Distinguish Yourself

The successful have learned one very important lesson:  To distinguish themselves.  In other words they have learned how to set themselves apart from others.

In today’s competitive market it is vital that you find ways to set yourself apart.  I am not talking about how well you dress, how beautiful your makeup, if you have six pack abs, or anything outward.  I am talking about distinguishing yourself be who you are within.  It has been said that we are all the same value from the neck down.  What matters is the way we think.  It’s our thinking that truly distinguishes us from the crowd and determines our value in the marketplace.

Years ago when I was seeking work in management, I was approached by a head-hunter in Atlanta who asked me if I considered a sales career.  Prior to that others said that I would be good at sales, but I was scared spitless when considering becoming a salesman.  The unsteady income made me feel uneasy.  And even more so I was wondering, what if I fail?

At the time the head-hunter approached me I was ready for change and was willing to take a gamble.  I met with a security company in Cincinnati.  Now keep in mind, I knew nothing about security and little about sales.  Eventually I was hired.  I found out later, that based on me resume, the sales manager had NO INTENTION of hiring me.  They were interviewing me based upon a favor to the head-hunter.

Why then did they hire me?  Well, during interview the sales manager and I got into a conversation about books and audio tapes (no cd’s at that time).  He was impressed with what I was reading and who I was listening to.  It was not on paper, but in the interview that what was within me came out and that is what distinguished me from all others.  Others had the credentials, the nice resume’s and sales experience, but I had something they didn’t have:  I was different.

What separated me from all others was what I had sowed into my mind during the prior 2 years.  I listed to Zig Zigler, Tom Hopkins, Anthony Robins, Earl Nightingale, Stephen Covey and many others.  My knowledge and enthusiasm won me that sales position!

Here I was with little sales experience; no college education, taking a sales job in a field I knew nothing about and I went from a low 5 figure income to a six figure income in a very impressive period of time.  What made the difference?  I invested in my mind and by doing so, I distinguished myself. 

I looked average, but I didn’t think average and it’s my thinking that made me uncommon and valuable in a competitive market.

What are you doing to DISTINGUISH yourself?  Are you doing what everyone else is doing:  Going to college, having fun with your friends on weekends, watching television in your spare time, or playing endless games on your mobile device?  What are you doing to set you apart from the pack?  Until you willing to do what the common person will not do, you will never stick out when opportunity comes a looking.  Success is seeking the uncommon person with uncommon dreams and uncommon knowledge. 

I don’t care who you are.  I don’t care what you background is.  I don’t care how many times you failed.  And guess what, neither does success!  Success will come to anyone who will pay the price, invest in themselves to set themselves apart from all others.

I challenge you today to take some time and invest in yourself.  Put good information into your fertile mine and watch what will happen.  You will be a person sought after.  You will not have to look for opportunity, opportunity will find you! 

If you are looking for a good place to start, click here.

Income Equality is Not the Answer!

Income equality is not the problem in America. The problem is ignorance. Knowledge is what is needed. Too many people let their past determine their future. They are self-victimized by their own thoughts of what is possible.

Education is vital, but not a just a formal college education. What is needed is a self-directed education geared toward dreams and goals.  The problem with a formal education, in MOST cases, is that it teaches one to learn how to do something and that "something" then will define you.  You learn how to be an engineer and being an engineer defines who you are.

At least 95% of the population is defined by what they do instead of letting what they desire define them. The proper way to approach life is to let your dream drive you.  Determine what it is that you desire and go after that instead of learning a passionless trade to earn a living, which is not living at all.

I just heard today that 87% of working adults have no passion about their line of work.  They are working because they have to.  They are working just to survive.  It would be better if you found something you were passionate about.  People of passion usually find money chasing them instead of them having to chase money.

The whole thought of income equality is designed to agitate the masses and create more class warfare, pitting the haves against the have-not's.  The fact of the matter is, the so-called have-not's don't have because they have not disciplined themselves to reach their full potential. 

