Declaration of Independence & Success
By Hector Torres: Millionaire in Training-MMMChallenge.comAll of these reasons were negative and pathetic excuses. This way of thinking had been holding me back all my life. I don’t know why I thought this way or what might have happened to me when I was younger to cause me to think so negatively and lack the self-confidence that I needed to excel and see things through. It’s a mystery even to me. But as of this day, I choose to change my way of thinking because ultimately, by the grace of God my way of thinking will change the way I am living.
This is my Declaration of Independence! A declaration that will now define who I am and who I want to be. For far too long I’ve made decisions where I settled for less. These decisions have not only held me down but have also held down those around me, and those who depend on me. No more. No more procrastinating. No more fearfulness for it is fear that will now be my guide and my motivation.
This is my declaration of independence! By the end of this year 2011, I will complete the MMM Challenge with HONORS. With the help of my mentors I will close at least 5 wholesale deals (or more!), 2 lease option deals and by end 2012 I will be crushing the local real estate market. I will be living like God intended me to live, and my family and loved ones will see that one does not have to live poorly and miserably for the rest of their lives. They will know that we have a choice and that we can re-define our lives. We have the power to break the mold and we can re-shape out own lives and destinies into whatever we wish them to be-should we make the sincere decision to commit to our own success and happiness.
This is my declaration of independence! I declare independence from fear, poverty, negativity and all other things that have held me back from true success and brought me down. No more will these people, things, and thoughts govern my life and my destiny. I declare my life my own! I declare my destiny my own! And as such I will shape my life as I see fit, and right now-success seems to fit me pretty darn well.
To Your Success,
Hector Torres
Bike Ride with God
By Hector Torres: Millionaire in Training-MMMChallenge.comAt first I saw God as my observer, as my judge keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know if I merited Heaven or Hell when I die. He was out there sort of like the president- I recognized His picture when I saw it , but I really didn't know Him. But later on when I met Christ, it seemed as though life were rather like a bike-ride. But it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that Christ was at the back helping me peddle. Now, I don't know just when it was that He suggested that we switch places, but life has not been the same since.
When I had control I knew the way. It was rather boring, but it was predictable. It was the safest and shortest distance between two points. But when He took the lead, He knew delightful LONG-cuts. Up mountains and through rocky places, at break-neck speeds, it was all I could do to hang on! Even though it looked like madness he said, "Peddle! Peddle!!"
I worried, I was anxious, and I asked, "Wh-where are you taking me!?" He laughed and didn't answer. And so I started to learn to trust Him and soon I forgot my boring life and entered into-His adventure. When I'd say, "Hey, I'm scared!" he'd lean back and touch my hand.
He took me to people with gifts I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance, and joy. They gave me gifts to take on my journey. My Lord's and mine, and we were off again. He would then say, "Hey give those gifts away now, they're extra baggage! Too much weight!" and so I did and gave them to the people we met along our journey, and I found that in giving- I received; and still our burden was light.
I didn't trust Him at first, in control of my life. I thought he'd wreck it! But he knows bikes secrets. He knows how to make it bend to turn sharp corners. He knows how to make it jump to clear high rocks, and he even knows how to fly to shorten scary passages.
Now I'm learning to shut-up and peddle in the strangest places, and I'm beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face and my delightful constant companion-Jesus Christ. And when I'm sure I just can't do it anymore - He just smiles and says, "Peddle! Peddle!"
By: Rev. Chuck Swindoll
The Art of Handling Criticism
By Georgina BarreraThis blog posting is by Leo Babauta
Conventional people are roused to fury by departure from convention, largely because they regard such departure as a criticism of themselves.’ ~Bertrand Russell
If you’re going to do anything interesting in the world, criticism is an unavoidable fact. You’ll be criticized, because you’ll make mistakes, because some will be jealous, because people have opinions about anything interesting, because people want to help you, because some want to drag down those doing anything different.
The trick to navigating the icebergs of criticism is to figure out which are helpful, and steer clear of those that aren’t. And above all, do it with grace.
