In 2004, my wife and I were so broke it wasn’t funny.
We had NO savings, I didn’t have a steady paying job. 100% commissioned. She wasn’t working.
Sometimes I would come home with $200 dollar paychecks..for 2 weeks.
We made about $18,000 in 2004.
I still get emotional about this time in my life even as I write this post.
My heart gets heavy every single time.
Anyhow, back to the story..
A friend of mine told me about a government program that helped you
Out with groceries, diapers, etc.. (not welfare or foodstamps)
We’d be able to save money on other things because the government
Would be able to pay our bills for us.
I was clueless as to what this entailed. All I heard was some program where
You got free groceries and diapers from the store.
After applying to for this program, I thought to myself. “There has to be a catch.
There is NO WAY that we are getting this stuff for FREE.”
However, I was fine with the idea for the time being.
Our first trip to the store was interesting. I started throwing in all kinds of stuff
Into the basket thinking that I was on some kind of shopping spree.
My wife stopped me and said that we could only get certain brands, certain
Types of groceries, etc..
I was shocked. I was upset.
When we finally got to the check-out line, I asked my wife “so, where’s the money that they
Gave you?”
It was at that time, she reached in her purse and pulled out this gigantic pink
Brochure type booklet. I was wondering.. “What the heck is she doing?” as I nervously
Looked around to see peoples expressions.
I tried hiding what my wife was holding because it was a symbol to everyone in
Line that I was getting government assistance.
Now, let me say..
I have nothing against government assistance. Nor, do I have anything
against people who are on those types of programs.
I was just in shock because I was taught by my parents to
never, ever take handouts…especially Government ones.
It all hit me in an instant what type of situation I had allowed my wife and I to be
In. When we got into the car in the parking lot, I looked at my wife with tears
In my eyes when I told her, “we can’t do this..I can’t do this”.
She just nodded her head in agreement, filled with emotion as her eyes welled up with tears too.
She was a few months pregnant with our second child.
At that moment, I took that pink brochure / card and tore it up. We made a decision
That night that we would not take part in anything of that nature.
Some people would say that I was over reacting and being irresponsible as a
Husband and father.
Others (who I really look up to as entrepreneurs) were proud of me
And congratulated me in taking the first step to being financially independent.
I share this story because it weighed heavy on my heart as I stood in that same
Grocery store tonight behind a young couple who looked like they were going
Through the same situation as I was just a few short years ago.
I felt like reaching out to the young father and putting my hand on his shoulder
Telling him that if he rips up that card in the parking lot things will be
Different. Truth is, I don’t know if that will really be the story.
I don’t know if that young man will have the guts to take a stand
and have the courage to be financially independent.
If someone would have showed me where I would end up a few years
down the road if I decided to NEVER be “mentally broke”,
my mindset would have very different through the whole
journey. All my mentors TOLD me that I would arrive at my destination
if I took all the right steps (like that one) through the course.
If someone could’ve showed me what my journey would look like
before I hit the six figure income level, I probably would have
freaked out. It was a tough ride.
It will probably be a tough ride for you too.
I hope your ride isn’t as crazy as mine was but I sure hope it is
as exciting as mine was.
What’s funny was once you get to the $100K mark in MLM, you
aren’t willing to settle there. You always look at ways to get
you to the $1,000,000 level next.
In conclusion, I will say that each and every one of you
reading this post have the absolute power to change your life
and everything in it IF..and only IF you are willing to have a lot
of courage and guts to take a stand.
Just because you aren’t making as much money in MLM
as you’d like, don’t stop.
Just because you aren’t where you’d like to be in life,
don’t just give up. That’s too easy. No guts required there.
That’s the stupidest (excuse the wording) thing I’ve ever seen.
When people give up because they got a few or a hundred “NO’s”.
To think that they are letting others dictate their future just
boggles my brain.
Misery loves company. When I see people give up, it breaks my heart
but I can’t take that experience away from them. Some people need
to feel the bottom before they get hungry for the top.
Some people need to feel the bottom a couple or few times before
they start realizing that rock bottom isn’t any fun.
I can’t take that blessing and opportunity away from people.
I think of it as a gift. Of course I’d like to see everyone prosper
but I don’t know if that person is really willing to pay the price
like I was.
Never let yourself go broke mentally. It’s just not worth it.
So my challenge to you today is:
Do something that you have always known you’ve wanted
to do. Make sure this places you closer on your journey to
being successful in this business.
It might be something small like getting a savings account.
Maybe making that call to that person you haven’t called yet.
Maybe it’s getting that t-shirt or pair of jeans that makes
you look and feel like a million bucks when you wear it.
Success actually comes in an instant. All you need to do is decide
right now! Decide that you are a success starting right
now! Don’t talk it…do it! KILL IT!!!!
-ec