The Future Me

I read a question on a website asking about the future me.  In a perfect world, what will my life be like in the future?

The question got me thinking.  I am a “mature” woman.  Both my parents lived well into their 80’s, and my grandmother lived to 93.  So, with longevity on my side, I may still be around in 20 years.  So, let me tell you what the “future me” will be doing – assuming that “perfect world.”

My husband and I have had our house up for sale for nearly a year.  This is not a good time to try to sell a house.  The “future me” will have our house sold, and we will be living in California, close to our children and grandchildren.  We will be living in a nice, safe and quiet neighborhood with a lovely home.

My “future me’s” health is of great importance.  I have health issues now, which my parents did not have at my age. I have taken care of myself my entire life, always staying active and exercising, keeping my weight pretty much under control and eating fairly well – if not quite as healthfully as I should.  I never smoked, used drugs or overindulged in adult beverages. 

Therefore, there was not too much I could have done differently to prevent my health problems.  However, if the conditions do not worsen, I may live well into old age.  The “future me” will be in decent, though not excellent health, mobile, self-sufficient and able to enjoy the pleasures in life.

Throughout my life I saved money, building an income for our retirement.  With the global recession, my investments took a heavy hit – just at the time when I would like to have been able to begin to live on them.  The “future me” will live in a greatly improved economy, increasing my investments dramatically.

This leads to another thing the “future me” will be enjoying - a great income from my Xpress Healthcare business.  Unlike many in network marketing, I am earning a decent income from my home business.  Decent, but not the six-figure income everyone talks about.  I am fortunate that my business continues to grow, but the “future me” will have that six-figure income, enabling me to enjoy my “senior” years traveling and doing whatever I want to do whenever I want to do it.

It is fortunate that I work in the business I do, because it provides me with supplemental health, dental and other great discounts to save me money in various areas of my life.  As long as I am able to sit at a desk and use my computer, I can continue to work if I choose to do so well into old age.

Hopefully this blog will encourage you to think about the future you, where you will be and what you will be doing.  I hope we can all be there together!

http://julie.joinxpress.com/xhc1.html?=blogger

Chase Your Passion

Passion:  “intense emotion: intense or overpowering emotion such as love, joy, hatred, or anger; intense enthusiasm: a strong liking or enthusiasm for a subject or activity”

I do not believe that children feel or understand passion, not to be confused with love for any person or thing.  When we hit our teens, I think we begin to feel passion.  When I was in my teens, I began to have “crushes” on boys.  At the time, I remember thinking that I loved one guy or another, but in reality, I think it was actually passion beginning to bloom.

Also, in our teens, the most important thing in the world to us is our friends.  We are passionate about our friendships as we begin to mature we pull away from our families.  Most of us return to the strong family fold later, but during our teens, they are not as important to us as our friends.

As we continue to grow into adults, many of us develop hobbies or get involved with sports about which we become passionate.  My late husband was passionate about fishing and hunting.  My current husband is a “car nut,” building and looking at classic cars at every opportunity.  Some people cannot get enough of watching football. 

In my late 20’s, I became involved with genealogy.  To this day, many years later, I am passionate about my family history.  I research my family whenever I have time to do so.  This passion is only for my own family.  I want to learn everything I possibly can about them, how each person was related to each other person and how far back in history can I trace them.

When my husband and I were married (20 years this coming New Years Day), I introduced him to genealogy.  He loves it nearly as much as I do, and together we have traced one branch of his family back to the year 636.  Yes indeed, he is now passionate about genealogy too.

I worked a variety of jobs throughout my life, but I never became passionate about my career.  It was simply a way to earn money and support my family.

In February, 2011, however, I joined a network marketing company called Xpress Healthcare, and for the first time, I am passionate about my work.  I often spend 10-12 hours a day working on my business, but the time just passes, because I love what I am doing. 

