MLM Secret – Why You Shouldn’t Use Your MLM Company’s Replicated Website

As I work with Network Marketers across the country and help them to get started or to grow their existing MLM business, I continually have to explain 1 thing over and over… “Why you shouldn’t use your company’s replicated website.”

I understand that most companies have a beautiful website with all sorts of bells and whistles, I agree that it has good videos and top notch graphics, and I have heard that the guy who designed it is the best web designer this side of Hong Kong… But the problem is that even with all of these wonderful things, it isn’t designed to effectively help you grow your business.

Here are 3 reasons that you shouldn’t use your MLM Company’s replicated website:

1) It is impossible to get search engine rankings for organic (non-paid) web traffic. This is because all of the pages have nearly the same content. Similar headlines, mostly all the same copy, the same videos, etc. You have little or no control over the page, and when it comes to getting natural traffic from Google, Yahoo, or MSN- unique, high quality content is the key. Because of this, it is nearly impossible to optimize your site in a way that is going to allow you to rank much higher than the 1000’s of others using the same website design as you.

2) There are too many distractions. Most company sites include educational videos, short 1 or 2 paragraph pitches, and lots of pretty pictures or animation. However, most of these things distract your prospect and pull them in many directions instead of leading them where you want them to go- straight to your team. There is no ‘flow’ or direction on where your prospect should go or what they should do. The general rule in sales is, “The confused mind always says ‘No’.” This means that your prospect may come to the page and look, but if they can’t figure out what to do right away, they will leave and never come back.

3) It isn’t designed to sell. This is an extension of #2 but is the very basis of why you shouldn’t use your MLM company’s replicated website. Websites should have one purpose- to sell. Either to sell people on giving you their contact information (so you can follow up with them) or to sell them on buying your product or opportunity. Most MLM websites tell about the company founders, how the company gives to charity, etc. But it doesn’t compel the visitor to ‘buy something’, so it is ineffective at selling.

Network Marketing websites are powerful tools, but if you are depending on your company’s replicated website to do all of the work, you are in for a rude awakening. I have had students who have driven many hundreds of visitors to their site without even one person opting in or buying something.

When compared with an original, well crafted ‘sales based’ website for an MLM business, there is no resemblance. I’ve seen sites that convert 1 in 3 visitors into a lead or customer, and have grown MLM businesses on auto pilot.

Now that you know why you shouldn’t use your MLM company’s replicated website to bring your leads or sales- begin by building your own website and using the internet as a powerful tool in growing your business. There are many places that you can get a site designed and built for cheap such as www.elance.com or www.rentacoder.com, and with a little practice and testing, you can have a site bringing your leads day and night in no time.

To learn more about how to effectively grow your MLM business using the internet or other powerful tools, visit Derick Van Ness’ website: http://250kMLM.com and order his Free Report now.

129 Ways to Meet & Recruit People For Your MLM Business

I am incredibly excited and proud because I recently finished and published a new ebook outlining 129 ways to meet & recruit people for your MLM or Network Marketing business- and the feedback has been incredible!

Many of the ideas in the book aren't rocket science, but it's always amazing to realize how many things that each of us take for granted. Based on the comments that I have recieved, people are finding tremendous value and inspiration from the ideas presented.

In fact, I have had several people tell me that even 1 or 2 ideas in the book have completely opened up whole new ways for them to grow their business.

To help make the book even better, I also included valuable resources on how to use the internet to promote your MLM business and bring people to you, rather than you having to chase them. I believe that even one of these techniques is worth vastly more than the tiny price tag on the book.

The whole idea behind creating this book is that I believe it is nearly impossible to grow a huge downline by simply talking to friends & family. And that by discovering new ways to meet the right kind of people you can improve your results exponentially!

I've done my best to create value for everyone that reads the book, and welcome your comments.

You can find out more and purchase the book at: http://meetmoremlmrecruits.com/

Do What You Know...

I was just out getting coffee with a friend of mine who had dropped by to stay the night at my house last night, and an interesting conversation came up... and I thought I'd share it.

It occured to me during this conversation how often many of us go counter to what we know is the 'right' thing or the 'best' thing for us to do. Don't we? We seem to have this inner guidance that hints at what we should be doing- but all to often we either do something else or just ignore it completely.

Have you ever had this happen?

Maybe you were waiting in line at the grocery store and you saw someone who needed help with carrying their items- and you know that you should run over an help them- but you didn't? Or perhaps it was a time when you said something hurtful or judgemental behind someone's back; even when you knew it wasn't a good idea.

Unfortunately, we all do these types of things from time to time, but the real question is 'Why' do we do them? And what is it that's telling us what 'to do' or 'not to do'?

Is it the cute little angel on one shoulder and that sly little devil on the other? Probably not- although that vision can make for some entertaining TV.

I believe that your inner guidance is the Divinity within you that is guiding you though life. Some would call it a 'Guardian Angel', others would say it's just your conscience or a whole host of other names. But I think that most of us would agree that it's something within us that knows 'Good' from 'Bad' and 'Right' from 'Wrong'.

So the question raises itself of 'Where' do we get this guidance? Are we born with it or is it learned?

Again, I believe that it is something that is inborn in every one of us- and is our connection to a higher Power. (whatever Power you believe in) It is a way that this higher Power allows us to be prompted so that we can be in line with all that is Loving, supports life, and in harmony- or not.
The Taoist might call this "Living in the Way"... Others may call it "Christ Consciousness" or "Being in line with the Universe".

