Happy New Year! I am excited to share with you exciting, new journeys and experiences as 2012 reveals itself to all of us.

With each new year comes changes big and small . . . whether we like it or not!  And because change is inevitable, and because we have just entered a new year, I wanted to touch on this subject just a little deeper.

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When we get frustrated by our conditions, we inevitably end up becoming frustrated with ourselves. It can take us over and we tend to run with it. It can creep into every aspect of our lives, from how we relate to the people around us, to how it will impact our business.

If the frustration builds for too long, pretty soon we might forget altogether what the hell we were frustrated at in the first place, yes?

This happens in business all the time, especially when, in the early stages of the business, cash flow can fluctuate maddeningly, which then leads to all other kinds of frustrations from payroll to profits.

There’s an energy attached to frustration that sucks the life out of your business, and if you’re not dealing with this as a business owner, it’s only going to go downhill from there.

Moving back away from whatever the problem is, step one toward a solution is simply being able to classify your frustrations. Is it with your team? Your results? A process that doesn’t seem to flow efficiently?

Some typical early-stage business frustrations include time (there never seems to be enough of it), feeling like you’re too bogged down with menial detail-work instead of bigger-picture tasks, or relying on people to get things done that don’t follow through. Just to name a few.

This is where the importance of systemizing your business processes plays a huge role. First you name your frustration, and then you develop the system to address it.

So if you’re having problems with freeing up your time yet ensuring that essential tasks still get done, then the real problem is the absence of a system that will hire the right people rather than you doing it all yourself. That way, not only is your time freed up, but the right people will also help micro-manage the way processes continue to develop and flow.

The good news is that frustrations within your business are fairly easy to identify and deal with, though they may take time. Inner frustrations, on the other hand, not only take more time and energy to deal with, but may also be harder to identify in the first place. You could be mad at yourself because you’ve done something poorly for so long, and you get frustrated about not seeming able to turn the corner. Or worse, you externalize that frustration toward everybody else—the customers, the suppliers, the vendors, the client; everybody but yourself.

We know the power of blueprints, so we won’t address that here.

When it comes to outer frustrations that we can identify, though, the questions are much simpler. What’s my frustration? What’s the gap in the system? What system is missing altogether?
If your frustrations begin with ‘I’, it’s about you. It’s inner directed. If it’s about ‘them’ or ‘those people’ or ‘those lousy clients’ or ‘those suppliers’ or ‘that lousy machinery’ or ‘that way' of doing something, it can then be addressed systematically and objectively.

What do you think? Have you experienced similar or even different kinds of frustrations, and how did you address them? Did systemizing play a role? The Millionaire Mind Community wants to hear from you!

Register for a Millionaire Mind Intensive near you HERE

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That’s got to sound ironic coming from someone who believes whole-heartedly in the benefits of being rich. Forget about getting out of debt, paying bills, buying nice things, etc. That stuff’s great, but at the end of it all you’re not going to give a damn about your credit rating. Money’s the last thing on your mind in that moment, I would imagine.

Money can reduce the stress of living, but it can bring just as much if not more anxiety. I’ve gone through my cycles of accumulating and losing money, getting more and losing it again. The money wasn’t burning a hole in my pocket. I just had a big hole in my pocket and didn’t bother to sew it up. That hole represented something in my mental blueprint that kept me from being stable with money. There was nothing wrong with the money.

On the other hand, people without money often think if they just had enough to do this or that, then things would be better. While that may be true, what happens when the mind goes into ‘Only if …’ consistently? That’s exactly what you get … ‘only if.’

‘This will only happen if…’

All of a sudden nothing’s happening and you don’t even know or remember that rule you created. In business that thinking often translates into “It takes money to make money.” No! If you have money it can certainly grow more money, but it doesn’t take money to make money. It takes creativity to make money.

Throwing money at a problem is disaster! In business there’s no such thing as a money problem. That problem grew out of somewhere else. You want to fix the root of the problem. If you throw money at a business problem, you’ll have the same business problem for the rest of your life and no money. Creativity and knowledge are the answers, not money.

It’s also not logical to blame money for people’s shortcomings, or the world’s for that matter. Obviously there are people that are rich and greedy, but there are poor people who are greedy and there are middle class people who are greedy. There are rich, poor, and middle-class people who are generous. There are rich, poor and average income people who can be both generous and greedy, depending on the stress they’re going through at any given time.

