to Paris ... and they controlled that outcome, not you!

"And I have sick leave and personal days." Well that's great but what happens when you're out of sick leave and personal days due to a long illness of your own or a family member? Will you simply just not get paid, or will they fire you for not coming to work?

"I go to work each day and come home at night and watch TV." Well that's obviously going to get you far in life. So then what? You do it all over again the next day … isn't that kind of tedious and uninspiring to you? It made me feel like I was a drone when I lived in that world.

And by the way, wake up to the fact that they don't pay you to watch TV. You trade hours for dollars, and if you aren't there, you're not getting paid.

"And I get a raise every year too!" You must be kidding me! How much of a raise do you truly get; 1%? Let’s be generous and say 3% ... now compare that to the increase in the cost of living each year ... for the sake of argument we'll keep it low and say 5%. How is this giving you a raise? Sure, they give you more money, but it's still not enough to even reach the break even point!

You must understand that as long as you go to that "secure" job every day, you are not in control of your life; others are! Also, the job is more than likely no longer as secure as it once was, or as you think it currently is. Look around. People are getting laid off all over the place. So how secure is your job … really? Be honest with yourself.

I thought my job was secure 4 years ago too. I was on a 10 year rock-solid contract. I had a "secure" position for the next 10 years as far as I was concerned and I was making very close to 6 figures a year, with full medical benefits and 2 weeks paid vacation per year too! Not to mention paid holidays, personal and sick leave.

Life was good … until the money for the project was pulled out from under us one day and 200 people got laid off within 3 days with no severance pay and no offer of other work. That was only 2 years into that rock-solid 10 year contract.

Unfortunately it usually takes an event like this to open people's eyes to the reality that there is no security any more, unless you make it yourself!

There is nobody who is going to tell you to improve yourself except you! Sure, there are people like myself who will tell you that you need improvement and that you need to take action to reach your goals and take control of your life. But unless YOU tell YOURSELF that you need to do this, all of our words are just that; words.

There is a huge difference between hearing what people say and listening to what people say. And you must take action, not just listen! Just listening to (or worse yet, just hearing) what others are telling you isn't enough.

You must act on these ideas and tasks in order to reach your goals and gain control over your life, and your future. Don't get yourself caught in the trap of having a false sense of security like I did. Start taking action today to secure your future and your family's future.

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!

In Order For Your Life To Change, You Have To Change!

2007-06-11T21:21:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

We've all heard it so many times, whether it's coming from us or somebody we associate with; "I need a change in my life." But then nobody ever does anything about it, they just continue to complain!

Let me ask you this: What has your complaining gotten you so far; probably not much if anything. So instead of continuing to complain, why not start taking some positive action towards changing your situation?

It's a safe bet that if you continue to do the same things, you will continue to receive the same results. Some call this the definition of insanity; performing the same tasks over and over and expecting different results! It just doesn't happen that way!

Jim Rohn says that in order for things to change, you must change. "Your income can increase, but you must grow out to where it is, or it will quickly come back to where you are."

The best way to picture this is by grabbing a rubber band. Now, stretch it out as far as you can without breaking it. What happens when you let it go? It goes right back to where it was!

Now let's take this a step further: Stretch out the rubber band and before letting it go this time, insert a glass inside the rubber band's open area. What happens now? This time is only retracts as far as the glass lets it go!

See, you can stretch out the rubber band (your income) and make it larger, but unless you insert something in there to keep it that size (your personal growth), as soon as you let go it comes right back to its original size.

So how do you grow personally? You must grow personally through the consistent use of personal development tools and resources. Every single day you should be setting time aside first thing in the morning to work on yourself. Whatever it is that you do first thing in the morning is going to set your course for the rest of your day.

Personal Development and growth is not something that is going to occur overnight, so don't expect that. Actually, others will notice changes in you before you even know that they have occurred. They will notice changes in your attitude, how you handle different situations, etc. And you will notice that you are feeling different somehow ... maybe ... successful, or that you really CAN do the things you want and that they ARE actually possible?

I noticed this change all of a sudden. It didn't creep up on me; it was just there one day. But before I noticed it, I had other people telling me that my attitude had changed and that I was different somehow. I didn't pay attention to the comments at first but then, once I was able to see it, I started taking notice to a whole lot of change in myself ... and my income!

I do personal development every single day. First thing in the morning I read for at least 30 minutes, and then I go thorough training emails from newsletters I receive. When I am finished with that I take my daily lesson that is delivered through our company. The entire process takes me about 60 minutes for everything.

It is the most eye-opening, fascinating 60 minutes of my work day! And my attitude, posture, and income are all showing the signs that I take the time to expand my personal knowledge each day. My mentor says that "A mind once expanded can never contract." He couldn't be more on target!

So take the time to develop your mind and grow yourself. Read, listen to audio CDs, and watch Personal Development video sessions. Do a couple of these or do them all, but do them every single day without fail! The changes in yourself, your income, and in your life will be phenomenal!

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!

Success University Does It Again!

2007-05-30T16:55:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

In our 4 years of being in this great industry called
Free Enterprise, we have never had the opportunity to
work with a company that was so focused and clear on
what it wanted to "create" for their members.

Success University has done it again folks!

Not only do we get value for value in our great monthly
courses available to us, not only do we get weekly
installments of the inspiring weekly series Jim Rohn's
Pillars of Success, all of which we might add have a
MUCH greater value than the modest investment we make
monthly, now they place even more value on that tuition
we invest.

Remember first and foremost; the best investment we can
make is in ourselves!

Success University has just begun their "Success University
Monthly Empowerment Series!" It is by far the most amazing
program for the value we have seen in our careers in this
industry.

Many companies will "nickel and dime" personal development
to their personnel in the field, however, our CEO and
President Matt Morris is NOT a "nickel and dime" sort of
person.

For those of you who have had the pleasure to hear Matt
speak, to hear his vision and passion for this company,
and for all of us, you know his commitment and passion.
You need only look into his eyes to see the sincerity and
passion to give us all the very best value. A value that
will enhance our success in all areas of our lives.

This program is by far the very best we have ever seen.
Not only do we have an awesome income generating system
with Success University, now we have an even greater
advantage to put superior knowledge, at a higher level
than ever before, into our minds.

Gary Eby, a Faculty Member with Success University, says
it best; "What goes into our minds will one day sink to
our hearts, what goes to our hearts will eventually come
out of our mouths!" Those words are inspiring!

We will leave you with yet more inspiring words from our
mentor, Matt Morris; "Opportunity will seek out and find,
the prepared mind!" He has done just that with this new
program, a chance to prepare our minds to a higher level
through the DVD's and CD's we will get each and every month.

Bravo Success University and thank you Matt Morris!

Be blessed and we will see you on this road called SUCCESS!

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!

Creating Effective And Efficient Relationships

2007-05-24T09:25:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

Relationships of all kinds are often perceived as very delicate things that require extra effort to maintain. However, a relationship can also be something that can provide security and be long lasting, despite many trials and tribulations.

Building an effective and lasting relationship is a necessity for several reasons. For example, in a group or organization, the well being of the individual people depends on how efficient and effective that group or organization works.

The group or organization is also dependent on how the members work well with the management. Everything and everyone must "gel" together to create the most efficiency and productivity.

An ineffective group or organization can be very frustrating. An effective group or organization can also ask much more of their members.

Sometimes the members end up having no life outside the walls of the area where they work or sacrifice the other aspects of their life just to meet deadlines.

For an organization or group with this kind of scenario, dedication to the mission is high, but relationships can be stressed or suffer. People or other entities that depend upon these groups or organizations will also suffer.

Society is defined as a web of relationships, which requires all parties to work and contribute their share in order to achieve a common goal. Having a relationship that is good, where cooperation and respect are manifested, can make society work better.

In this way, each member works for the good of the whole and towards achieving a common goal. This can only be obtained with effective and efficient relationships. Understanding the other parties' feeling and position on a topic creates an effective and efficient relationship.

The easiest method to understand what is important to another party is to ask them what they want and then actually listen to their answer. Don't just ask them and then not pay attention to what they say! When the other party realizes that you care, they'll feel the importance given to them, their feelings, and their goals.

Effective and efficient relationships require parties to openly express their feelings and positions on all matters pertinent on the relationship.

Assuming that the other party understands our needs and will give us what we require, when we need it and without us asking for it, is not good practice and results in miscommunication and puts a strain on the relationship. The relationship will deteriorate rapidly.

Respect is the key to any relationship. In order to create a more effective relationship, parties should treat each other with respect.

We can show respect just by listening to the other party and by trying sincerely to understand how they function. You can also show respect to other parties by acknowledging that they are doing everything they can.

The opposite of respect is quick forming of judgments based on unfounded facts and prejudice. Respect is the very foundation for a great relationship. This also means respecting yourself as well as respecting others.

Another key area in forming an effective relationship is to tackle differences with the other party directly. Differences between parties or people are quite interesting.

For example in a conversation where each party listens to the other party, you may observe that each has their own different perspectives.

Everyone has their own opinion and is entitled to it. Just because their opinion doesn't match yours doesn't make them, or you, wrong or right. It just means you see thing differently. Work towards a win-win solution for both parties.

This can be done when at least one party acknowledges that the relationship is important. That party would then exert extra time, effort and energy to understand the other party's needs and deal with it. Should they fail, it is comforting for that party to know that they at least tried.

Effective listening and not pre-judging are important if parties are to understand each other's needs and thoughts.

Informal discussions are conducive for parties. They bring out issues and concerns comfortably. They also cause all parties involved to feel more relaxed, allowing them think more clearly.

Develop an atmosphere where the other party can express their feelings when they need to. When parties fail to express whatever it is that is on their mind, or their feelings, it can get in the way of building an effective relationship.

Some of the negative things found in a relationship include a history of stereotyping or mistrust, blaming the other person or party for a strained relationship, excluding the other party's feelings when focusing on a task, no clear and defined objectives, roles and expectations of each party in a relationship is also unclear.

These things need to be avoided at all cost!

Relationships are important to everyone, addressing issues and problems right away is a necessity to further improve the relationship. As they say; "No man is an island".

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!

The Spiritual Challenges Of Modern Times

2007-05-20T10:38:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

To grow spiritually in a world defined by power, money, and influence is a Herculean task. Modern conveniences such as electronic equipment, gadgets and tools, as well as entertainment through television, magazines, and the web have predisposed us to confine our attention mostly to physical needs and wants.

As a result, our concepts of self-worth and self-meaning are muddled. How can we strike a balance between the material and spiritual aspects of our lives?

To grow spiritually is to look inward.

Reaching inside ourselves (introspection) goes beyond recalling the things that happened in a day, week, or month. You need to look closely and reflect on your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and motivations.

Periodically examining your experiences, the decisions you make, the relationships you have, and the things you engage in, provide useful insights on your life goals, on the good traits you must sustain and the bad traits you have to discard.

Even more, it will give you clues on how you should act, react, and conduct yourself in the midst of any situation. Like any skill, introspection can be learned; all it takes is the courage and willingness to seek the truths that lie within you.

Here are some pointers when you self-examine your inner being: be objective, be forgiving of yourself, and focus on your areas requiring improvement.

To grow spiritually is to develop your potentials.

Religion and science have differing views on matters of the human spirit. Religion views people as spiritual beings temporarily living on Earth, while science views the spirit as just one dimension of an individual.

Mastery of the self is a recurring theme in both Christian (Western) and Islamic (Eastern) teachings. The needs of the body are recognized but placed beneath the needs of the spirit.

Beliefs, values, morality, rules, experiences, and good works provide the blueprint to ensure the growth of the spiritual being. In Psychology, realizing one’s full potential is to self-actualize.

Achieving each need leads to the total development of the individual. Perhaps the difference between these two religions and psychology is the end of self-development: Christianity and Islam see that self-development is a means toward serving God, while psychologists view that self-development as an end unto itself.

To grow spiritually is to search for meaning.

Religions that believe in the existence of God such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam suppose that the purpose of the human life is to serve the Creator of all things.

Several theories in psychology propose that we ultimately give meaning to our lives. Whether we believe that life’s meaning is pre-determined or self-directed, to grow in spirit is to realize that we do not merely exist.

We do not know the meaning of our lives at birth; but we gain knowledge and wisdom from our interactions with people and from our actions and reactions to the situations we are in. As we discover this meaning, there are certain beliefs and values that we reject and affirm.

Our lives have purpose. This purpose puts all our physical, emotional, and intellectual potentials into use; sustains us during trying times; and gives us something to look forward to; a goal to achieve, a destination to reach. A person without purpose or meaning is like a drifting ship at sea.

To grow spiritually is to recognize interconnections.

Religions stress the concept of our relatedness to all creation, animate and inanimate. Thus we call other people “brothers and sisters” even if there are no direct blood relations.

Moreover, deity-centered religions such as Christianity and Islam speak of the relationship between humans and a higher being. On the other hand, science expounds on our link to other living things through the evolution theory.

This relatedness is clearly seen in the concept of ecology, the interaction between living and non-living things. In psychology, connectedness is a characteristic of self-transcendence, the highest human need according to Maslow.

Recognizing your connection to all things makes you more humble and respectful of people, animals, plants, and things in nature.

