Success or Failure?

Let’s face it, if you want to succeed you are going to go through your fair share of failures.  If you’re not failing, you’re not stretching yourself enough. 

It’s not a matter of if you’re going to go through some failures or not, it’s a matter of how you respond and react to them.  Lucky for you, how you react is totally under your control.

If you want to succeed in the home business industry, you have to have the right mindset.  …such a generic statement, right?  Today’s focus of your mindset is how to respond when you do not get the results you want.  When this happens to you, what do you do?  When you don’t hit your rank goal, or you do not recruit the number of new team members you want or when you do not sell the amount of product you want to sell, how do you react.

Most people get down on themselves, self doubt sets in, they begin to question everything they are doing and whether or not they should be doing it or not.  They think about giving up or moving on or calling it quits.  They moan, they groan, they complain, they get irritated, frustrated and overwhelmed.

Am I on the only one who has felt all of these things?

The truth of the matter is this, those reactions do not serve you at all.

You can not change your lack of results by filling yourself with negativity, self doubt and frustration.

If you want better results, keep hustling.  Figure out the missing pieces, improve your skills, improve your activity, get more focused, keep going until you succeed.  Success does not just happens, it happens with a ton of hard work and the right activity.  It comes when your mind is in the right place.  It comes with focus on activity and productivity, not concentrating on your lack of results and self doubting yourself.

If you want to succeed, you have to surround yourself with greatness and other successful people.  One of the obvious reasons is “success leaves clue” and it seems like we always think of that in regards to the action and activity successful people take.  This is also true in seeing the way they respond to failure and lack of results.

Surround yourself with great people who will lift you up and remind you of who you are.

Have you seen that term around social media?  “The struggle is real”  I see it more and more….and here is the really cool thing.  YOU can overcome it.  You can win, you can succeed, you can achieve what you want.   But when failure kicks in, don’t let it define you, let it refine you.  Learn from any lack of results in order to achieve the results you want.


Hope you enjoyed today's post. Please feel free to share it with your team. If there is anything I can help you with when it comes to building your business, please let me know, you can reach me directly at 612-562-8219!

Remember, you can do this, I believe in you! Have a beautiful day and we'll see you tomorrow!

Are you excited about your business?

Do you remember the excitement you felt when you first started your business? The possibilities were endless and you were more motivated than you ever thought possible. BUT that newness doesn’t last forever. That is why you have to continually find ways to stay excited about your business. I want to give you a few tips that I found to stay excited about your business.

1. Start each day with a series of positive questions. What would excite me today? What do I want to spend my time doing? What am I looking forward to?  Motivation comes from within, and when you are excited about the day ahead you can achieve great things.

2. Eliminate the things that you don’t enjoy doing. That may be easier said than done, but I bet there are some things you could delegate. This may mean investing in a training program for a member of your staff. But the benefits are two-fold – you empower your team, but more importantly you free yourself to think about your business with new enthusiasm.

3. What is it about your business that excites you? Ask yourself why you thought your business was a good idea in the first place. Re-assess your service or product – apply a new creative idea to rekindle your enthusiasm. Connect and network with people who may give you a new perspective to consider.

4. Take a look at your environment. Your surroundings can stimulate or dampen your motivation. Try working in an alternative space. Find a new place to work for a day or longer. Change the décor of the room in which you work.

 5. Take a short break. When you feel the onset of boredom, take a break. Go for a walk, visit the gym, meditate, read a book or magazine. Do anything that you enjoy that provides a moment of escape. If your business allows, set yourself a challenge outside of work that excites and stimulates you. The satisfying feeling of success can then be used to reignite your motivation at work.

As an entrepreneur or small-business owner, you are forced to wear many hats, and some may not suit your personality or style. To stay motivated, reward yourself after a big accomplishment like I stated above. There will always be something you don’t necessarily get excited about with your business so allowing yourself rewards at the end will keep the motivation and determination there. The most important thing is to always look at the bigger picture and see how far you’ve come. As an entrepreneur, anything is possible as long as you put your mind to it!!

Hope this helps you to get excited about your business! Feel free to comment and share with your team members. If there is anything I can help you with, please feel free to connect with me directly at 612-562-8219. Enjoy the rest of your day and remember I believe in you! See you tomorrow!

How do you want grow?

How do YOU want to grow your business?

