Yoga & MLM Lesson #7

Number Seven!

Progress, not perfection.

One of the hangups I have in life is when I do something for the first time, I want it to be perfect. I've had to work a LOT on getting over this fun little habit of mine over the years.

When I did my first yoga class, I think it was the first time that I approached something, knowing I didn't have to know alllll about it, I didn't study up on the subject, and didn't feel that I had to have the postures down. I went in pretty much knowing NOTHING about bikram yoga, aside from the fact that it was the hot yoga.

By allowing myself to approach the practice, and MLM as a student, with the open mindedness of a first timer, I allow for forgiveness when I make a mistake, or I don't convert a lead to a team member, or I fall out of the pose, or whatever the case may be.

Yes, I do know how to do things now that I didn't when I first started. But there is no 'perfection'. Just when I see someone else in my yoga class hold a pose that I find beautiful and perfect, the instructor comes over and says, 'no, you need to tweak this, move this, and now try and do this.' And that's when that person falls out of pose. It's never perfect. There is ALWAYS room for progress and growth.

Practice doesn't make perfect, practice allows for progress and in both yoga and MLM and, really in all aspects of life, that is what is important.

Where in your life can you find progress? Your business? Your hobbies? Your relationships?

Progress, not perfection friends....

~Namaste...

Did You Know? Great Video

Yoga & MLM...Lesson #6

6. When you love something and bring it into your life, make it a part of your life…KEEP it a part of your life. No matter what. Because this is what fills you and keeps you going.

Yoga creates a meeting point for me for my spiritual, mental, and physical needs to meet. I'm receiving benefits to all three aspects each session. When I brought yoga into my life, I can't believe there was a time it wasn't in my life. Especially this kind of yoga.

I tend to want the extreme when I do something. I can't just do yoga. I have to find one that pushes me physically and mentally. Bikram Yoga provides that.

Same with Network Marketing. I can't just work for someone, or myself. For me, I needed something that would push me mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Network Marketing insists upon it's leaders to push themselves continually. To grow continually.

Whatever it is that you find and have brought into your life, and it's a good thing...KEEP it in your life. Make it a part of your life if it's important to you. I'm gonna write that again...

Make it a part of your life if it's important to you.

Don't make network marketing a something that you do every now and then. Don't make it something you do when you get pissed at your boss, are fed up with having more month than money, or tired of working 'for the man'.

If you decide to bring it into your life...make that commitment to make it a part of your life. It's something you do, just like eating breakfast. You do it without thinking about doing it.

Yoga and network marketing are things I've brought into my life and are as much a part of my life as my children are, or my other athletic or spiritual endeavors.

All of these are what I 'do'. They all symbolize a part of what gives me the juice to get through the day with a positive attitude.

What's a part of your life? Is it your business? Tell me, I'd like to know. :)

True Inspiration.....

Learning to Fly.....I Mean Tweet....on Twitter

I'm sure by now eveyrone who reads this blog has a ‘twitter’ account. It is one of the things to do in the internet marketing world.

I just signed up for an account yesterday, and boy, in less than 24 hours, what a learning experience this has been. It’s almost like jumping into the middle of a running race. Jump in and take off or get run over.

Now when I signed on, I had no idea what tweeting was, how to do it, or if it would hurt. But, being the courageous person I like to believe I am, I jumped in with both feet.

First I wanted to familiarize myself with the layout of the site. That alone took a bit. The thing about Twitter is, one needs to be very short, to the point, and concise. Even on the profile bio, one only has so many words to define oneself. I”m still working on that one, trying to figure out the best, most solid wording. At the same time, I’m not so sure that part matters all that much and may end up just putting something fun in. Perhaps a combination of both.

As I was working on the set up, I received notice that I had a follower. I had someone ‘following’ me! That means someone subscribed to see my posts. How exciting for me. Her name was Natya. She didn’t have much to say, very brief. But I checked out her profile, and could tell immediately she was a porn spammer. Jeez, is there NO escaping these people? Luckily, Twitter allows us to block people so blocked, she was.

So much for my follower. But, by the time I freed myself from that site only an hour or two later, I had about 35 followers. and only one more of them was a porn spammer. I’m guessing that isn’t too bad. Still, between last night and now, I’ve learned that there are many kinds of spammers on Twitter, not just obvious, ‘check out my pictures’ porn spam, unfortunately.

Since last night, I’ve been reading as many info posts by the various twitter tip people on the site, trying to figure out the difference between @, RT, #FF, D, and so on. It’s like learning new code. It reminds me of when I used to write basic programming for the computer. I think I’m getting it.

