Saturday, October 31, 2009

Soar With the Eagles

Don’t send a duck to eagle school. It will frustrate the duck and puzzle the eagles. Eagle flying school is designed for stretching the wings of the eagles so they can soar higher and faster.

Training a new entrepreneur resembles eagle school. Wealth is always created through being an entrepreneur not through an employee status. The entrepreneur’s mindset resembles the eagle. Eagles stretch their wings and soar high and far. Entrepreneurs develop their creativity and achieve to the height of their desire, ambition and persistence. There are no limits to the vision and achievement of true entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurs are business owners; they take charge of their destiny and find a way to make all of their dreams come true. Business owners do not walk around boo-hooing their circumstances; they find a way over, under, around or through the issue until they reach their goal.

Not one successful business owner has achieved their goals without a few challenges. The challenges make us stronger, more creative and better leaders. How can we possibly expect to lead and guide others to reach their full potential unless we have experienced a few personal challenges?

Abraham Lincoln failed over and over; however he persisted until he emancipated an entire race. This list depicts 12 failures and 3 successes. He succeeded every 5th time.
• 1831 - Lost his job
• 1832 - Defeated in run for Illinois State Legislature
• 1833 - Failed in business
• 1834 - Elected to Illinois State Legislature (success)
• 1835 - Sweetheart died
• 1836 - Had nervous breakdown
• 1838 - Defeated in run for Illinois House Speaker
• 1843 - Defeated in run for nomination for U.S. Congress
• 1846 - Elected to Congress (success)
• 1848 - Lost re-nomination
• 1849 - Rejected for land officer position
• 1854 - Defeated in run for U.S. Senate
• 1856 - Defeated in run for nomination for Vice President
• 1858 - Again defeated in run for U.S. Senate
• 1860 - Elected President (success)
Edison failed 10,000 times before he created the electric light bulb.

Napoleon Hill suffered every possible setback on his way to authoring the most significant business book written on the method of achieving wealth – Think and Grow Rich.

Eagles do not walk around on the ground feeling sorry for themselves or giving up at the first sign of challenge. Neither do entrepreneurs. They find a way to stretch their wings and soar to new heights.

How about you? How determined are you to reach your goals? Are you a duck walking around quacking and flapping your wings but stuck on the ground? Are you an eagle reaching for the clouds?

Have a fabulous day soaring through the clouds on your way to the success you so richly deserve.

Visit me at Elaine4Success.com for more information on business success.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Desire to Inspire

Jim Rohn, now a world renowned author, speaker and business philosopher, started his inspirational journey when he was 25 years old. At that point in his life, he was not only broke but in debt. Broke is a temporary financial state; however, poor is a state of mind from which recovery takes more effort. Almost every great leader and financial success has suffered from financial lack at one point. None of them ever considered themselves poor.

Every great leader first developed self inspiration before they could effectively inspire others. Zig Zigler said, “Motivation does not last, but neither does bathing, that is why we do it every day.” The same statement applies to inspiration. In order to inspire other people, you first require a burning desire within yourself. Your own inner passion and self inspiration fire will fuel the fire to inspire others.

One of the greatest thrills for me is to know that I have touched, moved and inspired someone to go forward and achieve their dreams. Jim Rohn said one of the greatest thrills for anyone is to hear their name in someone else’s testimonial. Teachers and pastors rarely select that vocation for the financial rewards; they select those careers to inspire others to develop their full potential.

I started teaching seniors in high school the day of my 21st birthday. Now some 40+ years later I still hear from some of those students. The joy I feel hearing about the impact I made on their lives transcends explanation. My younger son had the opportunity to study law but chose to be a high school teacher instead. His passion for his students provided him the opportunity to be the youngest headmaster of an international high school. Currently he chairs the international division of a prep school in New Hampshire. The impact he provides inspires his students, his small sons, his wonderful wife, the faculty at the school and probably so many others whose lives he has touched.

We each have the opportunity every day to inspire others. Perhaps it is a smile or a kind word to brighten someone’s day. As a young single mother, I learned that children learn more by what we do than what we say. Children are extremely observant. They realize more than most give them credit for observing. The seemingly small unselfish acts of parents, co-workers or bosses inspire others to extend themselves. Every gesture creates an influence. When the legacy you choose to create revolves around kind gestures, you inspire me and you will enhance the lives of others. Everyone will be remembered for the problems they create or the problems they solve. You choose.

As I write this, I look up on the top of my roll top desk to a simple little gray rock which was given to me by an employee approximately 30 years ago. Engraved in the rock is the one word,”inspire.” The token of appreciation for what seemed to me as a small gesture of kindness impacted and inspired. Whose life will you have the opportunity to inspire today? Even more important - - will you make the effort to inspire others today? What a wonderful world we will create by extending inspiration and kindness to others.

For more uplifting and informative articles, visit my published article collection at www.Elaine4Success.com.

Have an inspiring day.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Emotional Detachment

Clinging to a lead or chasing a prospect gives an impression of lack and being needy. Needy is one of the fastest turn offs for a prospect. It tells them you are coming from a weak position. People prefer to work with a leader. Leaders present themselves from the standpoint of abundance.

Yes, that is more difficult when you only have a handful of leads and you feel you have paid dearly for each one. You desperately want each of those leads to convert into a sale. I get that. Problem is, so does the prospect. They feel your vibration. They feel your urgency to make a sale. Do whatever you have to do to feel abundant. If you have to look at the New York white pages and see all of the names in order to feel abundant, do it. I’m not suggesting you start cold calling from the phone book, but I am emphasizing that you must develop a feeling of lead abundance within yourself. Project that feeling in your relaxed confidence as you speak with leads.

There is the story of the new Cosmetic surgeon who did not have a single booking on his surgery schedule. A lady called wanting a face lift. He forced himself to say, “Just a moment, let me check the schedule to see when I can schedule your appointment.” He put the phone on hold and counted to 50. Counting to 50 was all the time he could stand to wait. He then returned to the called and said he could fit her in a week from Tuesday at 3 pm. He booked the appointment. If he had asked her, “What time would you like to come in, my schedule is open?” I will bet that he would NOT have booked the appointment.

Even if you have to bite you lip to keep from sounding overly eager, do it.

Mother eagle told baby eagle, “Come soar with me. You will be so good at flying. You were made to soar through the sky.” Baby eagle says, “I’m scared. I don’t know if I can do it. What if I fall?” Mother eagle responds, “What is more important to you, the thrill of soaring or the fear of falling?”

It is so easy to become so paralyzed by the fear of failure that we lose sight of the utter thrill of victory. Let go of the attachment to the status quo. Let go of the attachment to the known. Let go of that precious lead and know that many more are flowing in every day. The more you relax and free yourself of the emotional attachment to the current, the more you open yourself to the potential of the future.

You can not steal second base with your foot firmly planted on first. You must first exercise detachment from the known in order to reach for the potential of the future. Relax and visualize the abundance of leads in your inbox. Feel the calm confidence of plenty. Put yourself in that frame of mind before, during and after your conversation with leads and your bank account will thank you.

Visualize how a 100,000 per month producer would act and feel. They would demonstrate total emotional detachment from each individual lead.

Develop the mindset of:
Some Will
Some Won’t
Someone’s Waiting

Emotional detachment frees you from stress and frees the lead to take positive action with you.

For more coaching to ensure your success, contact me at www.Elaine4Success.com

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Make Dreams Come True

Good news. If you have a dream in your heart, you also have the ability to achieve it. Something you passionately want, not just lukewarm desire. None of us were ever given a burning desire to reach a specific goal without the ability to reach that goal. You may be saying, “Oh yeah, but you don’t know my circumstances.” True, I don’t know your circumstances, but I know my own. I also know many others who achieved despite adverse circumstances. They achieved because they kept searching for the solution until they found it.

Edwin C. Barnes was poor in financial terms but he had a burning desire to be the business partner of Thomas Edison. Yes, I said business partner, not just employee. Since he did not have any money, he traveled in a box car of a freight train to go see Edison. He entered the great man’s office in tattered clothes but a spirit on fire. He finally convinced Edison to allow him to be an employee of Edison’s staff. He worked his way up from that lowly status for five years without a glimmer of hope of anything more than being just another employee. The difference was that Barnes held it in his mind every minute of the time that he was in fact Edison’s business partner. He worked accordingly. Barnes created a plan, burned all bridges behind him and focused on his burning desire. He did not say, “I’ll give it a try.” Nor did he say, “I’ll give it a few months.” While others were jealous of Barnes for his “lucky break,” Barnes knew it was not an accident but a specific plan to achieve his passionate dream. Yes, dreams come true when you forsake all turning back, focus on the goal, make a plan to achieve it and take the necessary action.

My question to you is “Where is your focus?” Are you seeking excuses why you will not succeed; or are you searching for methods to succeed? Look deep into your thoughts and feelings. Your truthful answer to this question determines your future. Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are correct. The answer and the end result are within your control.

Tony Robbins reminds us, “Where focus goes, energy flows.” You are the only one who can truly answer the question about your real thoughts and feelings. Your thoughts flow to your feelings to your words to your actions to your results. When you focus all of your thoughts, feelings, words and actions on a specific goal, you absolutely will achieve it.

