KarlsMLMRazor

A little something for Jan

2008-07-22T13:19:00.002-06:00

I know it's not about MLM or bikes, but sometimes you just have to write something for the one you love...

For Jan

I say I love you, but the words don’t capture how I feel;
It’s the rapture. I don’t know why at times you have to peel
The layers back that I put ‘cross the place I have inside
That keeps you ever close to me. These aren’t things I want to hide.

We feel the pains, we feel the aches, of living every single day.
It’s the price we pay for 30 years, loving each other every way.
I think the time speaks for itself; with each other, thick or thin.
But you want more, you want your way, and wonder why I won’t give in.
I know you gave all you could during many years when I failed
To give you back some simple things. Another “hey, the check’s in the mail.”
But that won’t cut it anymore. I’m sorry that it ever did.
It’s time to up the ante; invest some more, to raise my op’ning bid
To keep you happy, to keep you hoping, to keep you coming back for more.
Cause I never want you to go away, to leave behind an open door.

So I say I love you, but the words don’t capture how I feel;
It's the rapture. I don’t know why sometimes you have to peel
The layers back that I put 'cross the place I have inside
That keeps you ever close to me. These aren’t things I try to hide.

I know I’ve changed a lot but you know I’ve changed a lot of times before.
But this time the changes really took, I can’t go back to those way no more.
I can’t give you any guarantees except to give my word:
A man can change his mind and keep it so no matter what you may have heard.
I may not think about us exactly in the ways you do.
But there’s one thing that I’m sure of, there’s no doubt in me that I love you.
And every day it grows inside, at times I think it will overflow
And leave me at your mercy; my heart’s in your hands. I hope you know
It will always be there, just like me, forever at your side.
So even though I think I’m doing it, you know, my love, I just can’t hide.

I love you, but the words don’t capture how I feel;
It’s the rapture. I don’t know why at times you have to peel
The layers back that I put 'cross the place I have inside
That keeps you ever close to me. These aren’t things I want to hide.

So I just say I love you…

Review: Ride Like A Pro V

2008-07-11T13:34:00.004-06:00

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I'm fairly new at riding a motorcycle. I got my first (1999 HD Sportster) about 2.5 years ago. I only had a few months before I sold it for my 2006 HD ElectraGlide Ultra. The Sportster was just a butt-breaker; I couldn't ride long before my backside couldn't take anymore.

My Wife Jan and I love the Ultra. The comfort can't be beat, and we love being able to talk to each other over the built-in intercom.

But the Ultra is BIG! At 850 pounds wet weight, you know you're moving some mass around. And if you've ever tipped one of these over, you know it's a struggle to get it vertical.

I had major problems with slow speed turns after dropping the bike in a parking lot trying to maneuver into a stall. Add 2 other drops for stupid reasons while going slow and I was paranoid of doing ANY turning at less than 10 mph.

Thank goodness a friend told me about Jerry Palladino's Ride Like A Pro (RLAP) series.

I've watched RLAP III and V so far so I can only comment on those.

In these DVDs, Jerry teaches techniques taught to Motorcycle police focusing on slow speed turns, weaves, and incident avoidance. While few of us will ever encounter situations where we'll have to maneuver through a figure 8, a 16 foot radius circle, or riding within the perimeter of a "cross" shape, it isn't difficult to picture real situations where these techniques would help.

The biggest difficulty in practicing the techniques involves finding a place to set up a "course," and then getting enough cones or other devices to define the course tracks. But you can still use a parking lot with painted parking rows and a little imagination to do just about every practice Jerry recommends.

There is one thing I find infuriating on these videos. Jerry, why on earth did you have to get those tiny women to ride those big bikes and show them riding better than me and most other men? When you see some small, 115 pound lady moving an Ultra around like a kid's tricycle, you get know embarrassment real well. I know he's doing it as a motivator, but I can self-motivate without the gender jibe. Oh well...

It may seem silly, but the most important thing I learned was using the friction zone and rear brake to control my speed. It wasn't something I learned before even though it was briefly touched on in the Motorcycle Safety Course I took. This is where you let the clutch out just enough to start to catch, but not all the way. You keep the throttle at about 1500-2000 RPM (Jerry recommends between 1000-1500 RPM, but the higher RPMs seem to work better for me.) You then control your speed by using light pressure on the rear brake and controlling how much you depress the clutch.

DO NOT TOUCH THE FRONT BREAK! I can't shout that loud enough. Using the front break in a slow speed turn is an almost guaranteed fall. Using the front break was a key contributor in my dropping my bike those 3 times so I quickly (and gladly!) adopted this lesson.

If you don't learn this friction zone technique, you'll never make it through the exercises in the DVD.

But the most difficult part is learning to trust yourself and the bike and LEAN into these slow speed turns. The folks on the DVD go so slow and lean so far that they almost continuously scrape their foot boards on the ground. THAT takes commitment, but it's the only way to consistently make these slow speed turns. I haven't gotten there yet, but I'm working on it!