This morning, I awoke to 30 more new friends. I’ve never been so popular. Of course, I’m getting the feeling it’s not ME they are looking for. In fact, I know it’s not. Twitter is about getting your name and info in front of as many people as possible. This is where the fine tuning comes in. If your ‘tweets’ (posts) are spammy, people will know it.

It’s really, what I’m discovering, about offering up good quality content, personal notes, and creating relationships. The business connection will come later, if at all.

Still, it’s fun. Although I realize now I have to be very careful with this site, because of all the tweets. I could spend hours (and have) just reading the links, clicking on links within the links, finding other articles, etc. It truly becomes the world wide ‘web’.

And I’m only scratching the surface for sure. It’s like when I first started playing around in Second Life. I know that I’ll probably never ‘get’ the depth and breadth of this site. I’m just not that well rounded.

But, wow, it’s certainly serving a purpose. I’m blown away at how quickly the stats for my website and blog have gone up. Just by being on Twitter for about 24 hours.

The power of the internet, for sure. I’d love to hear of any tips that anyone has in regards to Twitter. I’m still a total newb. So if you’ve got something that you have discovered has been particularly helpful, I’d be interested in reading!

~Namaste

Mine is the Sunlight ~ Born of the One Light

I had all but forgotten this song, until someone else posted someplace else...lol..enjoy!

Lesson #5

Wow! Already at #5! Just like in yoga, when the focus is applied, the class flies by. Gotta love it.

#5. Some days, things go beautifully…other days not so much. As long as you do your best, whatever your best may be at that VERY moment, then you have much to be proud of.

Truly. This one is easy. Be easy on yourself in regards to where you are at any given moment. There are days when I go into that 105 degree room and it's like Spirit is flowing through me. I'm graceful, flexible, strong, and am able to further my yoga practice going deeper into the stretches and meditation than ever before. I feel like I could be in there for hours.

Then I'll come along the next day, and I'm clumsy, unbalanced, weak, and completely unfocused. It's on these days that the room feels like 130 degrees and I continually count how many poses we have left, and just don't have an ounce of effort to give.

Regardless of how I feel at that moment, I give 100% of what I have at that moment. It varies from day to day.

And so it goes with Network Marketing and this business, too. Some days, I am on it, my leads are easy going and receptive to the possibilities, I meet with like minded people, my ideas flow in such a natural and creative way, I feel I can work on it all through the night.

Then there are days where no leads come in, my brain is shut off for the most part, the kids are demanding every moment of my attention, and I feel burned out.

Even on those days, however, I give 100% of what I have to give. Again, it varies from day to day.

Instead of berating and beating myself up for not getting 'stuff' done, or not having as productive a day as perhaps the day before, I'm gentle with myself. It's ok. I understand that my 100% isn't going to look exactly that same way each day.

I don't compare my days because the past is over. Gone. Each day is a new opportunity to give 100% whether it's in yoga, parenting, your mlm business, cooking, working with others, whatever the case may be.

This is a short lesson, because it's a simple one. An easy one? Perhaps not that easy to learn and act on. Many of us have learned that we either produce consistent results or there must be something wrong with us, or we're being lazy that day. Bottom line is, while our physical bodies are somewhat consistent in the every day stuff, there are the countless variables that can change what our 100% looks like for that moment.

Be careful here, however. Don't let this be an excuse to say, 'oh, well! It doesn't matter! I wasn't feeling 'on' today!'

The key is giving 100% of what you DO have for that day. Not 40% or 60%. 100% of what you DO have.

Then, no matter how the day went, you can still lay your head down that night, knowing you did your best for that day.

~Namaste

Lesson #4 Bikram Yoga & MLM

#4. Just Keep Breathing.

When going into some of the more challenging yoga poses, such as back bends or the triangle pose, many students have a tendency to hold their breath, me included. It's just what the body wants to do until the difficulty is over.

We have to be reminded to breathe. To work through the pose, to go deeper into our work, to be in the present moment, we have to be reminded to breathe. Keep breathing.

It reminds me of the movie, "Finding Nemo", where Nemo's father is paralyzed by fear of the unknown. Dori, his friend, takes him by the fin and says, 'just keep swimming'. She repeats it and sings a song about it as they, together, venture off into the deep, dark unknown.