It makes you appreciate everything around you. It moves you to go beyond your comfort zone and reach out to other people, and become stewards of all other things around you.

Growth is a process. So to grow in spirit is a daily encounter. We win some, we lose some, but the important thing is that we learn, and from this knowledge, further spiritual growth is made possible.

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!

The Key To A Better Life

2007-05-17T09:25:00.000-04:00

7 Tips For A Better You!

2007-05-14T09:55:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

I seem to lose count on how many times I've read and heard of celebrity marriages failing almost left and right. It seems strange that we often see movie and TV stars as flawless people, living the fairytale life of rich and famous. I suppose we all have to stop and face reality; they are people just like you and I!

There are many ways to lose your sense of self-esteem despite how trivial it could get. But whatever happens, we should all try not to lose our own sense of self.

So what does it take to be a cut above the rest? Here are some of the things you can think about and improve upon throughout each day.

1. Know your purpose
Are you wandering through life with little direction - hoping that you'll find happiness, health and prosperity? Identify your life's purpose or mission statement and you will have your own unique compass that will lead you to your truth north every time.

This may seem tricky at first when you see yourself to be in a tight spot or even a dead end. But there's always at least one little loophole to turn things around and it can make a big difference in the outcome.

2. Know your values
What do you value most? Make a list of your top 5 values. Some examples could be security, freedom, family, spiritual development, and learning. As you set your goals for 2007 - check them against your values. If the goal doesn't align with any of your top five values - you may want to reconsider it or revise it.

3. Know your needs
Unanswered needs can keep you from living genuinely. Take care of yourself! Do you have a need to be acknowledged, to be right, to be in control, to be loved?

There are so many people who live their lives without realizing their dreams, and most of them end up being stressed or even depressed. List your top four needs and get them met before it's too late!

4. Know your passions
You know who you are and what you truly enjoy in life. Obstacles like doubt, fear, and lack of enthusiasm will hinder you, but will not derail your chance to become the person you could to be. Express yourself and honor the people who have inspired you to become the very person you wanted to be.

5. Live from the inside out
Increase your awareness of your inner wisdom by regularly reflecting in silence. Become one with nature. Breathe deeply to quiet your distracted mind.

For most city slickers it's hard to even find the peace and quiet we want and need in our own home. In my case I often just sit in a dimly lit room, close my eyes and play some soft music. There's sound, yes, but music does soothe the savage beast and relieves the stress and tensions of life.

6. Honor your strengths
What are your positive traits? What special talents do you have? List three - if you get stuck, ask those closest to you to help you identify them. Are you imaginative, witty, and good with your hands?

Find ways to express your real self through your strengths. You can increase your self-confidence when you can share what you know with others.

7. Serve others
When you live sincerely, you will find that you develop an interconnected sense of being. When you are true to who you are, living your life's purpose and giving your talents to the world around you, you give back in service what you came to share with others -your spirit - your essence.

The rewards for sharing your gift with others are indeed fulfilling. This is especially true if it were to be through the eyes of a stranger who can fully appreciate what you have done to them.

Zig Ziglar states: "If you help enough people get what they want, you can have everything you want." So, in order to fulfill your dreams, help as many others as you can!

Self-improvement is indeed one type of work that is worth the effort. Work doesn't need to always be within the confines of an office building, or even in the four corners of your own room. The difference lies within ourselves and how much we want to change for the better.

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Centers
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

10 Tips For Unlocking Your Social Potential Through Self-Empowerment

2007-05-05T12:10:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

Have you come across a person who is so naturally friendly that when you put him inside a room of strangers, he'll be friends with almost everyone in no time?

We call such person a "people-person", someone unbelievably nice and charismatic that he can charm anyone into doing anything.

A socially-empowered person achieves so much greatness, basically due to the people that catapult him to success. He earns the trust and full support of the people, whom he has helped before. He never runs out of assistance or places to turn when he needs help.

He can do anything with the plethora of people behind him. All because he knows how to maximize his social potential!

See, if you know your social skills and you make use of them, you will develop your self-empowerment. Self-empowerment is making a general overhaul in your life and turning yourself into a happier and more successful person.

If you can be one of those "people-persons", then you are well on your way to the success you deserve. Let me show you how to get started.

1. Always be genuine.

Hypocrisy will bring you all the way down. Be genuinely nice to, and interested in, people. Once they perceive that you are Mr. Hypocrite with self-serving intentions, you might as well say goodbye to self-empowerment and also any thought of becoming friends.

2. Strive to be the greatest listener that you can be.

Learn to listen. This is the one skill that people lack the most and it is very rarely taught. You've heard this saying: You have 2 ears and one mouth … learn to use them proportionately! Use this effectively and consistently!

To earn the love and trust of the people, you must listen to their problems and sympathize with them. Do not just hear them out, listen to them with your heart.

Make eye contact when the person talks to you. Listen as if every word matters, because it does. Brownie points will accumulate, and friendships will be formed, when they find out that there is a confidante in you.

3. Laugh out loud.

I do not mean that you force yourself to laugh for every joke cracked by someone, especially if you do not find it funny at all. What I mean is finding humor in things and not being so darn serious all the time.

A person oozing with an awesome sense of humor attracts crowds and eventually, attracts success. The law of attraction comes into play here!

4. Don't forget yourself.

In the process of fluttering around like a social butterfly, you might forget yourself, allowing everyone to push you around. Remember, love and value yourself before anyone else.

If you deem yourself respectable and worthy of affection, people will flock to you and not trample on you.

5. Perform random acts of kindness.

You don't have to be a John Rockefeller and send all your savings to charity, admirable as it is. Little acts of kindness matter the most, and this can be as simple as giving someone a surprise you-take-care card or helping an elderly person cross the street.

When we were kindergarten students, kindness was taught to us and greatly practiced. As time goes on, things happen in people's lives and attitudes change. Now is the time to revive the good deeds and this time, hang on to them for good.

6. Contact your old friends.

It's sad how some friendships are destined to dissolve and disappear, but thanks to technology, you can do something about it. Relive the good old days by flipping open your yearbook and look for the great people whom you want to communicate with again.

Adding these old friends to your roster of support peers will surely make you feel good all over.

7. Develop your personality.

Are you grouchy, grumpy and generally morose? Whoa there big fella, you can't go through life with those feelings! Get rid of the bad traits and habits, commonly known as "habitudes", which perpetually hamper your growth. Honestly, who wants a grouchy friend anyway?

8. Always remain confident.

Be able to stride to the other corner of the room and introduce yourself to people with that winning smile of yours. Just remember: be confident, not arrogant or conceited. It isn't all about you!

9. Practice control.

When angry, don't snap at anyone. Never, ever, throw a tantrum. Stay calm and collected.

Be adult enough to take control of the situation and transform your anger into something more productive and passive. As soon as people find your anger goes to volcanic proportions easily, they will find it hard, if not impossible, to approach you.

10. Keep nurturing your relationships.

Your relationship with your family, friends and significant others is too precious to you and you must not neglect them no matter what!

Go out and have fun with them. Do things together. Happiness will never leave your side as long as the people who matter the most are close to you.

In the end, through other people, self-empowerment means becoming a better and more lovable person. It's a win-win situation; the people know they can turn to you anytime for anything and visa versa.

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Centers
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

Make A Decision Already!

2007-05-02T09:30:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

Life is about choices and the decisions we make. Even deciding not to decide is in reality making a decision!

Life is like a road. There are long and short roads; smooth and rocky roads; crooked and straight roads. Many roads come our way as we journey through life. There are roads that lead to a life of single blessedness, marriage, and religious vocation.

There are also roads that lead to fame and fortune, or isolation and poverty. There are roads to happiness, just as there are roads to sadness, roads towards victory and jubilation, and roads leading to defeat and disappointment.

Just like any road, there are corners, detours, and crossroads. Perhaps the most perplexing road that you would encounter is a crossroad.

With four roads to choose from and with limited knowledge on where they would go, which road will you take? What is the guarantee that we would choose the right one along the way? Would you take any road, or just stay where you are: in front of a crossroad and never move forward?

There are no guarantees.

You don't really know where a road will lead you until you take it. There are no guarantees. This is one of the most important things you need to realize about life.

Nobody said that choosing to do the right thing all the time will always lead you to happiness. Loving someone with all your heart does not guarantee that it will be returned.

Gaining fame and fortune doesn't guarantee happiness. There are too many possible outcomes, which are really out of your control.

The only thing you have is the power over the decisions that you will make, and how you will act and react to different situations.

"Hindsight is 20/20."

Had you known that you were making a wrong decision, would you have gone along with it? Probably not, why would you choose a certain path if you knew it would get you lost?

Why make a certain decision if you knew from the very beginning that it's not the right one, or the best one. It's only after you have made the decision and reflected upon it that you realize its soundness, or lack thereof.

If the consequences or outcomes are good for you, then you have probably decided correctly. Otherwise, your decision was most likely wrong. We should learn from our mistakes so that they are not repeated!

Take a risk: decide.

Since life offers no guarantees and you will never know whether your decision is wrong until you have made it, you might as well take the risk and decide. It's definitely better than not deciding and keeping yourself in limbo.

Although it's true that one wrong turn could get you lost, it could also be that such a turn could be an opportunity for an adventure. It's all a matter of perspective. You have the choice between being a lost traveler or an accidental tourist in life.

But be careful that you do not make decisions haphazardly. Taking risks is not about being careless and stupid. Here are some pointers that could help you choose the best option in the face of life's crossroads:

1] Get as much information as you can about your situation.

You can't find the confidence to make an informed decision when you know so little about what you are facing.

Just like any news reporter, ask the 5 W's; what, who, when, where, and why. What is the situation? Who are the people involved? When did this happen or when is it going to happen? Where is this leading? Why are you in this situation?

These are just some of the possible questions to ask in order to find out more about the situation. This is important. Usually, the reason for indecision is the lack of information about a situation.

2] Identify and create options.

What options do you have? Sometimes the options are few, and sometimes they are numerous. But what do you do when you think that the situation offers no options? This is the time to create your own options.

Put your creative mind to work. From the most simplistic to the most complicated, be open-minded to all ideas. Don't discard anything when an idea presents itself. Sometimes the most outrageous idea could prove to be the right one in the long run.

You can ask a friend to help you identify options and even come up with additional options if you encounter some difficulty, but make sure that you make the decision on your own in the end.

3] Weigh the pros and cons of every option.

Assess each option by looking at the advantages and disadvantages it offers you. Assessing each option will allow you to obtain more insight about the consequences of such an option.

4] Trust yourself and make the decision.

Now that you have assessed your options, it is now time to trust in yourself. Remember that there are no guarantees and wrong decisions are always in hindsight. So choose ... decide ... believe that you are choosing the best option at this point in time.

Now that you've made a decision, be ready to face its consequences; whether good or bad. It may take you to a place of promise or to a land of problems.

But the important thing is that you have chosen to live your life instead of remaining a bystander or a passive audience to your own life. Whether it's the right decision or not, only time will tell.

Don't regret your choice, whatever the outcome. Instead, learn from it, don't repeat it, and remember that you always have the chance to make better decisions in the future.

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Centers
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

26 Tips On Motivation - The Heart Of Self Improvement

2007-04-28T12:13:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

Pain is usually the reason why people change. Getting failing grades make us realize that we need to study. Debts remind us of our inability to find a satisfactory source of income. If we had a satisfactory source of income we wouldn't have debts; would we?

Being humiliated gives us the ‘push’ to speak up and fight for ourselves; to save our face from future embarrassments. It may be a bitter experience, a friend’s tragic story, a great movie, or an inspiring book that will help us get up and get just the right amount of motivation we need in order to improve ourselves.

Pain is a great motivator! With the countless negativity the world brings about, how do we keep motivated? Try out the tips I've prepared from A to Z…

A - Achieve your dreams. Avoid negative people, things and places. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

B - Believe in your self, and in what you can accomplish.

C – Consider things from every angle and aspect. Motivation comes from determination. To be able to understand life, you should feel the sun from both sides.

D – Don’t give up and don’t give in. Thomas Edison failed once, twice, more than three times before he came up with his invention and perfected the incandescent light bulb. Make motivation your steering wheel.

E – Enjoy! Work as if you don’t need money, dance as if nobody’s watching, love as if you never cried, and learn as if you’ll live forever. Motivational momentum takes place when people are happy.

F – Family and Friends – are life’s greatest ‘F’ treasures. Don’t loose sight of them.

G – Give more than what is enough. Where does motivation and self improvement take place at work? At home? At school? Always give 110%!

H – Hang on to your dreams. They may dangle in there for a moment, but these little stars will be your driving force. Define your target and hit it, until you hit it!

I – Ignore those who try to destroy you. Don’t let other people get the best of you. Stay away from toxic people – the kind of friends who hates to hear about your success. Stay away form negativity!

J – Just be yourself. The key to success is to be yourself. And the key to failure is to try to please everyone.

K – Keep trying no matter how hard life may seem. When a person is motivated, eventually he sees a harsh life finally clearing out, paving the way to self improvement.

L – Learn to love your self. Now isn’t that easy?

M – Make things happen. Motivation is when your dreams are put into work clothes.

N – Never lie, cheat or steal. Always play a fair game.

