I’m going to ask you a very simple question and I want you to answer it as honestly and in as much detail as you can. Okay….are you ready for it? Here it is. How do you pick an apple?

I know….tough question right? So take a moment to think about it.

So what was your answer? Just for fun, let’s see how you measure up to the answers of others. The most common answer to this question would go something like this: Well, I stand under the tree. I reach out with my arm, open my hand, grasp the apple firmly and yank the apple downward. That my friend, is how I pick an apple!

So was that somewhere close to your answer or were you a bit more analytical in the exact same process? Maybe your answer wasn’t even anywhere close to the same. Maybe yours involved a longer process, the true process of picking an apple.

So here’s the correct way to pick an apple:

1. You pick a spot of land. Preferably on your own land.
2. You dig a hole.
3. You buy the tree.
4. You put the tree in the hole.
5. You water the tree.
6. You fertilize the tree.
7. You brace the tree up to protect it from the wind.
8. You put a fence around the tree to protect it from wildlife, such as Elk and Deer.
9. You spray it with chemicals to protect it from insects.
10. You trim the tree from time to time.
11. You then repeat steps 5 and 6, until one day, your tree finally produces apples.
12. You then, stand under your tree, reach out and pick the apple!

That, my friends, is the way to pick an apple! Would it have been easier if I had given you another question as an example, such as: How do you become wealthy? You don’t just reach out an grab the money. There is a process that comes before you “pick the apple”, or get the money.

So many people, in fact the majority of people, prefer to just simply “pick the apple.” They want someone else to take care of the “process” for them, which is exactly why most people will never get to pick the apple or become wealthy. You can’t just skip to the end. That’s a fairytale. Luckily, with modernization and grocery stores, we have people who take care of “process” so that we don’t technically have to pick the apple. That’s their way to create wealth and unfortunately, you can’t just pick up a box of wealth at the store like you can an apple. You must go through the process of creating wealth for yourself.

I teach others how to go through the process, but you must be willing to put in the time and effort before you can reap the reward. But, the process is proven….meaning, it works. I, along with thousands of others, have done it. It’s a lot like picking an apple, but with a few more steps along the way. If you can follow steps, bring a little creativity and a lot of ambition, you too can become wealthy!

This is going to be a topic of common sense that many of you are already aware of. But quite frankly, so many people lack common sense. What seems clear to one might be completely confusing to another.

Many of the terms we use in the English language are simply descriptions for the absence of something or the lack of something. These “terms” are ways to describe things that exist but are not tangible, yet, at times you can see them and feel them and at times these “terms”, if allowed to, can effect your thoughts. Now we all know that thoughts are energy and will eventually turn into action should the thought remain consistently.

Here’s an example: Darkness! It exists. You can see it and one might say that the darkness was so thick you could feel it. I think we would all agree that darkness can definitely effect ones thoughts and actions. I know full grown adults that still will not go out in the dark by themselves to take out the trash. It is something that generates that state if mind that we all know too well, it’s called fear. Darkness restricts movement, vision and ones ability to act normally. So what is darkness? Darkness is simply a term used to describe the absence of light. Light is the measurable factor here. Without it, there is darkness.

Another example: Debt! Debt definitely exists. You can see it in your life and we know that a significant amount of debt can effect ones thoughts and actions. In speaking with people about starting a home business, their main goal is to get out of debt. Debt instills fear in people. Fear of losing their home or not being able to make their bills. If it is bad debt, it restricts people in their ability to live a happy and fulfilled life. But what is debt? Debt is simply the absence of cash flow, or money! With money, debt doesn’t exist.

So here’s my point: A goal to get out of debt is a goal trying to get out of nothing. The real goal is to make money. So set that goal to the amount you desire. Getting out of debt is part of the process. Setting a goal to get out of debt is like saying, “Can you please take away the darkness?” We don’t say that! We just say, “Hey, can you turn on the lights?” The darkness goes away as part of the process.

You can’t take away the darkness without the proper actions and tools. You are required to get your butt up, walk to the switch, flip the switch on and have previously paid your electric bill. It works the same way with debt. Simply wanting to get out of debt won’t work. You’ve got to take the appropriate actions with the correct tools in order to fix your status of being in the “Absense of Money!”

If I can teach you anything, learn this one thing…debt is only the lack of money in your life. So instead of focusing on NOTHING (debt), focus on something. Focus on the things you want AFTER you have created the income that will, along the process, relieve you of the “absence of money.”

How many of you have seen the commercial about “freecreditreport.com?” I guess the better question would be, “How many of you have not seen it?” It’s a service that allows you to check your credit report for free. Awesome right!? You get to see how behaved you have been in the alternate universe of credit and what your borrowing ability is.

So answer this one question: Is your credit report important to you?