You arrived in this world fully loaded. If you were a car, you would be a fully loaded luxury car. You have the power windows, power locks, power everything and all of the extra toys and features available to be purchased. You arrived in this world fully loaded for success. Your responsibility is to discover those special abilities and put them into action. Tony Robbins also said, “Everything you need is already in you.” How badly do you want to find and use those talents?

The good news for people is that you have the ability to make your dreams come true. Discover your passion. Discover your burning desire, focus on the goal and take the action steps to achieve it. Sounds simple? Yes it really is that simple. Dreams come true when you focus on your burning desire and persist until your achieve the goal. Make your dreams come true. “Everything you need is already in you.”

Visit Elaine4Success.com and lets work together to make your dreams come true.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Make a Difference

You can make a difference in someone’s life today. Making a difference can be as simple as allowing another car to merge into your lane on a busy freeway, holding a door for someone, smiling encouragement, or any random act of kindness. Sometimes the smallest gestures mean a great deal.

Serotonin is the “feel good” chemical reproduced in mood enhancing drugs. Your body naturally produces Serotonin. It is a known fact that Serotonin automatically increases in the brain of a person performing an act of kindness. The Serotonin increases in the brain of the person receiving the act of kindness; it is even known to increase Serotonin in the brains of people observing an act of kindness. Everyone can make a difference by doing some random act of kindness.

Wayne Dyer, prolific author, speaker and professor, told the story of one of his daughters, Summer, simply letting a lady with a few items and an active toddler go in front of her at the grocery checkout. The lady was so grateful that she told Summer that she had just moved to the area a few months earlier. The lady said that she had decided if she did not see a welcoming sign by the end of the day she would insist that her family move back to their former state. She told Summer, “you are my sign. We will stay.”

Summer was so impressed that such a simple gesture would make a difference that she told a friend of hers who was attending college in another state. The friend related her story of pulling up to the toll both on the interstate and discovering that the car ahead of her had paid her toll. This simple unexpected random act of kindness impressed her so much that she decided to do that every day when she drove through the toll booth.

Tiny little random acts of kindness can multiply and spread the Serotonin in a ripple effect far from the original act. Yes, one person can make a difference; however, many random acts of kindness can instill smiles of the faces of so many people.

In this time of economic turmoil, how wonderful it will be to generate random acts of kindness. You will either be remembered for the problems you solve or the problems you create. Why not start a cascade of random acts of kindness and make a difference for a large number of people.

Jim Rohn, noted business philosopher reminds us, “It is Easy to do. The problem is that it is also easy not to do.” Commit right now to doing a random act of kindness for at least three people today. If you are really ambitious, do something nice for 5 people.

Write a little 2 line note of encouragement, inspiration or thanks to three people. Call someone or stop by to see them. Tell someone at the office “Good job on the presentation.” Thank the receptionist or thank the doorman or a clerk in a store. Tell someone they look nice. Saying a kind word is so easy. Random acts of kindness to others increases good feelings for you and for them. It is painless and productive.

You will be amazed how it will improve your life at home, work and throughout your day. You can make a difference.

For more positive and informing articles on life and business, follow me on my blog at www.Elaine4Success.com. Make a difference.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Leaders Are Dealers in Hope

Neither Winston Churchill nor Franklin D. Roosevelt were the greatest leaders in history; however, they both inspired their nations in a dark period of stress.

Winston Churchill gave hope to all England during the battle of Britain in the Second World War. As Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, he was noted for his fiery speeches. As an acclaimed orator, his speeches became a great inspiration to the British people and embattled Allied forces. He breathed hope into a troubled nation and a world at war.

Franklin D. Roosevelt gave hope to America during the great depression of the 1930s. FDR’s combination of optimism and economic activism is credited with keeping the American economic crisis from developing into a political crisis. He is the only United States President elected to more than two terms of office. More than any of his executive orders or legislative policies pushed through Congress, he gave America hope when hope was the only possession some citizens had left.

Leaders are dealers in hope.

Once again America is in the clutches of an economic crisis. Honesty requires that we term it as at least a recession and some have dared to use the d word – depression. The good news that permeates every entrepreneur’s heart and soul is the absolute knowing that the only way to fail is to quit. True entrepreneurs are leaders and dealers in hope. A true entrepreneur and leader never quits; instead a leader will change a strategy and attack the problem from a different direction. Leaders and entrepreneurs have a solid basis of hope and knowing that success is closer than others envision.

As a leader and entrepreneur, I’ve changed directions and re-invented myself more than a few times. Giving up and losing hope was never an option. Despite health issues, financial losses and personal relationship collapses, hope always triumphed.

Loss of hope frequently precedes loss of life. Hope kept people alive in concentration camps, wars and economic turmoil. Hope is the magic ingredient which powers people to reach goals the faint hearted would never dare to dream.

John C. Maxwell wrote the following in his book “Think on These Things.”

“What does hope do for humanity?
Hope shines brightest when the hour is darkest.
Hope motivates when discouragement comes.
Hope energizes when the body is tired.
Hope sweetens while the bitterness bites.
Hope sings when all melodies are gone.
Hope believes when the evidence is eliminated.
Hope listens for answers when no one is talking.
Hope climbs over obstacles when no one is helping.
Hope endures hardship when no one is caring.
Hope smiles confidently when no one is laughing.
Hope reaches for answers when no one is asking.
Hope presses toward victory when no one is encouraging.
Hope dares to give when no one is sharing.
Hope brings the victory when no one is winning.”

Leaders and entrepreneurs deal in hope. Leaders and entrepreneurs revel in victory. Come. Visit my website Elaine4Success.com. Restore your hope and faith in the future.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Go for the Gold

Why are you settling for pennies in an MLM? Money may not be the most important thing in life, that’s true; however, living without it isn’t fun either.

Granted, a home based business presents the greatest opportunity for earning an income in your bathrobe and slippers. Yes, the thirty second commute from the bedroom to the home office eliminates the traffic, weather and even speeding tickets.

Home based businesses also allow time flexibility. You can work before sunrise or long after sundown. Grab a couple of hours when the kids are in school or even taking a nap. With the internet as your assistant, any of the 24 hours in the day is an acceptable time to work. The World Wide Web has solved the time zone issues. Send the email at a convenient time for you and they can read it at a convenient time for them – no time problem. No danger of awakening them in the middle of the night with an email. Phone calls in the wee hours of the morning jolt you awake with an earsplitting ring shattering the silence. Emails simply slip in quietly and wait patiently.

Obviously there are many advantages to a home based internet business. Now that you have completed that decision, it becomes selection time for the ideal home based business. Examine the facts carefully. Every business requires marketing. Every business has a goal of making money. Profit is certainly one of the sweetest words to a business owner.

It will require the same amount of time, effort and advertising dollar to earn a tiny little commission as it does a four or five figure commission. Logic immediately presents the case for a five figure commission. Why would you even consider earning a ten or twenty dollar commission when you could just as easily be earning 1,000 or 5,000 or 10,000 dollars? It does not take a rocket scientist to know that you will receive a significantly higher commission with a 10,000 dollar commission than a 10 dollar commission.

Most MLM companies pay the tiny little ten dollar commissions and expect you to continue working and marketing and building a down line of thousands in the vague hope that someday you will receive a residual check of a thousand dollars. Honestly, most people do not stay long enough to receive the residual checks.

Network marketing pays 1,000 dollar checks immediately and a minimum of 400 dollar residual checks very quickly. Which would you rather deposit in your bank account – 1,000 or 10 dollars? Any answer except 1,000 and I will recommend a math course immediately.

You do not have to take my word for it; you can connect directly with industry leader Mike Dillard. Watch the video on www.MLMNewsFacts.com. Complete your information and read the free report with details all of the differences between MLM and Network Marketing.

Your choice, settle for pennies and no profit or major dollars and high profit. I choose to spend my time, effort and advertising dollars where they will generate the highest return.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Emporer's New Clothes

Beware of the naked man who offers to sell you the shirt off his back.

Remember the Danish fairy tale depicted by Hans Christian Andersen of the emperor whose delight and ego revolved around wearing the finest wardrobe? This 1837 story relates the tale of ego, vanity and swindlers. The crafty swindlers received the finest silk, most precious gold-cloth and large sums of money to weave the most elegant suit for the emperor. The secret of the con game was that anyone unfit for their office could not see the fabric. Read the full story at http://hca.gilead.org.il/emperor.html.

Ah the perils of ego, vanity and dishonesty. When you truly desire to serve others and improve lives, dishonesty never enters the picture. Ego gets set aside in favor of customer service. Lead with your ego and you may be parading through the streets without your clothes. Now that is a sight to consider. Lead with your ego and you become vulnerable to the swindlers. Like minds do tend to associate. Remember the old “birds of a feather tend to flock together” saying.

Just as the swindlers took the finest cloth and large sums of money and delivered nothing, so the naked man can not sell you something he does not possess. Relying on ego and greed has corrupted many a man. As Napoleon Hill stated in “Think and Grow Rich, “Taking the path of least resistance has made all rivers and some men crooked.”

How do you want your legacy to read? Are you ego driven and perhaps a bit crooked or value oriented? If a man gains the whole world but loses his soul, he has nothing. What is your driving motivation? Sure I know you are not running a business for the practice. I get that. You will either be remembered for the problems you solve or the problems you create. Abraham Lincoln and Adolph Hitler are both remembered - one for the problems he solved and one for the problems he created.

