What about my dreams?

This is a guest post by a very talented and inspirational young writer by the name of Simone Devereueawax. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

It's a shame that you devote the greater part of your life so that someone else (that you probably don't even know) can live the life you dream about. Thanks to you, they have accumulated wealth. Thanks to you, they spend as much leisure time with their family as they want. Thanks to you, their children's financial future is set. You budget, pinch pennies, go without, are a slave to your alarm clock and a bed time and settle while they live a life of time and financial freedom.

The typical employee gives about ten to twelve hours a day to a job that pays only enough to make sure they show up the next day. How many hours a day does your spouse or your children get from you? No matter how you want to put it, your employer runs your life. They tell you when to get up, what to wear, when to show up, when to eat, when you can leave, how much you have to spend each month, how much time you can spend with your family, what your social calendar can allow and so much more. The employer has control.

You may think "I make a good living from my job." I beg to differ. Consider all your living expenses--shelter, transportation, clothing, food and personal care. That's the company's stipend for working for them. A stipend is what one receives so that they can be sustained for the sole purpose of completing a task. Where you live is not for you...the employer has to house workers some way. Back in the day, companies owned the nearby land and built housing for those who worked for them. They weren't in the real estate business, they did it because they know human capital needs housing. Today, they just give you the option of choosing your own location. Majority of your bills go toward sustaining you to be back working the next day.

Somewhere in the history of man, the greater population was conditioned to believe that it's necessary to perform unpleasant tasks in order to earn money. As children, we did chores because we were told to and were held against very rigid rules out of fear. More astonishingly, those who opt to live the life of an employee are very likely to be engaged in a relationship based in dependency. Growing up you were dependent on parental figures; today, your employer has taken that place. The same way you looked to those parental figures to provide for you--knowing that if you do the assigned tasks you don't like--that they'll provide a roof over your head, clothes on your back, and a measly allowance that pales in comparison to what's in their wallets.

When you were a kid, you couldn't wait to grow up and be liberated from the bondage of someone else having control over your life. However, the employee has just handed over that control to the employer. Have you really ever wanted to be free from someone running your life? Or did you just want to do "grown folks" things, wash the dishes on your own watch and not be confined to a curfew? Think about it, growing up was the life for many of us...no major responsibility, no real concerns about how things were going to get paid...we had faith that our parents were taking care of us. The employee has simply found a substitute on which to depend. We trust that the office will be open, that we have a "steady paycheck" and that those in charge of our newfound household will make sure everything is alright.

Take a hard look at your life and you will see that you don't have as much control as you thought you did. You're not as independent as you'd really like to be. Someone--for budgetary reasons--has determined how much your time and effort is worth. You expend so much of yourself each pay period for someone who doesn't even know your name. The employee is merely a brick in someone else's stairway to the top.

Is it really possible to be your own boss, write your way in life and build your own empire of wealth and time freedom for yourself and your family? YES. People, this is America, the land of free enterprise, but only a handful of citizens take advantage of the proven tools and systems that allow them to never again be leveraged for the success of another. You have the right to enjoy your life on your terms and not dictated by the demands of your employer. You are able to take your life back. You can break free from the notions of dependency, compliance and complacency society has engrained in your mind your entire life. You have a choice.

The employer is living their dream. Why aren't you? Unless your dream is to help someone else live a life that's way better than yours will ever be.

Thanks a lot college (insert sarcasm here)

First of all let me make sure I clear a few things up. I am not saying college is not important (because it is) but you are going to need more than that to truly be successful in life. And no, I am not talking about pursuing higher-level degrees such as a masters or doctorate program. Unfortunately, traditional education systems are flawed and, therefore, you need to become self-educated.

Think about everything we do and have been taught so far. It is always been about making someone else’s life better and hoping that we can just make enough to get by. I have learned through personal study that it is not only important to be fiscally free but more importantly mentally free. I have made it my personal goal to help people reach both forms of freedom.

No matter what situation you are in or what people tell you, your life is in your hands. A lot of the time we are tossed and turned by external forces (i.e. Jobs, family, co-workers, physical ailments and etc.) and we believe that is the reason why things aren’t going right in our life. That is not case. Nothing can truly affect you unless it first gets permission from you. We gave these external forces permission to dictate our lives but we were faced with the consequences alone.

I decided that if I’m going to deal with the consequences I am going to dictate what direction my life is heading in. I decided that I am going to be proactive instead of reactive. When you are reactive you are taking what happens to you. You are proactive when you determine what happens to you.

To me, having a job is being reactive. You are told what to do and when to do it and how to do it and if you are allowed to do it later. No matter how long you work for a company you are never allowed to feel truly free.