Let me make it easier for you. What is credit used for? Come on…this is easy. The answer is simple. It’s to get into more debt! See! I told you it would be an easy answer. You strive to have good credit so that you can get that new car and get into more debt. It’s used to leverage what little cash flow you have coming in so that you can afford that new car or the nice home, right?

Credit is used by 90-95% of the worlds population to get into debt and it’s funny, the answer to this question varies depending on the way you use money. So is that really what you were thinking? Is that your final answer? Do you maintain a good credit score to get into more debt?

Very few people look at a credit score as opportunity. A tool for leverage. Frankly, most people have no interest in looking at their credit score because quite frankly, it’s not too pretty! It’s not something they use correctly so they don’t see the value in maintaining it. At the same time, some people absolutely stress out about having a good credit score out of fear of non-compliance to the credit system. Having bad credit means they’re slackers and can’t handle their money.

Some people have no need for a good credit report because they have enough cash flow. Others have bad credit that know it’s value but took a risk and lost.

My advice with credit….don’t let it consume or dictate your choices. Don’t become so uptight about maintaining a good credit score that you lose site of your ambition. Use it to leverage your financial situation. For a very small portion of the masses, credit isn’t used to get into more debt. That’s not the mindset behind it. It’s used as leverage to create an increase in cash flow instead of a lengthened payment plan.

The last time I checked, the definition of credit didn’t contain the word “Stretch” in it. Meaning, don’t use it to stretch a small paycheck, use it to make the paycheck larger the next time it comes in!

Just as periods of time throughout history have been named for their accomplishments, such as the Ice Age and the Industrial Age. With the creation of the Internet and the ease of communication around the globe, today can honestly be considered the Information Age. Passing information from one person to the next or finding information on any conceivable subject is just a click of the button away. On top of the Encyclopedias, media, dictionaries and other sources of recorded facts and information, there are blogs full of the wisdom of millions of professionals in every different profession. It is literally impossible for someone with access to the internet to be ignorant, unless by choice.

All is good when it comes to learning right? But there is one principle that always stands true with everything: “To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction.” Everything has it’s opposite. Good and Bad, Right and Wrong. With all this accurate information readily available, it is sometimes difficult to decipher what is legitimate and what is not. With all the good information available, there is the opposite…..bad information.

I know you have all heard the phrase: “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet!” I know! You are reading this on the internet! You are and have always been entitled to your own opinion, and so is everyone else. That’s why what you read on the internet is not always fact, or as accurate as it should be. Between the self proclaimed guru’s and professionals out there, confusion can set in. Look at the Network Marketing industry. You can find good and bad on just about any company large enough to be on the map. Who do you believe? Is the information you are reading right now correct and true? Can you trust David Allred? How do you know that I am not filling your head full of crap right now?

Guys, there is a way to gain clarity and to decipher what’s right! I have always operated on a core set of principles. These principles are based on religion, common sense and my personal education. These core values are impenetrable. They remain as the source of sorting through all the misinformation out there. What seems right to Joe may not be right for John and what’s right for me is not right for you.

Here’s a prime example that I am sure many of you can relate to. Do you remember the movie “The Secret?” It was a huge phenomena that many people connected with and many people disagreed with. The Law of attraction is a true principle to me regardless to other people’s opinions. The part that didn’t sit well with me, was the fact that the “Universe” is the energy behind the law of attraction. Being religious, I know that is GOD. So instead of completely disagreeing with the entire documentary, I took what I knew to be true according to my core values and used it to my advantage. I left the rest. My core values are the pattern that I compare everything to. When they don’t measure up, they don’t hold weight.

My advice is this….don’t be confused about who you are. You know! All you are searching for are ways to add to the person you already are. Establish your core values, get some education on how things work, and add to that. The things that measure up, keep…and the things that don’t, leave. In fact, I am in a business opportunity of media. Positive media and Personal Education is the way to gain clarity on what these core operating values are. It all starts with a DVD called “Know for Yourself” and moves into a higher level of learning that will teach principles of success, value and surety.

If you knew how to gain clarity on every bit of information you become exposed to….whether accurate or not, would that be something that would benefit you? It has been priceless for me.

The one concept you must always remember when setting a true long term goal is…would you literally chop off your arm to achieve it? Would you “Burn your boats!” Is it something that means that much to you that you would sacrifice things that you currently have in your life to be able to obtain it? You must become emotionally attached to the outcome.

I think that the reason most people never ever actually get to live their dreams is the fact that they just don’t know how to see that far. Some common goals you might hear in others is the desire to get out of debt, replace their income, have a little extra money, become filthy stinking rich or just find a home business that works. In this business, most people set income goals. “I want to make $100,000 in the next 6 months. When I do that I will be rolling in success.” Great! That’s a good mark to hit, but what about the how, what and who of your goal. Meaning, HOW will you feel when you reach that goal, what will be different in your life when you do and who is going to be there to share this moment with you. When setting goals or visualizing your future self, people don’t really attach themselves emotionally to the outcome because they leave out the details. The big, fat,  juicy details are the ingredients that make these things real. The details are the things which inspire emotion and emotion inspires a solid connection.

