The World is Our Classroom

When we were born, we had no knowledge besides instinct.  As time passed, we discovered we had legs and arms and hands.  We gradually started figuring things out.  Human’s rate of learning in those first few months of life is extraordinary.

When we entered school, we began learning new skills, expanded our vocabulary and learned to read and write.  With that knowledge, we were able to continue through our school years absorbing more and more information.

Then, we graduated.  Unfortunately, many people stop learning at that point.  Sure everyone learns something just going through the motions of life.  However, it is in the action of learning, intentionally gaining new knowledge that our brains stay alive and active.  Many studies show that mental activity may even prevent mental diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.

Learning is a habit, a good habit that we need to sustain throughout our lives.  Sitting in front of a television is passive activity.  The benefits of learning are lost.  To challenge your brain, you need to do new things, go to different places and read!

Travel is an excellent learning activity.  Seeing new places, meeting new and different people and experiencing new opportunities helps you to acquire a wealth of knowledge. 

Starting a new hobby is a wonderful learning exercise.  Not too long ago, I took up beading.  I am not all that good at it, but I enjoy it, it requires thought and I have developed a new skill.  Perhaps you enjoy “crafting,” or you want to learn to ski, paint, golf… There are myriad hobbies where you can learn the intricacies required and meet new people.

Reading, of course, is the most active way to learn new information.  Surveys show that 42% of all college graduates in the United States never read another book after graduation.  42%!  I was shocked to read that.

In today’s world, there are many different reading mediums.  Books are the most obvious, but in recent years, books have become digitized with the advent of Kindle and Nook readers.  A whole library is now available at our fingertips.  For those with a limited budget, the books we have read for centuries are still available at bookstores and libraries.  I am an avid reader, but I still read actual books.  I frequent my local library, and I am always pleased to see that it is very well used by the community.

To learn and keep up with current events, there are newspapers both in print and online.  Fortunately, newspapers include far more than politics and the latest murder.  You can learn about art, cooking, your community and much more in your local newspaper.

Obviously you read blogs, another great place to learn about a wide variety of subjects.  Because there are personal blogs, sports and art-related blogs, business blogs and so much more, they are an almost endless source of knowledge.

Once we left school, our learning became self-directed.  Learning is a huge part of what makes life interesting and fun.  And we are in total control of when, how much and what we learn.

I Do Not Like to Exercise

I do not like to exercise.  I never have, but I have always done some form of exercise regularly.  More often than not, I have had a walking routine, and periodically bike riding and various forms of at-home exercises. I was thinking about this as I was taking my morning walk.

I exercise, because I want to live a really long time.  It’s that simple.  Exercise is good for us, and I always feel better after exercising and sluggish if I do not.

We have always known that exercise can keep us fit and healthy and extend our lives.  Over the past couple of years, however, studies have been conducted on how exercise affects our brain.  The results, among other things, shows that exercise improves memory and increases the size of the hippocampus.  At around the age of 55, the hippocampus begins to atrophy.  It is one of the first areas affected by Alzheimer’s.

One of the studies used both men and women with an average age of 60.    The study revealed that the brains of those who did regular aerobic exercise had a hippocampal volume of 2%.  Those who did not exercise actually had a decline of 1.4% hippocampal volume.  Those who exercised also had increased spatial memory.

The studies also showed that during exercise, the brain has to work hard to keep muscles moving and to keep all our bodily systems in sync with one another.

This is a bit more scientific than I understand fully, but it is clear that there are both physical and mental changes occur in our brain when we exercise.  That’s enough for me.

The good news is that we don’t have to spend hours in a gym or jogging.  If we walk briskly for 30 minutes most days of the week, it is sufficient to gain the benefits of exercise. 

With few exceptions, everyone can either walk or move in some way for 30 minutes several times a week.  If you don’t do it for yourself, do it for those who love you who might one day have to care for you if Alzheimer’s strikes.   If the knowledge that exercise was good for your body – to maintain a healthy weight, prevent diabetes, etc. – was not enough to get you off the sofa, perhaps knowing that your brain is actually affected might.

Is everybody ready now?  Let’s get moving!

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Distractions...

I have been in network marketing for several years.  I am generally a very organized person.  Lately I have found I am distracted more easily than is my norm.  The result?  Obviously I am not getting as much accomplished as usual.

