Surprises, shocks, disappointments, friends turning on you. They all result in surprising you. Some are positive and some are very disappointing. It really shows you those who are your friends and those that simply use you. At times it may not be a friend that wrongs you, but rather a third-party who heard something about you and took a shot at you.
A true friend will let you know what they are thinking, whether it is something you would like to hear or not. Friends can share their differences and still be friends. A good friendship many more good times than bad. The solid relationships will cause you to overlook the rare instances when you are blindsided or surprised! In addition, a true friend will know when one of your sarcastic remarks was just a funny line, and when you really meant it. Friendships may be put on hold when one of the parties offends the other, but in most cases, a short time heals the situation and the offender will apologize to the one offended.
Are you one that will work hard to keep the friendship sound? If the other person offends you, do you have the courage to let them know? Sometimes, that person doesn't even realize that they said or did something offensive. You would be a friend by letting them know that it was hurtful and something they should not do. Other times, they may try to take advantage of the relationship and you need to let them know that is not acceptable. Every situation is different. You have to decide what is best. Some people want to avoid confrontation at all costs and that ends up leading to them being hurt time and time again. Don't be one that is confrontational, but have the courage to let someone know when they have overstepped the boundary and wronged you.
When the friendship is fairly new, you may very well have some interesting situations. The other person may not respond just the way you expected. It may be that you made a sarcastic statement and they didn't understand that you were just teasing. You need to be aware when you do or say something that is a little edgy, to watch the person's response. Was their response spontaneous or did they seem confused, startled or puzzled? You may need to explain yourself, before the situation escalates.
Are you the friend that you want others to be with you? If you will honestly evaluate yourself from time to time, then your attitude is in the right place! If you never feel that you do anything wrong and it is always the other person at fault, you are probably at fault! Be honest with yourself. Everyone else knows!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Time Flies!
Do you remember when you were in grade school and your parents take about how time flies? My parents did and I just couldn't understand what they were talking about. Especially, during the summers. My parents were very strict. We lived in a rural area and I wasn't allowed to get away on my bicycle without them knowing exactly where I was going and how long I would be gone. Typically, it was never more than 2 hours at a time that I could be gone. Instead, I had chores to do around the house--burning the trash, painting fences that my Dad welded, etc. The summers seemed to just drag, and drag, and drag.
But how time changes as you get older. It's hard to believe that most of October 2010 is already gone. Before we know it, it will be Christmas, then 2011. If you don't put an event on your planning calendar, you probably aren't going to be a part of it. Time becomes a very precious commodity as we grow older. For one thing, you start seeing your high school friends becoming very ill, or dying. That's a WAKE-UP CALL! That type of news can make you very depressed and you can start dwelling on how little time I have left, or "What is around the corner for me?" But don't do that!
Instead, embrace the moment! Be thankful for each day. Tell those that mean so much to you, just how important they are. Remember those goals that you have and put everything into getting what you want! We have no guarantees in life. You may be that person that lives to their late 90's, or you may not have much time left, because of health problems, or just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We can waste a lot of time worrying about what might happen, or we can live each day to it's fullest! What's your choice?
But how time changes as you get older. It's hard to believe that most of October 2010 is already gone. Before we know it, it will be Christmas, then 2011. If you don't put an event on your planning calendar, you probably aren't going to be a part of it. Time becomes a very precious commodity as we grow older. For one thing, you start seeing your high school friends becoming very ill, or dying. That's a WAKE-UP CALL! That type of news can make you very depressed and you can start dwelling on how little time I have left, or "What is around the corner for me?" But don't do that!
Instead, embrace the moment! Be thankful for each day. Tell those that mean so much to you, just how important they are. Remember those goals that you have and put everything into getting what you want! We have no guarantees in life. You may be that person that lives to their late 90's, or you may not have much time left, because of health problems, or just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We can waste a lot of time worrying about what might happen, or we can live each day to it's fullest! What's your choice?
Friday, October 15, 2010
Rank or A Solid Check--What Do You Want?