O – Open your eyes. People should learn the horse attitude and horse sense. They see things in 2 ways – how they want things to be, and how they should be.

P – Practice makes perfect. Practice is about motivation. It lets us learn repertoire and ways on how can we recover from our mistakes.

Q – Quitters never win. And winners never quit. So, choose your fate – are you going to be a quitter? Or a winner?

R – Ready yourself. Motivation is also about preparation. We must hear the little voice within us telling us to get started before others will get on their feet and try to push us around. Remember, it wasn’t raining when Noah build the ark.

S – Stop procrastinating. Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today - we never know what tomorrow will bring!

T – Take control of your life. Discipline and self control jives synonymously with motivation. Both are key factors in self improvement.

U – Understand others. You know how to talk, you should also learn how to listen. Yearn to understand first, and to be understood the second. We have 2 ears and one mouth - use them proportionately!

V – Visualize it. Motivation without vision is like a boat on a dry land. You need to have a crystal clear path.

W – Want it more than anything. Dreaming means believing. And to believe is something that is rooted out from the roots of motivation and self improvement.

X – X Factor is what will make you different from the others. When you are motivated, you tend to put on “extras” on your life like extra time for family, extra help at work, extra care for friends, and so on.

Y – You are unique. No one in this world looks, acts, or talks like you. Value your life and existence, because you only get to spend it once.

Z – Zero in on your dreams and go for it!!!

Pain IS a great motivator, but don't wait for the pain before you get motivated! Define your goals and move towards them every day. Keep your focus on your goals crystal clear and take the most direct path to reaching them. Stay motivated; without motivation we will get nowhere!

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Centers
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

Tips For Developing Your Prospecting Skills

2007-04-23T11:19:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

Are your prospecting skills not up to par? Do you keep wondering why you are always getting rejected? Is it your business? Is it your products? Or is it you? Here's how to hone your prospecting skills to become a better prospector and take your Network Marketing business to new levels!

The first thing you need to remember is that "Professionals Sort … Amateurs Convince." People can sense desperation. Yes, even over the phone! If people sense that you are desperate and trying to convince them to join your business, they won't join! Think about it; would you join somebody who sounds like they are desperate? I highly doubt it, I know I wouldn't.

You don't want everyone in your business either! You want people who are motivated and want something; people who are professional and trainable; people who are looking for change.

Prospecting is a fine art and your skills need to be developed. Repetition is the key. In the beginning, your skill level will be low and you will need to make up for that with the numbers.

What I mean is that you will need to speak with more people to get the same results. As your skills improve, you will get the same results while talking with less and less people. I'm not saying to talk with less people, just that it will take less people to obtain the same results.

Prospecting is nothing more than communicating with people. It boils down to asking, listening and collecting.

You have to ask questions. You want to ask questions that allow people to open up. This will prompt them to ask you "how" questions and "why" questions.

"How" questions qualify for your time, "why" questions do not. The "why" is their reason, not yours. You can tell them "how" but not "why".

Then you have to listen to the answers and collect the information! Listening is a skill that is almost never taught.

It's about them, not you. Find out what they want. What is their "why?" Once you find their "why" you have found their hot button. This is what will motivate them. In order to find this, you must learn to listen!

If somebody's "why" is not strong enough, they will either won't join (or buy) or they will and not produce, and then eventually quit telling you that "it doesn’t work."

This is not true. This just means it didn't work for them because they didn't have a strong enough reason to be doing it!

Also, people will buy from, or join with, somebody who is a leader. You need to be a strong leader and believe in yourself. You need to send the message that you are the leader people are looking for.

You've heard the statement "The fortune is in the follow-up." This is so true! But you have to distinguish who is worthy of your time and who is not and only follow-up with people who deserve your time.

Keep in mind that follow-up doesn't mean begging, chasing or convincing. Follow-up means you get back in touch with people who are very serious about changing their lives. Do you think Donald Trump begs, chases and tries to convince people to do business with him. Not on your life and neither should you!

People who have requested information and are interested in looking at it are worth your time. Don't follow-up with people who ask you to call them back in a week or so. Tell them to call you back when they are serious about changing their life.

When making recruiting phone calls, it should take you no more than 30 seconds to find out if somebody is interested or not. Include your name, location and a little bit about why you are calling.

For example: "Hi ____, my name is Lou Bonaventura and I'm just giving you a quick call from here in New Jersey. ____, your name came across my desk as somebody interested in owning your own home business and I wanted to find out if that is still true."

That's it. Don't say anything else until they give you an answer. All you are looking for here is a Yes or a No.

If they tell you "No I'm not interested" or "Please take my name off your list" say "Thank you ... have a great day" and hang up. Don't waste your time! Move on to the next call on your list.

Don't take it personally, they don't even know you! Maybe this just isn't the right person, or they are having a bad day, or this person simply isn't serious about changing their life. It has nothing to do with you personally! Move on.

If they tell you something else that indicates they want to hear what you have to offer then proceed with your script or presentation. Make sure you ask questions, find their "why" and above all, listen!

The decision on whether somebody joins your business with you is yours, not theirs. Maybe they are serious about changing their life, but you have an uneasy feeling with them, or you just don't "gel" with them. Don't waste your time.

Tell them that they are not the person you are looking for and move on. It's your business. You decide who you work with and who you don't, nobody else.

This is a hard concept for most people to grasp because they are trying to "go to the next level" in their company, or trying to be in the top 10 this month. Taking on everyone who says yes is not necessarily a good thing to do. Be selective and don't waste your time on people who do not deserve it.

Prospecting is about sorting, not selling or convincing. "Professionals sort … Amateurs convince." When it comes to talking with people, get a Yes or a No as quickly as possible and move forward from there.

Prospecting is 80% listening and 20% asking questions. Make sure you follow-up with the right people and don't waste your time with the wrong ones.

Following these tips and advice will set you well on your way to improving your prospecting skills. Remember that "practice makes perfect." Keep practicing and moving forward and your skills will naturally develop and get stronger. Don't get frustrated, simple discipline over a period of time will produce results.

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Centers
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

The Benefits Of Unlocking Your Self-Improvement Power!

2007-04-19T10:46:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

When we look at a certain object, a painting for example – we won’t be able to appreciate what’s in it, what is painted and what else goes with it if the painting is just an inch away from our face. But if we try to take it a little further, we’ll have a clearer vision of the whole work of art.

We reach a point in our lives when we are ready for change. A whole pile of information that will help us unlock our self improvement power becomes evident because we are now searching for something to help us out.

Until then, something can be staring us right in the face, but we don’t see it. The only time we think of unlocking our self improvement power is when everything goes wrong. For some, it's not until they hit "rock bottom."

Take a couple of frogs as an example –

Try placing Frog A in a pot of boiling water. What happens? He twerps! He jumps off! Why; because he is not able to tolerate sudden change in his environment – the water’s temperature.

Now try Frog B: place him in a luke warm water, then turn the gas stove on. Wait until the water reaches a certain boiling point. Frog B then thinks “Ooh … it’s a bit warm in here.”

People are like Frog B in general. Today, Anna thinks Carl hates her. Tomorrow, Patrick walks up to her and told her he hates her. Anna stays the same and doesn’t mind what her friend says.

The next day, she learns that Kim and John also abhor her. Anna doesn’t realize the importance of, and the need for, self improvement until the entire community hates her. But it's never too late!

We learn our lessons when we experience pain. We finally see the warning signs and signals when things get rough and tough.

When do we realize that we need to change our diet? When none of our jeans and shirts fit us any longer! When do we stop eating candies and chocolates? When all of our teeth have fallen out!

When do we realize that we need to stop smoking? When our lungs have gone bad and we can't breathe any longer.

When do we pray and ask for help? When we realize that we’re going to die tomorrow.

The only time most of us ever learn about unlocking our self improvement power is when our whole world is crashing and falling apart all around us.

We think and feel this way because it is not easy to accept the fact that we need to change. But change becomes even more painful when we ignore it.

Change will happen, like it or hate it. At one point or another, we are all going to experience different turning points in our lives – and we are all going to eventually unlock our self improvement power. Not because the world says so, not because our friends are nagging us, but because we realized it's for our own good.

Happy people don’t just accept change, they embrace it. Now, you don’t have to feel the tremendous heat before realizing the need for self improvement.

Unlocking your self improvement power means unlocking yourself from being in the state of mind that “it's just the way I am." That is such a poor excuse for people who fear and resist change. Most of us program our minds like computers.

Jen repeatedly tells everyone that she doesn’t have the guts to be around groups of people. She hears her parents, sister, and her teacher state the same things about her to other people.

Over the years, that is what Jen believes. She believes it's her story and that just "the way I am." And what happens? Every time a large crowd would come over to their house, in school, or in the community – she tends to step back, shy away and lock herself up in a room. Jen didn’t only believe in her story, she lived it.

Jen has to realize that she is not what she is in her story. Instead of having her story posted on her face for everyone to remember, she has to have the spirit to show people “I am an important person and I should be treated accordingly!”

Self improvement may not be everybody’s favorite word, but if we look at things in a different point of view, we might have a greater chance of enjoying the whole process instead of counting the days until we are fully improved.

Three sessions in a week at the gym would result in a healthier life, reading books instead of watching TV or playing video games will enlighten us with more profound knowledge. Going out with friends and peers will help you take a step back from work and unwind.

You'll find out soon enough that just when you are starting to enjoy the process of unlocking your self improvement power, you’ll realize that you’re beginning to take things light and become happy. You will be a better person and a happier one too!

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Centers
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

Your Recommended Daily Allowance Of Relaxation

2007-04-13T21:23:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

Stress is the curse of living in modern times. Everyone suffers from stress. And the stress we suffer takes a heavy toll on our bodies, emotions and minds.

If you're feeling stressed out, worn out by fatigue or just simply having a miserable day, the best thing to do is relax.

Watching television may be a form of relaxation for some, but is not a recommended method by experts. When we watch TV we are bombarded with commercials, ads, sounds and images. So how do we achieve relaxation? If there are thousands of ways we can get stressed, there are also many ways we can relax.

In recent studies, experts have determined that heart disease is linked to anger and irritability is linked to mental stress. Too much stress brings about ischemia that can lead to or cause a heart attack. Relaxation takes on added importance in light of this matter. Managing your anger and attitude is significant to heart health, and relaxation can help you manage stress.

One form of relaxation is transcendental meditation. Recent studies have also shown that this method might reduce artery blockage, which is a major cause for heart attack and stroke. People practice transcendental meditation by repeating uttering soothing sounds while meditating. This allows them to achieve total relaxation. Researchers found that practitioners of transcendental meditation significantly reduced the thickness of their arterial wall compared with those who didn't practice transcendental meditation.

Another study on another method of relaxation, acupuncture, seems to reduce high blood pressure by initiating several functions of the brain to release chemical compounds known as endorphins. Endorphin helps to relax muscles, ease panic, decrease pain, and reduce anxiety.

Yoga is also another method for relaxation and may also have effects similar to acupuncture. In another study, participants were subjected to several minutes of mental stress. Then they were subjected to various relaxation techniques, such as listening to nature sounds or classical music. Only those who did Yoga significantly reduced the time it took for their blood pressures to go back to normal. Yoga is a form of progressive relaxation.

Breathing is one of the easiest methods to relax. Breathing influences almost all aspects of us; it affects our mind, our moods and our body. Simply focus on your breathing, after some time you will feel its effect significantly. There are several breathing techniques that can help you reduce stress.

Another easy way to achieve relaxation is exercise. If you feel irritated a simple half-hour of exercise will often settle things down. Although exercise is a great way to lose weight, it does not show you how to manage stress appropriately. Exercise should be used in conjunction with other relaxation methods. It allows you to expend your built up energy, stress, and frustration thoroughly, but make sure your doctor gives you the ok first!

Another great way of relaxing is getting a massage. To gain full relaxation, you need to totally surrender to the handling and touch of a professional therapist. There are several types of massages that also give different levels of relaxation. Consult a professional about which method is best for you.

Biofeedback is an excellent method for relieving stress and the pressures of the day. The usual biofeedback-training program includes a (10) 1 hour sessions that are often spaced one week apart.

Hypnosis is a controversial relaxation technique. It is a good alternative for people who think that they have no idea what it feels like to be relaxed. It is also a good alternative for people with stress related health problems.

Drugs are extreme alternatives to relaxation. They are sometimes not safe and are not effective like the other relaxation methods. This method is only used by trained medical professionals on their patients. You should avoid this method unless absolutely necessary and prescribed by your physician.

These relaxation techniques are just some of the ways you can relax. Another reason we need to relax, aside from lowering our blood pressure and decreasing the chances of a stroke or a heart attack, is because stress produces hormones that suppress the immune system. Relaxation gives the immune system time to recover, and in doing so functions more efficiently.

Relaxation lowers the activities within the brains' limbic system; this is the emotional center of our brain. It encompasses emotion, motivation, and emotional association with memory. Furthermore, the brain has a periodic need for a more pronounced activity on the right-hemisphere. Relaxation is one way of achieving this.

Relaxation can really be of good use once a relaxation technique is regularly built into your lifestyle. Choose a technique that you believe you can do regularly and stick with it.