I am passionate about helping people save money with our discount savings plans, and using the plans, I personally save an enormous amount of money each year.  Even more than Xpress Healthcare’s products, I am passionate about growing a team of affiliates who are also passionate about the company.  It is a thrill for me to watch them build a business and an income and to watch them grow themselves, learning new skills and stepping out of their comfort zones to try new and different methods of marketing the business.

Looking back over my life, I can see how passion can be many different things, as the definition at the top of this page indicates.  It can be nearly any strong emotion, both positive and negative.  However, the emotions evoked by passion keep us alive, striving to always do more, have more, see more and feel more. 

http://julie.joinxpress.com/xhc1.html?=blogger

My Dog Ate My Homework

Like teachers who receive excuses like, “My dog at my homework,” those of us in network marketing hear some pretty crazy reasons as to why people on our teams quit.

With my company, because we offer a 14-day trial, the majority of those who quit do so during the trial.  It makes it easier.  I never have charge backs.  But periodically some do quit at a later date.

I am extremely honest with prospective team members.  I make it very clear that they likely will not be making money for possibly the first few weeks, but the potential to earn a great deal is great if they work hard and persevere.  I also explain that a home business is work, real work.  I want people to understand exactly what to expect, so I explain it all very thoroughly before they join.

That said, even after years in network marketing, I am still amused when I see the silly excuses people give for why they are quitting.  

Recently I had a young lady quit, because she didn’t want to “work so hard.” 

Some people have worked with several different companies and they quit saying they could not earn enough money right away.  With each company they join, they expect too much too soon.

Of course, although each new team member knows before they join exactly how much their monthly fee will be after their trial period ends, and yet, there are still those who quit due to financial reasons.  Did they really not know before they joined that they wouldn’t be able to afford it?  So they waste their own time and mine in training.

A couple times I’ve had people tell me that they were offered a j-o-b they “couldn’t refuse.”  Both told me they weren’t even looking for a job, but the company approached them and begged them to work for them.  Of course, neither of them had done one bit of work with their business during their time with my company.

I know that life sometimes “gets in the way,” but many have quit my team saying there was just too much going on in their lives to work the business.  All of a sudden, during that brief 2 week trial, their entire life went into turmoil?  Hmm.

I cannot begin to count the number of people who have called me saying that, due to health issues, they cannot work a normal job outside their home.  So, they decided they want a home business.  During the “interview” process I always ask whether, with their health problems, they are certain they can handle work at home.  Of course, they answer “yes” and then days or weeks later, they quit because of health issues.

I have gotten much better at determining whether someone will be an asset to my team or not.  More often than not, I am right.  However, there are always those who deserve an Academy Award for their performance prior to joining.  They are enthusiastic and excited to get started, and they appear to have the experience and background it takes to be successful. 

One thing I have definitely learned is not to get too excited about anyone joining my team.  I no longer feel “sure” that anyone is going to be great.  It is unfortunate, but there is no crystal ball, so we can never be sure until they come on board and prove themselves. 

I Hate Reality TV!

I have satellite TV with hundreds of channels to watch, but the vast majority of the time, as far as I am concerned, nothing is worth watching!

Each season – or even mid-season – another ridiculous “reality” show is put on the air.  Reality?  What reality?  Most of the shows are staged.  The “players” do what the producer says to do, because the audience loves it.

I will admit that I enjoy a few of the talent shows, “American Idol,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” and “Dancing with the Stars.”  I do NOT enjoy the early episodes when they are rooting out the worst of the worst.  I enjoy hearing good music and watching great dancing, but I could easily do without their life stories inserted throughout the program.

I actually have a life, my own life.  I don’t need to watch someone else living their life.  Families who scream at and hit one another.  Do people actually find this entertaining?  Watching someone build a fish tank?  Sorry, I enjoy watching fish in a tank, but watching them build it?  Boring!