Criticism on Zen Habits Once Zen Habits started to take off — I had 26K subscribers at the end of my first year in 2007 — I received all kinds of criticism. Many of them were from new readers, who were mostly incredibly positive and encouraging, but who sometimes would leave scathing comments on a post. I learned a tactic that worked extremely well. If a comment was mean, I’d take a minute to calm myself down, and then ask, “Does this person have a point (despite their rude tone)?” Then I would respond and thank the commenter for his criticism. I’d acknowledge their point without being defensive. I’d respond with my reasoning, if I felt I had a point, or if the critic was right I would agree and let them know I was going to change things. Either way, I was grateful for their criticism.
This had a startling effect: the commenter would often respond very positively. Thanking the commenter and acknowledging their point is disarming. People who leave rude comments don’t expect you to listen to them, much less be grateful and empathetic. I had many of my critics become friends after doing that — I’ve never seen a tactic have better results. I’d also get criticism from other sites. My usual response has been to ask myself (again, after calming down), “Does this person have a point?” If they do, I’ll see what I can do to change. If not, I’ll move on. I’ve learned that criticism is a fact of the game. I can respond with anger, or let it stop me from doing things, or I can let it help me. Or accept that it’s there and move on. I choose the last two.
How Not To Handle Criticism
Criticism can bring you down if you let it. People get discouraged when faced with criticism, and just give up. That can be understandable, but why let the words of someone having a bad day (or month) stop you from doing something great? What would have happened if Shakespeare had stopped writing the first time an audience member jeered one of his lines? Or if Gandhi had given up just because the Brits weren’t happy with his ways?
Often people will instead respond to criticism with anger. They’ll lash out, attack, become defensive and aggressive. If you haven’t read this now-infamous comment thread for a review of an indie book, I highly recommend it. The review is fine, but the comments left by the author of the book are simply incredible. She’s a train wreck that you can’t look away from. This is how not to respond to criticism. It was the worst way to react. If you’re angry, you do not tell people to fuck off. You do not attack them, blame them for your mistakes, deny that you made any mistakes, and feed fuel to the fire by compounding your mistakes with more mistakes. It would be so much better just to stay silent.
Do Amazing Things
Don’t let criticism stop you from doing anything. If someone tells you that your writing sucks, keep doing it. Make it better. Study people who do it well and rip them off, then make it your own and let your voice infuse what you do. Be great by being honest, by seeking the truth and telling that truth when no one else will.
Create amazing things.
Contribute to the world, make the version of the world you want to see. Go out and do something different. Don’t do things just because everyone else does it. Here’s a secret: If you find yourself swimming along with all the other fishes, swim the other way. They don’t know where they’re going either.
Do something amazing, and share it with the world. Criticism can be necessary, but often it is just dragging down the people trying to do amazing things. Don’t let it stop you.
How to Handle It Gracefully
Calm yourself down before responding. Always. Responding to a critic in anger is never, ever, ever a good idea. In case I didn’t make that clear: don’t ever ever ever respond in anger. Ask yourself why the criticism was made. Is the person trying to help, to make things better, to help you avoid making mistakes, to suggest positive improvements? Is the person just in a cranky rude mood, having a bad day? Is the person just mean, or jealous? Is there good reason for the criticism? Regardless of the motivation, ask yourself if there is validity in the criticism. Sometimes there really is, but instead of letting that get you down, let it help you improve. Admit that you’re not perfect at what you do (though you are perfect), and that not everything you do is exactly right, and that you want to improve. I, for one, certainly make mistakes all the time and have a lot I can improve. Thank the person offering the criticism. Sometimes they’re coming from a place of wanting to help you. That takes courage, and is a very generous thing. Be grateful for that. Even when they’re not trying to be helpful, they’ve taken the time to respond to you — and trust me, getting a response is better than absolute silence. Provoking a reaction means you’ve done something interesting — and for that, you should be thankful. Either way, thanking the critic will help lead to a positive exchange. Respond rationally and calmly. Instead of being defensive, be honest. Share your reasons, acknowledge the other person’s points if there’s any validity, and come to a rational conclusion rather than jealously guarding your way of doing things. Or stay silent. If you can’t respond with grace, then just don’t respond. Silence is a much better response than anger or defensiveness or quitting. Carry on. You’ve responded gracefully, now get back to doing your amazing things.
