Posted by Brian Tracy on Jan 3, 2008
“Vision.�?
More than 3300 studies have been done over the years in an attempt to identify the qualities of leadership. What makes one man or woman rise to the top of an organization or empire while most others simply lead average lives?
The most common quality found in all these studies was that of “Vision.” The difference between leaders and ordinary people is that leaders have an exciting vision for the future; average people do not.
In our seminars, we teach the importance of “Future-orientation.” It seems that successful people throughout the ages have a clear idea of the kind of future that they wish to create for themselves and others. If they are starting a business on a kitchen table, there vision is of a large, successful company serving enormous numbers of customers with high quality products or services. If they are running for office, they articulate a vision of the kind of city, state or country that they are committed to creating if they are given the power or authority.
The key part of vision is “idealization.” This means that the leader projects forward into the future and creates an ideal future image of what his or her role would look like if it was perfect in every way.
In your own life you become a leader when you develop a vision for yourself. When you begin to idealize about your future and think about all the wonderful things that you could do, be and have in the months and years ahead, you begin to think, act, walk and talk like a leader.
Imagine that you could wave a magic wand and make your future life perfect in every respect. If your life was ideal in five years, what would it look like? How much money would you be earning and what kind of work would you be doing? What kind of lifestyle would you be living and what kind of life would you be providing with and for your family? What kind of health and levels of fitness would you have? How much money would you have in the bank and how much would that money be earning for you each month and each year?
The strategic planner, Michael Kami, once said, “Those who do not think about the future cannot have one.”
Peter Drucker said, “The very best way to predict the future is to create it.”
If your goal is to make 2008 the best year of your life so far, what would have to happen, starting today, for you to create a wonderful life? What would you have to do more of to achieve your goals and create your ideal life? What would you have to do less of? What would you have to start doing that you are not doing today? What would you have to stop doing altogether to create the wonderful life that is possible for you?
The most important work that you do every day is “thinking.” The better you think, the greater clarity you have with regard to the kind of future you want to create, the faster you move toward it, the faster it will move toward you.
Don’t have a great year. Make it a great year!
Brian Tracy
Tags: Brian's Words of Wisdom
Posted by Brian Tracy on Jan 3, 2008
“The history of wars, throughout the ages is defeat, defeat, defeat, defeat, and then ultimate victory.�?
In the last two weeks, I have spoken to large audiences in Augusta and Macon, Georgia, as well as seminar audiences in Las Vegas and Anaheim.
In between, I flew to Washington for two days of high level meetings addressing many of the subjects that are important today and will be important in the future of our country.
It appears that the Iraq war is getting under control. Winston Churchill once wrote that, “The history of wars, throughout the ages is defeat, defeat, defeat, defeat, and then ultimate victory.”
Some of the smartest, most skilled and most tenacious professional soldiers are prosecuting the war in Iraq. As in all wars, they make mistakes and are often slow to learn. But learn they do. Sooner or later, they learn the critical lessons that they need to achieve the victory that they are committed to. With the “surge” in Iraq, the terrorists have been broken up, scattered, pursued and driven out of all the major population centers. Violence is down as much as 90% and people who had left Iraq are now returning by the tens of thousands to resume their normal lives.
The U.S. economy grew at 4.9% in the third quarter of 2007. This is one of the fastest growth rates in history, even if you include the sub-prime meltdown caused by over-lending to borrowers who could not repay their mortgages when they reset at higher interest rates.
The unemployment rate in the U.S. is 4.7%, one of the best in the world, and one of the best in history. The annual federal deficit is lower than the average of the last 40 years. More people are working and earning higher wages, more companies are being started and earning higher profits. Regardless of the negative stories you read day after day in the press, life has never been better for the average American.
Your goal should be to fully participate in the golden age of America. In order for you to enjoy all the rewards that are possible for you, you must be the best at what you do. You must commit to excellence in your chosen field. You must set it as a goal and work toward it every single day. You must read the best books in your field. You must continually listen to educational CD’s in your car, rather than music as you drive around. You must attend every course and seminar you can. You must never stop driving forward until you are in the top 10% or 20% of your field.