You can grow it online, you can grow it offline, you can grow it through generating leads, you can grow it through getting referrals, or you can grow it using social media.  There are so many places to find prospects and places to generate leads.

You always have to keep in mind that the reason you generating leads, finding prospects and getting referrals is to simply get their eyes on the presentation.  In essence, no matter the marketing method that you use, you have to ultimately get their eyes on the presentation.

1. Finding people to talk to:

Generating leads and finding prospects are done so you can get people to your presentation.  The reason you want to “get your name out there” is so you can get eyes on your presentation.

There are a few ways to find people to speak to about your business.  Many people will find one strategy and use it.  You’ll find it beneficial to look at these different strategies as “spokes” (as on a bicycle wheel) and have a few different spokes / strategies going simultaneously in your business.

1. Warm Market – these are your friends & family – those people who already know you.
2. Cold Market – these are strangers who do not know you.  You may meet these people at networking events, meetup groups, out and about, etc
3. Social Media – these are the people you connect with through social media.  Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.
4. Referrals – these are people your existing network refers to you.
5. Online Attraction Marketing – These are people who find you online via blogs, videos, value you put out, classifieds, job boards, online lead sources, etc.

The important key to remember is that you have to get eyes on your presentation.  Building a home business is a relationship business and it is a numbers game.  You have to get people into the system.

2. Prospecting and Inviting

You’ll often hear that you have to plant seeds in order to have a harvest.  You have to start conversations with people and share your product and opportunity.  While some will immediately “get it” and sign up with you, most will take their time and have to go through several “exposures” before they make a decision.

What many people do is share their opportunity with one person at a time instead of sharing with many people and adding multiple people into their “sales funnel.”  Just as it would be silly for a farmer to plant one seed and expect a great harvest, it’s not very logical to think that you can share your product with one person and gain many new customers.  You have to plant a lot of seeds – you have to start a lot of conversations.

You can do this!  It’s just talking with people and you already talk with people you do not know all of the time.

Here are some tips for prospecting and recruiting:

1. Be yourself!
2. Have a strong posture – have a strong belief – show confidence
3. Don’t go out to recruit, but rather recruit while you are out.
4. Start conversations.
5. Build rapport
6. Discover needs.
7. Help them see that you can help them solve their problem (related to your offer or opportunity)
8. Learn to effectively invite.
9. Get their eyes on your presentation.
10. Help them see it is something they can do.
11. Do not be addicted to the outcome – whether yes or no, your job is to show the presentation.

3. Create Productive Habits

Once you “plant seeds” you then have to make sure they get water and sunshine – nourishment, if you will.   In your business, this means you have to start conversations, nurture the relationships, share your presentation, follow up, provide additional exposures and keep the conversations going.  The added exposures and extended conversations may take a variety of formats and look differently based on your relationship.

The important part is that you create habits of building new relationships, sharing your presentation, follow up and providing help to those you are out to serve.

1. Starting conversations is a habit.
2. Sharing your presentation daily is a habit.
3. Follow up is a habit.
4. Providing value to your marketplace is a habit.
5. These are the money producing habits you need to establish in order to grow your business

4. Stay Consistent and Active

Have you ever heard the saying “A body in motion stays in motion?” – this applies to your business.  Keep the activity going.  Have you ever heard the saying “Activity cures all ills?”  This one is true too.  Have you ever heard “it’s a numbers game?” – Same thing… you have to make the numbers your friend.  Your habits will either lead you to success or lead you to failure.  Choose success.
How active you are in your business is totally in your own control.  Your success or failure is totally in your own control.

It takes time for seeds to grow and it takes time for teams to come into being.  Be patient.  Go through the journey.  Don’t allow yourself to get frustrated.

….but don’t delay the harvest either.

The more seeds you plant, the faster and bigger the harvest.  Build with intensity.  Build with purpose.

Hope you enjoyed this post, feel free to comment and share with your team! If there is anything I can help you with, please feel free to reach me directly at 612-562-8219. Have a beautiful and successful day! See you tomorrow, I believe in YOU!

Success and Excellence

There is a difference between success and excellence. 

Success is often measured by comparison to others. Excellence, on the other hand, is all about being the best we can be and maximizing our gifts, talents and abilities to perform at our highest potential.

We live in a world that loves to focus on success and loves to compare. We are all guilty of doing this. However, I believe that to be our best we must focus more on excellence and less on success. We must focus on being the best we can be and realize that our greatest competition is not someone else but ourselves. 