These sayings keep people moving and help people stay in the present. If I start thinking about taking on the entire pose or entire yoga session all at once, I get overwhelmed. I start thinking about how hot and humid the room really is, how crowded the studio is, and how many more poses we have left, it becomes absolutely overwhelming.

Same with my home candle business. If I start thinking about updating my site, what continual SEO work needs to be done, contacting new opportunity thinkers, preparing my tools, reading new material, working on self-development, and more..well, it can be absolutely paralyzing. It's too much to take on at once.

That's when I take a breath. I stop, break things down, and take it one item at a time. One pose at a time. In al-anon, they say, 'first things first'.

When new people come into the business, they tend to want to take it all on at once. And that's understandable! It's an exciting time, it's fun, and new, and we all want to get on it as quickly as possible, wanting to build that business right now.

But, it can also become daunting and overwhelming.....if we let it. The average person only last three months or so in Network Marketing. The Yoga studio where I go offers a 30 day package for very little. They want someone to come for at least 30 days in order to make a decision about whether bikram yoga is for them or not. Most only come a few times and then stop.

If, as we approach the yoga session, or the home business, we think about everything we have to accomplish at once, we have a tendency to stop and become overwhelmed, and then nothing gets done.

Especially if results aren't immediate.

With yoga and network marketing, it takes time to see the long term results. Yes, there can be some immediate results. However, for the most part, it takes a while to see the long term results.

And this is where it's important to keep breathing. Keep swimming. Just keep breathing. Breathe through the challenging times. Just keep swimming.

And slowly, but surely, you'll see the results you've been looking, wanting, and working towards. You'll be able to take on everything. Just not all at once.

Stay with it. Keep breathing and just keep swimming...

~Namaste

Lesson #3

#3. Your body will follow where your eyes go. Put your eye on the prize, focus on it. Don’t blink and don't look away, or you just may lose your balance.

In Yoga, we are constantly told where to focus. We are encouraged to keep our eyes on our own bodies in the mirrors in front of us. Why would we look at what others are doing? We need to be focusing on our own practice.

Now, this doesn't mean, don't listen or pay attention to anyone. I pay attention and listen to the instructor because they are watching my poses and helping me with the tweaking I need in order to get the most from each pose. Just like a mentor within the your business. They step back and say, 'yes, that is good. Now add this and try doing that. Good. Perfect. Now see the results?'

But I don't really watch others because we are all doing our own thing based on our own experience. Does that make sense?

Here's an example. When I originally started my home candle business, I was full steam ahead. Then I started noticing other distributors and how fast they were moving ahead, reaching goals, building their team, etc. I kept comparing my business growth to theirs. And, I ended up losing focus on mine.

At one point, I asked my good friend and mentor what one person was doing differently than me. She said, 'it doesn't matter. There are lots of factors, and none of them really matter. What matters is what you are doing.'

It took a while for me to understand that even if I did exactly what the other person was doing the results would still be different. I mean, yes, duplicatability is important. In yoga, we are all given the same pose to do each time, but do we all do it exactly the same? No. Not even close. We are all living our own experiences.

Same thing with network marking. We all have access to the same tools, however we are still all on our own paths. We have our own challenges to overcome, we all have different goals that we focus on and, some things are easier for us than others and vice verse.

The only one I can compare myself to is, well, me! And if I take my eyes off my prize, whatever that may be, it's real easy to lose focus and, quite possibly, lose balance. It's real possible to be so busy trying to figure out what the other person might be doing and trying it, that I lose focus of my own business and could, quite possibly, lose balance with my business altogether.

Keep your eye on yourself. Only compare yourself with you. Set your own goals and work towards achieving them. This is your own practice, whether it's yoga, or home based business. We're all on different places on our paths to success. We all have our own strengths and weaknesses, so let's focus on ourselves.

Keep your eyes on your prize. Don't lose focus. Don't lose balance. And charge forward.

~Namaste

Lesson #2

Yesterday we explored about how showing up is half the battle for both Yoga and Network Marketing.

So, let's get moving on to #2

#2. Stretch...push yourself...STRETCH.......and change. These words are used by my Yoga instructor whenever we're in a stretching pose, and he's wanting us to go just a little further, push ourselves a littler more, go deeper into the posture. The 'change' word, when he uses it in yoga, refers to release the stretch and change the posture.

But one day, it dawned on mewhile my hair was still steaming from the heat in the yoga studio, this analogy can be used in MLM or Network Marketing, or any aspect of life, really, but is really encouraged in the Network Marketing industry.