A few years ago, a large organization that represented many thousands of sales people did an assessment of the average incomes of their members. They found that the top 20% were earning on average, more than the entire bottom 80%. When they calculated this on paper, they were shocked! They found that the average income of people in the top 20% was 16 times the average income of people in the bottom 80%. But there was more.
When they took the top 20% of the top 20%, that is, the top 4%, they found that people in the top 4% were earning 80% of the money in the top 20%. The incomes of these top 4% were 30 times and 40 times higher than the average of people in the bottom 80%.
They also found that everyone in the top 10% had started at the bottom 10%. Everyone who was doing well was at one time doing poorly. Everyone at the top of their field was at one time not even in that field and did not know that it existed. But they found one difference between top people and average people. The top people had made a clear, unequivocal, definite commitment to be the best in their field shortly after they started.
The people in the bottom 80%, with the same talents, education, ability and experience, had failed to make this decision.
One of the most incredible discoveries is this. If you do not decide to be in the top 10 or 20%, you will, by default, simply fall into the bottom 80%. It will not be because of anything you did, but because of all the things that you didn’t do, starting with making that decision.
No one who has not decided to be in the top 10% ever reached that level. It does not happen by accident, it happens by design.
Here is the best news of all. No one is better than you and no one is smarter than you. Everyone has pretty much the same average talents and abilities. And whatever hundreds of thousands, and even millions, of other people have done, you can do as well. There are no limits except the limits you put on yourself. Resolve today to become one of the very best people in your field, no matter how long it takes, or how much it costs. You might want to check out the high-powered courses at Brian Tracy University (briantracyu.com) and take a free lesson to see if this is the right way for you to begin moving to the top of your field.
Make it a wonderful year!
Brian Tracy
Tags: Brian's Words of Wisdom
Posted by Brian Tracy on Jan 3, 2008
Brian Tracy reflects on 2007 and gives his outlook for 2008.
This has been another great year for me, my family and my business. My family is healthy and well, my business is prosperous and growing, and my activities span the entire globe.
During 2007, I have traveled and spoken all over the world, including Japan, China, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Macedonia, Serbia, Romania, plus Russia, Poland and Turkey. In addition, I have spoken in Germany as well as all over Canada and in 50 different cities in the United States.
This year, I wrote and published four new books, including The Way to Wealth – More Success Strategies of Successful Entrepreneurs, The Art of Closing the Sale, Flight Plan – The Real Secret of Success, Speak to Win – Proven Strategies of Successful Speakers, and The Miracle of Self-Discipline, The Key to Personal Greatness.
Some years ago, I developed a recipe for writing successful books. My books have now been published in thirty-seven languages and are sold in fifty-four countries, selling millions of copies and making me a top selling author around the globe.
My daughter Catherine turned 16 in November and got her first car. We have not seen her since. She is becoming a better and better equestrian, competing at high levels and winning championships in both the hunter and the jumper category. For this purpose, she has two expensive horses and is being trained by the top experts in the field. She trains three or four days every week and still maintains a 4.0 grade average in the eleventh grade in high school
My son Michael completed college in June and set out to find a job in financial planning. After several weeks of research, he realized that it would take at least two or three years for him to become established in such a competitive field and earn a decent living. He turned to me for advice.
I encouraged him to get a job with a door-to-door selling company, cold-calling from house to house with a company that I had done some work for. At first, he was shocked; he comes from a good home and has a college education. He had no interest in going out and engaging in door to door selling. But I explained to him that many of the most successful people in America started off cold calling. Once you have overcome your fear of cold calling, and even more, become good at it, you will never be afraid of anything again. For the rest of your life you will have the self-confidence of knowing that you can start anywhere and make a good living, no matter what happens in the economy.
To my great pleasure, Michael took up the challenge, got a job in door-to-door sales, and set off working the neighborhoods. In his first few weeks, he got more rejection, negativity and disappointment than he had experienced in his lifetime. But by the third week he was making sales. And in his first month he earned more than $5,000.00 in straight commissions.
In his second month, as he continued to improve, getting better and better, he was offered the opportunity to recruit and train new people under him. By the end of his third month, he had been appointed general manager with a crew of fifteen sales people under him and was earning as much as $900.00 a day. The most important reason for wanting to succeed is not the money you make, but the person you become. Michael is rapidly becoming a strong, confident and effective salesman and sales manager. At the age of 24, he has leaped ahead of people who have spent years seeking security and avoiding risk.
