It's NOT the economy, stupid!

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Wednesday April 1 2009

Good day everyone and welcome to the first day of spanking brand new month.

As we enter the second quarter of 2009, are you steadily on track with your goals and intentions for the year? With nine months left, you still have ample time time to make any necessary adjustments to your course to ensure you end the year at exactly the place you chose.

If perchance you are not on track, doing exactly the same things you did yesterday will not get you where you want to be. The old adage, "if you want to get what you've never had, you have to do what you've never done", holds more true today that when it was penned.

Like the Real Estate collapse of the early nineties, this current economic correction is the ideal time for the strong and focused to rise above the screaming herd of mediocrity that typically functions around the fringes of the house-based business world.

Oh I can hear folks flapping at me right now, indignantly proclaiming that I'm being elitist. Folks, the home-based business industry is going to blossom again during these times. However, I'm very clear that not everyone is qualified to be a part of it. Evidenced by their behaviors and opinionated stance, some folks just need to have a j.o.b. Our offering today reflects this.

For all you dedicated entrepreneurs, make sure you're representing yourself well.

It's NOT the economy, stupid!

by Robert Middleton

Last week I went to a networking event through Biznik and had a great time meeting new people. I'm always on the lookout for services that I need at events like this.

I met a young man that was selling health insurance. And since I'm not very happy with my coverage, we talked and I asked him many questions. What he said sounded good to me.

So I handed him my card and asked him to call to tell me more.And then he gave me his card and said something like: "OK, I'll call you or you can call me, whatever."

Guess what? A week later I still haven't heard from him!

I think that it's important to point out that this is more often the rule than the exception. Even when making a connection with a real potential client who has a real need and who has real money to spend, so many Independent Professionals fail to follow-up.

It's not the economy that's hurting your business. It's you!

The magic of successfully attracting more clients has very little to do with the economy or brilliant marketing messages or exposure on every single social media site. It has a lot more to do with setting up opportunities to connect with more qualified prospects and actually following up with them.

So why doesn't everybody do this?

Three main reasons:

1. People don't have a system and they are not prepared. They literally have no plan, no intention, no purpose or goals to build their business. They don't have a written strategy or plan. They haven't thought much about the tools and resources they need.

And if you don't have that, nothing much will happen. Not even if the economy picks up. By the time it does, your business may be dead and gone. Without a plan and preparation and some serious thinking about what you're doing and what you're trying to accomplish, your business will not grow.

2. People are disorganized and unfocused. Even if they have a basic plan, they are scattered. They get home after a networking event, put the cards they collected on their desks, and then they get busy and the cards collect dust. Two weeks later, they look at the pile of cards and go, "Oh, s###! I forgot to follow up with anyone at that event!"

If this is your modus operandi for growing your business, you're in deep trouble. Like my young insurance agent, without some systems and organization, you'll be left with a pile of cards but no appointments with potential clients.

3. People Are Afraid of Rejection. If all of the above wasn't bad enough, we fail to follow up or take any kind of proactive action because we think things like this: "I don't want to be pushy. If they're interested in me, they'll call me. I'm just not the sales type. I don't have time for follow-up."

All of this is a disguise for deeper fears such as: "I'll be ostracized if I market myself too aggressively. I'll be rejected and then won't be able to show my face at that group again. I really have nothing of real value to offer. Why am I doing this anyway?"

How to Stand Out and Attract Lots of Clients

Those who are attracting as many clients as they can handle are doing the exact opposite of the above:

1. They have a plan and they know what they are doing. They are focused, prepared and ready to play the game of marketing.

2. They are organized with real systems in place which they follow without fail. Follow-up is not a burden but on opportunity.

3. They are fearless. They understand the value of their service and don't worry about being rejected. They make it happen.

Now if this is you, you are attracting a lot of business and you probably wonder what all the fuss is about! You realize that marketing yourself is part of your business and you simply work at getting good at it until it's never a big issue again.

For everyone else, please read this carefully:

If you are not attracting as much business as you could because you have no plan, are poorly organized, and are afraid of rejection, what are you going to do to get beyond these three things?