This post is USANA-specific more so than a lot of my other posts.
Associates tend to get hung up too much on what their rank/title is. Rank advancement is the easiest way to measure if someone is building their business, because you can see advancement, but it is not a true indicator how solid their business is.
People can become a Silver Director in the first week of working USANA, but if they don't recruit anyone in Week 2, they don't have a paycheck on Week 2. A solid business is about the auto-ships that you have in your network of customers and associates. Without auto-ships, you don't have a residual income. If someone becomes a Gold Director in 4 weeks, that means that they have at least 10,000 points of enrollments and purchases each of the 4 weeks, but their auto-ships on weeks 5, 6, 7 and 8 may only be 1,000 points left and right (1,000 points per side could be 5, 200-point auto-ships). Meaning that their checks, if everyone was doing a 200 point auto-ship and no one stopped, would be $200 a week. That's not close to being a solid Gold Director, making $1,000 per week on one business center. You must continue to build your business until you have more than 5,000 points in auto-ships in every leg, every cycle.
Personally, I have always been much more concerned about the size of checks we receive, than the rank we have achieved. We are not yet solid Ruby Directors, but a solid Ruby Director can make $3,000 - $5,000 per week. I would be very happy with that kind of income. Achieving that level is more important to me than reaching Emerald director.
If you will focus on building a solid business, your rank advancements will happen. But being a Silver Director by title, but only having a weekly check of $100 - $500 does not constitute a solid business.
Now, there is an exception to what I have said. If you are working with people in a new area, it is important to have one of those new team members advance to the level of at least Achiever as quickly as possible. That way, the new associates and prospects will see that this thing really works. As more people receive checks, the easier it is to promote the business.
I'm not saying that your Rank is not important. Until you reach a full-time level of Gold Director or above, it is important. If someone sees you at the Builder or Achiever ranks for 4 to 5 years, you will have to spend more time justifying why USANA is not working for you. It may be easy to say, "I'm very happy with the $400 - $500 a week that I receive", and the new prospect will be impressed. There are not a lot of people making $2,000 residual per month in Network Marketing.
Enjoy building your business!
Associates tend to get hung up too much on what their rank/title is. Rank advancement is the easiest way to measure if someone is building their business, because you can see advancement, but it is not a true indicator how solid their business is.
People can become a Silver Director in the first week of working USANA, but if they don't recruit anyone in Week 2, they don't have a paycheck on Week 2. A solid business is about the auto-ships that you have in your network of customers and associates. Without auto-ships, you don't have a residual income. If someone becomes a Gold Director in 4 weeks, that means that they have at least 10,000 points of enrollments and purchases each of the 4 weeks, but their auto-ships on weeks 5, 6, 7 and 8 may only be 1,000 points left and right (1,000 points per side could be 5, 200-point auto-ships). Meaning that their checks, if everyone was doing a 200 point auto-ship and no one stopped, would be $200 a week. That's not close to being a solid Gold Director, making $1,000 per week on one business center. You must continue to build your business until you have more than 5,000 points in auto-ships in every leg, every cycle.
Personally, I have always been much more concerned about the size of checks we receive, than the rank we have achieved. We are not yet solid Ruby Directors, but a solid Ruby Director can make $3,000 - $5,000 per week. I would be very happy with that kind of income. Achieving that level is more important to me than reaching Emerald director.
If you will focus on building a solid business, your rank advancements will happen. But being a Silver Director by title, but only having a weekly check of $100 - $500 does not constitute a solid business.
Now, there is an exception to what I have said. If you are working with people in a new area, it is important to have one of those new team members advance to the level of at least Achiever as quickly as possible. That way, the new associates and prospects will see that this thing really works. As more people receive checks, the easier it is to promote the business.
I'm not saying that your Rank is not important. Until you reach a full-time level of Gold Director or above, it is important. If someone sees you at the Builder or Achiever ranks for 4 to 5 years, you will have to spend more time justifying why USANA is not working for you. It may be easy to say, "I'm very happy with the $400 - $500 a week that I receive", and the new prospect will be impressed. There are not a lot of people making $2,000 residual per month in Network Marketing.
