About a mile away, a dollar bill is lying on a sidewalk.

Would you get in your car right now and go pick it up?

Probably not.  And yet, at the same time, there are thousands of people who will drive 5 miles out of their way to save $.05 per gallon on their next tank of gas.  Mathematically, there’s no difference.

This illustrates a very simple concept that — if you understand it — will save you HUGE amounts of time and money….and will allow you to earn a huge income in the process.

In fact, since we’re talking about money lying on sidewalks, let me give you another example, one that you probably have heard of.

Have you ever heard the old joke about how much money that Bill Gates makes?  Imagine Bill Gates were walking along the sidewalk and saw a $1,000 bill lying on the ground.  If he had to stop earning money long enough to bend over, pick up the bill, and put it in his pocket…..he’d be better off just leaving it lying there.

It’s basically just a fun way to point out that, at one point, Bill Gates’s net worth was actually worth more than $1,000 every few seconds.

Whether that particular claim is true or not, one thing IS true:  both of these examples illustrate a concept that most people have never heard of.  It’s called “opportunity cost”.

What is “opportunity cost”?  It’s the value of what you give up by not doing one thing in order to do something else.

I’ll give you an example that might assist you in understanding what I mean.

Years ago, I used to mow my own lawn.  Why?  Because that’s what I’d always done.  We had a lawn-mower and it seemed silly to pay someone to mow my lawn when I had a perfectly good lawnmower myself.  Besides….all my neighbors mowed their lawns on Saturday morning.  Everything in my environment pointed to the idea of me mowing my own lawn.

A little while after I got involved in the home business industry, I got a different perspective.  It went something like this:

1.  It takes me about 3 hours to mow my lawn, run the weed-eater and then cleaning up.
2.  It takes me about 3 hours to earn $1,000 in my home business.
3.  Hiring someone to mow my yard will cost me about $70.
4.  Doing it myself will save me $70….but it would COST me $1,000 in lost income.

Read that #4 again.  That’s what I mean by “opportunity cost”.  Sure, I can mow my own yard and save $70.  But what does it cost me to do that?  In my case, it costs me the ability to earn $1,000 or more in my business.

Opportunity cost is not something new.  It’s actually a common concept taught in any economics class.  But it’s not something that is taught in most American schools.  Nor do parents always pass it along to their kids.  But, if you understand this, you can absolutely get RICH.

Why?  Because getting ahead financially is all about engaging in high-value activities and delegating low-value activities.  If you can earn $1,000 for your family in just three hours…..why on earth would you spend those same 3 hours doing something that pays you far less?  The opportunity cost is much too high.

Here’s another example:  how much does your JOB cost you?

Most people — when they think about their job — they view it as a source of income.  But, what’s the opportunity cost of your job?  In other words, how much money do you LOSE every day by choosing to spend 8 hours working for someone else?

Moms are good at spotting this problem in their own lives.  A mom can often look at the income at her job AND the money she pays out for child-care and immediately thinks:

“Why on earth am I doing this?  If I do the math…..by the time I pay the daycare, the gas, the wear-and-tear on the car, the cup of coffee in the morning, grabbing a sandwich at lunch, the snack in the afternoon,….my dry-cleaning, etc………I’m only bringing home $20 per day in personal net income.  I could work from home AND be with my children all day and earn WAY more than $600 per month.

Read that again.  That’s someone who understands the concept of “opportunity cost”.

Here are some other examples for those of you who are already IN the home business industry.

• What is the opportunity cost involved when you choose to learn how to design your own webpages instead of spending that time putting prospects in front of your company’s presentation?  (Designing websites is not an income-producing activity; putting prospects in front of presentations IS.)
• What is the opportunity cost involved when you work in a company where you earn $20 commissions instead of spending that same time, energy, and effort in a business that pays you $1,000 commissions?
• What is the opportunity cost involved when you go to a 40-hour week job that pays you $4,000 per month…..when you could spend that same time earning more much more?

No one can answer these questions for you.  But, when I understood the concept of “opportunity cost”, I started making a LOT  more money.  I quit my job.  I stopped mowing my own lawn.  And I was able to earn a multiple six-figure income in less than 3 hours a day and spend the rest of my time living the lifestyle of my dreams.

So, the question is:  what low-value activities are you engaged in that you can delegate elsewhere?  What high-value activities can you start spending MORE time on?

If I can assist with these questions, feel free to post your questions or comments below!