I really MUST clean up my desk.  I have several stacks of papers all over my “C” shaped desk, a pretty good sized one.  Some of these papers should be filed away.  Some have been there for so long that, in reality, I will never look at them again or use them as I originally intended.  Then there are those few documents that are important and I look at nearly every day.

On top of my cluttered desk, I have bulletin boards on the walls around my desk for the quick-reference items.  Most of these I use several times a day.  I usually keep it pretty organized and neat, but there are a few things I could toss since they are outdated.

A cluttered desk, for me, causes cluttered thinking.  As I have gotten older, focusing is a little more difficult than it used to be.   But, when I accumulate this clutter around me, I really see a decline in my productivity.

Then, there is that bad habit I have picked up of checking my email way too often.  When I open it frequently, I get distracted from whatever I was doing and end up replying to emails, etc.  By the time I am done, I sometimes forget what I was doing before.  If I checked it when I first start working in the morning, right after my lunch break and again at the end of the day, that should be plenty.

So, I have now spelled out my problem, and I am fully aware of the solution.  So, as soon as I submit this blog, I AM going to begin working on the clutter on my desk.  On Monday, I will re-organize and clean up my bulletin boards.  Finally, and this one is the most difficult, I must actually CLOSE my email while I am working on other things so I won’t be tempted to check it whenever I see new email has arrived.

My friends, I have just put my commitment in writing, and I am telling all of you what I AM going to do.   By the beginning of next week, I will be cleaned up and more focused, and I will back to being the productive person I like to be. 

(To learn about Julie Klein's Home Based Internet Business Opportunity, visit http://julie.joinxpress.com?=blogger).

We Are in the Winner's Circle

Last night I hosted my nationwide team call.  My team name is “The Winner’s Circle.”  I really enjoy training and working with my team.  During the call last night, it struck me that my team members appreciate the call as much as I enjoy hosting it.

I began hosting team calls just eight months ago.  I had not hosted team calls prior to that time, and to be honest, I was nervous.  What if no one dialed in?  What if there was no feedback and I had to try to carry on the entire call alone?

Well, it turned out that from the very first call, there was pretty good attendance and participation.  Whew!

At the beginning, I started out by giving a brief training presentation, and then I opened the lines.  I announced that the call would last only 15 minutes, unless team members had questions, in which case, I would extend it.

After just a couple calls, the participation increased to a point where the calls lasted 30 minutes.  Then, after a couple months, attendance grew along with the questions, suggestions and comments.  At that point, I announced that the new structure of the call would be a 15-minute training presentation, followed by Q&A and comments, and at the 30 minute mark, those who wished to continue the conversation could remain on the call, but the actual training would end.  Nearly everyone stayed on past 30 minutes.

The calls have evolved where I must now end them after an hour.  They would often be longer if I allowed them to continue, but I think there can be too much of a good thing.

About a month ago, I decided to add another weekly team call, one where team members would volunteer to do research about our products and give a presentation.  It has been a huge success!  We have had three team member presentations so far, and each has been excellent, informative and well received.  One team member new to the call last night said that whoever thought of this team-presentation call had a great idea.  Since it was my own idea, I loved hearing how they liked the new call.  This meeting is only about 15-30 minutes long, and as with our main team call, we have good attendance each week.

As is common in network marketing, although I have a rather large team, only a small number of people are actually working their business.  Surprisingly though, of those who are working, nearly all  attend both team calls every single week. 

As I have grown in my business, built a good team and learned more, I am proud of myself.  I used to be unable to give myself a “pat on the back,” but that too is growth I believe.  I am not THE best team leader or trainer, but I am pretty darned good.

Not to take full credit - which I definitely do not deserve - I am also very proud of my team members who dial in every week, participate in the conversation and volunteer to give presentations.  I am very pleased to say that I have several “stars in the making” on my team, wonderful business partners who are IN “The Winner’s Circle.”

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Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is located in the central eastern portion of California. It is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, Giant Sequoia groves, and biological diversity. Almost 95% of the park is designated wilderness. 

These are the basic facts about Yosemite, but to my family and me, Yosemite is far more than data and figures. You see, from the time I was about seven years old (1950’s), my family began taking trips to Yosemite at least once each year.

