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If you're like most people, your reply may be something like "I have to prospect/follow up with lots of people," "I have to really work on and build my business," "life is pretty busy and crazy with work and family and this business," "there's never enough time for all that needs to be done," etc. Not exactly the abundance of your dreams, huh? There's probably not enough money for all you want to do either -- after all, that's why you're in Network Marketing, isn't it? Because once you succeed in Network Marketing everything will change ... right? Wrong! Yes, you are involved in a business that provides an incredible opportunity to have abundance in your life, however, there's a "catch." If you aren't abundant today, you can bet that you won't be in the future either -- no matter how much money you make. Before you read any further or make one more prospecting or follow up call, stop for a moment. Pour yourself a cup of tea and curl up in a comfortable spot. Let's talk about how to become abundant in Network Marketing and, most importantly, in your life -- today. If you are like most of us in Western culture (both Networkers and non-Networkers), you probably have the conscious or unconscious belief that in order to be abundant, you have to do something. In fact, the general "formula" most of us know for abundance is that we have to do something in order to have something so that we can be abundant.
While much of this may be true, the only problem with this formula is that it seems like the "do-ing" stuff is never done, so we never get around to the having or being. Or when we do, it's never enough and/or we feel guilty because there's still so much to do. Does this sound familiar? I thought so. Focusing your efforts, energy, and attention on the doing first is a set-up for scarcity and will never bring abundance. "Scarcity" is the exact opposite of abundance and the only thing that can result from scarcity is more scarcity! How can you change this "set-up for scarcity" in your business and your life? It's actually quite simple (which, I remind you, is not always the same as "easy"). The "formula" for abundance is exactly opposite! You must be abundant first; then you will have opportunities, contacts, possibilities, connections, ideas, interest in your business, etc. The natural response to these opportunities is to do what's called for, to take action. This cycle of be-have-do then continues, expanding your abundance in the process. Before I show you what I mean, how's that cup of tea tasting? Is taking a break in a comfortable place with a cup of tea in the midst of all your activities an unusual action for you? Stop reading for a moment. Put this article down (only for a moment, however!) and look around. Notice the environment around you. What do you see? How are you feeling at this moment? Take a deep breath. Take another! Now, as you look around the room and sip on your tea, I'd like you to speak out loud ten (that's right -- ten!) things that you are grateful for at this moment. Think of the people in your life. Think of the comfort of your home. Think of the beauty in the world around you. Do not stop until you have spoken ten things aloud and have noticed how you feel when you're done. Then, come back to this article... . I mean it! Put this article down and do what I said! Congratulations! How are you feeling now? Have you noticed a shift (great or small) in your energy, in your sense of being more balanced or calm or fulfilled? Imagine if you could feel this way each and every moment of a day? How abundant would life feel then? How much more effective do you think your prospecting conversations would be if you had this type of energy when you talked with people? You have just experienced one of the most powerful ways you can shift out of the scarcity-based do-have-be formula into the abundance formula of be-have-do -- one of the oldest success principles of time: focus. This age-old success principle states that whatever your thoughts focus on the most is what will show up the most in your life. Since most of us -- unknowingly -- focus on scarcity most of the time, scarcity is what continues to show up. Most of the actions (doing) we take while we're in scarcity only serve to create more scarcity. How might this play out in your Network Marketing business? Well, what are some of the scarcity thoughts you may often focus on -- albeit unconsciously -- prior to reading this article? One type of scarcity thinking is "not enough" thinking. Here are some common "not enough" thoughts:
Do any of these thoughts (or ones like them) sound familiar? Unfortunately, they are representative thoughts of far too many Network Marketers. Any time you have one of these scarcity thoughts, scarcity almost always shows up. There are other types of "scarcity thoughts" that regularly come up when in Network Marketing. They're often harder to recognize, and in future Abundance Columns, we'll have the opportunity to discover some of them. At this time, it's simply important for you to understand that any scarcity thought you have prevents you from being abundant today. Any scarcity thought has you think that you have to do something first before you can be abundant and, in so doing, sets you up for struggle, fear, hard work, and scarcity in your business (and life). Let's say that you have the scarcity thought that you are not a good enough Network Marketer. How is that going to affect your prospecting? Many of you may not even make any calls to prospect or follow up with people because of this thought -- which sure sets up scarcity when it comes to this business, doesn't it? If you never prospect people, or do so with a lack of self-confidence, it's unlikely that you will ever build a very big downline, isn't it? Of course, that just proves you're not a good enough Network Marketer, doesn't it? So you are trapped in a chain reaction of scarcity! Maybe you have the scarcity thought of "I'm not making enough money." Despite this, of course, what you need to do (if you are ever going to make more money) is to prospect and enroll people into a business in which they can make incredible amounts of money, right? However, if you're not making enough money, what's that going to do to your confidence? And if that's your thought, how will you respond when someone asks you how you're doing in the business? (Shudder at the thought, right?) Many of you may actually avoid prospecting people out of fear that this question may come up! Again, you are trapped in a chain reaction of scarcity!
Abundance is a process of becoming -- a process of learning, of living, of being all things that are congruent with abundance. For this reason, you can look forward to the new Abundance Column to be included in each month's issue of Upline. Over the course of the year, I will introduce you to concepts, tools, exercises and actions that will support you in being congruent with abundance -- abundance when it comes to money, time, fun, energy, fulfillment in this business and, most importantly, your life. Each month we will focus on tools for being abundant today and look together at the actions (the doing) necessary for continued abundance. I can promise you a process that will be simple, challenging, fun, and rewarding. This is a time of new beginnings. A new year, a new decade, a new century, a new millennium. As Anthony Robbins once wrote, "The past doesn't equal the future." No matter the level of scarcity, frustration, struggle, discouragement, fear you have experienced in the past (in this business or in life), it does not have to be that way forever. It can begin to change today. It's up to you -- are you ready to take new actions for abundance? Are you ready to be abundant and have the abundance and success you are meant to have? The doorway through which you must pass is the doorway of action -- but not the same scarcity-based actions you've done before. It's time for you to learn and integrate "actions of abundance" into your life. Are you ready? Great -- I thought you would be. So let's get started! The actions of abundance for this month are actions that support you in being in abundance, no matter your present situation. These are actions that must become as much a part of your daily routine as brushing your teeth and washing your face. Have fun with them! Be abundant this month! As for me, now I'm going to pour myself a cup of tea. I'll "see" you next month!
TERESA ROMAIN is the President and Founder of Access Abundance! Services International, an organization founded for the sole purpose of delivering opportunities and support structures for people to access greater levels of abundance, freedom and fulfillment in their daily lives. Teresa is a dynamic and empowering trainer and coach with a deep commitment to love people through the transformational process of abundance. Teresa lives with her husband, Dan, in the small town of Baraboo, WI. For information about her workshops, see the Learning Opportunities page. Reprinted with permission from Upline, Romain Feature - January 2000, 888-UPLINE-1, http://www.upline.com |
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I hate to interrupt your reverie and good feelings, but I have to ask -- what about today? What about your abundance today? What's your life like today?