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!
Purpose and desire aren’t mutually exclusive. You can become rich by adding value to other’s lives through executing your individual, unique mission. And we know that the reasons you have for all this are just as good as anybody else’s—to try something you’ve always wanted to try; for expensive toys; getting the kids to college; preparing to care for aged loved ones—there’re a million and one reasons to want to be successful financially.
There are no wrong reasons to go for what you want as long as it’s coming from a place of your truth. Fulfilling your needs doesn’t excite anybody, but going after what you want? Oh yes! It’s got to move you!
“If I could do this … oh my God!”
The purpose for having money is pretty well the most important element in having money. Everyone I know who has become rich did so for a reason as if they needed to become rich. Most of them don’t live all that happily because they needed to become rich in order to prove that they’re okay, or responding to some programming other than an intention that moved them from their inner core.
So go for whatever you want. In the end, we’re all going for the same thing. What we’re really seeking is the feeling that the objects of our wants will bring. A new house can give us a sense of comfort. A new car can heighten a feeling of importance. Travel and toys can invoke excitement and stave off boredom. Launching the business dream job can satisfy our need to achieve and be recognized.
But we need to be real careful about what it is we want. Sometimes people keep wanting things and getting them, only to find out they didn’t really want it, or get bored real fast (which is usually the case), only to want more and guess what? Those wants keep piling up, and pretty soon you’re wanting something so badly that you’re looking at the future as if that’s the place where your happiness will reside. That’s the desire trap.
The point isn’t that we shouldn’t want the objects we think will make us happy. However, we have to keep in mind that our happiness isn’t limited to the objects of our desires. We don’t have to wait until we get want we want in order to be happy.
We can gain those same feelings we think our material desires will give us in other ways. Donating time to a cause you really care about can provide feelings of security and connection among like-minded individuals, and recognition that makes you feel good about yourself for helping others.
The more we focus on the positive experiences we want out of life, not only do we tend to produce those more frequently, but also the easier it is to produce the “things” we want.
Now we want to hear from you. Have you ever wanted something so badly—even something major like a certain career or expensive object—only to find out it didn’t really fulfill you? What was the lesson from the experience?
One of the funniest yet profound stories I’ve ever heard was about the young monk who goes into a monastery where you can only say two words a year.
He goes through that first year doing all the things he’s supposed to do. At the end of the year the head monk gives the young monk a chance to say his two words. “Bed hard,” he says.
Another year of painstaking work happens, better than any other monk. At the end of the year the head monk asks for the young monk’s two words. “Food bad,” he says. Another year, same thing, only this third time the young monk says, “I quit.” The head monk replies, “I’m not surprised. All you ever did was complain.”
Complaining becomes a habit. Focusing on the negative also becomes a habit. It’s one of the most detrimental habits you can possibly have. It can negatively impact you socially, affecting your personal happiness, but it can also subconsciously sabotage your money and success. How so?
First of all, when you complain to people 80% of them don’t really care, and the other 20% are kind of happy it’s happening to you. It makes them feel a lot better about their lives. Also, the ‘poor me’ victim role may have gotten you some sympathy or attention from your parents or from certain people, but successful people will not want to be around you.
We’re going to need successful people to help us get more successful, yes or yes?
The truth is nobody wants to be around a party-pooper, and complainers are the worst of them all. I get it all the time—people who love what we do at Peak Potentials, want to work with us, etc., but the way they approach me is to complain about something. Maybe they’re a sound person and they say the music was too loud at one of my programs.
They didn’t frame the approach in a positive way, like saying, “Here’s something that we can look at,” or “Here’s something you might be able to try.” All I need to hear is one complaint out of somebody and I’m like, “Back off, man! Get your own victim!”
Words have power. They are declarations to the universe. What you complain about becomes your focus and your intention, and it expands for you just like it’s suppose to. So go ahead and complain … or maybe not. You’ve got to catch yourself because no one’s going to do it for you, probably because they’re doing it, too.
Misery loves company, and those who don’t aren’t interested in the pity party. You think they’re interested because they asked you, “Hey, how’s it going,” and you start launching into, “Well, I can’t believe what so and so said and did and …” You know who’s interested? The other soap opera derby people you hang out with, not successful or even happy people.
It can be hard to change your peer group, or even dealing with loved ones who can be negative. What are some ways you’ve found to maintain a positive focus in spite of the complainers in your life? How do you care for, love and honor them while protecting yourself as well? We want to hear from you!
