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

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