Your thoughts determine your reality.    The Laws of Attraction are very real and very powerful and I encourage you to explore and research more on this personal development topic.  The majority of people dwell on their lack and problems and therefore create more of it.  Their words, their energy, their focus are all on negative things.  One will continue to get the things they dwell on.

Here’s a preview of The Secret.  You can download the entire movie for $4.95 (I think), at www.thesecret.tv.

What is your feelings about The Secret?

Influence Tip #4

If One Could Only
Wrap Their Mind
Around the Possibilities
of What They Can
Accomplish . . .

But the problem is, most can’t.  Or at least won’t accept the possibility that they can create their future with the right mindset.  I suggest they don’t believe it or they would do whatever they needed to obtain a shift in their thinking, habits, behaviors and even those who they associate with.

This is the fourth in a series of articles I’m writing on the topic of “Influence” or “Posturing” that’s so critical in the aspects of business success.  This article will be on personal development and the role it plays for those who run a business from home or are otherwise involved in the network marketing, home business arena.

I’m sure you’ve heard it a thousand times, success in network marketing is 90% mindset and 10% skillet.  True.  You’ve also probably heard equally as often, “If you think you can, you’re right.  If you think you can’t, your right.”  It’s all in the mindset and attitude.

To be influential in your business, it must begin on the inside of you.  There must be a belief system that says “I can do anything I put my mind to.  I can accomplish great things.  I can make a difference in the lives of thousands or millions of people”.

There’s many great books on the subject of personal development, but one I particularly like is by John C. Maxwell entitled “Thinking for a Change”.  And it’s the change in your thinking that actually affects the change.

Maxwell asks the question and answers:

“To do well in life, we must first think well.  But can we actually learn new mental habits?  The answer is YES . . .”

However, changed thinking does not happen overnight.  It’s not something you can take a pill for.  It’s something you must want so bad that you engage in the everything purposefully thinking about how to think, respond, react, say, do, behave.  Maxwell says,

“It’s hard to overstate the value of changing your thinking.  Good thinking can do many things for you:  generate revenue, solve problems, and create opportunities.  It can take you to a whole new level – personally and professionally.  It really can change your life.”

As you begin to reach a whole new level, your influence will be kicked up a notch.  It will be evident in the way you talk, walk and respond to every situation in life.

As a bonus of doing your personal development, it can help you take all the years, how ever old you are, and undo the garbage your subconscience believes about yourself.  Things like:

You aren’t good enough
You don’t measure up
You can’t do that
Nobody will ever listen to you
You’re a bum
You’ll never amount to anything
You’re always going to fail

You get my drift.

You were created by God with all the parts you need to be successful.  If He planted a seed inside you that calls you to be an entrepreneur, He would equip you with everything you need for birthing that dream and calling you into all that you deserve and desire.  God never plants seeds he knows you can’t birth.

Personal development holds the keys to taking you from a caterpillar to a butterfly.  Without it, you’ll never fly.  You won’t even come out of your cacoon.  I don’t make the rules, I’m just the delivery person of this truth.  Our mindsets must be right and everything else will follow.

In summary, people follow those of influence.  Personal development is a key ingredient to developing your influence.  You will want to practice what personal development teaches daily.  If you need ideas or suggestions, I’ve written an article on that as well.

You also may be interested in these articles:

Mike Klinger Offers Influence Development Through Renegade Breakthrough
The Influence Factor.  Tip 1: Create Your Own Products
The Influence Factor.  Tip 2: Be Present in Your Business
The Influence Factor.  Tip 3: Education and Applied Knowledge Will Grow Your Business
Personal Development Teaches How To Grow Up An An Entrepreneur

You also may be interested in this Leadership Training Platform.  For the price of a cup of coffee a day, you have a professional university at your fingertips 24 hours a day with video step by step, click by click marketing strategies for all things internet marketing.  There’s a focus on creating the Influence and leadership posturing that’s so necessary in today’s society.
www.MLMOnlineTraining.com

Network marketers can often find themselves moping around, complaining and having self doubts.  The words that come out of their mouths do not build up, release positive energy, or create anything good for them.    Their belief system is broken.

If you find yourself in this mode, evaluate what kind and how much personal development you’re doing.

All business owners go through challenges and face obstacles but true entrepreneurs who desire success always find solutions and keep a good attitude through it all.

Having a positive attitude may not be something you were raised around but that doesn’t mean you can’t change.  You can.  It’s a decision that you alone make.  You choose to have a good day or a bad day.  You choose to have positive thoughts or dwell on the negative.  It’s totally up to you.

We were not born to be poor, broke and broke minded. We each were created with a purpose and a destiny. We are born without egos, prejudices or any comprehension that we have limitations whatsoever.

Ask any child what they want to be when they grow up and you’ll get an honest answer. They will tell you what they want to be and as sure as they are standing there, they believe with all their heart that it will come to pass.