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!
Last week we took a look at loving what you do for a living as a means to getting rich. Unless you’re passionate about what you do, it is very difficult for you to be successful or happy.
When you are not thrilled with your work, what are you doing unconsciously? Looking for a way out, yes or no? You’re always thinking “If there was something else …” You’re constantly searching.
Imagine driving on a highway. You’re looking for your exit. What lane would you drive in? The slow lane, because you don’t want to miss the exit. But if you weren’t looking for an exit you’d be flying down the fast lane. Unconsciously, you wouldn’t even know you’re doing it until you see a cop or traffic jam or something. But when you’re in that mode of looking for a way out, you never fully commit. You never get any momentum.
When you’re engaged in what you love to do, it’s like driving in the fast lane. Time flies by and more roads open up to you, alternate routes you may not have even known existed.
So why don’t we do what we love? You’d think it’d be natural, right? Natural talents are gifts from the universe, gifts from spirit, gifts from whatever you want to call your creator. You can refine your talent but it’s something that makes people say, “You’re a natural at that!”
The reason a lot of people don’t find or create work that they love is fear, of course. Fear of failure, fear of the unknown, fear of change, fear of rejection, fear of looking foolish, fear of disapproval. It’s a story you make up about what might happen or what could be in the future.
In conjunction with fear is obligation. Obligation to memories of the past, obligation to other people, obligation to the freaking mortgage! If your mortgage is hampering your life, which one do you want to release? You’d think the logical answer is the mortgage, but guess which one most people release? They release their lives. Isn’t that wicked?
Whatever obligation it is, it’s nothing more than a fear that ‘If I don’t do this, something bad will happen to me.’ Obligation is a ‘should’. It’s a ‘have to’. It’s an opinion, though, and every one of those obligations is made up. You made it up. It’s not true that you have to or that you should. It’s your opinion based on some other stuff, interpretations that you made about who you are, who others are to you, what’s important, what’s not.
Forget the obligations. If they are not supporting you, give up the ‘shoulds’. Don’t wait! Life is too short to work at something you really don’t love and have a passion for. When you do, you will promote it like crazy. That’s how you’ll know. Before you know it, you’re flying down the fast lane. Do what you love and the money will come. You have to trust yourself.
Now we want to hear from you! What are some ways that you’ve found to balance responsibility to others—like taking care of the family, for example—with responsibility to your creative side? What are some resources that we all have that people may not think about that could help them get over the hump of “shoulds” and “have to’s”?
In the past the type of work we as humans did was based more on necessity than choice. You’re a farmer, or metal-smith, scholar, soldier, weaver—you did what you had to do, and circumstances were largely out of your control.
There have also always been people who dreamed of being more than their environment, but breaking out of the path many were born into certainly had to be more of an exception than what is possible today.
Things have changed. The internet, just as one example, is one of the greatest equalizers of opportunity ever! Anybody with a great idea, the skills and the resources can capitalize on a worldwide audience. Hopefully you’ve realized that but you know what? Out of habit many people still don’t.
As a society we haven’t figured out that the necessity of “doing what we have to do” isn’t as ironclad as many would be led to believe; that we have way more options today and way more opportunity then we can even handle. Yes or yes?
The fact is, though, most people do not love what they do for a living. They suffer through it. They do it because they “have” to do it, because they should do it, or because they’re skilled at it. I especially love that one.
“But do you like what you do?”
“I hate it but I’m good at it!”
Are you supposed to love work? Yes!
You know how we can make everyone successful? We’ll all just do one thing. We’ll all be internet marketers. Everyone will get rich, how about that? NO! It’s boring! Maybe not for you, but maybe for someone else who needs, wants and loves to personally interact with as many people as possible. The challenge for them is to find a way to get rich incorporating that into what they do or whatever their passion is.
So it’s imperative to do what we love to do, what we truly enjoy. Joy is a clue from the heart, different from pleasure. When you invoke the feeling of joy you’re tapping into your higher nature, your truer self, and the source of your full power, your full creativity, your full wisdom.
Passion creates energy. Energy creates enthusiasm. When you are passionate about what you do does that come through? Will people want what you’ve got? Have you ever bought anything or wanted to buy something from someone just because you liked that person, versus a person that’s got a really good product, but who shows none or—even worse—false enthusiasm? You don’t want to buy like that. It makes a huge difference for people.
