Determination turned to Action = Results

This blog post is relating a recent scenario to the MLM industry.  How you can be determined, turn that determination into action and then harvest the fruits of your labors and see the results.

Last Friday we had some SERIOUS winds, tumbleweeds flying by at warp speed, trees snapping, fences breaking. 

We lost a gate, had to reinforce some fence sections and I have several thousand dollars damage to my SUV from it being sand blasted during the storm.

The day after the storm... On Saturday this precious girl in the picture above came wandering by, we live close to a major highway and just could not let her keep heading the direction she was going, so we stashed her in our back yard to keep her safe.

We knew she had a home as she was clean, well fed, nails trimmed and well trained.  Now I had choices.

I could sit and let the owner come knocking on doors or I could go out there and let the owner know I had his dog.

So I printed 40 flyers off and headed out in the neighborhood.  I taped them to every mail box unit AND knocked on every door that had a fence blown down.  Now I could have let those houses with broken fences find the signs, but I went a step further and approached people by knocking on their doors.

I even went down to the corner market and hung a sign, slid a sign under the door at the Sherrif office and went and hung the rest of the flyers in my neigboring community.

Was I done?  I could have been!  I made an effort right?  BUT was the dog at home sweet home?  NO!  There was more I could do.

I came home, posted on craigslist, then posted the link from craigslist on facebook, myspace and twitter.  Again, I could have been done, but was I?  NO!

I posted a picture and info on the Washoe County Animal Services website.  Then I looked for Storey County, they did not have a website where I could post, and they were closed.  So I left a message on their phone AND emailed them with a picture and the details of where we found the dog.

Was I done?  NO!  I sat and thought if one of my beloved dogs was out, where would I be looking?  How would I be searching.  I thought of one more Animal Shelter in Lyon County, same, no website, but I called and left a message and emailed a picture too.

Sunday morning, 8 o'clock we get a call from a relieved dog owner.  She had called Lyon County and described the lost dog, they then recognized the dog by the picture I had emailed and they gave her my contact information.  A connection was made and an hour later the dog was home sweet home.

Now, had I not taken all the efforts above, this dog may still be sitting on the old couch in the garage!

Now do you see how you can take DETERMINATION and turn it into ACTION and get RESULTS?   How about applying this principle to your home business.  There is always ONE MORE step you can take, ONE MORE thing you can do, ONE MORE process you can put into ACTION.

As Nike says "Just DO it!"

Alethea Anderson
Determined Action Taker seeing RESULTS!

"Achieving by Deleting" How Many EMAILS have you SAVED to read LATER?

Achieving by Deleting

Now I'm not talking personal emails from co-workers, family, friends, prospects, team members, etc....emails of a legitimate topic, should be dealt with within 24 hours.  After your response is sent, DELETE!

Now I'm talking about mailing lists you may be on, junk emails, and those FWD FWD FWD jokes and chain emails....

You  have to admit it, you probably have a slew of emails in your email box(es) that you've either flagged, marked as unread or sorted into folders to read later because you don't have the time right now.

Let me tell you why this is a bad idea...  Clutter, not only is untidy in your home, it also clutters the mind.  As my friend Jacqui Gates said in a recent video "Clutter is procrastination manifest".

Saving all those messages for 'when you have time' is simply stashing procrastination for a time when you need an excuse to not do what you need to do! 

For instance, have you ever had or heard this conversation...

• "What are you doing?"
• "Oh catching up on emails, I have hundreds in here I've not gotten to"

Yep, you know what I mean. They are going through their CRAP they saved for another day.  All while leads are waiting to be called, laundry is waiting to be folded, holiday cards are waiting to be written....

Now in all seriousness, if those messages were important enough you'd read them as they came in.  The fact that you can flag them, mark them unread or stash them  in a folder simply means they do not score high enough on your NOW chart.

In all honesty, how do you FEEL when you open your email box(es) and see all those bold messages that are looming there waiting for you to read them?   What about the flags that have gone red showing they are overdue?  How about the folders you have labeled 'important', 'read later' and so on?  The numbers next them grow day by day and odds are you are feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Now I'll admit, I am writing this note because I just went through this myself.  I literally just deleted over 1,000 messages that I had 'set aside' for future reading.  I always felt behind, like there was something I needed to complete and realized that those bold emails that greeted me every morning when I logged on for a day at the home job, all those that were sorted and flagged, were nagging me.  They were incomplete tasks cluttering my inbox and my mind, not allowing me to have a clear mind to move forward and complete the day.