To say rich people are greedy as a blanket statement is just as unfair as saying poor people are lazy. I’ve met many a hard-working poor person who just hadn’t yet turned the corner on working smarter instead of just harder.

Money can’t be the root of all evil. Envy, jealousy, and greed—all based on fear of not having or getting enough of something we want—pre-dated currency (think about the story of Cain and Able). It’s a part of what it means for us to be human.

If money isn’t the cause of all that’s wrong, it’s not going to be the cure either. It’s not the answer. It’s the fruit of our expansion—or lack thereof—beyond ourselves and of the impact we’re having on the world. What we choose to do with that is a result of who we choose to be, not because of money.

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Our lingering resentments and unresolved conflicts derail what is otherwise a universe that’s waiting to put us on track for success. We just have to open to the awareness that what we say we want and how we unconsciously operate often contradicts one another. If the universe were able to feel, it’d be just as frustrated by our blocks as we are.

Once we open up, we can start resolving past hurts, realizing that the pain may have been understandable for that time, but it’s only going to cause further damage if it’s not attended to immediately. So we mend, sometimes bending to meet another halfway, even if nothing about them has changed. We forgive them not for their sake, but for our own good. We can’t control who they are or how they’ll respond, but we can be effective through our sincerity. If our forgiveness releases them from pain too, bonus!

As important as all of this is though, the root of it all is as natural as our ability to breathe. It’s fear. It’s a part of us. We’ll never get rid of it. No amount of wisdom or experience will ever be enough to prevent it. We just get better at faking it out.

When you really think about it, the mind isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It’s useful for sure, but only after we’ve attained a certainty degree of emotional maturity. I would go so far as to say also a level of spiritual maturity, but that’s not even the main point. There’s got to be something else within us aware of its control over our mind and emotions. If we let either of those control us, we’re not much better than self-trained apes or temperamental drama queens!

The brain is a tool, but it’s also got … a mind of its own. Its mind is not to make us successful. It’s not concerned about us thriving. Its purpose is for our survival at a base level. Its job is to anticipate what’s coming and preserve our basic needs within that anticipation. In other words, the mind lives in a future reality that doesn’t even frickin’ exist yet! Our mind creates the greatest soap opera script. It makes up incredible stories, usually dramas and disasters that never happened and never will.

The secret to freedom is to realize that you don’t have to believe your mind. You don’t have to believe your story. You don’t have to believe that voice in your head. You don’t have to believe your own thinking. You can simply observe it and say, “Thank you for sharing,” and then take the necessary action you’re scared to take anyway.

One of the biggest mistakes that most people make is waiting for the feeling of fear to subside before they act. It’s not necessary and it’s impossible anyway. Rich and successful people have fear, worries, and doubts. They just don’t let those things stop them.

Don’t resist taking chances. Take them like vitamins. Let go of the brakes. Don’t worry about the bumps and bruises. You can take them. Don’t steer around what scares you. Go over. Go under. Go around or go through. Do something others would be terrified to do. You will feel your chin rise up from your chest and there will be one less thing you can’t do. Just freaking do it!

Receiving the Keys

What kind of receiver are you? If you’re reading this, chances are you consider yourself a giver of sorts. You might even beat yourself up a little bit for thinking you don’t give enough. Then again, there are those who think they’re givers but really aren’t.

The point is we tend to focus on giving as “goodness”; of feeling good or intending good. But what kind of receiver are you? Do you take compliments bashfully? Do you say, “Aw, it was really nothing”? Do you tell them to stop teasing you, or that you weren’t fishing for a compliment?

One of the big reasons most people don’t reach their full potential, financially or otherwise, is that they are very, very poor receivers. ‘You’re not worthy’ because of the way you look, or what you do, or how much money you have, or don’t have.

You’re worthy because the Great Spirit, or Universe, or God, or whatever you want to call a higher power, has put you on the earth at this time. There’s nothing else to think about! Since you’re as worthy as the next person, you’re as deserving to receive as anyone else. Anything else that your mind says around that is made up, non-supportive crappola!

And then there’s that phrase that a lot of people heard when they were young, and we still hear it: “It’s better to give than to receive.” Of course it is, isn’t it?

I’m sorry, but let’s just call that what it is: bad math! If both have to be there for the other to exist, how on earth could one be better than the other? How is that possible? Somebody enlighten me please!