Human energy, at its purest form, is love. And that energy transfers just like any other energy. When you’re passionate about something, you don’t have to sell it. You’re simply educating others on something you really believe in, and their lack of enthusiasm doesn’t temper yours, but rather the other way around. If you don’t love what you do, then what the hell are you doing?!
Now it's your turn! What do you think? What are the barriers that keep people from realizing that there doesn’t have to be a discrepancy between becoming rich and becoming joyful in what you do? We want to hear from you!!
It's human nature to separate our lives into parts for convenience sake, so there’s a difference between work and family, for example. But sometimes these distinctions disrupt what would otherwise be an integral unity. Treating employees like family can go a long way toward your bottom line through their loyal, caring and purposeful efforts.
Values and principles aren’t okay over here in our family lives or relationships, yet we can drop them over there in business. No, we’re either going to be what we intend to be throughout all facets of our lives, or we’re not.
If the same concepts apply, why separate the basic elements of business as if they were these pieces that fit into the puzzle of our lives when we could equally consider life as a business itself?
In the market, value is determined by the benefit of something minus its cost, yes? These same principles apply to any part of our lives, from what we put into our bodies to the peer groups we choose. It’s not cold to think of life in business terms. The human element is that values, benefits and costs are unique to each of us, and thereby unquantifiable. That’s what makes each life—and business—unique with its own unique value to give.
The three elements to business success are:
- You have to have the right vehicle.
- You have to have the right knowledge.
- And you’ve got to be the right, true YOU!
If you don’t have the right vehicle are you going to make it? If you don’t have the right knowledge of how to use that vehicle, are you going to make it? If you don’t know who you are—your habits, your traits, your own strength—are you going to make it?
We don’t literally live our lives in vehicles all the time, but are you located where you need to be? If someone wanted to pursue acting and become a big star, Wyoming wouldn’t be the best place to pursue work. Yes, or yes? Also, having the right knowledge and knowing who you are go hand in hand if we were to think of successful lives as we think of successful businesses.
Your livelihood is not solely measured in your bank statements. It’s living life without doubt. It’s doing and being who you are and taking in everything that comes at you—the good, the bad and the ugly— knowing that you’re going to keep moving forward and succeeding again no matter what.
Right livelihood is a Buddhist principle, probably among other spiritual disciplines too. It’s not about how much money you make. That’s a part of it, but that will be a result of finding the right livelihood. It’s about matching what you do with who you are.
Let’s have some fun with this concept. If you were to think of your life as a business, what would you call it? Why? Does your name tie into the core of who you are or what value you have to give? We’re looking forward to some fun, creative responses. Post below!
Once you know who your market is and what you want to tell them, now you have to know how you’re going to reach them in a way that doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg.
There are dozens of different ways to market and promote a product or service. Everything from advertising on radio and television, print, magazines, newspapers of course; and email is great today if you know what you’re doing.
But of all the mediums that are available today, I believe there are two that are the most effective for the least amount of money.
The first one is referral marketing. That’s right, just what it sounds like: people telling other people. Word of mouth is not only extremely inexpensive, but the best part about it is it’s the most credible!
The second one is absolutely critical here: endorsed mailing or joint venture endorsed mailing. Bulk junk mail can cost a freaking fortune to mail out. Instead you partner with someone else who is interested or believes in your product or service. You give them a deal on that product or service, but also use their mailing lists to sell your product or service to their mailing lists with their endorsed approval. That’s not the only way but it just gives you an idea.
The people on the list have already given their interests or trust to your partner, now you have a wider field of people who may trust you too, which for me on one occasion turned out to be a 4% increase in response rates, 20 times more than my original mailing without the joint venture.
Next, I am going to suggest that instead of doing single step marketing you do multi-step marketing! What’s the difference? Single means trying to get them to buy from you on the first date. ‘Multi’ means trying to get them to test you out with very little risk and after they like you going for more. So I believe in not only getting them in the door but doing so in massive quantities.
Finally, there’s a saying: ‘The headaches are in the front end but the money is in the back end’. The most expensive part of any business is getting the customer in the first place. But isn’t that your biggest asset? It’s your current customers!
Once they are in, they know you and they like you. It’s easy to sell to them and offer them more. Your own customer database is the most efficient and effective arena. That is your business. You’re going to make way more money on the back end of what you offer people you already have than the front end of people you’re still trying to get in. Good or good?
Now it’s your turn! What are two or three things you can offer on the front end of a business that are low risk in time and money, and completely outrageous—where people go ‘Is this for real? Wow! I’ve got to try this out!’ Share your thoughts below.
