The Power of Persistence.

"Nothing can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." —Calvin Coolidge

Persistence is the iron quality of character. Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel. It is
the absolutely indispensable quality that goes hand in hand with all great success in life.

And here is one of the great secrets of persistence and success: Program your subconscious mind for persistence well in advance of the setbacks and disappointments that you are going to have on your upward quest toward success. Resolve in advance that you will never give up, no matter what happens.

When you are overwhelmed with a problem or difficulty, you do not have enough time to develop the necessary persistence to deal with the setback or disappointment. But if you plan in advance for the inevitable ups and downs of life, when they come, you will be psychologically ready. You will be prepared.
The courage to persist in the face of adversity and disappointment is the one quality that, more than anything, will guarantee your success. Your greatest personal asset can be your willingness to persevere longer than anyone else. In fact, your persistence is a true measure of your belief in yourself and your ability to succeed.

Remember, all of life is a test. For you to have great success, you must pass the "persistence test." And this test is often a pop quiz. It can come at any time, usually totally unexpectedly and out of left field. You take the persistence test whenever you are confronted with an unexpected difficulty, disappointment, setback, failure, or crisis in life. This is where you show yourself, and everyone around you, what you are truly made of...

Epictetus, a Greek philosopher, wrote, "Circumstances do not make the man. They merely reveal him to himself."

The one inevitability in your life is recurring crisis. If you are living a busy life, you will have a crisis every two or three months. In between these unavoidable crises will be a continuous succession of problems and difficulties. And the more goals that you attempt to reach, the bigger your dreams, and the more determined you are to become successful, the more problems and crises you will experience.
The only factor you can control is how you respond to difficulties and setbacks. And the good news is that every time you respond in a positive and constructive manner, you become stronger and better and even more capable of dealing with the next problem or crisis that comes along. Eventually, you will reach a point in life where you become absolutely unstoppable.

You will become like a force of nature. You will be irresistible. You will become the kind of person who never quits, no matter what the difficulty. No matter what obstacle is put in your path, you will find a way to go over it, under it, around it, or through it. You will be like the Energizer Bunny in the television commercials. You will keep going and going and going...

So what is the most difficult situation you are facing in your life today? Whatever it is, imagine that it has been sent to you at this time to teach you a valuable lesson you need to learn to be even more successful in the future. What could that lesson be? From this moment onward, always seek the valuable lesson in every setback or difficulty. You will always find it, and it will help you in your quest to live the life you truly desire.

By Brian Tracy

Are You Leading? Or Just Managing?

Leadership is often used as a buzzword in today's culture and is applied to areas ranging from the corporate business world to sports teams to nonprofit organizations. Although leadership may currently be in the spotlight, it has always been a critical factor in the success of an organization. I don't believe leadership makes a difference; I believe leadership makes the difference. John Maxwell calls it the law of the lid: the effectiveness and ability of a leader determines how high people can rise and how good an organization can become. The better the leader, the greater the potential for the success of the team or organization.

What makes a leader?

We've all known or even worked for managers who seem to figure the title automatically made them leaders, and that is a mistaken that idea. In an rational organization a title confirms leadership ability, but it doesn't bestow it. It takes more than just the title of manager to lead people in the right direction; in fact, sometimes the most effective leaders have no title at all.Joe Klein in his book Politics Lost defines a good political leader by asking three questions (paraphrased):
1. Is he or she strong?
2. Is he or she trustworthy?
3. Is he or she interested in people like me?
I believe the same three questions define leaders of every type. The first question of strength is about competence, and the ability to get the job done. Nobody wants to follow an incompetent leader.
The second question deals with character. If you can't trust a person in little things, how can you trust them in important things? This is an integrity question and it is critical. Leadership is about creating commitment and getting people to follow because they want to, not because they have to follow. And commitment is always based on trust.
You can be a person of good character and competent skills, but the third question is, in my opinion, what really makes one a leader. It is a question of connection. People rarely change outside of relationship. It is relationship that truly moves others. If you aren't really interested in me and my hopes and dreams, why would I follow you?

Understanding Characteristics of a Leader.