But whatever you call it, the choice to align with these promptings is still yours. And the sign posts of what is in alignment are all clearly marked throughout life- but will only be seen if we are looking for them.

This means you must be AWARE of what you are 'Doing' and who you are 'Being', so that you can see these markers and follow their directions...

So why do so many of us ignore these suggestions- like in the examples above? We each have our own decision making process that goes into doing what we do... but are we truly making the right choices or just taking the path of least resistence?

It is often easy to be lazy, inconsiderate, take care of "me first", or a host of other excuses... But have you ever noticed that when you do the 'right' things and align with what you know to be the 'right'- that everything else takes care of itself?

That things that seem like they may be a pain, or inconvenient, or may even set us back- seem to be the very actions that made the biggest difference or left you feeling the most satisfied in the end?

I learned a phrase from a mentor of mine that helps me make decisions of this sort. It says:

Sacrifice the 'Lesser' for the 'Greater'

Maybe it's just me... but I'm making the commitment to 'Do What I Know...' on an even higher level that I have in the past. That means following my inner guidance- whatever the cost- and doing the 'right thing' for myself and others around me.

What about you? Have you been lazy, inconsiderate, spiteful, stubborn, or just plain 'mean' in the past? Would you like to change it? Would you like to let the bad go and show your loving, caring 'best foot'?

Well now is the chance! You simply need to make a choice and become the person that is inside, prompting you toward your Greatest Self.

Anybody got anything further to say? Please feel free to comment...

Derick Van Ness

Tolerance, Acceptance, or Love?

Hi again,

In all of the 'March Madness' that has been surrounding me lately, I've had some very interesting thoughts and experiences that I'd like to share.

You see, I seem to have an a brain that is like the Energizer Bunny- it keeps going, and going, and going.... You get the picture. This can be a tough little chatter box at times, but also allows me that chance to harness it's Olympic caliber talents to do my own bidding on occasion.

One such occasion happened as I was spending time at my favorite park over Easter. I had gone out to see all of the ducks, geese, pelicans, etc. that live and play at the lake within this park. I've found that watching 'animal reality TV' at the park can reveal a lot about humans...

So I was watching the animals (and people- who are equally perplexing) at the park and began to meditate. As I was doing this, I began to feel a strong warm sensation of - what I interpreted as- Love.

As this was happening, I begin looking around again at all of the people and animals circulating around me. And I began asking myself- Do I tolerate, accept, or Love these other 'Beings' that are here with me? This got me looking at myself, but also had me looking at history and the evolution of society.

If you look at society in America, we had the Civil Rights Movement in the 60's and now we are seeing it (in a different way) with Homosexuality. These movements began in a state where one group (the group in 'power') didn't even tolerate the other group or respect their rights as human beings. Obviously, this creates a very negative environment for everyone involved either as 'being disrepected' or 'disrespecting' others who are different.

Now, as time progressed (and people progressed) this 'Disrespect' became lessened and was now thought of as tolerance. But is this good? Think about it...

What does 'tolerance' mean? I'd define it as: Something that you 'put up with'. This implies that it is something that bugs you, but maybe isn't worth the time to fix or complain about, right?

Fortunately, this isn't were the evolution of Societal Consciousness has stopped (for the most part). The next step has been Acceptance. This means actually accepting the differences between people without any resevations. Seeing people as 'Perfect, just as they are', and being at complete peace with this.

Clearly this is a much more powerful and peaceful way to live, and it allows for the freedom of self expression. This is critical, because each person is then able to access their unique gifts and share them with the world. Imagine if Michael Jackson, Joe Montana, Winston Churchill, or Martin Luther King had been discouraged and never fully embraced their gifts!

Now, I know that Acceptance is a very powerful state of Being, but what about operating from a position of 'Love'? This would mean NOT ONLY Accepting someone for who they were (and being at peace with it) but actually LOVING them for who they are 100%!

This means no "I wish he was a little more ____" or "I want her to be _____". It means completely loving that fact that someone is exactly who they are- flaws and faults included. It means realizing the absolute perfection of creation, and seeing that "The perfection is in the imperfection".

I like to think of it this way... If we were all 'perfect' we wouldn't need anyone else, right? And if we didn't need anyone else, then we would be isolated & alone. It also means that you would NEVER have the opportunity to be 'needed', and NEVER have the chance to give to anyone else- because they are already 'perfect' and need nothing from you.

I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like 'perfection' to me AT ALL.

So this is where I bring out the dreaded mirror, and let you look yourself square in the eye. Don't be shy, you're cuter than you think... *wink*

Ask yourself: "Am I living a life of Tolerance, Acceptance, or Love?" and if you're not happy with the answer, what can you do to begin changing it?

Do you use the realization of your own flaws and faults to allow you to Love and Accept others for theirs? Are you aware of how you feel when another 'Loves' you? And are you returning the favor to as many people as possible?

Have you come to understand that sharing your 'Love' isn't something reserved for a select few, but rather for everyone you encounter? After all, being Loved when you feel that you don't 'Deserve it', is when it means the most.

And most importantly, how are you being with yourself? Are you 'Tolerating' your flaws? Have you learned to Accept where your perfection lies? Or are you Loving and Forgiving of yourself in every moment, while embracing and relishing both your strengths and your weaknesses?

So which world are you living in? Tolerance, Acceptance, or Love?

The greatest of these is Love.

~ Derick Van Ness

How to Grow Your MLM Opportunity Faster

Here's another article I recently published... I've been on a bit of a rampage with these lately.

Enjoy!

