Truth be told, Arnold Schwarzenegger became famous because of his muscles and his movies, and with three boys in the house we sure watched a lot of those. However, it’s not so much the muscles or the movies that impressed me about the man, but rather his immense wisdom. It’s no surprise that he knows the secrets to success.

I know people always make fun of his accent, because after all these years that he has been living in the United States it is still very strong. But behind that heavy Austrian accent is a very smart man, and a very successful man.  Not only in the world of sports or Hollywood but also in business and politics.

So I think you would agree with me when I say, when Arnold Schwarzenegger shares his secrets to success he speaks with authority.

While scouring YouTube for inspirational and motivational videos the other day I came across Arnold’s “Six Secrets to Success Speech.” In it he shares 6 rules that when followed will lead to success.  They are very simple, to the point, and I’m sure you’ve heard them before.

Without further ado here they are…

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Six Secrets to Success

1. Trust Yourself!

2. Break Some Rules!

3. Don’t Be Afraid to Fail!

4. Don’t Listen to Naysayers!

5. Work Your Butt Off!

6. Give Something Back!

I encourage you to watch this short 4 minute video and listen to what Arnold has to say in detail about each and every one of these secrets to success.

Was I correct in assuming that you have heard all this before?

Well, all this wisdom that was just shared with you doesn’t do you any good if you don’t act on it. One of my favorite quotes about taking action is this one by Mark Twain….

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things
that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.”

You only have ONE life to live. So listen to the little voice inside of you and trust your gut. If you want something go after it.

As Arnold says…”None of these rules work unless you do.” Take his six secrets to success to heart, work your butt off and you surely will see results.

To Your Massive Success!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

Related posts:

1. 10 Principles of Success [Infographic]

To answer that question first of course you will have to pinpoint exactly what you are afraid of.

In network marketing that could be a variety of things. For example: fear of rejection; fear of talking to strangers; fear of picking up that 500 pound phone and present your opportunity to somebody you don’t know, or worse somebody you do know well.

To tell you the truth, making cold calls has always been my weak spot. I don’t like it and I haven’t done it in years. Personally, I don’t think it’s a very effective way to be prospecting because even if you are a master at it, the people you bring on to your team most likely are not.

But even if you market your network marketing business online in social networks such as Facebook, or LinkedIn, eventually you will have to take the conversation offline and that means you will have to pick up that phone to follow up with people.

So how do you overcome that fear
and pick up that phone?

There’s really no other way around than to just do it. So get over it, pick up that phone, start dialing, take a deep breath, and start talking.

When you hang up, after the conversation, you will feel….”Oh, that wasn’t so bad. Actually, that was pretty fun.”

Little girl overcomes fear of first ski jump.

I came across this incredible video of this little 4th grader’s first ski jump. She is standing up on that ramp looking down at people way below her that seem like tiny little ants. Through positive self-talk she’s trying to overcome her fear.

She’s absolutely TERRIFIED! You can hear it in her breathing and you certainly can hear the trembling in her voice as she assures herself that she can do it.

And then suddenly she’s off. At first you can still hear that fear but half-way through the run, fear gives way to the excitement of the moment…and then jubilation sets in as she completes the run.

You’ve got to watch this!…

This is one brave little girl!!

I don’t know if I could have been as brave as her at 9 years old. Most likely not. I probably would have messed my bridges up on that ramp.

The reason I shared this is because this little girl gave a great example of how to overcome your fear.

Through positive self-talk, re-assuring yourself that you will be alright and that you CAN do it…and then just doing it.

No matter what our fears are, oftentimes they are all in our head. They are holding us back from what we could become. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to look back on my life someday and think, what if?

One thing’s for sure, I’ll be thinking about this brave little girl a lot. She’ll be my poster girl for overcoming my fears in the future.

To Your Massive Success!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

No related posts.

This piece of content is so powerful (in my humble opinion) that I wanted to share it with you in a special way.  Therefore I am not only sharing it with you here on my blog, I also made an Infographic that you can embed on your own blog if you like.

So, here we go…

10 Principles of Success

You have, right now, exactly what you want!

Life is a journey, not a destination. Make the most of every moment.