I have never seen “Jersey Shore” or the various “Housewives of…” programs.  Then there is “Swamp People” who float around killing alligators.  Now THAT is a beautiful thing to see!  “Ice Truckers?”  People drive around on extremely dangerous roads nearly getting killed.  Of course, you know they will not be killed, because that would remove a “cast” member.

How about “Miami Ink?”  I have never seen the show, but watching people get tattoos?  Really?  “Ax Men” is another one I’ll be sure to miss.  From the trailers, it appears there are a bunch of guys, loggers I guess, who argue with one another.  “Sister Wives,” a man with his harem of wives?  This is 2012, isn’t it?  “Ghost Adventures” is an interesting one (she says while laughing).  My husband actually watches that one sometimes, so I sat down with him once.  A group of “ghost hunters” go into a supposedly haunted house, occasionally jumping or screaming out from a sound or touch that the viewer cannot see or hear.   

Unfortunately, kids watch these shows.  They get the impression that their own lives are boring, sometimes leading them into doing stupid things so they too can have an “exciting” life.  Do we really want our children to believe these shows are real?

I don’t watch much TV, but when I do watch, I enjoy nature programs, learning from history shows, but not much else.  I’ll take a good book anytime, and I’ll continue living my own real life.

http://julie.joinxpress.com/xhc1.html/blogger

Team Work Can Make a Dream Work

To succeed in network marketing, it is vital that you have a great sponsor.  When you joined your program, hopefully you did lots of research to learn what team you wanted to join.  Many people in the industry quit due to a lack of support and training from their sponsors.  More often than not, I believe it is the team member, not the sponsor’s fault.  However, there are poor sponsors.  I have worked with them myself.

If you are currently seeking a new business opportunity, before joining any organization, perform research on potential sponsors.  I know that some team leaders dislike when prospects are “sponsor shopping.” It can be annoying, however, there is a difference between trying to join the top team in the company and trying to find a patient, mentoring sponsor.  If the “chemistry” isn’t good between you and a team member, you will not work well together.

When talking to a prospective sponsor, you can ask them a few questions that should help you determine whether you should join their team.

1.   What kind of support do you offer new team members?

2.   Do you have successful team members now, or did you with other companies?

3.  How is your team different from others in your company?

4.  Do you host team training calls and/or offer one-on-one training?

Some companies place emphasis on the team leaders and ignore those who are not top producers.  I worked with a company like that myself.  The team leaders paid attention to those who were doing really well, not those who actually needed guidance and training.

The people who get on the strong teams within a company are generally the most successful.  Without a sponsor with great leadership skills, you likely will not receive the training and support you need.

No team leader wants someone to join their team who needs their hand held every step of the way.  However, there is a difference between a free loader who is dragging the whole team down and someone who needs guidance and a couple one-on-one training sessions to get their business up and running.

As a team leader, I know that you can lead a horse to water…  At the same time, I know that I must give my team all the tools they need to succeed; I must spend some one-on-one time with them at the beginning and any time changes take place within the company; and then I can leave it up to them to apply and put these tools and methods to good use.  It is the nature of the business that not all team members will do well, and many will quit before ever putting in any effort.

I openly share what I have learned along the way, teach my team members the most effective way to market our product, and help them to duplicate my recruiting methods.

What works with one company may not necessarily work with another company.  I have developed a system and methods that actually work with our program, and I teach my downline how to replicate them.  If I do my job well, those team members who are truly determined to succeed will then teach these same methods to their own teams to achieve even greater success for the team as a whole.

Come join my team, The Winner's Circle at http://julie.joinxpress.com/xhc1.html?=blog

Clearing Out the Old

My husband and I have our house up for sale.  Whenever it sells, we will have 17-years of accumulated “stuff” to move.

So, we decided to get rid of some things.  For years we’ve been collecting “tshatshkes” (trinket, toy, bauble; knick-knack; ornament), and they are just sitting in a closet.  Some are antiques and/or vintage items.

