Does Your Vision of Your Business Suck?
by Christopher on May 9, 2012
Your Vision
Started a business or thinking about it and not feeling the love? All right, it’s time to write and design your vision statement about your business. When you put a vision statement together for your business, you want to be certain that it is: Using your talents; serving others; and is inspiring and fun. In addition to the above, it is key, as we have discussed, that your vision is passionate. You have to be very excited about this vision. It has to turn you on. You have to get all “jiggy inside” as a friend of mine says. It makes you want to get up every day. It makes you feel like you are “on purpose” as real estate guru, Robert Allen, says. You know that, intuitively, you are on track with your life.
This vision has to inspire you, not someone else. It is your vision, no one else’s. It doesn’t matter what your parents, friends, or co-workers say. If it inspires you, then it is yours to do.
Your vision statement must make use of your talents and skills. If you have no idea what you are good at, then take a look at the activities you love to do. What about that hobby? How about your interest in interior decorating? Do you like animals? Ever thought of raising Alpacas? Make a list of the things you love to do, that give you great pleasure. Chances are excellent that these are your talents and gifts. One of my friends is a detail nut. George notices everything. When he recently bought his house, he was able to notice the dry rot in the basement long before the inspector did. When he walked through the house, he noticed everything about the construction, how the house was built, and the way the tiles were laid on the floor, the plaster on the walls, the ceilings—the whole works. He drove the inspector crazy when they did the final “walk through” of the house.
When George told me this story, he said he noticed so many things the inspector never picked up on. I asked him whether he might enjoy taking the classes he would need to become an inspector. Currently he is a part-time minister and is looking for a way to fill in his spare time. A part-time profession, such as an inspector, might very well work for him. It might also balance the stress he gets from the emotional intensity of his work in the ministry. Enthusiastically, his response was “yes,” and he has started to research what classes are required.
Examine your history of successes. Which ones have given you tremendous joy? What choices did you make to contribute to their success? Massively abundant people are successful in one-way or another. Although the success may translate into financial prosperity, it does not need to include material wealth. One obvious example is Mother Teresa. She has been tremendously successful in her work. And her definition of success clearly does not include financial prosperity.
Successful people work at the things they are good at doing. They focus on their strengths and their talents. Here are some questions to ask yourself about your talents, your successes, and your ideas about massive abundance.
• I feel massively abundant when…
• Massive abundance means …………….to me.
• Three people whom I consider to be massively
abundant are……………………..
• Status symbols of massive abundance are……………….
• To be massively abundant tomorrow, I need to
do………………………….… today.
When you list the people whom you consider to be massively abundant, ask yourself why you think so. What values or qualities do you find to be so attractive? Think about your own values and what qualities you want to develop in yourself. These values will need to be incorporated in your vision statement.
Your vision statement must serve yourself, AND it must serve others as well. If you plan to make a living from your vision and you want to make a lot of money, then the best way to do it is to serve others in some way. Perhaps you have heard this expression, “To the extent that you help others to get what they want, will they help you to what you want.”
Your talents and gifts will help to make this happen. Use the skills, which you have to help others achieve their goals. Louise Hay, the metaphysical writer, says this in her book, Reflections On Your Journey:
“Do what you love and the money will come. Love what you do and the money will come. You have a right to enjoy earning money. Your responsibility to Life is to participate in enjoyable activities. As you find a way to do something that you enjoy, Life will show you the way to prosperity and abundance.”
IS YOUR BUSINESS KEEPING YOU UP AT NIGHT?
by Christopher on March 27, 2012
Are you sleep deprived?
Well don’t be taking sleeping pills! According to Dr. Daniel Amen at the Amen Clinic, “More and more people are relying on sleeping pills to fall asleep, but is a dependency on these pills harmful to the body? In a recent study by Scripps Clinic, researchers found that eight of the most commonly used hypnotic drugs including the popularly prescribed medications zolpidem (known by the brand name Ambien) and temazepam (also known as Restoril), were associated with increased hazards of mortality and cancer.
The study found that regular users of these medications had an increased risk of cancer and a 4.6 times higher risk of death. Drugs like Ambien and Restoril had been thought to be safer than older hypnotics because of their shorter duration of action, but these results now cast a shadow over a growing segment of the pharmaceutical industry that expanded by 23 percent in the United States from 2006 to 2010 and generated about $2 billion in annual sales.”
Part of starting a business is going to be stress and fear. Getting a good night’s sleep is the key to handling it. When we are rested and feeling good, we can handle the stress and fear much better.
So keep away from the pills and try other methods to sleep. Check out Dr. Amen’s site for ways to get over your sleeping pills!
Why Haven’t You Started That Business?
by Christopher on March 20, 2012
Starting a business = opportunity!