Here are your options:

1. Do nothing and hope the economy changes. Recommendation: Get a job and stop driving yourself crazy.

2. Try half heartedly but continue to complain about howmarketing is so hard. Recommendation: Same as above.

3. Make a real commitment to change. Realize that if you don't have a plan, get organized and become fearless you might as well get that job instead of being miserably self-employed.

Onwards.

Effortless Action

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Tuesday March 31 2009

Good day there folks and welcome to the last day of the first quarter of this very interesting year.

So, are you on track with your goals and intentions for the year? I expect that if you've spent any time here that you are in complete control. You already know very clearly that if you are to achieve your desires, it is going to be done with relaxed confidence. You know very well that "force" doesn't work.

Our friend Owen Waters has a perspective that will undoubtedly ring for all who take the time to relax with it. All of your dreams, desires, and intentions come with....

Effortless Action

by Owen Waters

The Chinese philosopher, Lao Tse ("Lay-OTE-say") gave teachings which were designed to confuse the conscious mind. The idea was that, when the conscious mind tires and gets out of the way, the seeker could discover the deeper truths within.

Lao Tse is credited with the 2500 year-old work, the Tao Te Ching, which is full of apparent contradictions or paradoxes. He refers to the Tao (the "Dow") as that which is everything and yet nothing. What he means is that the Tao - the Absolute, the Isness, or Infinite Being - is the transcendent consciousness which is behind all manifestation. It is not the active manifestation of the created universe, but the original consciousness behind it. It is that which, in silence and unchanging perfection, always was and always will be. And yet, so the paradox goes, all of manifestation came from it and therefore is it.

Similarly, he uses paradox to promote the philosophy of Wu Wei ("Woo Way") as the way of "action without action." Sounds impossible? That's the point. He wanted people to give up making logical sense of the idea and, instead, go within to find the truth behind the paradox.

The principle of Wu Wei really means effortless action. The secret to achieving effortless action is to realize that there is a natural flow of influences at work in all parts of the universe. You sense the natural flow of the moment and act within that flow. If the moment is not right for a certain type of action, then the attuned person delays the task. When they sense that the right moment has arrived, then they act and easily accomplish the task.

It can also mean not forcing a situation to be what it isn't. If a situation comes about which is beyond your control, then making the best of it is often the elegant solution.

The saying, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again," is attributed to the 14th Century Scottish king, Robert the Bruce. According to legend, he once took refuge in a cave, where he watched a spider trying to spin a web. It failed several times to make a connection from one area of the cave's roof to another, but each time it started all over again until it finally succeeded. People, today, take that saying to mean that if something doesn't work, you need to be obstinate and keep trying harder until you overcome all obstacles and eventually make it happen by sheer force of will.

The Wu Wei approach to life is quite the opposite. It suggests that, if at first you don't succeed, there is a reason for it. It means that you are not acting with the natural flow of energy within that place and time and it may also mean that you need to discover a more suitable solution.

First, take a deep breath, relax and step back from the situation. After that, you'll be able to judge it objectively and in a state of balance. Then:

A) Decide if you're trying to force something into existence that shouldn't be, or

B) Look for a better solution to achieve your objective, and/or

C) Wait for your innate sense of timing to feel right.

One of the benefits of the spiritual consciousness which is emerging in the New Reality is the ability to sense the natural flow of universal influences and know when the time is right for certain types of action.

Owen Waters is the author of the e-book, "Discover Your Purpose In Life," a paradigm-shifting revelation of unadulterated spiritual truth. Some books delve just so far into the truth. This one goes all the way!

Three Essentials to Achieve Your Goals This Year

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Monday March 30 2009

Good there all and welcome to another brand new week.

This week sees us all reach the end of the first quarter of 2009. I was chatting to our good friend Philip and he is presenting to you an offering that is as important as it is timely.

You'll be happy to know the.....

Three Essentials to Achieve Your Goals This Year

by Philip Humbert

It's hard to believe we've reached the end of the first quarter already! But it's true and the obvious question is, Are you 25% of the way to achieving your goals for the year? If you are, congratulations! If not, of course the next question is, Why not?

I've often written that I am ambivalent about "goal setting." Of course it's absolutely essential that we have clear, measurable goals. I'm not sure humans can really function any other way.
Whether we like it or not, we all have big and small goals and we achieve many of them every day.

