Sometimes the train or path you are on was the right one at first, but it is not the train or path that will get you to your ultimate destination. Just like when I took a trip to Illinois from Virginia, the train I started on was not the train that got me to Chicago or my final destination. In fact I changed trains twice in order to get to my destination on the Illinois Wisconsin border. I got on the correct trains but they were only able to get me so far.
Likewise when we create our action plan for our goals and dreams the plan we start out with is the right plan for that time. As we work it we learn and we grow. Sometimes that plan will end in the achievement the plan was created for, but oftentimes our original plan will only take us so far. That happens because although what it takes to reach that goal or dream doesn't change, but often our understanding of what it will take to reach it does.
My dream of financial independence began at age 18. Each action plan I undertook gained me knowledge and experience. Each new venture gave me a better understanding of what needed to happen to reach the goal of financial independence. In the past I have always referred to these ventures as failures. Maybe its time to look at things in a different perspective.
I started this journey not living in poverty, but overly concerned with financial stability. We were not well off, we had to budget carefully, but we were not on welfare. The problem was my parents openly talked about their money troubles regularly, couple that with a low self worth and I lived in a poverty mindset. Each venture I took while teaching me valuable knowledge and skills was doomed to end simply because I continued to live in a poverty mindset. As a result that is what I continued to attract. I was not ready to have an abundant life because I was not ready to accept one.
It was not until this last year that I have come to understand the concept of mindset and how our thoughts create our environment. I lived in a negative and dark place. Every minor glitch was a huge mountain to climb. I am so thankful for Plexus products and the associations that have allowed me to change that. I felt better and because I decided to try once again for that dream of financial independence I started reading mindset books, surrounded myself with positive and encouraging people and learned to make new connections. In short I began to change the view I had of myself and what I deserved or could have in my life. I finally began to prepare myself to accept an abundant life 28 years after I birthed the dream of financial independence.
A couple of months ago I started feeling that I was missing something. I felt stuck. As much as I liked Plexus and its compensation plan I began to feel that I wasn't quite connecting. At first I thought I was looking for a better support and training system, but you know what with my mastermind groups and my 28 years of direct sales experience however hit and miss it was, I has all the knowledge I needed to be successful and new what to do and enough positive encouraging people in my life to have a cheering squad.
In spite of the great Plexus products, something began to click. One of the mastermind groups I visited told me my best customers would be the lowest hanging fruit on the tree. The problem was I wasn't hanging around people that wanted nutritional products. I found myself trying to find customers and team members in groups of people I wasn't necessarily comfortable with. My husband cemented this concept as he told me about his experiences in his job and people he could do business with in the short term but not the long term. When I began to look at other opportunities not only did he urge me to research the company but find out if I would be comfortable with the type of people who would buy the products and the type of people who would become team members.
At first I began looking at well established companies represented in my referral group. I was really interested in one until I started hearing some things I really didn't like. Then I decided to do something really risky. I looked up new opportunities. There were 5 that looked promising because they offered unique concepts or products I liked. I eliminated two right away leaving 3. One of them I liked the product but realized there was part of the marketing of the product I just couldn't get into. That left two companies that I contacted. I would like to say that I chose the company that I did because it was the first to email me, but its not true. I started talking to people about the two companies and the products they offered. One I really loved the concept behind the products and the causes they supported, but it was pointed out to me just how hard this great concept would be to sell. The other company offered early education products. As a homeschool mom and someone who was raised around education I started to realize that this just might be my opportunity at the right time. I did the research, asked the questions and found that these products were the kind of products that the people I would be comfortable around would be interested. I saw the potential and the need and became very excited. I signed up with this company last Monday as the 137th active consultant nationwide.
As I prepare to launch this new venture I have already discovered amazing things. I have already had more positive responses and inquiries not to mention contacts in the last three days than I did in a year of any other company I have worked with. I do not have the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that I might fail at this one. As I talk with people and begin to set up events I can share my product and company at, contact people who have already expressed an interest in it and soak in every bit of training and information I can on my new venture, and answer question about the products and company as they come, I am realizing just how 28 years of experience and effort just might help me become a so called overnight success this time. My destination has never changed, but each new vehicle I have tried has gotten me much closer than I was when I started. I am looking forward to what this journey will bring instead of fear that my final destination will never materialize.
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