1.Investment
Give and You Will Receive. Get into the habit of giving more than you are paid for. If nothing else, give praise. Catch someone doing something right. What you invest in others will come back to you 3 fold in the future. Invest in yourself as well; you are worth it. Get into the mode of continuous learning and improving on the person you are today. Only then will you have the chance to be the person you want to be tomorrow. In business, you get paid two ways: one, in cash; two, in experience… Thake the experience first; the cash will come later. Remember the expression is give and take; not give or take.

2. Exclusion
Get Rid of What You Don’t Want to Make Room for What You Do Want. Who do you want to be? What positive traits do you want to acquire? Pattern yourself after the people who you admire. Declare war on the negatives, particularly, I can’t. Be an optimist. Do you really want to be a pessimist? State the problem. State the solution. And never, never, never mention the problem again. Only focus on achieving the solution.

3. Creation
Decide What You Want And Write It Down. Write down the 5 things the most important things you want to happen in the next month, the next year, the next 5 years. If you take all the people in the world, only 13% have any real goals at all; they are 5 times more successful than those who don’t.  3% of the people in the world take the time to write down their goals. They are 10 times more successful than those who have their goals only in their minds.. Most people fail because they never really set goals in the first place. If you don’t know where you are going any road will take you there. Purpose is the engine that powers our lives . Specific written goals are the tools that make purpose specific.

4. Visualization
Get a Clear Mental Picture; Fill It with Emotion; and Hold On to It With All Your Life. Whatever the mind of man can conceive, he or she can achieve.

5. Action
Do It Now! FEAR – False Education Appearing Real. Fear of rejection, fear of unknown, and also fear of success; Ultimately, our fear of the changes we have to make in ourselves will be what holds us back from our dreams. LUCK — Laboring Under Correct Knowledge. Once we know what to do, prepare for it, and start to do it, we begin to have what others call good luck. The best reason for doing the right thing today is tomorrow. So whatever you have to do, do it today. Timely, consistent hard work makes luck.

6. Faith
The substance to Things Hoped For; The Visualization and Belief in the Attainment of Your Desires. There is no substitute for the will to win and knowing that you can do it.

7. Command
Whatever You Speak Out of Your Mouth, Will Happen. Your mind is the most creative as well as the most destructive force in your life. A true story: A Russian railroad worker was trapped in a refrigerator car overnight. He wrote a final good-bye to his family as he started to shiver and get colder. They found him dead the next morning stiff as if he was frozen to death…only the refrigeration in the car was not working and there was no physical reason why he died. His mind convinced him he was freezing to death, and he died. The mind cannot tell the difference between real experiences and ones that are vividly and repeatedly imagined. So next time you say something mean, spiteful, rude, nasty, or destructive of yourself or someone else, ask yourself, is this what I really mean and want to happen? If not, then don’t say it.

8. Enthusiasm
Give Everything You’ve Got, To Everything You Do! Instill passion in every aspect of your life. It makes a huge difference in the outcome.

9. Self-Discipline
Do What Needs To Be Done, When It Has To Be Done, Whether You Like It Or Not. Be a master of detail and follow through.

10. Persistence
I Will…Until. Persistence will do what talent will not. Winston Churchill gave one of the greatest speeches of all time after World War 2. He said three words, three times and then exited the stage. The words were, “Never Give Up!” “Press on. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful individuals with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” Calvin Coolidge, President of the United States and repeated by Ray Kroc founder of McDonalds. You will hear the word NO 116,000 times in your lifetime. Keep going anyway. You only fail when you quit.

Summary of the 10 Principles of Success:

Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act upon, must inevitably come to be.

Maintain a total balance in your life…physical, family, financial, professional, recreational, social, spiritual, mental and educational. A well-balanced life is a joy and worth the living.

 –Author Unknown

Check out the Infographic….

If you would like to embed this infographic on your own blog just head over to Pinterest and grab the embed code.

I hope you liked this exceptional piece of wisdom as much as I do. Gosh I wish I knew who originally wrote so I could give proper credit. But for the life of me I don’t remember.

To Your Massive Success!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

Related posts:

1. The Terminator Shares His Six Secrets to Success

Most of you who are my regulars know how much I love quotes. I leave quotes everywhere. Here on my blog, in the comments I leave at my blogging friends’ blogs, on my Facebook Wall. Just everywhere I go I seem to leave a trail of quotes.