The old school ideology of going to school, getting good grades and then getting a good job and retiring after 30 years and living happily ever after doesn’t seem relevant in today’s times anymore. Now unemployment and getting fired after 20 years of service is the norm. Loyalty has gone out of the door and with companies seeking profitability at all costs. 

Do something to protect yourself. Learn a new skill. Expand your knowledge and just know there is more for you out there. There is greatness in you and I know it. The opportunity to change your life is a moment away only if you are open to receive it.

Where is the WHY?

To be successful in literally everything you do you have to know why you are doing it. Your why will not only give you direction but the motivation to move on when things get tough. Your why is important for both reasons, but to me the last reason is most important and the difference between making it or not.

The only way to be unsuccessful is to quit. While this pretty much applies to every aspect of your life, let’s look at network marketing specifically for this post. You won’t get fired, you won’t get attacked by a ravenous group of spider monkeys, or anything like that. Literally the only way to lose is to quit.

Have you heard any of the following statements (It’s ok if you said a few yourself, I did):

It’s too hard

It’s a pyramid scheme

It doesn’t work

Nobody will buy from me

It’s taking too long

It’s not for me

My network is dumb

When these statements are made average people will quit because they have no reason to go on. That is why it is important to have very specific reasons why you are going to go through these tough times. Your why has to be so big that no matter what obstacles arise, because they will arise, you will not stop on your road to success.

My why keeps me going when 12 people in a row avoid my phone call.  It keeps me going when my best friend says that joining a network marketing company was the absolute worst decision I have ever made in my life. It makes my friends get mad at me because they are going out to party and I am getting on the phone to share with someone my story about the opportunity I have been blessed to be introduced to.

You decided to do network marketing for a reason but you may not have taken the time to sit down and conceptualize it. Determine your why and let that drive in those moments when you can’t go any longer and I guarantee you will be successful in not only network marketing but all aspects of life.

I saw network marketing as a chance to change my life and all of those around me. The product was awesome and beneficial to just about everyone I know. I didn’t view it as just a membership but also as a chance to give people the opportunity to do something different to obtain the better life they truly deserved. 

Before you set out to do anything else, take the time to determine what you are willing to fight for. What do you want to accomplish in life and why is it so important that you do it? The moment your why becomes big enough the world is at your feet and you will become unstoppable.

Give big and you will get more

Most people believe the only way to make it big in this world is to take what you want.  I’m pretty sure everyone has heard the phrase “it’s a dog eat dog world” or even has used it themselves. True some people have been successful with this mentality—just like a broken clock is right twice a day—but most have not. This mentality simple doesn’t work. You have to step on a lot of backs, burn a lot bridges, cut a lot of corners and potentially walk a tight line when it comes to the law and some ethical issues.

Many of us aren’t willing to do those things to the people we value because we regard relationships more than a quick buck. This is a major reason why so many people have a negative view of the wealthy, feeling like the only way to make it is to take advantage of or hurt others. This view is stopping a lot of people from achieving their fullest potential because they don’t want to be viewed as the “wealthy backstabber” and will do everything possible to avoid riches, sometimes subconsciously.

To be honest, the only way to achieve true financial success is to be a humble and genuine giver. You should look for as many ways as possible to give back to the community and to your customers.    

This means always give the best service to your customers and provide the highest quality products. Instead of asking how you can get the customers to buy more ask how you can give more to your customers. Why not support the local marching band or community center in the community that you do business with? Doing this not only builds brand loyalty and happy repeat customers but it just simple feels good and builds a better world.

Look for ways to contribute by giving time, money or expertise and watch your company grow and standard of life improve.

Introduction to Mind Changing Money

Mind Changing Money is dedicated to what I call financial development—the focus on both personal finance and personal development. No matter what your personal goals are in life, they somehow revolve around these two topics.

Money has played a very important role in our lives and has influenced a majority of the decisions we have made up to this point. I understand that because that is what we have been taught. If we really think about it, we have been influenced to believe that the amount of money we have determines the type of person we are or will become.

That is one of the most misleading theories that exist in the world today. Contrary to popular belief, money doesn’t change you. It is a result of who you are—keeping or losing it depends on the person you’ve become, not your bank statement.  Money or finances follow the pattern of your mind. This is how people with poor mentalities can accumulate lots of money and then turn around and lose it. This also explains how people with rich mentalities can start with literally nothing and turn it into extreme wealth.

So what does this mean? To change your money you have to change your mind. In other words, change your mind and your money will change.

There are three parts of your mind that dictate your finances. Your knowledge, skills and attitude all make up your financial blueprint. To keep it simple, knowledge is knowing what to do; skills is knowing how to do it; and attitude is knowing why you do it. Change these three areas of your mind and watch your money follow.