There are a massive flurry of videos popping up in this “Shit People Say” video series.  Network Marketers are awesome.  We truly believe everything we say.

That fact doesn’t make it any less funny.

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Today I did a bunch of yard work.  It was long overdue.  Combining my recent travel schedule, my regular business schedule and just flat out not wanting to do it…I have let the landscaping slide.

Honestly, I love doing it.  It’s meditative for me.  A few years ago I took my front and back yard completely down to new dirt and started over.

In my back yard, just behind the pool, I have a small area with a night blooming Jasmin tree that was in dire need of a trim.  It was insanely overgrown.  It smells amazing…but it was looking pretty bad.

So, today I dug in.

I mowed.  I trimmed.  I weeded.

And then I started on the Jasmin tree.  It was a real mess.

Whack. Whack. Whack…it started looking good.

As I tour into the side nearest my house I noticed something.

The tree was so overgrown, so forgotten about that I had totally forgot what was in the bed below.

A beautiful Amaryllis that had just bloomed.

Honestly, had I not actually trimmed back the Jasmin tree today I would have completely missed this beautiful display of Mother Nature in full view.

I would have missed it.

I realize we do this all the time.

How many beautiful qualities do you have, or what potential greatness are you missing simply because you haven’t focused on clearing away some of the debris to let the light shine?

It’s really hard to see the sun behind the clouds…and yet the sun is still there…longing to get out.

I think there are beautiful Amaryllis flowers within everyone.  Everyone has layers of beauty within…and unfortunately, some never, ever let their light shine.

For those of us in network marketing, think about how this applies to your team.  How many people have the potential to be great if you would just take a little time to help them clear back the debris?

How many rock stars are wasting time in your team, their talent hidden by the years of overgrown weeds of neglect, poor self-image, past pain and broken dreams?

What could a little attention, a little focus and a little effort create?

What flower could bloom in YOU if you invested just a little more time to make things beautiful in and around your world?

It’s time to let all that is beautiful in you out.

It’s time for you to connect with all that is beautiful in others.

What starts to grow may just surprise you.

There is something just undeniably special about Mothers.

It’s part love, part unconditionality, part intuition, part forgiveness and part…well, I’ll just call it “Mama’s Wisdom.”

The base of Enchantment Rock. The first place we scattered Mom's ashes.

I can’t say that I always felt this way growing up.  In fact, I often felt the opposite.  For many of the years of my youth I resented my mom.  I was often embarrassed by her and dad (I was not nearly as cool as I thought I was).  I challenged either how hard she was on me and ironically, I resented how easy she was on me.

But no matter what the feeling was or the emotion that was present in the moment, I knew without question that I could always, always go to my Mom.

It was like coming home.

It was the one place in the chaos of the world as a toddler, a teenager and honestly, even more so as an adult that I knew was safe.  Regardless of the outside world, my Mom just always made me feel better.

My Mom died 6 1/2 years ago just a day before my 33rd birthday and there is rarely a day that goes by that I don’t think of her.

When my son Brennan was born, I picked up the phone to call her repeatedly.  She had died just 3 1/2 months earlier.  Mom, you would really love Brennan, he is an incredibly special young man.  You granddaughters are also amazing.  You would love them all dearly and you would spoil daily…and we would love you for it.

When cool stuff happens in my life or when I feel unusually challenged, I still have the thought to call her.  So instead, I just talk to her.

Even in death, just thinking of her presence brings me great comfort.

I was lucky.  I got to experience an amazing Mom for 33 years.  I know this isn’t the case for everyone.

All I can say is this.

If your Mom is still around…appreciate her.
If the relationship is broken, heal it.
If you don’t spend as much time together as you’d like, change it.
If you are often short with her, be more patient.
If she frustrates you, breathe and smile.
If Mother’s Day is the only day you do something special for her, shift your priorities.

Just figure it out.

Now, I understand that not all Moms really even want to be Moms.  But I do believe there is something so unique within a Mother/Child relationship that deep within every single Mom in the world is a inarguable connection to her children.  Sometimes they just need some help to feel it again.

So if that is your situation…be the bigger person.

Be authentic.  Be real.  Be understanding.  Be VULNERABLE.

But make the effort.

Do it for you.  Do it for your Mom.

Do it for Moms and Children everywhere.

It doesn’t last forever.

You only have one Mommy.

