| If you're to believe the multitude of marketers | | | | Mann: |
| out there, the key to your home business training | | | | "In vain do they talk of happiness who never |
| lies in learning esoteric technique of copywriting, | | | | subdue an impulse in obedience to a principle. He |
| acquiring automation software, applying methods | | | | who never sacrificed a present for a future good, |
| of driving traffic, or in any one of the thousand | | | | or a personal to a general one, can speak of |
| other techniques and gimmicks. | | | | happiness only as the blind speak of color." |
| As helpful as any of those may be from time to | | | | The vital caveat here is this: you must commit to |
| time, the simple fact is this: your success in | | | | these principles NOT for the massive success |
| business depends on who you are, not on the | | | | they will bring you, but solely because it's the right |
| industry you're in, not on your specific business | | | | thing to do. Otherwise, you're wasting your time. |
| opportunity, and not on the marketing tactics you | | | | The Great Principles of Life and Success: |
| use. | | | | So what are the key principles that |
| Don't get me wrong. All of these things are | | | | high-performing individuals commit to? People |
| important aspects of home business training, but | | | | committed to personal and professional excellence: |
| they're not the determining factor in the end. Just | | | | 1. Accept full and complete responsibility for |
| as the world's best rifle is useless in the hands of | | | | everything that happens in their life, for all that |
| untrained soldiers, so the world's best business | | | | they have and are. Consequently, they refuse to |
| model and best marketing methods are useless in | | | | blame anyone else, whether their parents, spouse, |
| the hands of entrepreneurs who fundamentally | | | | God, karma, the government or any other |
| don't believe in themselves. | | | | external factor. |
| The Self-Image Mystery: | | | | 2. Forgive completely everyone who has ever |
| More than any other factor, how you see | | | | wronged them and work as hard as necessary to |
| yourself will determine your success in business. | | | | expunge any bitterness they feel toward these |
| Without a solid self-image and the self-respect | | | | people. |
| that comes with it, several consequences will | | | | 3. Treat everyone with equal courtesy and |
| always ensue:o It will be difficult to influence | | | | respect, regardless of their social status and |
| others to do business with youo You will make | | | | without the least regard for personal gain. |
| poor decisionso You will find yourself mired in | | | | 4. Commit to excellence, to accomplishing their |
| habits of thought and action that will take you in a | | | | goals and living each day of their lives in an |
| downward spiral | | | | excellent fashion, and to becoming the very best |
| If you're like most people in the Western world | | | | they can possibly be in their chosen profession. In |
| today, your self-image has taken quite a beating | | | | all humility, they dare to see themselves as the |
| over time. Just a couple of weeks ago I was | | | | best and they strive to attain that. |
| coaching a forty year old engineer who's | | | | 5. Commit to living by the highest and noblest |
| dissatisfied with what he's achieved in life. Not | | | | values: love, faith, honesty, integrity and |
| surprisingly, he related to me that his father | | | | forthrightness. |
| frequently put him down, saying he wouldn't | | | | 6. Dedicate their energies to serving others, to |
| amount to anything. As a result, the engineer | | | | transcending their own small lives in pursuit of a |
| thoroughly internalized this message and it has | | | | greater good. |
| held him back for decades, despite his many and | | | | Success depends not only on leadership but, prior |
| great talents. | | | | to that, on "self-leadership" - your ability to be the |
| In your formative years, those first two decades | | | | leader of your own life. And all leadership depends |
| of life, your self-image is extremely vulnerable to | | | | on a noble and inspiring vision. Needless to say, |
| all the input around you - from your parents, | | | | without committing yourself to timeless and |
| siblings, teachers and peers, many of whom may | | | | proven principles that take you beyond the |
| have attempted to cover up their own | | | | narrow prison of your short-term self-interest, |
| inadequacies by tearing you down. | | | | there is ZERO possibility of an inspiring vision. |
| These dents in your self-image impact your | | | | So the essential first step in home business |
| character, which is how you actualize yourself in | | | | training is to RETRAIN your habits of thought to |
| the external world. And character is everything. | | | | cleanse your self-image of the damage you've |
| As Theodore Roosevelt put it, "Character, in the | | | | accumulated over the years. You do this primarily |
| long run, is the decisive factor in the life of | | | | by making an irrevocable decision right now to |
| individuals and nations alike." | | | | become an excellent person and to walk, talk and |
| The wonderful news about human life is that you | | | | think like such a person until it becomes ingrained |
| can rebuild your self-image! You can determine | | | | in every fiber of your being. |
| from this moment on to become an excellent | | | | If you commit yourself to living by these |
| person, someone of impeccable character, | | | | ennobling principles, I can absolutely guarantee that |
| openness, honesty and integrity. You can choose | | | | both your business and your personal satisfaction |
| to see yourself not only as a success, but as a | | | | will reach new heights. This will utterly transform |
| leader, an inspiration and a beacon. And as you | | | | your self-image, multiply your self-respect and |
| see yourself, so shall you become. | | | | attract higher quality clients to you. Though not |
| To accomplish this, the most important step is to | | | | always easy (what is?), this new direction will turn |
| commit yourself to living by proven principles. | | | | you into a natural leader, an inspiration to those |
| Devoting your life to higher principles is not only | | | | around you and an inevitable success in your |
| the key to success; it's also the key to happiness | | | | home business. |
| itself. In the words of the great educator, Horace | | | | |