By the way, the original buysoma.net intention of that ‘better to give’ statement actually translates more correctly into ‘It’s better to be in a position to give than in a position where you need to receive’.

In other words it’s better to be rich! Some people will read that and get that little twinge of guilt—How can I so selfishly justify wanting to be rich? Fine, I understand, I was there too, so let’s try this from another angle.

How does it feel to give, especially when that person didn’t ask you for anything yet you knew they were in need? Most people say it feels great, yes? It’s especially the grateful receivers that make us feel even better about our giving, yes?

But if you’re not willing to receive, you’re ripping off those people from the other side of the equation who want to give. And we’re proving that both giving and receiving are great. Two birds with one stone. If you’re in a position to give, that’s wealth—whether it’s money, time or kindness.

So here’s your practice. No more returning compliments for a specific time! If someone gives you a compliment, you’re not allowed to give them a compliment at that time because it dishonors them (of course use your better judgment, but you get the point!).  Returning a compliment because you think you have to robs them of the full joy of giving you the compliment. And it robs you of receiving.

The key is to recognize that whether you’re “worthy” or not is a feeling, not a fact. It’s a story that you made up and now you own. Disown that! Receive with the same joy that you give.

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Of all the obstacles to creating wealth, one of the biggest is the feeling of unworthiness.

It’s something we’ve all had to subconsciously deal with just being children. What happens when toddlers do something we don’t want them to do? We say, “No!” A kid is much more likely to hear the word “No” versus the word “Yes.” It just happens.

As children we often take these No’s personally, don’t we? Hell—many adults still do (the ones that don’t go for what they really want in their lives because they’re too afraid of the rejection!). The interpretation in the mind is ‘I am not good,’ or ‘good enough.’ In our society what happens to “bad” people? Punishment.

As adults our parents aren’t usually around to do the punishing. Our memories are enough to take care of that so we take over unconsciously, yes or yes? One of the many ways that people punish themselves is by making sure they don’t have an abundant, happy and successful life. It comes down to that.

When you’re “bad,” bad things are going to happen to you. Someone is obviously taking advantage of a person with a good, sincere intention—in business, in a relationship—and they know they’re being taken advantage of, but they “feel bad” for the one who they rightfully acknowledge as being the truly weaker one in the situation by taking from others without proper reciprocation.

Yet the one being taken advantage of lets it keep happening until the situation inevitably crashes. Then they say, “Why do these things always happen to me?” They know why, but something prevents them from fully embracing the truth. And that something is often a subconscious feeling of not deserving better. It’s the thing that ensures that they have pain and struggle in their lives.

This feeling of not being good enough leads to another conclusion: “I don’t deserve wealth.”

Everything again boils down to your own frickin’ interpretation. Who’s to say whether you deserve it or not? You decide. It’s your game, right?

Feelings of unworthiness show up in people when they give their time or services away for too little money in the business world, or no money. How many of you have a hard time charging for your services, especially to people that you know? Common problem, common issue!

What you gave you gave for too little, right? So what do you have in return right now? The big nada! And what do they have? They have the service. There is a missing half in the universal energy. This person right now owes a karmic debt. You have placed it on them, even if they think they got something over on you.

It’s not about giving your service to others freely if you choose to. We still want to do that, of course, because other things can come back to you. But the power of giving is that much greater when it’s coming from a soul that knows it deserves all the things life has to offer, the good and the bad; fair exchange, or more than what they ever imagined. That’s how balance occurs.

What are some other ways feelings of unworthiness show up in our lives? The more we’re able to identify the inner obstacles that hold us back, the quicker we’re truly able to develop the Millionaire Mind. We want to hear from you!

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Last week we took a look at the power of positive focus. So easy to know, yes? Yet most people do the opposite—they focus on the negative. We’ve done it too, so we can’t be too hard on anyone. But we can’t just let this slip into one of those concepts we take for granted, either. This is extremely important.

It’s one of the greatest secrets to both happiness and success. You’ve heard it 100 times; you just have to do it. If you have to read it a thousand times a day as a reminder, so be it. Eventually it’s got to get into you naturally and effortlessly.

Focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want.

Most people spend most of their day thinking about, talking about, and being about what they don’t want. ‘I don’t like this. This isn’t going right. This is a problem.’ Well, guess what? You just got more of it. What you focus on expands! Your attention has created your reality. Reality really is what you make it.