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

Dealing With Others

2007-04-11T11:37:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

In all applications of magnetism to persons, you are urged to remember that your very first goal, always and preeminently, is an agreeable feeling within their minds. You should never try to induce a person to act your way until you have thoroughly established in him/her a good feeling toward yourself. This is the prime initial step. When such a condition has been secured, you are then ready for the magnetic assault and only then.

When you are dealing with other people, endeavoring magnetically to win them to your wish, you should summon the general magnetic feeling within yourself and will them to do as you desire. I'm not talking about ESP or anything like that here. At the same time think of them as already consenting and acting. Your inner condition should be perfectly calm, buoyant, and hopeful. Whatever external means you employ, your mind should be concentrated upon the action desired, and its accomplishment should be thought of as now secured.

The response of the person may be delayed, but don't let this discourage you. Some minds do not take suggestions quickly and they do not act instantly upon their own thought. It is invariably best to induce people to believe that they are acting on their personal impulse or judgment; they should be made to feel perfectly free, not at all coerced, and that they are doing their own will rather than yours simply because they wish to do so.

An old adage comes to mind here that "People love to buy, but they hate to be sold." This is so true! If you try to convince someone to make a purchase, 9 times out of 10 the product will be returned for a refund. The person must feel that they are doing this action because THEY want to, not because you convinced them to do it.

In the Network Marketing arena … Professionals sort, not convince. Just as in retail sales, if you convince somebody to join, they will never do anything worth speaking of, you will have to constantly get on them to do something, and then eventually they'll quit and tell you that your program doesn't work. Isn't your time worth more than that? Give your time only to those who deserve it! Time is your most precious commodity, it can't be replaced!

We can summarize all these suggestions in the words of a distinguished scientific writer:

"Life is not a bully who swaggers out into the open universe, upsetting the laws of energy in all directions, but rather a consummate strategist, who, sitting in his secret chamber over his wires, directs the movements of a great army." This is a good description of magnetism.

The success-magnetism assumption: We are now ready for the great assumption-principle of magnetism in applied life.

Think of every goal as already reached, of every undertaking as already achieved.

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

It Takes A Lot Of Courage!

2007-04-05T11:43:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

The role of a leader demands the courage to act in the best interests of the people in your team, our country, and around the planet.

Fear is a normal state. In the face of danger, hardship, and the unknown, it takes courage to stay focused on your goal.

Persistence, no matter what, takes courage and forges leadership. This quality of leadership is not a skill set, it is a belief system. Once you know the importance of your mission, the courage to accomplish it will follow. Once you know your why, you will discover how.

Courage takes many forms:

1. Seek the truth: The truth may not be pleasant. It may even be a personal threat or a threat to your mission. But you must know the truth in order to deal with it and to lead your team.

2. Have faith: Your faith in yourself, your mission and your resources must come from the depths of your belief. Do you believe that your skills, talents and abilities will enable to you be successful? Do you have strong faith? This is a priority!

3. Seek humility: Effective leaders remain humble. Although they may gain power, resources, recognition and success, arrogance and conceit leave no room for effectiveness and results in the non-existence of loyalty from your team.

4. Live an ethical life: It takes a special courage to resist many of the temptations that come with leadership and power. Without your own ethics, you’ll be lost. Keep your ethics (and morals) to the highest standards!

5. Become involved: Set a good example by getting involved. Stay sensitive to the challenges and troubles around you — the world needs leaders who care and take action. You simply can't make a difference if you don't get involved. Make it a rule that you will never ask somebody to do something that you would not do yourself! We live by this rule. If we ask on of our team members to perform a task, they can rest assured that we would do it, or have done it, ourselves!

6. Believe in something: This includes the courage to question and confirm your beliefs from time to time. Your beliefs will actually grow stronger when you allow them to be challenged and validated.

7. Reject cynicism: Cynics don't inspire people, solve problems or provide positive action. Realistic optimism will nourish progress. Stay as far away from negativity as possible. Keep positive thoughts and a positive attitude at all times!

8. Resist social and peer pressure: Once you know what you're doing and believe in yourself and your mission, you'll be able to turn away from the threats of jealousy and conformity. Create your own definition of success and never "sell out" to outside pressures and distractions. If you "sell out", your team will lose respect for you and they will no longer see you as a strong leader, because you will no longer be one!

9. Speak out: It takes courage to be verbal about your beliefs and convictions when they could be met with criticism or ridicule. Good leaders don't back down from defending their beliefs and they stand behind their team members at all times!

10. Be controversial: Creating controversy just to get attention is not leadership. Leaders know that controversy goes with the territory, however, and they must be strong enough to face whatever controversy presents itself along the path to accomplishing their mission. Find a way to resolve the conflict efficiently, effectively and to the satisfaction of all parties involved and continue to move forward towards your goal.

11. Assume responsibility: You are accountable not only for your own actions, but for those of your followers. When they know you're behind them, their loyalty will grow and they will be behind you as well.

12. Be a leader at home: Good leadership begins with good parenting. Providing good leadership examples to children is one of the most powerful things you can do to help them become outstanding citizens, and possibly even great leaders themselves one day.

13. Stand for something: Leaders are passionate in proactive ways. Be a person who seeks solutions, rather than one who points out problems. Find your WHY and you will discover your HOW!

14. Be persistent: Courageous leaders understand that the changes and sacrifices we make now will have an impact in the future — whether that future is the next quarter or the next century. They know there must be compromises and patience. They have the ability to plant trees under which they will never sit and endure the criticism of those who don't understand why they keep watering them.

15. Serve Others: Placing an importance on service may mean putting others before you. A service attitude in your organization means your followers put customers first. True service goes beyond slogans and promises, it means ensuring satisfaction from those you serve. "Service to many leads to greatness." {Jim Rohn}

16. Follow when required: Knowing when to step down and follow takes wisdom and humility. This may come when you've reached your goal, or it may need to come along the way, when you need the perspective of a lower position in the organization. If you decide to share your power and leadership, or to resign it as necessary, do it wholeheartedly and with grace, knowing that you are actually moving forward even as you follow.

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

Leadership Exposed

2007-04-04T08:32:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

Much has been written about leadership: rules, pointers, styles, and biographies of inspiring leaders throughout world history. But there are certain leadership ideas that we fail to recognize and realize in the course of reading books. Here is a short list of things you thought you knew about leadership.

1. Leaders come in different flavors: There are all different types of leaders and you will probably encounter more than one type in your lifetime. Formal leaders are those we elect into positions or offices such as the senators, congressmen, and presidents of local clubs. Informal leaders or those we look up to by virtue of their wisdom and experience such as in the case of the elders of a tribe, or our grandparents; or by virtue of their expertise and contribution on a given field such as Albert Einstein in the field of Theoretical Physics and Leonardo da Vinci in the field of the Arts. Both formal and informal leaders practice a combination of leadership styles.

• Lewin’s three basic leadership styles – authoritative, participative, and delegative

• Likert’s four leadership styles – exploitive authoritative, benevolent authoritative, consultative, and participative

• Goleman’s six emotional leadership styles - visionary, coaching, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting, and commanding.

2. Leadership is a process of becoming: Although certain people seem to be born with innate leadership qualities, without the right environment and exposure, they may fail to develop their full potential. Similar to learning how to ride a bicycle, you can also learn how to become a leader and hone your leadership abilities. Knowledge on leadership theories and skills may be formally gained by enrolling in leadership seminars, workshops, and conferences. Daily interactions with people provide the opportunity to observe and practice leadership theories. Together, formal and informal learning will help you gain leadership attitudes, gain leadership insights, and thus furthering the cycle of learning. You don't become a leader in one day and just stop. Life-long learning is important in becoming a good leader, for each day brings new experiences that put your knowledge, skills, and attitude to the test.

3. Leadership starts with you: The best way to develop leadership qualities is to apply them in your own life. I'm sure you've heard the phrase “action speaks louder than words.” Leaders are always in the limelight. Keep in mind that your credibility as a leader depends much on your actions: your interaction with your family, friends, and co-workers; your way of managing your personal and organizational responsibilities; and even the way you talk with the newspaper vendor across the street. You can't just "talk the talk," you have to "walk the walk." Repeated actions become habits. Habits in turn form a person’s character. Steven Covey’s book entitled 7 Habits of Highly Effective People provides good insights on how you can achieve personal leadership.

4. Leadership is shared: Leadership is not the sole responsibility of one person, but rather a shared responsibility among members of an emerging team. A leader belongs to a group. Each member has responsibilities to fulfill. Formal leadership positions are merely added responsibilities aside from their responsibilities as members of the team. Effective leadership requires members to do their share of work. Starting as a mere group of individuals, members and leaders work towards the formation of an effective team. In this light, social interaction plays a major role in leadership. To learn how to work together requires a great deal of trust amongst leaders and members of an emerging team. Trust is built upon actions and not merely on words. When mutual respect exists, trust is fostered and confidence is built.

5. Leadership styles depend on the situation: How come dictatorship works for Singapore but not in the United States of America? Aside from culture, beliefs, value system, and form of government, the current situation of a nation also affects the leadership styles used by its formal leaders. There is no rule that only one style can be used. Most of the time, leaders employ a combination of leadership styles depending on the situation. In emergency situations such as periods of war and calamity, decision-making is a matter of life and death. Thus, a nation’s leader may not have the luxury of consulting with all departments to arrive at crucial decisions. The case is of course different in times of peace and order. Different sectors and other branches of government can freely interact and participate in governance. Another case in point is in leading organizations. When the staffs are highly motivated and competent, a combination of high delegative and moderate participative styles of leadership is most appropriate. But if the staffs have low competence and low commitment, a combination of high coaching, high supporting, and high directing behavior from organizational leaders is required.

Now that you are aware of these things, keep in mind that there are always ideas that we think we already know. There are concepts we take for granted, but they are actually the most useful insights on leadership.

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

Fail Your Way To Success!

2007-03-31T11:01:00.000-04:00

The Only Thing Standing Between You and Success...

7 Secrets To Success

2007-03-31T10:52:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

This article is based on a training session given by Doug Firebaugh on Success. It focuses on the 7 things that truly influence your success more than you know. He focuses on the word S-U-C-C-E-S-S and creates an acronym for the word. It's really interesting how he does this and I'm going to review his acronym here. You can have access to this training and over $10,000 worth of additional training in our Learning Center for less than the price of a cup of coffee a day!

What is success to you? It is very difficult to define success because it means so many things to some many different people. What success is to me may not necessarily be what it is to you! So what is your definition of success? Is it financial freedom? Maybe time freedom? Being able to take vacations? Operating your own home based business? Is it being totally financially independent and not having another worry ever again? What exactly is success to you? There is NOTHING like the feeling of success!

S = Solo Focus: Solo focus is just one focus and it is laser focus. People tend to get distracted and go off in 10 different directions. You cannot do this and become successful. You MUST stay focused on what you are doing, the goal you are trying to accomplish, and the tasks you need to perform in order to reach your goal. Do not get distracted! People can sense when you are solo focused and you become more magnetic and attract people to follow you. You will be become a more successful leader!

U = Unlocked Imagination: You need to unlock your imagination. Our imagination is usually locked and we limit ourselves. When you unlock your imagination it will in turn unlock your creativity, your passions, and it follows the rules of success. Remember that all success is, is an image you have in your mind. Unlocking your imagination will allow you to have a huge vision and reach your goals much easier. Get around people who are successful and big thinkers, stay away from negative thinkers and limited minded people. Get around people who can train and teach you to unlock your imagination and you will get a huge vision in your life! A huge vision is not only magnetic, but part of the success foundation.

C = Crystal Clear Path: You know the step required to obtain your goals and building your business. Success is going to be very hard to obtain is you do not have a crystal clear path. You must know your path and be able to convey it to your team members so they can duplicate your steps.

C = Connection to the Heart: You can accomplish anything you set your mind to as long as it is powered by the heart. This is evident in and the basis for the book "As a Man Thinketh". Have you ever heard the phrase: "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right!"? Your heart is the success driver in you. It drives you to success every day. It drives you to do things beyond where most people would give up, which drives you to succeed simply because it is in your heart to do so! Is your heart connected to your business? Figure out what you value most in your life (Your WHY) and connect it to your business and you will have found your ultimate success driver!

E = Extraordinary Energy: This is the energy that comes when you connect to the heart. It's the extraordinary energy of emotion, creativity, faith, and your presence. Your heart will create all of these things when you connect your business to it. Hype comes from the mind, energy comes from the heart. This is energy, not hype!

S = Skill Set: You HAVE to have a good skill set. This is something that can be learned. Most people start with little, or underdeveloped skills. You can develop these skills through personal growth and it must be developed in order for you to succeed. As you work your business your skill set will naturally develop on its own, but you should be personally working on it every day as well.

S = Stop at Nothing: No matter what people say, do, or think. No matter what limitations they throw at you, no matter what kind of negativity they throw at you.

If you possess all of the above qualities we have discussed, you will stop at nothing to obtain your goals because you will be so determined and focused that success will be yours, no matter what!

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

Conquer Your Fear!

2007-03-26T10:07:00.000-04:00

What really keeps you from living your dreams?

What problem is most dominant in peoples lives?

The answer is: FEAR!