Children are not afraid of taking risks. Even if they are hurt falling off their bike and break their ankle, they are not afraid to brush themselves off, heal up and get back up and try again. As adults, if we had fallen off the bike and got hurt, we want to sue the concrete company.  Yes?

Children have great faith and believe in things they cannot see, feel or touch. They are full of natural enthusiasm, are curious and adventurous, persistent in not accepting ‘no’ for an answer and to top it off, they just naturally get over things. Boy, the things we can learn from children!

As we begin to grow older and are surrounded by the belief system of others based on their past experience, we are conditioned to believe their lies and accept it as face value. Children are often told they are no good, they’ll never amount to anything, they’ll never be successful, they shouldn’t get their hopes up for anything great to happen to them, don’t talk to strangers, it’s too hard to be successful, money is bad or wrong, and the junk list goes on and on.

And, the sad part is, is that our mind containing our programming and memories believes that.

As a result, we develop wrong thinking patterns for years and therefore act accordingly. The body does what the mind thinks and believes. Then, as grown adults, we chase after guarantees instead of life and all that it can offer. We develop fears, anxiety, and we are unable to achieve all that God created us to be because of years of wrong thinking.

Don’t let lies and deception steal your dreams and life. You were born to be successful. It’s never too late.  Developing a positive mindset is critical in business, let alone life in general.  Take care of yourself and do what you need to do to get rid of stinkin thinkin.

A good book that will help you reveal your money blueprint is Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker.  I recommend you pick it up.  Stay in personal development as much as you can.

On a final note, personal development plays a key role in becoming influential as a business person.  You may be interested in the series of articles I wrote on The Influence Factor.

If you’ve had to struggle with issues like this, I’d appreciate you leaving a comment so others can be inspired by how you overcame.

Personal Development is key in creating success for the entrepreneur.

For those who think it’s not necessary and just want to get down to the nuts and bolts of setting up shop, a rude awakening is on the horizon.  If you’re considering starting your own home base business, pay heed.

Personal development teaches the entrepreneur how to respond to crisis, frustrations, disappointments, failures, challenges, technical difficulties, etc. as they set out to do business.  If one is not prepared mentally, the business falls apart physically.  It’s really the glue that holds the business together.  And that’s powerful.

So let’s look at some personal development ideas.  There are so many, but these are the most popular.

1)  Read.

Read books on other successful entrepreneurs, inspiration, personal inner growth, mind development, attitude adjustments, leadership, business building, self discipline, spiritually uplifting, etc.

2)  Listen to CD’s

on the same subject matter.  Turn your car into a traveling university and use these as you workout, clean the house, take your walks or as you dress in the morning.  It will set the stage for your day.

3)  Create a Dream Board.

Remember when you were a kid and your teacher had you cut pictures from magazines to paste onto a poster board?  Those were collages.  Well, do the same thing as a grown up.  Cut out pictures of your dreams and want you want to accomplish in your life.  Keep it in front of you where you can see it most of the day.  It’s a reminder of your “why”.

4)  Visualization:

For a few minutes everyday, sit or lie down and close your eyes.  Visualize you already living the life you dream about.  Hear the sounds, smell the smells, see what and who is around you.  What are you doing, what does it feel like to live your dreams?  Your subconscience can’t determine whether it’s real or not.  Create your reality.  You will attract success into your life quicker by using this technique.

5)  Write out your Goals.

Not just casually, but in detail.  Answer these questions?

If money and time freedom were no object . . .

What would your day look like?

Where would you live?

Who would you be with?

What would you eat?

What would your home look like?

What car(s) do you drive?

What are you able to do for your community?

And so on, and so forth.

6)  Go test drive your dreams

If you want a new car, go test drive it.

If you want to eat at fine dining every Friday but can’t afford it, go have a cup of coffee there.

If you want to go on luxury vacations, take a mini budget vacation.

If you want a new home, go look at house plans.

etc.

A couple good first reads are:

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker

Thinking for a Change by John C. Maxwell

21 Indispensible Qualities of a Leader by John C. Maxwell

The Tongue, a Creative Force by Charles Capp

I can always tell when my coaching students are not in personal development, or perhaps are not doing enough.

It boils down to their “attitude”.

Personal Development teaches the entrepreneur HOW to respond to everything.

Things like:

• Frustration over new skillsets being learned
• Frustration that it’s taking too long to generate money
• Technical Difficulties
• Disappointments
• Failures
• Setbacks
• Life getting in the way of building a business
• Ad Copy Challenges
• Negative Comments about our industry or them personally
• The words they choose to say
• The time they spend on their business building strategies
• Difficult business partners

The list can really be endless.

For the entrepreneur who desires success, personal development begins at the onset of deciding to have a business and continues to be a focus throughout their life.  Your business will grow in relation to your inner personal growth.  If you don’t do personal development or think it’s a waste of time, then when challenges, obstacles, tough times and negativity comes at you, you will react in an unprofessional manner and perhaps even give up your business rather than to respond like a professional businessman or woman and get over it.

I’ve put together a list of personal development ideas for you to get started.