For example, coaching legend John Wooden often wouldn’t tell his players who they were playing each game. He felt that knowing the competition was irrelevant. He believed that if his team played to the best of their ability they would be happy with the outcome. In fact, John Wooden never focused on winning. He had his team focus on teamwork, mastering the fundamentals, daily improvement and the process that excellence requires. As a result he and his teams won A LOT.

A focus on excellence was also the key for golfing legend Jack Nicklaus. His secret was to play the course not the competition. He simply focused on playing the best he could play against the course he was playing. While others were competing against Jack, he was competing against the course and himself.

The same can be said for Apple’s approach with the iPod, iPhone and iPad. When they created these products they didn’t focus on the competition. Instead they focused on creating the best product they could create. As a result, rather than measuring themselves against others they have become the measuring stick.

We have a choice as individuals, organizations and teams. We can focus on success and spend our life looking around to see how our competition is doing, or we can look straight ahead towards the vision of greatness we have for ourselves and our teams. We can look at competition as the standard or as an indicator of our progress towards our own standards. We can chase success or we can embark on a quest for excellence and focus 100% of our energy to become our best... and let success find us.

Ironically, when our goal is excellence the outcome and byproduct is often success. 

Do you agree that there is a difference between success and excellence? Please feel free to comment and share. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach me directly at 612-562-8219. Have a beautiful and successful day. See you tomorrow, I believe in you!

Success Secrets...

If you are in a home business, you know it’s tough but it’s also incredibly rewarding. Being successful in a home business doesn’t just happen, one has to be very strategic and plan for success.  The good news is, this business is designed to be duplicated, so success can happen by enthusiastically following a plan and teaching others to enthusiastically follow a plan.

Today, I am going to share a few strategies that will help you grow your team, thus grow your business:

1. Have The Right Attitude

First and foremost, you have to have the right attitude to succeed in your home business. Part of that attitude is being a person who likes to help others succeed.  Zig Ziglar once said “You can’t help someone row to the other side of the river without reaching the other shore yourself.”  When you help enough people succeed, you too will have success.  Being able to help others succeed is one of my favorite aspects of this business.

You also have to learn that hearing “no” is not going to destroy you and that there is nothing personal in someone not joining you in business. This business is not for everyone and everyone will not see the opportunity the way that you do.  It’s nothing personal.  You’re not a failure and don’t need to feel like it’s your fault they don’t “get it.”

Every person you speak to about your business has the potential to be a customer, a business partner or someone who can refer the right people to you.  You have to have an attitude that does not equate “no” with failure.

Show some enthusiasm.  If you’re not enthusiastic about your business, why would anyone want to join you?

2. Find A Reputable Company With Lots Of Promise

This may seem obvious, and to most it is.  Once you find a solid company commit to it.  Give it at least a year.  I’ve heard time and time again that failure does not occur in this business.  Quitting happens, but failure does not happen.  If you are working, talking to people, sharing your product, sharing your business opportunity you will grow.

If you believe in the business model and understand the value of leveraging your network, time and energy but you are not with a company that has the potential you are looking for, find a new company.

3. Keep It Simple

I am convinced that some people just like to over-complicate things.  This business succeeds when you duplicate what works, teach your team how to duplicate those same strategies and teach them how to teach their team.  There are so many ways to complicate this business.  Stick with what works.

Look to the success stories, learn what they do and duplicate what they do.

Does that mean you can’t improve on what is being done.  ALWAYS look for ways to improve, but do not forsake the tried and tested ways as you test your ideas.

4. Target People Who Get Business

Entrepreneurs who understand business and see the vision of how direct sales works are much more likely to join you and partner with you.  Look for people who influence and look for people who can be your “power partners.”  We all know people who are like magnets and who everyone wants to be associated with. Look for people who will naturally benefit from being in your business, that’s why mompreneurs have come on to the scene so strong in network marketing.  They benefit because they get to balance family and business on their own terms.   As you talk with others and are asking for referrals, let your conversation direct their thoughts to the kind of individuals who are ideal for your business and your team.

You want referrals that lead you to go-getter's, magnets, influencers and people known to be helpful.  You want to spend your time with the movers and shakers, not the ones you have to convince to join you in business.  You want people who “get it” and are enthusiastic about it.

