Dream Stealers

Martin Luther King had a dream. A dream he expressed very passionately to everyone. What is your dream? What lights your heart, soul and mind on fire with excitement? What inspires you to bound out of bed in the morning with joy and purpose – truly anxious to take action? Deep in the very fiber of your being a fire, or maybe at this point just an ember, burns waiting for you to fan the flame. Or have you allowed someone or something to steal that dream away from you? What threatens your dreams? Low self-esteem, day to day circumstances, the people in your circle of influence, or your own lack of dedication to your dream? Focus on that vision and imagine it as a reality at this very moment. How does it feel? Savor that feeling of accomplishment and joy. Napoleon Hill reminds us “Whatever the mind of a man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

Explore, dream, question, and discover that special desire. Once you absolutely identify your dream, it is easier to determine how badly you want it and exactly what you are willing to do to achieve it. If you absolutely knew you could have anything you wanted, what would it be? Visualize yourself already possessing that goal. Most people hesitate about reaching for their dreams because they don’t know how they are going to achieve those lofty goals. Don’t settle for what you think is possible or what other people tell you that you can or should expect. Go for what you truly want. Do you believe you deserve to have it? If so, why or why not? Explore your feelings and you will determine your level of self-esteem. Your self-esteem is closely tied to your feelings of deserving to receive your dreams. Don’t give up on yourself and smother your own dreams?

Revive that fire of passion. Live that dream even if only in your imagination. Now what are you willing to do about it? Nothing great arrives without some time, effort and sacrifice. Fried chicken does not fly in the window. Dreams do not arrive fully achieved. They start with an idea, a bud, and develop into a full petaled flower. What price are you willing to pay to realize that dream? Are you willing to water and nurture and weed and tend that dream? When will you awake that goal and decide to do whatever it takes to bring it forth into reality? Start living your dream. Wayne Dyer talks about thinking from the end – seeing and feeling that dream as if it is already in existence.

We each have a special desire deep within us. Sometimes, far too often, we allow day to day circumstances to dictate mediocrity and mundane existence. Yes, we allow, our time and our days to slip by without setting aside any time to work on our dream. Set aside some golden time – time just for you. The people around us squelch our dreams by telling us we can’t have or don’t deserve or can’t afford. Remember this is not about what they want for us or for themselves. They have their own path. You have yours. Live your own life. Dream your own dreams. You are what you think. You are what you decide. Make the vision on the inside become the reality on the outside. No, not “I’ll try.” Trying is failing with honor. Don’t try – decide and achieve.

Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is wise,

Risking more than others think is safe,

Dreaming more than others think is practical, and

Expecting more than others think is possible.

Start and end your day with positive thoughts, gratitude and affirmations. Believe in yourself. Believe in your dreams and your future. You have a responsibility to yourself. Letting circumstances or someone outside of you to steal your dreams hurts you and everyone who truly cares about you. Feel that dream. Experience how it will feel to accomplish it. Enjoy the moment in your imagination when it really comes true. Reach up on the shelf of your dream storage closet; dust off the hopes and plans you have stored away for so long. It is your dream.

Allowing something or someone outside to steal your dream is criminal but the worst tragedy is when we give up on ourselves and our dreams.

Find that ember deep inside your soul, fan the flame and bring it to a roaring inferno.

Ok, so there will be times when someone tries to pour water on your dream or there will be spring showers that dampen your dream. Stay focused on your progress and little victories along the way. Each step moves you closer to your goal. Hold that dream tenderly and protectively. Decide to keep it alive and glowing. Shelter it from the wind of daily events. Use that wind to fan the flame, not put out the fire.

It is your dream. No one has a right to steal it – not anyone around you and certainly not yourself. Don’t steal your own dream. Instead find a way to make it glow and burn for all to see. The secret of the law of attraction states that your current work is not the way to reach your largest dream. Thinking consistently and positively about them coming true; that is how dreams come true. You deserve to realize and live the fulfillment of your dream.

Target in the Dark

Life without goals is like aiming at a target in the dark and expecting to have good results. If you don’t care where you are going, it doesn’t make any difference where you land. When Alice in Wonderland asked the white rabbit if she should go right or left, the rabbit gave a puzzled look and asked where she wanted to go. When she replied, “I don’t know,” the rabbit grinned and shrugged “then it doesn’t make any difference which direction you turn.”