Enjoy building your business!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Another Coffee Shop Bites The Dust!
And so goes our economy. I usually go to a local Starbucks to write my blog and check emails. This morning I decided to go to the coffeshop on the Square in downtown New Braunfels, only to find the signs gone and a sign in the window, "Office Space Available." So, I'm back at the local Starbucks.
It surprises me how much business is done at a Starbucks. I spoke with a Yellow Book salesperson the other evening after one of his appointments. They move from one small town to another, working as teams. He said they used to rent an office space, but with laptops, they usually meet at the client's place of business, or at the Starbucks. That has really changed from when I owned a software company in the 80's. I see job interviews, managers conducting out-of-office one-on-ones, etc. A lady that makes wedding cakes meets clients here all the time.
Traditional businesses are falling left and right. At the same time, opportunities are always there. Robert Kiyosaki will tell you that recession is a great time to start a new business. In his latest book, "The Business of the 21st Century", he quotes from a recent study, "72 percent of all adult Americans would rather work for themselves than for a job, and 67 percent think about quitting their jobs "regularly" or "constantly"." What he recommends is the direct sales industry or network marketing.
You can't depend on the longevity of a traditional business. It has as many flaws as owning your own business. A traditional business needs employees. Employees never have the same level of commitment as the business owner. They don't have the same fixed costs and intangibles. Employees can make your business or break it up with a poor performance. Being the business owner requires you to be self-motivated, willing to make things happen when no one else is doing anything.
Being a business owner requires sacrifice. I don't watch all the television and sports that I used to watch. We don't get to be with family as often as we would like because we are attending Super Saturday trainings, or traveling on business. When we travel to work with our business partners, we usually get up early and work late, making the most of their time, because we are only available for a short period of time. Most people are not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to make their business solid. After 10 presentations, with one no-show and 9 "No's", they are ready to do something else. A "no" just means that you are getting closer to your next "YES!". Persistence is critical for any business owner.
Robert Kiyosaki and Napoleon Hill will tell you that successful people have just failed more times than those that are not successful. Kiyosaki says that he has lost everything on two different occasions, yet today he doesn't have to work, because he has built a solid stream of income and true wealth with time and financial freedom.
If you don't want to be an "employee" the rest of your life, you must be willing to fail many times, and then celebrate the small victories as you move forward. There is no 'silver bullet' in doing our business. It's a matter of speaking with a lot of people and finding those who value their health or want to be their own boss.
You have to believe in yourself and walk around with a big smile on your face. If you look frustrated or down, people are not going to want what you have to offer. Obviously, it doesn't make you happy. They must see you full of energy, enjoying everything in life and needing to ask you what you do. Greet strangers as you walk by them. Show a genuine interest in others. If you are not genuine, people will see right through you. Some days you have to fake the happiness, but if you act like you are happy, you may just start feeling it. Remember, "Things could always be a lot worse."
It surprises me how much business is done at a Starbucks. I spoke with a Yellow Book salesperson the other evening after one of his appointments. They move from one small town to another, working as teams. He said they used to rent an office space, but with laptops, they usually meet at the client's place of business, or at the Starbucks. That has really changed from when I owned a software company in the 80's. I see job interviews, managers conducting out-of-office one-on-ones, etc. A lady that makes wedding cakes meets clients here all the time.
Traditional businesses are falling left and right. At the same time, opportunities are always there. Robert Kiyosaki will tell you that recession is a great time to start a new business. In his latest book, "The Business of the 21st Century", he quotes from a recent study, "72 percent of all adult Americans would rather work for themselves than for a job, and 67 percent think about quitting their jobs "regularly" or "constantly"." What he recommends is the direct sales industry or network marketing.
You can't depend on the longevity of a traditional business. It has as many flaws as owning your own business. A traditional business needs employees. Employees never have the same level of commitment as the business owner. They don't have the same fixed costs and intangibles. Employees can make your business or break it up with a poor performance. Being the business owner requires you to be self-motivated, willing to make things happen when no one else is doing anything.