How would you like your legacy to read? Would you like to be remembered as the man with the ego so strong that he walked around naked pretending to be elegantly dressed? Would you like to be remembered as the person who swindled others in order to gain his fortune or the person who provided so much value that he achieved wealth? Personally, my mission in life has always been to deliver value, inspiration and enjoyment. Value must be short term and long term and far exceed the cost involved. Providing information which is essential not only to move one’s personal life forward but also to improve their professional life represents extreme value.

Correlation? Mindset, emotions and values play a significant role in our lives. Even though many do not want to recognize that fact or do anything about it, does not negate the truth. Do an honest personal check. Are you creating problems or solving them? Are you earning by swindling or providing value?

Just like the emperor with no clothes or the naked man, be certain you are practicing solid values. The naked man can not give you something he does not have. The emperor can not even see beyond his ego and vanity. Where is your mindset? Ego, vanity and greed are frequent bed-fellows. How do you want your legacy to read?

Friday, October 23, 2009

Cost calculation

Reality check! What is most important to you, the initial cost or short and long term value?

When Jim Rohn was 25 and broke, his first mentor, Earl Shoaff, recommended that Jim purchase the book “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. Jim Rohn, now a multi millionaire, purchased the book from a used book store for 47 cents. Jim Rohn estimates that the book helped him to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars. He spent 47 cents and gained value which earned hundreds of thousands of dollars. I repeat the question. What is most important to you, the initial cost or the short and long term value?

It is not unusual to hear people balk at spending $400 to start a business which can generate a hundred thousand dollars year after year. Look at the cost to value ratio.

A franchise will cost 250,000 to 500,000 to 750,000 for the initial purchase. In addition there will be employee costs, rent and utilities for the space to locate the business and inventory for starters. As the past owner of more than one brick and mortar business, I can guarantee that there are MANY additional costs associated with a brick and mortar business. Employee costs alone are extensive.

A home based business can be started from your garage or kitchen table or even a spare room in your house. Therefore, zero additional rent or utilities. No employees or employee costs which represents a huge decrease in expense and headache. There should not be any inventory. If you select a company where you have an auto ship and end up with a garage full of product, shame on you; that is an expense you do not need to incur.

Another factor to consider with a franchise or brick and mortar business is that you must physically leave your home and spend time at the business. This adds the travel expense of going back and forth to work as well as additional clothing expense; you can’t go to most professional businesses in your bathrobe. Lunches away from home becomes another expense,

Personally, I have a thirty second commute from my bedroom to my home office. No traffic. No weather challenges driving. No vehicle expense. No expensive restaurant lunches. No lost time commuting.

Every business everywhere requires marketing! There are many ways to advertise your business to fit any marketing budget. Every business will require marketing. Marketing will consume either time or money or a combination of the two. This is the one thing all businesses have in common.

Franchise and brick and mortar businesses are very expensive to start and operate. Home based businesses are extremely low cost to start and operate.

Bonus! The return on your investment is much faster with a home based business than any franchise or brick and mortar business and requires far less time to earn a profit.

Carefully examine the cost to value ratio. Home based business wins every time.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Excuse Generator

The current American economy has so many people holding desperately on to a thin fraying rope tied to the open tailgate of a small truck heading down a cliff. Time to stop clutching to the old job mentality and start taking charge of your life. If you think holding on to a job which may or may not even exist a few months from now represents security, good luck.

No one can withhold your destiny from you except you. The ship of failure floats on a sea of excuses. Don’t blame your parents or your boss or the economy or even education level.

Parents excuse – Gaius Julius Caesar, Johann Sebastian Bach, Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy, John Keats, Henry Morton Stanley, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, Steven Paul Jobs, Aristotle and Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong were all orphans.

Boss excuse – For every boos who schedules a working “doughnut and chips” lunch meeting and frazzles us with a 6 pm assignment to be completed by the “end of business day” there are courteous bosses. When I worked as a student secretary in college, Doc Reilly knew that I could not be paid overtime nor could he add additional wages, so he delivered a long stem red rose to my desk the morning after an exceptionally long assignment. Amazing how appreciative a boss can become when you also go the extra mile for them. Hmmm. It is a two way street.

Economy excuse - At the beginning of the economic decline, nice way to say the beginning of the recession, a real estate sales meeting revealed shocking results. One salesman had over 400% better results than anyone else in the district. During his interview it was revealed that his success strategies were two fold. He declared that there was gold dust in the air and proceeded to conduct his business as if that were a fact. He then called every one of the customers in his file and told them that now is the time to buy since the prices were down. Since he believed the economic change was a good thing for him, it became a good thing. His mental success training gave him a powerful edge over the competition.

Education excuse - Edison only had a few years of formal schooling and yet he became one of the most brilliant and most accomplished inventors in the history of the world.

In network marketing or home based businesses, there is the frequent excuse of “but I don’t know marketing” or “they have this long list of people they know and I don’t so I can’t do it” or “they have a big marketing budget and I don’t.” Bottom line is if you want to find an excuse, you will find one. If you want a reason to succeed, you will not only find the reason but also the way to make it happen. Jay Kubassek, now a multi millionaire, was a broke Midas Muffler salesman when he entered the industry. He did not know marketing or have a marketing budget. He taught himself Google and prospered. Yes, Jay is a great guy; but he is not really different than any of us. He simply rolled up his sleeves and went to work learning what he needed to learn to succeed. Know and believe you can achieve, learn what needs to be done and do it.

Success is a choice, not an accident. Excuses are the nails that built the house of failure.

I see people who can hardly speak English come here and succeed. I see people with zero budgets, all age levels, all experience levels and all walks of life rise from the ashes and thrive. Examine your own life. Examine your internal excuses. Decide how badly you desire success. You can have it.

As Tony Robbins said, “Everything you need is already in you.” I stand for your greatness.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Turning Point

There are many turning points in life. Or at least there are many opportunities for turning points in life. What you choose to do about those turning points determines your future.

When I was a little girl in 4-H doing my sewing projects, we had original garments and made-over garments. Re-inventing yourself is similar to a made-over garment. In fact, I have re-invented myself several times over the last several decades.

I send a Christmas letter every year. Yes, I know it would be better to write 100 individual letters; however, time simply does not permit hand writing that many letters. I choose to write one big letter to everyone and then also a very short personal note. A few of the people on my annual list are former high school students. I started teaching high school seniors the day of my 21st birthday. Imagine a petite feminine lady walking into that classroom of 40 senior boys; they were 3 years or less younger than I.

Over 40 years later I still hear from several of those students. When I sent the 2008 Christmas letter, I wrote about joining Toastmasters and developing my public speaking. One of the students replied, “Mrs. Love, You are reinventing yourself AGAIN.”

The beauty of an open and agile mind is that it allows for reinventing oneself. You say you are too old to change careers and learn a new business? Really? Grandma Moses started painting after she was 70. John Glenn flew the space mission Discovery when he was 77. My mother married her high school sweetheart when she was 85 and he was 88. The following three years were the happiest of their entire lives. Mom and Pick were like two teenagers in love and enjoying life to the fullest. Don’t tell me you are too old.

I started and finished my master’s degrees after I was 50. I learned tennis, telemark skiing and competitive running after I was 50 and I still enjoy all 3 sports. I hiked the Inca trail in Peru with a 60 pound backpack for my 55th birthday. I joined my first network marketing company after I was 60 and have reached the top level of production and leadership within slightly over 2 years; zero marketing or network marketing experience when I started.

If I can do it, you can do it. The question is how badly do you want success and a better life?

Reinventing yourself is a state of mind. Are you ready for a turning point for the better in your life? Everyone has situations which offer the opportunity to turn our life in a new upward direction. You came here for a reason. Let me help you reinvent yourself.

Marketing presents a small challenge for a determined and persistent mind. Network marketing truly presents a very small challenge for a mature person with an open mind. Think about all of the valuable life experience you possess. Put it to use. I am certainly not ready for a rocking chair. You do not have to settle for your current income or your current lifestyle. Network marketing allows you to reinvent yourself and move your life up a few notches if you are willing to open your mind to a new learning experience and unlimited income. It is your decision.
I find reinventing myself to be not only fun but it also keeps my mind young. Network marketing allows me to enjoy all of these new experiences and new income potential from the comfort of my home. I love my life. How about you?

Come learn about me and lets talk about how you can reinvent yourself and live the life of your dreams instead of settling for a life someone else designed for you.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Creative Marketing

Blackbird convention on my lawn. The feathered creatures followed the maintenance workers who spread the winter seed and winter fertilizer. Birds provide a valuable lesson for marketers. Go where the pickings are available. Go where the customers are located.

Lexus used this principle at the beginning of the economic downturn, nice way to say the beginning of the recession. Since customers were not coming into the showroom in sufficient numbers, a few creative Lexus dealers followed the blackbird method. These energetic salesmen took the fleet of cars to where the customers were located. What a novel concept – go to the customers. While other dealerships, domestic and international, were making another pot of coffee and boo-hooing the lack of business, Lexus became creative. Lexus took the fleet of cars to the country clubs, golf courses, and any other place they would expect affluent people to inhabit. They simply introduced themselves and asked if the people had ever test driven a Lexus. If the individual was interested in a test drive, and many were, then the opportunity presented itself to demonstrate the luxury features of a Lexus. Being a Lexus owner, myself, I know the impressiveness of that test drive.