People live every day in fear. Fear of losing their wealth, fear of losing their loved ones, fear of making the wrong decisions, fear of being themselves, fear of growing up, fear of making a commitment. The list goes on and on.

The leading cause of people not fulfilling their dreams is NOT the fear of failure … it’s the fear of success! The fear of actually accomplishing what they set out to do. The fear of living life to the fullest may have paralyzed you. This will cause you to never really try in your business, or if you do try, to sabotage your efforts so you never have to face your fear of success.

Most people live their lives in the grip of this fear and they aren’t even aware that it has control over them! The fear is the one thing that can turn your dreams of financial freedom, loving relationships, and a fulfilling and significant life into a pattern of habits including procrastination, self-sabotage and other bad habits.

Fear is the dominate problem in your life today. The two questions you need to answer to conquer your fear are:

Which fear has the most control over your behavior? Is it the fear of failure, the fear of rejection, the fear of success, or is it all of them?

How do I interrupt the bad habits that I have developed as a means of protection from this fear? How do I interrupt the programming I have within me?

These are the two most significant questions when it comes to overcoming your fears. If you can answer these two questions, your life will forever change!

The reality of fear is that it is human and is a part of life. It’s not going to go away. Some fear is even healthy! It is a gift given to you to keep you safe and bring you closer to your creator.

Every person is born with three instinctive fears. These are: fear of falling, fear of loud noises, and fear of abandonment. These three fears were given to you to help you monitor what is going on around you. Think about it; it is fear that gives you the adrenaline rush that makes you escape from a situation that is really, truly unsafe. It also gives you the same rush that causes you to fight to win.

Faith is born in fear. God knew in His infinite wisdom that fear is what would drive His people back to Him. Although sometimes it is only in times of extreme fear that we look to God and choose Him. Take a look at your own life and think about the times you looked to God for His power and wisdom. Those were probably times of extreme fear. True faith is born from fear!

So what caused the gift of fear to be the number one problem in society today? Why do people let fear control their actions, beliefs and lives? The answer is the difference between reacting to fear and acting in fear. It has everything to do with your belief system.

Children typically react instinctively to fear, which is appropriate behavior at this age. Most adults don't make the distinction between reacting to fear, as when they were a child, and acting with their intellect when dealing with fear.

People react instinctively to fear by either denying it or running away from it. They miss the power that comes from acting with their intellect, never allowing the fear to become the gift it was intended to be. Learn to act with your intellect by exposing your true fears and the beliefs they represent and free yourself so you can move on with all you are meant to do, have and become!

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

What Makes You A Leader? Part 5

2007-03-24T08:42:00.000-04:00

What is a leader?

How do you become one?

Can YOU really make a difference?

How would you do that?

This series of articles are based on just one of many personal development courses in our Learning Center and highlights the main points of the course. The course itself was based on Sheila Murray Bethel's book titled "Making a Difference, 12 Qualities That Make You a Leader". The book can be found in paperback at Amazon.com for as little as $0.01 plus shipping (used).

All great leaders have extremely high ethics and morals. But what's the difference between the two? Let's find out!

Morals are a personal philosophy based on the ability to know right from wrong. What we believe about right and wrong affects our thinking, actions and character. Morals are a philosophy.

Ethics are high standards of honest and honorable dealings based on our morals. They are our system of belief for life and business. How we act, what we do, our methods and how we apply our morals translates into whether we behave ethically or not. Ethics are an application of our philosophy.

Suppose life were a game and ethics were the rules we were required to use to play the game. You can easily see how important it would be for all players to follow the rules. If the game were played without the rules, it wouldn't be fair and the most callous and unethical players would probably win while the more caring, ethical players would be left bruised and battered. Ethics are the difference between order and chaos.

To be a great leader, you MUST have strong ethics. Ethics provide us with personal guidance and they create a blueprint for others to follow. If you, as the leader, are not an ethical person. how could you possibly expect your followers to be ethical? Conversely, if you ARE and ethical person and leader, you will not tolerate and unethical person being present on your team.

Consistency in your ethics also builds trust with your followers. They will know what to expect from you and how you will handle the different situations that arise during the course of your mission. They will know how conflicts will be handled, and you will build a strong foundation for your organization.

As the group leader, you will be required and expected to stand up for the ethical treatment of each member of your team. You will need to take action to defend the well being of all of the members of your organization equally and fairly.

Unethical activities and actions are all around us. They are fueled by greed, jealousy and the so-called "Power Trip". An ethical leader won't stand for the demoralization and danger that accompanies unethical behavior.

Think about your ethical standards. Which ones are steadfast and unwavering no matter what? Take personal responsibility to stand firm and VERY clear about your ethical standards. Should a situation arise that give you a challenge, take time to be clear about where you stand.

Many of our ethical decisions are easy and automatic, while others are painful and intense. As a leader you will be confronted with both types every day. It's how you deal with them that shows the true quality of your leadership.

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

What Makes You A Leader? Part 4

2007-03-23T13:57:00.000-04:00

What is a leader?

How do you become one?

Can YOU really make a difference?

How would you do that?

This series of articles are based on just one of many personal development courses in our Learning Center and highlights the main points of the course. The course itself was based on Sheila Murray Bethel's book titled "Making a Difference, 12 Qualities That Make You a Leader". The book can be found in paperback at Amazon.com for as little as $0.01 plus shipping (used).

You need to be a "Big Thinker" to become a successful leader. Creative thinkers have an open mind to all thoughts from every source and don't pre-judge or dismiss ideas without thinking them through thoroughly. We are talking about having a VISION.

Vision starts with imagination, but in its highest form, it exceeds the bounadries of imagination. Leaders with vision can literally change the world! The belief in the vision comes form faith in themselves and others. Most people don't have enough faith in themselves and therefore do not make good leaders. But we don't want everyone to try and become a leader. If that happened ... who would they lead?

You're faith in other people can make a world of difference. It can transform and direct how they perform, because your faith in them acts as a medium to strengthen their courage.

Ideally, followers will be able to distinguish the difference between a leader who is acting on their vision and one who is reacting to an event or situation. Somebody who is acting on their vision can communicate their goals to other people. conversely, a leader who is reacting is simply somebody who is taking advantage of their position, their followers and their situation.

Leaders with vision grasp the concept and value of multiple strategies. Be sure to consider your strategies.

Check your assumptions and expectations periodically. False assumptions will cause you to be stuck and unable to access your creativity. Your imagination will stop, and if your assumptions are wrong; they can stop your efforts dead in their tracks!

Develop and define your personal philosophy. Your philosophy of life is larger than any mission statement. It will strengthen you and help you to recognize outside pressures that might harm your mission.

Challenge tradition and existing wisdom. You don't have to make radical changes, however you should always question the prevailing thoughts and have the fortitude to discover how to improve on "things as they are". Just because something "Has always been done that way" doesn't mean it's the best way to accomplish the task. It also doesn't mean that the process shouldn't be changed.

Nuture curiosity. Look at what's going on in the world around you. Seek new approaches to existing problems. Learn to think outside the box!

Look for simplicity. It's easy for thing to get too complicated in short order. Effective leaders are aware of the importance of keeping things clean and simple. If that task is large and complicated it may help to break it down into manageable segments.

Look for Part 5 to be posted tomorrow!

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

What Makes You A Leader? Part 3

2007-03-22T08:40:00.000-04:00

What is a leader?

How do you become one?

Can YOU really make a difference?

How would you do that?

What is the most important thing in the world to you? Your mission will expand based on your own exclusive point of view.

What is a logical way for you to start? Everything needs a starting point. It will help if you put this on paper and expand your process theory from there. What is the first step? What's next, and next after that?

How much time will be required to accomplish your mission? And how much time can you dedicate on a regular basis to achieving your ultimate goal?

What skills are going to be required to complete these tasks? Do you have these skills? If not you will need help to either develop your skills, or find somebody who has the skills required. Finding somebody who has the skills required and getting them on the team will create you a "MasterMind Group". A "MasterMind Group" is a group of people who are capable of contributing knowledge, skills and abilities to your team that you and other team members do not possess. Napoleon Hill, in his classic "Think and Grow Rich", states that every great leader has his or her own MasterMind Group. You should have one too!

How flexible are you? Are you open to suggestions? You had better be, especially after you assemble your MasterMind Group. That is what they are there for! To help you with suggestions and skills that you don't (or can't) possess or think of!

Now you can begin to build your mission. This is going to require a bit of assessment on your part.

First, begin by making a few lists. Analyze your skills, knowledge and abilities. You need to include physical skills, knowledge abilities and special talents.

Physical Skills: List everything you can think of that describes your physical attributes. For example, "I like to play Ice Hockey and I could coach a children's ice hockey team and teach them how to play the game".

Knowledge Abilities: Do you have any specialized training or skills learned through your life or your career? Personally, I was a Computer Scientist for 17 years. I could teach others how to use computers efficiently, or maybe I could teach them how to repair computers. You get the idea.

Special Talents: Are you maybe good with animals? My wife Robin is great with animals and she worked at a veterinarian's office for a period of time. Her sister-in-law is unusually good with animals, especially birds. She runs a bird rescue for injured birds and nurses them back to health. She is well known in the surrounding communities and even the local community workers, police, etc. call her when they find an injured bird. Think about any special talents you possess and explore how they can be used to help you in your mission.

Ok so let's move on. Next you want to think about your youth. What were your childhood dreams? what made you excited? Who influenced you as a child and who influences you now? what shaped your beliefs and passions?

Next, expand your vision. Take a look at the world around you. We tend to "tune out" life so that we can focus on ourselves. Try to get out of this habit. It's not all about you! Read the newspaper, visit a different town, or maybe a different section of your own town.

Finally, spend some quiet time and think about everything you have experienced. Think about yourself and the world around you. What needs do you see? How could your knowledge, skills and abilities help with those needs?

You have a lot to think about now! You have important work to do, so get started today!

Watch for Part 4 to be posted tomorrow!

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

What Makes You A Leader? Part 2

2007-03-21T08:43:00.000-04:00

What is a leader?

How do you become one?

Can YOU really make a difference?

How would you do that?

You're not too old, too young, too smart, too dumb, etc. to have a mission! Anyone can have a mission!

There is NO reason why you shouldn't get started right now! Don't procrastinate!

Whatever you CAN do makes a difference. Don't feel like you can't do enough!

As your mission evolves so will you. And your ability to make a difference will grow with you.

The difference between people who are energetic and those who lead others through a mission is that successful, energetic people usually influence others as they push toward their OWN goals. True leaders use their drive and ambition to lead people in pursuit of a larger goal and a greater good than just their own success and ambition.

A word of caution as you start your journey to find and commit to a mission is that you can't allow yourself to become disheartened! Stay relaxed and let your open mind and attitude help you to find acceptable solutions. Sometimes the answers will come to you form the most unexpected places!

Also, be aware that the process of leadership and dedication to your chosen mission will require some level of personal sacrifice. There is ALWAYS a price to pay; sometimes a larger price than others. Some days you will be on top of the world. Other days you'll be at the bottom of the heap, beat down and almost broken. Don't get discouraged!

You will find yourself receiving a lot of criticism from others who don't believe in your mission or doubt your ability to help. Sometimes they will even envy you but won't let on to their feelings. Ignore them and keep pushing forward ... stay focused!

If you want to make the world a better place, keep in mind that big things come from small beginnings. The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Don't expect result overnight ... it takes time. In the mean time, pat yourself on the back for having the courage to take the stand and initiative. This alone will make you a better leader and help you to make a difference.

Watch for Part 3 to be posted tomorrow!

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

What Makes You A Leader? Part 1

2007-03-20T21:05:00.000-04:00

What is a leader?

How do you become one?

Can YOU really make a difference?

How would you do that?

Given what you just read, have you been a leader in the past?

What were your roles or titles?

Did you like it?

Did you feel that you made a difference?

How do you think you measure up with other leaders?

Ask 3 or 4 people who know you well and will be candid with you ... "How am I at letting people know that I care about them?" You might be surprised at the answers you get!

Watch for Part 2 to be posted tomorrow!

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

Creative Notions

2007-03-17T10:47:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

People seem to have the misconception that only a select few are able to unleash a steady flow of creative genius. That's not true at all. The fact is, creativity is very much like a muscle that needs to be exercised in order to consistently give out great results. If you don't practice harnessing creative thinking, this skill will quickly deteriorate into non-existence. But keep working at it, and creativity will soon come to you easily.

So how do you unleash your creative thinking? Well, the first thing is to become a human leech. No, we're not talking about just sucking the blood out of every living being available, we're saying that you should take in as much knowledge and learning as you can find. Read everything available -- good and bad, and keep your mind open to the infinite possibilities of the universe. The more you know, the more you'll want to know, and the more your faculty of wonder will be exercised. Prepare to be amazed at little facts that add a bit of color into your life.

Focus on a creative activity everyday. Yes, it's an effort, but even doodling is a creative activity. Don't let anything hinder you. For people who are just starting out to unleash a little bit of creative thinking in their lives, it is helpful and encouraging to have concrete evidence that, "hey, what I'm doing is getting me somewhere."

