Just a note that my blog is going through a major facelift in a way I hope will be more productive for you. In addition, I will be adding a few more categories to accomodate some of my posts that are more related to life, and less related to business.

Instead of creating a new blog, I thought it would useful to put everything under one umbrella.

So, you may see a side of me you may not have experienced!

Just answered the door. A delivery company with a baby bed. Oops… that’s for the neighbors. Their first. Made me think how something like a baby completely changes everything. For the good. I wish them well.

It’s major things that force changes in our lives. Read most success stories and you’ll find that major change took place. They had to change – to make it.

Is that the nudge you need? Maybe you’re not at that point. It’s not a requirement, but it certainly has rocketed many to the top.

Okay… more updates as I add more features here. Let me know what you think.

Back in 1994, when I started a web hosting company, I told my wife not to worry – that whatever happened, I would keep trying until I found success. Before the Internet, I had several successful online bulletin boards. This Internet thing was going to be a piece of cake!

My goal was to get to the point where we never had to worry about money again.

And, guess what?!! It’s easier to achieve financial independence today that at any other time in history! Just think of what your parents would have had to do to attain financial freedom? I told her, we’re in the richest country at the richest time in all of human history. We’re surround by more wealth and affluence than ever before. So my job was to get my fair share.

You’re familiar with the law of cause and effect, no? It also applies to money. So financial success is an effect… of certain causes. Great – so we just have to identify the causes, and according to that “law”, we’ll have success. And, it’s so true. If we don’t reinvent the wheel – just follow the causes – we’ll make it.

That’s so simple that people don’t believe it.

They want a magic wand, a magic formula, a magic presentation, words, conference call, something that you just wave over a prospect and they will magically join you in your quest.

Oops! Cause and effect! What did the leaders in your company do to get where they’re at? Was is a magic wand?

You know what’s absolutely cool about this country? In America today, there are several million men and women who have started with nothing – or deep in debt – and achieved financial independence. And of course, people have analyzed these folks to death, and found out that their most cherished beliefs on the subject of money are the primary determinants of how much they would acquire and how much they kept over the years.

Right, money isn’t everything – happiness is. Make sure you go out and see the new movie, The Pursuit of Happyness. Your primary aim should be your own happiness. But one of the things that deprives you of happiness is worry about money.

I guess the greatest, single fear – the one that causes you more distress and unhappiness – is the fear of failure. In my studies I’ve found that one of the basic human needs is security. Any threat to your security, real or imaginary, can cause you tremendous stress.

You can only free yourself from the fears of poverty and failure by becoming financially free. And guess what else I found out? Financial independence is a key responsibility of adult life. (Dave… please translate!) Okay… No one else will do it for you.

Homework for you – Forget magic wands, presentations, calls. Ask one financially free person you know (or even don’t know, for that matter), what the “cause” is to their success.

Secondly – I always recommend a book that has helped me. Read books of people who went from rags to riches. They really have a story to tell that you can follow.

My wife, RVP Adriana, recently told me that she had to overcome shyness in order to succeed in her business. And the shyness was unfounded because she really wasn’t shy – she was told she was shy as she grew up in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Boldness is necessary in business. But make sure your boldness is based on an intelligent assessment of potential risks and rewards. If you do, your boldness becomes courage.

And for you, like Adriana, this leads almost invariably to positive results. Of course, I’ve found that this applies to integrity, persistence, courtesy, love and courage. Reminds me of the advice and old man gave his grandson – “Act boldly, and unseen forces will come to your aid.”

If you’re in business for yourself, you know how important courage becomes when you use it to step out in the face of uncertainty – will they like me, like my products, my presentation, network marketing… But just think of every great venture in history – Columbus, Ben Franklin, Neil Armstrong… it was done with faith and a giant leap into the unknown.

Babson College conducted a 12 year study on successful entrepreneurs. They concluded that the only thing they had in common was the willingness to step out in faith. Once they started… THEN they learned what they needed to succeed.

So my challenge to you is to dare, dare to go forward!

Homework for you – Just do it! Step out in faith. Surprise yourself. Act with audacity. It may get you into trouble – but even more audacity will get you out.

Let me recommend this book on integrity that has helped me.

Kind regards,
Dave

Hey, Happy New Year!

One of the key lessons in 2006 was letting people blossom in what they do best. There’s a funny story Kim Klaver tells about have a deck of cards and looking for the four aces. Of course, you have to go through the deck to find them. But for some, the greater challenge is letting go of that someone you want to become an ace.

Kim tells us you can’t scratch out a nine of hearts and expect it to become an ace. They aren’t going to be forced.

It’s hard to keep searching for aces, especially when that one you just met had a glimmer of hope. But, all the tell-tale signs are there that show they’re not an ace. They don’t return calls, they don’t plug-in to the system, conference calls, just a few of the “signs”.

So this year – resolve to give them up. There are aces out there waiting for you while you spend your time on the nine of hearts.

Discipline yourself to do what you know you need to do to succeed. Okay – another “tuffy”. Self-discipline is making yourself do what you should when you don’t want to. But, listen – this is how you get on the fast track!

Every top player I know, and I know a bunch, uses this formula, or a variation of it, to get on track and stay on track. You can do this too. Discipline.

1. Decide what you want – exactly what it is you want in each part of your life.

2. Write it down – clear and in detail. (tip of the day!) Always think on paper. A goal that you don’t write down is not a goal at all. It’s just a wish.

3. Set a deadline. This forces your subconscious mind to motivate you to do what is necessary to make your goal come true. If your goal is BIG, set sub-deadlines as well. Please don’t leave this to chance.

4. Make a list of everything you can think of that you’ll have to do to achieve your goal. And when you think of new things – update your list.

5. Organize your list into a plan. Decide what needs to be done first, and second… what is more important and less. Then write out your plan, the same as you’d do for a blueprint for your dream house.

6. Take action on your plan. Do something! On of the best tidbits I learned from Tony Robbins was to never leave a decision without taking a massive plan of action. Zig talks about this, too. Just get going.

7. Do something every day (even today!) that moves you toward your most important goal at the moment. Move forward. Write it down. You’ll be astonished what you can accomplish.

Are you committed? Let me know by commenting.