A Lesson From The Grid Iron

Emmitt Smith shared one of the most valuable lessons I have ever seen from the football field several years ago. In a game against the Minnesota Vikings the running back struggled to perform like he had previously. The Vikings defense was just that good. One play after another, Smith was stuffed for a big loss or minimal gain.

Most running backs that experience what Smith did that day become frustrated. That frustration is then demonstrated outwardly. Smith didn’t complain or act out; he simply continued to do what he was supposed to do – run the football.

Smith had to deal with several elements that weren’t in his control. The first element was to get his offensive line to efficiently block their opponent. The second element was the Minnesota Viking’s defense.

Where is the lesson? After being stopped time after time, Smith continued to press. The game went into overtime. On the very first overtime play, Smith was handed the ball and exploded for a 95 yard touchdown run. What happened? Smith never gave up, never got frustrated and stuck to what he knew how to do.

The lesson that we can grasp from this football game is when we face diverse situations in business, we should continue to do what we know how to do. Continue to press, continue to work, never give up!

Get Out of Debt Card

Growing up in the Monopoly playing generation I, along with many others were conditioned to believe there was a “Get Out Of Jail Free Card.” That type of conditioning has transferred to the next generation in terms of debt. Many commercials, Internet posts and talk from industry professionals portray that the process of getting out of debt can occur without making any major adjustments. Please don’t be fooled, as this is not true.

There are three adjustments that must transpire if you intend to get out of debt:

Reduce spending – You might have heard this one before from me or someone else: Take a serious assessment of your weekly and monthly expenses and decide what expenses are in the “Need” category and which are “Wants”. Eliminate all the “Wants”, at least for now. Also, I would research alternatives to the items on your “Need” list. For instance a telephone might be on your “Need” list. However, you might want to consider VOIP (voice over IP) as an alternative.

Create revenue – In addition to reducing your spending, it is important to seek ways to create revenue. List the things that you like to do or that you do naturally. Seek a coach that will review the list with you and determine ways of producing income from a given area.

Change perspectives – This might be the most difficult of the three adjustments to accomplish. Getting out of debt causes a change of lifestyle as we will have to adjust some things. This new perspective on spending and money will be invaluable to you over a period of time. You might also need to speak with a coach here as well.

Getting out of debt will come with a short term cost but long term it will be more than worth it.

A Great Christmas Gift

With Black Friday quickly approaching, I think this post is timely. The market awaits customers to bombard stores and spend money on retail items this Christmas. Many stores depend on Christmas spending because it could make a big difference on the way their financial statements look.

Don’t worry retailers. My purpose is not to advise consumers not to spend. However, I am asking that we all assess the value of our gifts. My wife and I stopped giving gifts that were of little to no value to the youth in our family. One year we purchased stock for each of our godchildren. We did this because we were trying to impart a different type of thinking in the minds of our godchildren. We need our youth to think long term.

How about this year, in addition to the new video game, doll or toy we buy our kids, we add something of long term value, too? Maybe we should purchase a few shares of stock, prices are low. Maybe it will be some thing else, but lets think long term for our children under 18.

The Greatest Fear Ever

A friend of mine tells the story of how his dad helped him overcome his greatest fear – swimming. He begins the story by describing his father as a very down to earth, straight to the point person. One day the father tells his son that he is going to teach him how to swim. So both men go down to the river where the swimming lesson would take place.

My friend did not understand why he was the only one in swimming attire because his dad was not. Since his dad was a no-nonsense person, he tells his son, “Now I am going to teach you to swim, just remember to relax.” After saying this, the dad grabs his son and throws him into the river.

Once in the river, my friend panics as he believes he is going to drown. After a few seconds he heard his father screaming from the shore “relax, just relax”. Hearing those words the young man relaxed and began to float, or realized that he could float.

The next step was for the young man to develop the swimming technique. For this step his dad came into the river and showed him how to swim.

The young man first had to overcome his fear of the water. He was not afraid to swim; he was frightened by the uncertainty of what would happen once he was in the water, a new environment. Many of us see starting a business in the same manner because we are so uncertain of what will happen when we get into the business.

This is why I believe network marketing is the best business to start off in for anyone who is a bit frightened about business. Your sponsor will throw you into the business and allow you to realize that you can actually do this business. Then your sponsor will get in with you and show you how to navigate the business.

So my challenge to those who are afraid of starting a business of their own is to jump in, relax and know that your sponsor will help you swim. For assistance to find the right network marketing for you please contact me at info@frederickotowles.com.

Perspective

Merriam Webster’s Dictionary gives various meanings for the word perspective: (1) a visible scene, especially one giving a distinctive impression of distance, (2) a mental view or prospect and (3) the appearance to the eye of objects in respect to their relative distance and positions.

I learned a lesson in perspective while driving one day. About a year ago, I rented an SUV while my car was being repaired. While driving the SUV I noticed navigating the roads became easier. Since the SUV was in an elevated position as compared to my car, I was able to observe the traffic from a different viewpoint. The person moving slowly in front of me was doing so not because of the traffic in front of him but because he was using his cell phone.

Once my car was repaired I realized that by sitting at a slightly lower position my ability to see in the manner I did while in the SUV was changed. Many times it is our perspective on a business venture, life situation, etc. that makes each of us respond differently.

I always wondered how two people of equal educational or cultural backgrounds and experiences could respond differently to an opportunity. What makes one see the advantage of an opportunity and the other person not? The answer is our perspective. From what angle are they seeing the opportunity?

In order to be successful in business, relationships, and any other areas of life we must examine our perspective. Do you notice a pattern in your life of bad relationships with those in authority? Do you notice a pattern of missed opportunity? Do you frequently begin sentences and thoughts with “I should have” or “If I would have”? These are just a few signs that there might be a need for a change in your perspective.

How does one go about changing their perspective? This does not happen overnight but will change over a period of time by being exposed to the right materials. We must read good books and listen to great audio CD’s. Eventually, if we are exposed to these resources consistently, a change in our perspective will occur. What personal development books do you have in your library? If you do not have any or you are not sure which ones to purchase, I can suggest a few, email me at info@frederickotowles.com.