Tony Rush
http://www.tonyrush.com

To set the table for this question, let me share with you some comments made on my Facebook wall earlier today:

since there’s a more than 95% FAILURE rate in this industry, I’d say that means that there’s something VERY wrong with it… companies are NOT set up properly, the role of a sponsor is VERY important to new and inexperienced people…

For far too many “sponsors”, their idea of “training” is to throw a bunch of worn out email and pdf’s at the new recruit and tell them to “get on the corporate rah rah” call… … which can be great… but are more like eating Chinese food… awesome while it lasts and, 20 minutes later, you can’t remember what you ate (heard) and you are hungry all over again.

Let me first say that I believe any sponsor worth his salt is going to provide training and support to his team. It’s not even a statement that needs to be made because….well, it should go without saying.

With that said, though…..how much support does a new distributor need? Obviously it’s a question that will have many answers depending on who you ask. But it makes me think about how things were when some of us joined the industry years ago.

When I got started in my first serious endeavor, I went home from the meeting with

– a company catalog
– an 8-page booklet packet of 8 1/2×11 sheets that looked like it was a 10th generation copy of how the pay plan worked
– the “pink copy” of my enrollment form
– a cassette tape about the company

That was it. And that was probably more than a lot of the old-timers got when they joined the industry 10 and 20 years ahead of me.

And yet, I made it work. I enrolled 6 people in my first month. Within 90 days I was earning enough to quit my job. If I needed something and didn’t have it, I either figured out how to do without it….or I create what I needed.

Back in the old “Dead Doctors Don’t Lie” days, thousands of people got started and received little more than I did. Maybe a few copies of the cassette tape to hold them over until their own order came in. A booklet that explained how the tape system worked. A price list for products. That was about it.

A friend of mine joined Excel telecom in the 90s. He got a few nicer materials than I did but it was still nothing to really write home about. Most of it was company “propaganda”….no real sales tools or instructions on how to start building a business.

Fast-forward almost 20 years. Even the most LAME network marketing company offers 10X the amount of support that I (and many of you) lacked when we got started. And, from what I see, it seems that most companies offer at least some or all of the following:

A full schedule of conference calls
Recorded calls
PDF files
Weekly webinars and “over-the-shoulder” video training
Replicated squeeze pages
Printed materials
Autoresponders
Company sponsored promotions
List-building tools
Social media tools

And I understand that some of the things that we offer are a bit more complicated than the old days of “make a list of people you know”.  But, at the same time, whenever I hear people who say they “couldn’t make money because they didn’t have any support”……

….I find myself thinking, “Really?  You honestly think you didn’t have any support?  You’ve got 100X the support that many of us had when we got started.  And yet we had more desire than excuses. ”

So it all begs the question:  are people in our industry REALLY lacking support?  Or are they lacking in self-reliance?

What do you think?

Have you ever wondered who was looking at the same website or online article as you?

What if you could instantly have a conversation with someone who’s on the same page as you?

What if you could see the moment that someone arrives at your Facebook Profile and send them a hello message?

Or, what if you could have a chat with anyone who visited your lead capture page, just to make a personal connection?

In other words, what if EVERY single website on the Internet allowed social interaction, even if the website wasn’t set up for it?

Well, it’s already available (in beta) and it’s free.  It’s a new browser plug-in lets you interact with any other users who are visiting the same web page as you.  The only catch is that you can only see people who have also installed the browser plugin.  So, it may take some time to reach a critical mass.

Still, passing the word to your own friends is a great way to start……and you’ll be interacting with people that you already know and like!

Get started at WhoIsLive.com

And use the Share buttons to pass this along to others!

{EAV_BLOG_VER:42fc24f4dbd8e408}

Hey, if you’re not using Empire Avenue, yet, be sure to check it out here.

It’s a great tool for managing your social media statistics….but it’s cleverly disguised as a “stock trading” game where you can buy/sell your friends.

Click here to get your free account and you’ll also start off with 2,000 free bucks!

Got your big-boy or big-girl pants on?   Let’s go ahead and get the awful truth on the table right off the bat….

FACT:  99 out of 100 “home business” entrepreneurs will not make $500 this month.

FACT:  99 out of 100 “home business” entrepreneurs will not make $500 this YEAR.

FACT:  99 out of 100 “home business” entrepreneurs will not make $500 in their LIFETIME.

QUESTION:  Where are you in those statistics?

For most people, the the “Going Out Of Business” sign is hanging on their door and they don’t even know it.