When I checked my first report at Tynt, a service I just recently installed that helps keep visitors on my site longer and improve my SEO, I found out that one of the most popular keyword phrases that people used to find my blog was “networking quotes.” (By the way, thanks to Adrienne Smith for writing a very informational post about this service….“How to Get Others to Build Your Links”)

I thought, wouldn’t that make an interesting topic? So, hence this post.

As network marketers we know that without networking and adding new people to our team on a continuous and consistent basis we have no business at all.

So I went out into cyber space and did a little research to find quotes about networking as well as network marketing quotes. And this is what I came up with ….

First some Quotes about Networking

• Robert Kiyosaki says, “The richest people in the world look for and build networks, everyone else looks for work.”
• “If you want to go somewhere, it is best to find someone who has already been there.” -Robert Kiyosaki
• “It’s all about people. It’s about networking and being nice to people and not burning any bridges.” -Mike Davidson
• “The bigger your rolodex, the bigger your business.” -Anonymous
• “The currency of real networking is not greed but generosity.” -Keith Ferrazzi
• “It isn’t just what you know, and it isn’t just who you know. It’s actually who you know, who knows you, and what you do for a living.” -Bob Burg, Best-selling Author of Endless Referrals and The Go Giver
• “Position yourself as a center of influence, the one who knows the movers and shakers. People will respond to that, and you’ll soon become what you project.” -Bob Burg
• “The successful networkers I know, the ones receiving tons of referrals and feeling truly happy about themselves, continually put the other person’s needs ahead of their own.” -Bob Burg
• “I like to define networking as cultivating mutually beneficial, give-and-take, win-win relationships… The end result may be to develop a large and diverse group of people who will gladly and continually refer a lot of business to us, while we do the same for them.” –Bob Burg
• “Networking is an essential part of building wealth.” -Armstrong Williams
• “A friendship founded on business is better than a business founded on friendship.” John D. Rockefeller

As network marketers we often run into doubters, dream stealers, yes even ridicule. So we need inspiration, encouragement, approval and assurance. We need those bigger than us strengthening us in our belief that we are in the right place doing the right thing for US.

And who better to listen to and look up to than those who are successful and have inspired millions before us.

So here are some
Network Marketing Quotes I came across…

Some of these I have quoted in blog posts, on my Facebook Page or on Twitter before.

• “Of all the entrepreneurial opportunities available today, one of the most important is direct selling, also called network marketing.” — Paul Zane Pilzer, Famous Economist and Best-selling Author
• “If I had to do it all over again, rather than build an old style type of business, I would have started building a network marketing business.” -Robert Kiyosaki, Investor, Entrepreneur and Best-selling Author.
• “Network marketing gives people the opportunity, with very low risk and very low financial commitment, to build their own income-generating asset and acquire great wealth.” -Robert Kiyosaki
• “Network marketing is the fastest growing business model in the world today.” -Robert Kiyosaki
• “If you are a person with big dreams and would love to support others in achieving their big dreams, then the network marketing business is definitely a business for you. You can start your business part-time at first and then as your business grows, you can help other people start their part-time business. This is a value worth having – a business and people who help others make their dreams come true.” -Robert Kiyosaki
• “Take responsibility for your finances or get used to taking orders for the rest of your life. You’re either a master of money or a slave to it. Your choice.” -Robert Kiyosaki
• “I am often asked if Network Marketing is a Pyramid Scheme. My reply is that corporations really are pyramid schemes. A corporation has only one person at the top, generally the CEO, and everyone else below.” -Donald Trump, American Business Magnate and Co-author of “Why We Want You To Be Rich”
• “Network marketing is based purely on relationship selling, which is the state of the art in selling today. Small and large companies throughout the country and the world are realizing that individuals selling to their friends and associates is the future of sales, because the critical element in buying is trust.” — Brian Tracy, Author and Motivational Speaker
• “No one lives long enough to learn everything they need to learn starting from scratch. To be successful, we absolutely, positively have to find people who have already paid the price to learn the things that we need to learn to achieve our goals.” -Brian Tracy
• “All successful people men and women are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.” -Brian Tracy
• “Nothing happens until somebody sells something.”  -Mary Kay Ash, Founder and CEO of Mary Kay Cosmetics
• “Success in this industry is not in finding the right person, but in becoming the right person.” –Dr. Forrest Shaklee, Founder of Shaklee
• “I would rather earn 1% off a 100 people’s efforts than 100% of my own efforts.”  -J. Paul Getty, American Industrialist
• “Every single successful entrepreneur I know has studied and accumulated information on their industry that is the equivalent of a Master`s or PHD”. ~Mike Dillard
• “Don’t let the opinions of the average man sway you. Dream, and he thinks you’re crazy. Succeed, and he thinks you’re lucky. Acquire wealth, and he thinks you’re greedy. Pay no attention. He simply doesn’t understand.” -Robert G. Allen, Businessman, Financial Writer, Real Estate Investor and Motivational Speaker
• “No matter what your product is, you are ultimately in the education business. Your customers need to be constantly educated about the many advantages of doing business with you, trained to use your products more effectively, and taught how to make never-ending improvements in their lives.” –Robert G. Allen
• “Take action every day. It doesn’t have to be dramatic action, but every day, stick with it. Spend time on things that make you proud, that stretch and strengthen you.” -Phillip Humbert
• “Win with your heart, not your head – win on emotion, not in logic; have a passion about what you do; nobody wants a boss , everybody wants a coach.” -Art Williams, Founder of Primerica Financial Services
• “Don’t wish things were easier, wish you were better.” –Jim Rohn
• “Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune”. _Jim Rohn