Another thing they mention is that the left turning is much easier than the right turning. In right turning, you're actively pulling the handle bar to the right while you lean (this is NOT a push turn!) and the combination of lean, turn, and throttling just makes the whole thing more difficult. I found this to be true. Just keep practicing; you'll get it.

Personally, I recommend RLAP V over III. primarily due to production values. The video and sound are a LOT better in V than III. Also in RLAP V, Jerry includes some video of amateur riders undergoing instruction. This is something I really like in that it's nice knowing others screw it up just like me. However, Jerry doesn't do enough of these examples. If he ever does RLAP VI, I recommend that he includes more of the amateur video showing before and after so we can see how poorly they started, and how good they become.

As Jerry mentions, these are perishable skills: if you don't practice them regularly, you will loose them. So it's important once in a while to go out of your way, set some time aside, and at least run through the exercises. Also, it might be useful to do these exercise with a buddy. It doesn't hurt to have some help picking up the Ultra.

I haven't had many chances to practice the techniques since I can't seem to get any of my riding buds to commit to practice time when I can. Our schedules are such that when we get together, we ride.

But I use as many opportunities as I can to practice. If I'm on a clear side street, I'll slow down and practice the weave. In parking lots, I no longer choose the easy slots to enter; I look for the difficult ones and try to glide in without stopping and walking the bike into the slot. The left turns are still easier than the right turns, but thankfully my post office only has slots to the right as you enter the lot I have a post office box so I get to practice those every day. Also, if you've read my other posts on getting into my driveway, I have to use the friction zone technique with a right turn so I get to practice that every day, as well.

The DVD is a little pricey at $34.95 (without S&H) but it's still recommended. But don't ever loan it out. I'm still waiting to get mine back...

Resource:

Karl is an active network marketer who refuses to make cold calls. Check it out at http://www.KarlAuerbach.com. To read and take part in my blog discussion on MLM and Motorcycles (hey, I’m eclectic!), please visit us at http://KarlsMLMRazor.blogspot.com.

Vision Check

2008-07-11T13:27:00.002-06:00

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How’s your vision? Have you checked it lately? No, I’m not talking about getting your eyes checked by an optometrist or eye doctor. Have YOU done a self-check on your vision lately?

Better yet, do you even have a vision?

If you have a vision, how often is it exercised? If you don’t choose a vision, you’ll have problems in life, MLM, or any other endeavor you undertake.

While vision can indeed refer to how well you can see, in this case I’m referring to how well you can dream, how well you can imagine your future, your vision, and your chosen methods of achieving that vision.

We do it all the time whether we know it or not. Most of the time, our “visioning” revolves around negative aspects of our lives: things we want to avoid. We “see” what will happen if we don’t pay our mortgage or other bills. We “see” what will happen if we break the speed limit. Some of us even “see” what our futures are and how terrible that future will be: daily commute, the 8+ hour job 5 days a week, ungrateful boss, unloving family, no way out, etc., etc., etc.

That last one is some vision, huh? A whole lot of us have that vision down pat in the finest detail, and we dwell on that vision constantly. For the lucky, this vision can be so horrible that it moves them to take action and change that vision. But for too many, the vision becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and we take no action to change it.

Been there, done that.

We can take an active step to change this self-fulfilling vision into another one that is even more powerful, one that rather than dread it, we welcome it and actively pursue it. To do this, we need to re-create an ability that many of us gave up years ago when we became adults.

We need to actively imagine and control what we imagine. We need to create a new vision, to day dream!

If you have that negative vision I described above, even if it’s not that negative, you created that vision, that imagination, on your own. You may have been influenced by the news, your past experiences, lessons from others, or whatever, but the vision you have is one you chose. If you don’t like it, maybe it’s time to change it.

In any given event, the human mind can not distinguish between what actually happened and what the mind THINKS happened. Two people side by side see the same accident and come up with completely different accounts of what happened. While the objective reality of what happened exists in a set of facts, the subjective realities, what each person thought they saw, depends on things like the viewers past experiences, their education, their mood at the time, and many other subjective factors.

This is a GREAT thing! Why not create a reality which is empowering where you are ultimately successful even beyond your wildest dreams? It’s all in your vision.

Back in the 1960s, Dr. Maxwell Maltz created something called Psycho Cybernetics. This is great system of self-improvement, and one of the methods Maltz taught was visioning using what he called The Theater of the Mind.

Basically, you find a quiet room where you can get comfortable (a bed or a chair) and won’t be interrupted in any way. Sit or lay back and close your eyes. Imagine yourself in a theater of your own creation. Create a comfy seat in the theater as well as any other furnishings (no concession stand, you’re busy). Make it high definition and surround sound. Place yourself about halfway back in the theater so you can “move up” later.

