The Glow Project

Reading "Motivational Monday" today by Dale Thomas I learned about "The GLOW Project". 

From the website:

GLOW is a powerful word that is often used by women praising women who exude grace, confidence and strength. GLOW is unique in that, while it is invisible, women can see it, and while it can't be touched, women can feel it. 

Check out the website, watch the trailer and learn about this inspirational movie. 

I'm thinking of a GLOW night at work...

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Drip, drip, drip...

While my husband has been watching Sunday night football, I've been surfing the web, feeding my brain. OK, I didn't mean that to sound like watch football is not brain food - it's certainly entertainment - it just doesn't hold my attention 100% of the time.

In any event, I stumbled across an interesting blog entry by Seth Godin, who by the way is fast becoming one of my favorite authors! He writes:

I discovered a lucky secret the hard way about thirty years ago: you can outlast the other guys if you try. If you stick at stuff that bores them, it accrues. Drip, drip, drip you win.

It still takes ten years to become a success, web or no web.

This message has been consistently in my face over the past year or so. I've heard it at my job with Keller Williams Realty. As the market has shifted, training in our market center has also shifted. Back to basics. Lead generate. Consistently. Those who stay in the game and do the basics, over and over, remaining in activity, will only increase their own market share in the long run. Drip, drip, drip...

I've heard it at my team training for my network marketing business. Desire to succeed = Action, ie. Activity = Momentum. Over and over again, you have to consistently re-qualify yourself monthly. Drip, drip, drip...

Do you see the same theme here that I do?

Activity...consistent activity is KEY! In any venture. You must do the boring, over and over again. For me the challenge there is to GET OVER the activity being boring and Just Do It! It's truly the only path to success!

I'm off to work on my calendar of BORING (read success) activities for the week! I hope you do yours as well!

OH - Have you read SHIFT How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times by Gary Keller - read it and get back to basics with the rest of us!

Check out the Seth Godin's blog that inspired this post here: The secret of the web (hint: it's a virtue)

Blessings,

Jan
My Website

Social Networking

Lately, all my research regarding online marketing points to social networks. Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Whew - this is a new world out here!

I'm jumping in and trying to figure this thing out - I'm finding 20 and 30 "somethings" that I work with to act as mentors. They have been kind with my questions. It's sure odd to seek out younger, more experienced people to act as mentors. I'm intrigued by the whole process - the world has certainly changed, thanks to technology!

Thank you Kimberly, Meghan and Brandy specifically! You guys rock!

Jan
www.janorga.myarbonne.com

RIP "I Can't"

Shared today in Dale Thomas' Motivational Monday email. "Tonight I am sharing a story with you that I felt was so powerful. I have always believed that " I Can't" should be words we should remove from our vocabulary. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did."

An Inspirational Story, Motivational Story -
The I Can't Funeral
by Author Unknown
Donna's fourth grade classroom looked like many others I had seen in the past. The teacher's desk was in front and faced the students. The bulletin board featured student work. In most respects it appeared to be a typically traditional elementary classroom. Yet something seemed different that day I entered it for the first time.

My job was to make classroom visitations and encourage implementation of a training program that focused on language arts ideas that would empower students to feel good about themselves and take charge of their lives. Donna was one of the volunteer teachers who participated in this project.

I took an empty seat in the back of the room and watched. All the students were working on a task, filling a sheet of notebook paper with thoughts and ideas. The ten-year-old student next to me was filling her page with "I Can'ts". "I can't kick the soccer ball past second base." "I can't do long division with more than three numerals." "I can't get Debbie to like me." Her page was half full and she showed no signs of letting up. She worked on with determination and persistence. I walked down the row glancing at student's papers. Everyone was writing sentences, describing things they couldn't do.

By this time the activity engaged my curiosity, so I decided to check with the teacher to see what was going on but I noticed she too was busy writing. I felt it best not to interrupt. "I can't get John's mother to come for a teacher conference." "I can't get my daughter to put gas in the car." "I can't get Alan to use words instead of fists."

Thwarted in my efforts to determine why students and teacher were dwelling on the negative instead of writing the more positive "I Can" statements, I returned to my seat and continued my observations.