I hope these quotes about networking and network marketing soothed your network marketer’s soul and gave you the lift, inspiration, motivation and encouragement you need to keep going.

“Never give up!”

To your massive success!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

Related posts:

1. Who Are You Catering to in Your Network Marketing Business?
2. How do you overcome fear?

Since we are all different, success will mean different things to you and me. To some people success is just getting up in the morning. To others it means reaching the lifestyle of their dreams.

Success isn’t a destination. It’s a journey. It has peaks and valleys, twists and turns and yes, also the occasional road block.

Success needs planning. But before you can plan you need to know exactly what you want. That’s where the clear vision comes into play.

For the occasional speed bumps and roadblocks
I like to have my favorite success quotes handy.

Today I would like to share them with you starting with number 10 and counting down to my very favorite…

10. “Most people give up just when they’re about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game one foot from a winning touchdown.” _Ross Perot

9. “Success is tons of discipline.” ~Al Tomsik

8. “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” _Michael Jordan

7. “Every single successful entrepreneur I know has studied and accumulated information on their industry that is the equivalent of a Master`s or PHD”. ~Mike Dillard

6. “Success Starts With A Dream…Followed By Action.” ~Unknown

5.  “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” – Les Brown

4. “In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.” _Bill Cosby

3. “Success is steady progress toward one’s personal goals.” ~Jim Rohn

2. “The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.” Vince Lombardi

and my #1 favorite….

So there you have them, my top 10 favorite quotes about success.

One that reminds me almost daily to adjust my attitude is one I came up with myself.

“Success starts and ends in the mind. Period.”

It’s really true! Whatever mood you start your day with sets the tone for the whole entire day.

For example this morning my mood was pretty good when I got up. But then life set in at the Flood house. My youngest wanted to check his email and started to complain about the slow internet. The oldest got mad at the stuck door handle when he tried to leave for work. One thing led to another and within minutes I was in a bad mood.

Thinking that today was the day I needed to write a blog post I found myself in a real pickle. “How will I ever get something positive and inspiring down in that kind of mood”, I thought.

And then, wham, my quote popped in my mind ….”Success starts and ends in the mind. Period.”

I changed my attitude and look what happened.

To Your Massive Success!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

Related posts:

1. The Terminator Shares His Six Secrets to Success
2. 31 Killer Quotes about Networking and Network Marketing
3. 10 Principles of Success [Infographic]

Why are quotes so popular?

Well, for starters they inspire, motivate, encourage and empower us. They give us hope, they teach and at times they even make us laugh.

“Bessie Braddock (to Winston Churchill): Winston, you’re drunk. Churchill: Bessie, you’re ugly. But tomorrow I shall be sober.”

Sometimes they are the golden words of great leaders leaving behind their wisdom in just a few simple words. Other times they are the empowering and encouraging words of successful people we are looking up to.

