Sowing Seeds of Purpose

"JUST TAKE ONE MORE STEP!"

You wake up to another day of, "Lord, what am I going to do today to get out of this mess?"

You begin to question your previous decisions, today's choices and tomorrow's hope. All of a sudden, you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

You ask yourself, "What happened to the great opportunities? They were so clearly there yesterday!? Was I just fooling myself?"

You feel the fog of fear begin to overwhelm you. Self-doubt sets on one shoulder saying loudly in your ear, "Maybe we should change direction. We've made a wrong turn. This is not working!"

Faith sets on the other shoulder trying to speak over Self-doubt; pleading, "Just take one more step, you're almost out of the fog. Don't forget about the seeds we've worked so hard sowing. Just take one more step!"

The mail comes and you realize that you have begun falling behind. The mortgage is late, the utilities could be cut off any day now. The cell phone is already disconnected and your friends and family, most of whom you had to borrow money from, are beginning to question your choices.

Self-doubt says to you, "We might have a chance to save a little of what's left if we get out now! We'll try again another day, with a better idea and a better plan."

You can't easily hear him now, but if you stand real still and listen real hard, you can hear the faint voice of Faith saying, "Please trust me. I have as much to lose as you do if I'm wrong. I know the fog is scary, but up here, I can see better than you. Just take one more step!"

Your spouse is worried, because the bank just called. Your heart races as though it will jump out of your chest any moment now.

You think to yourself, "Nothing has gone as planned. Maybe Self-doubt is right. Maybe I should quit now, before I stumble in this God-forsaken fog and fall into a hole from which I may never climb out!?"

Between the pounding in your chest, the pounding at the door, the telephone ringing and Self-doubt yelling in your ear, you can no longer hear the voice of Faith, but you know what he is saying, because he's leaving little signs all around you.

You can't see the signs, for the fog is so thick now, you could almost cut it with a knife, but, you don't have to see them, you can feel them in your gut.

Faith is saying,  "The path is clear up ahead! Just take one more step!"

Gift:

Most people give up just when they are about to achieve success. They quit on the one-yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game, one foot from a winning touchdown.

Ross Perot

God bless

MONEY & MARKETING

Beginning today, Tuesday and Saturday of each week will be dedicated to the topics of money and Marketing.

As a lot of you know, since retiring from the entertainment industry, I make my living as an Author (both print and online e-books), Success Coach, Sales & Small Business Consultant, media trainer and Public Speaker.

The reason I've decided to dedicate a couple of our days together to these specific topics, is to satisfy a growing demand among the readership.

Of late, it seems that more and more of the e-mails I receive are requests for information or advice in these specific areas. Last week at a signing for my book, "Sowing Seeds of Purpose", I experienced a rather slow-moving line, because a good number of the people were inquiring about marketing tips, what books or e-books I recommend for various types of information and what types of work-from-home or money-making opportunities I could suggest.

The fact is, I have spent a tremendous amount of time and money over the years to accumulate valuable knowledge in these areas, so, for at least 2 days of our week I will share with you what I've learned. This is what sowing seeds of purpose is all about.

Though we will cover a lot of priceless tips and information in the coming weeks and months, I do suggest that you sign up for my free newsletter for an even more in-depth connection. You will find that as a member, you will enjoy generous discounts on self-help products from the Seeds of Purpose Personal Growth Center, as well as, occasional free downloads of audios and e-books.

We will begin our new schedule this coming Tuesday, the first day of May, but for now, I would like to share a couple of great reads to get you started:

"The e Code" (33 Internet Superstars Reveal 43 Ways to Make Money Online Almost Instantly - Using Only E-Mail!)  By: Joe Vitale and Jo Han Mok

"Blogging for Business" (Everything You Need to Know and Why You Should Care)  By: Shel Holtz and Ted Demopoulos

God bless

BE A LIGHT

I received a phone call from a friend the other day whom I had not spoken with in a while. After the first 15 minutes of catching up, he began to share the exciting details of a new multi-level marketing company he has been promoting for the past 7 months.