One of the big aspects to network marketing is self development. Learning why we do what we do and making the necessary changes. Now before anyone gets all, 'I don't need to change, I've got it all dialed in, I'm here to say I'm sure you do. But, I've yet to meet a person that couldn't benefit from a few improvements.....including me.

It's hard, I know. It's harder than just opening a book, and reading it (hopefully to the end). We nee to be able to recognize the patterns or old thinking habits that no longer serve us and then find what patters and new habits will serve us as we move forward in life. Still, again, easier said than done. One of the greatest difficulties to this is not knowing what we don't know.

Fortunately, network marketing allows us the opportunity to find our 'weak spots' in life and changing those behaviors if we choose to. Many times we can find where we need to grow just by paying attention to what we don't like to do in regards to our business, or what's not working in our lives, what we're unhappy with, and then examine the reasons why and go from there.

It's not comfortable to change. In fact, it can be a struggle sometimes. Our old behaviors will fight for their existence. But it can be done, by stretching and pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones and old belief patterns, and as soon as we get comfortable there, push ourselves a little further.

And, if we are to succeed in network marketing, it must be done. I've yet to meet a successful MLM'er that hasn't been pushed way, way out of their comfort zone and hasn't changed in some capacity from the person they were when they started their adventure, and continue to search for ways to grow and get out of their comfort zone.

It's part of the adventure. It's part of the adventure with Bikram yoga as well. As I stretch and push myself out of what I consider a comfort zone within the poses, I know my body is changing, my mindset changes because I'm advancing in my practice. When I release that pose, I feel a sense of accomplishment, and know that next time, I'll go into that pose with a little more confidence.

When my yoga instructor yells, 'change!' he means change the pose. But I see it on a deeper level than that. To me, it's almost like he's telling my cells to change on some level.

Stretch...push yourself....change.

Stretch out of those comfort zones....really push to learn about your current behaviors and what, if necessary, you can do to change those habits, old ways of thinking, and improve on your life......and CHANGE will follow.

Tomorrow, lesson #3

~Namaste

Bikram Yoga & Network Marketing

How opposite can those two topics be, huh? Well, friend, they aren't. Sure, on the surface they are. But, and perhaps the heat is starting to pickle my brain (not necessarily a bad thing), but as I dig deep into my yoga practice I realize there are, well, at least 10 similarities.

For those who don't know, Bikram Yoga is the yoga that is practiced in a heated room. Heated to 105 to be exact with about 30-40% humidity. Of course, when the room is packed with other Yogis and Yoginis it feels a lot hotter and a lot more humid. So much so, that there have been times when I have had to really fight the urge to get up from my mat and run out of the room, screaming, 'I've gotta get out of here!!' (I've yet to do that, though).

There are 26 positions in this practice, and the classes are an hour and a half long. Some of these poses I dread every time I go in, others I look forward to. Regardless of the pose, the more I do it, the better I become at them. Sound familiar?

Ok, so with that in mind, here's the first of ten lessons about MLM that I've learned from Bikram yoga.

1. It's more of a mental thing than anything else. When newcomers enter the room, the main instruction that is given is, 'if nothing else, just stay in the room.' After the first Bikram session, we now know how hot it will be in those rooms. Half the battle is won just by showing up.

In MLM, one of the first things we learn is, 'If nothing else, don't quit. Rest if you must, but don't quit.' Sometimes, with MLM, half the battle is won just by showing up. Shoot, you could really apply that to ANYthing in life.

Show up. Stay with it. Know that with time, as you stretch your MLM muscles, you'll soon realize that what you once thought was hard, isn't anymore. You've grown, things that once thought you could never do, you're now doing. But this can only be accomplished by showing up and staying in the game. Eventually, it becomes a natural part of your life.

Soon enough, it stops becoming a battle. We welcome and embrace the heat knowing the challenge it brings. We celebrate that challenge with confidence and with ambition knowing the results far outweigh the challenge. As long as we just stay in the room.

#2 is tomorrow. Until then....

~Namaste

Coming Back, Starting Over...what am I THINKING?

A year ago, I left my husband. I won't go into details, but let's just say it wasn't a pretty situation and I needed to get out for my safety and the safety of my children.

While in the marriage, I built a rather nice business with Scent-Sations, or more commonly known as Mia Bella's candles.

I spoke at the conventions, which I absolutely loved doing. I was awarded the 'Rising Star' award in 2007, and was doing really well.