The problem is with the "big" goals. We have big goals like career, family, retirement, health and wealth. We tend to make a "big deal" of them. We write them down. We take workshops or read books about how to design and achieve them. But much of the time we fail to achieve these big goals despite all the fuss we put into them.

On the other hand, we routinely set (and achieve!) dozens of much smaller goals. We want dinner reservations for Friday night, or we want tickets to the big game or to take a vacation next year. These little goals are typically achieved without much thought, effort, or turmoil. What's the difference?

Why can't achieving our "big" goals be as clear and routine as achieving the small things--the "ordinary" goals--in life? That seems to be a great mystery.

In almost 30 years of coaching people to set and achieve their BIG goals in life, I've got three suggestions that might help;

1. Clearly and precisely define your big goals. Perhaps big goals frighten us, or they seem too far away or too complex, but for whatever reason many people never distinguish between dreams and goals. We all have big dreams. That's where the yachts and mansions and private jets come in. They're important, but they are not goals. Goals must be specific, measurable, have a plan for achieving them, and a deadline.

When it comes to little, safe goals we can be very specific, clear and strategic. I want a new television, so I save a few hundred dollars, shop the stores, and, presto! I've got a new television. But when it comes to big goals, like starting a business or owning a home in France, we hold back. We get vague or refuse to set a deadline. And we wonder why we never achieved our goal. Define (and write down!) your big goals!

2. Your goals must match your values. This is a huge problem! Our "little" goals nearly always match our true values. We want a new television, we have the money, and we deserve it. So we make the decision, and achieve the goal. Big goals, however, often sound "nice" but fail the values test. Starting a business may conflict with your desire to be home each evening. Or, working less and living simply may conflict with the belief that we "ought" to maximize our income. Goals must reflect your true values!

In the contest between nice-sounding goals and your true values, values win every time. In setting goals, start by reviewing your personal values, then choose goals that reflect who you "truly" are. I think you'll like the results.

3. Slow and easy beats drama every time. We are an impatient people! We want our goals now! At the very least, we want impressive giant steps toward our goals. We want to impress our friends and hit the jackpot this year. But life doesn't work that way. Big goals are...well, BIG! They take time. They may require dozens or hundreds of baby steps along the way. They may require hours of "grunt work" or multiple false starts, mistakes and frustrations along the way.

Here are two familiar strategies that can help. The first is the old saying, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Take the first step, and then the next, and one more after that. Build momentum and keep walking! The second strategy is the concept of "baby steps." Small, safe, easy, and familiar beats big, risky and "tomorrow" every time. Take baby steps if you must, but start walking in the direction you want to go!

You can reach your big goals! Millions of others have done it, and so can you. In fact, you've already achieved dozens of big goals in your own life. You learned to walk and talk. You learned to drive. You learned to date, perhaps got married, finished school, bought a house, and achieved any number of other goals.

Whatever your next big goal, define it, align it with your values, and take steady, persistent steps to achieve it.

You can do this, and we'll see you at the top!

Lost Generation

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Friday March 27 2009

Good day there good folks and welcome to the weeks end.

I can only say that we've had one heck of a ton of fun here this week as we as we set aside the issues around "the economy", and focused on some of what impacts "your economy". This is going to be touched on frequently here is this space over the next while.

To that end, and to give you some of the relevant language around the subject, I'm inviting you again to acquire a Special Report we have created to reinforce where your power truly lies. Just drop me a note to peter@thewealthyattitude.com and just put "Special Report" in the subject line and I'll send it right back to you. It will certainly assist in putting the current economic issues in perspective.

We end the week as we usually do with a short video. This piece, in it's very simple way, delivers a message that you should absolutely want to share, especially to every young person in your circle. You'll see that they are certainly not a.....

Lost Generation!

Have an awesome weekend wherever you are.

Take care,

~peter~

They Don't Erect Statues To Critics

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Thursday March 26 2009

Hello there good folks and welcome to Thursday.

We've been blasted with a sneaky late winter spanking here and it looks like we're going to be spending time in what will be the continents largest inland sea for a fair chuck of the spring. As the photos of the floods come in I'll share some neat ones with you.