How to Grow My MLM Opportunity Faster

Many people all over the world now have a home business and are hoping it will bring them the financial security and rewards that they dream about. Unfortunately, the success rate for home based businesses is far lower than it should be because most people quit their business before they ever really start it.

The key to overcoming this common pitfall is to ask yourself, “How can I grow my MLM Opportunity faster?” If you begin with this goal in mind- a fast start- you are ensuring that you will take action NOW, see results SOONER rather than later, and increase your chances of success exponentially.

The first and most important thing to answering your question of “How can I get faster results and help my MLM Opportunity grow?” is to have a plan as soon as possible. That means sit down and write it out- tonight! Without a plan you will be running in circles (think dog chasing his tail) and getting nowhere fast.

With this in mind, I’m going to lay out my basic plan to every home based business that I ever undertake. See if it passes the “How Can I Grow My MLM Opportunity Faster” Test. ( I guarantee it’s faster than the 3 foot rule)

I call it E.S.T.A.L. and it stands for:

E – Educate. Learn about your product/service and company as quickly as possible.

S – Simplify. Cut out all of the fluff and determine the primary benefits of your product/service. Also decide how you are going to work within your company’s system for maximum results & who you are going to target.

T – Test. Test your plan and system on a small scale, and check the results. If they aren’t profitable enough, tweak your system and test it again. Repeat this step until you get a result that meets your requirements.

A- Automate. Create systems that require little or none of your time to continue to carry out the necessary activities. NOTE: In MLM you will always need to be around to help your team until they are fully self sufficient. Therefore, automate as much as possible without losing the personal connection needed to build and lead your team.

L- Leverage. Simply put, do work in such a way that you do the work 1 time, and get paid for it over and over again. Or work such that you do something once and it is able to reach many people. Again ask yourself again, “How can I grow my MLM opportunity faster?” This includes things like doing training videos (instead of live trainings & presentations), teaching & training in large groups, and recruiting in such a way that you don’t have to do all of the ‘repetitious work’ every time.

If you implement the E.S.T.A.L. system into your business, you will reap the rewards of building you business properly, and the answer to the question of ‘How can I grow my MLM opportunity faster’ will become self evident.

For more tips, strategies, and successful MLM growth ideas- visit Derick Van Ness at his website http://www.250kmlm.com/. You can also order his free ebook: ‘6 Things You Have to Know Before Starting a Home Based Business’.

3 Shortcuts to MLM Success

Most everyone over the age of 18 has been approached by or joined an MLM (Multi Level Marketing) company at some point in your life. And many of us have joined them to have the financial abundance and time freedom that a Successful MLM Business can provide.

However, for those that succeed with their business opportunity, there are many that fail to find success. And even fewer find the shortcuts to MLM Success which can take years off of the learning curve for most people.

These MLM shortcuts to success are among the most important things that someone can know when joining their business opportunity or starting a home based business:

1) The first MLM success shortcut is to realize that when people join your business opportunity, they are buying YOU and your system, not the product. People will buy the product for it’s benefits, but if they join as a distributor, they are buying into ‘Brand YOU’. Simply put, people must believe in you before they will join your business.

2) The second shortcut to success with your MLM is to realize that it is NOT a lottery ticket. In other words, it’s going to take work and you won’t be rich by next Thursday. (You know that, right?) MLM opportunities are a business, and must be treated accordingly. This means you are going to have to grow, learn, and put in the time. You will be rewarded for these efforts, but like any good business, it takes a little longer than the lifespan of a turkey in November.

3) The last success shortcut is that you a plan (besides 3 way calls and the ‘3 foot rule’) and you must work your plan. You need this plan NOW- as in right away- so that you don’t waste 6 months before you get serious. This means that you have to decide on how you are going to meet the ‘right people’ and how to say the ‘right things’ on a consistent basis. This is because once Uncle Jim and Aunt Betty have joined your business, how are you going to continue to grow?

These MLM success shortcuts aren’t a secret, but they are very important. You must treat your business the same way that you would a restaurant or any other business.

You need to have a plan and a system, and you can’t rely on friends and family to continue to make money. You need to realize that it’s going to take time and effort, and you need to work your plan and enroll other people in helping to see it through to success!

As the saying goes, “The shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line.” The better your plan, the straighter the line; the better your system, the faster you can travel the line; and realizing that it takes work and preparation makes the line easier to traverse.

Begin with these shortcuts to MLM success in mind, and you’ll be on the right track!

For more tips, techniques, and free information on how to grow your MLM Opportunity rapidly, visit Derick’s website http://www.250kmlm.com/ or read his other articles online.

Until Next Time!

Derick Van Ness

A Successful Way to Grow a Huge MLM Downline

Hi...

This is an article that I recently published because I help Home Based Business Owners to grow their businesses. Enjoy!

Most people in MLM or Home Based Business Opportunities think that they are being taught a successful way to grow a huge MLM downline team, only to realize 6 months later that they were being deceived.

Fortunately, most often this deception comes because the people doing the teaching don’t truly know any successful way to grow a massive MLM downline, and are just repeating what they were taught by their upline.

This is a classic case of the ‘blind leading the blind’.

The good news is that there IS a cure this disillusionment and confusion. The answer to successfully growing this elusive ‘Huge MLM Downline’ lies in understanding how MLM companies work.

All the sign ups, meetings, and trainings in the world are great- but the fundamental basis for any successful business (home based or not) is SELLING PRODUCT! These product sales are what create the secure residual income- and that’s why people join an MLM or Home Based Business, isn’t it?

