The Inspired Career

I have always been of the mindset that there is a silver lining to every negative circumstance or challenge that arises in one's life. With all the negative media around the economy and escalating unemployment a person may question such logic, but here too I believe a silver lining exists. The loss of so many jobs and the tragic repercussions that resulted in foreclosures, loss of retirement funds and savings has served as a wake-up call to many. I don't want to seem insensitive to those that have suffered such loss as I understand their pain having been there myself. I have lost homes, cars, investments, jobs and about anything else attributable to a life of abundance and security. What that has taught me is three things:

* The only important things in life are your relationships and loved ones
* The bottom isn't that scary and life still goes on
* The only person that truly has accountability for your circumstances is you

I think the first two lessons above speak for themselves and I feel that most people would agree with them regardless of whether they have been tested or not. The third lesson regarding accountability is an important one and most relevant to my topic of entrepreneurship.

Too many of us seek employment with a company for the sole purpose of having security. We want to earn a steady and reliable income, receive benefits and know that our expenses will be taken care of by that income. If today's economy has taught us anything, it is how false this sense of security can be. When we work for other people or companies, we give up control of our own income and rely upon others to value our worth and work. I am not suggesting that anyone quit their job, but I am suggesting that they recognize the insecurity and dependence they represent.

The importance of entrepreneurship is that it provides accountability and control of one's own security, time and abundance. Owning a business provides just that, "ownership," and so you steer the ship and can build something that has lasting worth and value that can be passed down to younger generations. Entrepreneurs work hard but have the flexibility to manage their work around their life and not the other way around. Entrepreneurs have no cap on their income potential and can create unlimited abundance.

I know many of the naysayers will point to business failures and sad stories of entrepreneurs that went bankrupt and it is true that many businesses fail, but these pale in comparison to those who lose jobs as well as the success stories of those entrepreneurs who have built the backbone of our economy (small business attributes for 99.7 of all businesses in our economy). Another common mistake is to assume that all entrepreneurship endeavors involve great risk and mounds of capital.

A growing trend today and one I highly suggest is to start a network marketing business. These businesses offer much of the same benefits as true "brick and mortar" businesses offer without all the capital and overhead necessary to start. Before I get tarred and feathered for suggesting such a thing as network marketing let me explain some of the changes this industry has undergone.

Network marketing for most people is a signal to run and stay away from friends and family who have desperately tried to recruit them into such endeavors. Throughout the years many network companies have had very good products, but the poor marketing strategy and lack of support for those who began these independent distributorships has lead to high drop-off rates, frustration by those who joined and a bad reputation by both the entrepreneur and network they aimlessly pursued.

Today, the internet has provided both an affordable and practical means of marketing a network marketing business. Real marketing strategies can be applied to reach millions of interested prospects and customers rather than aimlessly pursuing friends and family that are neither interested nor qualified. Value marketing or Attraction marketing principles that have long been used in traditional business are now being used in network marketing.

The support of many network companies is still questionable and the tactics they promote in my opinion are still antiquated. This doesn't mean that real marketing strategies and step-by-step support doesn't exist outside of the company. It does and one such support network for the industry is Renegade Marketing. This in my opinion is one of the best sources of information and marketing support available for network marketers. You can learn more about this at www.theinspiredcareer.marketingmerge.com/guide

Network marketing businesses offer the following advantages and more:

* Low minimal investment
* Low or no overhead (work from home)
* Require minimal time and use leverage to grow
* Can be started while employed at a job
* Teach personal development and communication skills
* Use real and affordable marketing methods
* Allow same tax benefits as "brick and mortar" businesses
* Multitude of products and companies that can match your interests
* Unlimited income opportunity
* Residual income - Make money while you sleep!

Everyone should be an entrepreneur as very few create abundance in their lives by working for others. Take a baby-step into entrepreneurship by starting a network marketing business and grow that business through real marketing practices by using the Renegade System at www.theinspiredcareer.marketingmerge.com/guide

As the 2008 Olympic Games have closed, I look back at the many wonderful memories and achievements exhibited by the various athletes from around the world. So many wonderful stories, challenges and triumphs to speak of it is hard to single out any one.

Certainly Michael Phelps stole the show with his eight gold medals and spectacular swimming exhibition, but Dara Torres, Natalie du Toit and Yang Wei amongst many others added to this world show with their remarkable stories and accomplishments.
How do these athletes achieve such remarkable outcomes? How do they overcome great obstacles? What makes them Olympic athletes and the world's best?

Certainly these questions could be answered with the usual explanations of dedication, training, commitment, perseverance and even genetics. These answers, although certainly attributable to their success would only tell a part of the story that makes these individual athletes the best. I believe that the greatest learning that can come from the remarkable achievements of these athletes is the clarity and vision of their dream that had to be in place prior to any one of them achieving their success. I am quite sure many of the Olympic athletes visualized themselves competing in China and many more saw themselves on that podium accepting the medal and hearing their country's anthem.

The law of attraction states; "that which you place your focus and attention on you attract." Such a simple law, but also powerful and absolute. To doubt this law is to fail to see it in action in so many circumstances and the Olympic Games in my opinion seemed to be a proving ground for it.

We hear statements such as "I have dreamt of this moment all my life" or "I visualized my routine" and we pass it off like a cliché. How true these words ring though and how powerful they could be if we only recognized the meaning behind them. Visualization, clarity and a strong desire of something are the building blocks for materialization of those wants. This truth has been known for centuries but only recently gained notoriety and popularity with the success of "The Secret."

"The reason visualization is so powerful is because as you create pictures in your mind of seeing yourself with what it is you want, you are generating thoughts and feelings of having it now. Visualization is simply powerfully focused thought in pictures, and it causes equally powerful feelings."
Rhonda Byrne - Author of "The Secret"

So there are powerful lessons to learn from our Olympic heroes and I express my own gratitude for their powerful demonstration of The Law of Attraction. We all possess the ability to create our own triumphs, but the work starts with vision and clarity.

Spend some time writing down your visions and dreams with as much detail and clarity as you can. Each day spend at least 15 minutes focusing on that vision and feeling what it will be like to achieve it. Have the clarity and vision of your dreams and focus positive thoughts consistently towards their attainment and the universe will deliver it to you every time.