My son David has completed his community college courses and is now transferring to the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. He and his girlfriend Sarah are getting excellent grades and are working steadily forward on the plan they had laid out for themselves.
My daughter Christina and her husband Damon continue to live and thrive in Los Angeles. Our Granddaughter Julia was one year old in November. She is now walking and beginning to talk. She is a complete delight!
My wife Barbara is healthy and well, running our business actively from her home office and dealing with our real-estate investments. Our self-storage business has been effected by the down-turn in the local market, but in a positive way. Because people are giving up their homes, they need a place to store their furniture, giving us an 85% occupancy rate and profitable operations in a slow growth area.
Brian Tracy University of Sales and Entrepreneurship continues to grow and thrive. We have created perhaps the very best online learning website in the world today, complete with high-content video based lectures, excellent course material, CD and book support, plus a “pocket professor” which enables you to carry your courses on audio and video in your pocket for regular review and reinforcement. Our early graduates are signing up for additional programs and experiencing immediate increases in their incomes, often from the very first lesson.
If I could only give my children or my friends, one piece of advice, it would be this: Find out what you are good at and what you really enjoy doing. Find a job using your unique talents and abilities, doing something you love. Then, put your whole heart at becoming very good in your chosen field.
If you will do these three things, identify your unique talents and abilities, do work that you love, and dedicate yourself to becoming absolutely excellent, you will quickly move into the top 10% or 20% in your field. You will enjoy a wonderful life, and have endless opportunities open up in front of you.
2008 is going to be a wonderful year. Remember, it doesn’t matter where you’re coming from; all that really matters is where you’re going.
I wish you the very best of success in the exciting months and years ahead. Please keep in regular contact with us, read our newsletters, take advantage of our offers and continue to get better and better in whatever you do.
I wish you all the best in 2008.
Tags: Brian's Words of Wisdom
Posted by Brian Tracy on Jan 3, 2008
“How to Start or Build a Successful Business.�?
During 2007, I have had the great pleasure of speaking for the Get Motivated Seminars, organized by Peter and Tamera Lowe and Brian Forte in major sports facilities and auditoriums across the country.
Peter Lowe has developed a business model of seminar promotion that makes him the top seminar promoter in the world. He regularly attracts ten thousand to twenty thousand people at each seminar, with speakers such as Steve Forbes, George Foreman, Colin Powel and numerous well-know sports and business celebrities.
In October, they sold out two sports arenas in downtown Dallas, each holding almost twenty thousand people. As one of their speakers, I addressed one sports arena with 18,000 people in the morning and the second American Airlines Arena with twenty thousand people in the afternoon. The entire city was out to attend these Get Motivated Seminars.
Here is the main point: In asking attendees of the seminars what they would like to hear more of, the number one subject is, “How to Start or Build a Successful Business.”
Fully 68% of Americans dream of starting their own businesses someday and becoming financially independent. Yet less than 10% of adults will ever reach out and take the chance to get into business for themselves.
This is amazing! If you can drive a car, type with a keyboard or use a modern cell phone, you can learn the basic skills you need to start and build a successful business. Just like cooking in the kitchen or becoming a diesel mechanic, there are a series of skills and abilities that you need to learn and develop to make money on your own, but they are all learnable.
Fully 80% of self made millionaires in America are people who came from limited backgrounds and started their own businesses, usually with no money. Many of them did not go to college and are high school dropouts. Most of them came from families with limited resources. They all started with nothing and became financially successful by learning the essential skills of business building. And whatever hundreds of thousands, and millions of other people have done, you can do as well.
Today, there are twenty-six million businesses in America, almost all of them started with nothing. The wealthiest people in America, such as Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Larry Ellison, Michael Dell, the Walfin Family, Paul Allen, and millions of others are all first generation wealth.
The key to starting a business has always been the same: “Find a need and fill it.”
Zig Ziglar is famous for saying, “You can have everything you want in life if you just help enough other people get what they want.”
Resolve today to make 2008 the very best year of your life. If you are not already in your own business, think about starting a business on the side. This gives you the opportunity at a low level of cost and risk to develop the business skills you need to eventually go first time. Find a need and fill it. Find a product or service that people want and are willing to pay for and then offer it to them in a form that satisfies them.