So, I went in and deleted them ALL!  What types of messages were they?  They were messages from industry greats that I felt were important to read later.  They were jokes I glimpsed at that I thought I'd share another day.  They were affirmations and quotes with interesting subject lines.  They were ads and coupons I thought I'd print up and use.  Yep, over 1,000 of them! 

I feel SO much better now that they are gone!  I've made a commitment to myself, if I get a non-personal message, I will decide that moment either to read it, or delete it.  If the subject line does not capture me, then it is not meant to be!

There is no obligation to read every blog post that you follow, there is no requirement to follow every breath of the biggest name in the industry, there is no reson to feel you have to absorb every word of every email sent to you.

I challenge you to go to your email and DELETE, DELETE, DELETE!  As Jacqui Gates said in her video I noted above "it's amazing what you can accomplish in just 15 minutes".  1-2-3 GO!

Alethea Anderson
Achieving by Deleting

What the CLUCK is F.E.A.R.?

Wikipedia says that  "Fear is an emotional response to a threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger. Some psychologists such as John B. Watson, Robert Plutchik, and Paul Ekman have suggested that fear is one of a small set of basic or innate emotions. This set also includes such emotions as joy, sadness, and anger. Fear should be distinguished from the related emotional state of anxiety, which typically occurs without any external threat. Additionally, fear is related to the specific behaviors of escape and avoidance, whereas anxiety is the result of threats which are perceived to be uncontrollable or unavoidable. Worth noting is that fear always relates to future events, such as worsening of a situation, or continuation of a situation that is unacceptable. Fear could also be an instant reaction, to something presently happening."

Even the above note says '...is the result of threats which are perceived to be uncontrollable or unavoidable"

What are you creating your FEAR emotion from?

Take a moment of your time to analyze FEAR and these few definitions...

• FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real
• FEAR = False Expectations Appearing Real
• FEAR = Fictitious Events Appearaing Real
• FEAR = Future Events Aren't Real
• FEAR = Forseen Events Appearing Real

My favorite is False Evidence About Reality.  Each one of these says the exact same thing, you are expecting something based on a false mental creation of the non-reality of what has not even happened yet.

It is even false FEAR when you see a spider and freak out.  But this FEAR is indeed based on emotion but seriously, that spider is not going to jump off the wall and suck your brains out.  He's on the wall, walking, and could not give a care less about you. (until he sees a wad of toilet paper heading his way) and THEN that is a true definition of fear.  He runs his 8 legged little butt off hoping not to be wall spackle, his fear is based on flight or fight and he's flying!

Now YOUR fear applied to your home business.  Now very few will actually admit that they are fearful.  They instead make up excuses as to why the business won't work for them, creating a wave of emotion, enabling themselves to QUIT without feeling guilty.

They say things like...

• The economy is so bad here no one will buy.
• No one can afford to join this company.
• I just don't have time to call leads.

In reality they are saying...

• I am too chicken to even attempt to sell anything.
• I am too chicken to even share this opportunity.

• I am too chicken to pick up the phone.

What is the Chicken Factor?

Chicken tastes good, but you don't look good in tar and feathers.  The Chicken Factor is when people who join a home business do everything they can to NOT succeed.  They fill their days with busy work.  (which in reality is farting around doing next to nothing actually business related) so they can FEEL as if they are accomplishing something, yet, accomplish nothing.  These Chicken Factor people will go as far as saying "I've worked this business a full ((30, 60, 90 days)) and nothing has happened.  This company sucks!  I can't believe I got SCAMMED in an MLM Pyramid.  They stole my money, I QUIT!"

(These are the ones who spread the rumors of how they failed in MLM and that all Network Marketing companies are SCAMS and that only the people at the top make all the money.)

You know what that does right?  Creates excuses and FEAR (refer to definitions above) for those who'd rather not even attempt to make their most wild dreams become reality so they too share how they know someone twice removed who 'failed' at an home business and got caught in a 'pyramid scam'.

We whom are successful in the business have a wee bit of a soft spot for those individuals, well, I do.  Some don't tolerate the ignorance for one moment!  But I know what it's like on both sides of the coin.  Having quit several businesses over the nearly 2 decades I've been in the industry, I know first how how easy it is to QUIT and lay the blame on someone else. 