Students wrote for another ten minutes. They were then instructed to fold the papers in half and bring them to the front. They placed their "I Can't" statements into an empty shoe box. Then Donna added hers. She put the lid on the box, tucked it under her arm and headed out the door and down the hall.

Students followed the teacher. I followed the students. Halfway down the hallway Donna entered the custodian's room, rummaged around and came out with a shovel. Shovel in one hand, shoe box in the other, Donna marched the students out to the school to the farthest corner of the playground. There they began to dig. They were going to bury their "I Can'ts"!

The digging took over ten minutes because most of the fourth graders wanted a turn. The box of "I Can'ts" was placed in a position at the bottom of the hole and then quickly covered with dirt. Thirty-one 10 and 11 year-olds stood around the freshly dug grave site. At this point Donna announced, "Boys and girls, please join hands and bow your heads." They quickly formed a circle around the grave, creating a bond with their hands.

They lowered their heads and waited. Donna delivered the eulogy.

"Friends, we gathered here today to honor the memory of 'I Can't.' While he was with us here on earth, he touched the lives of everyone, some more than others. We have provided 'I Can't' with a final resting place and a headstone that contains his epitaph. His is survived by his brothers and sisters, 'I Can', 'I Will', and 'I'm Going to Right Away'. They are not as well known as their famous relative and are certainly not as strong and powerful yet. Perhaps some day, with your help, they will make an even bigger mark on the world. May 'I Can't' rest in peace and may everyone present pick up their lives and move forward in his absence. Amen."

As I listened I realized that these students would never forget this day. Writing "I Can'ts", burying them and hearing the eulogy. That was a major effort on this part of the teacher. And she wasn't done yet.

She turned the students around, marched them back into the classroom and held a wake. They celebrated the passing of "I Can't" with cookies, popcorn and fruit juices. As part of the celebration, Donna cut a large tombstone from butcher paper. She wrote the words "I Can't" at the top and put RIP in the middle. The date was added at the bottom. The paper tombstone hung in Donna's classroom for the remainder of the year.

On those rare occasions when a student forgot and said, "I Can't", Donna simply pointed to the RIP sign. The student then remembered that "I Can't" was dead and chose to rephrase the statement. I wasn't one of Donna's students. She was one of mine. Yet that day I learned an enduring lesson from her as years later, I still envision that fourth grade class laying to rest, "I Can't".

Getting Back on Track

Whew - what a summer! Beginning this blog was a good idea back when I did it - and it's still a good idea...I've just lost my momentum in keeping it updated. As mentioned previously this has been one busy year for our family. I AM getting myself back on track this September! This is my month!!

My daughter, Meghan was married to Lucas in July. It was a beautiful wedding and fabulous reception! We couldn't have asked for more! My son, Alex has started his college career at Ole Miss. We moved him into his dorm on August 21st (and was that a scary experience! Dorm built in 1961 - need I say more??) and he began classes on August 25th. He seems to be settling in well...my phone is not ringing NEARLY as often as I would like! While I am fully aware that these life events are normal and the expected path - my heart is sure heavy with the changes. Life today is very different from life "yesterday" and is forever changed.

Last week I attended Keller Williams' MegaLeadership Camp and MCA Masterminds in Austin, TX. I've attended these events annually since being in my current position - so 3 years in a row. I have to say - this year - was VERY timely for me. My emotions were raw and the bulk of this event dealt with mindset and succeeding in the real estate business during a shifting market.

My life has been shifting - talk about a shifting market!? It doesn't hit home more than that! I came away with some great information, support, new tools, new friends AND a fresh new outlook!

Patrick McGowan reviewed the book The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. I've not read the book - but I have ordered it and will read it when it comes in! The premise I took away from what Patrick shared was - live NOW! As we left, Patrick gave us a handout - it's a letter he wrote to all the MCA's in attendance with a story that was originally shared with him by his father (over 2 decades ago). He shared that whenever life gets hard - he pulls it out and reads it. It reminds him to find joy in each and every day. "The Station itself isn't the reward in life. Rather, the reward is in the path we followed to reach The Station."