When you start your own business, full or part time, be prepared to make an enormous number of mistakes. Successful people make vastly more mistakes than failures do. It is because of these mistakes that they eventually learn the lessons they need to learn to become successful and financially independent.
Your goal should be to reach the point where you have enough money to where you never worry about money again. And 80% of all of your chances of achieving financial independence will come from starting your own business.
For a free lesson or for more information on how you can start a successful business, visit me at briantracyu.com. Take the first step. Instead of talking about it, wishing about it, hoping and dreaming about it, do something about it.
Brian Tracy
Tags: Brian's Words of Wisdom
Posted by Brian Tracy on Dec 13, 2007
Business seminar in Macedonia
Some months ago, I received an invitation from a company called Triple S Learning in Skopje, Macedonia to conduct a business seminar on Management, Sales and Personal Effectiveness.
Last Monday, I flew from San Diego to San Francisco, caught a ten-hour flight to Frankfurt, and then flew on to Vienna and Skopje in the South of what used to be called Yugoslavia, arriving at 4:30 in the afternoon.
Macedonia has been one of the poor countries of Southern Europe for many years. Now, it is aggressively seeking foreign investment by introducing a 12% flat tax, plus a series of incentives for new business development that make it one of the most attractive places in Europe to start a new business.
In the U.S., the debate about the flat tax has been going back and forth for many years. In 1995, I facilitated the Kemp Commission on Tax Reform in Washington. Our goal was to bring together the opinions of leading economists and businesspeople from throughout the country and consolidate their ideas into a single proposal for a flat tax for the United States.
Our final proposal was so good that, when it was rejected by the politicians, Steve Forbes took it up and ran for president in 1996 on this single issue.
Today, the flat tax idea is sweeping the world. Russia has a flat tax of 13%. Estonia has a flat tax, Lithuania has a flat tax, and several other countries are introducing the flat tax. To the amazement of the economists, under the flat tax, not only do people pay less, and more easily, but the government actually collects more money because there is less tax evasion.
The current proposals for a flat tax in the U.S. would exempt the first forty-six thousand dollars of income for a family of four and then charge a flat tax of 17% to 19% on all income earned above that balance, with few or no deductions allowed. You could fill out your tax return on a large postcard, as opposed to the forty-four thousand pages of the tax act that are currently strangling the U.S. economy, individuals and businesses.
We had a very successful seminar for 350 business owners and entrepreneurs in Skopje, Macedonia on Wednesday, November 28th. The next morning at 6:00AM, I flew to Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, where we conducted another full day seminar for 550 Serbian Businesspeople. The people of the x-Balkan countries are eager to learn how to start and build successful businesses, improve sales and marketing, boost profits and achieve financial success. The audiences were open, responsive, positive and very enthusiastic.
My new friends at Triple S Learning – Dusko, Dragan, Igor, Teo, Marko, and Marija, are aggressively building a multi-national business training organization and doing a wonderful job. We went out for dinner on Tuesday night at a traditional Macedonian restaurant, with violin players, music and Macedonian wine. On Thursday night, after our seminar in Belgrade, we went to a traditional Serbian restaurant, again with wonderful food, wine, music, minstrels, singing and a lot of laughter.
At 4:00 AM Friday, November 30, I woke up in Belgrade, caught a 6:30AM flight to Frankfurt, flew to San Francisco, and arrived home in Solana Beach at 6:00 PM in the evening for a total of 22 hours of travel. Whew!
Even with the sub-prime meltdown, the American economy is still strong. We have low unemployment, and a growth rate of 4.9% in the last quarter, one of the highest and best in the world. The estimate is that 265 million dollars of mortgage loans will default over the next few months. But there are 15 trillion dollars worth of mortgages issued, and even the mortgages that default will not result in the complete loss of the underlying home value. It will merely decline by 20% to 30%. Life will go on. The economy will remain strong. As we go into 2008, the US economy is still the strongest and most powerful in the word, and will continue to be for many years to come.
Each year at this time, I make a decision that, “Next year will be the best year of my life!” I suggest that you make that decision as well. Say to yourself, and even write it down, “2008 is going to be the best year of my life!”
I’ll talk to you again soon.
