Although I haven't been blogging lately, I have been taking other actions to bolster both my business and my determination to find success with it. I had some time at home (a 10-day vacation surrounding Thanksgiving week!), so I had the opportunity to attend a meeting of my MLM vehicle of choice, chat with my upline sponsor some, and give out some free samples of the product to family and friends. (Remember, I'm not advertising that product and company in this space in order to let you find the product and/or company that ignites your passion.) But most significant for me was reading a book that reinforced how much better the direct sales industry is for its members than the corporate world is for its employees.
"Chicken Soup for the Network Marketer's Soul"*, by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Bill Hyman is a compilation of essays (and a couple of poems and cartoons as well) by individuals who overcame tremendous adversities to find success in--and because of--network marketing companies and the people in them. Each essay is preceded by an inspirational quote as well.
Let me point out that none of the essayists wrote that their journey to success was easy or quick. And I'm not trying to tell you that yours would be, either. But as evidenced time and time again in the book, the people involved in the industry truly want each other succeed, and will do what they can to help make that a reality. Ask yourself, do you really find that in the corporate world? Every story in the book made me want to be a part of that caring, helping culture, but one essay really caught my eye.
In her story titled, "Pay It Forward" (starting on page 252), Jan Ruhe tells how she used to work hard in her MLM in order to seek recognition for her accomplishments, her high sales volumes and the number of people she brought into the company. Then one day she realized that, despite her achievements, she hadn't found any satisfaction from them. Not being recognized at a big company event devastated her, so she decided that she had to change herself, but didn't know how. Her answer came in ten words from her mentor, Jim Rohn,
"Be so busy giving recognition that you don't need it."
From that point on she became the one applauding others for their achievements, rather than seeking recognition herself. It made a huge difference for her, and her business.
Now, I didn't start my business as a means to find any recognition myself, so I never saw myself in the light that Jan Ruhe did initially. My aim with my business and this blog is to help others (including YOU!) find financial freedom. But Jan's story pointed out one thing that I was missing in my plan: joyfully recognizing the successes--and honest efforts, even if the successes are minimal--of others. And I'll tell you, even from my still minimal experience with the MLM world, I see that quality in everyone involved. I have never encountered it so universally embraced by everyone in the "traditional" companies which have so graciously employed me.
All of this is why I'm so enamored of the direct sales/multi-level marketing (MLM)/network marketing business model and advocating it within the Prosperity Convoy. I'm sure once you leave any pre-conceived notions about the industry behind and do your own research (beyond googling MLM companies and reading the posts by doubters calling them all scams), you'll find that it is truly the best way for the "average person" to build passive income and personal wealth. (Did you know that Amway has created more millionaires in this country than any other company? That's not the company I'm with, but that's just a little tidbit that may change your thinking a bit.) And hey, why not let reading "Chicken Soup for the Network Marketer's Soul" be one of the parts of your research?
I'm still looking for the first (and second, and third, and so on) person who wants to join me in the Convoy and head up the on-ramp to the road to prosperity. I promise you it won't necessarily be easy, or quick, but the end results can far exceed your wildest dreams. And we'll have fun heading there together. You'll meet many, many people who also want you to succeed and will help you get there. And the most pleasure you'll get from the whole trip is from helping others reach their goals.
Thank you for taking the time to explore your future with me. I look forward to taking that exploration to the next step with you, when I'll see you on the road to prosperity.
* Chicken Soup for the Network Marketer's Soul
(c) 2008, John T. Canfield and Hansen and Hansen LLC
Published by Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