So a successful basis for a way to grow this huge MLM downline is to find people who actually need the PRODUCT first. If you use this approach, your prospects are much more receptive to you and your sales presentation. You don’t sell them on making a million dollars by next Wed, residual income, or any of the other ‘Traditional’ MLM buzz words. You actually sell them the product and let them be a customer first… Seems too simple right?

Here’s why it works:

1) If people use the product and it works, they become an undying believer. This means that they will stick with the product and probably use it forever- or at least longer than the typical 90 days the most MLM customers stick around.

2) Everyone is an opportunity seeker, but most people don’t want to sell a product or service that they don’t know about or use themselves. By recruiting them as a customer and ONLY talking about the business AFTER they love the product, you have overcome 99% of the hurdles you regularly face.

3) Because they know the product works, this type of business builders will talk to anyone and everyone about it. They will be a ‘die hard’ promoter, and are much more likely to sell a lot of product than someone who is only chasing the money.

4) Even if this type of recruit tries the business and fails, they will continue to use the product because it gives them value and benefit- whether he does the business opportunity or not! This means that your residual income is safe, and will continue to come in month after month.

So if you are seeking a proven and successful way to grow a huge or massive MLM downline, try sticking to the fundamentals. Sell the PRODUCT first, and show your customers the business after they’ve seen how great the product and company really are!

For more on how to grow your MLM Business or Opportunity, visit my website at: http://www.250kMLM.com

The Way of the Tao

Hi again!

I've been super busy with creating some new Internet & MLM Marketing systems lately, so I haven't had much of a chance to write.

However, I did run across a passage that I see as very appropriate for our times while re-reading my favorite book of all time The Tao Te Ching (Stephen Mitchell translation).

Currently the economy is influx (which is nearly always is depending on your perspective) and many people in the Real Estate and Banking worlds are suffering the results of some pretty crazy fall out. Inevitably, many of these people will find themselves down in the dumps because they either lose or change their jobs, make less money, or feel unsettled by all of the change surrounding them.

As I've said before- we all have pain brought into our lives, but the suffering is optional. Here is the passage that really caught my attention:

44

Fame or Integrity: which is more important?
Money or Happiness: which is more valuable?
Success or Failure: which is more destructive?

If you look to others for fulfillment,
you will never truly be fulfilled.
If your happiness depends on money,
you will never be happy with yourself.

Be content with what you have;
rejoice in the way things are.
When you realize that there is nothing lacking,
the whole world belongs to you.

Lao-tzu

If you haven't read or seen this book, I highly recommend it. I have given this book away countless times to people that I care about. I believe it will change your life in every aspect if you read it with an open heart.

Until Next time...
Derick Van Ness

Investing in You- Your Greatest Asset

Hi again!

It's been a few days, but life has been busy, busy, busy...

I'm still playing a little catch up from the 4th of July show that my hard drive put on last weekend- so that's kept my hands full.

Anyway, I've been spending a lot of time investing in myself lately because- if you weren't aware- I'm in the process of switching my business focus. It's partially a chosen switch, and partially forced upon me- both of which has it's advantages.

As a quick summary, I've been doing Real Estate Investing full time for the last 6 ish years. Single family Rentals, Buy-Fix-Sell, Lease Options, etc. were my main focus, and life was good.

However, in my search for what would really make me happy and fullfilled (as well as pay the bills), I realized that Real Estate was not in line with my Soul Purpose.

The problem with this was that I looked down, and I was wearing some very stylish 'Golden Handcuffs'. This meant that although I was ready to look at expanding my future in a different direction, the 6 figure income that I was enjoying would take time and efforts to replace...

This might have been something for me to drag on indefinitely, except that the real estate equivalent of "Hurrican Katrina" hit the real estate market about 12-18 months ago. This quickly allowed me to shed the illusion of the Golden Handcuffs and seek my next path to fortune and adventure.

This meant a new line of work, new skills, new adventures, and new challenges.

I was going to have to invest some time, energy, and resources to get my train rolling on a different track and in the direction of my next destination...

Which leads me to investing in yourself. Ask yourself... Do you invest in yourself? If so, do you do it often enough? If not, why?

To give you an idea, I've probably averaged spending between $10-20,000 per year investing in myself over the past 5 years. Does that stun you? It proabaly sounds crazy, right? If so, let me explain why I do it, and what it has meant in my life...

First of all, I love learning about things that interest or benefit me or my loved ones. I learned a long time ago that anything that I invest in myself- be it books, tapes, seminars, trainers, or other professionals or mentors- I get to keep for the REST OF MY LIFE.

I learned this concept from a friend and mentor of mine Eric Lofholm (http:www.ericlofholm.com)- he calls it the 'Baseline Stragety'. Basically he says that if you take your current skills, talents, and experience (everything that you bring to the table) that is your 'Baseline'. Now if you invest in yourself and get even 1% better at any of your existing attributes, you are now that 1% better than your original baseline allowed.

This might seem elementary, but what most people fail to realize is that the 1% isn't just 1% better. It might end up being 10%, 100% or even 1000% better over the course of your lifetime.

This is because that 1% might get you an extra relationship, or an extra sale, or anything- but what does that relationship or sale lead to over time? Do you get referalls- which lead to more referrals- which lead to more... You get the picture.

Or perhaps the commisson from that 1 sale. If you used it to do more advertising, or buy a book that leads to increased sales- which in turn lead to more sales, commissions, advertising, books, etc.

So what is that 1% really worth? And why aren't you adding more 1% skills into your life? The results are incredible!