Now, here’s where you get to play director, producer, actor, best boy, grip (what the heck do the best boy and grip do in a movie?), and anything else. Create a series of scenes where you see yourself up on the screen doing what you want.

Start building details into the scenes. Include vivid colors or anything else that applies. The more vivid detail you add, the more “real” you make it, the more powerful the vision becomes. Each time you do this, “move” a bit closer to the screen until you’re in that first row and the scene/vision is huge.

Up until now, while you’re doing the visioning you’re still only viewing yourself doing what you want. Now it’s time to kick this into high gear by “seeing” yourself step forward and entering the very scene you’re viewing. Add elements like smell, hearing, touch, and taste. Feel the wind touch your skin. Again, the more real you make this, the more you step into this vision, the more powerful the vision becomes. Do it about 20-30 minutes at least once a day, but be sure to do it EVERY day.

Creating a vision can take time and practice, after all, this is essentially day dreaming which we all know adults shouldn’t do. Crap. Get that child in you active again and learn to day dream.

Never accept a vision from others. Create the vision you want that leads to your success.

Resource:

Karl is an active network marketer who refuses to make cold calls. Check it out at http://www.karlauerbach.com/. To read and take part in my blog discussion on MLM and Motorcycles (hey, I’m eclectic!), please visit us at http://karlsmlmrazor.blogspot.com/.

MLM Fear

2008-07-09T07:42:00.002-06:00

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Ever wake up with the MLM Fear? You know, those feelings that come over you all of a sudden and scream “YOU’RE GOING TO FAIL!” It happened to me this morning, and it was wicked. That sick feeling in the pit of my stomach was so intense I almost couldn’t get out of bed. The feeling stayed with me until I reached for my wrist (more on that later).

Jerry Clarke calls this phenomenon part of Murphy’s Committee’s attacks to make sure we don’t succeed. We could even go back to the sixties (1960s) and use the phrase immortalized by Spiro Agnew: Nattering Nabobs of Negativity (N-cubed!). Whatever you call the feeling, the MLM Fear is nothing more than an expression of the fear emotion from within.

Tony Robbins in his Lessons in Mastery series talks about emotions identifying them as action signals. Emotions tell us something is occurring in our lives and if we want to avoid pain and maximize pleasure, we need to take some sort of action.

MLM Fear is an action signal telling us that we’re not prepared for something that is happening or is about to happen. It could also be telling us that something we’re doing isn’t enough and we won’t achieve ours goals unless we change our approach.

This first MLM fear can result from inactivity. You signed up for this new business but aren’t taking an active role in promoting the business and duplicating your upline. In this case, the MLM fear is that the MLM “business” is going on around you, but your inaction will result in your failure. You’re simply not prepared for success.

The second MLM fear can result from taking action, for example, making cold calls, but not making any sales or signing up new members. Perhaps you’re only making a couple of calls a night or you could be a powerhouse making dozens of calls a night. If you’re doing all this action and not seeing any results, the mind eventually interprets this as inadequate and formulates the conscious message that you won’t achieve your goals.

So how do we deal with MLM fear? First, we need to identify the feeling we have as fear. Second, we need to interrupt the pattern of thought or actions that results in this fear. Third, we need to substitute a new, better way of thinking, of responding to the situations that result in MLM fear.

The first step is relatively easy. Whenever you have the sick feeling in the pit of your stomach, it’s probably MLM fear. If you have a sense or feeling of dread, of impending doom, it’s probably MLM fear.

Granted, it could be something other than MLM fear. If you’re being audited by the IRS, that sick feeling may be caused by the audit fear rather than the MLM fear. Perhaps you’re going through some personal crisis. This can also result in fear other than MLM fear. Or, like me, you could be cowering in fear because your wife insists on going out dancing. However, if you don’t want to be governed by fear even in these areas, the following may help overcoming even those fears.

The second step is breaking the pattern of thoughts or actions that lead to MLM fear (or other fears). Personally, my path to fear lies in my thoughts more than my actions or the way I hold or move my body. It’s usually results from my overlooking something I need to do to make my MLM business successful. It begins with guilt for not doing what is required and quickly moves to fear anticipating failure.

There are a number of mental ways to interrupt these thought patterns. But I happen to like a physical way to overcome this MLM fear: a sturdy, strong rubber band around the wrist. Whenever I felt the MLM fear coming on, even when I felt those first inklings of guilt, I reached down to my wrist, grabbed that rubber band, pulled it out almost to the breaking point, and then let go.

Talk about pain! The first days I tried this method my wrist was actually swollen from snapping the band so many times. But by day three, my mind would not let me even consider MLM fear, or any other fear. What I was doing was associating massive pain with MLM fear, and no pain with not feeling the fear.

The method isn’t perfect. There are still days/times when I feel the MLM fear like this morning. But all I have to do now is reach for my wrist and the fear goes away. I’ve reconditioned my mind.