Brian Tracy
Tags: Brian's Words of Wisdom
Posted by Brian Tracy on Dec 7, 2007
My friends in Poland
My friends in Poland have established the Brian Tracy Academy of Success, offering my audio, video and written programs on Sales, Management and Personal Success. On Monday, November 12, we had 550 Polish Business people and Entrepreneurs come out to my one day seminar on Leadership and Managerial Success. My translator Teddy, who stands on the stage next to me, did an excellent job of conveying both the content and the spirit of the message.
My friends and associates, Marek, Kris, and Greg, along with Sebastian – the consummate salesman and promoter for our business, took terrific care of us. My partner from Vancouver, Canada, Mr. Ib Moller, accompanied me to Poland, stopping off in Copenhagen to visit his father where he grew up. After a great day in Warsaw, I flew on to Stuttgart to meet with Frank and Claudia Scheelen and my wonderful client Waltar Kaltenbach, who brought together 350 Entrepreneurs and Businesspeople for a full day seminar on personal success and achievement.
My dear friend Nikolaus Enklemann, the Zig Ziglar of Germany, and his wonderful daughter Claudia Enkleman were also present. In addition, Dr. Lothar Seiwert, the top European authority on time management were also there to greet me, and to attend my seminar the following day.
Although my German is almost fluent, whenever I speak to a large audience, I also have my favorite translator Hans Jaochim Han on the stage with me. He and I have worked together, speaking all over Germany, for more than ten years. I currently have about 16 books and programs on the German market and I have just written a new book with Nikolaus Enklemann which is coming out in February.
After a great day in Stuttgart, and a good night’s sleep, I flew on to Istanbul to conduct a seminar for my client Engin Emre and more than 300 top businesspeople at a hotel called the Swisshotel Bosphurus, one of the most beautiful hotels in the world, overlooking the waters of the Bosphurus that separate Europe from Asia.
The city of Istanbul has been crisscrossed by wars, invading armies and revolutions for 2,500 years. The Persian King Xerces in 459 B.C. built a pontoon bridge across the Bosphurus to march his million man invading army toward the conquest of Greece. It was not until this century that a second bridge was built across these waters for car and truck traffic, joining the two parts of the world.
Next week I am flying to Skopje, Albania (Macedonia) to speak for a day and then on to Belgrade. This will total 95 countries that I have visit, and 47 countries that I have spoken in to audiences of various sizes. The more I travel, the more amazed I am with the incredible diversity and differences in the world around us.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you are gearing up for a happy holiday season.
I will talk to you again soon.
Brian Tracy
Tags: Brian's Words of Wisdom
Posted by Brian Tracy on Nov 29, 2007
This has been a busy month so far.
This has been a busy month so far. On Monday, November 5th, I spoke all day for 500 sales people and entrepreneurs in Chicago on the subjects of personal and sales success.
On Tuesday, November 6th, I spoke for Larry Bailin and more than three hundred highly motivated entrepreneurs and sales people in Edison New Jersey for half a day.
After New Jersey, I flew to Toronto and conducted two three-hour seminars for Jonathan Weaver and Peak Performers on Wednesday, November 7th.
On Thursday, November 8th, I arose in Toronto, packed two bags, my large suitcase for everything I needed for the next eight days, plus my carryon suitcase with my essential clothes and materials for the next three-four days. I checked in my large suitcase at the Toronto airport, flew to New York, transferred at JFK to a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight and spent the next eleven hours flying across the world to Jeddah and Riyadh, deep in “The Kingdom.”
I arrived on time but my large suitcase disappeared. Leading to ten days of telephone calls and text messages, back and forth, seeking my lost bag all over the western world. It finally arrived home in San Diego on November 24, 16 days after disappearing.
Fortunately, I always carry my essential clothes and material in a carryon bag, just in case my larger bag is lost for any reason. Because of this, I was able to continue on speaking in Saudi Arabia, Poland, Germany and Turkey for the next week with only minor inconveniences, and no serious problems. I recommend this strategy, of carrying your essentials with you, to anyone who travels long distances.
Because of $90 oil, the oil producing countries of the gulf are awash with billions of petro dollars. They are investing this money in building their countries into ultra modern states, plus putting this money to work in Europe and America.