Being a business owner requires sacrifice. I don't watch all the television and sports that I used to watch. We don't get to be with family as often as we would like because we are attending Super Saturday trainings, or traveling on business. When we travel to work with our business partners, we usually get up early and work late, making the most of their time, because we are only available for a short period of time. Most people are not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to make their business solid. After 10 presentations, with one no-show and 9 "No's", they are ready to do something else. A "no" just means that you are getting closer to your next "YES!". Persistence is critical for any business owner.
Robert Kiyosaki and Napoleon Hill will tell you that successful people have just failed more times than those that are not successful. Kiyosaki says that he has lost everything on two different occasions, yet today he doesn't have to work, because he has built a solid stream of income and true wealth with time and financial freedom.
If you don't want to be an "employee" the rest of your life, you must be willing to fail many times, and then celebrate the small victories as you move forward. There is no 'silver bullet' in doing our business. It's a matter of speaking with a lot of people and finding those who value their health or want to be their own boss.
 | |
| Do you feel like this? |
 |
| Or this? |
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Positive Influences Are Important!
Do you watch the news on TV? Would you agree that a majority of the news is very depressing? The US economy is in the tanks; wars continue; constant reports of new ponzi schemes; crime, and moral corruption among celebrities and sports figures.
I would suggest that you need to stay away from the news on the television or radio. Instead, find an inspirational audio book, paperback or whatever. A personal development CD can set you in the right frame of mind for the day.
Do you start the day by watching the news or reading the newspaper? Where do you turn in the newspaper--leading stories are usually bad news about political battles, government corruption or crime. I know that some people turn to the obituaries to see who died and that is not very uplifting.
I watch too much TV, but the majority of what I watch is sports. I love rooting for my favorite teams, or rooting against those I can't stand. The special stories that they have are usually informative and a good insight story about a particular athlete, but this last year has been filled with reports of immorality with the likes of Ben, Roethlisberger, Tiger Woods and now, Brett Favre.
We would all be better off if we turned to the Bible, or personal development books, DVDs or CDs that are uplifting and encouraging. If we would focus on starting each day with something positive, our attitude would be set to the right thought process.
Spend time on your way to work listening to a motivating CD or reflecting on things that you should be grateful for. If you stay at home, start with some personal time in reflecting on things that you appreciate, or reading the Bible. Start the day with a positive influence, whatever that is for you, and you are much more likely to enjoy your day.
I would suggest that you need to stay away from the news on the television or radio. Instead, find an inspirational audio book, paperback or whatever. A personal development CD can set you in the right frame of mind for the day.
Do you start the day by watching the news or reading the newspaper? Where do you turn in the newspaper--leading stories are usually bad news about political battles, government corruption or crime. I know that some people turn to the obituaries to see who died and that is not very uplifting.
I watch too much TV, but the majority of what I watch is sports. I love rooting for my favorite teams, or rooting against those I can't stand. The special stories that they have are usually informative and a good insight story about a particular athlete, but this last year has been filled with reports of immorality with the likes of Ben, Roethlisberger, Tiger Woods and now, Brett Favre.
We would all be better off if we turned to the Bible, or personal development books, DVDs or CDs that are uplifting and encouraging. If we would focus on starting each day with something positive, our attitude would be set to the right thought process.
Spend time on your way to work listening to a motivating CD or reflecting on things that you should be grateful for. If you stay at home, start with some personal time in reflecting on things that you appreciate, or reading the Bible. Start the day with a positive influence, whatever that is for you, and you are much more likely to enjoy your day.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Life Is Too Short! Get What You Want!
If you have read my blog, this may seem repetitive, but it deserves repeating--what do you want out of life? What do you really desire to do with your time on earth?
What you are about to read is nothing new. You can find a lot of authors who teach this. It took me a long time to listen to any of them, but after I read "Think and Grow Rich" and I applied these principles, my life changed in a big way! Goals became a reality.
