Network Marketing: The Bottom Line

Are you a student of your industry, or your job? Do you aspire to be the best you can be at what you do? The reason I ask is that as a student of the industry I am in (network marketing, direct sales), I have learned so much from the experts in this field. I am referring in particular to the fundamental core issues that are part of someone's success in this business. Over the last 8-plus years that I have been with the same company, USANA Health Sciences, I have studied this success track, both so I could nail it in my own business, as well as teach it to others in my organization so they could profit.

Let's call this the Bottom Line in network marketing. What you really have to do to succeed, what this industry is and what it is not. Like the leaders who have come before me, allow me to throw some bread crumbs in the forest for you so you can find your way. Perhaps even to experience success for yourself.

The first thing that comes to mind is the necessity to think differently. Our team motto in Manifesting Vision International is "work for wealth, not wages." I remember the first time I understood that my business building efforts were for creating freedom for myself and not for a pay check, a big light bulb went off in my head. I have called this having our cage rattled, or downloading a new operating system. This comes from learning to rethink money and time, and to participate in a wealth distribution system that is completely different from a job that is attached to a pay check or a salary. My experience is that this shift in beliefs and attitudes occurs over time, not over night. Which leads us to the second item...

In network marketing, the one who learns and grows the most wins. He or she who is the most willing to do things differently will be among the top earners. Because of the rigorous training we have access to (seminars, books, CD's, DVD's, web-based courses) there is ample opportunity to adopt new behaviors that produce new results. This includes how you think.

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” (author unknown)

People in network marketing must love to help other people. There is an old, rather famous quote by Zig Ziglar: "You can have anything you want if you help enough people get what they want." In direct sales we are so enthusiastic about wanting to make a difference in someone else's life, that this has its very own reward. The fact that we are rewarded financially for helping other people is sometimes incidental. If you don't genuinely love people, this business would not work for you.

In network marketing, the bigger your dream the more you will be motivated to succeed. Success is voluntary and is invariably linked to how you want your life to change. I made an astonishing discovery a couple of years ago in my business: in the very beginning, it is perfectly legitimate to come to this business because there is something that you want or need, and you have come to believe that this business model will help you achieve that. As you begin to taste the sweetness of success something magical happens: your business building efforts become more about helping other people. This has been called "paying it forward" and it feels fantastic. It is as worth holding out for (meaning not quitting until it is a reality) as is the money to which this is inextricably connected.

Okay, so we love to help people, we are committed to learning and growing, and we have a big dream. We think differently and we are committed to achieving more and producing more. As professional network marketers we are continuously seeking ways to get outside of any box that restrains us and we love that this is business not as usual.

Is this business for everyone? Absolutely not! But if you feel aligned with any of these bottom line concepts, you might want to check out a way of doing business that has been like cracking the code for those of us who want to live life on our own terms.

My daughter recently asked me to teach her how to have a money tree in her back yard. I am so in love with this business and believe so much in its ability to produce dramatic change (for those who stay the course and do the work) that I would be thrilled if either of my grown children got involved. I love this because of what we stand for: that we live in a realm of potentially limitless possibility.

Do you know what your very best life looks like? If nothing changes, are you headed toward that life? Do you need to recalibrate? Let us know if we can help. We are Manifesting Vision International. How can we serve you?

Rosie Spiegel
rosie@manifestingvision.com
650-573-7177
800-938-0942

Are You on Top of Your Health Game?

A friend of mine, who we will call Nancy, recently told me that her biggest fear is becoming a physically dependent person, like her mother, with a whole host of health issues. Nancy's mother depends on a whole team of care-givers, doctors, and family members just to get through the day. Nancy added that she already sees herself heading down this road. Her husband is dead set against Nancy doing anything at all outside of what her doctor recommends. Nancy told me that she is beginning to realize that this reliance on medical care is costing her, but that she does not know any alternatives.

Interestingly, a few years ago, Nancy's hip began to deteriorate rapidly and she was diagnosed with osteoarthritis. In spite of this painful and threatening condition, her husband forbade her to take a particular brand of potent antioxidants in spite of the favorable response others experienced for relief from this degenerative and debilitating disease. Now, three years later, Nancy is facing a hip replacement.

I will share one more illustration before I address what I think these issues really point to. We, meaning the health coaches I work with, were giving a lecture this week. One woman in the audience typified the kind of person who I will describe as carrying "health baggage." She described taking her over-weight, stressed out, achy, tired, low-energy body to a doctor because she wanted to feel better. Her doctor prescribed a small handful of prescription medicine and sent her on her way. Later she found out from the nurse in the doctor's office that she has diabetes! The doctor never told her, and, worse, never discussed with her how her lifestyle choices had led her to this predicament.