There are many reasons people don’t start businesses or fail at their current businesses. To say that these reasons are bullshit is unkind. They are valid reasons and it is also valid to get over yourself and conquer these reasons head on. I have had these same reservations at certain times in my life about my endeavors, I know what they are, what they feel like and also know the great feeling you can have once you get over them. Some of them from my new EBook include:
Fear of failure – This is the obvious one, doesn’t take a lot of imagination to figure out why this is the key reason most don’t get started. I have talked to thousands of people who don’t have the hutzpah to start a business or work a business in the correct manner. We’ll talk about how to make the go away or at least to diminish it.
Fear of success – Now this is the one concern I have found out many have which really escapes me. Why is anyone concerned with being a success? Are they concerned with making too much money? Not being deserving of the time, health, money and quality of life rewards? You bet! Many people don’t feel deserving of such a life. Well, we’re going to get you over that!
No money – Okay, so you don’t have $1,000,000 to start a McDonalds franchise. Who wants to eat that food anyway? There are way to raise money, find money or start or capitalize your business without selling your first born male. We’re on it!
Don’t understand who would buy from them – Ah, understanding your market, understanding who wants to buy what. You have that nailed when your looking for a date at a bar, but many don’t consider that this is one of the most important aspects of starting or maintaining a lucrative business. We’ll address that (not dating though).
Don’t know what business to start – Some say they have that entrepreneurial spirit and want to get into a business that they can get all “jiggy” about. And yet, they have no idea what will make them jiggy. Wassup with that? We’ll slam that one too!Afraid of what others will say – One of the things many of us need to get over is the lack of confidence in what they’re doing to talk to their family and friends in a positive upbeat manner without worrying over what they are going to say. I have great phrases to use for you! And no, they are not bad ones!
No time – Everyone has the time for some sort of business if they have the will. Many have other commitments, other time drains, jobs, family, time wasters. Can’t wait to talk about how much TV you watch.
Starting a business for the wrong reasons – What internet or Hollywood visions do you have about what it takes to successfully run a business? Think you’ll make millions your first year? Think you’ll be living on a sunny beach drinking some god-aweful Pina Colada while your minions are slaving back home. Yeah, right. We’re on it!
These are just some of the reasons that many don’t operate their businesses in the correct manner or fail to start a business. You don’t have to be one of the failure statistics because you didn’t address these issues. We are going to be all over them for you……so you can go in with your eyes wide open!
What Are You Saying to Your Peeps?
by Christopher on March 15, 2012
What are you saying to your peeps
In starting a business, many people don’t realize the importance of mindset. Being optimistic is one of the key components. Optimists say positive things about themselves and others. They begin their day on an affirmative note by declaring the good they expect to have in their lives. They use affirmations. An affirmation, which means to “make firm” is a declaration of the good you want to have in your life. It is important to make your statement positive. Chris does this every day, writing down what he is grateful for and what he is convinced will manifest in his life. Even though you may want to change a negative condition in your life, you will want your statement to be a positive one. For example, although you may be broke, you will want to state the following affirmation: ‘Massive abundance is flowing in my life.’ Here are some other affirmations to consider usingI am happy and grateful for all the customers I have in my life.
The Universe supports all my goals and dreams.
I will make 50 sales calls today.
Everyone I talk to today will be attracted to my product.
I love making $60,000 a month.
All my clients are excited with my services.
I attract the people who can help me achieve my vision.
I review my goals and achieve them daily.
Every day I become more and more successful.
Does this mean that good things will happen because you sat affirmations on a regular basis? Yes, they will. They may not solve all your problems, but a positive statement, of good intent, which is repeated throughout the day, can make a difference between a positive and a negative outcome. Just remember, however; that it may not happen on your timetable and it may not turn out exactly as you expected it to. But chances are much greater that the good will happen if you use affirmations regularly and follow them up with the appropriate behavior. So what are you affirming in your life?
Passion is not just for the bedroom!
by Christopher on March 10, 2012
Passion
“Imagine for a moment. You are living a dream life. It is the perfect life. It is exactly as you had envisioned. You are living where you want to live. You are living with the people you love. Every day is filled with joy and abundance. You are happy. You are peaceful. You are full of gratitude. Your life is passionate. Your life has a purpose. You are prosperous.
What does this life look like? Is it the life you are living today? Are you close to that vision? Are you far away from that picture? Or haven’t you had the time to actually think about it? Do you know that most people spend more time picking out the outfit they are going to wear on Monday morning than they do thinking about what they want out of their lives?”
That quote is taken from our book, Massive Abundance. And it really synthesizes for us the basic component and the basis for any business startup. It has to begin with passion!