Leaders focus on solving problems and creating opportunities.Every organization has its challenges. Leaders are able to respond appropriately to a challenge and teach employees problem solving and conflict-resolution by their own example.
Rather than the typical managerial method of making the problem go away, keeping others focused on the ultimate goals and mission of the organization are key for the leader. A leader embraces challenges and uses the issues as learning experiences to help them create better solutions.
Future-focused leaders naturally create a positive environment for employees, which means there will be greater employee retention. Set goals with employees-both organizational goals and individual employee goals-in an effort to connect them with the mission. By doing this, leader-managers can better understand exactly how employees' personal goals can merge with the organization's goals. But it isn't enough to put out fires. Effective leadership is about helping people and companies achieve new goals and go to places they've not been before. Problem solving is necessary but certainly not the most exciting part of leadership.
Much has been said and written about the importance of vision in leadership. Vision is having a desirable goal of the future. As important as that may be, the more important skill is what I call visioning: getting people to help achieve that view. It isn't enough to see what the future could be; a leader makes a compelling case and motivates others to join him or her in creating it.

Choosing to Impact Lives as a Leader.

True leadership is several steps beyond being a manager in that it reaches a deeper personal level. While a manager might simply go through the motions and check off duties and tasks, a leader is searching for deeper meaning through her company and individual management role. For a leader, the job is more than directing employees; it becomes a mission to influence people within an organization to surpass their own potential.In other words, managers work with people where they are and often maintain the status quo, while leaders focus on taking people to the next level, improving the performance of the individual and in turn the company. It becomes exciting to go from being a manager to a leader, from doing what is necessary to striving for what is possible.

Making the Change from Manager to Leader.

It may be easier than you think to leave the management hat behind and become a true leader. Perhaps as a manager the stress of having too much power and control over employees has become a burden. A move toward leadership means a shift in power-going from power over employees to creating power with employees. Releasing yourself from all of that control and power can be a rejuvenating and encouraging experience.
Other areas to focus on as a leader include:
Maximizing your personal potential
Learning to properly utilize resources
Developing clear personal and organizational visions
Valuing healthy communication
Empowering yourself and others, and
Serving employees in order to retain and motivate them
It is possible to become the type of leader-manager who is a driving force for change and growth within an organization. I believe that making such changes will bring a new joy and ambition to your career. Developing into a leader and going beyond a management role will require you to boost your creativity and career passion, while significantly improving the overall health of the organization. Best always,Mark SanbornPresidentSanborn & Associates, Inc.

http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001GEP790-dfT_sHA7wGQWu4ykubb_GOiD-6FziAM7ErQHeki-dzYoiTKhw-TOdetKKyMSx-p1zPXjRg-JKlZCjbJaYOuuFniuglrgXi7bm_nyY37XUO9ay8Q==

Direct Selling News.

Article title: Young Company Focus: Agel

http://www.directsellingnews.com/article_app.php?articleid=213

September Book of the Month.

177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class, by Steve Siebold.

Do You Have What it Takes to Ascend to the Throne of the World-Class?

Dear Peak Performer,Can a person of average intelligence and modest means ascend to the throne of the world class?

After 20 years of research I can tell you that it's not only possible... it's PRACTICAL! My new book, 177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class, identifies and explains the thought processes, habits, and philosophies of the world's greatest performers... and give you action steps so you can implement these secrets immediately and get what you want.People Who Adopt

These 177 Mental Toughness Secrets Will Be Propelled ToThe Top... Both Personally and Professionally.

After 20 years of interviewing, coaching and competing against world-class performers I have broken down their secrets into mini-modules that are easy to read and simple to understand.

Olympic Dreams or Monetary Screams

By Randy Gage.

Watching the Olympics is certainly a source of national pride and an amazing experience. Being able to witness a world-class athletes as they compete against the very best, and themselves, is a compelling show.

I have to admit I watched each event with Michael Phelps as he went for the never achieved before goal of eight gold medals. And tomorrow at midnight Miami time, I can't wait to see the Argentina futball game. But I'll tell you this...

The Olympics are addicting. And most of the world is spending six or eight hours a day, transfixed with them. But most of the world is broke.