Here are some tips you can use to avoid being a statistic…..and how to crash the party at the top of the pay plan:

Tip #1:  Have plenty of people to talk to

I will typically show my business to 20-30 people per WEEK.  Most network marketers don’t do that in a year.  Some, but not many, might do that in 4-6 weeks.

Where do you get these people?  Doesn’t matter.  They might be friends and family.  They might be people you meet during the day.

The easiest way is to ATTRACT them.  Just run some ads and invite your prospects to contact you for more information.

Think about it:  would you rather talk to 100 people who have NOT asked for information on your business……or 100 people who HAVE?

I don’t care if your sponsor doesn’t do it that way.  I don’t care if no one else in your company does it.  Show your business to at least 4-5 people per day. You’ll probably wind up as the #1 enroller in your company

If that sounds really difficult, you’re going to find out how easy it is in Tip #2:

Tip #2:  Use tools to leverage your time

When I got started in MLM back in the early 90′s, my sponsor had me sitting down and doing one-on-one presentations for prospects. I met people at the mall.  I met them at coffee shops.  I met them at restaurants.  I met them in their living rooms.

And it worked.  But the problem is that it’s horribly inefficient.  I spent 40-60 minutes doing a presentation for ONE person….when I could have doubled my productivity by just having an extra prospect at the table. Hmm….if I had 4 people at the table, that would have quadrupled my effectiveness.  What if I’d had 10 people at the table and I could spend 40-60 minutes doing a presentation for TEN people?  Wow!  Now, that’s leverage!  I’m presenting to 10 people at once.

Oh, wait.  What if I’m not that good of a presenter?  What if I SUCK at presenting?  Plus, how eager are my new prospects going to be to join my business if they think they have to sit around and explain this business to people all evening.  In homes, in coffee shops, in restaurants.

Answer:  they don’t have to.  When I started plugging my prospects into a conference call or (nowadays) a webinar…..BOOM…..my income exploded.

Why?  Because a.) I didn’t have to do the presentations and b.) Depending on how many prospects I invited to attend that presentation, I was showing my business to anywhere between 3-10 people PER PRESENTATION!  And we did multiple presentations per day!

I think the most I ever had on a single presentation was 79 people.  That one presentation put over $20,000 in my pocket in earned commissions.

Tip #3:  Focus on income-producing activities

It is SO easy to stay busy.  After all, there are lots of things to learn, aren’t there?

Search engine optimization.  Designing websites.  HTML/CSS.  Setting up a blog.  Writing articles.  Making videos.  Encoding videos.  Uploading videos.  Figuring out how to get Google and Facebook to approve your ads.  Learning pay-per-click.

No doubt:  you can stay really busy.

Here’s the problem:  NONE of that makes money.

Think about it:  there’s only a handful of things you can do in this business that actually contributes to earning an income.  Here they are:

1. Invite a prospect to a presentation
2. Follow-up with the prospect
3. Collect a decision
4. Retail product

That’s about it.  Anything else is secondary to that.

In other words, if you’re spending the lion’s share of your time doing ANYTHING but inviting prospects to a presentation and following up…..then you’re not focused on income-producing activity.

And there’s nothing wrong with doing those other things.  But they are SECONDARY to the income-producing activities.  You’ve GOT to prioritize your time.

So, again….I don’t care if all the “gurus” are telling you need to learn how to put HTML code on your website….or how to write 20 articles a week for SEO…..etc.

Save that stuff until AFTER you’ve called your prospects.

Tip #4:  Choose a business that pays you what you deserve

Personal story:  when I got started in this industry, I didn’t know anything about business.  I was just excited because the people telling me about the company were excited.  So, I got excited.  I looked at the cost to sign up….but didn’t look very much at what I’d have to do to hit my financial goals.  Heck, I really didn’t even have any financial goals.  I just “wanted to make some money”.

Needless to say, after I’d been in business for 6 months, I was really confused why I wasn’t making more money.  I’d been working my butt off.  I had a good sized-team for six month of work.  But I wasn’t really seeing the results I expected.

The average person in my organization was spending $100 a month on products.  And I was earning about 5% commission on MOST of the people in my team.

In other words, all the time and effort I spent to enroll someone in my company was basically increasing my income by about $5 per month.

Or, to put it another way, if I wanted to earn a simple $1,000 income……the person I enrolled had to stay with the company for over SIXTEEN  YEARS for me to earn a simple $1,000 on their purchases.

Oh, and we all know the argument, right?  “Well, it’s residual income!  You keep getting paid over and over for work you did one time!”  And, “Yeah, but think if that person goes and gets three people who go and get three people who go and get three people…….those $5 commissions can really add up one day!”