In my life, just growing from these 1%, 5%, or even 10% increments (due to investing in myself) has lead to massive results. Those tens of thousands of dollars invested have yielded several million dollars in profits already... and I get to keep those skills for many more years! I can't even imagine what they'll be worth in dollars or quality of life...

This is all because someone once taught me that YOU are your greatest asset. Everything that you invest into yourself is with you for the rest of your life:

• Eat better- you'll have better health from here on out. llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll


• Communicate better- You'll have better business and personal relationships. llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll


• Educate yourself- you will be able to apply those concepts in EVERY situation for the rest of your life!

So what are you doing to increase the value of your #1 Asset? If nothing yet- let me make a suggestion or two...

-Try reading at least 2 books per year that would help you in areas that are important and interesting to you- Books on health, finances, and mindset are all excellent choices.

-Commit to attending 1 new seminar or class that will help you improve one of the skills or weaknesses that would prove valuable in your life... learn better computer or communcation skills. Try something to open up your awareness in areas that interest you! It's amazing how much is available to us, if we only learn to see it!

-Pick one skill per year and focus on mastering it. Learn to speak another language, how to cook or throw dinner parties, or even how to dance! (If Jerry Rice can do it, so can you!) These skills will exponentially contribute to the abundance and enjoyment of your life.

So think about it- make your list and check it twice. Be realistic about what you undertake and be sure to realize that it's tough in the beginning, but once you start seeing the fruits of your labors- it is a great addiction!

Here are a few books that have helped me- check them out:

Younger Next Year by Chris Crowley and M.D., Henry S. Lodge (Health)
Multiple Streams of Income by Robert Allen (Investing)
The Prosperity Paradigm by Steve D'Annunzio (Spiritual Prosperity)
Killing Sacred Cows by Garrett Gunderson (Finances and Wealth Creation)

Until Next Time!

Derick Van Ness

Moving Forward Through Discontent...

Hi again!

You may have noticed that I've been absent that last few days, and that's very nice of you to be paying such close attention. It kinda makes me feel 'special' in a non-'Special Olympics' sorta way...

Anyway, my brief disappearence into the void has been due to a small, not very percievable explosion within my very unappreciated (until recently) computer hard drive. Apparently my hard drive had made a deal with the devil because as of Saturday afternoon, it became officially 'corrupted'.

Well, as you can imagine, I was stunned and feeling very betrayed. After all... my lovely laptop and I have spend many wonderful, and excitement filled hours together in the last few years. For it to just stop working without even saying 'Goodbye' was disturbing to say the least.

Ok... so I've rambled enough about how suprised and caught off guard I was when my computer decided to stop working. This brings me to the point that I wanted to make tonight.

At the moment of the spontaneous combustion within my beloved companion, I stood at a crossroads... Should I freak out because the last 3 years of my life were locked within a silcone coffin, or should I choose the 'high road' and trust that everything truly happens for the best? I can tell you that my initial, panic stricken reaction was 'When did I last back my data up?'

But once I got past this initial 'Gulp' reaction, I realized that what happend next was up to me and my paradigm. This is where I was able to use one of the most powerful tools that has ever come into my life... the tool is what I call 'Recontextualization'.

Recontextualization means taking anything- good, bad, or ugly- and choosing to see it in it's most useful context. In otherwords, looking for the lesson, or silver lining, in everything that happens.

In my predicatment, I could have jumped ship and started screaming for help when my computer decided to revolt, or I could have looked for an opportunity to learn, grow, or improve from this apparent setback.

As it turns out, I passed the test and chose the latter.

After talking with my computer guy, I saw this as a chance to upgrade my nearly full hard drive, and reinstall my 2 1/2 year old windows operating system.

Granted, this meant a lot of extra work and toil, but it did offer a chance for a clean slate with my operating system, software downloads, and a chance to do some 'spring cleaning' on so many of the random things that had crept into my computer over the years.

So you see... it wasn't exactly the end of the world- Thankfully.

Now... what does this have to do with you and your precious life? Good question...

The answer is- how do you handle things when they don't go your way? Do you A) 'jump ship' immediatly and go into 'I need a straight jacket' mode? B) stick your head in the sand and hide from the issue? Or C) do you assess the situation and look for how you can learn, grow, or improve from this 'illusion' of a step backward?

If you chose 'C' then you're on the right track! Congratulations! (we'll have to throw a party later)

But for now, let's talk about why. You see... Life happens- plain and simple.

Sometimes it's good (see "winning the lottery") and sometimes not so good- but the truth is that 'what happens' is NOT nearly as important as how we view the 'happenings' and then take action.

Everyone has 'Good' and 'Bad' things happen... right? Even the super good looking, in shape, rich guy has 'Bad' stuff happen to him... The major difference is how we choose to view this happenings.

Are they 'The world beating us down?' or do you see them as chances to prove your greatness and an opportunity to improve and grow? Guess which point of view truly successful and wealthy people choose?

That's right. They Recontextualize the 'Bad' things to be necessary lessons that will allow them to grow and achieve even greater results in their life...

It's like a Father who makes his kids learn how to take care of themselves through doing homework, chores, etc. The kids see this as a terrible fate to be suffered in misery- but amazingly, they are greatful for the skills they aquired from these lessons once they are in the real world.

So which is it gonna be for you? Are you going to be the ungrateful, pouting child? Or the wide eyed, eager student?

The choice is yours...