TO ALL MMM2 CHALLENGERS; I'D LIKE TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU
By James M Gleason-Millionaire in Training,MMMChallenge.comPROSPERITY IS A CHOICE - YOU CAN LIVE LIKE A CHAMPION:
C-Commitment-What are you committed to
H-Higher Priority Living-Living a balanced life-God, Family, Health and Work
A-Action-Commitment precedes a Miracle and Determines Your Destiny
M-Mentor(S)-People with Positive Experiences and Results You Want in life-MMM2 Challenge
P-Purpose-Live with Purpose
I-Invest in Yourself-You are the Best Investment in Yourself-Money and Time are not the Issues-It is a Measurement of Value
O-Opportunity Seeker-Be open to it-Opportunity DOES NOT mean the next shiny object
N-Never Quit-On Yourself and You're Dreams
FINANCIAL:
Money you bring into your life is what you have now-Live the following way 10-10-3-7-70:
10%-Pay Yourself first
10%-Give it away; whether it is a tithe or to a charity or whatever purpose
3%-Improve Yourself-Self-Improvement Education
7%-Spoil Yourself-All work and no play makes a very unhappy person
70%-Live BELOW YOUR MEANS
Dan relayed this story: There were 3 angels who were told to hide LOVE. The first angel flew to the highest mountain top and buried it under a rock; where no one would look for it. The second angel flew to the bottom of the sea and hid it in the sand; where no one would look for it. The third angel hid it in the Best possible place; in the hearts of man; where no one would look for it. Use this new-found awareness to live a life of gratitude, happiness and peace. Offer more of yourself and offer more value; live the life of a Champion.
Where will you be tomorrow or five years from now? What could you have been; had you lived the life of a Champion? Prosperity is a consciousness. Learn from experience; yours and others. Ask a lot of questions. It is said that Knowledge is Power; however, it is how you utilize the knowledge that you have obtained, that is your power. Don't say, "I know that!" Visualize the challenge put before you at the beginning of this message. It is the Ability to Replace Ignorance with Enlightenment!! Would you want to be someone else; or at the end of the day, would you want to be YOU at you fullest potential? Many people would settle for mediocrity; however, it takes as much time to be productive and live your life to the fullest, as it does to live a mediocre life.
Jim Gleason's Note: I know all the Challengers deserve the Best Life Possible. Thanks for allowing me to share this with you.
"Success is a Reward to Anyone Who Gives His All" -- William Naulls
By Georgina Barrerafrom the book Pyramid of Success.
Coach John Wooden of Westwood has a message for all. Industriousness and enthusiasm, the conerstones of his call. Focused on freindship and loyality, he stresses cooperation and mastery of intentness of initiative through self-controlled participation.
Not to forget alertness and condition in developing team spirit's skill of
maturing competitive greatness, poise and confidence to fulfull.
Inspired by sincerity of ambition and an honest desire to be "as He,"
men and women can achieve their best through responsible adaptability.
Reliability on the resourcefulness possessed in integrity's might is the victory of the good fight of faith, through patience's insight.
So the message of life, Coach Wooden's call-- SUCCESS is a reward to anyone who gives his all.
Inspiration!
By Georgina BarreraEvery morning part of my routine is to check my facebook pages and post inspirational quotes, videos, or informative articles so this morning I found this video and I am sharing with my fellow challengers to inspire and motivate you as I have been.
As I watched it, I thought about how I felt when I did not get "the call" during the first MMM Challenge and of course I was disappointed although I do truly believe things happen for a reason so what I did not do was let go of my dream, I feel it, and I believe it, and I do know that I will do this via the MMM Challenge or via another path. It will be and if there is anything I can give you today, it is to tell you to dream big! Feel it, Believe , Achieve it!
With Love & Light! Lady G @Tom, I like the alias you gave me :-)
Inspirational Story - Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar
By Ed YoungNo one can make you serve customers well....that's because great service
is a choice.
Harvey Mackay, tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved
this point.
He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up,
the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a
bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly
pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to
open the back passenger door for Harvey .
He handed my friend a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver.
While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission
statement.'
Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said: Wally's Mission Statement:
To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and
cheapest way possible in a friendly environment...
This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the
cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!
As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of
coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.' My friend said
jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.' Wally smiled and said, 'No
problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and
orange juice.' Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I 'll take a Diet Coke.'
Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I
have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today..'
As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated
card, 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd
like to listen to the radio.'
And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air
conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him.
Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that
time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell
him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with
his own thoughts...
'Tell me, Wally,' my amazed friend asked the driver, 'have you always
served customers like this?'
Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always. In fact, it's
only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent
most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I
heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day.
He had just written a book called You'll See It When You Believe It.
Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day,
you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining!
Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an
eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.'
'That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally. 'Dyer was really
talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to
change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other
cabs and their drivers... The cabs were dirty, the drivers were
unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some
changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I
did more.'
'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said.
'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my
income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You
were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My
customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message
on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a
reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.'
Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab.
I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the
years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to
their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like
ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was
suggesting.
Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop
quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.
How about us? Smile, and the whole world smiles with you.... The ball
is in our hands!
A man reaps what he sows. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at
the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.... let us
do good to all people.
Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar.
Ed Young
HisRealEstateNetwork.com
"...whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood..."
By Danny Welsh, CMO of HIS, Greatest Real Estate Giveaway DirectorWhat we can learn from Teddy Roosevelt
Here is an excerpt from a speech
frequently called “The Man in the Arena,” delivered in 1910 in
Paris by then President of the United States Theodore
Roosevelt:
“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how
the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have
done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually
in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;
who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again,
because there is no effort without error and shortcoming…’ who
knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends
himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the
triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails,
at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall
never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory
nor defeat.”
One of our company managing members sees this one hanging on their wall almost every day.
Find Direction in Life and Real Estate Investing- Create Your Success Roadmap
By Danny Welsh, CMO of HIS, Greatest Real Estate Giveaway DirectorHow do you find direction in your life and in your real estate investing? And why is finding direction important anyway? Put it this way: if you were to set out in your car driving from New York to Los Angeles, all the way across the country, you’d be going in the right direction just by heading “West”. But is that the most efficient way to go about a journey of that magnitude? Of course not!
The same thing applies when creating your own success roadmap. You know as well as I that there are all kinds of tools and information and resources available in the world today to help you create a roadmap and make this trip better, easier, faster, safer, more accurately, and in a more cost-efficient manner.
THERE’S a TON OF THAT YOU SHOULD’VE ALREADY GOTTEN YOUR HANDS ON IF YOU’RE READING THIS when you signed up for Greatest Real Estate Giveaway and the 100+ free trainings from 100+ of the top real estate and wealth-building experts in the world at http://www.TheGreatestRealEstateGiveawayEver.com
Just like you wouldn’t set out driving aimlessly when you already know your destination, so too must you not try to set sail towards reaching your goals in life and in real estate investing—without putting together a plan, a roadmap if you will, to get there. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the “ready, fire, aim” philosophy to life and business.
Even imperfect action is better than ZERO action but, all things being considered, if you could get to your destination/goals faster and easier without expending one single iota more energy or one more red cent than what you’re currently doing…wouldn’t you want to take the better way? Of course you would. That’s what this article is about. The one thing I want you to think about as we are starting this journey is “where do I want to end up?”
Without the map, there is no treasure. You must find direction… Direction for your life and your real estate investing goals… It’s time for you to stop blindly forging along and get to work with the REAL hard work, work that so few people ever do because it just seems so…hard.
Thinking. Henry Ford once said “Thinking is the hardest work there is. That’s why so few people engage in it.” Just think… This can be your year to stop being a dreamer and become a real investor, and grab the lifestyle you’ve always imagined. But you’ve got to put in some serious thinking time. Here’s the best place to start your thinking process right now. “What direction are you heading in life right now?”
“Are you where you want to be in life?” Get this. Seriously, if you don’t know the direction you’re heading in, then how in the blue blazes do you intend to ever get where you want to go? Do you think one day, you’ll suddenly wake up and say, “Oh, this is exactly what I want”? Don’t think so.
I wish it worked that way, too, sometimes. If it did, there wouldn’t be any blue-haired old folks working in the Greeter role at Wal-Mart because at some point in their life what they actually wanted to accomplish in this short time we have on Earth would have lit up in their mind and they would have known exactly what they wanted. That didn’t happen for them, and it won’t magically happen for you, either. Physics teaches us the Law of Inertia that an object at rest tends to stay at rest. So, if you’re not doing anything about where you are today then nothing is magically going to drop into your lap and force you to get moving.
