In my years associated with the direct sales business and the real-estate industry has been an amazing experience because of the incredible transformations of ordinary people doing extraordinary things! The truth of the matter is, when most of us start this business, it kind of feels like the abyss. It is the UNKNOWN!
We have all heard the scary stories how tough this business can be and why we should think twice before jumping in with both feet. Well a few months back, I was having breakfast with a friend of mine, and the conversation was heading for the toilet fast. Words like: Recession,tough market,slow sales,bad economy, and no buyers was starting to rear its ugly head. The funny thing is, I felt justified in the pity party and the woe is us talk,because my friend was speaking the truth.
You see, I sat there listening to this garbage and I was starting to believe it, and so he was correct in what he was saying. I was not really working and sales were slower, but man did it feel good to sulk, bitch and complain how tough it was and how the market turned on us seemingly overnight.
Zig Ziglar once said "you need a check up from the neck up" is correct in many ways! What is happening between your ears and what you are listening too is a major factor in the path to success. I believe it goes one step further than that.
Success by association is the hidden secret to the highest level of high achievement! It has been said that if you take 5 of your closest friends and total up there yearly income and divide that number by 5 it will be pretty close to your yearly income. Success by association is everything in business, folks that are multi millionares usually live in houses in the same neighborhoods, belong to the same private clubs, drive similar type of automobiles and have the same circle of friends. The people we hang around with and listen to on a daily basis gives us a pretty good indication of where you will be or better yet, where are own lives are at. Take for instance drug addicts, drug addicts tend to have drug addict friends, business people,share business acquaintances,singles with singles. Now I understand that support is often needed and encouraged, this is not where I am going with this.
For the longest time this perplexed me to the point that I started doing my very own research on this very topic! In my journey I found out some pretty exciting insights. I found out that most people growing up in normal families, all looked up to some sort of role model, whether it was a teacher, parent, uncle or family member. Role modeling takes place subconsciously by observation,imitation, and repetition. The amazing thing is both success and failure are habit forming, habits tend to start off with off handed ideas or observations.
Habits are tough to break, don't believe me, try breaking one! Over the years I have had my share and still do of some bad habits. I have found that "HABITS "can never be broken. They are simply replaced by new and better behavioural patterns. By simply wishing a habit away or willing it away, is a recipe for failure. There has been many cases of individuals quitting cigarettes cold turkey, or getting off drugs cold turkey, but on the most part it is tough, and not the norm.
The old adage of plant apple seeds and you will get apples, plant weeds and you will get weeds is very true in many ways. I am a firm believer in association. I have 2 boys, and you better believe I know who there friends are and also go one step further and who there parents are all about, before they go to there houses to play. Association is huge with kids, often a swear word, or a bad habit is formed from a friend in school or a neighbor;s kid.
So in closing, I just wanted to share with you all, that association is huge, bigger than you think. Be careful of what is being said around the water cooler, or around the lunch meeting, because at the end of the day, you are filtering and deciphering in your subconscious all that is being said.I suggest read one great positive book per week, take out some super positive mentors for lunch , listen to some inspirational cd's. listen to some great speakers live or on line and plug into your very own library of good things that will make you GREAT!
Until next time my friends,
Dario Castiglia
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