Try recontextualizing the 'Bad' things that happen in your life in the next 30 days. Look for, and learn, the lessons that life is offering you- and see what happens!

Until next time!
Derick Van Ness

Decentralization Through Technology...

Tonight I wanted to briefly talk about what I see as one of the great turning points in the way that the world will develop.

Sure we've seen changes in the past, but this one is going to be HUGE! First we had the steam engine and the telephone, then the automobile, and now cell phones and the internet. Of course, unless you've been detained in some refugee camp or have been living in the stomach of a whale - Pinoccio Style- then you already know that technology has massively changed this little rock we live on.

What I'm seeing though, is a change in how and where people live in the near future. You see, most people live in large cities because of their job and ability to make a living right? Well, that is all about to change.

You see... because of my interest in Real Estate and in understanding how things develop over time, I've been looking at what MAY happen in the next 25 years. I look at things like the developement of Australia, and how Similar it looks to the develpment of the US about 100 years ago. Sydney would the the parallel to NYC with development streaming around the South end of the country- the way that the US develped through the great lakes region-- and way out west the little city of Perth is where Los Angeles would have been.

It's very interesting to look at pictures of LA and Orange County back in the 20's. Almost nothing existed! I've seen pictures of the peninsula that is now Newport Beach and there isn't a house to be seen... Pretty amazing, huh? Hmmm... maybe I should hurry and buy a bunch of beach front property on Australia's West Coast.

Anyway, this sort of thinking has made me realize that-- due to technology-- our country is soon going to see an influx of people moving to more remote or resort locations. Why, you ask? As I said before, most of us live where we do because of that invisible chain that ties us to our home away from home- AKA our ever endearing cubicle.

This invisible chain has existed for so long that most of us have stopped testing it, or in many unfortunate cases, have forgotten it even exists!

The good news is that our old friend the 'invisible chain' may actually disappear in the near future, and we probably won't even miss him! Yep, you heard me correctly. With the advancement in technology, we now have the means to do business right from home-- even if home happens to be 500 miles from the office. With cell phones and wireless broadband, it's no different than if you were working in the next room. (except for the water cooler banter and having to wear a dreaded tie every day).

Do you see what this opens up for those of us daring enough to 'Boldly go where no man has worked before'!? It allows us the freedom of working from our house- whether we live at the base of the Sierra Mountains or we've rented a cottage for the summer in Key West. It means no more traffic, smog, or unnecessary happy hour get togethers with the excitable group from Accounting.

It will mean aboslute freedom geographically!

This trend is already becoming prevalent with books such as The 4 Hour Work Week getting so much attention and leading the charge of this newly mobile or remote lifestyle.

So now comes the question... How will this trend work for you? Can you use it to live in a place or lifestyle that wouldn't have been possible just 15 years ago (when cell phones were either inside of briefcases, called 'bricks' or attached to a car).

The future is wide open and now is your chance to follow your calling...

Let me know what you want to do...

Where would you live? How would you work? What would you enjoy more of in your life?

Until next time... Cheers.

Derick Van Ness

"Be the Party"

Hi again.

Today I wanted to talk about something that has made a huge difference in my life during the last few years. This single understanding has - in fact - single handedly delivered every source of joy and success in my life.

I was thinking about this because I was recently read a book by Mike Dillard called Magnetic Sponsoring. This is an absolutely fantastic book written for the Network Marketing industry- but which transcends that field and relates to everything in life.

In the book he talks about how to make yourself "Magnetic" by having value to offer people, and by "Being" a leader 100%- or an "Alpha" as he calls it.

His philosophy is that by "Being" a leader who offers massive value to people- you will magnetically draw people to you like ants to a left over pizza crust.

He outlines how to do this from many different angels in the book, and I'd highly suggest you check it out. You can find it at: http://www.treasuremapmarketing.com/ It also comes with some great videos as a bonus.

Anyway, this book reminded me of how important it is the "Be" something before you can "Have" what you want...

Let me explain: Most of us want things, right? We want to have the dream house, or the ideal mate... We want to have many friends, and have money to travel the world while driving funny looking, neon colored, exotic cars.

This is the "Have" in what is termed "Be, Do, Have..." and I first saw thing in Robert Kiyosaki's book Rich Dad, Poor Dad.

I think you'll agree that most of us focus on the things we want to "Have". The problem lies in the fact that the only way to "Have" these things, is to "Do" the proper things to get them. Right?

So, to "Have" lots of friends, you probably need to "Do" things like inviting them out, meeting new people, throwing get togethers, etc. Pretty simple stuff, isn't it?

But where most of us are left scratching our heads is that we think, "I can't throw a party... that's not me." or "Meeting new people is scarier than Don King's hair... I can't do that!"

This is where our limitations come in, and we listen to the preconcieved notions we have about who we can "BE".

These ideas about who we can "BE" is the root of all success or failure.

You see, who we are "Being" directly effects what we are "Doing"- and what we "Do" gives us the results of what we "Have". The paradox is that most of us focus on the "Haves", but never get them... Do you see why?

I'll give you a personal example. When I was young and single, I used to go out dancing at bars, clubs, dance studios, etc. I enjoy meeting people and the good music, but I also REALLY wanted to "Have" a girlfriend. So I'd meet girls, go out on dates, etc. - but could never find any that worked out.

After nearly 5 years of being single, I was fed up. I'd had enough, and I was going to focus on me "Being the Party" - which translates into "I'm going to have fun, NO MATTER WHAT!" That way at least I'd "Be" happy- even if I was still a lonesome single.

Guess what happened?