If you want more money, don’t focus on what you don’t have because that gives you that focus on the lack in your life. That’s a lack of consciousness, and you get more lack. Focus on earning and accumulating more money for your reason. If you want to create a great new business opportunity, don’t focus on how much you hate what you’re doing now. Focus on discovering a great opportunity. Focus on the solution.

Remember, I’m talking about positive focus, not positive thinking.  What’s the difference?

Positive thinking doesn’t acknowledge “negative” reality. It kind of glosses over things. You can focus on finding more opportunities to make more money, but that doesn’t change the fact that you have to eat now. You don’t change a car accident by thinking, “If I drive away, maybe nobody will notice.” Positive thinking doesn’t always account for personal responsibility.

Positive focus means looking at the now, getting the most out of now, which will affect a later future. It acknowledges the law of duality; that there must be both a positive and a negative side to everything.

Then we are just being aware that we simply are choosing to put our attention on and accentuate the positive because we know that’s what will expand for us. We know that’s what supports us; we know that’s what will make for a happier, more successful life.

It’s a Zen difference—knowing that as we paint it, we make it something, and it’s going to be empowering for us to think and focus on the positive. That’s why we do it, not because it’s true! The positive and the negative are both true!

We choose our thoughts not based on true or false. We choose them based on whether they support us or not. The mind is limited in its conscious attention. You can only entertain one thought at a time. Make sure it’s got a positive focus.

What do you think? What are your thoughts on the differences between positive thinking and positive focus? Are there any times when “positive thinking” is appropriate? We want to hear from you on this Zen-logical mind-twister!

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We’ve all either seen, experienced or heard of someone who made the proverbial mountain out of a molehill. The consequences can vary anywhere from entertaining, to frustrating, even tragic. The everyday tragedy, though, is that so many people continue to assess a negative perception on life’s circumstances when they could just as easily do the opposite.

One of the most important spiritual laws of money, success and happiness is positive focus while also understanding that we live in a universe of duality—up/down; light/dark; black/white; right/left; in and out. You can’t have a back without there being a front. Yin cannot exist without Yang.

That duality is always going to be in everything, no matter what. You’re not going to get some good into your life without there being a downside, and vice versa. So what do we do? It’s our choice. If you see the negative side of things because that’s what you choose to look at, then all that exists for you at that time will be what?

You see the positive side, though, and what will exist for you? You and I know none of this is new, but how many people actually live this way? We get sucked into the mind Frick and we get into a habit of seeing things on the negative side, and we think that that’s what is. That’s the hilarious part. We think that what we see is reality. No! It’s your reality! You just made it your reality. Nothing has meaning until we give it meaning.

The sound is not loud, and it’s not quiet. It is vibrations going out. That’s it. You paint the picture. ‘It’s loud for me.’ For you; sure! You make it anything you want. It’s nothing until you make it something. You’re going to decide. You color things light, and then they’re light. You color them dark, they become dark. They aren’t anything. You make them something.

So what would you like to start coloring things? Light! Positive! What if it turns out to be a disaster? What do you do? You realize it’s not a disaster. It’s a nothing. It’s a neutral. You get to say, “I am going to color it that after this ‘disaster’ something good might happen.”

You’re the one in charge up here. Your thoughts aren’t anything. They’re just flickers of energy and they mean nothing until you let them mean something. You have to have empowering thoughts.

Now let’s get something straight … we know that it’s impossible to never have negative thoughts, right or right? Are we going to let that stuff live inside us? Of course we will. It’s going to happen, but the question is how long will you stay stuck in them?

What determines that? Your habits! That’s all it is. Change your habit by practicing positive focus. You practice and you move on.

Now we want to hear from you. Can you think of a situation where a pattern of negative focus cost you something? What was the specific lesson you took away from that? What practices did you implement to start cultivating a pattern of positive focus?