The first several years, we stayed in tents, slept in sleeping bags and prepared our meals over a campfire. When my parents could later afford it, we upgraded to “tent cabins,” which is basically a tent with a wooden floor and cots for sleeping. Years later, we upgraded to cabins with floors, doors, and some even had a bathroom.

More than any other photographs in my families’ albums, Yosemite pictures take up the bulk of the space. We have pictures of the family feeding deer (not smart and no longer permitted); the family spread out hand-to-hand across the width of one of the Giant Sequoias; our car driving through the tree tunnel (long fallen down); crossing the swinging bridge (long gone); and the Fire Falls. 

Aahh, the Fire Falls. A Ranger would be located at the top of Glacier Point, one of the highest points in Yosemite. Another Ranger was on the ground in the Valley where visitors stayed. He would yell out “Let the Fire Fall!” The sound echoed through the Valley as we watched burning hot, bright orange coals pouring down the side of the Granite Mountains. It was amazing, exciting and beautiful! Remember, we’re talking about the 1950’s. At some point, authorities realized the danger of this activity, and there were no more Fire Falls.

Then, there was “the dump.” Each night crowds of people, including my family, would walk to the main dump. Crouching on rocks or the ground, we would watch the bears arrive and enjoy their dinner meal in the garbage cans. To my knowledge, no one was ever hurt, because we just sat quietly and didn’t disturb their bears while they were dining. And besides, our Daddy, our hero, would have protected us. It was fascinating and fun while it lasted. I am certain you know that the bears can no longer go to the dump for their meals.

My family had what we called “our rock” located at the base of Vernal Falls. It was a huge flat boulder than hung out over the rushing stream. The entire family could sit on the rock where we would sit for hours, have lunch and cross the stream jumping from rock to rock. The last time I was at Yosemite, about 20 years ago, only one person could have fit on “our rock” since it had been eroded by the water over the years.

During our Yosemite visits, we never stopped. We enjoyed every second. We hiked up the base of waterfalls. We visited the meadows each sunrise and sunset to see the deer came down to graze. They were beautiful to watch. We climbed mountains, rented bikes to ride around the valley and inhaled the clean air and the scent of camp fires. At night, the Rangers had sing-along’s and told stories around a huge camp fire, songs I remember to this day.

Even after all the kids were grown and married, we still got together for our annual trip to Yosemite, by that time bringing our own children. My children love Yosemite too. It became part of them as it did for us all.

The last time I visited Yosemite, I had my children, my husband, my brother and his young son and my parents. By that time, my parents were probably in their 70’s, but they were as game as ever, and we did all the things we always had. 

Shortly after that trip, my father’s health declined, so he was no longer able to travel to the high altitude of Yosemite. And, I moved out of California. My parents and one sister have since died. My sons, nephew and brother still visit Yosemite, and for them and the rest of the family, Yosemite is not just a place we visited. Yosemite is family. Yosemite is in our blood. Yosemite National Park is love.

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Like the Girl Scout Motto, "Be Prepared"

Major millionaire and billionaire celebrities, such as Robert Kiyosaki, best-selling author of “Rich Dad Poor Dad,” and Donald Trump highly recommend Network Marketing.  And yet, there is a negative reputation that still hangs over the industry.  While over the years, more and more people are joining, and succeeding in network marketing, there is still a stigma attached to the term.

Let’s review why the “scam” reputation still lingers around the edges of the industry. Anyone considering starting their own Network Marketing business needs to perform a reality check.  If you enter the business believing you’ll earn income from day one, it very likely will NOT happen.  In addition, just like every “real” business, your income is likely to vary from week to week or month to month.  Particularly at the beginning, you may go weeks without earning any money at all!

Just like a store or restaurant owner or a computer repair company, when the business owner started out, they were not in profit mode until they built a clientele.  As a Network Marketing business owner, you must be prepared for this by having some type of income to tide you over until your business “takes off.” 

Network Marketing offers a long-term financial solution.  If you expect to be earning thousands of dollars within your first few months, you likely will be disappointed, and you’ll want to steer clear of anyone who is “guaranteeing” or “promising” that you will.  While it is possible to earn very good money in Network Marketing in a short period of time, it takes the vast majority of people much more time.   