I have a huge amount of compassion for the Nancy's of the world, and for people like this poor soul who is clueless about taking charge of her health. When individuals are unaware of their options, their fate is compromised by the perception of a lack of options. May I presume that if you are reading this blog that you have at least a modicum of an appreciation for the vast array of resources that are available to the average person who wants to do something about their health?

After watching Nancy dig herself more and more into her predicament, and after noticing how resistant she was to learning about alternatives to promote wellness, I came up with the term "health baggage", or unfinished business, in the health arena. Like the woman at our lecture, Nancy is educated and professional. She is a professor in sociology at a local university. She is also resourceful insofar as being able to enjoy a very comfortable lifestyle with her nay-sayer husband. What could possibly be between Nancy and her living a life in which she is on top of her health game the way she is on top of other aspects of her life, such as her finances, her travels with her husband, decorating their home, writing books and articles... a number of high achievements for which she can take credit. Why is this so-called "health piece" so neglected? Why are Nancy and our guest at the lecture so beleaguered by poor health and the erroneous assumption that there is nothing they can do about it?

I call this unfinished business because it is impossible for someone to be living anything close to their absolute best life when the threat of degenerative disease looms overhead, particularly when the individual feels hopeless and without resources. An even more profound question to ask is: why would an otherwise educated and resourceful person create this reality when they seem to be in charge of many other important aspects in their lives?

I have some ideas on this topic. People get busy and distracted. They "forgot" to make their health important. They get overwhelmed and sweep the whole thing under the rug. They habituate to continually put taking care of themselves at the bottom of their "to do" list to the point where it never happens. They begin to feel out of control and are threatened by how daunting it all has become. It became too much to deal with, and they began to turn a blind eye to their own mortality. They resigned themselves as this is the way it is. Is this a recipe for a life of freedom and feeling in control of one's destiny. Sadly, no. And from my vantage point as a health concierge, this is an all-too-common scenario. Working with individuals like this is like watching a life being un-lived.

There is a better way; there are alternatives.

I would like to suggest two viable recourses for individuals who are out of sync with their health. Education and behavior modification. Dr. Ray Strand, a noted physician with an emphasis in nutritional science, has become a world leader in the field of complimentary medicine with an emphasis in patient education. With about 7 books on the topic, anyone with the intention to take back their health will find a plethora of information, books, CD's DVD's and on line essays on a wide variety of topics. Had the woman we met at our lecture known of the pre-clinical signs of diabetes, she could have headed this condition off at the pass and saved herself a lot of grief. Whether it is for weight loss to promote relief from metabolic syndrome (a pre-cursor to diabetes), or how to provide the body with a broad range of antioxidants and minerals to boost the immune system, Dr. Strand's information is ideal for any individual who wants to be in control. (I love to call this "being on top of one's health game."

The second recommendation is to be truthful about habits that do or do not promote wellness. These individuals with the "health baggage" I referred to, typically are in denial about what they do (or don't do), what they eat (or don't eat), how often they do (or do not) exercise, how much stress they tolerate, etc. Imagine someone who is overweight, has joints swollen with arthritis, and can barely walk up the stairs without wheezing and gasping for breath. By honestly accessing the lifestyle issues that may have led to this predicament, someone like this can easily grasp some minor changes that, when practiced diligently over time, would produce dramatic results. Occasionally someone has an overnight epiphany, and suddenly chooses to devote his or her entire life to producing wellness. What is more likely, is the ability to make a few new choices, perhaps adding one or two consistently over the next weeks, months and years, until this person can wake up, actively participating in a pro-health lifestyle, and enjoying the relief from all that drama that was attached to their previous mind-set and belief system.

Health conditions to not appear over night, and they do not disappear over night. Imagine turning your boat 10 degrees in the water. Nothing major, just 10 degrees. The result of 10 degrees of change, over time, can produce a whole new life of quality health, freedom, wellness and joy. It is the freedom I keep wanting you to think about. The relief.

Let me add that there are no panaceas in health care and no guarantees. But when it comes to improving your health, and actively participating in a life of choosing wellness, the value to you is inestimable. Some slight improvements in your nutrition, some slight reductions in your stress, a little bit more exercise, and some high quality supplements can make a huge difference. Are you worth it? I know you are. When you wake up to the power and joy that come from feeling in charge of this most significant area of your life, you will not want to go back. A life un-lived is nothing compared to how it feels to be steering yourself to a pro-health lifestyle. Get hooked on feeling better. Get hooked on the mood elevation that comes from improving your nutrition. Find a coach, someone who will shed light on this journey for you. Make friends with people who want a pro-health lifestyle with you. Go for the rewards of how incredibly good this all feels. You will never look back.

Blessings to you and living life on top of your health game.
Rosie Spiegel, founder Manifesting Vision International
Health Concierge
rosie@manifestingvision.com