Yeah.  I know.  Sounds great.  Looks great on paper.

But when you consider that it doesn’t take any more time, effort or energy to earn – say- $1,000 as it does to earn $20…….then it begs the question:  why am I not earning what I’m worth?

Residual income is great.  In fact, I suspect that one of the reasons we all got involved in network marketing is because we love the idea of getting paid over and over for work done once.  And we love the idea of getting paid for other people’s efforts.  It’s called “leverage”.

But, I believe one of the biggest problems that keeps people BROKE in this industry is because they join companies that just…….don’t……pay……very…….well.

Learn to think like a merchant….not like a consumer.  Don’t buy into the idea that you need to postpone all your financial success to some undetermined date in the future.

It’s fine to delay SOME gratification to the future….but not all of it.  You’ve got bills you want to pay right NOW.  You’ve got things you need to get done in the next 30 days.  You don’t have time to Mickey-Mouse around with $4 commissions or $10 commissions or even $50 commissions.

Once upon a time, it took 3-5 years to make a decent income.  Those days are OVER.

If you want to make $5,000 in your first 30 days….that’s possible.  (It’s not only possible…it’s being done every month by brand new people in our company.)

Heck, when I made the switch from “nickel-and-dime commissions” to a business that paid what I was worth….I earned over $15,000 in my first 30 days.  I hit $40,000 per month before the end of my first year.

THAT is what you deserve.  THAT is the kind of income that’s possible for you right now.  But you have to get out of the mindset of thinking that everything is supposed to take 3-5 years and that you’re supposed to be happy to earn small monthly commissions.

Plus, let’s be honest:  the currency that we get paid in is DECREASING in value.  Making $240,000 THIS year is going to have FAR more buying power than earning $240,000 in five years.  You’re much better off to be in a pay plan where you can earn serious money NOW than to take your earnings in bits and pieces over the next several years.

CONCLUSION

Making a large income from home isn’t as difficult as most people think.  But, to borrow a phrase from Wallace Wattles, you have to do things in “a certain way”.

You have to have the right mindset.
You have to have the right tools.
You have to have leverage in your work (not just the pay plan).
You have to be in a business that pays you a solid “now” income while you’re building that long-term residual.

I’ll say it again:  making a ton of money from home isn’t as hard as you think.  If you have questions how I do it….let’s talk!  You can contact me through my website at http://www.tonyrush.com

To your IMMEDIATE success!

Tony Rush
http://www.tonyrush.com

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I got another phone call today from a person who I’m lightly acquainted with. I believe he and I may have been in a company together at some time in my past but I’m not quite sure.

The phone call started the way many of them do:

THEM:  Hey, Tony, how are you?

ME: Good, doing good.  How can I help you?

THEM:  “Well, I’m actually calling because I was thinking about you today and I wanted to share something with you that I’m really excited about.  I know you’ve got your own business already but — someone like you could do this with one hand behind their back and make another six-figures a year without even trying.

Right.  Flattery aside, let’s be clear on this:  there’s no such thing as earning any significant money in network marketing without putting forth some effort.  I know this.  Every top-earner knows it.  The only people who don’t know it are the people who aren’t making money….and that’s WHY they’re not making money.

But the surest way to make me roll my eyes is to tell me that I can sign up in your business, twitch my little finger a couple of times a day, and I’m going to make an extra $200k per year.  Riiiiight.

He went on…

In fact, if you could get 10 people like yourself to close 3 sales a day, you’d be making $15,000 per day…..”

Without wanting to seem rude, I’m listening to this thinking:  “This guy has likely never made $15k in a YEAR in any home business but he’s telling me how to make $15k per DAY in his business??”   Then he goes on to start attacking my network marketing company by saying, “Your company hasn’t been around as long as mine.    So, what I’d like you to do is to go to this website and it’ll explain all about it.”

What!?

Call me up…insult my business (and my common sense)….and then assume I’m going to be interested?

Well, dear reader, I know this may come as a shock to you, but I did NOT quit my own business, whip out my credit card and run over to his website to sign up in his sparkly new deal.

Why?  Well, it’s the same reason I didn’t join the other 6 businesses I was pitched this week.  And, with no disrespect intended, it’s why I also won’t join yours.  And it’s the same reason that you’re not likely to enroll any top-earners who are actively building their business.

The reason?  Because we chose our company deliberately (not on a whim)….we chose it for a variety of reason (that are not easily swayed)….and we have an actual blueprint for reaching our goals (that we look at daily)…..and we’re actively making progress toward that goal (by consistently working the business every day and not getting sidetracked by the Shiny Object Syndrome.