If you want more out of life you must give more, but do it wisely.  You will find that if you give more in life you will get more.  You will reap what you sow.  You can be like everyone else or you can seek to do more and stand out from the crowd.  Good company leaders and managers will always reward those who do more than they are asked to do.  If they don't, fire them and find business owners who will reward outstanding work ethic. 

Your boss, the government, nor any other individual or group is in the drivers seat--YOU are!  Therefore take responsibility and become an outstanding leader and in due time your situation will change for the better.

Ask the Right Questions

In the last post I wrote about developing the ability to see things differently.  I mentioned what Jesus said, "Ask, seek, knock." I would like to spend a few moments to talk about "asking."

When we ask questions, answers come.  They probably won't come in a mail, or by some loud voice from heaven.  The answers usually come when we keep asking questions and asking for answers to the problems we face.  The problem most of us have is that we are asking the wrong questions and thus receiving bad answers.

Let's say you are facing a financial difficulty.  The bad question would be, "Why I am broke all the time?"  What will end us happening is more and more situations will mount up in your life confirming or proving why you are broke all the time.  You will reinforce your wrong beliefs about money and why you are in the situation you are in in the first place.  In other words, ask a wrong question and you'll get the wrong answer.  Don't blame God or others for your situation.  You are where you are because you are not seeking properly.

A better question might be, "How can a earn more money?" or "Where can I go to learn more about wealth creation?"  When you ask questions like these, better answers will come on how to earn more money, and probably from multiple sources.  Someone may approach you about a business idea.  Someone my offer you a better job.  You may be introduced to a person who can really help you.  There are multiple ways the answers to your questions my come, but the key is being prepared and recognize the answers when they do come.  Ninety-nine percent of the time, the answer will come from other people that God will put in your path to assist you in coming to the answers you seek.

So, ask good questions and have an open mind and heart to prepare yourself for the answer.  Even be so bold as to expect the answer.  Expectation is everything when it comes to receiving anything.

Develop the Ability to See Things Differently

Things are not as they always appear.  Opportunity has a habit of showing up where it is least expected.  It also often appears in disguise. 

Too often we pray and seek answers then get frustrated because they don't "seem" to come.  I can pretty much assure you that the answer will come, but are you ready or positioned to see it?  The key to "seeing" is having an open mind.  I am truly amazed at the people who are presented with a life-changing opportunity and fail to see it because they are closed-minded.  They hear something and immediately have an opinion that usually has no basis in reality.  They base their opinions on past experiences or the opinions of unqualified people.

The Bible says, "Ask and it will be given to you.  Seek and you will find.  Knock and the door will be opened to you."  These statements are not "if's", they are truth and apply to anyone.  Let's take Thomas Edison for example.  He was seeking a way to produce consistent light.  He tried over 10,000 times to develop the filament for his light bulb invention.  Did you get that number?  OVER 10,000 times!  Most people would say he failed  over 10,000 times, but not Mr. Edison.  He looked at it as 10,000 ideas that didn't work.  He was determined to "fail" his way to success.  He instinctively knew the law of "asking, seeking, and knocking" as put forth by Jesus.  This is not a religious law, it's a law of creation just as gravity is a law and it works every time.  However, the law of "asking, seeking, knocking' is governed by another law: the law of persistence! 

People mocked Thomas Edison and wrote him off as a Nut.  But that "Nut" had faith and trusted the laws of God's creation.  He was convinced inwardly that if he tried enough times, the law of success would kick in and grant him his request. 

The answer to Thomas Edison's puzzle came in a dream during one of his afternoon cat naps.  The answer was simple and always there, but he could not see it.  It took his persistence to open the door to the success that he sought.  The answer came in a flash...but it was preceded with  over 10,000 attempts or so-called failures.

Thomas Edison had a vision of constant light that would change the way the world would see things.  That vision drove him to do what most men would even dare to do.  He stuck with his vision until it became a reality.  What marked Thomas Edison was his ability to see things differently and persistence to find his answers...unitl.  The answer to his filament question was with regards to something that had nothing to do with light.  But when the answer came, no matter how illogical, he tried it and it worked! 

Learn to develop you ability to look at things differently.  You never know, your answer might be starring you right in the face.