And I miss mine every day.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing Mothers in the world.
I love you all for what you bring to this world.

While many Americans are out of work…millions and millions have found peace and security in part-time jobs.  However…it may not be what you think.

So what’s the part time job of choice for the average American?

Is it retail?  No.

Is it fast food?  No.

Is it telemarketing?  No.

Is it the home business industry?  Unfortunately, no!

So, what is this industry that is getting so much attention from people?  In the midst of some of the most challenging economic times of the last few generations…where are people placing their focus?

TV.

You mean, like trying to become actors, producers or work behind the scenes?

No…I mean like WATCHING it.

The average American now spends 5.1 hours per day in front of the tube.

5.1 hours!!!

To put that in perspective, that is nearly 1 full week a month.

Or, if you take the average lifespan of 78…that means the average peep will spend almost 17 years of their life watching TV.

Let that sink in a bit.

17 years.

And people complain that they don’t have enough time, money & freedom.  I find this statistic horribly bothersome for so many reasons.

Now, before I start in let me say that I enjoy TV here and there, although it’s on my “Do Less Of” list for 2011.  I find some shows entertaining, however I am clear what TV is for me…a pure, mindless escape (I am working on that one).  Herein lies the problem.

So what is this new part time job really doing to us?  It has more impact than we think.

1. Entertainment Has To Be Mindless – this is a horrific trend in America.  Entertainment used to stimulate the senses, make people really think and in the best of cases, educate.  How many times have you heard someone say, “I don’t want to think!  I just want to sit and veg out in front of the TV!”?

Since when did “thinking” become a life occupational hazard?  Of course TV has made what used to happen in theaters more convenient…but have we incubated ourselves from the real, human social interaction that we all crave?

2. Lack Programming – let me say that there are definitely some channels and TV programs that have intellectual benefit, however, the vast majority don’t.  It’s easy to say that it’s just entertainment, however, our thinking and choices are run by our subconscious programming and we simply can’t ignore the power of TV to influence our subconscious.

Most shows depict people in some level of victim mentality, poverty consciousness, powerless to change, playing small, violence, negative portrayal of women…it goes on and on.

Much of these messages are not obvious…they are subtle.  They slip in the back door and are often so quiet…you don’t even know they are there.

You just can’t constantly feed your mind messages of lack and limitation and expect to live free and fulfilled.

3. Playing Small - Alright, now this is certainly not the case ALL the time…but for many, TV becomes a way to not do nothing.  A lot like the “mindless entertainment” point above…TV distracts.  For many people, this is the point of TV.  It’s certainly easier to watch someone else live out their dreams then it is to manifest your own.

What about you?  What do you use TV for?

Has it become a crutch, an escape, a distraction from what’s important in your world?

And if so, how much time are you giving your addiction?

17 years of TV.

To put that in another context, there are many Countries in Africa where the average lifespan is only 38, 39 or 40 years.

The AVERAGE American will watch TV half that much in their lifetime.

Does that seem right to you?

I think we need a new part-time job.

I have to admit.  I am not really into pop culture.

I don’t care who did what, who is wearing what and who is dating whom.

I do, however, study pop culture.  It’s full of amazing lessons of what people find interesting, emerging trends and yes, lots and lots of examples of both effective and ineffective ways to live our lives.

I just wrote an article about Charlie Sheen and the Marketing Lessons we can learn from his current antics and it got me thinking about the rest of the celebrities who are total Hot Messes and what we may be able to learn from their redonkulous behavior.

With that said, I know it’s probably not their fault…they are thrown into the spotlight, they have so much pressure always needing to be on…

Bahahahahahahaha….

Yeah, right, whatever.  That’s such crap.  They are people.  They are getting paid for their passions.  They make choices just like everyone else…so I have zero sympathy for their Hot Mess lives.

But as you will see…even in the midst of their dysfunction…there are many important lessons to be learned.

Although he totally takes 1st prize right now, I am going to leave Charlie Sheen purposely off the list.

Alright…let’s jump right in.

BRITNEY SPEARS
She has come a long way since her days as a Mouseketeer!  That is for sure.  She’s made some good music (well, at least popular), she’s become a performer who has entertained millions and her onstage lesbo-erotica moment doesn’t even bother me.  She makes the list simply because she’s handled herself…and now influencing her little sister…we very little class.