Yep... a line of girls started forming at the door and I had more attention that I know how to handle.

Now I don't say this to brag- because that's not what it's about at all. What I'm saying is that by me "Being" the greatest version of myself at all times... I started "Doing" the things (ie- being the life of the party) that allowed me to "Have" what I had always desired- a girlfriend.

So once I stared "Being" the right kind of person- the rest came together faster than goldfish at feeding time. It was all about ME... Just "Being" the person (my attitude of 'Have fun NO MATTER WHAT') who "Did" the things (Dancing, joking, meeting new people, smiling, etc) that allowed me to "Have" the people that I wanted to date.

Now, I've probably gone so far down this road that I'm in a different state- but it's made ALL of the difference in my life- So I believe it is ULTRA IMPORANT.

To summarize, when I focus on "Who I am bringing to the table" in every situation, and do my very best to be the "Greatest Version of Myself" then the rest just falls into place.

It's not always easy, but it's ALWAYS worked out for the best.

So, today's questions is: "Who are you bringing to the table?" Is it the best "YOU" or not?

Try it for 14 days and watch the difference it makes!

Feel free to let me know how it goes...
~ Derick Van Ness

Why Do People 'Get Old'?

I went out Salsa Dancing last Friday night to celebrate the Birthday of one of my best friends! Good stuff!

I used to be a 'Dancing Machine' and go out nearly nightly, but I got out of the habit a few years ago when I had a snowboarding run in with a big, tough snowmobile...

I don't recommend it to anyone!

Anyway, I was enjoying the dancing & socializing, and it got me thinking about why people 'Get Old'. I've been blessed enough to stumble into some great social and exercize habits that have perpetuated my youthful energy level and friendships... But what about the average person?

I say that I'm fortunate because according to Dan Sulivan - the creator of an amazing entreprenuerial program called The Strategic Coach- people get old for 3 reasons:

1) They run out of money or financial stability
2) Their friends & family either pass away or leave them alone
3) They have no future plans, goals, or anything to look forward to...

Dan calls this last reason 'Not having a future that is bigger than your past'.

So how does this relate to Salsa Dancing at Mama Juana's? Well, I've realized that something like social dancing fulfills at least 2 of the 3 reasons that people 'Get Old'.

First, I am constantly inspired to become a better dancer, and am always looking forward to my chance to grow and improve. This gives me hope (however slight) that one day I'll be a great dancer and that keeps me excited.

Secondly, I am constantly meeting new people or strengthening bonds of friendship that I have already created. It's like 'Speed Dating' to music, but without all of the awkward questions and indigestion.

I can't think of a better way to get some exercize and meet other social, energetic people. And you know what? Most of them are very successful people in all areas of their life.

You see, people who go out and enjoy life in one particular area, also have a tendancy to let that carry over into all areas of their life. Shocking, huh?

So the question today is-- do you have habits that are going to allow you to WANT to stay alive and enjoy life? Or are you going to turn into one of those 'Crazy Old Men' that is anti-social and can't wait to die?

I'm serious... Are you gonna turn into the fun loving, optimistic Big Bird-- or the cranky Oscar the Grouch?

If you're serious about living out your years on fun filled 'Sesame Street' as a lovable version of 'Big Bird' here are a couple of suggestions:

- Find at least 2 activities or organizations that excite you, and join them. They will be a source of great friendships, activities, and meaning for you throughout life.

- Think of at least one really big idea that you'd love to support/achieve before it's your turn to play a harp and don that golden halo... and start chasing that dream whenever you get the chance.

- Make sure that you take time for yourself. This means not aways doing ONLY what the kids, spouse, or others want. Take time to do the things that YOU love because someday the kids will grow up, and you may have some time to yourself. How would it be to get excited about that time rather than shaking in your boots?

So which is it gonna be? Big Bird or the smelly Oscar the Grouch? The choice is yours!

Think about it and leave me your thoughts or suggestions for living a longer, fuller life... I'd love to hear them.

~ Derick Van Ness

NOTE: To find out more about the Strategic Coach Program go to: http://www.thestrategiccoach.com/

They have great learning tools ranging from simple books (which cost a few dollars) to year long programs that are more expensive. I highly recommend their materials.

Where Does Happiness Come From?

Happiness... it means a lot of things to a lot of people.

To some it's having a good job. To others, going on a date with that special someone... But where does happiness really come from?

I have given this a lot of thought during the many years of my life, and what I have come to discover is that happiness comes from a completely different place than I originally thought.

I think back through my childhood in good ole Sandy, Utah when happiness meant buying an ice cream cone at the gas station or riding my bike to go play Super Mario Brothers at the local grocery store.

Then as I grew, happiness meant having money to buy new cassette tapes, or going out on a date with the latest girl that made my tummy do somersaults. On other days it was watching sports with my Dad, or camping in the mountains and fishing some little beaver ponds...

Bottom line is that "Happiness" seemed to come from a lot of places. I didn't really give it much thought until my life stopped being so 'busy', and I had (way too much) time to really consider where happiness came from.

Truth be told, I was forced to figure it out because there came a point after college where I wasn't so happy. I'd moved away from College to 'Live the California Dream' in the SF Bay area during the .COM explosion. But instead of turning out like I had envisioned (Picture me living by the beach with my Mercedes, and owning a cutting edge .COM company) I found myself in a strange new place, with no friends, an old pickup truck, and no idea what I wanted to do with my life.

It was then that I began to learn where happiness truly comes from...