My husband and I thought we should try to sell them online.  Over the years, we have purchased a thing or two and sold a couple things on eBay, but we are far from experienced sellers.

We photographed all the things we wanted to sell, loaded the pix into my computer and began to place our ads.

What a production it turned out to be! We were posting 15 items.  First determining the category was a bit of a challenge.  Some items fit into more than one category, and other things didn’t seem to fit into any of the categories offered.

When we went to upload the photos for each item, some wouldn’t load for some reason (wrong number of pixels?).  We had to retake and reload pictures repeatedly.

The next obstacle we faced was determining the price.  We had looked up most of the items on eBay and other sites to see what they sold for, but the prices varied dramatically.  Since we really want to sell these items, we decided to go lower than most of the others, and we put them under the “buy now” category.  In the Buy Now area, we had to select the lowest offer we would accept.  We wanted to make a little money at least on these items.

Our next step was to think up a title for each ad.  We had to try to think up titles that would grab buyers’ attention.  I’m not sure how successful we were, but I think I would have stopped to look closer if I was buying instead of selling.

Then we had to think of a description for them.  Six of the items were beautiful vintage perfume bottles.  I inherited them from my mother.  They are all glass, some with “jewels,” some with raised designs.  We had to come up with descriptions that were different for each one.  I didn’t even know what to call a couple of the items.  They were “tshatshkes.”

After posting about six of our 15 items, I realized I had skipped the “location exclusion” section.  I do not want to have to send them outside of the United States.  I had to go back to the original six I had already posted and correct that section. 

All in all, this process took us – wait for it – nearly four hours!  After all that work, I certainly hope these items sell. 

Our Sunday was a new and interesting experience.

http://julie.joinxpress.com

Change Please

To make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of something different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone. “There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction”

Winston Churchill quotes (British Orator, Author and Prime Minister during World War II. 1874-1965) Most of us are resistant change.  We are comfortable where we are, doing what we have been doing in the same way.  Of course, change is inevitable.  If you look at it with a positive attitude, change can be exciting, keeping life – or your business – ever evolving and improving. Considering the ever-accelerating rate of change in today’s workplace, the ability to successfully adapt to change may be one of the most important skills to learn. There are times that we may focus on what we might lose as a result of the change, rather than on what we may gain. No matter how you personally feel about the change – whatever it may be - it is important to adapt productively and positively. There are times when we want to just get the change over with so we can move on.  In the world of business, the cycle of change may take longer than we hope or expect.  The changes must be communicated to everyone, integrated into an existing system, and it may take time for adjustment of all the things that the change may affect.  When you learn about an upcoming change, consider it a challenge.  Take it on!  Throw yourself into learning as much as you can about it.  Consider what new and exciting horizons may appear as result of the change. Tap into your courage.  Be brave and face the change head on. Instead of clinging to the status quo, ask yourself “How will this change improve my business?” “How will it make our entire company better?”  Instead of expressing discontent and resistance, look for ways that the integration process of the change will give you an opportunity to grow your business.  When we are pushed out of our comfort zone, we can then build a new one. Ask others – your team leader or a co-worker – for their input.  They may have insight into how the change will affect you and the company.  Their perspective may be very different from your own, so you can ask for ideas, suggestions and feedback on how they are adjusting to the change.  You may be surprised how having a solid support system surrounding you will ease the affect of the change.  Rather than being resistant to the change by building walls around you, build bridges instead that you may cross to learn how to maximize the benefits of the change. Eventually the adjustment to the change, or to several changes, will get easier.  I’ll admit that early on with my current company, before I knew the business really well, changes frightened me just a bit.  I wondered whether I could learn a new way of working, new products, new skills.  I no longer fear them.  Instead I look forward to them and adjust quickly. Because I work with a fairly new company, we have learned that we must expect changes and embrace them.  Along with our company, we can evolve, improve and grow. http://juliejoinxpress.com