5. Talk To As Many People As You Can

Talk to the masses.  Set up a toll free number with a recorded message or set up a webinar that people can view.  As your team grows, set up training calls where you are training multiple team members at once instead of one-on-on.  Time is valuable and if you can teach people how to leverage their time, everyone benefits.

As you are doing this, you are also training your team that the best use of their time is talking to as many people as possible.  You could realistically meet with five people during the day for coffee.  But what if, instead, you spoke to those five people at one time…or better yet, 20 people, or 100 people?

The way this plays out may look different for different people, but the idea is the same.  Leverage your time and talk to as many people as possible.

6. Train, Train, Train

The power of a home business is that you utilize the time of others to leverage your time and efforts.  The saying “I would rather have 1% effort from 100 different people than rely on 100% of my own” is so true to me. But those 100 people have to know what they are doing in order to help you succeed.  So train, train, train.

Training is also a great way to stay connected to your team, help keep them motivated, empower them to build their teams and demonstrate leadership and duplication.  Spend a greater percentage of your time with those team member who are displaying the most activity and are duplicating the steps to success.

Empower your team to duplicate what you do and encourage them to lead their teams.  This goes back to leveraging your time and energies.

7. Create Goals, Benchmarks and Take Decisive Action

Where do you want to be in 6 months?  Do you have a goal and a road map that will get you there?  Break the six months down into intervals that will allow you to measure your progress along the way.  Where do you want to be in 1 year, or 2 years?  Again, you have to have clearly defined bench marks and an action plan that will get you there.

Writing your goals down is huge.  Writing down the actions to get you there is vital.  But all of it is done in vain if you do not take action to make it all a reality.  You have to know where you are going in order to get there.

8. Stay On Top Of Your Game

Be the kind of leader who is always working to improve your skills.  Improve your presentations, improve your conversation skills, always find new ways to help and empower people.  Learn from the leaders in your company and leaders in the industry.

One of the great things about a home business is that there is always room for more growth.  There’s always room for more business and there’s always room to improve your skills.  Staying on top of your game keeps you in a position to help more people.  Whether directly or indirectly, you are always going to be in contact with people so you want to make certain your people skills are at their best.

9. Have FUN!

Who said business can’t be fun?  Building a business, building a team, encouraging a team, working with people – it all makes out for a very fun business!  If you expect others to join you in your business you have to let them see that you’re having fun and that you enjoy what you do.  Sadly, it seems like most recruiters want to tell you how much money they make.  I believe more success will come when others see that you love what you are doing, enjoy the opportunity to help others and enjoy the way you are able to leverage your time.  Yes, everyone wants to make money, that’s why we are in business.  But I believe quality of life trumps most other benefits.

Hope you enjoyed these tips and found them helpful! Please feel free to comment and share with your team. If you have any questions about building your business, please feel free to reach me directly at 612-562-8219. Look forward to hearing from you! Have a beautiful day and I will see you tomorrow! I believe in you!

Carrot, egg or coffee bean??

A wonderful metaphor:

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her.
She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling.  It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen.  She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire.  
Soon the pots came to boil.  In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.  She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners. She fished out the carrots and placed them in a bowl.   She pulled out the eggs and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled out the coffee and placed it in a bowl.  Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me what you see.”

“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft.  The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it.  After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. 

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee.  The daughter smiled as she tasted its richness and savored its aroma.  The daughter then asked, “What does it mean, mother?”

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity — boiling water.  Each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting.  However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile.  Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however.  After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

“Which are you?” she asked her daughter.  “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?  Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?”

Think of this: Which am I? 

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? 

Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff?  Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain.  When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.  If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst; you become even better and change the situation around you.

When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level?

How do you handle adversity?  

Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of things that come their way.

Have an awesome day and know that someone is thinking about you! Please feel free to reach out to me if you need any help in building your business. My direct number is 612-562-8219. See you tomorrow, I believe in you!