The third step in overcoming MLM fear is to develop a new, better way of thinking and responding to MLM fear. This may seem simplistic but I found that repeating certain key words after snapping the band, or reaching for my wrist, seems to work for me.

Here’s how it works. Close your eyes and take deep breaths from the stomach (deep breathing). This calms the mind and body by lowering the heart rate and overall respiration. Then softly but firmly repeat the key words over and over in your mind, almost meditating on them. I’ve found the best words are “confidence,” “success,” and “courage” to deal with MLM fear.

But also realize that you may have to change your approach to overcoming MLM fear. For example, if you’re currently making cold calls trying to recruit people, making calls every night, and you’re still experiencing MLM fear, then perhaps you need to find a different way of achieving your goals. There are other methods of recruiting besides cold calling that work quite well. Do yourself a favor and explore other avenues to success, confidence, and courage.

MLM fear is not something you have to accept. You can take positive, active steps to manage your fear and overcome it. Try these techniques out the next time you feel fear crowding in on your plans for success. Your wrist may not like it, but the rest of you will.

Karl Auerbach is an active network marketer (multilevel marketer) who refuses to make cold calls. To find out how to duplicate this, please visit www.KarlAuerbach.com

MLM Myths, MLM Secrets

2008-06-27T10:53:00.001-06:00

It seems that at some point in their writing “career,” authors simply must write at least one article on MLM myths and secrets. Apparently in all these years, not all the myths have been exposed and not all the secrets revealed. So here’s another shot.

MLM Myth #1: MLM is a Ponzi Scheme.

Folks, with the availability of Google and other search engines, do your self a favor and look up Charles Ponzi and learn what a Ponzi Scheme really is. You may be surprised that there’s no real basis for this MLM myth

Charles Ponzi enacted his scheme in the 1920s. Without going into detail, he “sold” people on an investment opportunity in “stamps” that promises rates of return in excess of 400% in as little as 45-90 days. What he essentially did was to use the money of “new” investors to pay off “old” investors who wanted out of the investment. Ponzi willingly paid these “old” investors who then bragged about their profits so much that it brought in a host of “new” investors. “Old” investors who didn’t cash out (who would with those rates of return in that short a period?) would reinvest their “earnings” back into the stamp investment in the hopes of making more.

People would heavily mortgaged their homes and businesses to take advantage of this opportunity. But there was one person who didn’t invest at all: Charles Ponzi. Eventually this became known and with other reasons lead to the investigation and conviction of Ponzi, and the loss of millions by investors.

MLM is simply not a Ponzi Scheme or a “pyramid” scheme. Both schemes require that the money invested by new folks be used to pay off the older folks. Both schemes, by fact of being schemes, are meant to rip off many people as quickly as possible, hopefully paying out to investors as little as possible while propagating the scheme.

Probably the main basis for this MLM myth of being a Ponzi Scheme, aside from the ignorance of the accusers, is that MLM is structured in a pyramid fashion. Yes, there are fewer people at the “top” of the organization compared to the bottom. But the same thing could be said about any brick and mortar company in business today. Large corporations have a CEO-type person at the top with more people occupying lower levels until you get down to the many individual workers. The effort of each contributes to or enhances those above.

Another reason people buy into the Ponzi or pyramid scheme MLM Myth has to do with MLM Myth #2.

MLM Myth #2: MLM doesn’t work.

The source of this MLM myth comes from the assumption of people who were unsuccessful at MLM that the fault lies with MLM itself.

I’ve been guilty of buying into this MLM myth. I’ve tried MLM a few times in the past and I couldn’t “make it work.” No matter what I did “MLM would fail me.”

Notice what I did in those two sentences? In both sentences I placed the blame for my failure on something other than me. In fact, I actually blamed my failure on an inanimate “system” that only really “exists” in the abstract. That is how this MLM myth gets propagated.

In retrospect, meaning when I look at what I did honestly and stop BS-ing myself, where I failed was I didn’t duplicate or repeat the marketing system that was taught with these companies. Until recently, the main way to recruit new people into the business was to do the dreaded cold calls. That’s where you buy leads of dubious quality from suspect sources, and spend uncountable hours calling thousands of people in the hope of finding a few who will join you. For various reasons I won’t go into here, I just couldn’t make those calls. I couldn’t duplicate the work of my sponsor or upline.

Many people buy into MLM because of the promise of money or how well the product sells itself. People don’t ask the most important question: can I duplicate this marketing system? Even worse, people who join and aren’t successful at phone call marketing will quit MLM before asking another important question: is there a better way to market MLM?

Here’s a definition of insanity: “Insanity is doing the same actions over and over, expecting a different result from the same actions.” If the phone call marketing doesn’t work for you, why repeat it? The way to overcome this MLM myth is to find a different way to market.

There’s no secret to this, which leads me to MLM secrets.

MLM Secret #1: There are no secrets!