Can I suggest that you can ill afford to spend 18 days glued to the set, watching every arcane event the games offer? And that if you do, your Agel business will have an income hangover for at least the next six months?

If you go missing in action for a couple weeks, your group will likely do the same. And you'll quickly trade watching those Olympic dreams for some serious money screams.

Let me suggest you think about your own dreams. The ones that don't involve the discus, parallel bars, or pool. The ones about a new car, a bigger house, exotic vacations, taking care of your family, firing your boss, and being able to contribute to the causes that matter to you. Not having to go to a job, fight traffic, or face office politics.

Please. If there is a special sport or event you want to see, check the schedule and book that time. But don't forget about your own dreams. Now more than ever, it's vital that you find the ten or 15 hours a week for your Agel business.

Agel World is only days away. And that weekend will be a seminal moment in the history of not just our company, but the entire network marketing profession. And it can be a seminal moment in your career, and the path to living your own dreams as well. Some things you can be doing right now:

Get on the phone and get every possible person on your team registered. Every extra person you get there will help multiply your organization exponentially over the next year.

Bring an extra suitcase. There will be a new product introduced and it has a HUGE market potential. It will likely sell out at the event, and could be a couple weeks before it's available to order again. Bring back some extra for your casual people that don't yet understand the significance of Agel World. This is especially important for you guys coming from overseas, as it won't likely be registered in all the countries.

Take the next ten days and distribute every single piece of marketing materials you own. Every one. Here's what I can tell you:

At Agel World, the "Choosing Success" mag pak is being replaced with a hot, fresh, and totally new concept. It will still have the Diamond profiles, details on why the Quadra-Plan is the most lucrative moneymaking option available today, and an explanation on what an amazing scientific breakthrough suspension gel technology is.

But it also has a whole new look, new title, and a complete makeover. I have seen the mock-ups on this and can safely tell you it is hands down the most powerful recruiting tool that has EVER been done in our industry. It has a cleaner, edgier look, it's now packed with 84 pages of content, and it's going to have prospects begging you to know more!

I'll tell you what else...

It even has a new video presentation on the dual disc inside! It's not the "phenomenon," but instead a killer nine-minute teaser that will dramatically increase the number of your prospects that will
want to turn up for a PBR.

This new video is hot! You'll see why Roper and Ebert gave it "two thumbs up - the feel good movie of the summer!" Even better, it will be offered for sale separate, in a self-mailer for you guys that want to do major campaigns.

Oh, and did I mention that we locked Double Diamond Eric Worre in a room, and completely redid the Agel Phenomenon DVD? This new, totally revised edition is specifically designed exclusively for PBRs! It is a complete presentation, going through all eight ways to earn, the new Lambo bonus, has the new product info, testimonials from some of our newer Agel superstars, and powerful new graphics. We believe this will seriously increase the conversion ratio at your PBR's, turning more candidates into team members quicker.

I also know that Triple Diamond Director Randy Schroeder has been working on some hot new ideas, and will have some surprises in store for you as well. So you may actually want to bring along TWO empty suitcases; one for the new product, and one for the killer new recruiting tools.

In any event, between now and Agel World I suggest you give out every copy you have of the Phenomenon, Choosing Success, and "Change is Good." Get them circulating now, making you some money, and be ready for the new tools that can dramatically increase your recruiting efforts.

Special Leadership Session...

Also, make sure your team knows that there will be a special Leadership wrap up session on Sunday morning at Agel World, from 9 am to noon. This will be conducted by Randy, Eric, and myself, and is just $20. There is no pre-registration; just pay at the door.
So plan your travel schedule appropriately.

Of course Agel World will include more Diamond Panels, breakout business building sessions, training from the Scientific Advisory Board, and sessions from the corporate team. This is your chance to hear from many of the new Diamonds, as they share how they reached this prestigious goal. And of course we'll honor the new rank advancements and have fun at the 2nd Annual Agel Talent Show.

There is still time to make August a great month for you. Turn off the TV, circulate your leftover tools, schedule a PBR, and make Agel World a revenue producing event. Do all this and you'll not just have a great month. You'll have a great year.

To Your Success,

-RG

Time To Believe.