Once the people settled into the cushy leather seats which wrapped around them like their favorite snuggly blanket, experienced the smooth “won’t spill a drop of your open coffee cup” ride, enjoyed the quadraphonic sound and all of the other delightful toys which come as features on a luxury automobile. After such a delightful experience, getting back in their old car (even though it was probably only a year or two old), the old car felt shabby in comparison. Lexus closed an amazingly high percentage of those test drives.

Once you are accustomed to luxury, stepping backwards becomes even more difficult. Everything is relative. If you are currently driving a basic car which is ten years old or older, driving a new car with even a few more features presents a pleasing experience. The point is that Lexus thought creatively and took their fleet to where the customers were located. If Mohammed is not coming to the mountain, then take the mountain to Mohammed.

The old Southern expression is “Do not expect fried chicken to fly in the window.” You must design and take action on your success plan. The blackbirds which infested my lawn came to the location of the seed. They did not expect the seed to be delivered to their nest.

Are you expecting customers to be deposited in your business or sales funnel or are you taking creative and massive action to attract customers to you?

Amazon called everyone into their offices at the beginning of the recession and said, “There is a big recession coming. Let’s miss it.” Like Lexus, Amazon took a carefully designed massive action plan and aggressively implemented that plan. Consequently when everyone else was whining about holiday sales being off last Christmas, Amazon sales were significantly higher.

So many salesmen and businesses sit back waiting for customers to come to them instead of using the Doobie Brothers approach and “Takin’ it to the Streets.” Be creative, go to where the customers are located and expect positive results.

Even a blackbird knows where the find the seeds. Find your own seeds of success.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Overcoming Obstacles

Every great leader faced challenges. History abounds with stories of success being created out of adversity. How determined are you to reach your goals? What are you willing to do in order to reach that level of success?

“Toscanini was so nearsighted that he could not see the score when conducting; Lord Byron had a club foot; Homer and Milton were blind; Sir Walter Scott was an invalid; Beethoven was deaf; Dostoyevsky and de Maupassant were epileptic; Franklin D. Roosevelt did not have free use of his legs,” as recorded in “The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity” by Catherine Ponder. Abraham Lincoln failed many many times before becoming a great President of the United States and leading the nation to free the slaves. Napoleon Hill suffered threats, death of supporters and financial hardships on the way to writing one of the greatest books on prosperity ever written – “Think and Grow Rich.”
Helen Keller overcame deafness, dumbness, and blindness to make a very significant contribution to society.

Reflect honestly and objectively on the situations in your life. Knowing the power of the mind, victory becomes an absolute certainty for those who persist without exception. Bringing these examples closer to home, I was 62 when I started this industry. To say I had zero marketing experience would be an understatement. Have you ever placed an ad in the newspaper for a garage sale? We were on about the same level. Thanks to the training and step by step instructions, age nor experience presented a handicap. Limitations only exist in your mind. When you consciously decide that anything is possible, then it becomes not only possible but highly probable. If one can achieve a certain goal then others can do it also.

Thanks to this opportunity, I progressed from being in credit card debt to now owning 2 lovely homes – one at the base of a world class ski mountain and another on the 13th tee of an internationally known golf course within less than 3 years.

Jeff purchased a franchise. It failed leaving him over 253,000 dollars in debt. When everything looked bleak financially, he found a network marketing opportunity. He rolled up his sleeves and commenced working on the specific plan we laid out for him. Less than a year later he is out of debt and financially comfortable.

Gregg was living in his mother’s basement in England and he now owns a lovely condominium in the Cayman Islands. The success stories go on and on. Not only famous people have overcome obstacles but real people just like you have turned their lives from dire circumstances to success.

Everything starts with your mindset. If you believe that something presents a stumbling block for you, it will. If you believe you will triumph over whatever crosses your path, you will. The familiar quote is “Regardless of whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right.” It all starts in your beliefs.

Set your mind on achievement and prosperity and it will be so. Fill your mind with excuses or obstacles and you have defeated yourself. History abounds with examples of people who chose to overcome obstacles. The operative word is CHOSE. Success is a choice. Success is a decision. When success becomes more important than situations or perception of obstacles, success becomes a reality.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Poor Me

“Poor Me” whines the person who wants others to do everything for them. You recognize the type, right? They are the ones who invite you for coffee and step aside after they order until you pay. I really do not mind paying. My concern lies more in their mindset of lack and entitlement.

An attitude of entitlement permeated United States for years and contributed to the election of many government officials. People who expect others to do for them without any effort or contribution on their part exemplify an attitude of entitlement. We meet these unfortunate souls in many areas of our life. They are the ones who send our “oh woe is me” letters to solicit donations for their personal benefit when they could simply get off their chair and exert a little effort.

There are individuals who genuinely deserve charitable giving. A family who experiences a tragic loss, accident or illness and needs temporary assistance deserves our help. I have given very generously over and over to employees, friends and relatives who needed a temporary loan or boost to get over a tough spot. I give very generously at church and in my community for the less fortunate. I give with a cheerful heart because I am so grateful for the blessings I have received.

An ancient spiritual law decrees that the Egyptians, Babylonians, Hebrews, and Chinese believed that when they gave with a cheerful and grateful heart that wealth returned to them in absolute abundance. In fact, they believed the number 10 was magic. Some say that became the origin of tithing – giving ten percent of crops, livestock and money. The ancients believed giving was the means to receive in abundance.

History has demonstrated the existence of givers and receivers. The receivers, the entitlement society, expect to be taken care of and provided for without any effort on their part. This entitlement belief has created four and five generation welfare families. This “give me a hand out” mentality has created a poverty and lack mindset generation after generation.

Right here in the midst of affluence there is a healthy young lady with a masters degree in business who expects others to send her money so that she does not have to find a job to earn for herself. That is a perfect example of an entitlement mentality. Personal opinion is that she needs to get off of her chair and go to work rather than relying on being cute and lazy.

Seriously examine your personal beliefs. Are you taking responsibility for your life and your results? We live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. We have more opportunities to learn and earn than any other nation. We have more freedom of decision on every aspect of our lives than in any other nation.

Stop encouraging and enabling the “poor me” crowd who is perfectly capable of contributing to society. This will allow us to contribute to those who truly need and deserve our financial and emotional support. Eliminating the entitlement attitude will assist America in getting back on their financial feet.

I am so proud to be associated with a group of positive, forward thinking, growth oriented entrepreneurs who contribute to society rather than detract from it. People who take responsibility for their decisions, actions and results are the examples of the leaders who created this great country of ours.

Are you a giver or a taker? It is a choice.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Richest Man

“The Richest Man in Babylon” by George S. Clason reminds us that we each have talents and abilities which can be enhanced to produce wealth. Everyone has a special talent which will produce prosperity when properly implemented. “Beloved by millions, this timeless classic holds the key to all you desire and everything you wish to accomplish. This is the book that reveals the secret to personal wealth” is the quote from the back cover of the book.

Especially in this troubled economy, people are searching for the secrets to acquiring money, keeping that money and making their current money earn more. This book reveals those eagerly sought after secrets. One of those secrets is learning more about how money works. Education remains a timeless asset in every situation. Jim Rohn, noted business philosopher, frequently cautions us that “change does not start with inspiration, it starts with education.” Educate yourself on the business principles involved in obtaining wealth.

As a child growing up in Kansas, I frequently heard the expression “money does not grow on trees.” Well no, not technically. At this point in the American and in fact the entire world economy, we are all on fiat currency. Since fiat currency means that the paper money we carry is not backed by the gold standard or any other precious tangible metal, it is simply paper backed by the good faith and credit of the United States government. Ouch! That is not a comforting thought as I watch Franklin, Grant, Jackson, Hamilton, Lincoln and Washington all cringe as they are squeezed into smaller and smaller value. Sorry guys. Which brings up another point – why are there only pictures of men on our paper currency?

With the shrinking dollar and the pressing need for additional income throughout United States and the world, reading a book like “The Richest Man in Babylon” becomes even more important. In fact Jim Rohn’s mentor Earl Shoaff, recommended Jim start his library immediately. The two books Earl Shoaff recommended for Jim to read were “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill and “The Richest Man in Babylon” by George Clason. Look what those books did for Jim Rohn. They started his journey taking him from a seriously in debt 25 year old to a multi millionaire. That kind of progress certainly inspires me. How about you?

Jim Rohn reminds us that going to get those books and read them is an easy thing to do; however, it is also easy not to do. How seriously do you desire to improve your education and financial situation?

I have coached many people from flat line finances or even red line (in accounting terms that is more debt than cash to pay it) to wealth. Reading “The Richest Man in Babylon” is step one. Step two is to contact me and let me assist you in furthering your finances and your education. We will work together to design the plan for your future.

Either you design a plan for your future or by default; someone else will design the plan. Who do you believe knows more about what you truly desire for your life – you or someone else? My belief is that you either know exactly what your goals are now or you will know after we spend some time talking together.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Massive Action

Warren Buffett did not become wealthy by investing the loose change in his pocket. Bill Gates created Microsoft by daring to dream big goals. Walt Disney did not visualize one amusement ride. Olympic athletes do not spend time at the gym casually visiting and half heartedly doing one or two exercises.

Every successful person takes massive action. Dare to dream big goals, choose to design a massive action plan to achieve those goals and commit to implementing that plan today. Regardless of whether your dream is making money online with a home based business or a franchise or a brick and mortar business, the business principles are identical. Every successful person and every successful business followed exactly the same formula.