Goals determine your direction. Goal setting is the absolute common denominator of all successful people. They are persistent relentless goal setters. Therefore they are top goal achievers.

There was a study done with the graduating class of 1953 of Yale University. They asked the graduates how many of them had specific written goals and only 3% did. When they interviewed the surviving members of that class 20 years later, it was discovered that the 3% who had specific written goals were worth more in financial terms than all the other 97% combined.

Note an interesting correlation here. Only 3% to 5% of all businesses succeed. Only 3% to 5% of people set specific written goals.

Goals relate to all aspects of your life: personal, financial and professional. Goals are both tangible and intangible in all 3 areas. All goals must be SMART – specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely. The more specific the goal, the greater the likelihood you have of attaining it.

There are several ways to determine your goals.

First, list the 5 things you value most in life.

Second, In 30 seconds or less list your 3 most important goals. Dr Joyce Brothers refers to this as the quick list. Whatever you write in 30 seconds or less is likely to be top priorities for you.

Third, what would you do if you won a million dollars tomorrow? What would you buy? Where would you go? What would you do first, second, third?

Fourth, if you knew you would live in perfect health for exactly 6 months and then immediately die, what would you do? This tells you your true priorities in life..

Think about these answers very carefully and then compare the answers. If the answer to what would you do if you only had 6 months to live is not consistent with what you would do if you won a million dollars then you have a conflict in your goals. You are attempting to go in different directions at the same time. That never works. These answers should also align with your 3 most important goals. If they are consistent, great, if not do some serious soul searching about what is truly important to you in your life.

You will always be more successful doing something you love. One of the best ways to determine that is getting in touch with your feelings. When do you feel the best about yourself? What puts a warm glow in your heart? Where do you feel most fulfilled and appreciated and happy? When you can clearly identify that one factor, I can tell you your entire philosophy of life. That one aspect defines the key to your soul.

Now combine that with the goals you have defined above and you know your one true calling and mission in life. Everyone has one special talent or ability or area of excellence. Using these simple steps will refine your focus and direct you to your special area of excellence. When you align your goals with your special talent, you can accomplish anything you desire.

The mere fact that you can clearly define your goals and area of excellence is an absolute guarantee that you can have it. How quickly it materializes depends on your actions and your continued focus on that objective. If you can clearly define it, write it and see it as accomplished in your mind, you can absolutely have it in your reality.

Be specific, laser focused, consistent and persistent and you will never again be aiming at a target in the dark.

The Best Way to Value People

The best way to make a person feel valued and valuable is to listen intently while they are speaking to you. The common tendency with most people unintentionally sends a message of disrespect or disinterest in the speaker’s words. People listen for a gap or pause in the conversation waiting impatiently for their opportunity to speak.

Even worse than listening for an opportunity to speak is the fact that all the time the speaker is expressing their thoughts, the listener is usually thinking about what they plan to say. If the listener is waiting for a gap to speak and thinking about how to present their own thoughts, how can there ever be a meaningful conversation? Is it any wonder that couples, business associates and even political leaders have difficulty understanding each other? How can we truly communicate if we never really listen to the other person’s point of view?

My father was a man of few words. When he spoke, it was very clear to my brother and me that we would be very wise to listen and act appropriately. One thing he said which has stayed with me all these years was, “You never learn anything new with your own mouth open.” In other words, in order to learn something new, it is important to stop speaking and listen to someone else.

It is a known fact that people will do more for recognition than for money. The easiest way we can show recognition and value to another person is by truly listening to them. Listening to show genuine interest, not listening to present an angle for personal gain.

How many times do you observe a business conversation where the listener is only listening in order to pick up clue on how to sell you something? This is even more common in an MLM or network marketing interaction. People listen to pick up information to use to close the sale. This is so common in business conversations that it is no wonder people are cautious.

Think about your conversations with friends, your children, your significant other. How many times do you focus on their words and demonstrate how much they mean to you by truly listening. Listen because you really care about their thoughts and feelings. People never care as much about what you know until they know how much you care.

Pay attention to your conversations today and really listen with the full intention of hearing their words and understanding their thoughts. You will be amazed at how much it improves every facet of your relationships.