• It was the company...
• It was my sucky sponsor...
• It was the product, it was too expensive...

It is so much easier to pass the 'cluck' vs admitting you are a big feathery chicken!   Not until I realized it was my own F.E.A.R. that hindered my success, was I able to move forward and reach new heights.  Once you grab the bull by the horns, look him in the eyes and tell him you are ready to end the BS (i.e. look in the mirror, look yourself in the eyes and tell YOURSELF you are READY to end the BS) this is the only moment where you will shift from F.E.A.R. to moving forward.

Drop the past. Move forward, eat the chicken, tar and feathers is just not 'in' right now...

Alethea Anderson
What the CLUCK?

You simply can NOT get from HERE to THERE without taking the steps in between...

So today I saw a video on Facebook posted by Andre J. Pickens, about how he taught himself to be a 'human beat box'.  He admitted that back when he started, he, well, was not good at it.  But, he was determined to hit a beat, so he practiced, taking baby steps, developing each beat individually, then over time blending them together and expanding.

Now he can string together beat box melodies that simply sound amazing. A talent for sure that only those who take the time to develop, ever will. Andre goes on to explain how one can apply these principals to the Network Marketing industry.  He said that 'perfection is evolution put into practice' and it makes perfect sense.  As you practice something, you get better, you evolve, you reach a new level.  The more you evolve, the better you get and the closer you get to perfection.

Now if you don't move, if you don't practice, if you don't take steps toward perfection, if you don't take steps towards evolvoing into what you want to be, plain and simple. you won't.  As you simply cannot get from here to there without taking the steps in between.

How do you want to develop your business?

Do you want to do web marketing?  Well you won't be a web marketer until you market your business on the web.  Will you stumble?  YES. Will you fall?  YES.  Will it hurt?  Probably.  But what is the alternative?  You don't have to market, really, you don't. But if you don't, you will never ever be a web marketer. 

Do you want to sell your product?  Well you won't sell product until you get out there to sell product.  Will you stumble?  YES.  Will you fall?  YES.  Will it hurt?  Probably.  But what is the alternative?   You don't have to sell, really, you don't.  But if you don't get out there in order to sell, you never, ever will.

Learn as you go.  Take time.  Take steps.  A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single steps, so get stepping!

Alethea Anderson
Stepping Farther Ever Day

Network Marketing | Success is a CHOICE = SOAR or FLOAT or SINK

Network Marketing | Success is a CHOICE = SOAR or FLOAT or SINK

The decision to start a home based business is the first step, however joining a company is just that, the first step.  From this point each of the millions of home business owners have a choice. They may SOAR, FLOAT or SINK.  There are no ifs, ans or buts about it.  We each CHOOSE our future and we choose and take the applicable steps towards the SOAR, FLOAT or SINK.

Which direction do YOU want to go?

SOAR |  To Soar in Network Marketing you must first decide that you are unstoppable.  This means that no matter what, you are making a choice to succeed.  Nothing will stand in your way. No one will stand in your way.  You are climbing the ladder of success, one rung at a time until your highest dreams are achieved.  Your burning desire within you is so strong that you just know you are going to make it happen no matter what.  No training, no problem.  No present sponsor, no problem.  YOU have it IN YOU to succeed so you are going to learn and earn.  These are the people in the industry that make it.  They are innovative and creative. They break the mold and do what it takes. They don't need their hands held, they want it so bad they FEEL it, they TASTE it and QUITTING is not even a faint option in their mind.

FLOAT |  Then there are the floaters.  These people are comfortable right where they are.  In the round nest of their life preserver they sit idle, content with what is, without the drive to stretch a little farther to see what it's like to SOAR.  Usually they are fearful of success.  Fearful of what success may bring.  Fearful of failure.  So they just do enough to get by and usually they are happy here.  Sometimes they ponder and dream a bit, but often never take the action steps to move from where they are to where they want to be.  So they FLOAT.  Sometimes they CHOOSE to take steps to SOAR.  Sometimes they SINK.  Sometimes they QUIT because they just don't have the passion to SOAR, yet they have a deep fear and don't want to SINK either.  The best way to neither SOAR or SINK is of course to QUIT.