You have to do it yourself. You’ve got to have a route to follow, a success roadmap. A commitment to a plan of massive action to get you rolling along moving in the right direction.
Because once you’re moving, two things happen. First, you get the benefit of the second corollary of the Law of Inertia. Just as objects at rest tend to remain at rest, objects in motion tend to remain in motion!
And secondly, once you’re moving it gets so much easier to fine-tune your direction. Remember, just heading “West” is NOT a bad start to get from New York to Los Angeles. A start is always a positive. But it’s not a plan to get you there in the best and fastest way possible. For that, you’ve got to fine-tune your direction and begin creating your success roadmap. Now, some of you may ask, what do I do if my plan fails? This type of thinking simply comes from the fear of failing. This stops most investors dead in their tracks from ever buying their first property. They read articles, books, and even buy courses, yet they remain inactive in buying any real estate, never realizing their dreams of escaping the rat race. They talk a big game about what they’re going to do, but they always seem to be just talking and not doing.
Listen, I know all about that. The truth? Anxiety will ride your shoulder no matter how experienced you are— it’s your response to the feeling that dictates whether you master it or not!
As far as the reality of possibility in “failing”… we can play the “what if” game all day long and still be at the same point were at now except a little more frustrated. Forget the anxiety. Forget the fear. Just take action. Action destroys fear. Remember, too, that “what if” goes both ways. What if your plan works?
What if you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that you wouldn’t fail? Would you then still procrastinate? Would you put off running that We Buy Houses ad? Would you give all the excuses in the book: no money, no credit, no time, no experience? Would you still drive by that house in pre-foreclosure and convince yourself they’re not at home so that you won’t knock on the door? Nope, and that’s the rub. You’ll likely never know anything “beyond a shadow of a doubt”. Not logically, anyway, not as it pertains to you individually.
There will always be risk factors, be it your time, your money, your energy, your resources. But nothing ventured, nothing gained. It’s so important that you find direction that I want you to know I think it’s one of THE most important things there is to have to find success. It’s time you get serious about your financial future because the one thing that keeps passing us by regardless if we take action or not is our time.
Where are you? Where do you want to be? Get going in that direction FIRST. If you’re already heading in that direction, perfect! Now is the time to fine tune your journey and start getting some direction. Remember this pearl of wisdom. When you’re lost or not sure if you’re taking the best road, the best thing to do is…
Ask for directions!!
Who do you ask? Experts. Mentors. Achievers. People who have been where you are and are where you want to be. There are plenty of both among the mentors and contributing instructors within the community…
Here’s a challenge for now. Get out there and today start moving even closer to your goals in life and real estate investing when you find direction!
Danny Welsh
Director, The Greatest Real Estate Giveaway
Success is a journey- Journey quotes
By Danny Welsh, CMO of HIS, Greatest Real Estate Giveaway Director
19. “I hoped that
the trip would be the best of all journeys: a journey into
ourselves.”
18. “The soul of a journey is liberty, perfect liberty, to think,
feel, do just as one pleases.”
17. “There is great meaning in life for those who are willing to
journey.”
16. “A journey is best measured in friends rather than
miles.”
15. “To get through the hardest journey we need take only one
step at a time.”
14. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”
13. “A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is
to think you control it.”
12. “Roads? Where we’re going on this journey we don’t need
roads.”
11. “What people forget is a journey to nowhere starts with a
single step, too.”
10. “Too often we are so preoccupied with the destination, we
forget the journey.”
9. “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the
journey that matters, in the end.”
8. “Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is
home.”
7. “Focus on the journey, not the destination.”
6. “We don’t receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves
after a journey that no one can take for us.”
5. “Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world.
Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before.”
4. “The journey that matters most is the journey within.”
3. “The journey is the reward.”
2. “The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are
ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the
destination.”
1. ????????????????????
Tell Us What You’d put at #1- do you have a favorite quote or saying about this journey we call life?
Where will Your Journey Take You?
Quotes compiled by
Danny Welsh…that guy who really, really loves quotes!
Danny Welsh
Director, The Greatest Real Estate Giveaway
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