This is Different!!! Success is within YOU!

Let's face it, if you have spent any time in referral or network marketing also known as multi-level marketing, then you have probably heard or read most of the principles and ideals I am going to share with you as you read on.

Grab your coffee and get comfortable and this will be as painless as humanly possible. I want to encourage you to read the whole body of this message. You will be gaining knowledge that is required to make a success of your life in both your financial as well as your personal life. These are principles that have changed the world for the better throughout all of history. 

I encourage you to truly think about what I am sharing with you. You need to understand that you have within you the ability to succeed beyond your wildest dreams even during this tough time in our economy.

It has been said that we are in a recession, I refuse to participate. Join me and together we can change the world.

Believe in yourself as an example of God's creation and know that He wants you as His child to be the best that you can be in all aspects of your life. I hope you can and will put these principles into affect in your life. I am not here to help you create a mediocre income. I am here to help you establish financial independence and freedom as well as a true sense of belonging in this ever changing world.

Please accept this invitation to join us in making the best life for you and your family as it was intended by our Creator. Enjoy!

Incorporate these skills into your strategy for success and you'll move forward quicker than you ever dreamed!

Hustle- Generally, people who make it big have one thing in common--they are dissatisfied with the status quo. They will not take what is "common" or "expected" and let that define their lives--they move past it and excel. You must work hard and hustle.

Character- Someone coined the phrase, "character is what you do in the dark." In other words, when no one is looking, will you behave differently than if someone was looking? If not, then you have character. If you are attacked, be tough--not hard. Don't be a pushover, but be compassionate, gentle, and flexible--especially on procedure (not principle).

Risk Taking- This isn't gambling. It's a willingness to be bold, hearty, and to push forward. People who refuse to take risks are definitely going to lose. If you refuse a new promotion because you're not confident of your skill, you will likely be passed over when a different chance arrives.

Don't be afraid of rejection, just take it as a part of life and you'll find there's nothing to be afraid of--especially in the word "no". "No" is just another opportunity to find a way around an obstacle and to use creative problem-solving skills.

Time Management- We all know that one minute has 60 seconds and that one hour has 60 minutes. One day has 24 hours, and one year has 365 days. But one year also has 525,600 minutes. We don't think about a year in such small increments, but maybe we should. We waste minutes as if they'll always be around, and the fact is that time wasted is time we can never get back. We might miss a deal or promotion of a lifetime by wasting just a few minutes.

Proper time management is essential as you climb to success. Continue to break goals down in to manageable chunks--do that with relation to your day and the time you've been given. You'll accomplish far more this way and you won't regret using your time wisely.

Master Non-Verbal Communication- It is said that our body language and facial expressions do much more communicating than our words will ever do. When the words that you speak don't match the expressions on your face or the stance of your body, you confuse the listener and muddle your message.

Be aware that when you try to "multi-task," you often end up short-changing something, and the last thing you want is to short-change people. Don't try to do too much at once--your willingness to do this tells people they aren't important, even if you're expressing your appreciation of their work and effort. Be aware of what message your body is sending off!

Develop these 5 attributes of a successful person, and you will find yourself moving quickly toward your goals in life!

Thick Skin- You cannot be easily offended or hurt if you want to be successful. There will always be people who are jealous or envious or out to bring someone else down--you must develop a way to see past that and let it roll off your back, like "water off a duck's back."

Ducks have feathers that are tight and their density acts like oil--it keeps the duck dry and warm. So when water (cold or otherwise) lands on the back of a duck, it simply rolls right off. Let criticism roll off your back in a similar manner--because if you are going to be successful, you will have your share of criticism. Count on it.

Obedience- Although this might seem strange to talk about to adults and not children, it is important to consider that in order to be a leader, you must first learn how to obey a leader. You must learn the principle of loyalty to a leader if you want to lead others.

Once you have learned how to obey and to follow directions, you can lead others and understand what commands and orders do for an organization and an individual. Consider this: 175 of the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are former US Marines, and 27 US Presidents served in the military.