Read that again.  Because it’ll save you some time when you think about pitching someone who’s actively and passionately building their business successfully.

Len Clements once wrote an article called “The Land of A Thousand Heavy Hitters” or something like that.  Maybe it was a million.  I can’t remember exactly.  The article was about Len’s experience of someone contacting him and asking how to get a list of “heavy hitters” that they could call to pitch on their business.

Len recommended a phone book.  His point was that Mark, Art, Mike, Gene, or John weren’t always “heavy hitters”.  They were once auto-mechanics and soccer players and waiters and ministers.  They became heavy hitters because someone ran an ad or told them about their business and they believed in themselves enough to sign up and make a go of it.

And one of the ingredients in their success recipe is that they didn’t get lured by the Shiny Object Syndrome….and the didn’t get distracted and jump from deal to deal just because someone called them up or emailed them with a pitch.

So, to the fellow who called me (or the lady who called me, and the four people who said they “just wanted to connect”)……don’t take it personally.  It wasn’t you or your business.  You were just aiming your pitch at the wrong person.  You should probably focus your attention on people who have actually ASKED you for information on your business.  You’ll find a much higher success rate.

By the way, just in case you think I’m being a little harsh, I’ve got NO problem with someone sending me an email saying,

“Hey, Tony.  I just wanted to let you know I’m in a new business and am really excited.  Here’s a link if you ever want to check it out; maybe you’ll see something you like and want to be a customer.  Either way, thanks for taking the time to read this.  I’m excited and just wanted to share it with you.”

See, that’s totally different.  That’s cool.  That’s classy.  But that’s not what most people are doing.

ONE LAST THOUGHT:

If you’re one of those people who are in a new deal every few weeks….stop it.  Just stop it.  You’re ruining your credibility.  It doesn’t take more than a few moves for people to start seeing you as someone who can’t stay focused doesn’t stay anywhere for long and never finishes what s/he starts.

So, please…for your own sake:  stop jumping around.  The corollary to that is that you should also stop trying to build 3-4 companies at once.  You look like you have no focus (because you don’t).  The term “adding another company to my portfolio” or “adding another company to my quiver” are terms you will never hear from a person who’s earning serious money in MLM.  Seriously:  I challenge you to go find someone who’s consistently making $50,000 per month in their network marketing business who’s also building 2-3 other deals simultaneously.  Take your time.  You’ll need it.

Plus, as Randy Gage has said, “Besides…if you’re not at the top of your company’s pay plan yet, why are you even LOOKING at another company??”  Well-said Randy.

Friend, you CAN be wildly successful in this industry.  But, it will come when you get focused on one opportunity, put your blinders on and go to work.  It’s the only thing that has ever created long-term, large results in this industry.

Share your thoughts below!

Have you ever noticed that a child will suddenly start laughing for no apparent reason at all? That they almost always have to skip or run where they’re going instead of walking? Or that they jump out of bed first thing in the morning already excited about their day?

Why do they do it? Because they stand in absolutely AMAZEMENT of it all.

I want to be like that again. And I’ve taken steps toward that life by consciously SEEING how incredible everything in my life is. I don’t just mean the big things.

For instance, I love hearing The Eagles harmony on “Peaceful Easy Feeling”. I never get tired of it. I love “Stardust” by Nat King Cole and “Smooth” by Carlos Santana.

I love the Bradford Pear trees in our neighborhood. They look completely white and when they start dropping their blossoms it’s like it’s snowing in 70-degree weather.

I love coming back from the restroom at a restaurant and finding that my food has arrived. I love sweet tea. I love chips and salsa. I could eat chips and salsa every day of my life and never get tired of it (and often behave as though that’s my goal).

I love watching Easton eat an apple. He leaves a tiny little tooth-shaped trail all around the apple because he never bites in the same place twice.

I love rain. It wouldn’t bother me at all if it rained a minimum of three days a week and at least one of them can be a thunderstorm.

I love going to the movies with Jessica and losing ourselves into another world for 90-120 minutes while sharing a large pop-corn (no butter) and a large Coke. Then talking about the movie in the car on the way home.

I love the color of the sunshine in Italy. I love staying in a great hotel with Jessica and having those great city-walk adventures where we just walk out of the hotel, pick a direction and walk around holding hands, looking in shops, buying snacks.

I love seeing how big Will is getting. He’s going to be taller than me, I think. I love that Pate can entertain himself for hours with a pad of paper and colored pencils.