SINK | Down, down, down they go dragging their fears kicking and screaming with them into the darkness of the abyss.  There is no drive here!  Not even enough to float.  These are the people who complain about everything.  The whiners, the ones who say it's too hard, too expensive, they have no time, they can't figure it out, they can't find it, they can't create it, they can't do it, can't - can't - can't...  Often those who SINK are the ones who struggle in life in general.  Can't get ahead.  Can't pay the bills.  The world is out to get them.  They are in a corner.  No one will give them a break.  One would think those who SINK would be the most determined to reach a level of FLOAT or SOAR. Sometimes they do, sometimes we hear of the person who did SINK, they were on rock bottom and sky rocketed to SOAR among the eagles.  These people find their PASSION and their FIRE within.  But, generally, and unfortunately so, those who SINK stay SUNK. Sometimes those who SINK make a shift towards FLOAT, they realize treading water is better than being under the water.  It's all about choice, choosing where you WANT to be.

What is the DIFFERENCE between those who SOAR, FLOAT and SINK?  It's not age, it's not education, it's not race, it's not religion, it's not if you live in a trailer park or a mansion, it's not if you wear pleather or Prada, it's not if you drive a lemon or a Lexus.  It's deeper than that.  Do you know what it is that creates the fine line between those who SOAR, those who FLOAT and those who SINK?

ATTITUDE. 

"Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong.

The amount of work is the same." ~Francesca Reigler

We ALL have the exact same tools in this industry.  It's your CHOICE how YOU decide to use them.  The only person who can guide you to SOAR is YOU.  The only person who will allow you to FLOAT is YOU.  The only person who will enable you to SINK is YOU.

So right now, decide, choose are you going to go sky high and SOAR?

Are you going to tread water and FLOAT?

Are you going to give in, give up, go down and SINK?

Alethea Anderson

I choose SOAR!

Why is a Pet's Life So Short? Lessons from a Child...

The Purpose of a Pet (from a 6 yr old's perspective)
author unknown...

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.

Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ''I know why.''
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.

He said,''People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?'' The Six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.''

The lesson in the wisdom of this old soul...

• Live simply.
• Love generously.
• Care deeply.
• Speak kindly.
  

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

• When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
• Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
• Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.
• Take naps.
• Stretch before rising.
• Run, romp, and play daily.
• Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
• Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
• On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
• On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
• When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
• Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
• Be loyal.
• Never pretend to be something you're not.
• If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
• When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

Though I am unaware the author of the magnificient piece, I dedicate it to our beloved kitty Pita who showed us the ways of be-ing: August 1999 through November 6, 2009.  She has found her way to the Rainbow Bridge...

Hugs and Loves,

Alethea Anderson
Pet Lover Extrodinaire...

PS  The beautiful hearts pictured above are Urns I found while exploring the web. If you'd like one you may find them at My Cherished Pet.

Candle Quotes | Quotes about Candles

Candle Quotes | Quotes about Candles

As a candle nut I simply adore the ambiance created by the soft glow of candles.  The shadows dancing in magical shapes on the wall as they flicker and sway in the gentle movement of the air in the room.  The scent wafting through the air can transport you to another time, another place, allowing you dive into pleasant memories of times past and also assiting you in creating new moments in time...

 Below please enjoy some candle quotes I've compiled in one spot for your reading pleasure...

“You don't have to blow out my candle to make yours grow brighter.” ~ unknown

“Don't tell me I'm burning the candle at both ends, tell me where to get more wax.” ~ unknown

"Never burn your fingers to snuff another's candle” ~ unknown

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” ~ Buddha

“There is not enough darkness in all the world to put out the light of even one small candle” ~ Robert Alden

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” ~Edith Wharton

“Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” ~ Chinese Proverb

“Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it onto future generations.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

“A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others.” ~ unknown

“Nirvana is not the blowing out of the candle. It is the extinguishing of the flame because day is come.” ~Rabindranth Tagore

“The best way to see divine light is to put out thy own candle” ~ Thomas Fuller

“Man loves company even if it is only that of a small burning candle” ~George Christoph Lichtenberg

“I love thee to the level of everyday's most quiet need,by sun and candle light...I love thee with the breath,smiles,tears,of all my life.” ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

"How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good dead in a naughty world." ~ William Shakespeare


Alethea Anderson
Creating Quotable Moments