Do you have a plan in place to achieve your goal? Have you written down your goal? I'm going to be very straight with you. If you don't write down your goal(s) or affirmations, you will not achieve it. An alternative is to create a dream board, that contains images of what you dream of, but you must have a visual aid. You MUST read or visualize your goal(s) every day, morning and evening. It must be constantly in front of you to keep you focused.
Here's the real important part--It doesn't have to seem possible today. It may seem unreachable, but if you focus on it and work towards that goal, it can become a reality. You may not even know how you are going to attain it. You don't have to have a specific plan in place, but you must be focusing on your dream! Your goal statement must be written in the Present Tense, specific as to date and goal. And, you must read it DAILY!
It is very easy to let the stresses of life depress you. Life can become overwhelming IF YOU LET IT! You have a choice of letting yourself dwell on the negative or focusing on the positive. I choose to focus on the positive. What good does negativity have? NONE!!!
I know that some people don't believe that writing goals is necessary. They don't see the value in it. I was there myself for many years. You say, "I want a positive change in my life," but do you really mean it? Are you willing to take the steps necessary to make that change a reality.
Let me ask you this--How is your current plan working? Is it producing the results you are looking for? If your answer is an emphatic NO! then why don't you change it? What can you lose? The current plan isn't getting you what you want.
Step out of your comfort zone and do something right away that you fear. That may be going and talking to a stranger. It may be buying clothes that are little on the wild side for you. A new hairstyle? It will grow back if you don't like it! Sign up for a 5K run or a 10K run--something you never thought you could do.
If you know what you want, then what are you waiting for? Quit letting fear stand in your way. Don't let people who DON'T have what you want, tell you that you can't have it. Place yourself near people who have what you desire.
What you are about to read is nothing new. You can find a lot of authors who teach this. It took me a long time to listen to any of them, but after I read "Think and Grow Rich" and I applied these principles, my life changed in a big way! Goals became a reality.
 |
| Have you discovered your WHY? Still pondering |
Do you have a plan in place to achieve your goal? Have you written down your goal? I'm going to be very straight with you. If you don't write down your goal(s) or affirmations, you will not achieve it. An alternative is to create a dream board, that contains images of what you dream of, but you must have a visual aid. You MUST read or visualize your goal(s) every day, morning and evening. It must be constantly in front of you to keep you focused.
Here's the real important part--It doesn't have to seem possible today. It may seem unreachable, but if you focus on it and work towards that goal, it can become a reality. You may not even know how you are going to attain it. You don't have to have a specific plan in place, but you must be focusing on your dream! Your goal statement must be written in the Present Tense, specific as to date and goal. And, you must read it DAILY!
It is very easy to let the stresses of life depress you. Life can become overwhelming IF YOU LET IT! You have a choice of letting yourself dwell on the negative or focusing on the positive. I choose to focus on the positive. What good does negativity have? NONE!!!
I know that some people don't believe that writing goals is necessary. They don't see the value in it. I was there myself for many years. You say, "I want a positive change in my life," but do you really mean it? Are you willing to take the steps necessary to make that change a reality.
Let me ask you this--How is your current plan working? Is it producing the results you are looking for? If your answer is an emphatic NO! then why don't you change it? What can you lose? The current plan isn't getting you what you want.
Step out of your comfort zone and do something right away that you fear. That may be going and talking to a stranger. It may be buying clothes that are little on the wild side for you. A new hairstyle? It will grow back if you don't like it! Sign up for a 5K run or a 10K run--something you never thought you could do.
If you know what you want, then what are you waiting for? Quit letting fear stand in your way. Don't let people who DON'T have what you want, tell you that you can't have it. Place yourself near people who have what you desire.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
It's Great To Be Home!
First, I need to apologize to my regulars. Traveling got me out of the habit of writing. We had several early mornings with the Akron Diamond University and working with others. I haven't worked that hard in quite a while and it felt good.