The Station
by Robert Hastings

Tucked away in our subconscious minds is a vision - an idyllic vision in which we see ourselves on a long journey that spans an entire continent. We're traveling by train and, from the windows we drink in the passing scenes of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at crossings, of row upon row of cotton and corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of city skyline and village halls.

But uppermost in our conscious minds is our final destination - for at a certain hour and on a given day, our train will pull into the station with bells ringing, flags waving, and bands playing. And once that day comes, our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. So, Restlessly, we pace the aisles, and count the miles, peering ahead, cursing the minutes for loitering, waiting, waiting, for the station.

"Yes, when we reach the station that will be it," we cry. "When we're eighteen! When we buy that new 450 SL Mercedes! When we put the last kid through college! When we win that promotion! When we pay off the mortgage! When we retire!" Yes, from that day on, like the hero and heroines of a child's fairy tale, we will live happily ever after.

Sooner or later, however, we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The journey is the joy.

The station is an illusion - it constantly outdistances us. Yesterday's a memory; tomorrow's a dream. Yesterday belongs to history; tomorrow belongs to God. Yesterday's a fading sunset; tomorrow a faint sunrise. So, shut the door on yesterday and throw the key away, for only today is there light enough to live and love. It isn't the burdens of today that drive men mad. Rather, it's regret over yesterday and fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are the twin thieves who rob us of that Golden Treasure we call today, this tiny strip of light between the two nights.

So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, swim more rivers, climb more mountains, kiss more babies, count more stars. Laugh more and cry less. Go barefoot more often. Eat more ice cream. Ride more merry go rounds. Watch more sunsets. Life must be lived as we go along. The station will come soon enough.

Live well,

Jan

Facing the Giants

Get the courage to "face your giants". Don't quit before payday! Most people are not successful in their entrepreneurial endeavors, be it a home based business, real estate, whatever...because they quit before payday.

Make a plan and then follow your plan! Don't quite before payday! I hope this video will encourage you as it did me...

Believe!

Have you ever been "nudged" repeatedly about an issue? Pay attention - it probably happens more than you think!

My home based business is struggling a bit during the past few months - or should I say - I'm struggling with FOCUS over the past few months. The skinny: 2 kids, daughter graduated from college May 10th, son graduated from high school May 25th, son had college orientation June 1-2, daughter is getting married July 5th - PLUS my full-time JOB is on track to be the busiest we've ever been! (Keller Williams Realty - Nashville - having a FABULOUS month - who says the market is "down"?!)

Yesterday, my brain was full, my attitude beginning to drag. How am I going to successfully maintain momentum in my entreprenuerial adventure during all this change? Today, I awoke and went about my daily routine - except everywhere I turned, the message was about "believing" - in self, in others, in opportunites, etc.

It won't matter that 10,000 doors might be slammed in your face, Jan, because when door number 10,001 flies open, revealing pathways of jade and gardens of love, with flowers dancing, fountains sparkling, friends blushing, moonbeams beaming, and abundance abounding, you'll completely forget about all the other doors.

Happens every day,
The Universe www.tut.com
"thoughts become things....choose the good ones"

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria

You life will move in the direction of your most dominant thoughts. You can choose to think according the world’s system or according to God’s system. The world’s system says to “look out for number one,” to do whatever you can to get ahead and make yourself happy. But in God’s system, you find happiness and blessing by serving and putting others first. God doesn’t want us to have an attitude that is self-centered, or jealous, or greedy. He knows that those thoughts end in destruction. God wants us to live a blessed and prosperous life. That’s why the scripture tells us to renew our minds, or transform our thinking. We have to make sure our thoughts are the same as God’s thoughts. Just like a computer, whatever you allow into your mind is what will come out in your attitude and actions. The more you meditate on God’s Word, the more you will transform your thinking to be like God’s thinking. Choose today to focus on the Word of God and allow your mind to be renewed. As you focus on God’s thoughts, you will see your actions become more like Him, and you will see His hand of blessing in every area of your life.

www.joelosteen.com

Believing Is Powerful

Believing in yourself requires knowing that your life has value and there is hope. You don’t have to be on top of the world already to look up. No matter what your circumstances are, there is a reason for you being here. How can you begin to believe in yourself more? One way is through internal encouragement. Concentrate on doing volunteer work, working out, taking a class—anything that makes you feel good about yourself. Find positive expressions that work for you, and put them on cards where you can see them during the day. One of my favorites was given to me by a friend: “Good things are going to happen to me.” Say it repeatedly, but each time put the emphasis on a different word or phrase.