So why don't you try it? Practice drawing for a couple of minutes each day. Bring out your old camera and start snapping photos like crazy. Keep a journal and make a point to write in it religiously. Another cool idea is to write by describing something with your five senses. Try to avoid vague adjectives like "marvelous," "amazing," and "delicious." Before you know it you'll have built yourself a tiny portfolio and you'll be amazed at the growth you've undertaken after amassing all those works of art. Who knows, you might actually take to liking those things you do everyday. Pretty soon those things will become a part of you and you'll be addicted to these creative exercises.

Think outside of the box -- or don't. Sometimes, constraints are actually a good thing. Limitations discipline you to work within your means. It enables you to be more resourceful. Creative freedom is great, but limitations enforce discipline.

Try something new everyday and let your experiences broaden your perspective. Explore a new district in your neighborhood. Spend an afternoon in a museum to which you've never been before. Chat with someone on the bus. Open up to the people around you. As you thrust yourself out of your comfort zone a little more each day, your sense of adventure grows and so does your zest for life. Think about it; when was the last time you did something for the first time? If it's been a while, you've been missing out on a whole lot of experiences that could've added to your growth, emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. Why don't you try something different today? Something you've never done before. Not only will you learn, but you will also have plenty of stories to share, enabling you to practice your storytelling skills and making you the life of the party.

Embrace insanity. No, not to the point of practically admitting yourself into the mental ward. As John Russell once said, "Sanity calms, but madness is more interesting." Exactly!

Creative thought was once deemed insanity by "normal" people at one time or another. Luck for us, that didn't stop the creative geniuses from standing by their thoughts. The thing is that sanity, or being normal, confines people to think ... well, normally. Within limits. Creativity is essentially breaking through those confining barriers. Yes, this includes the bizarre and the downright strange. I'm not saying that you should develop a creative personality. That might go haywire. An example of a creative personality would be George Washington, who often rode into battle naked, or James Joyce, who wrote "Dubliners" with beetle juice for an intense fear of ink, or Albert Einstein, who thought his cat was a spy sent by his rival (or in thinking creatively in this case, the term could probably be "arch nemesis"). It's important that your creativity doesn't detach you from the real world completely.

I hope this article has inspired you to start thinking beyond your "limits" and "outside the box." If you follow these suggestions, pretty soon you'll be living a life full of interesting adventures. Unleashing your creative thinking will bring about a new zest for living life.

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

Tips On Becoming An Effective Leader

2007-03-14T09:34:00.000-04:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

When you are at work, do you get frustrated because things don't seem to be happening the way they’re supposed to be? You see people milling around but nothing gets accomplished.

And in the daily hustle and bustle, do you feel that your goals remain just that – goals? Then maybe its time for you to take control and do something about it.

Most people are content just to stand around waiting for orders to be thrown at them. And it isn't unusual to adopt a "follow-the-leader" mentality. But maybe, somewhere inside of you, you have the desire to make things happen – to be the head, not the tail. Then maybe leadership is where you need to be.

Some people believe that great leaders are made, not born. Yes, it may be true that some people are born with natural talents. However, without practice, drive, enthusiasm, and experience, there can be no true development in leadership. Their talents go to waste.

Good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their skills, whether they are natural or learned. This takes a commitment to constantly improve in whatever endeavor a person chooses.

Personal development is a large part of being a good leader. You should engage in some form of personal development EVERY DAY! You should read, or listen to, a personal development or leadership book or recording every morning before you start your day. A great place to get access to online personal development is My Daily Development. You simply become a member and then sign up for one of the courses. Just log in every morning and read, or listen to, a new personal development lesson. The 10-15 minutes you take to do this every day will change your life! It'll get you motivated and get your day off to a fantastic start!

Now, let's define leadership. To be a leader, you must be able to influence and motivate others to accomplish a goal, or an objective. A leader contributes to the organization and cohesion of a group.

Contrary to what most people believe, leadership is not about power. Unfortunately, way too many people believe it is and they let the "power" go to their heads. Then they end up being despised instead of looked up to as the leaders of the group. Being a leader is not about harassing people or driving them through the use of fear. It is about encouraging others towards the goal of the organization. It is putting everyone on the same page and helping them see the big picture of the organization. You must be a leader, not a boss.

To begin with, you have to get people to follow you. How is this accomplished?

People follow others when they see a clear sense of purpose. They get the same "vision" that the leader has. People will only follow you if they see that you know where you are going. Remember that bumper sticker? The one that says, don't follow me, I'm lost too? The same holds true for leadership. If you do not know where you're headed, chances are people will not follow you.

You must know the vision of the organization. Having a clear sense of hierarchy, knowing who the bosses are, who to talk with, the organizational goals and objectives, and how the organization works is the primary to show others you know what you are doing. If they sense that you know what you're doing and where you're heading, they will follow you without question.

Being a leader is also not about what you make others do. It's about who you are, what you know, and what you do. You are a reflection of what you're subordinates must be. They will duplicate their leader's actions.

Studies have shown that the basis of good leadership is the trust and confidence your subordinates have of you. If they trust you, they will go through hell and high water for you, and for the organization.

Trust and confidence is built on good relationships, trustworthiness, and high ethics. The way you deal with your people, and the relationships you build, will lay the foundation for the strength of your group. The stronger your relationship, the stronger their trust and confidence is in your capabilities and the more they will do to help you achieve the goal.

Once you have their trust and confidence, you may now proceed to communicate the goals and objectives you are to undertake. Communication is a very important key to good leadership. Without this you can not be a good leader. The knowledge and technical expertise you have must be clearly imparted to other people.

Also, you can not be a good leader and unless you have exercise judgment. You must be able to assess situations, weigh the pros and cons of any decision, and actively seek out a solution. It is this judgment that your subordinates will come to rely upon. Therefore, good decision-making is vital to the success of your organization.

Leaders are not do-it-all heroes. You should not claim to know everything, and you should not rely upon your skills alone. You should recognize and take advantage of the skills and talents your subordinates have. Only when you come to this realization will you be able to work as one cohesive unit.

Remember being a leader takes a good deal of work and time. It is not learned overnight, it is an ongoing process. Remember, also, that it is not all about you. It is about you, the people around you, and ultimately the goal you are trying to reach.

Do you have the drive and desire required of leaders? Do you have the desire to work cooperatively with other people? Then start now. Take your stand and begin becoming a good leader today. Just being, or claiming to be, a leader isn't enough, you need to BE a good, strong leader.

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

Developing Your Intuition

2007-03-09T10:06:00.000-05:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

Have you had this experience? All of a sudden you have this huge feeling that something is about to happen, and to your surprise, that intuition was eventually translated to reality?

When you feel strongly about something without logical basis to it, that's called intuition. It comes in three types of impressions: clairvoyance or "the third eye", sensing clearly, and feeling through listening.

Clairvoyance is when your eye goes beyond what it can see. This is when you know what is happening somewhere.

Sensing clearly is basically what we refer to as "hunch" or "gut feel". This is when you are overwhelmed with a feeling and you can't explain it. All you can say is "I just know."

Feeling through listening or "Clairaudience" is being able to "listen" between the lines. Intuition also happens at times when a certain sound, whatever it is - be it a car's honk or a bird's chirping - ushers in an intense feeling of familiarity.

They say only a small number of people are gifted with intuition. Astrologists insist that people born under the Scorpio or Pisces signs are naturally intuitive. It almost borders on E.S.P., but studies have been sprouting up left and right that proclaim that anyone can develop intuition.

Why the need to develop intuition? Why not leave your emotional and psychological state as it is? First and foremost, intuition promotes good communication. It makes you more sensitive to the people around you and it often keeps you from hurting those you love because you are intuitive enough to understand them and their thoughts and feelings.

Intuition also makes you far more creative than usual. Intuition allows more creative juices to flow for all means of expression. Lastly, intuition has a healing power. This healing power is not in the physical sense, but in delving deep into your soul to eradicate some negative energy buried within it.

With that being said, are you ready to develop your intuition? Here are some ways to unlock this gift:

1. Hypnosis: Hypnosis is not limited to watching a pendulum move back and forth. Perform self-hypnosis or you can take advantage of hypnotic programs that can strengthen your intuition.

2. Meditation: Meditating means finding peace in yourself. If your mind and heart are cluttered with too much baggage and hurt, you won't be able to quiet down that part of you required to initiate intuition. There are so many ways to meditate: take a yoga class, or just simply practice some breathing that could bring you straight to Zen.

3. Think positive: A worry-free, fear-free state could do so much to improve your intuitive ability. By staying positive, you attract good energy that would be able to easily recognize imminent feelings and events.

4. Just let go: What does this mean? If you are on the brink of making a huge decision, let go of all the inhibitions and head to a quiet place where you can trace where your thought process has brought you. Sometimes you have to listen to the voice within you, and that voice won't come out unless you allow it.

5. Never expect: After letting go of the inhibitions and all those things that stop you from thinking and feeling clearly, never expect an answer right away. Never expect that the "hunch" will just fall into your lap immediately. Give it a little time. You'll be surprised that all of a sudden you have your answer.

6. Believe in your first impressions: When you see someone for the first time and think that he is a bit too arrogant for your taste, chances are that impression actually holds true.

Most of the time, first impressions are brought by intuition. And remember, you only have one chance to make (or receive) a first impression! Later on, go back and think about what your first impression was and see if it holds true. I think you'll be surprised!

7. Stay happy: All you need to be intuitive is to stay happy! Happiness attracts immense power and such power includes intuition. In tapping into your intuition, your motivation should be happiness and contentment. Given that premise, intuition will come to you easily.

Intuition is helpful, because sometimes it leads you to something that cannot be achieved otherwise. A lot of lives have been saved by intuition alone. Decisions are accomplished easier if you are lucky enough, or determined enough, to use this gift. Develop your intuition now and reap benefits like you have never imagined.

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

Motivation: The Heart Of Self Improvment

2007-03-06T08:56:00.000-05:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

Pain is sometimes the reason why people change. Receiving poor grades makes us realize that we need to study. Debts remind us of our responsibility to look for a source of income. Being humiliated gives us the ‘push’ to speak up and fight for ourselves to save face from the next embarrassment. It may be a bitter experience, a friend’s tragic story, a great movie, or an inspiring book that will help us get up and get the proper amount of motivation we need in order to improve ourselves.

With the countless negativity the world brings about, how do we keep motivated?

Try out the tips I have prepared from A to Z.

A - Achieve your dreams. Avoid negative people, things and places. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

B - Believe in your self, and in what you are capable of doing.

C – Consider things from every angle and aspect. Motivation comes from determination. To be able to understand life, you should feel the sun from both sides.

D – Don’t give up and don’t give in. Thomas Edison failed once, twice, more than three time before he invented and perfected the incandescent light bulb. Make motivation your steering wheel in everything you do.

E – Enjoy life. Work as if you don’t need the money. Dance as if nobody’s watching. Love as if you never cried. Learn as if you’ll live forever. Motivation takes place when people are happy.

F – Family and Friends are life’s greatest treasures. Don’t loose sight of them. See my short story below under "S".

G – Give more than what is expected or enough. When does motivation and self improvement take place at work, home, and school? Its when you exert an extra effort in doing things and give 110% in everything you do.

H – Hang on to your dreams and don't ever let go, no matter what! They may dangle in there for a moment, but these little stars will be your driving force.

I – Ignore those who try to destroy you. Don’t allow other people to get the best of you. Stay away from "toxic" people – you know - the kind of friends who hate to hear about your successes.

J – Just be yourself. One of the keys to success is to be yourself. And the key to failure is to try to please everyone.

K – Keep trying no matter how hard life may seem. Don't EVER give up! When a person is motivated, eventually he sees a harsh life finally clearing out, paving the way to self improvement.

L – Learn to love your self. Now ... wasn't that easy?

M – Make things happen. Motivation is when your dreams are put into work clothes.

N – Never lie, cheat or steal. Always play a fair game. You'll feel better about yourself and your efforts and others will see you as a better person for it. Whether you win or lose doesn't matter, it's how you play the game. If you lose, pick yourself up and try again! If you win, don't gloat or rub it in people's faces, they won't appreciate it!

O – Open your eyes. People should learn the horse attitude and horse sense. They see things in 2 ways – how they want things to be, and how they should be.

P – Practice makes perfect. Practice is about motivation. It lets us learn repertoire and ways on how can we recover from our mistakes. Always learn from your mistakes.

Q – Quitters never win, and winners never quit. So, choose your fate – are you going to be a quitter or a winner?

R – Ready yourself. Motivation is also about preparation. We must hear the little voice within us telling us to get started before others get on their feet and try to push us into something we are not prepared for. Remember, it wasn’t raining when Noah build the ark!

S – Stop procrastinating. Take care of the things that require your attention. Don't put them off because you never knows what's around the next bend. And by the time you "get around to it", it could just be too late. This especially rings true where people are concerned.

Here's a quick true story for you:

I had a friend that I kept "meaning to go see". For months I kept saying "I should go visit Lucky - yes that was his nickname and we all knew him by that name. After a while, I noticed he wasn't contacting me, wouldn't answer my emails, wouldn't return my phone calls, etc. I figured he was mad at me for not stopping by to say hello. Finally I decided to call him at work one day to tell him I was going to stop by after work that evening no matter what. The gentleman who answered the phone told me that Lucky had passed away from a heart attack about a month before my phone call. DEVASTATION!! My heart sank into my stomach and I began crying like a baby! This was a person who was my friend and we all loved him very much! That was over 5 years ago and to this day, and forever more, I will NEVER forgive myself for procrastinating and not stopping by to see him. Now I will never have the chance in this lifetime to ever do see or talk with him again. DON'T PROCRASTINATE!!! Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today ... you never know what tomorrow will bring! I can't tell you how hard it was just to write that story just now .. it still brings tears to my eyes and always will every time I think about what I had done!