Start by having a heart to heart talk with yourself. What do you passionately desire to achieve? The key words are ”you passionately desire to achieve.” Your goal must light your soul on fire with an all consuming passionate desire. Selecting a goal which you think you should choose or one that someone else chooses for you creates a disaster in the long term.

My father declared that I did not deserve a college education and that I would stay in the local farm community and get some mundane job as a secretary at a local business. The very thought of doing that drained the life out of me. History records many instances of people who attempted to live the life someone else, usually a well meaning parent, designed for them. Rarely did that lead to a successful and fulfilling life for the child.

This is your life. This is the only life you will have on this earth. You have the right and duty to design the life you desire to live, create the plan to make that goal a reality and take the massive action necessary to implement that plan. IF YOU DO NOT DESIGN THE PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE, BY DEFAULT SOMEONE ELSE WILL DESIGN IT. Who do you believe will do a better job of designing the life you truly choose to live? You or someone else?

Jim Rohn, noted business philosopher asks what you think someone else has designed for you and answers the question. “Not much.” Are you willing to settle for “not much” for your life? I am not. Refer back to Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Walt Disney and Jim Rohn. Each one of these men created an incredible empire for themselves by following a simple formula. They dreamed a massive goal, visualized that goal completed, designed a plan to bring that goal into reality and took the necessary massive action to achieve.

Successful business people all follow exactly the same simple formula. Business principles remain consistent throughout the centuries. Whether you choose a successful small business or a gigantic corporation, the business principles are identical. The only difference between where you are right now and where these financial giants are at the peak of their careers is the dream, the plan and the massive action.

You have more opportunities right now with the online business potential than ever before in history. Success comes to those who dream big and take massive action.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Rocking Horse

The rocking horse theory permeates small business. Far too many people who own small businesses or home based businesses confuse motion with forward progress. Rocking horses create motion, but zero forward progress. Busy and moving does not equal progress.

Answering your email, calling your co-workers to inquire about what they did for fun for the weekend, or chatting with employees provides a delightful social activity; however, it rarely moves your business forward. Many new entrepreneurs confuse spending time in front of their computer with actually accomplishing forward moving business progress.

Analyze your activities. Are you jumping up from your desk and going to the kitchen for another cup of coffee or getting sidetracked with personal emails? How focused is your time and productivity? Petting the kitty or puppy for a few minutes may not seem like a big deal or take much time, but it is an interruption in focused thought and focused activity.

It may come as a surprise to John Jackson who does the CarbonCopyPRO wake up call but I shower with him every morning. Now before you get all excited, he is in Texas and I am in Colorado. Thank goodness I do not have a camera phone. My day starts at 6 am with daily meditation and positive affirmations. Physical fitness remains a top priority for me as I firmly believe in both a healthy mind and a healthy body. Anyone who knows me well knows that my treadmill/run time occurs for 99 minutes each morning. Why 99 minutes? The treadmill has a 2 digit read out. A series of stretches always follow my run. The wake up call with John Jackson of CCP starts promptly at 8:30 am MST; I sign in a minute or so before 8:30. Signing in is important. Since I ask my consultants to attend calls, I practice what I request of them. Setting a positive example is another mark of a top leader and top producer.

Think I forgot about the shower? Once I have logged in to the call, the phone goes on mute and speaker. Shower time while I listen intently to the call. Yes, I shower with John Jackson Monday through Thursday. Next I sign in to the Wealth Masters call and get ready for my day listening to WMI. No wasted time.

At 9:30 am I am ready to start writing articles, making videos, sending broadcast emails to my list, calling apps and BIBs and working on other creative new marketing ideas.

My head is down and my fingers are flying on the keyboard until about 1 pm when it is break time for a bite of lunch. From 1 to 3 personal details such as weight training at the gym every other day, errands or personal details such as my toastmasters officer duties take place.

From 3 pm to 5 pm there are follow up calls to consultants requesting assistance and returning calls to potential new consultants. From 5 pm to 8 or 9 depending on the day, there are evening training calls to conduct or attend. Always be masterminding with others who share a similar positive mindset and commitment to success.

Never confuse the motion of a rocking horse with forward progress in your business.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Positive Mindset

Success leaves clues and those clues are frequently related to the mindset of the achiever.

“But I want it!” declares the persistent child. The best salesman in the world can not persist longer than an adamant child. Every persuasion tactic in the books and several new ones developed out of necessity on the spur of the moment will be deployed by a determined child. Small children will develop more creativity and more adaptability to any situation. When one approach seems blocked, they employ the ant theory and go around, over, under or through the obstacle.

When Fido wants to play “throw the ball or throw the stick” he will drop the wet gooey object at your feet and stand there eagerly wagging his tail and jumping around until you give in and throw the object. Fido, or at least my son’s Labrador puppy, will persist until his tongue is hanging out and he just can’t run another step without falling over in a heap of exhaustion.

Why can’t people be more like small children, puppies and ants? You say it is their youth and high energy? Perhaps that is a factor but my belief rests more with the persistence and determination. Before society conditions the innocent child to expect rejection and failure, a child believes they are indestructible and that everything is possible. Maybe the time has arrived to rediscover your inner child.

Everything remains possible for the person who is laser focused on exactly what they want. Truly believe you not only can achieve that goal but you absolutely WILL achieve the goal. Employ the determined child attitude of “I will not be denied.” Employ the persistent puppy philosophy of “This is Fun. I want to Play.” Apply the ant demeanor of hurrying forward and going over, under or around every obstacle. Put yourself in the mindset of being excited about your goal and absolutely knowing with every fiber of you being that the goal is already yours. It is already accomplished. See it happily finished in your mind. Smile and enjoy the feeling. Celebrate. Hold that joyous feeling.

Apply that laser focus on learning everything possible about your target goal. Read books, go to live seminars, ask others who have succeeded and network with positive minded and goal oriented people. Study personal development as well as every aspect of your potential business. Jim Rohn, noted business philosopher, says to “work harder on yourself than you do on your business.” Focus your mind on believing you have achieved and will continue to achieve. Persist in developing a plan to go from exactly where you are to exactly where you choose to go. Set time frames for every milestone in the success path. Record everything in your journal. Do not use your head for a filing cabinet. Read, study and persist on that plan.

Once you learn everything you possibly can learn, TAKE ACTION. Nothing changes until you take action. All of the thoughts in the world are non-productive until you put them into action.

Everything starts with your thoughts, your beliefs and your feelings. Passion is the key. The small child passionately demands. The puppy persists unendingly. The ant either finds a way or dies trying. Revive the passion and persistence. Bring back your inner child. Everything is possible for the laser focused and determined individual. It all starts in your head. Unless your head and heart are in the game, YOU are not in the game.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The Sweetest Gift You Can Ever Give is the Gift of Yourself

One simple gift is the gift of listening. Listening is a silent form of flattery. Maybe it is listening to a small child who wants to show you a treasure they find absolutely fascinating. When my mother was in the nursing home, I learned how very much the residents treasured having someone really listen to them. Most people listen waiting for a gap in the conversation so they can speak or listen for just enough information to present their point of view. How many times do we really focus and listen. Are you ever guilty of stopping listening to your spouse because you have been together so long you think you already know what they are going to say?
Giving of our time and focused attention is one of the sweetest gifts we can ever give.
Another gift we can all give is writing a simple 2 line note. Walt Whitman was born in the early 1800’s and he was struggling to get anyone to pay any attention to his poetry. One day a little 2 line note arrived. It simply said, “I am not blind to the wit and wisdom of the Leaves of Grass. I greet you At the beginning of a great career.” Signed Ralph Waldo Emerson. I’ll bet Whitman kept that note. We all keep those special notes. Maybe we keep them in a scrapbook or drawer or even a box but we keep them. Leaves of Grass was published in 1855 when Whitman was 36 years old. 36 in 1855 was much later in life than our 36 in 2009. I greet you at the beginning of a great career.
Who is it in your life right now who deserves that little 2 line note from you? Write down the names of 3 people who deserve a note of encouragement, inspiration, or appreciation from you?
Giving of yourself to help others feel good is a gift of sharing Gods love. We are the children of a loving God. He is our father and he wants the best for us.
He sat in my soul and guided me as a single mother, many times with not enough money to feed the 3 of us. He gave me wisdom to share with those two adorable little boys which I had absolutely no way of knowing. My own childhood had been the total opposite of Ward and June Cleaver. How many of you remember the show Leave it to Beaver? I gave those boys love and encouragement and self confidence that I had never experienced. God did it for me. There is no other answer. They are wonderful men, great daddy’s and loving husbands. With Gods’ help the chain of abuse was broken. I am so deeply grateful.
It is said that the vibration in the room raised simply by having Mother Theresa walk into the room. Serotonin is the chemical in the brain which is the “feel good” chemical. It is a known fact that the serotonin increases in the brain of a person doing a kind deed for another. Not only that but the serotonin increases in the brain of the person receiving the act of kindness and it is even a known fact that it increases in the brains of people watching an act of kindness.
Do something good for someone today with the absolute knowing that they could never repay you. Spread Gods love by doing kind acts for others just for the joy of doing a kind act.
Giving is all about sharing the gifts God has given you.
We all have gifts. Whether it is art as in making cards or pictures, or cooking or music or reading or kind acts to other people. We all have gifts to share. The most cherished gift is a gift of the heart. A gift of yourself.
When I was a broke student secretary in college I worked for Dr. Reilly. Doc was brilliant beyond belief. He carried his Phi Beta Kappa key on his rosary every day. Docs’ honors filled several pages of a vita. With that many accolades, he could have been arrogant and egotistical but he was not. He was humble. When I went above and beyond my hours to do some special task for him, he knew I could not be paid. His hobby was growing long stem red roses. I knew after each of those tasks I would come in the next morning to a long stem red rose on my desk. He had his special way of saying thank you. I treasured those roses. A gift of appreciation and kindness.
There are so many ways we can give.
I truly believe God brought me here for a reason. I had every argument in the world why I could not make the move from Steamboat. He gently but firmly said “Castle Rock” for a year. Despite every reason why it should not have been possible, I am here in exactly the size house I wanted, the exact location, the exact price and the exact timing.
God opened to me a love for speaking and writing which I had never known or experienced. Apparently He was waiting for me to be ready to receive and share this gift. What gift is God waiting to open for you? What gift do you have to share? He gave each and every one of us gifts. It is like the talents in the Bible. He expects us to develop and multiply those gifts.
I am so blessed and so grateful for my life.
You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks for the abundance in your life and you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law. The more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.
Give of yourself, give of your gifts and be grateful to God for all of your blessings.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Gratitude Journal