Courage- Bravery is not courage, but you cannot have courage without being brave. Courage is the moral fortitude to stand up for your character (touched on in the last article) and to do the right thing--even in the face of adversity.

When you have courage, you follow through on your vision. It's on display everyday and only the courageous have the ability to get the most out of life. When you have the strength of your conviction, find the courage to put it in to action. You won't be sorry you did.

Intolerance- Not exactly what you might expect to find in an article about success, but each of us must be intolerant of any number of things: intolerant of abuse, of injustice, of the things that you know are immoral, unethical, or illegal. If there's anything in this world you should be intolerant of, those are some of them. I hope you are an intolerant person--in the right way.

Sense Of Humor- If you don't have a sense of humor, you will fall flat on your face and never be someone who succeeds. A good portion of the road we walk to success is filled with blockades and potholes. If you come up against one and go down, you must have the ability to laugh at the situation and yourself. If you don't, you will be angry and bitter about your misfortune and never move past it. Laugh at yourself and what you run up against and you'll find your climb to the top is quicker and more enjoyable than you thought it would be.

Look for these things and consider them well as you walk your road to success.

Know That Failure Is Just An Event. We talked about this at length previously, but it bears repeating. If you fail, it doesn't define you--it just puts you back at "square one" with your idea and plan.

Consider Your Responsibilities Before Your Rights. Our American culture drums it in to us that we must "have it now", and many of us comply. You are successful when you are mature enough to delay gratification and move your focus from your "rights" to your "responsibilities."

Fill Up On Faith, Hope And Love. Your outlook determines your output, and your output determines your outcome. Choose to be optimistic, to read uplifting books, to listen to inspirational speakers. When you put faith, hope and love in your mind and heart, you're able to overcome adversity and live free from anger, greed, guilt and envy.

Make friends With Your Past--And Then Look Ahead. You can use your past as a stepping stone to your future or you can let it cripple you. Either way, it's your choice. When you can make friends with your past, be focused on the present, and have a bright opinion of your future, you have succeeded, no matter what your goal is.

Know That Success Doesn't Make You. Along with the idea above, understanding that a win doesn't make you and a loss doesn't break you. If you win, you'll still have more wins to make before you "arrive," and if you lose, you'll have more opportunities to turn that around in the future.

Stand Up For Morality. If you take a stand for what is right, even if it's unpopular or costs you your job, you are successful. There is no disputing this fact.

Be A "Servant Friend." Success isn't defined by how many people wait on your every whim or need; it's defined by how many people you can help or serve while you achieve your goals. If you can help others as you climb, you'll learn more and climb quicker. A servant's heart is the true hallmark of a leader and shows the character of the person in the position of leadership.

Success is defined in different ways by different people, but let's talk about what most people agree "success" looks like.

Success is: knowing you did a good job during your day and had positive interactions with other people.

Success is: looking forward to going home to your family and sharing yourself with them.

Success is: knowing you have enough funds to pay this month's bills and the bills that will arise in the future.

Success is: knowing that your spiritual life is in order and that you have somewhere to turn when you hit a bump in the road.

Success is: having hobbies that you enjoy and having the time to work at them.

Success isn't: putting your work ahead of your career.

Success isn't: running home and then hiding from your family because you've "had a hard day."

Success isn't: having all the money in the world and then trying to figure out how to amass even more.

Success isn't: going to a worship service and creating your "to-do" list during it.

Success isn't: burning the candle at both ends, never having time to play or relax.

In short, success is not always monetarily-related; you aren't deemed "un-successful" if you don't earn a six-figure salary. Success is more than moving up a corporate ladder and it touches more than just your career. It affects your marriage and family, your home life (finances,etc.), your spiritual life, and more.

Being successful is a balancing act. One isn't considered successful in life if he/she climbs the corporate ladder but has a home or family life that is in shambles. One isn't considered "successful" if he/she earns plenty of money to retire on, anticipating spending that retirement with family, only to find that his/her children are gone and disinterested in any family relationships by the time retirement is possible.