This probably won’t get me invited to the next MLM convention but there simply are no secrets to MLM. I have no MLM secrets that aren’t known by every other MLM-er out there who has spent any time studying this business. The very fact that MLM has been heavily investigated by Governments searching out Ponzi or pyramid schemes makes the possibility of anything being secret very small.

BTW, ever notice that MLM secrets are always grouped in odd numbers, usually 5 or 7? Odd, isn’t it?

MLM Secret #2: Secrets sell!

Having said there are no MLM secrets, I have to admit that secrets sell! Go to almost any MLM web site, and they’ll send you “The 5 [or 7] Secrets of MLM” or something to that effect. It may be information you don’t have but that hardly makes it a secret. But human nature is such that we all crave that extra advantage, that “secret” information, that one ting which will unlock MLM and bring wealth and riches. There simply isn’t one.

Rhonda Byrne’s book, The Secret, is a masterpiece in marketing! What The Secret teaches is actually no different than many of the “techniques” taught by people like Tony Robbins. But by representing the information as a “secret” purposely kept from you, the reader feels like they’re getting something they otherwise wouldn’t get. And for many who would never read a Tony Robbins book, it’s true.

So, the bottom line of all this is that while there are some myths that surround MLM, and I didn’t try to cover all of them here, there really aren’t any MLM secrets out there other than work hard and consistency, being persistent, and keeping at it until you succeed.

The MLM myths will always be there since people prefer to blame others for their own failures or stumbles.

The MLM secrets will never be there. After all, who can keep a secret?

What MLM really “sells:” Duplication!

2008-06-23T14:49:00.000-06:00

It’s a difficult concept to grasp. We think we’re “selling” the product, be it juices, vitamins, or phone service, but that’s not the reality. What we in MLM really sell is duplication.

Ask yourself the fundamental question: why did I get into this business? I doubt that you got into this for the vitamins. You got into this business because you wanted to make some money, have some free time, and a host of other things OTHER than buying or selling vitamins.

If you’re like most people, the promise of money making overwhelmed all other thoughts. You heard the pay plan, but did you hear about the work required for the plan to pay? You heard about owning a business, something that you could start up easily with little investment, but did you hear about the work involved to make the business successful? Did you know you need to take advantage of what others have learned and, through duplication, repeat their success?

In other words, what you should first ask before joining any network marketing or multilevel marketing company is this: through duplication, can you repeat what your sponsor does so you can be successful? And, second, can you teach this same duplication to your eventual downline?

The important thing you’re buying and selling is duplication. Without a duplicating system, it doesn’t matter how good the pay plan is, it doesn’t matter how good the products are, and it doesn’t matter if your sponsor or upline is the most incredible recruiting machine in network marketing. If you can’t learn the duplication for whatever reasons, your business won’t be successful. If you can’t teach the duplication, your business won’t be successful.

Unfortunately, most folks joining a marketing company only focus on the payout, not what it takes to get the payout. They never ask themselves the important question: is the duplication I’m buying really duplicable?

Likewise, sponsors never ask themselves the corollary question: is the duplication I’m selling really duplicable?

Let’s face it; the most repeated form of duplication in MLM is the recruiting phone call. We’re “taught” to go out and buy some business leads, or even worse start with your “warm” market list, and start making calls. Get ready to deal with a LOT of NOs, maybe even some verbal abuse for calling during someone’s dinner time, and the frustration and feeling of failure that goes with it all.

What happens with this form of duplication is that most new recruits fail. In my mind, there are 4 basic personality types out there, and only 2 can be reasonably expected to be comfortable, much less successful, with this form of recruiting. And not just making the calls but TAKING the calls, as well. You can’t recruit an answering machine. That means for at least 50% of the population, phone calls are not going to work.

There are other ways and forms of duplication out there tailor made for the 50% of us (that includes me!) who are virtually incapable of making phone calls. Do some research and have these prepared for your existing downline and any new entrants. If you’re a new recruit who is struggling to make these calls, talk to your sponsor about alternative methods or research them on your own. Find the way!

Remember: we sell and buy duplication. We need to be aware that this may take many forms other than the traditional phone call. Be open to new methods. Teach these alternatives to your downline and let them make the choice that’s best for them. Your success depends on THEIR success.

Metaphors and Vocabulary: How to Destroy Your Network Marketing (MLM) Business Without Even Trying

2008-06-20T13:40:00.001-06:00

Metaphors and vocabulary, the words we use, are fun! That is, as long as they’re GOOD metaphors and words. BAD metaphors and words can destroy your network marketing or multi level marketing business before you even start.

Broadly speaking, metaphors are words and phrases we use to provide conceptual understanding of a situation without having to go into excruciating explanations of what happened or how you feel. Now that the anal retentive engineer in me has that out of the way, some explaining is required.

For example, we probably all use the simply metaphor or words of “I feel tired” or simply “I’m tired.” The metaphor “describes” or provides meaning to the listener on both our physical and mental condition. The user doesn’t have to go into the how or why or even describe the actual physical or mental condition or degree. The listener hears “I’m tired” and provides their own correct interpretation.