Yesterday we shared a story with our staff titled “Are You A Carrot, Egg or Coffee Bean”.  It is a story about perspective, adversity and how you view the things that are happening in your life.
In a business that requires you to understand that there are two sides to every coin, that everyone has their story to tell, that your perception is your reality, I found it an appropriate topic.  So many times we get caught up in our own dilemmas and drama that we forget that many of our own truths that we subscribe to are based on our point of view; our perspective.  In an attempt to broaden their own view of things and as a reminder to myself, I decided to read it aloud.
The story goes like this:
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her.  She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up.  She was tired of fighting and struggling.  It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen.  She filled three pots with water.  In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and the last she placed ground coffee beans.
She let them sit and boil without saying a word.  In about twenty minute she turned off the burners.  She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl.  She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.  Then she ladled the coffee into a bowl.  Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me what you see?”
“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.
She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots.  She did and noted that they were soft.  She then asked her to take an egg and break it.  After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.  Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee.  The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma.
The daughter then asked, “What’s the point, mother?”
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity… boiling water – but each reacted differently.  The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting.  However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.  The egg had been fragile.  Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior.  But, after being through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.  The ground coffee beans were unique, however.  After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.
“Which are you?” she asked the daughter.  “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?  Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?”
Think of this:  Which am I?
Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat?  Did I have a fluid spirit, but after death, a break up, a financial hardship, or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff?  Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean?  The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain.  When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.  If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.
When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate to another level?
How do you handle adversity?
ARE YOU A CARROT, AN EGG, OR A COFFEE BEAN?
Our staff resonated with this and to their credit were able to share their own ideas and thoughts with the group.  It gave the newcomers a closer look into our company culture and allowed the veterans to teach and share.  It was truly an eye opener for me to see them do that without any prompting and made me glad to have shared this story again.  This is one of the reasons why I truly enjoy working in the business and these kids pleasantly surprise me every day.  Things are never as bad as they seem and they're never as great either.  Maintaining our perspective on things helps us overcome adversity even if we struggle.
“When it rains it pours. Maybe the art of life is to convert tough times to great experiences: we can choose to hate the rain or dance in it.” ― Joan Marques
We choose to dance in the rain; or in this case, drink the coffee.
- See more at: http://www.alanwongs.com/blog/are-you-carrot-egg-or-coffee-bean#sthash.q432hCJl.dpuf

Yesterday we shared a story with our staff titled “Are You A Carrot, Egg or Coffee Bean”.  It is a story about perspective, adversity and how you view the things that are happening in your life.
In a business that requires you to understand that there are two sides to every coin, that everyone has their story to tell, that your perception is your reality, I found it an appropriate topic.  So many times we get caught up in our own dilemmas and drama that we forget that many of our own truths that we subscribe to are based on our point of view; our perspective.  In an attempt to broaden their own view of things and as a reminder to myself, I decided to read it aloud.
The story goes like this:
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her.  She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up.  She was tired of fighting and struggling.  It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen.  She filled three pots with water.  In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and the last she placed ground coffee beans.
She let them sit and boil without saying a word.  In about twenty minute she turned off the burners.  She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl.  She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.  Then she ladled the coffee into a bowl.  Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me what you see?”
“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.
She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots.  She did and noted that they were soft.  She then asked her to take an egg and break it.  After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.  Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee.  The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma.
The daughter then asked, “What’s the point, mother?”
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity… boiling water – but each reacted differently.  The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting.  However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.  The egg had been fragile.  Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior.  But, after being through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.  The ground coffee beans were unique, however.  After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.
“Which are you?” she asked the daughter.  “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?  Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?”
Think of this:  Which am I?
Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat?  Did I have a fluid spirit, but after death, a break up, a financial hardship, or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff?  Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean?  The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain.  When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.  If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.
When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate to another level?
How do you handle adversity?
ARE YOU A CARROT, AN EGG, OR A COFFEE BEAN?
Our staff resonated with this and to their credit were able to share their own ideas and thoughts with the group.  It gave the newcomers a closer look into our company culture and allowed the veterans to teach and share.  It was truly an eye opener for me to see them do that without any prompting and made me glad to have shared this story again.  This is one of the reasons why I truly enjoy working in the business and these kids pleasantly surprise me every day.  Things are never as bad as they seem and they're never as great either.  Maintaining our perspective on things helps us overcome adversity even if we struggle.
“When it rains it pours. Maybe the art of life is to convert tough times to great experiences: we can choose to hate the rain or dance in it.” ― Joan Marques
We choose to dance in the rain; or in this case, drink the coffee.
- See more at: http://www.alanwongs.com/blog/are-you-carrot-egg-or-coffee-bean#sthash.q432hCJl.dpuf