So, is there one formula to be successful? I think there is, and the components are: positive thinking, the right skill set, the right philosophy, having direction, and having character. All of these things make up a formula for success, and each of these things, if left out of the formula, will cause an individual to lack success in life.

Learn how to think "success" so that you are successful at whatever you choose to do.

Without character, the puzzle of achieving success falls apart. It is most important of all pieces to life's puzzle. Without character, you can make money. But it will be worthless to you and to those around you. Look out in the world today: drug dealers and con-artists have money--but they lack character.

If you go to all the work of achieving success, you don't want to mar it with a lack of character that will make people pity you as you age and become less than you were intended to be.

Character equals integrity. Integrity is doing the right thing all the time, even when no one else is watching. You don 't have anything to fear when your integrity is in tact, because you have nothing to hide. You experience no guilt and no fear. And without those two traveling companions, it's much easier to climb higher and farther, faster!

What does this mean in a practical sense? It means that you will put the right philosophy (the golden rule) into practice in all that you do. You will not step on someone else to climb the corporate ladder; you will not stack bodies in order to reach the CEO position that you desire. You will treat people with respect, honesty and trust. You will behave towards others how you want(and expect) them to behave towards you.

You will be the model of "doing the right thing" in your office, even if it isn't appreciated or understood. Chances are very good that if you're the only one doing the right thing, you won't last where you are, but you will find something better where your integrity is appreciated and applauded.

Character realizes that the most important things in life are not office or work based. They are family and a sense of responsibility to that family. Character will not sacrifice your family on the altar of "I've got to finish this project," nor will it tell your children, "Maybe next time, hon," when asked to play catch.

Your character will shine through as you put your family before your work, as you purposefully schedule time with them (and then keep those appointments you put in your planner), as you "date" your spouse and remember why it is you married in the first place, and as you set an example that your spouse and children can be proud of.

The most important thing to remember as you consider character is that your children will grow up to be just like you. John Maxwell once said, "We teach what we know; we reproduce who we are." So as a person who is full of integrity and character, you will reproduce those same traits in your children as you climb towards success in your life. And isn't that really what it's all about, anyhow?

In his book The Winning Attitude, John C. Maxwell, noted author and speaker tells us that attitude is:

The "advance man" of our true selves. Has inward roots but outward fruits. Is our best friend or worst enemy. Is more honest and more consistent than our words. Is an outward look based on past experiences. Is a think which draws people to us or repels them. Is never content until it is expressed. Is the librarian of our past. Is the speaker of our present. Is the prophet of our future.

Your attitude, or willingness to think positively, affects many people--from your family to the stranger you smile at in the grocery store. An optimist will see opportunity in difficulties, while a pessimist will see difficulty in opportunities.

You must choose which you will focus on: if you choose poorly, you will doom yourself to never achieving your goals and being successful. Count on that!

So how do you begin to think positively if you're a natural pessimist? I don't really believe there are natural pessimists, just people who have been taught how to consider the darkest side of every cloud.

You cannot change the fact that a problem exists, but you can do a lot to determine what opportunity is within that problem. Begin to see that problems are a fact of life and that your job is to find a way over, around, under, or through them--as quickly as possible. When you're upbeat and consider how quickly a problem will be behind you, it's easy to be optimistic.

Cynicism is another killer when it comes to attitude. It's a cousin of pessimism--it considers everything suspect and everyone as having an ulterior motive. It never looks at someone handing you a piece of candy just to be nice, it always considers that there is a reason you're being handed the candy and the motivation of the person who's giving it.

Cynicism comes from having unrealistic expectations. Many people expect great and wonderful things to happen to them with little-to-no work on their parts. They expect things to fall from the sky into their laps. When it doesn't happen as they expect, they become suspicious of others who have achieved success and ultimately, cynical.

You must harness the power of your thoughts and words when setting your course for success. Use positive affirmations daily: remind yourself that a stumbling block is temporary and that you will overcome it; admit to yourself that you are courageous and able to move on when others cannot: agree with your vision for your life and your goals.