But there’s a hidden danger in metaphors, the words we use, and many don’t even realize the danger exists. We tend to forget that when we use metaphors to describe an event, or ourselves, or how we feel, there’s “someone” listening who takes in the meaning of these words and acts on them without our knowledge.

Who is this sneaky bugger listening in to your conversation and acting on the metaphors? Well, to put it simply, it’s … YOU!

Your subconscious mind listens and acts on every metaphor and word it hears whether it comes out of your own mouth or someone else’s. It would be nice if your subconscious took everything it hears with equal weighting, but unfortunately, your subconscious wants to treat your every utterance as the most profound thing it’s ever heard. For example, you can tell someone “I’m ugly” and they could respond with “No, you’re not.” Guess which one your subconscious accepts as gospel and which one it ignores?

And the subconscious will act on a word or metaphor no matter how stupid or foolish it is. If you make an observation like “I can’t do this,” the subconscious takes this thought as a command and will ensure that you can’t ever do “this” no matter what.

Think of what these words can do to your network marketing or multi level marketing business. When we use works like “try,” “can’t,” “don’t believe,” “don’t know,” and a host of others, we’re basically commanding our subconscious to fulfill and ensure these thoughts become reality.

Metaphors really come into play when we use them as an equation. “Life is a bowl or cherries” or “Life is a dance” are metaphors just like “Life sucks.” What message does the subconscious take from the first two as opposed to the last? The first two offer some positive possibilities and promises. Cherries are sweet and juicy. Sure, there are some pits, but they can be avoided with some simple planning – don’t chew on the pits. “Life is dance” suggest coordinated physical movement that looks beautiful (subjectively).

“Life sucks” is a metaphor that offers only the negative promise of repeated failure.

How about this one: “I’ll try.” Try? That’s about as positive as “maybe.” Both accept the failure outcome BEFORE success is even given a shot at… succeeding.

I could go on, but I think you get the point. Tony Robbins, in “Awakening the Giant Within” and “Lessons in Mastery,” goes into a lot more detail on metaphors and the vocabulary we use and provides a number of ways to change what we say. Basically, what he recommends comes down to 2 corrections:

1. Recognize the negative words and metaphors we use
2. Stop using them

It’s not as simple as it sounds. Our metaphors and vocabulary become our friends over time, and we don’t like to abandon our friends. But if we can replace our negative or neutral metaphors and words with outrageously positive ones, we can over time change.

Here’s a simple but effective start: when asked “how are you” respond with “Excellent!” rather than the neutral “OK, I guess.” And don’t just utter it, FEEL the excellence! Repeat this often and you’ll find the subconscious will play along.

Running a home business is hard enough; you want your subconscious helping you to the fullest extent possible. Leave the negative metaphors and words behind. Actively choose positive words and metaphors and you’ll change your life and business for the better.

“Just do it!”

The Three Pillars of MLM

2008-06-19T13:51:00.000-06:00

Fist off, what the heck is a “pillar” and how am I using it? Well, a pillar can simply be a slender, free standing support column or pole. A pillar can also be a person or thing that is of central importance or responsibility. In multilevel marketing, or MLM (also called network marketing), like any other business, the success or failure of an individual is of central importance and depends on what I call the Three Pillars of MLM.

What are the three pillars of MLM? Well, since our success or failure depends on us as individuals, there are things of central importance that will in many ways determine our success. These three things are Mental, Physical, and Spiritual. Of course, I’ll explain.

All of us understand the Mental pillar needed for MLM success. This pillar includes things like keeping focused on our goals. Keeping a positive mental attitude, avoiding negative thoughts, is also important. It means keeping those mental demons of failure (Jerry Clark calls them Murphy’s Committee) at bay and not letting them dictate what we think or feel. It means being aware of what we’re thinking and taking active steps to steer our thinking to the same course of success we’ve chosen.

But of equal importance to the three pillars of MLM are the other two: Physical and Spiritual. Why is each considered one of the three pillars of MLM? The easy answer is balance.

Physical balance is not merely exercise, though exercise is certainly important. Of equal importance are things like posture. Do you stand and sit erect, or do you slouch over? If you slouch, be aware that this constricts your breathing and cuts off oxygen to your blood and brain. The very act of slouching also sends “signals” to the mind that places it in a less than optimal condition. You can’t think positive thoughts if your body is sending negative signals to the mind.

Even with a positive mental attitude, exercise, good posture, and deep breathing, we can still be missing the third of the three pillars of MLM: Spiritual. I’m not just talking about belief in a Supreme Being or Higher Order or stuff like that, though belief in something greater than you is important. Do you believe in yourself? Do you have faith in your abilities, do you believe in your goals and aspirations to the point where nothing will or can stop you? And can you maintain that faith, that belief, in the face of setbacks or sniping from family and friends? Without faith in yourself and your ultimate success, the Mental and Physical pillars are not enough to overcome the lack of the third pillar of Spirituality.