I love Jessica. Everything about her. It’s a cliche’ I know but it really is amazing being married to your best friend.

I even love those few gray hairs that I’m starting to see in the mirror when I’m getting ready in the mornings. Turn color, just don’t turn loose.

I love that I can go to my sink and get clean water anytime I want. Millions of people can’t do that.

I love good friends. I love having people in my life who are better at something than I am and they’re willing to show me something. I love encouragers.

I love authenticity. I love when someone’s willing to be themselves instead of playing a role or trying to fit into someone else’s preconceived expectations.

Hopefully reminding myself of these things regularly — and noticing lots of new ones — will help me recapture that spirit I had when I was a kid. Whenever everything was just amazing and you couldn’t help but go through the day in awe of it all.

What about you? What makes you happy?

The opening line of Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities” is “It was the best of times and the worst of times….”

That’s how I feel about our economy right now.

On a conference call recently, I made the following comment:

“We make our own economy.  There’s just as much money out there as there ever has been.  Your life is a result of your mindset, actions and decisions.”

In another conversation about Mike Dillard’s new product, The Elevation Group, I’ve recommended that people wake up and realize a simple truth:

“What we’re going through right now is not just another recession.  This isn’t just a slump that we’re going to work out way out of.  The US dollar is in decline.  And it’s time for Americans to wake up and realize that hyperinflation in America is not only possible but it’s likely.”

If you look at those two statements, they might seem like a paradox.  In fact, a couple of people have heard me make both statements and they’ve asked me, “Tony, which is it?”  Because it sounds contradictory to them.

So, let me clarify what I mean and how that second statement doesn’t negate the first one.

I DO believe that our lives are the result of how we choose to think.  That the quality of our lives is a result of the quality of our thinking.  I believe that our thoughts, beliefs, expectations, decisions and actions are the “ingredients” that make up our lives.  And we create our lives every hour of every day by the decisions we make. Call it “law of attraction” if you want to.  Call it “law of the harvest”.  Call it whatever you want, but it’s a law of sorts.  We create our own lives.

At the same time — and this is what has confused some people — the fact remains that this “law” — whatever we want to call it — is not the only factor working in our lives. To use an extreme example, anyone who’s read “Man’s Search For Meaning” would agree that Victor Frankl did an amazing job of maintaining a positive mindset in the horrible circumstances of Nazi imprisonment.  But — and this is my point, so don’t miss it — he was still in a Nazi prison camp.

Now, I don’t mean that to say that Frankl’s attitude and mindset was unrelated to the fact that he survived the ordeal.  In fact, quite the opposite.  My point is that he didn’t stick his head in the sand and say, “I’m not in prison, I’m not in prison, I’m not in prison.”  He simply looked around and said, “This is the environment I’m in.  And I have a choice about how to deal with it.”

This is how I feel about our current economy.

Only a fool would say, “Our economy is the same as it’s always been.”  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to notice that food prices have gone up dramatically….that the value of the US dollar is dropping like a rock…..and that the economy is steadily getting worse, not better.  It’s obvious for anyone who wants to observe it.

So, to borrow from Frankl’s experience, let’s call this economy our “prison camp”.

It is what it is.

The question is, within this framework what are you going to do about it?  THAT is the opportunity for us to choose our thinking, our decisions and our actions.  That’s what we have control over.

Some people prefer to say, “No, I don’t want to hear anything negative.  I don’t believe in negativity.  I just want to focus on the positive”.

Well, if someone is in the  group, here’s my message for them:  Grow up.  There are weeds growing in the garden.  It’s not enough to stand around and say, “There are no weeds, there are no weeds, there are no weeds.”  If you want to have a healthy garden, sooner or later you’re going to have to acknowledge that — YES — there are weeds in the garden.  And you’re going to have to figure out how to deal with them.

So, I don’t see a paradox.

YES, I believe that we have the ability to create our lives by our thoughts, decisions and actions.
And YES, I also believe that the economy is in a precarious position that will make the Great Depression look like child’s play.

And it’s IN this situation, that we have a great opportunity!  Sure, it’s frightening….but it’s also exciting.

Did you know that there were more millionaires created during The Great Depression than in the 20 years prior?

Did you know that the Empire State Building was built during the Great Depression?  And the Golden Gate Bridge?