As you discipline yourself to do this, you will find optimism and positive thinking chasing you down the street, And who couldn't use these two friends when we're aiming for success?

Let's say you've got your attitude correct, the right skill set honed, and the right philosophy. Great! You're on your way - somewhere. If you don't have the right direction planned out, you'll simply wander aimlessly.

You don't attempt even the smallest of construction jobs without a plan, and yet many people work in a field they just happened to "fall into" because someone suggested it, or a friend was doing it, or even worse--they didn't have anything else to do.

Wandering through your career can be just as deadly as wandering through a desert without a compass and canteen--both places, you can die a slow death of thirst and exhaustion.

You must know where you want to go in order to set a direction for your life and career. You've probably heard the adage, "No one plans to fail, but they do fail to plan." So determine where it is that you want to go (i.e. what you want to do) and set a course for it.

I recommend doing something you love. Not something that you can tolerate or achieve a reasonable pension from after 30 years of work (do pensions even exist anymore?), but something you are truly passionate about.

If it's music, think about how you are gifted in that area. Do you sing? Would your singing chip paint off a house? Do you have an ear for pitch and tune? Do you play an instrument? Consider the field of professional golf for a moment. Do you love golf? Would you be willing to commit days, weeks, months, and years to bettering your game to the point when you could hit the pro-circuit?

Do you have the means to support yourself (and your family) while you work on your dream job? Would you be happy and content doing whatever you chose--for the rest of your days, if need be? These are all questions you should ask yourself as you try to set the direction for your life, and ultimately, for your success.

Now that you know where you want to go, you must plan and prepare for your destination. As you plan and prepare, it's fair to expect that you will achieve that goal--expectations play a large role in success, no matter what the field. If you plan well and are committed to the work involved, then and only then, can you expect to achieve the desired results in your life.

There are times when simply thinking positively won't move you past your fear and anxiety. There are times when simply plodding it out is the thing you must do.

The Evangelical speaker, Joyce Meyer says, "If you're afraid to do it, just DO IT AFRAID." No one will blame you for being fearful--what you will be blamed for is letting that fear immobilize you. So no matter what it takes, keep moving.

Fear is much like a quagmire--it slurps at our feet and if we stand still long enough, it begins to suck us down. It's hard to get out of, but it is possible.

If you're stuck in fear as you shoot for success, there are several ways out"

First, consider the source. Where did the fear come from? Have you been dwelling on the difficulties instead of the opportunities? Have you been listening to those who are cynics and pessimists, instead of coaching yourself with positive words and people? If so, MOVE ON. GET AWAY from people and situations that drag you down.

Second, take your checklist and note what you HAVE accomplished. Look at your list of goals and the baby steps you're taking to get there, and on a separate sheet of paper (or a separate document on your computer), begin to list everything you have accomplished. This will begin to empower you to move on and leave the fear behind.

Third, take stock of your talents and skills. Fear often tels us that we "don't have what it takes..." Show fear as the liar it is: list your skills, all your positive attributes. Then look at the problem again, after you have a new appreciation for your God-given talents and abilities.

Fourth, don't underestimate the power of prayer. Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, there is an amazing power that comes from releasing your fear to a God Who loves you and is looking out for you. Don't bottle the fear up--let it go. You don't need it anyhow!

Finally, remember this acronym when facing fear: F=False E=Evidence A=Appearing R=Real For that's really what fear is--it is an unrealistic look (false look) at something and attempting to make you believe it (appearing to be real).

Once you know these things, you'll be able to move past your fear and on to the next step you need to be successful!

Okay, so you've been giving it your all. Well, maybe not your *all*, but a good portion of your all. And you're not seeing any progress. So now what? Are you doomed to failure and never to succeed? No! Keep reading.

One thing that you need to understand is that failure is an event, not a person. It doesn't define you as a "loser" for the rest of your life--unless you let it. Failure happens to you--it isn't who you are. You're not a victim, but it also doesn't define you. So when it happens (notice I didn't say "if"), pick yourself and get ready for the next event in your life.