Yesterday we shared a story with our staff titled “Are You A Carrot, Egg or Coffee Bean”.  It is a story about perspective, adversity and how you view the things that are happening in your life.
In a business that requires you to understand that there are two sides to every coin, that everyone has their story to tell, that your perception is your reality, I found it an appropriate topic.  So many times we get caught up in our own dilemmas and drama that we forget that many of our own truths that we subscribe to are based on our point of view; our perspective.  In an attempt to broaden their own view of things and as a reminder to myself, I decided to read it aloud.
The story goes like this:
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her.  She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up.  She was tired of fighting and struggling.  It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen.  She filled three pots with water.  In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and the last she placed ground coffee beans.
She let them sit and boil without saying a word.  In about twenty minute she turned off the burners.  She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl.  She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.  Then she ladled the coffee into a bowl.  Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me what you see?”
“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.
She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots.  She did and noted that they were soft.  She then asked her to take an egg and break it.  After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.  Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee.  The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma.
The daughter then asked, “What’s the point, mother?”
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity… boiling water – but each reacted differently.  The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting.  However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.  The egg had been fragile.  Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior.  But, after being through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.  The ground coffee beans were unique, however.  After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.
“Which are you?” she asked the daughter.  “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?  Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?”
Think of this:  Which am I?
Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat?  Did I have a fluid spirit, but after death, a break up, a financial hardship, or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff?  Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean?  The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain.  When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.  If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.
When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate to another level?
How do you handle adversity?
ARE YOU A CARROT, AN EGG, OR A COFFEE BEAN?
Our staff resonated with this and to their credit were able to share their own ideas and thoughts with the group.  It gave the newcomers a closer look into our company culture and allowed the veterans to teach and share.  It was truly an eye opener for me to see them do that without any prompting and made me glad to have shared this story again.  This is one of the reasons why I truly enjoy working in the business and these kids pleasantly surprise me every day.  Things are never as bad as they seem and they're never as great either.  Maintaining our perspective on things helps us overcome adversity even if we struggle.
“When it rains it pours. Maybe the art of life is to convert tough times to great experiences: we can choose to hate the rain or dance in it.” ― Joan Marques
We choose to dance in the rain; or in this case, drink the coffee.
- See more at: http://www.alanwongs.com/blog/are-you-carrot-egg-or-coffee-bean#sthash.q432hCJl.dpuf

Effects of Negative Thinking

Happy Friday! Ran across this article this morning and wanted to share it with you. It's worth a few minutes to read. SO many great points about the effects negative thinking is having on your life and those around you.

13 Ways Negative Thinking Is Ruining Your Life

Are negative thoughts ruining your life? Consider ways to develop a positive perspective and take charge of your life. Here are 13 ways negative thinking may be ruining your life. Reflect on them and let us know about the changes you are making in the comment section below!

1. It Makes You Idle

Doing anything negative can make you feel sluggish. Negativity can affect your actions in so many ways. With a pessimistic thinking approach, how and where are you supposed to get the motivation to get your day going? Research also indicates that activity keeps you from thinking negative thoughts. Find something you enjoy doing, or simply construct a checklist of activities to do every day to keep negative thoughts at bay.Find something you enjoy doing to keep negative thoughts at bay.

2. It Makes You Bitter

We all know how negative thinking can make you feel quite bitter. Often we do not even know what we may be feeling bitter about. That is how quickly negativity can spread. Eventually you may find yourself being angry about everything. If you find yourself becoming bitter or angry, take time to figure out what it is that is causing you to feel that way. Obviously stemming from something negative in your life, figure out what it is and contradict it with something that makes you feel happy. There is no joy in bitterness. No confidence in anger.

3. It Discourages You

Thinking negative can discourage you from living a healthy life affecting you both mentally and physically. This can cause chronic stress and anxiety, depression, as well as affect the way you see and feel about yourself and others. Constant negative thoughts can also affect your heart and some research indicates a link between negative thoughts and physical health ailments. In order to lead a more healthy life, choose to be active and dispel negativity. Change the way you think and crush self-doubt. There are many ways to lead a healthy and less negative existence. Finding something that works for you may take time but it is definitely worth it. Consider your health and change your perspective.

4. It Clouds Your Judgment

Negative thoughts cloud judgment. Negativity has a direct link to self-doubt. Not only that, negative thoughts leave you feeling unsure about everything and everyone. The unsureness created by depressing thoughts affects your ability to reason, be logical and see things at a different angle. Seek to have a clearer mind. Depressing thoughts affect your ability to reason. Clear your mind!