Regardless of whether we like the President, the economy or anything else in our current lives, we still have so much to be grateful for every day.

We live in a great country. We enjoy tremendous freedom. We are totally free to worship as we choose. Gratitude for our health or the medical professionals who are available to assist us in restoring that health must never be taken for granted.

A roof over our head presents another opportunity for gratitude. When I hiked the Inca trail with my 60# backpack in 1999, I had the opportunity to meet so many locals. They were warm, welcoming and happy even though many lived in “lean-to” homes which appeared to be fragile enough to blow down with a stiff breeze. When we look around us, we are so fortunate and yet we hear complaints.

Happiness is a state of mind, a way of thinking. Our circumstances do not determine our attitude. Over 90 per cent of our emotional reaction to an event is determined by our attitude toward it. Yesterday I wrote about my computer challenges changing over to a new operating system. I ended that article with the statement, “. I’m also grateful for an inquiring mind and desire to learn.” The bottom line of the situation still revolves around an attitude. First of all, I am grateful that I have a computer. Second, I’m grateful I can pick up the phone and call people with more technical expertise than mine to assist me in resolving the issue. Third, the technicians were patient, knowledgeable and persistent until we solved the situation. Fourth, I took responsibility that I chose to change operating systems; neither the technicians nor the company nor the software were responsible for the issue. It was my issue and they were helping solve it.

I am grateful technicians were available. I knew when I installed a new operating system which has not been officially released, that a few challenges would likely occur. To expect all technicians to be totally familiar with a “not yet released” operating system would be unrealistic. Once again, it was my choice to upgrade. I am responsible.

Life happens. Challenges occur. Not everything goes perfect 100 per cent of the time. That is simply a fact of life. How you choose, and yes it is a choice, to respond to life little dilemmas is totally within your control. You can choose to be Oscar the grouch from Sesame Street or view it as an opportunity to learn or exercise patience. You can be grateful for the good things in the situation or find something about which to complain and whine. The choice is yours.

The technicians will be far more inclined to persist in helping you when you maintain an attitude of appreciation rather than being cranky. Bottom line remains that it is in your best interest personally and professionally to adopt a positive attitude. If you choose to be grouchy, the technician may choose to hang up on you. That certainly will not solve your issue. The technician may not persist as willingly when you are not appreciative. Your blood pressure may go up when you choose to get all upset and angry. None of these factors will help anyone and your problem may not become resolved.
Keep a gratitude journal every day. Record the big and small attitudes, events or opportunities which present themselves in your day. Write at least 10 items in your gratitude journal every day. Look them over from time to time when you hit a snag in your schedule. A gratitude journal helps you focus on the positives in your day.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Computer Cure

Ever wonder if the cure feels more painful than the disease? Ever consider throwing your laptop out the window?

We have become so dependant on computers to communicate and conduct our daily business. We carry our laptop on trips with us and treat it as if it were an appendage to our body. But wait! It gets worse. We carry our i-phone or Blackberry clipped to our purse or belt. Every meeting opens with the announcement to please turn off all electronic noise makers as a courtesy to the speaker. It is automatically expected that the majority of the audience will be packing electronic hardware.

I even see people walk into church and the gym with their cell phone clipped to their waist. I understand “reach out and touch someone” but one hour? We have become hopelessly addicted. The next thing you know, we will see groups meeting in secret and calling themselves CAs – communication addicts or computer addicts.

Before you get paranoid or upset, let me confess; I’m guilty, too. This is spreading to epidemic proportions. My adorable 4 year old grandson already has a serious case of computer addiction. Kaden can’t wait to get his sticky fingers on my Blackberry and laptop. Don’t get me wrong, he actually knows exactly what to do with them as well. Of course he looks for the games first, but this little whiz kid knows how to find them and how to play them as well. We have created a generation of addicts. What is this world coming to?

Why does this topic occupy the forefront of my attention today? Slightly over a week ago, I wrote about my computer suffering from the terminal “blue screen of death.” The patient remained in the electronic ER and returned home with the new Windows 7 operating system. Good news and bad news. Good news that the data was recovered and reinstalled. Bad news that Windows XP died on the operating table. Windows 7 was transplanted and the patient lived. Major surgery and a thorough internal electronic enema added to the recovery period. Windows 7 is Microsoft’s newest “latest and greatest” operating system. Sounds exciting, right? Yes and no. Officially, Windows 7 will not be released to the public until about October 23.

Such an infant stage for an operating system logically follows that many programs and technicians are less than familiar with all of the complexities and adaptations. So far I have five one-half hours with Palm Pilot to discover than my Tungsten C refuses to play nice with Windows 7; I have a PDA with zero hot sync capability. Cyberspace help me if the PDA is lost or runs out of battery charge.

Today was four hours with my desktop check scanner reaching for the computer and touching fingers but failing to complete the electronic handshake. Thanks to wonderful patient techies at Treasury Gateway, we finally managed a stop gap work-a-round temporary solution.

Installing a new, almost released, operating system on a non-techie owned laptop computer requires patience, a pot of strong coffee and occasionally a bullet to bite on to suppress the thoughts and words which would sneak toward conscious expression.

Progress! Most programs are working. Currently I am able to work. Oh yes, I’m learning in ever so many ways. I’m also grateful for an inquiring mind and desire to learn.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Tips for Success

Dogs don’t bark at parked cars. Even an animal in the forest will stand perfectly still in order to avoid being noticed.

You can have the most beautiful web site every created with fabulous pictures, graphics and compelling text, but until you take action to attract attention to it, it is worthless. The time tested success training tip is to take massive action. The scientific laws decree that nothing happens until something moves. This rule applies even more in business today.

If you say September has always been my slowest month because people are just returning from vacation and getting ready to get the kids back in school, you may not prospect as much. You may make fewer calls. The results probably demonstrated that September was indeed a slow month. You decreed from September 1 that the month would be slow and you took less action; consequently, the month was indeed slow. The problem existed not with the month of September, but your attitude about it and your actions (or lack of action). Our mindset determines our results. Our actions follow our attitudes and beliefs.

Change your attitude and change your results. Yesterday I wrote about “Gold Dust in the Air.” A salesman decreed that there was gold dust in the air and everywhere he turned he found prosperity. He found prosperity because he expected it, believes it and took the action to prospect for the gold.

Napoleon Hill wrote about your power to control your own mind and therefore, your results in “Think and Grow Rich.” The greatest tips for success all find their root in a positive mindset and massive action. When your beliefs are aligned with your actions, success building occurs. Beliefs align with thoughts, words and actions to produce success. Sound simple? Yes, it is. The beauty is that it is also very true.

Dogs don’t bark at parked cars because noting is moving or drawing their attention. Animals have instinct to avoid detection. Customers are searching for information; however, you must take the massive action to be where you can be easily found.

The tips for success remain very simple and specific. Set a target firmly in your mind, design a plan to reach the target and take massive action. Action creates the opportunity for customers to find you. Success training boils down to these few basic steps.

Another of the key tips for success is discipline. Each of these factors plays a significant role in your success. Consistency tops the cone of activities. Success requires daily focused action.

Build your cone of success by constructing a solid foundation of positive mindset for success. Add a layer of laser focused clarity of your target goal. Build another layer above that with a specific targeted audience. Above that add a layer of action plan, roadmap, as to the specific steps to achieve the goal. Second layer from the top resides taking the specific actions to achieve the goal. At the very top sits consistent daily action.

Think of the consistency as hot fudge on the top scoop of ice cream. Yes, it remains at the top but it also flows down through all of the layers of the success cone.

The key tips for success firmly reside in that cone of success. When you build it and immerse it throughout your being and your priorities. Success is guaranteed.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Success Strategies

There is gold dust in the air. Fix your mind firmly on prosperity and abundance and the air surrounding you will be permeated with gold dust. Your attitude about a situation creates your reality. Wayne Dyer, international speaker and author, reminds us that when we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change.