Listening to people makes them feel valued and valuable. After all, you want them to listen to you. Right? Set the example by first listening to them.

Active

You can debate the differences between being proactive, reactive or even interactive. The common denominator is active. Nothing happens until something moves. That is a basic law of nature.

In business it is always best to be proactive. Making intelligent decisions and taking action to implement them. You will never be ahead of the curve without being proactive. Look for ways to be creative in your business; look for ways to be creative in every aspect of your life. In dog sledding, they say the scenery never changes unless you are the lead dog. The same is absolutely true for business. You started your own business in order to be a leader, producer and improve your life. I have taken many risks in my life and my business. Did every one of them succeed? No. Did I make a concentrated effort to learn from every success and every failure? Yes. What worked really well? What did not work at all? What worked but could be much better with just a few tweaks and extra effort? Being proactive is all about being constantly observant about your results and making adjustments in order to improve.

This fact holds as true for home based business as it does for brick and mortar business. In fact it holds true for you even if you are an employee. The bottom line fact in every case is determining what you did right or wrong to bring yourself to this point in your life. Start today analyzing the causes, resolving to improve the results and taking the action necessary to implement those changes.

Being reactive gives the control to someone or something else. If you have a car suddenly coming across the center line head on for your car, then you have a right to be reactive. Those situations are rare but unpredictable in advance. In those cases, reactive remains your only choice. Business and life in general requires more of a proactive approach than a reactive approach. A home based business demands even more of a proactive approach even than a brick and mortar business or a franchise.

With a home based business, you naturally have more distractions. The kids or your spouse have easier access to your office. The kitchen, the laundry, the phone, the “honey do list” and many other things vie for your time and attention. Home based businesses require more discipline and focus. You are the boss looking over your own shoulder.

You must be interactive with other leaders. Mastermind with peers who are going the direction you choose to go. Mastermind with those who already achieved or are achieving the goals you seek. Be interactive with leaders and forward-thinking achievers. Spending time with people who drag you down mentally and emotionally will absolutely drag you down financially.

Look at your goals. Focus on the action which will take you to the summit, not drag you back to the bottom. Being proactive is essential. Being interactive with the achievers is critical. No matter what, in all cases you must be active. Focused and goal oriented action will always yield the best results. If it takes you toward your goal, do it.

The 5 Factor Difference

Enthusiasm is wonderful. There was a screen saver put out by the Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles which said “Catch on fire with enthusiasm and the world will come for miles to watch you burn.” Yes, enthusiasm is an important factor but enthusiasm alone will not move your life and your business forward.

Passion for your product and your company are also very important. You can not effectively present something you do not believe in and respect. The most effective people throughout every industry have a deep seated passion for what they are doing. Their passion burns so white hot that nothing will stop them. Yes, they encounter setbacks and challenges. Those little hurdles or inconveniences do not stop them from moving forward to achieve their goals. Without a burning desire, those roadblocks can and will stop most people. Look seriously at what you are doing. On the passion scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being luke warm and 10 being a roaring inferno, where are you?

Look at your enthusiasm and your passion carefully and objectively. Do you jump out of bed every morning like a child on Christmas morning? Are you excited to start your day? What is your attitude toward your career? If your enthusiasm this morning resembles the temperature of left over bath water, this is a wake up call. You have 2 choices: rededicate yourself to your chosen profession or change professions. It’s that simple.

If your choice is to reinvigorate yourself in your present occupation, then apply the 5 factor difference. Select 5 things each day to do to move your business forward. Commit to selecting 5 things every day. Now comes the labor intensive part, you actually have to DO those 5 things every day. The action steps can be the same every day or different or a combination. You must select 5 specific action steps to move your business and your life forward. You ABSOLUTELY MUST COMMIT TO DOING ALL 5 EVERY DAY AND ACTUALLY DO THEM.

I learned this rule of 5 from Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield, authors of “Chicken Soup for the Soul.” Every day they did 5 things to move their business forward. They were turned down by approximately 140 publishers before one finally said yes. Now look at their results. They have a “Chicken soup of the Soul for everything.” They used the rule of 5 and remained enthusiastic, passionate and persistent. That is the secret of success.

What will the rule of 5 do to improve your life?