I found that all I really had was 'ME', and if I was going to be 'Happy' then it had to come from somewhere inside. Now that might sound a little idealistic, or like a bunch of 'Hair Brained Non-Sense'; but I've found it to be true over and over during the course of my life.

Simply put, Happiness is a choice.

Each day we wake up and decide if we are going to be grateful for all of the incredible things that we DO have in our lives-- or we can be 'Grouchy Smurf' and look at how terrible things are, or focus on what we WISH we had in our lives.

Let me give you an example: Almost every one of us wishes that we had more money, right? Even the super-duper wealthy guy (you know the one), wishes he had more money. And nearly everyone has at least one person who loves them dearly-- it could be your Mom, Dad, Children, Spouse, etc. And most of us spend time being healthy for portions of our lives but also suffer some sort of major health issue along the journey, right?

The point to all of this is essentially that we are all in the same boat. We all have dreams, we all have fears, we all wish we were more like 'Joe Blow' or 'Jane Doe'. We are all the same... we just vary in degree.

So why are some people so happy and others feel that happiness is only something that happens in movies and fairy tales?

It's the choice you make inside...

Are you acknowleding the amazing life that you are able to live? Or are you focusing on all of the things that you (falsely) believe you need in order to be happy?

In the end, it's all up to you. Think about it and make your choice... It will make all the difference in how you see the world-- and the best part is that you control it-- 100%!

~ Derick Van Ness

Are You Really Playing "Win - Win"?

I was thinking about this topic the other day as a friend of mine conveyed to me her disappoinment in the outcome of her dating situation. She was confiding in me that she was trying to play 'win - win' in order to have a happier, healthier relationship. She had the best of intentions, but things weren't turning out as she had hoped...

As we talked further it came as a shock to her that she was playing 'win - lose' in her relationship-- Correction, she was playing 'LOSE - win'. That means that she was letting the other person in her relationship get the 'win' but she was 'losing'.

Guess how that's working out?

I use this as an example because I see it all of the time-- in fact, I see it as one of the most common forms of delusion practiced in our highly delusional society.

Most of us are programed to see life a certain way. And although we hate to think of ourselves as these little 'robots' that run around predictably doing the same things over and over-- many of us are very close to that sort of consistancy... even if we are only consistent at being inconsistent.

For example, do you ever wonder how your significant other or best friend can finish your sentences? Or have you ever listened to yourself being interviewed? My experience has been that many of the answers, stories, or even jokes that come to mind are the same time after time. I kinda makes you wonder, right?

Well, that's a topic for another time, and what does picturing ourselves as little robots from some crazy Jetson's cartoon have to do with 'Win - Win'?

Well, I guess I'd better answer that before I've created a mutiny in only my 2nd blog...

So here it is... Playing 'Win - Win' and our perception of what that means, are already programmed into our smart little brains. This means that if you've thought you were playing 'Win - Win' but you've really been playing 'Lose - Win' or (the ever poplular version) 'Win - Lose' then you are doomed to repeat this process.

...Either that or you'll change once you've lost your self esteem, money, friendships, or anything else painful enough to make you re-evaluate your current state of 'playing with others'.

So how do you do this self examination? No, you don't need a microscope or one of those 'heart things' that your Dr. has around his neck...

You simply have to make a decision to stop running on auto pilot, and actually take the wheel of your drive through life. This means THINKING before you answer or act. This lost art of 'Thinkin' involves asking yourself- is this truly a 'Win' for me? Is this truly what the other person wants or what is best for them too? If the answer is 'No', then ask 'How can we make this the best of both worlds?'

I'll admit that this isn't easy, but it's much better than playing the victim the rest of your life. It's also reinforces the idea that YOUR feelings and needs are important too!

Yes, you heard me right. You matter! So keep that in mind, and stop fooling yourself into believing that giving others what THEY want- at YOUR expense- is a good thing.

It's NOT... because eventually you can't 'Give' any more, you can't even help yourself, and you've created people who are not pulling their own weight...

Think about it, be honest with yourself, and take the wheel!

~ Derick Van Ness

Intro and Context - Derick Van Ness

Hi.

As a first blog entry, I think it's important for me to set a few ground rules about this blog, why I'm doing this, and a few do's & don'ts.

First of all, I've finally broken down and let the maddening power of the internet get to me. I use the internet for so many areas of my life and (until now) haven't given back nearly as much as I have taken. That error is about to change.

You see, my life has been improved by many articles, blogs, advertisments, articles, references, etc. that I've read- so I want to be a part of helping others to succeed and find happiness.

I know that might sound a little hokie, but the truth is that I'm not exactly your ordinary cookie. I'm very 'normal' in a social sense, but as I grow and evolve, I've discovered that I'm becoming more of 'me' and less of what I 'percieved' the world wanted me to be...

Truth is, I've discoverd that the very bestest thing that I can be is 'ME' 100% and unabashedly- because it's what I do better than anyone else that's ever lived- and I've noticed that when I am completely 'ME' everything is better... you, me, us...

That said, I need to make a disclaimer here. I am going to promote things that I believe in, and recommend them without reservations. If it's made a positive difference in my life, you'll probably hear about it sooner or later.

Also, I want to encourage comments, questions, etc. but ask that they are done in a respectful way... I can agree to disagree, but am not in favor of random spewing of hatred, ignorace, or anything else that does nothing positive. Groovy?

So with that... let's head down this 'yellow brick road' of life and see if we can't pull back the curtain on a few of the mysteries that our adventurous journey has in store for us together.

Til next time...
~ Derick Van Ness