Going commando in a short dress in a sports car for starters…the girl is just on a downward spiral with her baby sister following right in her footsteps.

Her total “Jump The Shark” new video Hold It Against Me is a product placement bonanza…really Britney?

Lesson: Never Lose Your Moral Compass

TOM SIZEMORE
This guy is a hot mess personified.  I’ve actually really, really liked many of Tom’s roles in movies.  He‘s been that quintessential tough guy…and he has done it well.  But his personal life has fallen into an abyss of drugs, violence (against women ) and laughable choices.

The best of which is when Sizemore tried to pass a drug test by using a plastic fake penis.  Really, he did.  He got busted because the urine wasn’t sufficiently warmed.  Just imagine how messed up you’d have to be to strap a hollow fake penis filled with someone else’s urine on you…insanity.

Lesson: If You Are A Dick, You Should Strongly Consider Changing 

 

 

 

JOCELYN WILDERSTEIN
Some of you may not know who Jocelyn is…I believe she is only famous for one thing: an endless barrage of plastic surgeries.  Reportedly, she has spent over $4 Million on, what would appear to be, every possible surgery available.  Regardless of what you think about elective surgeries…this has gone way past the line of “empowering choices.”

It’s very difficult to find a true “before picture” of Jocelyn…this black and white will have to do.  This is a great example of how our mind can get fixated on something and not rest until we have it…regardless of how warped.

Lesson: Own, Accept And Love Who You Authentically Are

LINDSAY LOHAN
Honestly, where do I start.  Child Star turned…well, everything.  Drugs, jail, alcohol, violence, rehab, jail, rehab, jail…if she were getting frequent flyer points for getting busted…she’d have a few world tours paid off.  LiLo needs some help.  Apparently, she’s gotten plenty…but still goes at it.  She’s been arrested twice while on probation and can’t seem to stay off the booze or drugs.

What happened to the sweet girl from Herbie Reloaded?

Hmmm…thinking about it…that is sort of ironic.

Lesson: With Success Often Comes Power…Abuse It And You Will Lose

MICHAEL JACKSON
I know I am probably going to get some heat for this one, seeing that Michael died last year.  But come on…how could I leave him off the list.  I will be the first to acknowledge and admire MJ for his brilliance as a song writer, performer, pioneer, choreographer and visionary.  No one can argue with that.

His personal life on the other hand…well, that’s another story entirely.  Think about the last few years.  Holding babies out the window, a endless number of surgeries and procedures that took a once adorable little pudgy cheeked boy to look like a wax museum monkey-man (too harsh?), his alleged affection for those younger than him…well…it’s all there.  Hot mess.

Michael, I love your style, I miss your innovation…but you had to make the list.

Lesson: Strivin g For Perfection At All Costs Is A Dangerous Path

There you have it…the list could go on and on.  For me, it’s not about celebrities, gossip or following these people’s lives.  For me, it’s about learning what we can from those who put their lives out there for all to see.

There are lessons in EVERYTHING…if you pay attention.

Charlie is at it again, but this time the stakes are clearly higher than before. Once all this craziness started, I was bored after the first interview when the authorities took his kids away. I thought it was always easy to see Charlie was making a play for some big launch/deal of some kind.

For the most part, Sheen has been fairly reluctant to give the media any face time…now, he’s addicted. Shocker, good ‘ol Chuck got addicted to something else.

I don’t care whether you think he is an idiotic, drug-induced, misogynist A-hole, if you take a look at everything unemotionally, there are HUGE marketing lessons to garner from observing how he is rolling out this media frenzy.

Here are a few I believe are worth mentioning. Each of these, done correctly and with enough “oomph” can set your business on fire.

• Go All In – Although it’s easy to have doubts about lots of things Charlie Sheen is doing, it’s virtually impossible to doubt his commitment to this campaign.  He has pushed all his chips in the middle.  Charlie has, as Napoleon Hill says in Think & Grow Rich, “burned his ships behind him.”This all out commitment is essential for the success of any endeavor.  People wonder how other people build massive businesses in relatively short periods of time.This is how.  They totally, without hesitation, GO FOR IT.