Walk into any doctor or dentist’s office and most likely you will find some pictures with quotes hanging on the walls. My husband, who recently was called for jury duty even found quotes hanging on the walls of the court house.

Why?

Because people want to be surrounded by positive thoughts. With all the negativity around us we are clinging to those things that are positive, that give us hope, encourage us.

If you have a MLM home based business like I do, then you know, that there will be times when things don’t go smoothly. The road to success is paved with many obstacles and challenges. It takes courage, persistence and perseverance to stay the course.

Quotes are the perfect “motivational candy” I need to keep me going, keep me motivated and inspired when I hit a rough patch either in my personal life or in my business.

I would like to share 25 of my favorite motivational quotes with you.

Here they are in no particular order. It will be really hard to pick just 25…

1. “Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending”.  _Author Unknown
2. “You are today where your thoughts brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.” _James L. Allen
3. “GREAT stands for: Get Ready for Everything And Try.” _Author Unknown
4. “It is funny about life: if you refuse to accept anything but the very best you will very often get it.” _W. Somerset Maugham
5. “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” _Isaac Newton
6. “You don’t have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great.” _ Les Brown
7. “An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory.” _Friedrich Engels
8. “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” _Vince Lombardi
9. “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.” _Vincent T. Lombardi
10. “Do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.” _Thomas Huxley
11. “Minds are like parachutes, they work best when open.” _Author Unknown
12. “I Could Have Quit $10,000,000.00 ago.” _Dayle Maloney
13. “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” _Albert Einstein
14. “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it is the quiet voice at the end of the day, saying… “I will try again tomorrow.” _ Mary Anne Rademacher
15. “Sometimes in the winds of change we find our true direction.” _Author Unknown
16. “Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.” _Brian Tracy
17. “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” _Martin Luther King
18. “Success is something you attract by the person you become.” _Jim Rohn
19. “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” _Zig Ziglar
20. “It’s not where you start – it’s where you finish that counts.” _ Zig Ziglar
21. “The only thing that stands between a person and what they want from life is often the will to try it and the faith to believe it’s possible.” _Rich DeVos
22. “To begin is the most important part of any quest, and by far, the most courageous.” _ Plato
23. “The starting point of all achievement is desire. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, Just as a small amount of fire makes a small amount of heat. “ _Napoleon Hill
24. “If you can DREAM it, you can DO it.” _Walt Disney
25. “That’s why when people say, ‘Zig, motivation doesn’t last’ I say… ‘Bathing doesn’t either, that’s why I recommend it daily!” _Zig Ziglar

Like I said motivational quotes have become part of my daily routine.

I just simply love them and I love to share them with others.

Here are a couple of ways I do that…

I tweet them out to my followers on Twitter.

I share them with my friends on Facebook.

I add them to blog comments.

I send them out in greeting cards.

If you can come up with other ideas on how to share motivational quotes or if you would like to add your own favorites, I’d love to hear them. Please leave your thoughts in the comments below.

To Your Success…

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

P.S. If you liked this post, please don’t forget to share it with your followers on Twitter and Facebook.

P.P.S. For more motivational quotes please visit my friend Mavis Nong.

No related posts.

How Big is Your WHY?

When you started in your mlm home based business, one of the first things your sponsor probably told you was to establish “Your WHY,” the reason you are doing whatever it is you are doing. You’ve got to have the desire. You’ve got to have passion. You’ve got to dream and you’ve got to believe you can do it.

It is very important to find out what your “WHY” is, because there will be times when things get tough, when you get frustrated and discouraged. And if your “WHY” isn’t strong enough you might not have the drive to go through when things get rough.

If your “WHY” isn’t strong enough you also might never get started in the first place … which reminds me of a little story I heard not long ago.

The Story of the Howling Dog Sitting on the Porch

A salesman was going door to door in a neighborhood where just about on every porch there was a dog either sitting or just lying around enjoying the day.  They would all bark to greet him as the man walked by. But on this one particular porch there would be a dog just whimpering and whining and howling like he was in some sort of pain. Every time the man walked by that dog would just whine and howl and it just wouldn’t stop. He couldn’t figure out why it wouldn’t just bark like all the other dogs in the neighborhood.