T – Take control of your life. Discipline and self control synchs synonymously with motivation. Both are key factors in self improvement.

U – Understand others. You know very well how to talk, you should also learn how to listen. Yearn to understand first, and to be understood the second. You have 2 ears and 1 mouth, use the proportionately!

V – Visualize it. Motivation without vision is like a boat on a dry land.

W – Want it more than anything. Dreaming means believing, and to believe is something is the root of motivation and self improvement. Discover your "Why". once you know your "Why", if it is strong enough, nothing will be able to defeat you!

X – X-Factor is what will make you different from the others. When you are motivated, you tend to put “extras” into your life. Things like extra time for family, extra help at work, extra care for friends, and so on.

Y – You are unique. No one in this world looks, acts, or talks like you. Value your life and existence because you only get 1 chance. Jim Rohn says: "You don't want to get to the end of your life and find out that you only lived 1/10 of it!"

Z – Zero in on your dreams and go for it!!!

As always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

Your Essential Guide to Stress Management

2007-03-02T09:54:00.000-05:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

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!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

Time Management and Goal Setting

2007-02-27T10:16:00.000-05:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
Success Network Group

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, 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.”

Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

"What Really Makes You Tick?" - 10 questions you should ask to yourself in preparation for self-improvement.

2007-02-22T09:43:00.000-05:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

You should always strive to be all you can be, but it's not necessarily in the Army. I often see myself as somewhat contented with my life the way things are, but of course it's hard to think of anything else when where are real issues to be discussed.

Still, I aspire for something deeper and more meaningful.

We're all pelted with problems. Honestly it shouldn't even bother or hinder us in becoming all we should be. Aspirations as kids should continue to live within us. It could be as short-lived, or last as long-lived as we can hold on to our dreams. They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks … or can you?

Let's find out by asking ourselves these questions:

1. What do I really want?

The question of the ages. So many things you want to do with your life and so little time. Finding something that you are good at can help realize that small step towards improvement. Diligence is the key.

2. Should I really change?

Today's generation has taken another level of redefining 'self', or at least that's what the kids are saying. Having an army of teenage nieces and nephews has taught me that there are far worse things that they could have had than acne, or maybe even promiscuity. So how does that fit into your lifestyle?

If history has taught us one thing, it's the life that we have gone through. Try to see if partying Seventies style wouldn't appeal to the younger generation, but dancing is part of partying. Watch them applaud after showing them how to really dance, rather than break their bones in break-dancing.

3. What's the bright side in all of this?

With so much is happening around us, there seems to be no room for even considering that light at the end of the tunnel. We can still see it as something positive without undergoing so much scrutiny. And if it's a train at the end of the tunnel, take it for a ride and see what makes the world go round!

4. Am I comfortable with what I'm doing?

There's the easy way, and the right way, when it comes to deciding what goes with which shoes, purse, shirt or whatever. It doesn't take a genius to see yourself as someone unique, or else we'll all be equally the same in everything we do. Variety brings in very interesting and exciting questions to be experimented upon.

5. Have I done enough for myself?

Have you? Or is there something more you want to do? Discontentment in every aspect can be dangerous in large doses, but in small amounts you'll be able to see and do things you could never even imagine doing!

6. Am I happy where I am today?

It's an unfair question, so why not let it be an answer! If you love being a good and loving mom or dad to your kids, then take it up a notch! Your kids will love you forever. The same goes with everyday life!

Nothing is going to change in your life unless YOU change! If you keep on doing what you've always done, you'll keep on getting what you've always gotten. If you aren't happy with yoursel for your life, then start making the changes today! What's stopping you?

7. Am I an appealing person?

So maybe I don't have an answer to that, but that doesn't mean you can't try to change that as well. Whether you shape-up, change the way you wear your clothes or hair, or even your attitude towards people, you should always remember it will always be for your own benefit.

Remember ... Attitude is everything! People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care! Make it about others, it's not all about you!

8. How much could I have?

I suppose in this case there is no such thing as having too much or too little. It's based on how badly you really want it. I'd like to have lots of money, no denying that, but the question is this: How much, and how hard, are you willing to work for it? There is NO free ride! You need to find a STRONG why! What is your why? Is it strong enough to motivate you to get up out of your chair and actually DO something about your situation? If not, keep looking for a stronger why!

9. What motivates me?

What motivates you? As mentioned above: what is your why? It's an answer you have to find out for yourself. Nobody can really help you with this question. Each person's individual why is usually different from everyone else's why. There are so many things that can make someone happy, but to choose one of them may be the hardest piece of the puzzle. It's like this: you can't have one serving of your favorite food in a buffet and that's it. You have to try the other things piece by piece and see what tastes good to you. Finding out your personal why is the most important thing you need to do in order to start changing your life. Once you find your why you will have a direction and the motivation and determination to reach for what it is you want: your why!

10. What Really Makes You Tick?

So, what is it that really makes you tick? You can be anything you want to be! Realizing that attaining something that may seem very difficult is not totally impossible is already improving your chances of succeeding and reaching your goals. Always remember that self-improvement is not just about the physical or philosophical changes you have to undergo, but it's something that you really want ... your why!

Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

Genuine Happiness Comes From Within.

2007-02-13T10:58:00.000-05:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

Life isn’t the sweetest candy. Sometimes, when I feel like the world is just too heavy, I look around and find people who continued to live fascinating and wonderful lives. And then thoughts come popping into my mind like bubbles from nowhere – “How did their life become so adorably sweet? How come they still can manage to laugh and play around despite a busy stressful life?” Then I pause and observed for awhile… I figured out that maybe, they start to work on a place called ‘self’.

So, how does one become genuinely happy? Step 1 is to love yourself.

My theology professor once said that “loving means accepting.” To love oneself means to accept that you are not a perfect being, but behind the imperfections must lie a great source of courage to be able to discover ways on how to improve your repertoire to recover from your mistakes.

Genuine happiness also pertains to contentment. When you are contented with the job you have, the way you look, with your family, your friends, the place you live in, your car, and all the things you now have – truly, you know the answer to the question “how to be genuinely happy.”

When we discover a small start somewhere from within, that small start will eventually lead to something else, and to something else. But if you keep questioning life as if has never done you any good, you will never be able to find genuine happiness.

I believe that life is about finding out about right and wrong, trying and failing, winning and losing. These are things that happen as often as you inhale and exhale. Failure, in a person’s life has become as abundant and necessary as air. But this should not hinder us from becoming happy.

How to be genuinely happy in spite all these? I'll tell you … every time you exert effort to improve the quality of life and your being, whether it is cleaning up your room, helping a friend, taking care of your sick dog, failing on board exams and trying again, life gives you equivalent points for that.

Imagine life as a big score board like those which are used in the NFL. Every time you take a step forward, you score points. Wouldn’t it be nice to look at that board at the end of each game and think to yourself “Whew! I got a point today. I’m glad I gave it a shot.”, instead of looking at it all blank and murmur “Geez, I didn’t even hit a score today. I wish I had the guts to try out. We could have won!” and then walk away.

Genuine happiness isn’t about driving the hottest Formula 1 car, nor getting the employee of the year award, earning the highest pay, or beating the sales quota. Sometimes, the most sought after prizes in life doesn’t always go to the fastest, the strongest, the bravest or not even the best. So, how do you become genuinely happy? Every one has his own definition of ‘happiness’. Happiness for a writer may mean launching as many best selling books as possible. Happiness for a basketball rookie may mean getting the rookie of the year award. Happiness for a beggar may mean a lot of money. Happiness for a business man may mean success. So, really now, how do we become genuinely happy? Simple. You don’t have to have the best things in this world. Its about doing and making the best out of every single thing. When you find yourself smiling at your own mistakes and telling yourself “Ok, I’ll do better next time”, you carry with you a flame of strong will power to persevere that may spread out like a brush fire. You possess a willingness to stand up again and try – that will make you a genuinely happy person.

When you learn to accept yourself and your own faults. You pass step 1 in the project “how to become genuinely happy”. For as long as you know how to accept others, you will also be accepted. For as long as you love and know how to love, you will receive love ten fold in return.

Again, throw me that same question “how to become genuinely happy?”. I’ll refer you to a friend of mine who strongly quoted- “Most of us know that laughter is the best medicine to life’s aches and pains. But most of us don’t know that the best kind of laughter is ... laughter over self. Then you don’t just become happy … you become free.”

Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

Dream Your Life...

2007-01-31T22:47:00.000-05:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

Impossible is Just a Word

Everyone, at some point of his or her life, has dreamed of being somebody special, somebody important. Who hasn't fantasized about being the one who hits the game-winning homer? Who hasn't dreamed of being the Homecoming Queen? And how many times have we dreamed of being rich, or successful, or happy with our relationships?

Often, we dream big dreams and have great aspirations. Unfortunately, our dreams remain just that – dreams. And our aspirations easily collect dust in our attic.

This is a sad turn of events in our lives. Instead of experiencing exciting adventures in self actualization, we get caught up in the humdrum of living from day-to-day just barely existing.

But you know what? Life could be so much better, if only we learned to aim higher. The most common problem to setting goals is the word impossible. Most people get hung up thinking I can't do this. It's too hard. It's too impossible. No one can do this.

However, if everyone thought that, there would be no inventions, no innovations, and no breakthroughs in human accomplishment.

Remember that scientists were baffled when they took a look at the humble bumblebee. Theoretically, they said, it was impossible for the bumblebee to fly. Unfortunately for the bumblebee, no one has told it so. So fly it does.

On the other hand, some people suffer from dreaming totally outrageous dreams and not acting on them. The result? Broken dreams, and tattered aspirations.

If you limit yourself with self-doubt, and self-limiting assumptions, you will never be able to break past what you deem impossible. If you reach too far out into the sky without working towards your goal, you will find yourself clinging on to the impossible dream.

Try this exercise. Take a piece of paper and write down some goals in your life. Under one header, list down things ‘you know you can do’. Under another header, write the things ‘you might be able to do.’ And under one more, list the things that that are ‘impossible for you to do.’

Now look at all the headers. Strive every day to accomplish the goals that are under things ‘you know you can do’. Check them when you are able to accomplish them. As you slowly are able to check all of your goals under that heading, try accomplishing the goals under the other header; the one that reads ‘you might be able to do.’

As of the items you wrote under 'things I could do' are accomplished, you can move the goals that are under things that are ‘impossible for you to do’ to the list of things ‘you might be able to do.’

As you iterate through this process you will find out that the goals you thought were impossible become easier to accomplish. And the impossible begin to seem possible after all.

You see, the technique here is not to limit your imagination. It is to aim high, and start working towards that goal little by little. However, it also is unwise to set a goal that is truly unrealistic. Those who just dream towards a goal without working hard end up disappointed and disillusioned.

On the other hand, if you told someone a hundred years ago that it was possible for man to be on the moon, they would laugh at you. If you had told them that you could send mail from here to the other side of the world in a few seconds, they would say you were out of your mind. But, through sheer desire and perseverance, these impossible dreams are now realities.

Thomas Edison once said that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Nothing could be truer. For one to accomplish his or her dreams, there has to be work and discipline. But take note that that 1% has to be a think-big dream, and not some easily accomplished one.

Ask any gym rat and he or she will tell you that there can be no gains unless you are put out of your comfort zone. Remember the saying, “No pain, no gain”? That is as true as it can be.

So dream on, friend! Don’t get caught up with your perceived limitations. Think big and work hard to attain those dreams. As you step up the ladder of progress, you will just about find out that the impossible has just become a little bit more possible.

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

Your Secret To Success - Have A Vision Of Who You Are And Who You Want To Be.

2007-01-29T09:38:00.000-05:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

Life Mapping: A Vision of Success

Success is more than economic gains, titles, and degrees. Planning for success is about mapping out all the aspects of your life. Similar to a map, you need to define the following details: origin, destination, vehicle, backpack, landmarks, and route.

Origin: Who you are

A map has a starting point. Your origin is who you are right now. Most people, when asked to introduce themselves would say, “Hi, I’m Mary and I'm a 17-year old, senior high school student.” It does not tell you about who Mary is; it only tells you her present preoccupation. To gain insights about yourself, you need to look closely at your beliefs, values, and principles aside from your economic, professional, cultural, and civil status. You can also reflect on your experiences to give you insights on your good and not-so-good traits, skills, knowledge, strengths, and weaknesses. Upon introspection, Mary realized that she was highly motivated, generous, service-oriented, but also impatient. Her inclinations were in the biological-medical field. Furthermore, she believed that life must serve a purpose, and that wars were destructive to human dignity.