So far this week we've been having some great chats with some fine people who are taking very seriously the impact they are having on their "personal economy". They have brushed aside "the economy" and are putting all of their attention on what what they need to do to ensure that their "personal economy" is thriving, instead of just surviving.

Here at this desk we have been unashamedly saying that it is your "Wealthy Attitude" that will see you prosper in these times of opportunity. Unfortunately many people get "taken out" by allowing influences around them dictate their behaviors.

Our contributor today has a very powerful message indeed. Ron has long since proven that he is worth paying close attention to.

They Don't Erect Statues To Critics

by Ron LeGrand

The other day, Tish (my Executive Assistant) was showing me some stuff on the internet, and we came across a website operated by a guy who makes it his life's mission to criticize every real estate trainer on earth; except himself, of course.

I guess there are a lot of blogs and websites from people who somehow feel tearing down others makes them look better in the eyes of the reader. This crap is all over the internet, and yes, there's even some negative stuff about me I'm told. Of course, there always has been since Gore invented the internet. That's how long I've been around.

By the way, there are also some idiots saying nasty things about Billy Graham and even the Pope. I'm sure Jesus Christ is getting blasted somewhere on the World Wide Web.

I've been asked numerous times how I can handle criticism and where the strength comes from to keep it from affecting me, and actually, that's a good question because...

The Fear Of Criticism Is The Number One Reason Some People Choose Never To Get Started.

What a shame, too. Turning their back on a chance to grab the brass ring and actually do one important thing in their entire life that will be remembered after they're gone. All because they fear criticism.

It's so easy to confine yourself to a life of mediocrity, just getting by every day, passing through life as if it will never end and tomorrow will always be there. Never doing much to experience the thrill of the chase, the joy of victory and yes, even the agony of defeat.

It's easy to run from confrontation and live in a cocoon, feeling safe from predators because you have nothing or have done nothing that could cause a loss or any emotional stress.

It's ten times easier to be a weak, mushy pile of fat and muscle taking orders and remaining obedient to whomever shouts the loudest, with no mission or purpose except to survive...than it is to create an iron man mentality that can withstand the abuse and criticism constantly heaped on achievers by weak, jealous critics who need to get a life.

A strong mindset cannot be built on top of a foundation of low self-esteem. And that, my friends, is what I believe makes good folks worry more about criticism than lack of achievement...poor self-esteem.

If You Don't Think Much Of Yourself, The Easiest Thing To Do Is Let Others Think For You.

And that's exactly what you're doing if you care what the critics have to say. You're allowing your opinions to be controlled by someone who's got a bigger mouth and not afraid to use it. The supply of these folks is endless, so unfortunately, we can't stamp them out; we can only put up with them like we do roaches, rats, politicians, and other pests.

Here's the reality surrounding critics. You will likely never do business with them, give money to them, buy from them or sell to them, marry or procreate with them, take advice from or give advice to them or establish any kind or a meaningful relationship of any kind with them so...

Why Do You Give A Rat's Ass What They Have To Say?

If you take a look behind the scenes of any negative thinker or frequent critic, you will always discover one universal fact...

Their Life Sucks And They Want You To Join Them.

Positive people on an upwardly mobile track learn along the way that criticizing others serves no useful purpose except to diminish the complainer. If your life is full of movement and your days are occupied with taking action to achieve worthwhile goals in bite-size pieces, you won't have much time to be a critic. You'll be too busy with your own activities and the need will disappear for whatever self-serving benefits critics get from bad mouthing others.

I'm constantly being criticized by someone for something. I have been ever since I quit being a...Sheeple...and started working on leading instead of following.

Someone's always telling me how I should run my business differently or how to write or speak better or pick out better ties. One lady recently took the time to correct every single mistake she could find in a 16 page sales letter I wrote and proceeded to give me an English lesson on proper grammar.

I didn't have the heart to tell her the letter she critiqued had already produced sales in the seven figures before she got ahold of it. (I bet ahold was improperly used here.)

If she'd spend that same time getting yellow letters of her own out, she'd actually stand a good chance of getting paid, 'cause I sure didn't send her any money for her critique. On the other hand, I doubt she'd ever send the yellow letter because it's hand written and very unprofessional looking...which is exactly why it works.