My clients in Saudi Arabia, Lal Khaleej Corporation is the most successful training company in Saudi Arabia and in the entire Gulf region. They have fourteen hundred professional trainers and course development specialists, offering courses that cover the entire gamut, from English immersion through to every aspect of business development. It was a pleasure to meet with them and to work with them.
As usual, I read and study on the areas I visit, as extensively as possible, before going. Muslims believe that the Koran is the absolutely indisputable word of God, relayed from Allah to Mohammad, his messenger. They believe that not a single word can be questioned or debated, the Koran is considered to be a divine book that cannot be altered or even clearly explained in any other language other than Arabic.
Followers of Islam believe that the Koran, being the inspired the inspired word of Allah, answers all questions and explains all life situations. For this reason, followers of Islam are called “People of the book.”
This means that they believe that “Everything is written.” There are no disputes that the Koran does not settle. For this reason, followers of Islam are quite accepting of whatever happens in the world.
Tags: Brian's Words of Wisdom
Posted by Brian Tracy on Nov 14, 2007
All successful businesses and successful salespeople do certain things in common, over and over again.
Last week, I was invited by Mark Victor Hanson to give a talk at his Mega Speaking Empire Conference in Los Angeles at the Westin by Los Angeles International Airport.
More than 800 people had registered and turned out to learn how to speak professionally and promote themselves as speakers, trainers and consultants. The information presented was tremendous, as were the different speakers who explained the craft of speaking, and demonstrated what an excellent speaker looked like on the platform in front of an audience.
As usual, my contribution was to give the “Meat and potatoes” of speaking to create what I call the “spine and ribs” of the profession. I managed to do this by sharing the seven “P’s” of business success.
These “Big Seven” are Product, Price, Promotion, Place, Packaging, Positioning, People. In brief, my message was simple: You must be clear about the product or service you offer, and the specific benefits that your potential customer will get from it if they purchase it from you. You must carefully think through your price so that it is correct in relationship to the competitive market around you. You must vigorously mark it and sell your product all day long if you are going to rise above the crowd. You must be careful in choosing exactly where, the place that you sell your product or service. You’re packaging must be excellent, equal to or better than your competitors, if you want to be believable. You must position yourself in such a way that people think of you as the best choice in your field. Every person who works for your company must present a positive image so that people like them and respect them.
The point that I make is that, a single change in any one of these seven areas can dramatically change your business. Whenever your personal, business or sales are not as successful as you like, you should review the seven P’s and look for a way to change or modify them in some way.
Business is a science, based on proven recipes and formula’s. All successful businesses and successful salespeople do certain things in common, over and over again. Your job is to find out what they are, and then do them yourself, over and over, until you get the same results that they do.
Have a good week.
Brian Tracy
Tags: Brian's Words of Wisdom
Posted by Brian Tracy on Nov 7, 2007
The most important quality for success in entrepreneurship and in life is the quality of optimism.
The wildfires swept through San Diego in October, destroying hundreds of houses. The air was full of smoke for days, filling the nostrils and burning the eyes. Homes were on fire within a mile of us.
Every couple of hours, we got a "reverse 911" call to tell us if we were under "voluntary evacuation" or "mandatory evacuation." If we received "mandatory evacuation" orders, we would have 30 minutes to pack and leave.
Fortunately, the fires never got too near to our house, and we never had to evacuate. Today, the city is back to normal and life goes on. This experience reminded me once again about the importance of remaining positive, no matter what happens.
The most important quality for success in entrepreneurship and in life is the quality of optimism. Optimists have an unrealistic expectation of success. As a result, they are willing to try far more things without becoming discouraged. In addition, because of their unrealistically positive attitude, they are willing to persist much longer than the average person. Optimism is a wonderful quality as long as you have it under control.
Temper Your Optimism
In order to be successful in business, and in any activity where your money is involved, you must temper your optimism with negativism. You must be enthusiastic about the possible upside of the investment but you must be skeptical, critical, suspicious and demanding about all the different ways that your money can be lost.
Listen to Negative Viewpoints
Seek out and listen carefully to people who are negative toward your idea. Look for negative thinkers, because their viewpoints can be invaluable and save you a fortune in time and money. I have a friend who is a lawyer. And he recommends and gives advice to many people on investments. And what he does is this. When someone comes and they want to make an investment that he’s unsure about, he says, all right, I want you to come to my office and I want you to sit behind my desk. And then I’m going to come in and I’m going to present this investment to you and I want you to critique this investment as if you were me.