It is a pretty simple concept. Think about the last time you caught whiff of a smell that reminded you of something you had experienced in the past. Whether it was a perfume, a fresh baked turkey, a nasty smell or a baked apple pie, that smell brought up a powerful emotion that triggered something in your brain that wanted to have whatever it was that you once had in the past.

As people, very little of the things we do are done in the absence of emotion. When shopping for the new home, the car, the LCD TV or the new girlfriend, they all involve a degree of emotion. The less emotion involved, the less desire there is to achieve the goal.

Most of the time, the ones who fail in business, relationships, hobbies or anything of this nature, it’s because they weren’t really emotionally attached to the outcome, they were only emotionally attached to the short term results. For example, in my business, I place advertisements throughout the internet and interview people who are looking to earn income from home. At times, everyone I interview fits the profile of who I am looking to mentor and at other times, nobody seems to fit the mold and I get nowhere that day. I could dwell on that, get depressed and possibly become stagnant in my business. That’s being attached to the short term results. But if I am emotionally attached to the outcome, the thing way up there that is an accumulation of all my short term results, then I have the willpower to carry on and move upward and onward.

So how do we emotionally attach ourselves to the outcome? It’s simple….it’s the BE-DO-HAVE concept. Become the person you want to be, you will then do the things that person does and have the things that person has. It’s all in the emotional connection…..the BIG FAT JUICY DETAILS. If you want that $100,000 income, what will that income provide for you, IN DETAIL. Okay, so you want a new Ferrari, what does it look like? Have you driven one yet? NO?! Why not? How does it feel, in my case, when the wind rushes across your bald head in that new convertible? Can you see the look on everyone’s face as you drive down the street? How does your wife look in the passenger seat? These are the things that connect you to your future self. The BEING.

Emotionally attached to the outcome

So here are some easy action steps to assist you in becoming emotionally connected to your outcome:

• First, set aside time every single day to visualize the outcome, not the short term results, but the outcome. Example: You don’t just want to get out of debt, you want to live in a 5 bedroom 4 bath cabin in Durango Colorado, have a Denali in your 4 car garage, a pair of snowmobiles and 5 acres of land to ride them on. Getting out of debt is a short term result of this vision for your future self.
• Get a taste of your future, a smell or something to connect you to it…something physical that inspires emotion. Example: Remember the smell example? Take a trip to Durango, rent some snow skis, tour a 5 bedroom home, take a deep breath while out amongst the pines. Make it real! These smells, the memories, they will all come back to you when you visualize and it will become real.
• Now just work in reverse. What must you do to make this happen? What are the short term results that will stack up on top of each other and ultimately land you right where you want to be?

The process of attaching yourself emotionally to your goals is simple and natural….but just like everything else, it requires immediate action!

One of the beauties of being self employed is your ability to literally dictate your schedule as the day goes. This weekend is going to be a busy weekend for all of us parents. Today happens to be my oldest daughters birthday and this morning, my second daughter received her very first award in her school today. It’s nice to have the freedom to just go. No approval from the boss, no worry over losing paid work hours….just the freedom to go and do.

Now as you all know, it is Halloween today and if you have a family, with children, your weekend is going to be busy. Get out with your kids. Be young again and dress up. Have a blast! But as I have always said, be your business. With what I do, I am able to integrate my business into my lifestyle. So just because I am off during the holidays doesn’t mean I’m not generating revenue. That’s the whole point of a home business. It integrates itself with your lifestyle. Some of my best days, weeks and months in my business have come when out having fun.

You become your business. You can’t really sell it to anyone. The only value given to it is what you give to it. Live your life and throw your business around it. If you are open and alert, marketing opportunities will be available to you almost anywhere you go and with nearly anything you do. Should you choose to jump on Facebook to see what your friends are up to, if you are your business, people will start asking questions. Should you choose to go to the store, if you are your business, conversations will start and people will ask what you do.

With a pocket full of business cards and drop cards, an open mind and a smile, opportunities to grow your home business are abundant. But you have to be looking. Once and entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur. In my opinion, if you are looking to get away from your business completely, the only option is to quit, sell it or get a job. The ones who are paid a wage can truly say, that when 6pm rolls around, they are OFF of work and don’t even have to think about it until the next morning the moment their alarm clock rings. With a business, it’s different. If it doesn’t consume you, within reason, you are probably getting mediocre results. The moment you allow yourself and your business mold together is the moment things start happening. That’s called passion.

So Happy Halloween everyone. As you are out tomorrow with your kids, look for opportunities. They will be everywhere!