Now, I've been exposed to a lot of MLMs over the years and was in fact, a member of 3 really good ones (not at the same time); one of which, allowed me to generate quite a substantial income.

Aware of the fact that I have an extensive list of associates, my friend began to push me to research his opportunity, suggesting that I might want to "sign-on" with the company and take advantage of my large number of contacts to build a very nice residual income for me and my family.

Though I'm not currently a member of a multi-level marketing company, I do believe that these type of businesses do offer the average person a wonderful opportunity to generate a rather large residual income for the least out-of-pocket investment.

The part of our conversation that caught my attention, was my friend's complaint, that with his extensive background in sales, he simply couldn't believe he had not had much larger success for the amount of time he had been participating.

I think I know why.

We've all been around the individual or group who constantly pushes their ideas, beliefs or products upon us so hard, that they begin to push us away. Many times, we may agree with their beliefs or we may actually like their product, but we are so turned-off by their insistent approach, that we reject what they offer to avoid association.

I made the same suggestion to my friend that I'm going to make to you.

If you want to attract the moth, be a light. If your product is so wonderful, don't push them to buy it, just let them try it.

If your restaurant is so good, let them sample the food.

If your opportunity is so wonderful and lucrative, don't push it on others, just be an example of the person they could be, who is living the life they could be living. Be a light!

I've seen so many people with great opportunities to share, make the mistake of painting the wrong picture of what they have and who they are. Remember, whether it be a product you are offering, an opportunity you're sharing, a church you're inviting someone to attend with you or maybe you're simply trying to win support for a cause; you are the first impression!

If you are judgmental, condemning, unforgiving or intolerant of those around you, how many people do you think would accept an invitation from you to join your church?

The fact is, you may not be a good representation of the majority of your church's congregation, but nonetheless, others will see you as an example of what they will be required to become.

The same goes for an MLM company that you represent. If you're pushy, needy, impatient and desperate, your prospects will assume that this is what they will experience or become should they participate.

Think about it for a moment. Put yourself in other people's shoes. Ask yourself these questions:

"What would make me want to buy this product?"

"What posture would attract me to this wonderful opportunity?"

"What qualities would a person need to exhibit for me to want to follow them?"

If you want others to follow you, then be a person you would follow.

If you want others to be interested or excited about your opportunity, then glow with an energy that exudes the kind of security and sense of purpose that would make a prospect hunger for what you have.

Remember, to get what you want, you must first help someone else get what they want. This has been the core value in multi-level marketing since their beginning and it works!

If you want to attract others to you; be the soft, warm light of honesty, contentment, confidence, purpose, hope, strength, focus and direction.

Be the kind of light that others will want to bask in.

Gift:

To get what you want, you must first give someone else what they want.

God bless

THE ONLY WAY TO TRULY FAIL IS TO QUIT TRYING

Today, I was looking for something to read and while going through a stack of the latest issues of some of my favorite magazines, I noticed a few titles or headlines on the front of a couple of them that inspired me to post.

On the front of Inc., the feature article read, "Make The Most of What You've Got". On the cover of Entrepreneur Magazine, the feature article read, "Who's in Charge of the Future? You are!", and on the cover of Selling Power, the feature story simply stated, "Success Without Limits".

These feature titles brought to mind something I read in Jack Canfield's, "The Success Principles" (How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be).

There was a lesson in the book called, "The rule of 5", where he suggests, that if you take a sharp ax and strike a tree 5 times every day without fail, that it will eventually fall over. It doesn't matter how big the tree is, it will come down as long as you continually go out every day and strike it 5 times.

The fact is, you are in charge of your future and sometimes, the best that any of us can do is to make the most of what we've got.

How many of you have become jaded? How many of you reading this right now, who used to dream so big, it made the universe seem small and cramped, have become leery and skeptical of new opportunities.

You may have good reasons for being suspicious. After all, how many opportunities have you found in magazine ads and late-night infomercials that have left you empty-handed? Of course, we all must admit that in some cases, we either made a wrong choice or simply didn't put our best foot forward.