I do not want to discourage you from entering the Network Marketing industry, because it truly is the most affordable and simplest way to achieve financial freedom.  It is very important, however, that you be educated and thoroughly understand that Network Marketing offers a LONG TERM financial solution.  So begin your business by making a long term commitment to achieve great results.  Your patience and perseverance will pay off.  In the years to come, the efforts you put forth and the sacrifices you make today will pay off.

Once you have accepted the long term commitment, remember that you most likely will be spending money with none coming in early in your business.  Like traditional business owners, when you first start your own business, expect it to cost you for the first couple of months. With traditional businesses, they are often “in the red” for years before they are earning a profit.   The good news for Network Marketers is that, if you actively working your new business, it should be only a matter of weeks or months to reach profit mode.

The great advantage of a Network Marketing business model over other businesses is that your costs are probably very low.  You have no rent or franchise fee, and you need not pay any employees that those in traditional businesses must.

It is important to keep “the big picture” in mind.  Over time, you could build your business to enable you to earn unlimited income!  Most people in the Network Marketing business quit, because they expect success to “happen,” while in reality, it is those who “make it happen” who are successful.  Those who quit either were not totally committed or they simply were not willing to persevere.  The difference between Network Marketing business owners who succeed and those who do not is based on commitment, dedication, patience and persistence toward reaching their goals.

When you start your Network Marketing business, make a commitment for at least your first year, and work your business, put in the required effort to become established.  When you recruit new team members, ask them to make that same commitment and put forth that same effort.  In that way, your entire organization will be rewarded.  When prospecting, you want to find people who are willing to commit and work their business, not just join your team.

As we work toward achieving that amazing income, remember that perseverance is not one long, continuous effort.  Rather, it is many small efforts performed one after another.  Set and write down your long term goals.  Also set smaller goals along the way to give you a sense of achievement, which in turn motivates you to strive for the next goal.  Over time, you will see your income begin and continue to grow, limited only by your own efforts and dreams. 

As long as you enter the Network Marketing industry knowing what to expect and you are willing to do whatever it takes to reach your goals, you will become one of the success stories we all read about.

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The Big Picture

When speaking to one of my team members today, we were discussing how, in network marketing, people often are unable to see “the big picture.”

As most people know, in network marketing a large percentage of those who join quit before they’ve put any real effort into their business.  I believe that is because they don’t have the right perspective, their overall view of what can be achieved is beyond them.

Those who can see "the big picture" are able to look beyond the immediate future, seeing in their mind through a wider lens that displays the true possibilities that lie before them.

There are network marketing companies that promise almost immediate success.  Although on rare occasions, someone’s business does take immediately, but it is bar far the exception, rather than the rule.

Network marketing companies that pay residual income do not pay a large amount for every sale an associate makes.  Rather, they will earn a small amount, but they’ll be paid that amount month after month, year after year, rather than being paid only once.  With residual income, once an associate builds a good income, even if they stop working their business, as long as they remain with the company, their residual income continues to come in.

I’ll use my own company as an example.  Xpress Healthcare sells discount health and dental plans and benefit plans that reduce our members’ costs in many other areas of their lives.  For instance, if I sell our top plan, I will be paid $15, which by itself may seem a rather small amount, not much at all.  However, I will be paid $15 every single month for every active account I sell.  Let’s say I sell our plans to a business with 100 employees.  From that one sale, I’ll be earning $1500 month after month.

In the grand scheme of things, $15 is looking better.  PLUS, I’ll be paid a percentage of the sales people on my team down two levels are paid.  So, in addition to the $15 I’m paid for my personal sales, I’ll be paid $2.50 each month for all of the top plans my team members sell.  Again, using that company with 100  employees example, if my team member made the sale, I’d be earning $250 per month, and I did no work for it!

Of course, anyone who “sticks it out” continues to make additional sales that begin stacking up, growing a larger and larger residual income.  Is that “big picture” beginning to look better? 

I personally believe that those who are unable to see “the big picture” should not work with a company that pays residual commission.  They should select a company that pays larger, one-time commissions.  If they are wise, they’ll invest it well.  If they are not, they may end up with nothing in the end.

With my own company, as with many others, the possibility of earning the “magical” six-figure income is very real for anyone willing to work for it and not quit.  I personally never worked a j-o-b where I came anywhere close to earning that much money, and if I quit that job, I received no additional paychecks.  So, what if you had to work two years, or three, or five?  Seeing that “big picture” up the road should keep you staying the course until you reach it. 

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