Is there any reason why you can’t create the ideal picture that you might want for your life? For your business? How would you feel if you were able to determine exactly the life you want to live, envisioned it clearly—painted a picture in your mind—and then found a way to make it happen? That is the purpose of this first Step. This is the most important Step since everything you do from here on will be related to the picture you create for your life. What we will be doing is to create that passionate vision. We will be putting together a vision statement, which, like a mission statement, will become your personal philosophy or creed. It will become a solid framework for your business based on your purpose and values.
IS PASSION ONLY IN YOUR BEDROOM?
by Christopher on March 2, 2012
Passionate Life
Do you have any passion in your life other than in the Well, if you know one of your passions, TURN IT INTO A BUSINESS! I have consulted with hundreds of entrepreneurs in the past and PASSION is the key! If you have the passion about your product or service and know it inside and out, then turn it into money. Talking to my good friend and successful real estate broker and business partner, Terry Wright, he came up with some good points everyone should consider when starting a business:
Figure out what you love and do it – Take the time with journaling, talking to friends and family and self reflection and figure out what that passion is. When you start putting together your business plan, figure out what you want to do and then make it happen.
Don’t settle – Way too many people are working jobs they hate. Don’t be that person. We spend more than half of our lives working our job, so why pursue something if it doesn’t make you happy? For a great read on the subject, read “What Should I Do With My Life” by Po Bronson. There are some great insights on people who are living their passion. If you’re not happy, you’re probably not living your passion. Love what you do and success will follow.
Give a damn – Really care about your clients, don’t just listen to them, care about them, figure out what they need. Steve Jobs of Apple Computers, said he would figure out what his customers needed before they even knew they needed it. Be that person!
Finish your business plan – Everyone needs to have a plan, a strategic plan for marketing and your business. This can be on 3 pieces of paper. It doesn’t have to be complicated and daunting. Write your ideas and plan down and bounce it off some people you know that can give you some honest feedback.
Walk your talk! – Make your passion your life! When you’re living and working your passion, you don’t care about vacations, time off and a 40 hour week. You’ll be excited to get up each morning. As one successful entrepreneur said, “You’ll know your passion when you’re working all day and look up and see it’s 7 p.m. and you haven’t taken any breaks.” It’s that exciting! You may not have the connections, the education, or the wealth, but if you have enough passion and aren’t afraid to sweat you can make anything happen.
WHAT’S STOPPING YOU? (i.e., The B.S. Reasons Why Your Business is Not Exploding)
by Christopher on February 28, 2012
What's stopping you?
There are many reasons people don’t start businesses or fail at their current businesses. To say that these reasons are bullshit is unkind. They are valid reasons and it is also valid to get over yourself and conquer these reasons head on. I have had these same reservations at certain times in my life about my endeavors, I know what they are, what they feel like and also know the great feeling you can have once you get over them. Some of them include:
Fear of failure – This is the obvious one, doesn’t take a lot of imagination to figure out why this is the key reason most don’t get started. I have talked to thousands of people who don’t have the hutzpah to start a business or work a business in the correct manner. We’ll talk about how to make the go away or at least to diminish it.
Fear of success – Now this is the one concern I have found out many have which really escapes me. Why is anyone concerned with being a success? Are they concerned with making too much money? Not being deserving of the time, health, money and quality of life rewards? You bet! Many people don’t feel deserving of such a life. Well, we’re going to get you over that!
No money – Okay, so you don’t have $1,000,000 to start a McDonalds franchise. Who wants to eat that food anyway? There are way to raise money, find money or start or capitalize your business without selling your first born male. We’re on it!
Don’t understand who would buy from them – Ah, understanding your market, understanding who wants to buy what. You have that nailed when your looking for a date at a bar, but many don’t consider that this is one of the most important aspects of starting or maintaining a lucrative business. We’ll address that (not dating though).
Don’t know what business to start – Some say they have that entrepreneurial spirit and want to get into a business that they can get all “jiggy” about. And yet, they have no idea what will make them jiggy. Wassup with that? We’ll slam that one too!
Afraid of what others will say – One of the things many of us need to get over is the lack of confidence in what they’re doing to talk to their family and friends in a positive upbeat manner without worrying over what they are going to say. I have great phrases to use for you! And no, they are not bad ones!
No time – Everyone has the time for some sort of business if they have the will. Many have other commitments, other time drains, jobs, family, time wasters. Can’t wait to talk about how much TV you watch.
Starting a business for the wrong reasons – What internet or Hollywood visions do you have about what it takes to successfully run a business? Think you’ll make millions your first year? Think you’ll be living on a sunny beach drinking some god-aweful Pina Colada while your minions are slaving back home. Yeah, right. We’re on it!
These are just some of the reasons that many don’t operate their businesses in the correct manner or fail to start a business. You don’t have to be one of the failure statistics because you didn’t address these issues. Just start that business with your eyes wide open!