GOOD things are going to happen to me.
Good THINGS are going to happen to me.
Good things ARE going to happen to me.
Good things are GOING to happen to me.
Good things are going TO HAPPEN to me.
Good things are going to happen TO me.
Good things are going to happen to ME.

We have to live life with a sense of urgency so not a minute is wasted. Failure, defeat and loss afflict us all. Expect it, and learn to deal with it. And then learn to get back to life without waiting for an invitation. One way to do that is to trust in a power greater than yourself, and to believe good things are going to follow—great things will occur when you get up, dust yourself off, and go at life with renewed determination and courage.

Excerpted from Les Brown, "Talent is Never Enough", Seeds of Success
http://www.successmagazine.com/Talent-is-Never-Enough/PARAMS/article/272/channel/223

Pushing People Up

Taken from Joel Osteen - Live Like a Champion Devotional:

There are people who God brings into our lives that hold the key to our promotion. They hold the key to us reaching our full potential. But these people are not here to help us or to give us breaks or open new doors; these are people that God places in our path so we can help them, and show them favor. They are divinely connected to our destiny. We won't go higher until we help them go higher. You have to step out and sow a seed into those people. The higher they rise, the higher you will rise. If you will help others fulfill their dreams God will help you fulfill your dreams. Make the effort to develop a habit of "pushing people up." When you take time to invest in someone else it doesn't go unnoticed. Every minute you encourage that friend, every mile you go out of your way to do a good deed, every penny you spend to make someone else better, know that God sees it. He's not only going to pay you back, He's going to multiply what you've sown. When you push people up, the blessings are going to come down! You're going to get breaks, see His favor, and new doors are going to open to you. As you live your life as a giver, and look for ways to help others, you're going to see your dreams and desires come to pass. God will fulfill His promises to you and you'll live the abundant life He has prepared for you!

WOW! Click on the title to take you to the website - watch the video - it's quite enlightening!

What does this have to do with achieving success from home? EVERYTHING!!

My partner T. was faced with a situation today that involved a CHOICE. Do the right thing - or - do the thing that will be the "best" for her business? In network marketing, we share products and recruit and train other people to do the same. She had a contact that was interested in the business AND interested in working with T. However, during a meeting today, T. learned that this prospect was engaged to another consultant's son (this other consultant is actively building a business). She knew that she should encourage the prospect to sign up under her future mother-in-law and not herself. She took the high road and did the right thing. It was painful for her as she described how she had to "let go" of the vision she had of this prospect joining her team and the future business she would bring. But it was TOTALLY the right thing to do.

GO T.!! By pushing this prospect UP - blessings WILL come down to you! I'm honored to be in business with you!

Makeovers for Mercy - Report from 6/9

Despite the severe thunderstorm that rumbled through town, JUST as we were getting started - I mean it was so severe I was scouting my purse's location and considering how I would RUN for cover in a hurry if I had to - we had a FABULOUS time at the event Monday night!

We had 6 women turn out, another stuck her head in the door to see what we were doing and asked to be invited to the next event. I really believe this effort has the potential for organic growth.

Thanks to the purchases these women made, we made $89 in profit! Through creative (and totally legal) ordering, I was able to turn that into $200 in products for the girls at Mercy Ministries!

I truly feel "called" to this effort. I don't totally understand it, but I'm not questioning it. I feel the need to be obedient in this call; however, it is not difficult at all - I'm receiving much more back from the girls at Mercy than I am giving.

God Bless us all!

Makeovers for Mercy

As I mentioned in my previous post - one of my many reasons for starting a home-based business is to raise money for giving...aka philanthropy. Mercy Ministries has become a focus of this effort with events my business partner, Teresa and I call "Makeovers for Mercy".