Read Agel President, Mr. Craig Bradley's message for the month at:

http://www.agel.com/newsroom/news/story?id=288

Who earns more money?

Which person earns more? A doctor or a professional network marketer?Probably a professional network marketer. And most of your new distributors have a dream to earn that kind of income.

Now, let's say that you are a doctor making good money. A patient says to you:
"Hey, I want to be a doctor too. I'll go to the orientation meeting, buy a doctor's kit, and why don't you just tell me now how to be a doctor? I'm skipping medical school and training. Just tell me now how to be a doctor."

You would laugh. But doesn't that happen to us leaders in network marketing? Our new distributors can't set aside time to come to Saturday morning training, won't register for the convention, won't follow a proven system, refuse to learn how to prospect . . . and they want to quit their job and enjoy life with a full-time network marketing income.

We are not asking them to enroll full-time into five years of medical school. We are just asking them to invest a little bit of their time to learn some skills. -Tom Schrieter

Agel World 2008 is quickly approaching. Are you registerd? - Gary Hasson

Take Charge!

by Eric Worre

For many people, taking responsibility is a foreign concept. When things aren't going the way they'd like them to go, their natural tendency is to BLAME.

Facing personal shortcomings is against most people's nature. We've been conditioned to believe that someone owes us something. But if you insist on holding onto that mindset, you'll NEVER become a Professional. The sooner you get over it and learn to take responsibility, the sooner you'll get the success you deserve.

Lessons from my personal experience:

I had 18 jobs before I was 22 years old. Now, what do you think was a common denominator in every one of those 18 jobs? It was ME. One way to look at it was that I had a virus in my mental software. Several of them actually.

Virus #1 - I was a Professional Blamer

Nothing was ever MY fault. It was the company. It was the product. It was the training. It was my upline who never did anything for me. It was my stupid downline who never sold anything. It was the economy. It was my upbringing. It was my age. It was any number of things.

One of the lessons I eventually learned was, as soon as you go down the blame road, you take yourself out of power and give your life over to things you cannot control. In my blame mentality, I could ONLY succeed if the company product, training, upline, downline, economy, upbringing and age were in perfect harmony with my goals. If they weren't, I felt completely justified in not succeeding.

Once I turned that around and began to take responsibility not just for what happened to me but for how I responded to what happened to me, then I was FINALLY able to take control of my life and begin to turn things around. It wasn't easy. Bad habits like that are hard to break. But a good way for you to remind yourself is to look at the areas of your life that are having trouble. These are usually the areas where you blame the most.

Virus #2 - I would rather get away with things than earn them

The problem with that philosophy is you have to hope to get lucky for the rest of your life. You better be in the right place at the right time forever.

The Network Marketing industry feeds on this "get lucky" philosophy. I can't tell you how many people join, cross their fingers, and hope to hit it big. Very few join with the hope of becoming a Professional and actually earning what they can in this industry. But in the end, that's the only real way of getting there.

One of the greatest benefits of being a Professional in this industry is that it won't limit how valuable you can become and, because of that value, how much money you can earn. Different from other industries, you won't see a cap placed on your income. Companies will always come up with ways for you to make more if you bring more value.

Once I decided I would rather EARN something than get away with it, everything began to change for me. If you adopt that mindset, things can quickly begin to change for you as well.

Virus #3 - Desire for results before work

I'm not exactly sure when this virus started but it was with me for a long time. "Pay me and I'll work harder", "Give me a promotion and I'll get a better attitude".

In the MARKETPLACE, to get ahead, you have to do MORE than you get paid for and, this is important, you have to do it for quite a while before you can even begin to expect results.

In order to move ahead, you have to get past the feeling that someone is taking advantage of your hard work and move on to the mentality that those extra things you do are an investment in YOUR development.

Think of it as an investment in yourself. Even if no one notices, you'll still be increasing your value in the marketplace.

If you do more, you'll become more.

If you become more, you can earn more.

Success as a Professional in Network Marketing is hard, but it's worth it. You're going to have to do more than you get paid for, especially in the early years, in order to achieve big levels of success.

In the beginning, you'll have to put in more time for less money. But as your career develops, you can get to the point where you can put in less time and make much more money.