You must adjust your attitude as you recuperate from a failure. You will rise to your own expectations. Psychologists call this a "self-fulfilling prophesy," and we are suckers to believe our own words. So adjust your attitude to the positive side of things.

Remember the guys who came up with the brilliant idea to change Coke? Back in the 80's (for those of you who were mere babies during that decade), someone had a stroke of genius--or so he thought. The Coca Cola Company decided to compete more with Pepsi, and changed the formulation of their signature product--Coke.

They called it "The New Coke." It bombed. No one enjoyed the new taste and the calls were immediate to bring back "the old Coke." After a few months of hemming and hawing, Coca Cola executives brought back the original formula of Coke and ditched the new stuff--and its creator.

So what happened to the guy whose idea this was? He left Coca Cola and began to look for new work. The trouble was, his name was well known in the business community and everyone connected him to the failure that New Coke was. He finally landed an interview in which he got a fair shake: the interviewer asked what he had learned through the problems the New Coke had created.

Naturally, he indicated that he had many lessons learned from the fiasco. He didn't let failure define him, and he ended up landing the job for which he was interviewing. Good for him, right? But good for the company that hired him, too. They were willing to take a chance on a creative risk-taker who had a very public failure on his record.

Many of those who are considered to be "successful" have had failures dot their lives. Rush Limbaugh, the king of daytime talk radio, was fired multiple times from different radio jobs. He also filed bankruptcy--twice. So you can see how Limbaugh didn't permit failure to define him. Those failures were events from which he recovered and moved on. And you should take the same tact when confronted with something that didn't turn out like you hoped it would.

"Genius" has been described as the ability to focus on one thing at a time. Many people who are "geniuses" are so, not only because they have a high intellect, but because they are a gift of being able to focus on the objective or goal at hand.

This same focus must come into play when determining what your goals are in relation to success. You need to learn to work towards one major objective and juggle a few short- and mid-range goals at the same time.

One way to determine what your direction is (and ultimately your goals are) is to do a check-up. I suggest listing 7 categories: Financial, Career, Family, Personal, Spiritual, Mental, and Physical. Rank you goals in these categories and how you're doing. This will illustrate to you where you are and where you'd like to be and exactly how balanced you are as you move about your progress.

Set goals that are smart. Big goals must be broken down into manageable pieces. Don't set more than 4 goals to work on during a single day. Seek divine guidance and direction on each goal.

Then identify what the pay-off is when you achieve your goal. Nebulous rewards don't motivate people to achieve much.

List the obstacles that stand between you and your goals. If you're not aware of potential problems, you'll be side-tracked when they arise and lose sight of your objective.

Have someone in your corner who can dispense counsel and guidance.

Think about who can help you achieve your goal. Identify friends who can be encouragers and who can help keep you motivated and on-track.

List the skills and knowledge required to attain your goal.

Develop a plan of action to achieve your goal.

Set a deadline for achievement. It's hard to achieve something that has no ending date.

As you consider your goals, ask yourself the following questions:

Is this really my goal?

Is this morally right and fair to everyone involved?

Will it take me closer to my long-range goal?

Can I commit myself to start and reach this objective?

Can I see myself attaining this goal?

You should answer yes to each of these questions. If not, re-evaluate!

And then give each goal a final test of the "basic wants" in life:

Will it make me happier?

Will it make me healthier?

Will it make me more prosperous?

Will it increase my security?

Will it help me make more friends?

Will it give me peace of mind?

Will it improve my family (and other) relationships?

Will it increase my hope for the future?

If you can't answer yes to each of these questions, re-evaluate your goal.

I hope and pray that you will take all these ideas and principles to heart and build a foundation for your own ultimate success in all areas of your life. They have, and are bringing great insight into the successes I have experienced in my life. My goal for you is that your life will be great and prosperous and that you find true success in all that you do.

God bless you on your travels.

For more information on how you can maintain true success please feel free to write to me and give me the opportunity to serve you as a fellow human being and friend.

johngillen2010@gmail.com