But I let my focus go. I started really strugggling. Now, I know many will say, 'but you had LIFE to deal with', and ya, I did. I had a LOT on my plate, with two young kiddies, a marriage that was rapidly and painfully falling apart and, eventually ended in my sneaking away in order to file for divorce, and other people pulling me in all directions.

And I left Scent-Sations. I gave up. I gave up my team, all my hard work, my residual income, everything. I just walked away, and was actually bitter about the whole danged industry there for a while.

I'll probably lose some fans over that one. One side of the network marketing community says, 'You GAVE UP?! What were you thinking?! That's why you're not a millionaire by now! Just look at you. Now you have to start ALL OVER.'

And, ya I did give up. And, ya, I am starting over. That's ok, though. It's not a bad thing, though. It really isn't.

As I mentioned, the other side will say, 'ya, but jeez, you DID need a break.'

And ya, I did need a break. But I didn't need to walk away. It's part of the beauty of this industry as opposed to a job. What I could have done, looking back now, is set my business down for a while. I could have contacted my upline and said, 'hey I need a break, can you take the controls for a while?' I know she would have gladly done so. I could have handled what needed to have been handle and then picked it back up when I was ready.

Do you think an employer would have let me 'walk away' for a year with pay? I don't think so. I would have had to come in, no matter what I was dealing with, or how I was feeling. Chances are, I would have been reprimanded for the attitude I was carrying around at that time.

Now, I'm not saying the way I handled it was wrong. There's no blame or shame going on here. I'm just saying that this industry is forgiving and would have allowed me to set it down and come back when ready. When *I* was ready.

I'll ALWAYS have life to deal with. There will always be something. And I don't mean that in a, 'life sucks, get used to it' kind of way. I mean, it's just how life is. There will always be, if I let it, something that will demand my attention. There will always be an excuse, if I choose for there to be.

I remember someone told me once, "if obstacles come up around something you are sure about, it means you are on the right path."

Because, when we make up our minds about something, life has a way of throwing down stumbling blocks to help us make sure that this is what we want. If we stumble and say, 'well, that hurt and was hard. I don't want any part of that.' Then, perhaps, it's not for us. Or, We CAN change those stumbling blocks into building blocks if we choose to see them that way. If we plow right through those stumbling blocks and actually use them to bound upwards towards our goal, then that's when we know it's for us.

So, ya, I came back. I'm starting over. I'm sure life will throw down what life will throw down. Good news is, I get to choose how I handle them. Leaving Scent-Sations wasn't a stumbling block. It's been a building block. Because I DID come back. And now, I know more, I've transformed in the year I was taking care of myself and my family. I'm a new person, and am approaching my business with a whole new awareness that I think I'll be able to pass on to my team.

What about you? Are you turning those stumbling blocks into building blocks just by looking at the situation differently? Have you? I'd love for you to share your experiences.....

Until next time....

~Namaste

I know, I know....

There are tons of blogs out there. Everyone's a blogging expert. So why another one, right? What could I, a single mom of two, starting over at 41, including my business, have to say that hasn't already been said?

I dunno. Perhaps it's all been said. Perhaps what I say goes back to the dawning of the MLM age. No, even before that. Perhaps what I have to say is all regurgitated.

But, perhaps it's the WAY that I present it, through my own unique experiences, interactions, and perceptions that, even though you've read it all the stuff before via many 'trainers and mentors', it still doesn't sink it, perhaps this time it will.

Maybe, because I'm not attempting to be a slick, top gun, let me tell ya how it must be, kind of person, that you'll be able to relate.

Ya, we can certainly look at this industry intelligently, but at the same time it can be mellow, fun, encouraging, entertaining, and light. MLM needs to lighten up, don't you think? I mean, ya, it's work and all but, and maybe this is just me, it seemed to get heavy. So let's lighten it up, shall we?

Like western medicine, we Americans take things seriously. Let's bring in a little eastern medicine and thought, if you will, take a cleansing breath, and mellow out.

I'm just me. And, even though we are all children of our Higher Power (whatever that may look like to you), I'm still just me.

I'm not going to 'sell' you on something that you aren't already looking for. My goal here is to just, you know, express myself, and hopefully it will encourage you to express yourself through feedback on the blog.

I'll make a deal with you. Remember, I have two young children, one who hasn't even started school as of this entry. So posting is a challenge. But, I'll try to post regularly, and you read regularly and, if you like what you read (or not), provide some feedback.

But if you just feel like reading and shooting me a private email, that's ok too. I get it. In the meantime, welcome, and let's figure this thing out together.

~Namaste