5. It Pushes People Away

Feel like you are pushing those around you away? Perhaps negative thoughts about yourself and about life in general are to blame for this behavior. It is positivity that has steadily proven to bring people into your life and stay. Positivity is the best role model. Negativity only isolates people and makes them feel uncertain. Ever heard of the saying “don’t take things so personally”? Well consider that your negative thoughts may very well be taken personally by peers and others. Consider the way you may be affecting people and decide to make changes. Consider the way your negative thinking may be affecting others and decide to make changes.

6. You Can’t Do Your Best

Negativity keeps you from doing the best you can do. Like being idle, not doing your best can keep you feeling trapped, inside, away from everyone and everything. You may begin to do things only because you feel you have too. Such activities like going to work, eating healthy, being social and practicing your hobby during leisure time become more of a chore that you complete without really putting your mind to it.Negativity keeps you from doing the best you can do.

7. You Become Overly Suspicious

Feeling suspicious of everything lately? Negative thoughts can create a level of suspicion within your mind. Because everything is so negative already with you, often you might find yourself reducing others as negative and spreading your energy to those closest to you. You may begin blaming everyone else but yourself for the way you are feeling and not only do you push people away, you continue to find reasons why to do so. Apprehension leaves you nothing but loneliness in the end. Avoid negativity and avoid social and mental crises.Negative thoughts leave you with nothing but loneliness in the end.

8. You Blame Others

As stated before, you might find yourself blaming others as a way to temporarily limit negative thoughts. Yet in the end once again, you find yourself alone and perhaps ridden with guilt. Negativity persuades you to believe that you alone are not only insufficient but everyone around you has to be so as well. It really confuses us and may lead us down a destructive path. Do not let negativity ruin your life. Look inward and try to understand what you can do differently. Everyone else has their own demons to deal with and you cannot begin to blame others for your own mishaps.Don't let negativity ruin your life. Look inward and figure out what YOU can do differently.

9. Everything Becomes A Problem

When allowing yourself to think negatively, everything you do, everything you say, everything you see or feel becomes a problem. Your insecurity and lack of trust leave you feeling that all around is problematic. Small things suddenly become big, big things suddenly become greater and more burdensome. How to change this depends highly on changing the way you think. Although it may not be that easy, start small and bridge your way out from there. Recognize what really constitutes a problem area in your life and take those steps to fix it. Everything else is dust in the wind.Recognize what the real problems are and take steps to fix them.

10. You Can’t See Yourself Happy

Happiness becomes a passing phase in your life, something you experienced when you were a child – carefree and spirited. When thinking negatively, you believe that you, in the present, cannot and will never be happy. Again, you do not find any need in doing the best that you can and find so security in social connections with those closest to you. Negativity leaves a sour taste in your mouth, an extreme tiredness for things you once found fulfilling. Negativity leaves a sour taste in your mouth.

11. You Can’t Be Happy For Others

Negative energy affects those around you and the way you interact with them as well. You may find yourself experiencing a tinge of jealousy or ill regard for friends and peers. Pessimism is like a weed that spreads across fields – your wellbeing, your body, mind and soul. Everything appears dark, unwanted and not logical. Since happiness for yourself is not there, why should you find yourself happy for others? Consider how detrimental this is to all your relationships. Pessimism is like a weed that spreads across the fields of your body, mind, and soul.

12. You’re Anxious & Irritated

And of course you may find yourself constantly irritated and anxious. Negativity affects all emotions – keeping you from experiencing positive ones and pushing your mind to highly emphasize the problematic ones such as anger. Anger leads to anxiety, fear, rejection, stress and so much more. Keep your attitude in check and avoid anxiety by seeing the positive in most situations.Anger leads to anxiety, fear, rejection, stress and so much more. Keep your attitude in check.

13. There’s No Room For Hope

And lastly, there is no room for hope in a negative mindset. What is there to hope for when everything seems so hopeless? Instead of seizing the moment, you may find yourself complaining about things that are actually quite small and that keep you from pursuing your dreams. Find hope again and beat negative thoughts before they beat you.

Stay positive my friends! Please feel free to share this article with your team members. If there is anything I can help you with, please feel free to reach me directly at 612-562-8219. Have a beautiful day and we'll see you tomorrow! I believe in you!