No matter how good of a time you have when you go somewhere, it always feels great when you get home. You are back to sleeping in your own bed, using your own shower and life gets back to normal (whatever that is). I've played basketball the last two days, so I got back in my exercise routine. It actually wasn't too bad after a two week break.
We had a very productive and enjoyable trip to Ohio Amish Country. We have made a lot of new friends and business partners. We were there 12 days and took the least expensive route, flying standby, because our daughter-in-law works for Continental Airlines, but there are still a lot of expenses. Between airfare, rental car and parking, we spent about $700, then there were product purchases for sampling and a Sense' party, plus business tools. Flying standby can also give you some scheduling skills. The flight that we were booked on ended up being full, a 2:55pm flight. The next flight to Houston was also full, but then I went on the Internet and saw a flight from Cleveland to Newark to San Antonio. I called my daughter-in-law, she said it looked open and so we had dinner at a Chinese restaurant in the Newark, NJ airport, then had a 3.5 hour flight to San Antonio. We made it home the same day. We were able to decompress from a busy two weeks and everything was great!
The one thing that surprised me, was that the typical Amish meals are carbohydrate intensive. You have yeast rolls to start every meal at a restaurant and who can turn those down. When they brought 2 rolls to the table and asked if we wanted more, we told them not to bring any more, because if we had them, we would eat 'em. Then, those people love noodles or french fries with their meals. Their pastries were delicious--cinnamon rolls, cream-filled pastries and pies. Broasted chicken and Swiss steak are mainstays for lunch or dinner. Fortunately, we were so busy that we usually only ate 2 meals a day, so neither one of us gained any weight, much to our surprise. It wasn't a healthy diet, but it was good, just not good for you. Now it's back to our healthier meals with USANA shakes every morning, fresh Pico in the fridge and low-glycemic meals during the week. I splurge on weekends and have my desserts then.
That's all for today, except a few more pictures.
No matter how good of a time you have when you go somewhere, it always feels great when you get home. You are back to sleeping in your own bed, using your own shower and life gets back to normal (whatever that is). I've played basketball the last two days, so I got back in my exercise routine. It actually wasn't too bad after a two week break.
We had a very productive and enjoyable trip to Ohio Amish Country. We have made a lot of new friends and business partners. We were there 12 days and took the least expensive route, flying standby, because our daughter-in-law works for Continental Airlines, but there are still a lot of expenses. Between airfare, rental car and parking, we spent about $700, then there were product purchases for sampling and a Sense' party, plus business tools. Flying standby can also give you some scheduling skills. The flight that we were booked on ended up being full, a 2:55pm flight. The next flight to Houston was also full, but then I went on the Internet and saw a flight from Cleveland to Newark to San Antonio. I called my daughter-in-law, she said it looked open and so we had dinner at a Chinese restaurant in the Newark, NJ airport, then had a 3.5 hour flight to San Antonio. We made it home the same day. We were able to decompress from a busy two weeks and everything was great!
The one thing that surprised me, was that the typical Amish meals are carbohydrate intensive. You have yeast rolls to start every meal at a restaurant and who can turn those down. When they brought 2 rolls to the table and asked if we wanted more, we told them not to bring any more, because if we had them, we would eat 'em. Then, those people love noodles or french fries with their meals. Their pastries were delicious--cinnamon rolls, cream-filled pastries and pies. Broasted chicken and Swiss steak are mainstays for lunch or dinner. Fortunately, we were so busy that we usually only ate 2 meals a day, so neither one of us gained any weight, much to our surprise. It wasn't a healthy diet, but it was good, just not good for you. Now it's back to our healthier meals with USANA shakes every morning, fresh Pico in the fridge and low-glycemic meals during the week. I splurge on weekends and have my desserts then.
That's all for today, except a few more pictures.
 | ||
| Barn on a curve of the main road we traveled to work with one of the associates. |
 |
| Parking area for buggies at Troyer's Market (grocery). |
 |
| One of our associates sells beautiful, all wood caskets by day. |
 |
| Baby pony feeding out in the country. |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)