Destination: A vision of who you want to be

“Who do want to be?” this is your vision. It is important that you know yourself so that you would have a clearer idea of who you want to be and the things you want to change whether they are attitudes, habits, or points of view. If you hardly know yourself, then your vision and targets for the future will also be unclear. Your destination should cover all the aspects of your being: the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Continuing Mary's story, after she defined her beliefs, values, and principles in life, she decided that she wanted to have a life dedicated in serving her fellow mankind.

Vehicle: Your Mission

A vehicle is the means by which you can reach your destination. It can be analogized to your mission or vocation in life. To a great extent, your mission would depend on what you know about yourself. Based on Mary’s self-assessment, she decided that she was suited to become a doctor, and that she wanted to pursue that career. Her chosen area of expertise was being a medical doctor. Describing her vision-mission fully, it was to live a life dedicated to serving her fellow mankind as a doctor in conflict-areas.

Travel Bag: Your knowledge, skills, and attitude

Food, drinks, medicines, and other traveling necessities are contained in a bag. Similarly, application of this concept in conjunction with your life map, you will bring with you certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes. These items determine your competence and help you in attaining your vision. Given such, there is a need for you to assess what knowledge, skills, and attitudes you have at present and what you need to gain along the way. This two-fold assessment will give you insights on your landmarks or measures of success. Mary realized that she needed to gain professional knowledge and skills on medicine so that she could become a doctor. She knew that she was a bit impatient with people so she realized that this was something she wanted to change.

Landmarks and Route: S.M.A.R.T. objectives

Landmarks confirm if you are on the right track while the route determines the travel time. Thus, in planning out your life, you also need to have landmarks and a route. These landmarks are your measures of success. These measures must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. Thus you cannot set two major landmarks such as earning a master’s degree and a doctorate degree within a period of three years, since the minimum number of years to complete a master’s degree is two years. Going back to Mary as an example, she identified the following landmarks in her life map: completing a bachelor’s degree in biology by the age of 21; completing medical school by the age of 27; earning her specialization in infectious diseases by the age of 30; obtaining employment in local public hospitals of their town by the age of 32; and serving as doctor in war-torn areas by the age of 35.

Anticipate Turns, Detours, and Potholes

The purpose of your life map is to minimize hasty and spur-of-the-moment decisions that can make you lose your way. But often times our plans are modified along the way due to some inconveniences, delays, and other situations beyond our control. Like in any path, there are turns, detours, and potholes and we must anticipate them and adjust accordingly.

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

A Positive Attitude Can Change The World Around You!

2007-01-23T08:27:00.000-05:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

The Powers of a Positive Attitude

I am going to ask you something very unusual right now. First of all, I want you to listen to your thoughts. Now tell me, what thoughts fill your head? Would you label them as positive, or negative?

Now let's say you are walking down the street with these thoughts. Do you think anyone would be able to tell you what’s on your mind?

The answer to number one is up to you. But, the answer number two can be pretty generic. Although people will not be able to tell you exactly what you think, they will more or less have an idea of how you are feeling.

Here's another question. When you enter a party filled with friends, do they all fall silent as if something terrible had happened? Or does everybody there perk up as if they're waiting for something exciting to happen?

You know what? The answer to all these depends on your state of mind.

Thoughts are very powerful. They affect your general attitude. The attitude you carry reflects on your appearance, too – unless, of course, you are a great actor.

And it doesn't end there. Your attitude can also affect people the around you.

The type of attitude you carry depends on you. It can be either positive or negative.

Positive thoughts have a filling effect. They are admittedly exhilarating. Plus, the people around the person carrying positive thoughts are usually energized by this type of attitude.

Negative thoughts on the other hand have a zapping effect on other people. Aside from making you look gloomy and sad, negative thoughts can turn a festive gathering into a funeral wake.

A positive attitude attracts people, while a negative attitude repels them. People tend to shy away from those who carry a negative attitude.

We can also define attitude as the way of looking at the world. If you choose to focus on the negative things in the life, more or less you are fostering a negative attitude. However, if you choose to focus on the positive things, you are more likely carry a positive attitude.

You have much to gain from a very positive attitude. For one, studies have shown that a positive attitude promotes better health. Those with this kind of attitude also have more friends. projecting a positive attitude also helps one to handle stress and problems better than those who have a negative attitude.

A positive attitude begins with a healthy self-image. If you will love the way you are and are satisfied, confident, and self-assured, you also make others around you feel the same way.

On the other hand, a negative attitude, has the opposite effect. So, carrying a negative attitude has a twofold drawback. You feel bad about yourself, and you make others feel the same way.

If you want to have a positive attitude, you have to maintain healthy thoughts. This is actually very hard to do nowadays since all around us the media feeds us nothing but negative thoughts. A study shows that for every 14 things a parent says to his or her child, only one is positive. This is truly a depressing thought.

If you want a healthier outlook in life, you need to think happy thoughts. You also have to hear positive things as well. So, what can you do? Well, for starters, you could see a funny movie, you could play with children, or spend some time telling jokes with friends. All these activities fill you with positive stimuli, which in turn promotes positive attitude.

Although it is impossible to keep ourselves from the negative things around us, you can still carry a positive attitude by focusing on the good things, the positive things in life.

And this positive attitude you now carry can be of benefit to other people. Sometimes when other people feel down, the thing most people do is try to give them advice. But sometimes, all they need is somebody to sit with them, and listen to their thoughts and feelings. If you have a positive attitude you may be able to cheer them up without even having to say anything.

If positive attitude is really great, why do people choose to adopt a negative attitude instead? One who carries a negative attitude may be actually sending a signal for attention. So you don't misunderstand what I'm saying, feeling sad, angry, or gloomy is not wrong itself. But dwelling on these thoughts for far too long is not healthy either. There is a time to mourn, but don't continually dwell on the subject or situation; change it!

If you are inundated with troubles, even in your darkest hour, focus on the good things in life, it will always give you hope. Problems are something you can overcome.

You don't have anything to lose by adopting a healthy, positive attitude. Studies show that such an attitude actually defers aging, makes you healthier, helps you develop a better stress coping mechanism, and has a very positive effect on all the people you meet every day. So, what's not to like about a positive attitude? Adopt one today.

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

Why Is It Important To Improve Yourself?

2007-01-19T10:43:00.000-05:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

Sometimes, when all our doubts, fears and insecurities overwhelm us, we always come up with the idea of “I wish I was somebody else.” More often than not, we think and believe that most people are better than us - when in reality most people are more scared than us.

You spot a totally eye-catching girl sitting by herself at a party, casually sipping on a glass of Asti Spumanti. You think to yourself, “she looks so perfectly calm and confident.” But if you could read her mind you might just be amazed that she’s thinking “are people talking about why I am seated here alone?... Why don’t guys find me attractive? …I don’t like my ankles, they look too skinny… I wish I was as intelligent as my best friend.”

We look at a young business entrepreneur and say “Wooh … what else could he ask for?” He stares at himself in the mirror and murmurs to himself, “I hate my big eyes… I wonder why my friends won’t talk to me… I hope mom and dad will still work things out.”

Isn’t it funny? We look at other people, envy them for looking so outrageously perfect and wish we could trade places with them, while they look at us and think the same thing. We are insecure of other people who themselves are insecure of us. We suffer from low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence and lose hope in self improvement because we are enveloped in quiet desperation.

Sometimes, you notice that you have an irritating habit like biting off your finger nails, having a foul mouth, and you – of all people, are the last to know.

I have a friend who never gets tired of talking. And in most conversations, she is the only one who seems to be interested in the things she has to say. So all of our other friends tend to avoid the circle whenever she’s around, and she doesn’t notice how socially handicapped she has become – gradually affecting the people in her environment.

One key to self improvement is to LISTEN and TALK to a trusted friend. Find someone who you are comfortable with discussing your most intimate thoughts. Ask questions like “do you think I am ill-mannered?”, “Do I always sound so argumentative?”, “Do I talk too loud?”, “Does my breath smell?”, “Do I ever bore you when were together?”. In this way, the other person will obviously know that you are interested in the process of self improvement. Lend him or her your ears for comments and criticisms and don’t give answers like “Don’t exaggerate! That’s just the way I am!” Open up your mind and heart as well. And in return, you may want to help your friend with constructive criticism that will also help her improve her self.

One of Whitney Houston’s songs says “Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.” True enough. In order to love others, you must love yourself too. Remember, you cannot give what you do not have.

Before telling other people some ways on how to improve themselves, let them see that you yourself are a representation and a product of self improvement. Self improvement makes us better people. We then are able to inspire other people to follow in our footsteps.

Stop thinking of yourselves as second-rate beings. Forget the repetitive thought of “If only I were richer … if only I were thinner” and so on. Accepting your true self is the first step to self improvement. Don't compare yourself to others because you will always find others who are greater or lesser than yourself. You are unique and that gives you tremendous value, so believe in yourself. By doing so it won't matter what other people think about, it only matters what you think about yourself.

We all have our insecurities. Nobody is perfect. We always wish we had better things, better features, better body parts, etc. But life need not be perfect for people to be happy about themselves. Because in reality life isn't perfect and never will be. Self improvement and loving yourself is not a matter of shouting to the whole world that you are perfect and you are the best. It’s the virtue of acceptance and contentment. When we begin to accept ourselves and begin to focus on our own self-development, we then begin to feel contentment and happiness. Do not let your happiness be based upon outside circumstances for then your happiness will rise and fall based upon events you have no control over.

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

Happy as You Want to Be

2007-01-19T10:40:00.000-05:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

Almost everyone has heard the hit single 'Don't Worry, Be Happy' by Bobby McFerrin. The song has a very catchy way of conveying its message of being happy to everyone. Bobby Mcferrin's simple message surely made a lot of people happy by telling them not to worry.

Living a happy, resilient and optimistic life is wonderful, and is also good for your health. Being happy actually protects you from the stresses of life. Stress is linked to top causes of death such as heart disease, cancer and stroke.

One of the better things ever said is - 'The only thing in life that will always remain the same is change', and in our life we have the power to make the necessary changes if we want to. Even if we find ourselves in an unbearable situation, we can always find solace in the knowledge that it too would change.

Social networks or relationships are essential to happiness. People are different. Accept people for who and what they are; avoid clashes, constant arguments, and let go of all kinds of resentments. If arguments seem unavoidable still try to make an effort to understand the situation and you might just get along well with them. Happiness is actually found in everyone, increasing it is a way to make a life more wonderful and also more healthy.

To be happy is relatively easy, just decide to be a happy person. Abraham Lincoln observed that most people for most of the time can choose how happy or stressed, how relaxed or troubled, how bright or dull their outlook will be. The choice is simple really, choose to be happy.

There are several ways you can do this:

Being grateful is a great attitude. We have so much to be thankful for. Thank the taxi driver for bringing you home safely, thank the cook for a wonderful dinner and thank the guy who cleans your windows. Also thank the mailman for delivering your mail, thank the policeman for making your place safe and thank God for being alive.

News is stressful. Get less of it. Some people just can't start their day without their daily dose of news. Try to think about it, 99% of the news we hear or read is bad news and results in a negative attitude. Starting the day with bad news does not seem to be a sensible thing to do.

A religious connection is also recommended. Being part of a religious group with its singing, sacraments, chanting, prayers and meditations foster inner peace.

Manage your time. Time is invaluable and much too important to waste. The most valuable thing you could possibly give someone is your time; it can't be replaced! Time management can be viewed as a list of rules that involves scheduling, setting goals, planning, creating lists of things to do and prioritizing. These are the core basics of time management that should be understood in order 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 achieve the results you desire.

Laugh, and laugh heartily, everyday. Heard a good joke? Tell your friends or family about it. As it is also said; 'Laughter is the best medicine'.

Express your feelings, affections, friendship and passion to people around you. They will most likely reciprocate your actions. Try not to keep pent up anger of frustrations, this is bad for your health. Instead, find ways of expressing them in a way that will not cause more injury or hurt to anyone.

Working hard brings tremendous personal satisfaction. It gives a feeling of being competent in finishing our tasks. Accomplishments are necessary for all of us, they give us a sense of value. Work on things that you feel are worthy of your time.

Learning is a joyful exercise. Try and learn something new everyday. Learning also makes us expand and broaden our horizons. And it could also present us with more opportunities in the future.

Run, jog, walk and do other things that your body was made for. Feel alive!

Avoid exposure to negative elements like loud noises, toxins and hazardous places.

These are the few simple things you can do every day to be happy.

And always remember the quote from Abraham Lincoln; "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.

Welcome!

2007-01-15T11:28:00.000-05:00

Copyright © Success Network Group
www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com

Welcome to our Blog Site!

We have just started this site so there's not much content on here yet but we'll be adding some interesting articles as we grow along with you all.

The purpose of this blog is to help you advance your success in life, love and finances with Personal Development. Personal Development is a MUST HAVE if you want to succeed and fulfill all of your dreams and goals!

So Keep Checking Back!

In the mean time check out some of our favorite websites:

Success University: Learn from over 50 of the world's top experts in life, love and finances!

Secrets Of The Super Bloggers: How much MORE WEB SITE TRAFFIC and MORE MONEY would YOU make if your knew the...Secrets of the Super Bloggers!

As Always ... Make it a GREAT day!

About the Author:

Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional
Network Marketers for the past 4 years. They attribute
much of their success to personal development and
consistent learning. Visit their Learning Center
for more insight into how personal development can
benefit you.