The point I'm trying to make here, is that you owe it to yourself to keep trying. Sure, you may very well order a few more "duds" and fail a few more times, but why would you even consider giving up?

You never know which opportunity will succeed and which will fail, but you absolutely know the outcome of giving up and calling it quits. Keep weeding through the magazines, newspapers, websites and infomercials. You never know which opportunity will be the one.

If you honestly desire success without limits, then you will get up again and again and again, a thousand times if that's what it takes, and go out to whatever tree that represents your goals and swing that ax another 5 times. If you will do this, I promise, you will succeed! If you are persistent, the odds are in your favor.

Gift:

"The people who get on in this world are the people who
get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if
they can't find them, make them."

-George Bernard Shaw

God bless

WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE HONEYBEES?

I've been following stories in the news recently about the disappearance of the world's honeybees. After seeing a story in the local news this past week, I realized that I had been a little behind on this information, so I decided to search the New York Times archives to up-date myself.

I was astounded, to say the least. According to the one article in the Times, honeybees are responsible for pollinating some $14 billion worth of seeds and crops in the United States alone.

What scientists find alarming, is that millions of these honeybees are just disappearing without a trace.

The cause for this tragedy is not known, but theories suggest that it could be pesticides, viruses, fungus, poor bee nutrition, stress or maybe even confusion caused by cell phone waves.

For those unaware of the importance of our honeybees, you must understand that they are responsible for the pollination of our fruits and vegetables. Remember, humans AND livestock depend on fruits and vegetables in some way or another eventually.

For those of you who might suggest that our advanced technology will save us, think again. It is my understanding that we have tried artificial pollination and have yet to be successful.

I share this information for the simple reason that some of you may not be aware of the urgency of this matter and it has been my experience that sometimes an answer can come from a source we least expect. In other words, one of you reading this post may find the solution.

In studying this story, I couldn't help but find a similarity between real honeybees and the other ones that affect our lives.

We work to sow our seeds of prosperity, good health, love, friendship and abundance and too often, we forget how important the honeybees are to our success. The honeybees I'm referring to, are those people in our lives that have the ability to pollinate our seeds.

These people may be friends, family or acquaintances in our network, that can help take us to the next level and help us realize our dreams and goals.

These people may be teachers and masters that we have never met, that we may have access to through their books, audios or classes, such as, Anthony Robbins, Joe Vitale, Jack Canfield, Joel Olsteen, Norman Vincent Peale, etc...

After you have done your due-diligence, I urge you to make the comparison between the literal honeybees and the people who are, in a sense, honeybees in your life. Both are important to your survival.

It's been quite a while since I read this quote, so forgive me if it is not exactly word for word, but Albert Einstein once said:

"If all the honeybees were to suddenly disappear from the earth, Mankind would begin to disappear as well and would eventually cease to exist as a result."

Gift:

"Treat every person you know or meet as if your dreams, goals and even your very existence depends on them and you will never regret over-looking the one or ones who could've been instrumental in your success or survival."

Elbert West

God bless

GOD BLESS THOSE SUFFERING AT VIRGINIA TECH

Like a lot of you, my heart has absolutely been broken by this horrific waste of life.

In light of this terrible tragedy, I want to say what a blessing it is to see that so many of these young men and women interviewed over the past few days, have handled themselves with such strength and dignity.

The students, their families and the faculty of this great institution should serve as an example to us all, as I have seen and heard more than just a few of these individuals talk about their expectation of something positive coming from this unfortunate event.

I won't spend time discussing the details of this event or analyzing the shooter. There are countless blogs and news stories you can visit to learn the details. Here, we are just going to focus on healing.

There are 32 dead (33 counting the shooter), 15 injured and many more close to these people and around the country who will be heart-broken for a long time.

I would like to ask that all of you take moment in silence to remember these souls and those affected by their passing. Pray for healing and comfort.

For those of you who would like to find out more information and how you might get involved and be of help, you can go to Virginia Tech's website.