• Create Massive Exposure – Charlie baby is everywhere.  He’s on the news, he’s in the paper, he’s everywhere online, he started a Twitter account, he started a U-stream broadcast…the guy is everywhere in just 10 days.  He has created the buzz and is now in the process of advancing the story.  Like him or loathe him…he’s pulled people in.Quality exposures are the keys to building your business.  Simple.If you want the magic pill…that is it.You want to enroll more people?  Get in front of more people.You want to help your group enroll more people?  Get in front of more of their people.

• Build Your Inner Circle – Sheen clearly got a few early adopters on board before going to the masses.  His publicist, agent, the “goddesses” and a few key sponsors all know exactly what is happening, what the vision is and what their role is.Getting a key, core team of leaders together to partner with you on your journey is vital.  This inner circle is huge.  This team, done correctly, can turn into thousands.  These people are taking a stand with you to build something significant.  They are people you can trust and can trust you.  This is also a group that provides council and the opportunity to mastermind.This group may change some over time…but this initial one gets the ball rolling.

• Make “Crazy” The New Normal – Honestly it was today that I just learned about “Tiger Blood.”  Today was the first day I heard the phrase “bi-winning.”  This is great stuff.”Are you bi-polar?” the reporter asks.”I’m bi-winning!” Sheen replies.Brilliant, really.There are people you will talk to that think working 10-15 hours a week on “some deal” is crazy.  There are some who think MLM is crazy.  There are some who think personal development is crazy.

  To me, not owning your own business is crazy…not working on yourself constantly is crazy…not believing you can live a bigger, incredibly fulfilling life is crazy.  Make “crazy” the new normal.

• Don’t Care What Other People Think – Sure Sheen has left a trail of hookers, pills, empty bottles and failed relationships…and no, I am in NO WAY condoning his behavior.  However warped, there is something to be gleaned from his completely self satisfying lifestyle.I don’t think anyone would disagree that Charlie Sheen doesn’t give a rat’s ass about what anyone thinks.In order to develop any kind of success, thick skin is an absolute necessity.  I have many amazing friends in this industry who are wonderful trainers with huge hearts and in my opinion, consistently do right by people.Guess what?  People still say mean stuff about them.  People still complain.Some people are never going to be happy and they get in your way at every turn.  You HAVE to believe in your vision more than you believe in their opinions.  You HAVE to want to build your life more than you want their approval.

We can learn something from everything.  There are success clues all around us…all the time.  Honestly, if you simply put these 5 lessons in place for your business for the next 6 months…you would be Bi-Winning too.

Whatever that means.

Please pass this around…there is enough crap-filled garbage info about him going on…we may as well help people learn something.

February is Black History Month in the US.  Throughout schools all over the Nation, they will be studying the lives and impact of influential black leaders and what they have meant to the world we live in.

There are so many worthy lives to look closely at…where do you start?

While kids throughout America will be learning about Martin Luther, George Washington Carver, Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson and yes, Barack Obama…there are a few that probably won’t get much airtime.

And I for one, can’t stand for that.

While all the above are amazing human beings and have made a huge difference in the world…I’ve got to represent!

So, here you go with some of my favorite black role models of my lifetime.  If you grew up in the 80′s…well, nuff said.

Homey The Clown

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Wanda The Massage Therapist

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Buckwheat

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Brothers Like You

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Everyone In The Barber Shop Scene From Coming To America

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Men On Football

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“Do what you love and the money will follow.”  This is such crap.

There is SO much more to making money from your passions than just doing what you love.

I love to play videos games & drink cold beer while simultaneously getting a shoulder and foot massage from two different people…however, there is not much of a market for that.

This is one of the most misguided and overused sayings in our culture.

Of course I believe it’s important to be passionate about what you do.  Of course it’s important that what you do brings you joy.

However, this statement leads people to believe that if you just do what you love, the money will somehow just magically appear one day.

There is so much more to it than that.

As we have seen from American Idol…just because someone loves to sing doesn’t mean they will make money as a singer.  William Hung and the “Pants On The Ground” guy are exceptions to talentless income.

Does it happen sometimes?  Are there examples of people just putting themselves out there passionately, getting that break and making it big?

Of course.

But most of us need to use our brains a bit more to have it happen.

Yes, you should LOVE what you do.  Yes, you should put LOVE into what you do.  And Yes, you should, whenever possible, build WHAT you do around what you LOVE.