The three pillars of MLM act as a strong foundation for your ultimate success. Mental, physical and spiritual balance are critical in any endeavor. Be sure to adequately develop all three in equal measure. Don’t ignore one for the other two hoping that overachieving in two pillars can overcome lack of effort in the one. A tripod is a very stable platform but only as long as all three legs are of equal strength.

Heated Grips

2008-06-18T14:42:00.003-06:00

Nothing on MLM today. I spent too much time updating this site and getting some affiliate links going. So I'm just going to post about heated grips.

I had a set of Harley Davidson grips that I had installed when I got the bike 2 years ago (in fact, today is the 2 year anniversary of when I picked my bike up!). As much as I love my HD, I can't say the same for the HD heated grips. I've had them replaced about three times in the past two years for intermittent operation. When it happened again this year, the dealer balked. I can't blame them sine HD Corporate won't reimburse them for my grips anymore. Remember, they operate intermittently, and when sent back to HD, of course they worked!

So this year I replaced my heated grips with some from Kuryakyn (www.kuryakyn.com). The are different form the HD heated grips in that the heating element is an integral part of the HD grips. The Kuryakyn replacement is actually a separate set of grips and heating elements. In other word, you buy the grips separate from the heater.

The heater is unique in that the heating element or coil is attached to an aluminum partial partial cylinder that's designed to be inserted into the handlebar itself. Think of a cylinder with a slot cut down the long axis. You simply compress the cylinder and slide it into the handlebar. Friction then holds the heater in place against the inside of the handlebars.

The LED controller replaces the front clamp on the clutch lever/mirror attachment. When ordering the unit, make sure you order the one that matches your current black or chrome controls.

The installation does require drilling a hole in the underside of the handlebar. This can be difficult and tricky. If you don't feel good about this, take it to the dealer and pay for the install.

Be aware that you can pinch the wires from the controller to the heaters when tightening the mounting clamp to the required torque. If that happens repeatedly, it's probably the wires being crushed against the handlebars and shorting out. You can fix this by placing some black electricians tape on the handlebar just underneath the controller.

They operate very well and do a great job of heating. The only caveat is to be careful about which grips you purchase. I brought the Kuryakyn ISO9000 grips which use a LOT of some sort of rubber material for vibrations isolation. Unfortunately, this material doesn't transfer heat very well or fast so I'm not getting the full effect of the heaters. Bu the grips are darn comfortable and I love the built in throttle boss.

All things considered, these Kuryakyn heaters are a great replacement. It does take some skill and patience to install and the drilling is laborious. And be careful what grips you use with them!

Why I like MLM

2008-06-17T14:05:00.001-06:00

Why do I like MLM? This is question I get asked a lot, and occasionally ask myself just to check if I’m still on track and staying focused on my goals. But I thought I throw a few reasons out there just in case you’re looking for some good reasons to start a career in MLM.

Why do I like MLM? Fist off, I’m 54 years old. I’m pretty close to retirement (about 12 years away or so). I’m set up so that when I reach 67, with a combination of my pension, 401K, and Social Security I should just be able to maintain my current standard of living. So I’ll start off with a barely sufficient fixed income that over the following years will guarantee that we go from just over broke to REALLY broke. I’m not looking forward to that.

According to the Actuarial Tables, the data that insurance companies use to “look” at how long you’ll live, an engineer retiring at 67 has a 3 year life expectancy. So the odds are that I won’t live to see us really broke. But my wife probably will! I’m sure she’s not looking forward to that.

So why do I like MLM? Where else can I meet people who still have dreams of really succeeding? When I talk to engineers my age, their focus is on getting to retirement. They want to excel to a certain degree, but they also don’t want to rock the boat this close to retirement. Job security takes precedence over taking ANY chances.

So why not open a franchise or other brick & mortar store? Have you looked into the cost of doing this? A franchise alone can cost over $100,000 and that’s not including the building and materials/supplies. Frankly, I don’t have that kind of money to invest in a business. I certainly don’t have the TIME to devote to starting up this sort of business.

And that brings me around to the main reason I like MLM: the promise of time freedom. Sure, time freedom implies that you’re making enough money to quit your current job, but it isn’t just about the money. It’s the time you get to spend with family, loved ones and friends. It’s the time freedom to do what you WANT to do, not what you HAVE to do at the whim of someone else. It’s doing the things that you want to do that add value and meaning to your life.

So why do I like MLM? Sure, I like the m money. Sure, I like to meet new people and interact with them to reach our common goals. But the real reason I like MLM is the freedom to do what I want to do each and every day of my life.

I like MLM for the time freedom, baby!

Stay Focused on Your Goals

2008-06-16T08:18:00.002-06:00

Last week I posted on being persistent, especially when riding a motorcycle and trying to enter my &#%^@#$ driveway. Here’s a little follow up in how well I did, and something I’ve discovered on keeping focused on your goals.