Don't assume I don't welcome constructive criticism. I do. In fact, I ask for it frequently, and I am open to all of it. Then I take what I think is usable and discard the rest. But here's the point...I asked for it.

The worst thing you can do to bring attention to yourself is to start criticizing others. Oh, I guess you'll get attention alright, but not the kind you want.

Criticism Should Be Offered Only When Solicited.

A loud mouth won't win the day. One of the hardest things for some to learn is to shut their mouth and open their ears. Try this phrase before you become an unwanted critic.

I Have A Few Thoughts That Might Help If You're Interested.

Now, here's even a harder thing to master...

If They're Not Interested, Shut The Hell Up.

That one will take some serious practice on your part, but will work miracles if your goal is to carry on a conversation you look back on with pride for the way you conducted yourself.

Here's a little game you can play over the next 30 days. Carry a notepad with you, and every time you get in a conversation with someone, keep score as to whether they were a self-appointed critic or not. At the end of the 30 days, look back and see if the majority of the people you talk with were negative. If they were, maybe you should avoid as much contact as possible with them and spend more time with the people who don't have something bad to say with every other breath.

How can we trust critics? They're negative, nasty and boring. Who wants to be near them?

Look at me, I'm criticizing critics. Just goes to show you, even gurus aren't perfect. At least that's what my critics never let me forget.

Peace,
Ron

Ron LeGrand is a great contributor and you can get to know him and his work at: www.RonLeGrand.com

They're All Out of Step but Our John

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Wednesday March 25 2009

Hello there all and welcome to the midweek point.

We're going to get right to continuing our focus of the week.

You're going to like what Wallace has to share today.

They're All Out of Step but Our John

by Wallace Huey

My grandmother used to tell me the story of a proud mother who stood beside her at the passing out parade of soldiers who had completed their training in the First World War. "Look," this mother exclaimed, "They're all out of step but our John!"

Often while treading the spiritual path, the path of personal integrity, I feel like John - and my mother, looking on, sees me out of step with the "regiment" of which I am a part. I am delighted! Rather than being a conditioned soldier I feel I have more in common with my stone aged ancestors. Like them I don't strain to obey authority or move in step with the masses, rather I am free, flexible, cunning (in a good way) and inventive.

The recession is now in full swing and people are complaining everywhere. They want someone they can blame and they want someone, somewhere to do something about it. They look to clever politicians or their granny's inheritance to rescue them from the mess they are in. They will consider any option short of becoming self reliant by drawing on their God given talents and guidance. Their nice little controlled world, the world of aspirations, expectations and plans, is falling apart. The battle is descending into chaos. They can't find their commander and they are at a loss to act on inner guidance - or even to know that such resources for personal empowerment exist.

The enlightened live in this world too - they are not sheltered from its effects. However their affinity is closer to the stone-age hunter gatherer than a regimental soldier. The enlightened do not need a "commander" to tell them what to do or how to behave now that the battle has started. Like their stone age cousins, the enlightened listen only to the "commands" that well up from deep within and it is these subtle inner prompting to which they give their complete allegiance, and to which they have surrendered their life. This "inner commander" springs into action and brings them insights and understandings to deal with any situation.

Nor are the enlightened troubled by misfortune. They know that 98% of suffering is self generated in the mind. So even if they are threatened with losing their job and their home they still sleep soundly at night and remember to have fun.

The enlightened have learnt to love uncertainty and not to take life too seriously. Like Buddha they realize that it is their attachments to their plans, partners and possessions that cause mental suffering, like Christ they take no thought for tomorrow because they know that tomorrow will take thought for the things of itself, and like Sai Baba they know that there is some good in every situation. They see the flip side of every adversity.

The regimental masses have little inner discipline, or awareness, because they have their minds focused on the world. It is this persistent and insidious outward focus that causes their confidence to shrink as the world falls apart.

Because of this many people are disturbed by this recession and identify with a distraught Shakespearean character when he says, "Life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." Many people today, surrounded by "sound and fury," find their life increasingly meaningless. With their focus on the recession babble of the media and their thoughts on anxieties, generated by tortuous future imaginings, the regimental masses are all marching in step.

I invite you to surprise your mother, and even win her admiration, by marching to the beat of a different drum. By focusing on your "inner commander" be out of step, like "our John!"