So after a week curiosity got the better of him and he couldn’t stand it any longer. He walked up to the porch and knocked on the door.  An older gentleman opened and asked if he could help him. The man said, “Sir, is there something wrong with your dog?   Every time I come by here he’s just moaning and groaning, whimpering and whining. It’s been going on for an entire week. He should be barking like all the other dogs on the street, but all he does is just moaning and groaning. What’s wrong with him?

“Well, he’s actually sitting on a nail“, the owner replied.  Quite puzzled the salesman asked, “Why is he sitting on a nail and why doesn’t he just get off?”  The owner replied, “Well, it just doesn’t hurt him bad enough.”

A lot of us get caught up in that situation. We’re sitting on a nail, but it doesn’t hurt bad enough yet. Our situation doesn’t make us uncomfortable enough to do something about it. To change things. But if our “WHY” is strong enough and if we really want it with every fiber of our being, it will move us off of that nail and make us take action.

Think about “YOUR WHY”. Better yet, write it down. Studies show that if we are just thinking about something, we have a 50/50 chance of accomplishing whatever we think about. However if we think about it and then write it down it jumps up to 75%. If we think about it, write it down and then tell somebody else that jumps up to 85%. Pretty powerful, isn’t it? So make sure you write your “WHY” down.

Why did you get started in your mlm home based business?

Of course “YOUR WHY” would be unique to you, but here are some examples…

Maybe you would like to pay off your car? Pay off credit cards? Buy a new, larger house? Send your kids to college? Bring your spouse home to be with your children? Quit your job? Maybe you are about to lose your home to foreclosure and desperately need to make some extra money to keep it. Now that would definitely move you off of that nail, wouldn’t it?

If your WHY is big enough, powerful enough it will not only move you off of that nail, but it will also provide you with enough motivation to keep going when things get rough.

To Your Success!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

No related posts.

Latest Blog Post Makes It 100

…97…98…99…100! Here I Am 100 Blog Posts Later

I can’t believe I am writing my 100th blog post today. I started this blog back on 30 May 2009, right when I was going through one of the “down phases” of the network marketing roller coaster. (Yep, if you have been in the industry long enough you know there are ups and downs. However, the downs make the ups so much sweeter.)

By writing inspirational and motivating posts I was hoping that I could find my way up again, and maybe help inspire someone else to stay the course as well …if by chance they found my blog in the sea of millions of blogs out there, haha.

My very first blog post was “Marketing Out-Side-of-the-Box”

For the next six months nothing much really happened. I was lost out there in cyber space and nobody seemed to know that my blog even existed. My visitor count was so low that I could count the people who found my blog on one hand.

But in January 2010 all of a sudden that all changed drastically.

Somehow I found Jason Better’s blog. (You can read what happened next here, “Why You Should Surround Yourself With Successful People”.)

I hooked up with the “Better Bunch” and things started happening like magic. I posted more often. Made new friends by commenting on their blogs and replying to the comments on my own posts. (Something I didn’t know I needed to do. Duh!)

So here I am today writing my 100th blog post.

And because it would not have been possible without the people who inspired, motivated, encouraged, and supported me with their expertise, thoughts and comments I want to make sure I acknowledge them and thank them properly. Some of them have become very dear friends.

So here they are…(If you haven’t hooked up with these leaders yet, I strongly encourage you to do so.)

Susanna Hess, Twila Jacobs, Ken & Melisa West, Anne Theriault,  Ana Hoffman, Carla Gardiner, Susan Daniels, Jason Better, Dwayne Huggins,  Tommy DiPietro, Chris & Tragena Owen, Josh Garcia, Derek & Monique Alvarez, Jerome Ratliff, Marcus Baker, Mitchell Dillman, Wayne Vassell, Eric McMillan, Michael Cole, Wayne Wu, Fred Williams, Ryan Biddulph, Peter Fuller, Jonathan Sweeting, Soren Egstrup, James Hampton, Hector Cuevas, Murray Lunn, Adam Paudyal, Jose Lasa, Kimberly Castleberry, Carl, Joshua Black, Kirian Finn,  Robert Strong, Chris Bernardo, Mirdza, Richard Goutal, Michael Wilbraham, Mavis Nong, Slavik G….