I believe you and I are facing even GREAT opportunities right now.  And it will come from

1. Understanding that it’s still our thoughts, decisions and actions that create our opportunities
2. Being informed about what’s going on and not ignoring it or sticking our heads in the sand
3. Finding out what informed, wealthy people are doing in this economy so that you can model their behavior

I honestly believe that anyone who’s reading this blog has the opportunity to become VERY RICH in the next few years, even if you don’t have a lot of money right now.  Because it’s not about how much money you have….it’s about getting into position so that — when the s&$% hits the fan — you’re not caught with your pants down and wondering what to do.

Not you.

You’ve got a plan.
You read the books.
You got informed.
You made some preparations.
You weren’t lazy.
You didn’t stick your head in the sand and say, “This isn’t happening.  This isn’t happening”.

That’s what Jessica and I have been doing:  getting into position.  And even though we’re running late compared to a lot of people, I think we’re still ahead of 90% of the population.

I’ll close with this.  If you want some recommendations on what I think you can do right now to start getting into position, here’s my top three tips:

1. Get a membership in The Elevation Group. If you’ve been to the financial section of Barnes & Noble, you already know that the information there is either outdated or useless in this economy.  Some of the information is not just bad, it’s dangerous.  The Elevation Group is a resource website that Mike has put together so that the “average person” can find out what’s really happening in our economy, how to prepare for the possibilities, and how to make a ton of money in what we call “The Greatest Wealth Transfer In The History of the World”.
2. Start buying some silver. Physical silver.  Not silver stocks.  Actual silver coins.  American Silver Eagles are good.  So are Canadian Maples.  Buy bullion coins, not “collectibles”.  (Collectibles are great but, if you’re hedging against inflation or looking to protect your assets, bullion coins will let you buy more silver for your dollar.)At the time of this writing, silver is still only around $30 an ounce.  Anyone can afford to buy an ounce or two of silver every week.  You’ll be glad you did.  Silver is actually more rare than gold and — as the dollar continues to plummet — putting your money into silver is the best way to protect your assets and watch them grow.  (Note:  I’m not a financial counselor.  Due your own research.  I’m just telling you what I would do.)
3. Buy a book called “Emergency:  This Book Will Save Your Life” by Neil Strauss. The reason this book was helpful to me was NOT because it was written by a guy who knows all about a possible economic crash.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  When he started writing this book, he knew NOTHING.  So, this book is an opportunity to “look-over-his-shoulder” as Neil goes through the whole process himself, learning about the economy, learning what possibilities could occur in a economic crisis, etc.  This book also includes non-economic preparation.  Think about it:  if the dollar crashes, the banks are closed.  If the banks are closed, there will be a run on the grocery stores.  If there’s a run on the grocery stores, you’d better have a plan.  Emergency is very easy to read, even funny at times, but will leave you with a very clear perspective about your ability to not only survive but to prosper in times of crisis.

Bottom line:  there has never been a time when “self-reliance” is more important than it is right now.

We live in times of uncertainty.  So, it’s important that you understand how to control your thinking….don’t follow the knee-jerk reactions of the “herd”…..and start thinking for yourself.  If you do that and you get informed, you’re in the top 1% of people who can get very RICH in the next few years.

As always, please leave your comments or questions below.  Also, please use the link/buttons provide to share this with others!

With all the talk about investing in gold and silver as a way to hedge against inflation and to protect your wealth from the economic uncertainties…..you might not have heard that some organizations are actually doing their best to suppress the price of silver. It’s been said that “silver is the most manipulated commodity on the planet”.

Mike Maloney is the author of “RichDad Advisor’s Guide To Investing In Gold and Silver”. Here’s a video from him that explains why he doesn’t MIND that silver is being manipulated. Pretty interesting!

I like his basic point near the end:

“I’m not a gold bug or a silver bug. I’m really a cycles guy. Silver, I believe, is the best way to get a whole bunch of cash flow, real estate, high-dividend-yield stocks, or something that is creating income every single month. What you eventually want is cash flow.”

Bottom line: we’re about to cross the threshold into the biggest wealth transfer in the history of our planet. Those who understand what’s happening have an opportunity to become overnight MILLIONAIRES. Those who don’t will definitely be caught with their pants down.

When Mike Dillard re-opens The Elevation Group, I recommend you get involved. You can click here to get on the early-bird notification list so you don’t waste another second finding out what most people don’t know. It’s eye-opening information!

Tony Rush
http://www.tonyrush.com

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Over the last few years, I’ve done well over 1,000 conference calls and teleseminars on becoming successful, earning money, creating a life of prosperity, etc.

On most of them, I’ve signed off at the end of the call saying, “Have a great day; you deserve it.”