WHAT SCARES THE HELL OUT OF YOU?
by Christopher on February 23, 2012
What Scares you?
Do some of your fears scare the hell out of you? Are you freaked out by speaking in public, flying in airplanes or even work deadlines? As crazy as this sounds, fear is good for all of us. Fear is generated by the brain to motivate us. We WANT to be motivated by fear because this causes us to act. If we didn’t have fear, we would be running red lights with abandon.
The key is, how can we use and channel our fear to motivate us in all life areas? How do we use our crazy fears to push us, motivate us and get us to make our lives better? Yes, we want to push through our fears and stop letting them hold us back. I am personally fearful of enclosed places with a lot of people. But do I let this fear keep me from flying on airplanes? NO! I have used some techniques and breathing and other things to get my butt on that plane.
One technique we discuss a lot in our seminars is the use of Kaizen. Kaizen is the theory of a journey of 1,000 miles begins with the first step. It is taking baby steps toward a goal when you know there is a great fear holding you back. By taking small steps toward cutting out sugar from your diet or eating smaller portions, for example, it circumvents the fear factor in the brain to maybe reduce the sugar in your ice tea from 2 teaspoons to 1 and half teaspoons for a week. Reducing the sugar incrementally isn’t as fearful as cutting it out all together. If you can take these small steps in any area you want to change, then you’ll be more confident and more motivated to take bigger steps. And it is through these bigger steps that we all achieve breakthroughs! So you use you fear to motivate you to Massive Abundant things in your life!
MONEY DOESN’T BUY HAPPINESS!
by Christopher on February 23, 2012
CERTAINTY does! So that’s what Daniel Gilbert said in the Op-Ed section of the New York Times. Well, at first that was a mind blower for me, but when I thought more about it, it actually made a great deal of sense. Daniel backed up his article with a lot of good research. He started by reminding us of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s famous line, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” during the Great Depression. And then he went on to say how psychologists and economists have conducted extensive research to show that the very rich are generally no happier than 99% of us. That is, of course, if you are not in the breadlines and worrying where your next meal is coming from. That is something else.
He then gives a number of examples of how the issue of “uncertainty” is what really makes people fearful. It is the anxiety of “not knowing” what is happening next that throws people into fear and depression. Think about it.
Daniel shared an experiment done by researchers in the Netherlands who gave subjects a series of 20 shocks. One group knew that they were going to get 20 intense shocks. The other group was going to get 20 shocks as well, but 17 were going to be mild and the other 3 were going to be intense. They just didn’t know WHEN they were going to get those intense shocks. The result was that the second group sweated more and had much more anxiety than the first group who knew they were always getting those intense shocks. The reason was this – people feel worse when something bad might occur than then something bad will occur.
So is he saying that we feel better when we know the truth rather than wondering about what might happen? And the answer is yes. Rather than waiting, in anxious anticipation, we would rather get the news, cry for a while, and then get on with doing whatever needs to happen next.
So how does that apply to Massive Abundance? Once we know the demon – in this case, uncertainty, then we can look forward to the outcome of what it is that concerns you, and know that we will be able to make the best of it, some way, some how.
Face your fears squarely, know that the right answers will come, and that you will be able to handle whatever comes in your path. That is Massive Abundance!
WANT TO KNOW HOW TO GAIN WEIGHT?
by Christopher on February 21, 2012
It’s real easy. Let me tell you how. First, you invite some friends over for dinner. Don’t go out. That’s not fashionable anymore. Then you make for them everything you love you eat – rib eye steak, mashed potatoes, corn, a small lettuce salad, and a totally decadent chocolate cake with coffee icing for dessert. And don’t forget the Hagen Dazs ice cream.
It’s really that simple. Of course, you have to bake the cake yourself so you can eat a cup of batter before it goes into the pan, and, the same with the icing. Maybe not so much so with the icing. It is sweet, and besides, we do have some limits.
And finally, have plenty of wine to serve. Drink wine before, during, and after dinner. Any kind is fine. It doesn’t matter as long as you enjoy it, you feel good, and that there is a lot around.
So when you get up the next day, like I just did – Voila – 5 fresh, new, happy pounds to join an already expanding waist.
But, wait! I forgot something. I forgot that I don’t live that way anymore. I’m not that person that I just described. I’m someone who lives with a “massively abundant” state of consciousness and that I CHOOSE to eat healthy foods, drink lots of water, get exercise, and feel great about myself.
What happened? I simply forgot. I let my lower self take over my higher self. It was easy. It was simple. The pleasure was immediate. I forgot that I need to stick with the VISION for my life. No. I don’t NEED to. I WANT TO. I want “Massive Abundance” in my life. It is who I am created to be. It is mine. I choose it!
Recommendation? Stay out of the kitchen!