Wallace Huey is director of the Trans4mind Network and is also the Heart to Heart Coach on Cultivate Life!

Broken or Broken Open?

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Tuesday March 24 2009

Good day all and welcome to this fine Tuesday.

This week we're focusing on "your economy" and the habits and practices that impact it.

One of our favorite contributors has something to share that will undoubtedly ring with many of our entrepreneurial subscribers.

Broken or Broken Open?

by Karen Wright

"When the Japanese mend broken objects, they aggrandize the damage by filling the cracks with gold. They believe that when something's suffered damage and has a history, it becomes more beautiful." --Barbara Bloom

What's a seven-letter word for setting a goal, trying through thick and thin to make it happen and realizing you're just not going to make it?

F-a-i-l-u-r-e? That's what most people might call it. Heck, that's even what I've been calling it until recently. The dream I had invested my money, time, and heart into achieving is no closer today than it was eight years ago when I began. Failure.

But, here at the turning point...at the moment of acceptance, I do not see this as failure. This time, I see it as h-o-n-e-s-t-y.

Author Robert Holden, director of the Happiness Project, calls this single-minded focus upon the achievement of our goals "destination addiction." Those who can only see the end target, fail to appreciate the journey. To them, the journey is merely a means to an end. It's only the "end" that's valued.

Of course, anyone who has achieved a goal knows that the euphoria is short-lived. The moment the end is reached, a new goal takes its place and celebration fades in a mad rush toward the next end.

Eight years ago I began a new life; not fully formed in thought or reality. Like most, I was focused upon what I needed to DO in the world. I wanted to be of significant service to others. I wanted to free people of their fear shackles and provoke them into realizing how truly magnificent they really were. Sure, I also wanted to be well-known and respected for my own magnificence. My ego gets the better of me sometimes and I wanted to be the one on the top of the best seller list. I wanted to be the one Oprah called to be on her show. I wanted to be the one carting cash to the bank every day.

And none of that happened. For a long time I looked at this discrepancy as a puzzle to figure out. All I needed was the right combination of focus, opportunity, hard work, and luck and it would happen. I just needed to stick with it longer. Work harder. Network more. Market more. Be more visible. Get a mentor. Create more product.

Friends would scratch their heads and wonder in confounded voices why I hadn't been discovered. "It's just a matter of time, don't give up," they'd advise. And I'd hang on longer and buoy my lagging emotions back up and put on a happy face.

I had "destination addiction." In my mind, unless I made the dream happen, nothing else mattered. I'd lost myself to the target. All this... the stuff my days were made of... none of it mattered. It was just a means to an end. Until I realized that the end was just an end - one I had envisioned as my nirvana. One my ego had chosen as its proof that I was worthy. One that no one, but me, cared much about.

How many billions of people have been born, traveled through life and died? That's how many times we've tried to figure out why we're here. After eons of best efforts, the way seems no clearer. We still reinvent the wheel with every new-born's cry.

Here at the later stages of my life, I'm throwing out the rule book. It's not worked for me so far. It feels like I've been playing poker with a deck of tarot cards. It just doesn't work. Instead, I'm not going to try to control every last element. I'm not going to work myself into a stupor. I'm not going to become addicted to the destination.

This time I'll paying as much attention to the means as to the end. I'll be present and look at the value of this day, not just tomorrow. I'll honor my inner growth, not just an external accomplishment. I'm learning to pay attention, not control. If my self-chosen end isn't my God-chosen end, then so be it.

My life is here to be used to serve. The avenue through which that happens is almost inconsequential. If I pay attention, I'll be guided on this path to the fulfillment of my every hope. I'm learning, slowly, to listen with new ears and see with new eyes. Not to force, but to allow. Words I've heard, and even espoused, for a while... I'm finally learning the meaning of them. It's a new path for me and so far, I'm enjoying it.

Karen is author of The Sequoia Seed: Remembering the Truth of Who You Are, a great read for anyone who is seeking understanding or guidance, inspiration or clarity in his or her life. Waking Up, the free bi-monthly ezine, was created to help you activate your natural motivation to move beyond mere existence and to really LIVE your dreams. Contact by tel: 509-475-1060 or email.