Thank you so very much for sharing your wisdom with me and my readers. I truly appreciate you all and I value your friendships.  Without you, this post would probably never have been written. So, again thank you from the bottom of my heart ♥♥♥

You have inspired me in so many ways. You have brightened my days with your sometimes hilarious comments .  You taught me new tricks and helped me grow. And most of all I could always count on you to be there. ♥ Thanks!! ♥

So since my first blog post here on The Enlightened Networker I have made it to an even one hundred…

To the next 100 posts! Hope you continue the journey with me!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

Related posts:

1. Discover 21 Sure-Fire Blog Post Ideas to Beat Writer’s Block

Stepping Out Of Comfort Zone

You’ve probably heard MLM trainers before recommending that you should “step out of your comfort zone.” Well, I even mention it on a few of my blog posts here at The EnlightenedNetworker.

That’s great advice! But what if you are just not quite ready?

What if you don’t feel comfortable of stepping out of your comfort zone completely and do things you are just not ready for yet. That’s okay! We’ve all been there at one point or another. It’s all part of the growing process.

Don’t panic!

Instead of freezing and doing nothing at all try to just ‘stretch your comfort zone’ a little bit. It’s much better to grow a little than not growing at all.

Build on your small successes and then stretch it a little more.

You will find that with every little stretch your confidence builds a little more.

Success is a great confidence builder.

I remember a few years back when I was asked at an opportunity meeting by a corporate member of our company to get in front of the audience and give my testimonial.

Oh dear! If there would have been a hole in the ground I would have gladly jumped in to it. With every passing minute I was waiting for my turn to speak my palms got sweatier and my throat dryer. I was terrified.

“What if I get stuck and can’t find the right words?” Or, … “what if I accidently throw in some German words?” That sometimes happens when I’m nervous.

All kinds of thoughts were going through my head. (F.E.A.R – False Expectations Appearing Real.)

When I was called to go up there and speak, it took a whole two sentences and I was calm like an old pro. I wasn’t nervous at all anymore, didn’t get stuck, and as far as I could tell no German words slipped out either. At least nobody in the audience seemed to be confused about what I was saying. Everyone just looked at me and really listened. Which by the way, really made me feel good and gave me a lot of confidence.

I stepped wayyyy out of my comfort zone that day. Or should I say, I GOT stepped out?

But I am so glad it happened. I build on that success and started stretching my comfort zone on my own.

It’s important to celebrate our small accomplishments.

Every little step we accomplish on our way to success is cause for a celebration. It gives us more confidence.

Ralph Waldo Emerson says …“A mind once expanded can never shrink back to its original state.”

Substitute the word “mind” with “comfort zone” and the same holds true.

Once you expand your comfort zone, it will never shrink back to where it was.

Are you stepping out of your comfort zone? Or at least stretch it a little bit? Share your experiences with us in the comments below.

To your success,

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

P.S. If you found this post helpful, please share it with your friends. It’s easy to share on Twitter, Facebook or Digg using the buttons at the top.

Related posts:

1. Shake It Off and Take a Step UP – An Inspirational Story

You can’t finish if you never start.

A Chinese proverb says, “The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.”

Even the smallest accomplishment has great value.

How’s that?

Because it gets the ball rolling and it sets in motion a positive momentum. Once you begin to create value, you easily and naturally move toward creating even more value.

Get the ball rolling.

Once your ball is rolling … keep it rolling. Keep things moving. Things that don’t move are dead.

Have you ever tried to move a boulder?

It’s very hard isn’t it? It’s like moving dead weight. Well, because it IS dead weight. But once it’s moving it’s a lot easier to keep it moving, right?

So go ahead and start small. And if you’re not able to start small, then start tiny. But DO start.

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” ~Theodore Roosevelt

Sometimes people say, “I start when … I have the money.” Or, “I wait until … the kids are back in school.” Or, “I start when … (fill in the blank).” Or, whatever their excuse. And they never do start.

Don’t become one of them. There’s always something you can do. There’s always some small step forward you can take. That first, that second, that third tiny step of your journey of a thousand miles.

Move a little bit further forward and create a little bit of success… every single day!

See how great it feels. And just keep going.

Just for inspiration …Click here for “Favorite Zig Ziglar Quotes”

If you like this post, don’t forget to share it. And as always, please leave me your comments =)

No related posts.