Ideas aren’t hard to come by. They’re all around us, sometimes right in front of our noses and we don’t see them. But they’re there. And if people were more honest with themselves, everybody’s got some kind of idea that they’re excited about, or were excited about at one time or another.
That doesn’t mean all ideas are great. We’ve all heard someone’s enthusiastic brain leak only to feel like that cricket in a quiet, packed amphitheater. But there are simple methods that can help focus vague ideas into coherent, sensible choices.
Like modeling a proven winner. This is so easy. As far as I’m concerned, if someone doesn’t get rich in business while having the right people at the right time within his/her reach—which is half of it—you’re either not listening, not paying attention, or a little on the lame side. Harsh but true, and sometimes we need to just own up to it if we want to do something about it.
There’s never an excuse not to copy someone who’s already making a fortune now. The word ‘copy’ strikes people oddly because in school we learned we shouldn’t copy, but like most things we learn in school it keeps people broke.
You definitely want to be unique but do you need to be an original? Heck no! There really isn’t that much new under the sun, and if there is, let somebody else deal with unveiling it. It’ll cost them way more than it will cost you.
But we also leave ourselves with alternatives. Copying not your M.O. or forté? Instead of copying, look for a hot product or service in a field you love and piggy back, or affiliate, with them.
Why would you affiliate with them versus doing it on your own? They might already be in the market, they might have exclusive product or a great product, they might have major distribution or a major database, or expensive equipment or technology, or the operation size is already established.
In other words, they may already have a lot of the headache kind of stuff that you didn’t have to build yourself or expense yourself or bother with at all. You’re simply there to fill a gap that is mutually beneficial.
By the way, some people call it ‘nitch’ and some people call it ‘niche’, yes? I choose nitch because it rhymes with rich.
You take something that was for the public and then say ‘I am going to make it for women’ or ‘for men only’ or ‘for seniors only’ or ‘for golfers only’. Change the market!
We’ve got target market and we’ve got product niches. Product niche is something specialty, or the biggest, or ‘only’ of some sort. Think about a store that only sells something that everybody uses, like towels. Moving into a new home? Buying a house-warming gift? Where are you going to go to get towels? Towels Only! Product nitches equal your riches!
Now it’s your turn! Give me your feedback to these tips and steps. What do you think generates million dollar ideas for business and for life? I want to hear from you!
Ideas are like babies. When you get them, you feel the simple excitement that a baby feels in a happy moment. The possibilities seem infinite in those moments. If you take your ideas seriously, you’ll nurture and protect them until they’re standing on their own, off and running.
Who wouldn’t want to see that sprint end with seven or more figures at the finish line? If everybody could generate million dollar business ideas, who wouldn’t?
If only everybody knew they could if they just learned how to do it. Generating ideas is a skill. It’s a rare skill. It’s a lucrative skill. Whether you’re looking for a new business to get into or you want to find new opportunities within your current business field, your biggest problem isn’t finding ideas. It’s choosing between all the amazing opportunities you’ve got in front of you. Good or good?
To narrow down all the options, choose a field that you love. It’s got to be the right business for you! If you don’t like the business or product, are you going to be very passionate and enthusiastic about it? That’s why passion is so important. Passion is your energy! And what are people buying? They’re buying the energy and if you’re not excited and passionate in what you’ve got there’s no way you can market or sell it.
Also, think about people’s two primary motivators … pleasure and pain. Which is stronger? Avoiding pain! If there’s a problem people want it solved. So there we have the definition of an entrepreneur: a person who solves problems at a profit!
Another way to create million dollar ideas is to improve something. Nothing is perfect. That means every single thing can be improved! Everything of the millions or billions or trillions of products and services out there can be made or done better. All you have to do is find the way! So you have at least a million business opportunities right there.
By the way, why is improving a product or a concept even better than creating it from scratch? It’s already a proven entity, a proven market. You don’t have to spend a fortune educating anyone. They’re already buying it. There’s a good chance that if you make it better they’ll buy it from you.
Let somebody else educate the heck out of them and then you come in when they are already educated. You’ll have the money left over to expand while the first guys spent all their money educating. It’s better to be second than first!
Ideas are not as hard to come by as people make them out to be. With a little focus, knowledge, awareness and insight, anyone can literally create a million dollar baby!
Next week we’ll look at three more ways to generate million dollar ideas.