When I started using that phrase, it never occurred to me how much it would mean to people. At conferences and seminars around the world, people have walked up to just say “Thank you for telling me I deserve something. No one has ever told me that before.”

It’s very humbling.

Who knew that three little words — “You deserve it” — could have such an impact on so many people? Why is that?

I think it’s because most people have been so beaten down by negativity in their life that many of them don’t feel like they deserve good things.

I can relate to that because — due to heavy involvement in a particular ultra-conservative religious denomination in my youth — I spent years being told that my basic nature as a human being was to do evil….and that I was incapable of doing anything worthwhile on my own.

The oft-quoted Scripture to support their view was that my “righteousness was as filthy rags in God’s sight”. (It’s part of a verse in the Old Testament).

As a result of that teaching (and the people I associated with), becoming wealthy was something that never occurred to me.

Why would it?

I didn’t have a college degree.

No one in my family was wealthy.

And the dominant teaching I got at church was that I didn’t deserve anything at all.

What’s the outcome of living in that kind of environment?

Sally decides there’s no point in trying out for the lead role in the school play. “I probably won’t get it anyway”.

Tom knows the answer to the question but won’t raise his hand in class. His self-esteem is so low that he figures that — if he gets the answer wrong — everyone will laugh at him or find out he’s stupid.

Rachel goes on a job interview but doesn’t expect to get it. After all, why would God reward her with a good-paying job when she’s good-for-nothing?

Randall doesn’t get a promotion at work even though he’s a great worker. Without even consciously thinking about it, he figures that God gave the promotion to someone else because he hasn’t been going to church regularly lately.

Bob decides not to ask out the girl he adores because he figures she’ll turn him down. Why on earth would she say “yes” to a date with him?

In these and a thousand other ways, people misconnect the dots: they think that every negative thing that happens to them is a result of their own lack of deservability.

“After all,” they think. “Who am I to play big in life? Who am I to think that I could be great at anything?”

And — if it’s left unchecked — that attitude and mentality will dog their every step through life. A tiny, negative little whisper in their ear that says, “There’s no need to try. You don’t deserve it.”

And here’s the thing: I wasn’t really conscious of all that going on. I doubt most people are. That little voice in your head sounds logical, doesn’t it? Especially when it disguises itself as the voice of your Dad or your Mom or your best friend. It’s pretty easy to fake yourself out and think that all that negativity is actually the right way to think.

So, imagine how refreshing it was when I got involved in personal development and discovered that….I DID deserve to live a wonderful, prosperous life! I DID deserve to set big goals and expect to achieve them! I DID deserve to see myself as a unique, talented, gifted person who could create my own life by simply choosing my thoughts and actions.

What a difference it makes to simply accept a few different realities:

– You DESERVE a beautiful home.

– You DESERVE to wear beautiful clothes

– You DESERVE to drive a safe, beautiful and reliable vehicle

– You DESERVE to eat the best foods

– You DESERVE to be free from excessive work and toil

– You DESERVE to be healthy and vibrant

– You DESERVE to have plenty of free time to enjoy your friends and family

– You DESERVE to have the time to study and read and learn about the things that interest you

– You DESERVE to be able to travel and see as much of the world as you possibly can

– You DESERVE to visit the museums of the world and stand in awe at man’s ability to create beautiful things

– You DESERVE to earn a large income so that you can experience financial security

– You DESERVE to be able to go to sleep each night free from worry and stress about bills

– You DESERVE to love yourself for who you are and what you’re capable of achieving

The list goes on and on.

You….deserve…..to…….live….a….properous…..life.

Don’t let anyone tell you differently.

Not your parents.
Not your friends.
Not your pastor, rabbi or teacher.

You were not put on this earth to “just get by”.
You were not placed here to “settle” for a mediocre way of life.
You were not meant to be alone.
You were not meant to doubt your abilities or potential.

I’m writing this on the first Monday of 2011. It’s about 5:15pm here in Alabama

And in a couple of hours, I’ll host another conference call for some people who may be where I used to be:

They might be a little bruised.

They’re a little nervous about what they believe is possible for themselves.

They might be a little beaten-up by life.

Some of them might be where I was: misled and deceived some negative environment they’ve been stuck in……

….and once again, I get to be the ONE person in their life who tells them something they’ve been STARVING to hear and didn’t even know it.

That they deserve it.

You do, too.

You really, really do.

Don’t let anyone tell you differently. Especially that person in the mirror.

You rock.

Tony Rush

http://www.tonyrush.com

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