I was talking about my business to a stranger the other day and he scored a great point. He agreed that I had a great opportunity to offer, and a person could make a great deal of money from it. Then he asked the question that threw me for a loop. "OK, suppose you do get rich from this deal. Now you're a 45 year old retiree. Now what?"
You see, he was asking me about my vision of the future. He wanted to know just how big my vision was and how clearly I saw it. "I want the freedom to live my life my way, without worrying about money." I told him. "I want to wake up when it's time, not when the clock tells me to. I want to spend my time doing whatever my heart desires!"
"OK, what does your heart desire? It's a serious question."
"I just told you."
"No, you didn't." he said calmly. "You told me about some hazy vision of being a socially approved vagrant. What do you want your life to be like when you retire?"
I tried again. "I want a comfortable house in the location of my choosing. I want to spend time having fun with good friends. I want to spend good time with family. I want the toys that will let me play the games I want to play."
"Better. Now, what do you have to do to get that?"
"Make enough money so I can take the time to do what I want to do."
"And all of this will simply appear when you have enough money?" he said, setting me up for the knockout.
"Yes." I said, leading with my chin.
"And how will you know how to do all this comfort and fun and time, if all you know how to do is make money? If you spend all your time making money, when will you practice the other stuff?"
I staggered to my psychic corner and tried to get my mental legs back.
"Don't worry, young man. I have been where you are now. You have a good start. You know you don't want to stay where you are. You have an idea what you want your destination to look like. You are taking action to move. Now you need to flesh out your vision and transform it from your dream to your plan for the rest of your life."
"How do I do that?" I asked, feeling as if I should be sitting at his feet on top of a mountain somewhere.
"The first lesson is that nature hates a vacuum. You are throwing yourself into your business with all your energy, thinking that at some magic point called 'enough', you will stop doing what you do and start another life. That doesn't work.
"What would happen if you drove your boat right up to the dock, then cut the motor?"
"I would drift well past the point I wanted to reach. If there was something in my path, I would probably hit it and possibly damage my boat." I said.
"Excellent. How would you stop your boat at the point you have chosen?"
"I'd cut the motor well before I reached the spot, then drift in."
"What, then, if there were a wind or current in the water?"
"I would have to allow for it."
"How would you know how much leeway to allow? What if the boat stopped short of the dock? Is there a way to dock the boat under control?"
I thought a minute. "I suppose I could throttle back the motor so I was going slow, but under control. When I reached the spot I wanted, I could reverse the motor to stop the boat and hold me in place."
"Exactly. As you approach the dock, you maintain control to obtain the result you desire."
"I recognize the need to operate under control, but what does that have to do with nature hating a vacuum?"
"When you reverse the motor to slow your boat, does the energy that was moving the boat disappear?" he asked.
"No, it's just focused in a different direction." I thought about that for a moment. "And I can't just slam the gear into reverse, or I'll damage the engine and maybe the boat itself!"
"You are a very bright young man. I enjoy talking with you. I must go now, but I would like to continue this discussion. If you would like that as well, please meet me back here next week at this time. In between, please consider what we talked about today." He turned and walked back down the path to the parking area.
As I stood there, I realized the gift this old man was offering me. I realized that simply making money would not bring the freedom I sought. I had to have a vision of what I wanted my whole life to be like. Since I discovered network marketing and residual income, I'd been dazzled by the amount of money available to average people. I thought that if I simply made enough money, all my problems would disappear.
After talking with that old man, I knew there was a lot more to building a happy, satisfying life than money. In a ten minute conversation with a total stranger, I was ready to take the next step toward true freedom. If you think I was going to be anyplace but right where I was the following week, you need to get your head examined. I turned and cast my line out again, then leaned back to consider as the old man had asked...
(To be continued)
(c)Copyright 2003 by John McCabe
John McCabe's Web Guides show you how to find more and better success in all facets of your life. For more articles on living an abundant, vibrant, joyous life, come to http://Web-Guides.com.
limo prices to midway Crystal Lake west of Randal .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareThere are those out there who would lead us to... Read More
Fighter pilots have an awesome responsibility. It takes a unique... Read More
No matter how young or old you are, you must... Read More
It can be great to do something new 'for a... Read More
Human beings are visual creatures. Our imaginations are powerful tools... Read More
With topics in personal development ranging from goal setting to... Read More
It was one of the worst periods of time in... Read More
We all know as we are progressing towards our personal... Read More
Have you ever felt as if you are beating your... Read More
Sugar Ray Leonard and Sylvester Stallone have recently hosted a... Read More
Hello,You are reading this article because you are one of... Read More
Fourteen thousand civilised people died when the tsunami hit Andaman... Read More
If you have a choice each day in the tasks... Read More
How many times have you thought about being successful, famous,... Read More
How's the weather there?We use small talk to connect with... Read More
In his audio e-book, 10 Habits to Swell Your Bank... Read More
Congratulations! You are the president of your own nation, and... Read More
Success is a word that is much used in our... Read More
Authors such as Napoleon Hill have produced a great deal... Read More
As a work-life and career coach, I regularly work with... Read More
There are times when we feel we should take action,... Read More
The problem with writing about success is that almost everything... Read More
A Lifelong Learning Plan is a conscious, continuous engagement in... Read More
IF and WHEN were friends. Every week they met and... Read More
Do you still keep that all important 'Inner Spark Alive'?... Read More
taxi o'hare Auburn ..Several years ago, I attended a "success" seminar in northern... Read More
In 1989, when the Berlin Wall came down and the... Read More
In my private practice for the past 13+ years I... Read More
I remember, about 35 years ago, reading two books by... Read More
Most of your behavior is determined by your habits. Everything... Read More
Of all the things that can have an effect on... Read More
One way to become more successful in your life is... Read More
e-Learning is doubling yearly. Classes, e-courses, e-books on how-to and... Read More
Creating a goal tracking chart is as simple as drawing... Read More
All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy... Read More
Very few of us can pick up a complex task... Read More
Have you ever met people who exude charm and charisma?... Read More
A person who is illiterate can look at a word... Read More
If you help yourself, God and humans will help you... Read More
As a professional speaker, father and business owner I often... Read More
"You will be the same person in five years except... Read More
Do You Know You Have the Power to Harness Huge,... Read More
When Julie looks through the lens of her camera she... Read More
You're enjoying a perfectly shallow conversation with a good friend... Read More
Over the years many people have offered their models of... Read More
Are you looking for the secret or magical formula for... Read More
What's holding you back?One of my clients came to me... Read More
Depending on the person, challenges can either make or break... Read More
What do you need to do to be successful? If... Read More
Much has been researched, written and taught about success. One... Read More
Success |