Gift:

Never allow your own sorrow to absorb you, but seek out another to console, and you will find consolation.

J. C. Macaulay

Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are sheared with scars.

E. H. Chapin

God Bless

IF ONLY I HAD IT ALL TO DO OVER AGAIN

For those of you not aware, I teach e-classes from time to time and the last few weeks has been one of those times.

It is customary for me to correspond with my students via e-mail throughout these classes, which can last anywhere from 3 weeks to 7 weeks, and then at the end of each course, I will usually engage in one-on-one coaching by phone with some of the participants.

Recently, I had an inspirational experience while coaching a very nice gentleman named Joe, who had just completed one of my classes.

Though Joe was a student of my class, it wasn't hard for me to quickly become a student of his.

Having read every book ever written by the likes of Norman Vincent Peale, Anthony Robbins, Napoleon Hill and Dr. Joseph Murphy, Joe himself, could literally inspire and motivate a desert rock.

A couple of weeks ago, while Joe and I were discussing one of Joel Olsteen's recent programs and his book "Your Best Life Now", he brought to my attention just how valuable each day and each moment of life really is, by sharing with me a list he has displayed on his bedroom mirror of common regrets among the elderly and terminally ill. His list is titled, "If only I had it all to do over again."

I have not been able to get it out of my head since, so I'm going to share it with all of you.

"If only I had it all to do over again....."

"I would go barefoot earlier in the Spring and go later into the Fall."

"I would go ahead and enjoy that second helping of brown beans and not worry so much about the after-affects."

"I would clean house less often, so that I could read to my kids more often."

"I would stay up later at night and take more naps during the day."

"I wouldn't give so much importance to my credit score or the mileage on my new automobile."

"I wouldn't be in such a rush for my kids to grow up and become independent."

"I would have dessert first and the main course last every once in a while."

"I would serve my children ice cream for breakfast and let them have it in bed at least once a month."

"I would greet my friends and family with a hug more often."

"I would tell my wife how incredibly sexy she is, more often."

"I would tell my husband how incredibly sexy he is, more often."

"I would laugh at myself more."

"I would ask Dad to share his old war stories one more time."

"I would ask Mom to write down all of the recipes she used to cook when we were growing up."

"I would play "hooky" from work and keep the kids out of school every now and then and go to the zoo for the day."

"I would take longer, slower walks."

"I would ride my bike more often."

"I would worry less of what others thought and be myself."

"I would live more in the moment, less in the past and if I live to see tomorrow; well then, that's just a bonus."

I think it's amazing at how it is the simple things we regret when it's all said and done.

Gift:

Yesterday is a canceled check; tomorrow is a promissory note; today is the only cash you have, so spend it wisely.

Kay Lyons

God bless

"JACKPOT JIMMY"

After recently finishing an eight month coaching session with a client, I found myself compelled to share this story with all of you. This is a true story, as I witnessed this while in Las Vegas with my friend James. He's o.k. that I'm sharing with you. You will also find this story in my book.

This is a great lesson to help you on the path to sowing seeds of financial independence. My client was dealing with this same issue.

Here's the story of "Jackpot Jimmy":

While in Las Vegas, Jimmy had been dropping quarters into this one particular slot machine for almost 48 hours, when he suddenly realized that he was down to his last twenty dollars.

With a potential one million dollar jackpot, Jimmy had no doubt what-so-ever that this slot machine was hot and ready to pay. With his last twenty dollars in hand...

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM DON IMUS?

I would like to believe that Mr. Don Imus did not intend malice when making his comments about the ladies of the Rutgers basketball team. At the end of the day, only he knows his heart.

What I do think, is that many Americans today who truly have no racist feelings at all, have simply allowed themselves to become too relaxed in conversation where race is concerned.

You turn on the television to African Americans demeaning other African Americans through song and comedy and after a while, a few white Americans begin to feel comfortable doing the same.

Believe me, I am aware that there are still plenty of individuals both black and white who are true racists.

