The Lesson of the Shelf

The Lesson of the Shelf.

The first time I attempted network marketing I failed completely!   The second time was better, but still not what I wanted.  I knew in my heart that I wanted to succeed, but I just didn’t have the tools…or did I?   I’d like to share a few observations with you.   Thank goodness I hung in there.

First problem; I wasn’t all in.  I thought then that it should be easier than it turned out to be.  Now I know that I shouldn’t  have wished it was easier, I should have wished I was better.  (Jim Rohn Quote)

I bought books and tools, but did not know how to make the most out of them. I went to meetings, but did not know how to make the most of them either. I tried the system a little, but didn’t rehearse or practice enough to make it work for me.   I didn’t ask for the help I needed.  I became very discouraged and quit. In a nutshell, I’m sure I wasn’t exactly the kind of rep my sponsor hoped I would be.

I bought a book way back then, “The Magic Of Thinking Big” by David Schwartz. For those of you who haven’t read it or who aren’t aware of it, it is one of the most mentioned “Best books I ever read” by ultra-successful people around the world. But I digress…

The first time I read the first little bit of the book and was totally bored. I put the book on my shelf and forgot about it. Then 20+ years later, I came across it again. This time I knew it by reputation, but I remembered my first experience with it and nearly put it back on the shelf.   When I started reading though, I became engrossed and then obcessed with its message and methods. This small book has literally transformed my thinking and taken me to a higher level of thinking.

Here’s the thing …”The man who won’t read is no better than the man who can’t read” – Mark Twain

Now I think of how much time passed from the time I bought the book until the time I actually read it. I had the knowledge…kind of.  The knowledge was on my shelf all along, I was the one who didn’t take advantage of it.

What book, video, or audio is still in its wrapper or on your shelf?  I propose you get one out and look at it again to see if you’ve become ready to receive its message.

What books or resources do you recommend to others who want to succeed?  Let us know.

My best to you all,

Will Adams, writing tonight from Racine, MN

7/29/2009

Hello world!

Welcome to the blog of Lifestyle Design Partners, the companion site to www.LifestyleDesignPartners.com.  Here, we’ll discuss tips, techniques, and results for finding, funding, and achieving your dreams and goals. 

Approximately 95% of everyone we know, hasn’t made the time to really think about what they want from their life.  As few as 3%  have written dreams and goals.  I’m not really surprised, since not so long ago, I had let my dreams slip away too.   No more!  My dreams and aspirations motivate me and fuel my actions.  After all,  your actions create your FREEDOM.  Inaction becomes complacency.  FREEDOM vs. Complacency…you get to choose.

From the time when we’re children with unlimited dreams to adulthood when “responsibility” becomes the norm, our dreams seem to get pushed to the back-burner so we can “make a living”.   The problem is that without a dream, the exciting part of someones life is dulled into work all day drudgery. 

 Talk to a kid about his dreams, and they’ll tell you about it in living color.  You know their passion by their excitement.  You can tell they see it, feel it, smell and taste it, & hear it,  just by the way they talk about it.

Ask an adult what his dreams are (I have) and get ready for the excuse bandwagon to roll.  “It’s not that easy to…”,  “I don’t have time to…”,  “You don’t understand what I have to…”  STOP ALREADY!   We all have obligations to our family, our work, and community.   It’s no different for anyone.

Why do some people always seem to get what they want and others continually struggle?  It is my opinion that it having big dreams and achievable goals makes the difference.

Watch what people do to determine what their priorities are.  If what they want is important enough, you will observe them taking action steps that will help them achieve their success.  You’ll hear the passion in their voice when they talk about it.  You’ll notice the sparkle in their eyes.  There is a spring in their step because  they know what they want, where they’re going, and they have a plan to get there.  They refuse to settle for the complacency so prevalent in the world today.

I have been called a “dreamer”.  I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you.   Here’s your invitation to join in the discussion.  Share any ideas you have.  Do you have an inspiring story?  Share it with us. 

Let’s help each other achieve the life we want for ourselves and the ones we love.   Visit www.lifestyledesignpartners.com  for ways for you to find, fnd, and achieve your goals.

Will Adams, writing from the Quad-Cities, USA - July 2009