Help Others to Evaluate Honestly
And he says that when his clients begin critiquing the investments they’re thinking about going into, when they begin becoming negative thinkers about the investments, he says they are astonished at how bad the investments really are. He said he has saved his clients millions of dollars by forcing them to be negative thinkers about their own ideas, simply by switching roles and sitting in front of the desk while they sit behind the desk.
Keep Your Mind Open
But don’t be overly influenced by negative thinkers. Just take their viewpoints into consideration. There’s a famous story of Mary Hudson, who started off with 200 dollars in the middle of the Depression and leased a gas station that two men had gone broke running at two different occasions. And from that she built a company called Hudson Oil, which is now the biggest independent distributor of gas and oil in the United States. From a 200 dollar investment, even though everybody told her she would fail. So remember, listen to negative thinkers, but don’t necessarily accept their advice.
When the inevitable fires and storms happen in your business life, no matter what anyone says, you must remain positive and optimistic, and take full control of your situation.
Tags: Brian's Words of Wisdom
Posted by Brian Tracy on Nov 2, 2007
In the first week of October, I took a business cruise from Athens in the eastern Mediterranean around the Greek Islands to Italy and then to Sicily and Malta.
In the first week of October, I took a business cruise from Athens in the eastern Mediterranean around the Greek Islands to Italy and then to Sicily and Malta. At each port of call, we went ashore for several hours to tour remarkable cities and ruins from antiquities that go back twenty-five hundred years. Perhaps the most impressive was the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, one of the “Seven Wonders of The Ancient World.”
It is in ruins today, but very much restored and fascinating to explore. I walked on the same path that Alexander the Great walked when he visited the Delphic Oracle to ask about his fate. It is said that the Delphic Oracle told Alexander that he could “Have a long life full of peace, or a short life full of glory.” Alexander choose the short life full of glory and went on to conquer the known world before dying of pneumonia at the age of 33.
At the end of the tour, from Malta, Barbara and I flew to Moscow for two days of speaking and meetings with our clients and publishers. Moscow is a booming and exciting city, the most expensive city in the world today.
Fully 70% of the tens of billions of dollars of wealth in Russia flow through Moscow. Beautiful, luxury hotels are going up everywhere. The streets are full of Mercedes Benz, BMW and Rolls Royce.
My client was a company called Infinum, with 500,000 distributors across Russia selling an excellent cross section of products and services for both health and beauty and financial planning.
The company was founded by two Slovenian businessmen who moved to Moscow after the fall of the USSR and began building their business. Their distributors are positive, highly motivated, and eager to learn new methods and ideas to sell more of their products and services to more people.
We stayed at the Savoy Hotel, right around the corner from the Lubyanka, the old KGB building, with the torture dungeons downstairs. When people were arrested by the secret police, they disappeared into the Lubyanka for torture and interrogation, during which they always confessed to something, and then were sent onto Siberia into the Gulag Archipelago, the chain of forced labor prison camps that consumed the lives of millions of Russians when the communists were in power.
Around the corner from our hotel was the Bolshoi Ballet, one of the most prestigious ballet companies in the world. Down the street was the Kremlin and Red Square, with Lenin’s tomb available for viewing. On Red Square is Saint Basil’s Cathedral, reputedly one of the most beautiful churches ever built in human history.
It was built by Tsar Ivan the Terrible. When it was complete, Ivan asked the architects if there was a more beautiful cathedral anywhere in the world. When they assured him that there was none other, he had all their eyes put out so that they could never build another building to compare with it.
All the workmen had their hands cut off so that they could never aid in the construction of a church to rival this one. Unfortunately, this type of cruelty has been a part of Russian history for more than 1,000 years.
Russia has the potential to be a valuable and respected partner and participant in the world economy. Today, it appears to be sliding back into authoritarianism under Putin who has choked off the newspapers, radio and television stations and magazines that were critical of him in the past. Today, everyone belongs to the government party and anyone who speaks up or protests is quickly silenced and punished.
More about what is going on in Europe in the future. Meanwhile, I wish you a wonderful week.
Tags: Brian's Words of Wisdom
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