At the beginning of the economic decline, nice was to say the beginning of the recession, a real estate sales meeting revealed shocking results. One salesman had over 400% better results than anyone else in the district. During his interview it was revealed that his success strategies were two fold. He declared that there was gold dust in the air and proceeded to conduct his business as if that were a fact. He then called every one of the customers in his file and told them that now is the time to buy since the prices were down. Since he believed the economic change was a good thing for him, it became a good thing. His mental success training gave him a powerful edge over the competition.

Since he chose a strategy for success which focused on using the current economic situation as an advantage, it became an advantage. If you think the economy is closing a door for you, change the way you look at the situation and the door will swing wide open. Do not get caught in a half closed door when it could be a wide open door for you. There is gold dust in the air if you adopt that mindset as your success strategy.

When others are backing away from prospecting for opens the door for you to lunge forward with your success building activities. Change your mindset to focus on the potential good in every situation and you will find an abundance of prosperity rather than lack. You will always receive more of whatever you give your time, energy and focus.

Tony Robbins, noted personal development trainer and author, says, "Where focus goes, energy flows." Focus on the potential success. Success training is a personal activity. When you stop looking outside yourself and instead focus inside yourself, you will find the gold dust in the air.

Jim Rohn, noted business philosopher, speaks of a man who said, "If someone would just come along and turn me on", everything would be good. What if they don't show up? You need to have a better success strategy than that.

In the Bible there is the story of the talents. In that case, they were speaking of talents as a measure of money or value. Personally I believe that your greatest talent is your mindset. When you have a success building strategy which focuses on the positive potential in every situation, you will discover the gold dust in the air. Your personal talents will indeed become your financial talents.

Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer and the Bible all teach the same success building principles. Focus your energy on a positive attitudes and look for the good in every situation. With the mindset of finding gold dust in the air, there will be prosperity in abundance for you.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Creating a Vision

In “The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity” Catherine Ponder reminds us of the need to visualize your success. The success steps in this process are easy to do, but as Jim Rohn, noted business philosopher reminds us, they are also easy not to do.

Step 1. Be very clear on exactly what it is that you desire to achieve. Know the precise goal to be reached. Know the exact time you intend to reach that goal. Know the tangible sign that you have reached that goal. For instance, if you are seeking a business goal, be precise about the award you will receive, the amount of money you will have earned or the number of sales. Your goal may be to make gross commissions of $10,000 in a single month. Set a specific date by which you will accomplish that goal. Set the time frame short enough to be a stretch for you and just long enough to be possible.

Step 2. How will you feel when you reach that goal? How will your life change by reaching that goal? Unless this is something which lights your soul on fire and really excites you, the goal is not big enough. Your goal should be something you are truly passionate about achieving. If it isn’t much different than the life you are leading now, you will not be motivated to make it happen. Unless you feel passionate about the result, you will remain exactly as you are now.

Step 3. The more clearly you see every detail of that goal accomplishment, the more likely you are to reach it. See it in living color. Visualize every detail of the setting. Hear the sounds. Touch the physical reward; hold it in your hands and feel the texture, the weight and the temperature. Hear the sounds all around you. Smell the scent in the air. Taste the food or beverages of the celebration. When you experience everything fully with all five senses and feel the feelings, you are well on your way to success.

Step 4. Repeat this process daily and more than once a day is encouraged. The more you mentally and emotionally step into the picture and actually live it as if it is happening at that precise moment, the more you bring it into your reality.

Step 5. Create a positive affirmation which you repeat aloud, repeat silently or write out several times every day. This keeps your goal fresh and current in your conscious and subconscious.

Some have even chosen to create a vision board with pictures and words to depict the entire goal and celebration. Any one of these is good but together they are excellent.

This technique has been used with extreme success for centuries. Get clear on what you truly desire. Set a time frame to achieve it. Visualize your success in living color with all five senses. Take the actions to move yourself forward. Know your success is assured.

Have a prosperous day.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Marketing Small Business

Marketing budget, income potential, market area and knowledge all play a significant role in the choice of marketing method.

Marketing budget decisions present a major stumbling block for many new home based business and small business owners, or even “want to be” owners. When I started my first business in 1981 (yes I know that dates my age), the options for free marketing were limited to friends and family, free newspaper ads, bulletin boards, roadside signs and flyers. Oh and there was also the delightful option of cold calls. These methods worked. They were time consuming, frustrating because of the high percentage of rejection, and limited to the geographical area near your home.

Today there are so many social networking sites which reach a world wide area. Once again these are free or extremely low cost. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Squidoo, and Linked-In are a few of the more popular. There seems to be a new one popping up every day. Not only can you connect with numerous people as individuals, but there are a plethora of groups of every imaginable type available as well. Video is currently taking the Web 2.0, social networking, by storm. Videos can be uploaded on You-tube for free and displayed on site or on your web pages or even embedded in your emails.

The next step up is print media: newspaper classified, newspaper display ads, magazine classified, magazine display ads, and postcards are the most popular. There are also printed calendars, printed note pads, pens and various other items printed with the business contact information, and even brochures. Business letters are not as frequent but they also appear. The trick to letters, brochures and anything else which arrives in an envelope is getting the envelope opened instead of taking a dive bomb straight for the waste basket. I have seen colored paper, “urgent” stamps, promo checks peering through the window in the envelope, and even actual money enclosed to get people to open the envelope. If the envelope remains sealed, your marketing dollars just crashed and burned.

The internet is all the rage now. Google is the 800 pound gorilla. They rule the jungle and consume the lion share of the market. Yahoo, Bing, MSN and other smaller search engines are tripping on the brush in the jungle attempting to stay on their feet or ideally gain a few steps on Google. This is Google’s eleventh anniversary; notice today they spelled Google as Googlle in honor of the eleventh anniversary. Pay per click presents a more intense learning curve and higher cost for the total marketing budget. The critical factor in pay per click is selecting the targeted keywords and embedding them properly in a compelling ad. When they click on the ad, it must take them to a web page with the specific information promised in the ad. Relevance is key.

The next element in pay per click marketing is designing a web page with enough information to present value and just enough intrigue to entice them to fill out their contact information. Web page design discussions involve chapters, not a single article. No matter which form of marketing you select, the goal is to capture the contact information. Sooner or later you will arrive at the web page design decision.

Happy marketing. It is exciting, ever changing and a fabulous growth opportunity.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Marketing and Mindset

Marketing can be paradise or a deserted island to your business. Effective marketing generates an abundance of high quality traffic. Poor marketing or insufficient marketing provides either a high cost per lead or very few leads or a combination of both. High cost and low traffic for an extended period of time spells death to a business. How are you doing? How is your lead flow? Have you placed a strangle hold on the throat of your business?
There are numerous web sites on the internet bragging about huge cash flow income. Some of them even display their bank account as proof. If they truly are making a multiple five figure income per month then one of two things is likely to be true: either they are making a nice profit or they are spending big bucks for their marketing. Making a great net profit? Wonderful. More power to you. If the other scenario proves to be true then the marketing budget is pouring out like water from a flood. This huge expense may or may not be displayed in the bank account shown. This is a very important fact to be determined before you invest in a new business.
Whether it is a corporation, franchise, small brick and mortar business or home based business, this fact holds true. The object of business is not only to provide value but also to make a profit. All legitimate businesses strive to provide such high value that customers gladly pay the price requested. The juggling act all businesses constantly face is generating a high volume of highly qualified traffic to their business at a cost feasible price. Missing either one of those ingredients spells disaster for the bottom line.
Marketing is a fluid situation. What worked last month or last year may be an exercise in frustration today. For instance, Google. In the old days, 1994 to 1999, you could say almost anything in your ad and it would generate traffic. Not so in 2009. Google slaps started in October 2008. Web sites with ridiculous income claims were scolded and suspended. As it should be. Google is all about relevance. The keyword must tie to the ad to the web site. This is only fair. The person should see what they expected to see all the way down the line from keyword to web site. That is targeted marketing.
The tricky part is designing a marketing campaign which not only targets but also generates the traffic at a rate and quantity which supports a profitable business. Fortunately I have located a credible marketing education system which does exactly that function. Remember, marketing is fluid; marketing is a moving target. It is important to stay current with the newest techniques and sources.
Once your marketing is dialed in, it is time to concentrate on mindset. Without a mindset for success, all of that wonderful lead traffic will be wasted. Focus so solidly on your goals that you will not be denied. Be crystal clear on exactly what it is that you truly expect to achieve. Notice I said expect to achieve, not hope or wish or think or daydream. Being lukewarm about your goal or wishy-washy about your belief that you can actually achieve that goal spells frustration, expense, disappointment – a business disaster.
Know in your heart exactly what you intend to achieve and by what date. Goals without specific targets and specific deadline dates are just daydreams. “What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve,” said Napoleon Hill.
Combine effective marketing with a mindset for success and success pours out to you in a flood of abundance.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Start a Business

Home based business is the fastest growing industry in North America and perhaps the world right now.

Having owned several small businesses in a variety of industries, I truly know the contrast.

Small business
1. Even though I started the property management business in my home, it was far from ideal. A proper small business seems to require a separate physical office. It simply looks more professional for guests checking in to their vacation lodging and home owners requesting professional management. Having an official office in a business setting requires paying rent. Along with rent usually comes utilities and office furniture. Some leases even require a percentage of the building taxes and insurance as an additional fee. Also some leases require a percentage of your gross income as payment to the landlord: this is commonly referred to as a triple net lease. READ YOUR LEASE FINE PRINT CAREFULLY.