And, if you want to be able to do what you love for a long, long time…you also better follow a few important LOVE steps:

• WHERE IS THE LOVE? – You must see if there are enough people who love what you love to support a market.  Generally speaking, if you look hard enough, you can find a market for just about anything.
• SPREADING THE LOVE – Create a way to get your love message in front of the people who are most likely to share their love back by giving you some of their money.  This way, you can have a love fest of sorts.  If you are just loving on yourself and no one else ever sees it…well, that’s another post all together.
• EMPLOY LOVERAGE – Make sure your message is compelling enough to move them into action.  Buckminster Fuller said, “Give me a lever long enough and I can move the world.”  LOVE, applied to the right places, is the most powerful lever in the world…bar none.  (Thank you Franco Gonzales for my new favorite word – loverage).
• ME LOVE YOU LONG TIME – Once someone has come into your circle of love…shower them with so much love they never want to leave.  Keep the love fest going and going and going.  If you create a way for people to feel loved & express their love…you will never have to worry about money again.

It’s never just, “Do what you love…”

We see this everywhere.

Talent alone doesn’t win championships.

Love alone doesn’t keep relationships together.

But instilling LOVE into all that you do and having it come alive as you execute a well developed plan…well that just may lead you to the life you were born to live.

I am up in Jacksonville Beach visiting some of my dearest friends in the world for the Thanksgiving holiday.  Their home backs up to a beautiful marsh and I am sitting here, having a little coffee as the sun comes up illuminating the marsh.  Sunlight falls on the tall reeds of grass as they move back and forth with the slightest of breezes.

White Adirondack chairs, a hammock in perfect stillness hanging from towering Australian pines create a true postcard view.  Everything about the view out the back says peace.  It’s God’s poetry at its finest.

In the background is a collection of classic folk songs playing…the perfect soundtrack to this moment in time.  A song just came on that I am not familiar with…but I love.  It’s Harry Nilsson’s “Everybody’s Talking At Me.”

Everybody’s talking at me.
I don’t hear a word they’re saying,
Only the echoes of my mind.

People stopping staring,
I can’t see their faces,
Only the shadows of their eyes.

These lyrics grabbed me because for me, the holidays are a time that provide that often needed nudge to reconnect with people.  Granted, I do my best to do this every day, but we all need reminders, support, mentors, partners and yes…songs, to bring us back to what this game is all about.

People.

It’s really all about people…and more specifically it’s all about connecting with people.

I mean really connecting.

“Everybody’s talking at me, I don’t hear a word they’re saying.”

This line unfortunately describes such a large number of people’s daily lives.  Our attention gets diverted by TV, pop-up ads, work, drama, world crisis, mindless entertainment…all the noise that we have created in our worlds.

It can be deafening.

And we miss what PEOPLE are saying.

Connection.

Honest, authentic, deep, unconditional, engaging, powerful, spiritual, meaningful connection.

There is nothing like it.

This is why we make money.

We make money so we have the time to do what?

To be able connect with ourselves and others without the restriction of time or limits on our options.

This is why we volunteer our time.

This is why we have children.

This is why we build friendships.

This is why we search for that someone special.

This is why recognition and genuine appreciation means so much to us…we feel connected.

This is why those magical moments in our lives where we really feel connected to ourselves, our purpose, other people and the world we live in are burned undeniably in our hearts and minds forever.

The experience of true connection is absolutely beautiful.

This is my wish for all of us throughout the holidays and for the coming year.

Be conscious about creating authentic connection in your world.

People are fascinating, truly.  Everyone has a story worth hearing.  Everyone has a story worth telling.

Dive in past the safety of surface level platitudes and seek to really get to know people.

Get real with people and stop being so damn afraid.  (Don’t try to bs me and tell me you aren’t afraid…I don’t buy it.)

Connection.

This is the good stuff in life.

Start now.

Laugh so hard this holiday that you let the divine in.

Create some real connection.

Then choose to nurture it.

On this glorious Thanksgiving day 2010, I am grateful for each of you reading this whether I have met you or not.  Your choice to allow me and my thoughts into your world is such a gift to me.

I am grateful for all of the authentic connections (past, present and future) I have been blessed with – family, friends, teammates, partners, customers, lovers, and experiences.

Each of you have enriched my life beyond measure.  I only hope that in some small way, I can contribute to your world in as meaningful a way as you have mine.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Stay Connected.

With love & laughter,

Keith

Jodi Black Stott…this is all about YOU!

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Get Jiggy With It!