First a bit about Mercy Ministries - from their website:

We operate unique residential facilities free of charge designed to address the whole person: spiritual, physical and emotional. Our facilities are located throughout the nation and adhere to our core values of excellence, unconditional love and accountability. Our program is free-of-charge and lasts approximately six months. Services include individualized programs, biblically-based counseling, nutrition education, fitness instruction, life-skills training and educational opportunities. Our goal is to have each young woman not only complete the program, but also discover the purpose for her life and bring value to her community as a productive citizen.

Teresa and I hold makeover events for "ordinary" women. 100% of profits from the events are used to purchase products for girls at Mercy. Prior to graduation at Mercy the girls participate in Life Skills classes. We do a makeover class for the girls, just like we did for the women in the fund raising events. We teach makeup and skin care - we refer to it as "icing on the cake"! These girls have worked hard for months at healing from the inside out - we get the FUN part of teaching them to dress up the outside - all the while building confidence!

At graduation the girls are BLESSED with gifts of products - skin care AND personalized makeup. No strings attached - only blessings for them as they begin the new phase of their lives. It has been amazing to me how appreciative the girls are of their gifts - quite honestly, during the first graduation that I attended, I felt very "small" in the back of the room. Listening to the girls give their testimonies, which brought tears to my eyes, I wondered "why" I was there with skin care and makeup. How insignificant I felt. Boy was I wrong!! The girls LOVE the products and look forward to receiving their gifts.

I am honored and blessed to be able to play such a small role in their recovery. Their stories, their hugs, Mercy Ministries - it's all blessing ME much more than I can find the words to describe. I am indeed blessed to help spread the word of Mercy Ministries through our fundraising events. In fact, we have one tomorrow night in Murfreesboro - the good people at Keller Williams Murfreesboro are hosting us - I can't wait for the opportunity to share the Mercy Ministries story - along with fabulous skin care products, makeup and new makeup techniques!

Why build a business from home? 2nd job??

As I'm trying to get my mind around the purpose of blogging, I keep feeling that I need to explain a bit about why I do what I do...

I have a full-time job with Keller Williams Realty as the MCA (Market Center Administrator). Believe me when I say - it's a FULL TIME gig!! We currently have 135 agents in the market center - that's a lot of folks to support!

I sort of "fell into" my home-based business opportunity by accident. Long story short - I was a client and using the products for about a year, before I realized the opportunity to build a business. I needed a few products and called the person I usually ordered from - paying RETAIL! She informed me that the business wasn't working for her (read - she wasn't working the business) and she would refer me to someone else. At that same time someone in our office held a "party" and I attended in order to get my products. THIS is when I learned that I TOO could build a business!! If you've read my profile - you see that entrepreneurial blood runs through my veins!

During this time my senior in college daughter became engaged, with a set wedding date, my son was a senior in high school and actively searching for his eventual college home and my husband and I saw $$$ RUNNING OUT the door!! My full-time job does not offer many opportunities to QUICKLY increase my income - what job does? So...the light bulb went off in my head, that the products I already use and love, just might provide that extra income we were suddenly in need of.

So...August 2008, I launched my home-based business. Yes, it's a 2nd job, and yes I love doing it! It's meeting needs in my life (and not just financial) that my day job does not meet. I actually have a found a great tie-in to the two businesses which allows me to work the two in tandem (somewhat) and without a conflict of interest at my full-time job - VERY important to me! I do NOT like being taken advantage of and I WON'T mis-use or abuse my full-time job. They have hired me to do a job and I am their employee when at work - I believe it's very important to be a person of integrity and not cross that line.

Different people start home-based businesses for different reasons, like:
- supplement current income (me)
- raise money for giving (me - more on that in a future post)
- stay at home mom's or dad's - able to work and take care of kids
- ability to set own schedule - flexibility
- be own boss
- control own destiny
and on and on...

I find that our business training mirrors what Keller Williams teaches quite a lot. Which tells me - business is business is business - just the products are different. No matter what you do - you have to show up, be present and do the do!

OH and COMMIT! My business partner and I have committed to being successful - NO MATTER WHAT! There will be challenges and no matter what - we ARE doing this business!

If you bring the same attention and committment to your venture - you WILL be successful!

Success from home

New Adventure

OK - here I am...jumping off into "blog" world! I've been prompted by friends, family and work colleagues to join the online community. Stay tuned as I figure out this "new" marketing medium.