2. Other expenses with an official office outside of your home are a business telephone, computer, printer, liability insurance and some signage to let people know your business name. Depending on the nature of the business, you may also have inventory. Inventory could include office supplies as well as products to sell or products used in service to your customers.

3. Since you will be traveling from your home to the office, you will also have vehicle expense.

4. Employees are a complex issue. Federal unemployment, state unemployment, social security, possible health care insurance, payroll preparation expense and the actual salary. Sick pay, vacation pay and supervision time and expense are also to be considered. Since I owned a property management company in a world class ski resort, there were powder days when employees simply did not report for work or could not be located performing their assigned duties.

Home Based Business
1. Use a room in your house. No rent, office utilities or leases to consider. You might have to get some basic office furniture.

2. You will need some basic office supplies, a computer, a printer and a telephone.

3. No vehicle expense since you has a 30 second commute from your bedroom to your office.

4. Probably no employees.

The differences are dramatic between a home based business and a small business in the set up expense and ongoing monthly expense.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

When Life is Spiraling Out of Control

With the economy, the pressures of daily life and the impending holiday season, control teeters on a delicate balance. Demands for our time and energy press inward from all sides.
Stop! Breathe! Relax your shoulders! Calm the swarm of butterflies in your system! Right now is the time to collect your thoughts and set up priorities. One of the age-old examples is a jar of rocks. Sort your “to do” list into three sections: major and urgent tasks, major but not urgent tasks and minor duties. The major and urgent tasks are the largest rocks. The major but not urgent tasks are the pebbles and the grains of fine sand are the minor duties.
If you fill your jar with the fine sand first, all of your time will be consumed with minor tasks. You will not have any time available for major and urgent activities. It is easy to become distracted with minor personal emails and little daily interruptions. When you allow your mind to wander rather than focusing on the task at hand, you are filling your time jar with fine sand. Spending time with minor distractions consumes all of your time and accomplishes nothing to move your business or your life forward.
Schedule your time in manageable blocks. One hour blocks work the best for me for the major activities. For instance every business everywhere requires marketing. Without marketing, you do not have customers and without customers, you do not have a business. This rule holds true from major corporations to franchises to home based businesses. Marketing is a major activity for all businesses. Schedule time to work on lead generation. Whether you choose to use online marketing, print media, social network marketing or recruiting friends and family, you must perform marketing. Marketing represents the biggest rock in the jar. Without leads you do not have customers and without customers, you do not have a business.
Another major rock is mindset. Developing a mindset for success is imperative. Remember “The Little Engine That Could?” That was a book from my childhood. The little engine kept saying “I Think I Can.” Believing that you will be successful and visualizing that you already are successful is so important. Dr. Wayne Dyer talks about seeing it from the end. See your success in all of its glory as already achieved. Experience that success with all five senses. Know it, feel it and believe it. When your mind totally accepts the success as a reality, the subconscious mind goes to work on making it happen.
When you place top priority on placing the big rocks, the major activities, in the time jar first and blocking time for their accomplishment, you are more likely to complete those duties. Naming the big rocks and blocking time for them is still not enough. You absolutely must focus totally and completely on those tasks during their time slot and finish them. Making the decision alone is not sufficient.
There were 5 seagulls on a dock. Two decided to fly away. How many were still sitting on the dock? All five. Making the decision did nothing until they took action on the decision.
Name your priorities, allot time to each one, focus on task completion and finish the job.
Once the major rocks are in the jar, then add the major but not urgent tasks. Follow exactly the same method. Decide what must be done, set aside the time to do them, focus on the completion and do the necessary task.
There will always be time in the day to pour in the fine sand of minor details. No need for guilt when you have already completed all of the big rocks and then the medium size rocks and pebbles.
Life is all about priorities.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

You Deserve Prosperity

As a professional speaker and a seasoned entrepreneur, I have experienced various challenges and various attitudes in my career.
As a professional speaker, it warms my heart to see audiences come alive. When people truly “get it” and understand that they not only can but should be happy and prosperous, it is so rewarding. One of the things which gives me so much pleasure is knowing that I am providing value, inspiration and enjoyment to my audiences. Providing positive information which people can directly and immediately apply to their lives gives value to them and satisfaction to me. One of the ways to know that you are in the right profession is the feeling that you enjoy what you do so much that you look forward to each new day.
Dr. Srikumar Roa, noted professor of Columbia Business School and the London Business School. Spoke in the September, 2009 Success magazine cd about his philosophy. He advocates knowing you are doing fulfilling work when you are so grateful that you feel like going down on your knees in gratitude. This deep sense of fulfillment provides the creativity to move your business and your life forward.
Speaking gives me that feeling of pleasure and excitement.
Some experts have even said that if you love your work so much that you would do it for free, then you know you are in the right place doing the right thing. Now I am not advocating that you stop earning a living, but it is a serious check on your feelings toward your career and your life.
My entrepreneurial career has spanned decades. I can honestly say that I have loved the adventure and growth achieved from all of my various professional challenges. Something good comes from absolutely every experience when you truly look for the benefit. Seek the frustration and disappointment and you will find exactly that. Seek growth and potential value in each challenge and you will find precisely that value.
My professional career started on my 21st birthday when I walked into the law class of 40 senior high school boys. As a college graduate who was less than 3 years older than the majority of the students in the class, it was interesting. Add to that the fact that I am very feminine and my last name is LOVE. Yes, it provided varied reactions within the group.
Next I managed a chain of Goodyear tire dealerships in Detroit Michigan in the 60s and 70s. Once again, a challenge. Being a feminine lady in a male dominated industry required being the epitome of femininity and professionalism in order to maintain authority.
Owning a property management company in a premier Colorado ski resort and then learning internet marketing as my next two professional endeavors have all provided education and challenge. Fortunately, I have grown as a professional and as a person.
All of this knowledge, experience and passion weave themselves through my professional speaking and my coaching. Effective speeches deal with topics you truly know. Extensive reading, study and personal development enhance the value presented and experienced by the audience. In order to give more, you must become more. My goal is to present value, inspiration and enjoyment to my audiences.
Join me on my blog at www.lelovelifelife.blogspot.com and lets grow together.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Managing Your Challenges

Whether you are in a home based business and have been Google slapped or challenged by the economy, the fact remains that a challenge is a challenge. The end result is totally determined by your attitude. If you choose to label it as a “bad thing,” it will be a bad thing. If you choose to look at your challenge as an opportunity for growth and change, it will probably be a good thing.
Your attitude makes the difference.
At the moment I am experiencing computer challenges. Last Friday my computer presented me with the “blue screen of death.” To a busy professional who relies heavily on the computer, this was not initially greeted with thrills of happy excitement. Oh, no was closer to the reaction. I decided to approach it with the attitude of “What good can come out of this?”
My next move was to call my computer guru, Dave Glantz at Computer Cures in Steamboat. Since it was late Friday and Steamboat is a three plus hour drive, we scheduled Saturday morning to bring my electronic patient into the computer ER. Anyone who has ever encountered this situation knows that this is not always a simple task to prepare the patient (computer) for the electronic ER.
Locating every possible disk to reinstall the critical programs can be a daunting task. Most of these programs were preinstalled on the computer. The fact that I had moved from Steamboat to Castle Rock last year complicated the disk retrieval process. Fortunately, almost all of the crucial software was located. (Yes, to all of you who are also savers. It does prove valuable to save things sometimes even if you do not expect to ever need them. ) Packing up the computer, disks, back up storage devices – thank goodness for regular back up of the data – and power cords takes a few minutes of organization.
We are now ready to get on the road to the electronic hospital.
Once we arrived, Dave inspected the patient and diagnosed the problem as “a fried Windows operating system.” Oh how my MAC friends would have smiled; they have been encouraging me to buy a MAC for over a year now. Being a loyal PC user, I have resisted. The prescription was a new operating system and a larger hard drive. My 80 gig drive sounded quite sufficient 3 years ago; however, it is full. Since the operation and recovery time would be extensive, the patient needed to remain in ER for an extended stay. Hopefully, she will return home with the new Windows 7 operating system, a new 350 gig hard drive and total health on or before Friday.
Doing without a computer was unthinkable. It would be like having both legs in casts, not a pleasant thought. Fortunately Dave responded to my dilemma and loaned me his 17” Dell while my 17”Dell was in surgery and recovery.
Ok, I will be limping but functioning. To add to the challenge, my computer operated on Windows XP and Dave’s computer operated on Windows Vista. Another challenge. We transferred survival data and I’m on my way several hours later.
Unfortunately the USB for my cordless mouse stayed in Steamboat, my oversight. Now I am learning to use the mouse pad on the laptop. Hmmm. Amazing how spoiled I had become with an external cordless mouse. Ok squeaky will have to sleep until the USB returns home.
To add yet another challenge, last evening my internet went down. After 2 frustrating hours, I learned how to use my Blackberry as the modem for my computer.
What have I learned? I have started learning Vista instead of XP, how to use a laptop mouse pad with some degree of comfort, and how to use my phone as a temporary internet modem.
Challenge after challenge has resulted in new skills, new resources and an increased appreciation for techies such as Dave as well as appreciation for all the time my computer was reliable and predictable. Oh, another “thank you” for the recovery of all the data.
Life is an attitude. Choose to have a good one.