The article I wrote last Monday (didn’t post it until Friday, though) described my persistence in getting into my driveway on my motorcycle and finally succeeding with my wife as a passanger. Well, my first try by myself wasn’t as successful. On Monday, I tried on my own and went into the turn way too fast. I didn’t crash into the stone wall, but I did go wide enough to get caught in a ditch with mud and when I tried to turn out of it, the front tire caught and the bike went down.

How unnerving! Possibly even depressing IF I let it go there. I didn’t panic. I kept calm, took off my gear, and rolled the bike back to vertical. Once I got it into the garage I went back and looked at the driveway and wondered what happened. When I thought about it, the problem became clear right away: I didn’t stay focused on my goal. Let me explain.

In motorcycle riding, you must look where you want to go. If you focus or look only where you’re at, the bike won’t go where you want. This requires some MAJOR head turning. When driving a car, you rarely look to the sides beyond the front windshield. Even making a U-turn, you probably don’t look exactly where you’re going.

Not so on a motorcycle: you must stay focused on where you want to go. You’ve got to stay focused on your goal. Focusing on where you’re at, looking right above the handlebars, makes it virtually impossible to turn. You’ll never go where you want. Even looking slightly in the direction you want isn’t enough. At best, you do a partial turn but still fail. You have to turn your head and physically LOOK where you want to go.

Do you want to make a U-turn? You must first turn your head and look directly where you want to go. It’s not just glancing in the direction you want, you have to look and KEEP looking all through the turn. If you look at where you’re at or lose focus on where you want to go, you’ll fail at making the turn. You have to stay focused on your goals.

Multi-level marketing (MLM) is exactly like that. To be successful at MLM, you MUST pick a goal and then stay focused on your goal. If you focus only on where you’re at now, you can never “make the turn” you need to be successful. If you only look “part way” at your goal, you’ll get closer, but you still won’t make it. It’s only when you focus on your goals, when your keep your eyes on your goals and never waiver that you attain what you’re after.

Pick your goals, and then stay focused on your goals. Don’t let fear, either your own or other’s, stop you from keeping focused on your goals. You can make the U-turn from your current career path to a new MLM path where you get to decide where you want to go.

How did I do on my driveway? After Monday’s lack of focus, I realized I didn’t keep my focus on my goal: my garage! I looked down at where I was at and couldn’t make the turn. I had no problems at all on Tuesday. Wednesday was called on account of the rain. Thursday was better and Friday was darn near perfect.

Stay focused on your goals and make your turn today.

In Multilevel Marketing, Be Persistent

2008-06-13T07:36:00.000-06:00

Multi-level marketing (MLM) is a race for the persistent, not necessarily the swift. It’s a race won by steady, consistent effort. And the thing is you never really know when that persistence will pay off. There are times when you want to quit. Don’t do it!

Life in general tends to be like that. Just this weekend, I had another lesson in the benefit of being persistent.

I ride a motorcycle and getting home requires riding up a dirt road and making a 135 degree turn into my driveway. Because of the hilly approach, you can’t see the turn or the driveway surface until you commit to the turn. When you’re riding an 850 pound motorcycle, you really don’t like turning when you can’t see the road surface. If you take the turn “short” or slow, you dump the bike. If you take the turn fast or wide, you hit a stone wall. There is zero room for error.

When I first got the bike 3 years ago, I was able to make the turn. But one day I had difficulty and almost hit the wall. From that day until this riding season, I was too afraid to try the turn again. I completely lost any persistence in making that turn. I fell back to going slightly past the driveway, and then backing up in a “Y” to make the turn.

But this year, I realized that I’ve been weakening myself by accepting a single error as the sum of my abilities. So I decided to be persistent every day. Each day I would try to make the turn just a little bit, stop, back up and then complete the turn. The next day, I would try and go a bit further.

This weekend, that persistent attitude really paid off. I started the turn and everything felt perfect: speed, balance, it was all working together. As I got to the last point where I stopped previously, I realized that I didn’t need to; I was on the line to make the turn. Perfection! And here’s the real kicker: I did this with my wife on the back. It’s a LOT tougher making slow turns with a passenger, and I made what was previously an “impossible” turn under those tough conditions.

This is a lesson I will always apply to life and MLM: be persistent! Never accept a single failure or even a string of failures as determining the roadmap of your life. MLM isn’t easy, there are many places to “dump your bike” or “run into a wall.” At those points, we can either dust ourselves off and try again, or take the easy way and never again challenge ourselves by quitting our dreams out of doubt or fear.

Look for ways to be persistent every day. Search out those little things that you can improve just a bit each time you try them. Before you know it, big changes will come from these little changes. Apply the same principle to your MLM or network marketing business. It will take time; the little changes won’t seem like much, but in time, watch the resulting big changes take over your life.