Here's the thing... All of us have some form of virus in our mental software. It may be the "Blame Virus"... the "Get Lucky Virus"... or the "Pay Me First Virus" like I had. Or it could be some I didn't have like the "Avoid All Risks Virus" or the deadly "I'm Too Cool Virus". There are lots of them out there.

What liberated me from a lifetime of frustration was to identify some of the big things that were holding me back and then to go to work on changing my thinking about them. It sounds easy to say "From now on I'm going to take responsibility. I'm going to earn everything I get and I'm going to work long and hard before I even start to look for results". The reality is, it isn't easy. I had many setbacks along the way, but the important thing is, I did it and so can you.

I'm talking about adopting a winner's mindset... a Professional mindset. YOU'RE in charge of your life. No one else is responsible for your success or failure. That's completely up to you. And, as the person in charge, you need to evaluate the things that have held you back up until today and then go to work to change them.

Be a Professional.

Your friend,

Eric Worre

Valuable message.

Agel IS Easy! It is LIFE that is sometimes hard!

It has become clear to me that once one gains a clear understanding of the revenue producing activities and develops a few simple and readily assimilated skills...then the business
building activities required for success in Agel are in fact quite easy.

What are the required skills?

1: Learn how to create and maintain a living, breathing and continually developing candidate list.

2: Learn how to invite...thus becoming an effective conduit to a system. Your candidate must "see" Agel...not you or me.

3: Learn how to effectively use tools and three way calls to provide 3rd party validation after an initial exposure.

4: Learn how to effectively conduct Private Business Receptions...utilizing a variety of presentation methods.

These four skills, when fully developed, make profitability in Agel pretty much a foregone conclusion. It is the further understanding of the intricacies of the industry and the ultimate ability to transfer skills to others that makes possible the creation of wealth..as opposed to simple profitability.

Where to begin? I begin every day with ME. I suggest that you begin your progress with YOU!

I have learned conclusively that when I develop and act upon daily disciplines in key areas of my life...then all goes well.(and that in moments of trial I respond appropriately to the challenge at hand) These areas are:

Spiritually: Today I will either grow closer to the God of my understanding...or I will drift further away. The willingness to act upon developed discipline in this area will determine the direction. Today and every day.

Physically: I am subject to the gene pool like everyone else. I will get older..not younger today. BUT..if I act upon my daily disciplines relating to health and fitness...I will have a far better chance of a positive outcome to this 24 hour period.

Mentally: I have chosen to live my life on purpose. This demands that I carefully guard what I "let in my head". I therefore use great caution with what I watch..listen to, and to the people I choose to have conversation with. I DO seek to learn something constructive every day..as relates to my business as well as my family life. This again...is a discipline.

Emotionally: I am blessed with a VERY active mind. If I act upon my disciplines to SLOW it down at various times during the day...I have greater clarity and make better decisions.

What does all of this have to do with our business? EVERYTHING!
As stated previously...I think Agel is easy...if we develop the various "life skills"..so that we can have an uncluttered mind to apply to Agel.

OK..with all of that said, we now enter a season of amazing opportunity in our company. Why...because of the host of MAJOR EMPOWERING EVENTS which are now on the immediate horizon.

In each of these critical events, those attending will have the opportunity to further polish several "facets" of the Diamond they seek to become.

The first of these "Facets Of Empowerment" is education. Basic as well as more advanced training will be offered in each event.

The second "Facet Of Empowerment" is motivation. We must each become WILLING to TAKE ACTION beyond the actions we have taken to date if we seek to have a significantly changed outcome.

The third (and I think most critical) "Facet Of Empowerment" is inspiration. It is when each of us believe....some for the first time ever...that YOU (we...I) have been well groomed by prior life experiences to fully harvest the value of this great opportunity!

Here is what I believe to be true...we each have immeasurable and largely untapped TALENTS...freely given to us by a loving God. Talents we did nothing to earn. It is for those who WORK AND WORK AND WORK to refine these great TALENTS into SKILLS which benefit OTHERS that the great rewards are reserved.

Are YOU willing to do that which is required to fully refine your talents? Am I?