Always Be Grateful – Proud of Your Age

Whatever your age, be proud of the experience you have gained and the opportunity to continue to learn and grow. If you are in your 20s or 30s, great, you have plenty of time to create anything your heart desires. If you are more mature, great. You have the advantage of so many years of wisdom and experience. Saying you are too young or too old to learn something new is just an excuse you give yourself for putting off taking any action.

If you are 50 or more, you do not have decades to play around waiting to figure out what you want to be and do when you grow up. It does not mean that you can’t learn new skills, you absolutely can. I have known people in their 30s who were old and people in their 60s and 70s who were young. It is honestly a state of mind. It is not your chronological years, but your mindset which makes the difference. Diets, lotions, potions, pills, and even surgery will not keep you young if your mind has stopped growing.

If your thoughts are old and you expect to feel old, you will be old. How dare I say such a thing? Hmmm. I’ve experienced 3 major back fusions and a few other major and minor surgeries to my shoulder and knees. Have those surgeries and the metal inserted in my back stopped me? Absolutely not. I started a totally new industry to me after I turned 60. I have learned so much. It not only brought new experiences and new skills to me, but also new associates who are young at heart and forward thinking.

It is said that your income will be the average of your 5 closest associates. Why not associate with forward thinking, progressive people of all ages. Every age has a beauty and a value to give if we are open minded to embrace it.

Many people actually fear old age. That is totally unconceivable to me. It is common knowledge that many people who have worked a job all of their life simply give up when they retire and pass away a short time later. Why on earth would you work all of those years and let yourself stop thinking and growing when you retire? Take up a new hobby, start a new career, or learn a new language. Do something with your mind and spirit and you will find renewed vigor for life.

My “get it done list” and “I plan to do it list” are so long that I would require several decades to accomplish it all. If anyone says rocking chair to me, they had better be handing me an infant who needs to be rocked to sleep. I have no other interest in a rocking chair.

Be proud of your age and experience and keep adding to it. Young people deserve your wisdom and you deserve to be exposed to their enthusiasm and new knowledge. Together both spectrums of the age spam can benefit. You are only old if you choose to be old.

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Always Be Grateful

Today is my 65th birthday and I still feel young in spirit. I am as excited today for my present and my future as I was in my 20s. Part of that is gratitude. I am so grateful for my life. Blessings and challenges abound every day. Opportunities to grow into the person I choose for my friends, children and grandchildren to remember present themselves every day.

When I was a little 20 year old college senior, one of my professors said, “Elaine, you can have 10 years experience or one year’s experience 10 times.” Few statements in my lifetime have struck me with the force of this one. Ebino Topsy affirmed that, “those who do not learn from history are doomed to relive it.” How many people have you known who keep repeating the same types of errors? Bring it closer to home, how many times have we repeated our own mistakes?

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. There is nothing wrong with making a mistake. It has been said that if you want to double your rate of success, then double your rate of failure. That is true, IF you learn from each one of those failures and determine how to achieve a better result next time.

I’ve failed many times in my life, but in each case I chose to learn from my mistakes. I am grateful for all of my experiences because they each taught me a valuable lesson. If I did not learn the lesson completely, I inevitably had to dig a bit deeper for the lesson and solution. I learned 2 very important lessons from failure: learn from your mistakes and keep striving for better results.

David Foster, acclaimed as the “Hit Man” because of the number of hits he has produced in the music industry, is a 15 time Grammy winner. In David’s article in Success magazine, September 2009, he openly admits that he also has failures. He has written 1,000 songs and has 100 hits.

Giving up or deciding that something does not work or does not work for you just because you had a tough day or two goes again the laws of success. Most people in the network marketing industry will tell you that they had a learning curve before they achieved success. I know I did. My success came because I chose a company with integrity, the right products for the time, the right compensation plan and the right system to market.

Even more than all of that, I chose to be the constant diligent student and learn my lessons from successful people before me. Learning is fun to me. I’m grateful for all of my experiences. Each and every one of them has taught me something valuable.

I am grateful I have the ability and willingness to step out of my comfort zone and learn. I am grateful I have the opportunity to learn. I am also grateful that I am willing to stick with a task until I do learn and prosper. How about you? Are you ready to learn and grow?