In developing strategies for millionaire success, there are crucial truths I couldn’t say enough: start with the end in mind; create a business to sell it, not run it indefinitely. Create systems that can be imitated and duplicated. Increase its value and worth. Sell high!
As redundant as it seems, those words never get tired to me. It’s part of my gospel.  I’m talking about creating a business with the full thought, knowledge and intention that you won’t be running it one day.
How powerful is that intention? It’s the difference between being a poor business owner who gets by and a rich business owner who isn’t working anymore. He or she is doing exactly what he or she wants and intends to do.
Knowing your intention to sell your business will determine who you’re bringing in on your team and in what capacity you’re bringing them on. In order to systemize as well as grow value and worth, you have to have people who are going to help you achieve that effectively.
One of the most important areas to focus on is building a team that you trust, a team that is reliable, and will be held accountable for their performance.
To increase accountability and get the results you need, you have to define your role as leader. It’s your turf and your responsibility. One of your responsibilities is to create winning situations for your team, where winning is defined as meeting the business’ top priorities toward profit making.  Once these priorities are identified they should be clear, measurable and achievable if not easy.
To help your team win, you have to remove the obstacles that stand in their way. Have each team member identify three things they need to accomplish, have each set a goal and review. These suggestions may work or may not, but give the respect and practicality of seeing the plan from their point of view. Finally, reward results. Whatever stake you have in profit, make that stake relative to their performance and results.
But remember, one way or another you’ll ultimately be held just as accountable for your decisions and commitment as should your team, and this accountability will show in one simple result—can that business run without you, and can you sell it for gobs of money?
Here a few quick tips on how to build a strong organization and system to facilitate smoother operations, growth, success and win-win scenarios for you and your team:
Write down your top three objectives and how to measure them.
Write down the three most important ways for you to improve your leadership abilities.
Who needs to delegate better? How can you get him or her to do that?
Finally, here’s one last point on the importance of choosing a good team to grow the value and worth of the company. The more exclusive products or service you offer that no one else in your market has or can get, the more your company is worth! This means higher quality candidates, but as we saw before—more money means more energy, hence more or higher quality people—it depends on how far you want to go.
Now it’s your turn! What about your Millionaire Mind community? Do you have any quick, simple tips or suggestions on how to spot great potential team members, what to look for, signals that tell you to steer clear? Leadership suggestions? Share them below.
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In developing strategies for millionaire success, there are crucial truths I couldn’t say enough: start with the end in mind; create a business to sell it, not run it indefinitely. Create systems that can be imitated and duplicated. Increase its value and worth. Sell high!

As redundant as it seems, those words never get tired to me. It’s part of my gospel.  I’m talking about creating a business with the full thought, knowledge and intention that you won’t be running it one day.How powerful is that intention? It’s the difference between being a poor business owner who gets by and a rich business owner who isn’t working anymore. He or she is doing exactly what he or she wants and intends to do.

Knowing your intention to sell your business will determine who you’re bringing in on your team and in what capacity you’re bringing them on. In order to systemize as well as grow value and worth, you have to have people who are going to help you achieve that effectively.

One of the most important areas to focus on is building a team that you trust, a team that is reliable, and will be held accountable for their performance.

To increase accountability and get the results you need, you have to define your role as leader. It’s your turf and your responsibility. One of your responsibilities is to create winning situations for your team, where winning is defined as meeting the business’ top priorities toward profit making.  Once these priorities are identified they should be clear, measurable and achievable if not easy.

To help your team win, you have to remove the obstacles that stand in their way. Have each team member identify three things they need to accomplish, have each set a goal and review. These suggestions may work or may not, but give the respect and practicality of seeing the plan from their point of view. Finally, reward results. Whatever stake you have in profit, make that stake relative to their performance and results.

But remember, one way or another you’ll ultimately be held just as accountable for your decisions and commitment as should your team, and this accountability will show in one simple result—can that business run without you, and can you sell it for gobs of money?

Here a few quick tips on how to build a strong organization and system to facilitate smoother operations, growth, success and win-win scenarios for you and your team:

1. Write down your top three objectives and how to measure them.

2. Write down the three most important ways for you to improve your leadership abilities.

3. Who needs to delegate better? How can you get him or her to do that?

Finally, here’s one last point on the importance of choosing a good team to grow the value and worth of the company. The more exclusive products or service you offer that no one else in your market has or can get, the more your company is worth! This means higher quality candidates, but as we saw before—more money means more energy, hence more or higher quality people—it depends on how far you want to go.

Now it’s your turn! What about your Millionaire Mind community? Do you have any quick, simple tips or suggestions on how to spot great potential team members, what to look for, signals that tell you to steer clear? Leadership suggestions? Share them below.