Maybe there will come a day when these nicknames will carry no weight or meaning to either sides of the races, or they will simply be eliminated from humanity's vocabulary. For now, we must understand that these jokes or slurs do matter and do cause hurt and resentment.

We need to remember that you don't just erase the feelings embedded in another person's heart. Whether it be love or hate, it is up to the person who owns these feelings to come to terms with them.

So, where do we begin?

Well, to begin with, my wife and I have chosen to at least make a contribution to the future.

We have chosen to sow the seeds of equality in our children.

Both my wife and I, grew up in the south where racial slurs were as common place as "howdy y'all" among some of our adult relatives. Though, for the most part, I don't recall a family member of mine being cruel or malicious to any person of a different race or ethnic background.

As I became an adult, I learned to detest racial jokes and slurs. After growing up impoverished, I recall the hurt and shame I felt when others looked upon my family differently because of how and where we lived.

As a lot of you probably know, children can sometimes be quite cruel when you are a child who looks or lives differently than the majority. Going through adolescence was tough enough without being ridiculed for the clothes we wore or the fact that we had to accept free school lunches.

We may not be able to absolutely change the hearts and minds of the adults who feel differently toward others of another race, but if you are a person who is not a racist and wants to make a difference, a good place to start is with your children.

Our children have never heard racist remarks in our home and if a visitor were to attempt to talk in this manner, they would promptly be corrected.

If we teach our children to accept their peers as equals regardless of race, sex or financial status, then maybe we can raise a generation where situations like the one with Don Imus are a thing for the history books.

As far as those of us in the current adult world, I believe we should not accept this behavior or language from anyone white, black, oriental or otherwise.

If we wish our seeds of equality to develop strong roots, then we need to protest an African American's jokes and slurs with the same passion as we do a white person.

We can't erase what was said by Don Imus or the hurt caused by his remarks, but from all negatives, a positive can be found if we just look closely with an open heart.

The Civil Rights movement was littered with pain and sacrifice so that many freedoms could be experienced by future generations. It is my hope that we find a way from this current situation and others like it, to take yet another positive step forward.

Gift:

"Do unto others as you would have done unto you, or treat your neighbor the way you want to be treated, or... well, you know what hurts another person, so do the right thing and begin now sowing the seeds to make sure our children do not have to continue this dialog generations from now."

God bless

YOU ARE AN AMERICAN IDOL

I hope all of you had a blessed Easter holiday. 

For the past 3 years, I have followed the show, American Idol. Like a lot of you, I enjoy a great sense of personal power and satisfaction in the fact that I get to take part in lifting a certain individual or individuals to a position of stardom.

I'm amazed at how it seems as though it is almost human nature for the many to want to lift-up the few to heights of greatness.

You can ask every successful person and they will tell you that they had plenty of helping hands and cheerleaders along the path to achieving their success.

Now, you might be thinking to yourself; "That's great and you're probably right, but how does this help me? No one's gonna want to lift ordinary Ole me to great heights of success."

Believe it or not, you too can enlist the help of the masses to rise-up.

If you would like to recruit others to help you achieve success, you must first emanate these three characteristics:

- Know exactly what you want and where you are going.            

- Maintain a steady flow of thoughts, words and actions toward the outcome your desire.

- And don't be afraid to ask for all the help you need.

Remember, the world steps aside and lets pass, the person who knows where he or she is going.

Even on American Idol when it comes time to vote, you will see the contestants hold up the amount of fingers that represent their number for the night. They are asking for your vote!

Last week on Joel olsteen's show, he spoke of how a lot of us tend to undervalue ourselves and therefore, fail to give ourselves permission to succeed. This is why we don't allow or ask others to lift us onto their shoulders. We think we're not worthy and so we remain a part of the masses, existing only to  lift others.

We all enjoy to some degree, the ability or the power to lift others up to greatness. The question now, is are you going to take your turn?

If you know what you want and where you're going, if your desire shows in your thoughts, words and actions and if you will simply ask; we will lift you onto our shoulders and make you an "American idol".

A gift:

Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.

William Jennings Bryan

God bless