by Tiffany | Feb 11, 2015 | Blog, Featured, Success
There is nothing more influential to your success, your sales, your income, your business, your relationships, your health, than that of the attitude that you’re carrying with you in life. I want you to consider this concept by Stephen Covey where he says, “We see the world as the way that we are, not the way that it necessarily is.” Your attitude, in essence, is this concept of seeing through, say, a lens, right? Let’s say you’re wearing a sweet pair of shades. You’re going to see life a little differently with the lens that you’re seeing them through. Now consider, what if you were wearing shades that were zebra print, or pink, or orange, or hot fuchsia? That would definitely color the way that you’re seeing and playing life. I want you to become aware that the way you’re seeing things is definitely shaping the life, the results, and the outcome that you’re experiencing.
One of my favorite quotes comes from Albert Einstein, where he says, “The most important decision that we ever make as human beings is: Do I live in a hostile Universe or a friendly Universe?” In other words, is life working in your favor, or is life working against you and out to get you? I know it sounds like such a simple thing, but it’s monumental to the life and the results that you’re creating.
Now here’s the thing – It’s a choice.
Your attitude is a choice.
It’s a decision.
It isn’t something that you just were born with, like blue eyes, or brown, or green eyes. It’s something that you have a choice to – that you get to shape and you get to influence. So I invite you to consider that. What is your chosen belief and chosen attitude? I know for myself, a few years ago I made up my mind to believe, consciously, I made the choice to believe that life is always working for my highest good, my highest favor. Now can I prove that? Absolutely not. However, what kind of results do you think I always keep creating if I choose to have the lens that life’s always working out for me? Even when I go through the tough stuff, the heartbreak, the challenge, the mishap, something that doesn’t work out, a disappointment – like the rest of you – all of those things I go through too, yet because I choose to believe that life is working in my favor, I can always find the lesson, the nugget, the silver lining or in my life, seeing how God’s hand has been directing me.
I love the scripture in Romans 8:28 that says, “All things work together for your good, for those that love God.” Now however you hold this space for God, Source, the Universe, Life, I don’t care what title you use – but that Higher Power in your life of choosing to believe and to trust that it is working out for you favorably. Now again, that’s a choice and a decision.
A couple of years ago I went through a mentoring program with Jack Canfield. It was a powerful, very influential experience in my life. He’s a dear friend and mentor. And he exposed me to one of the most powerful, profound life formulas I’ve ever read, listened to, or been taught. And it’s simply this: E + R equals O. I’ll show it to you. Pretty simple: the E stands for event, the R stands for response, and O stands for outcome.
Event + Response = Outcome
See, we all have a variety of different events all the time. There are small things to big things, right? Things that we perceive as positive, perceive as negative. Things that we are ecstatic with joy over, and things that break our hearts, and a lot of life in between all of that. But you always have the power to choose how you respond, right? This is where the power center comes in for you, is right here – is saying, “Okay, here’s the event, here’s my chosen response, now here’s the outcome.”
Years ago there was this Lexus dealership in southern California and they hit into some pretty challenging times in terms of economics. What that challenging economic time provided for that sales team was to get creative, to dig deep. They started driving out their cars to country clubs and high-end hotels, and more and more people started driving their cars. Now what happens when you drive a new car? Even if you have a nice car, when you drive that new car, you start to have that experience where you are now attached and wanting your own new car. Their sales went up significantly, even more than what they had done prior to the economic downturn. So what did that event create for them? They had to choose to respond. Now could they sit around the coffee break room and complain and whine about the challenges they were facing? Sure, and maybe they did at some point. But they ultimately got creative and innovative to dig deep to respond to the event they were up against to shape their outcome.
This is true for you, for me, for every one of us on this planet. What I love about the studies that are coming forward in personal development and spiritual psychology is we’re studying more and more about happiness. Sometimes you might be thinking the thought that “once I’m successful, then I’ll be happy,” where ironically, you’ve got to flip those. Because what we find is that people who are happy tend to create more and more success.
So I invite you to become aware, a conscious decision, today, that says this, “I choose to be happy. I choose to believe that life is working in my favor. I choose to show up with passion and life and enthusiasm.” You have that choice. It’s yours to make.
Thanks so much for reading – tune in next week for my next segment.
Was this valuable?
Feel free to share it with your friends and networks.
Cheering you on!
Tiffany Peterson
by Tiffany | Aug 20, 2013 | Relationships, Strategy, Success
Whether you’re attending a local one hour networking meeting to a full blown multi-day convention, attending live events is one of the best and quickest ways to grow your own business.
Networking meetings and live seminars are great for two obvious reasons:
- The seminar you’re attending is great for learning and growth.
- The event you’re attending has other like minded, growth oriented people there to network with.
Although I too love social media and connecting online, there is nothing like meeting in person. It gives people the opportunity to connect and get a sense of someone quickly – which in turn can build trust and rapport faster than any other option.
I personally commit to attending a minimum of two events per year (many times more) for my own personal and professional growth. I plan for it and budget it in knowing that the investment in me is often returned ten fold. I invite you to do the same.
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”
– Benjamin Franklin
Per today’s Success Tip, I want to share with you a handful of strategies that can help you maximize your time and investment at the live events or meetings that you’re attending.
When applied, these strategies can create new business, sales, and income.
TIP #1: Do THIS Before You Go! The most popular phrase used when referring to networking is this: The fortune is in the follow up. It’s a cute phrase, but it’s also said so often because it’s true! Now, we already know this, right? But the challenge is doing it. So before you go, schedule time blocks into your calendar dedicated to “event follow up”. I find that already having it in my schedule – a planned priority – sets me up to succeed and it will do the same things for you too. See, when we get back from an event there is laundry and emails and all sorts of things to catch up on alongside of our already busy lives. We have the best of intentions to follow up, yet often those intentions and new warm business cards become dusty and stale underneath the busyness of life awaiting our return. “Success is scheduled” is a truer than true success strategy.
- When is your next live event or networking meeting?
- Grab your calendar now and schedule your follow up time in the days following it so it’s already there!
TIP #2: Know Your 15 Second Commercial. The most popular question you will be asked at your next live event, seminar, or networking meeting will be, “what do you do?” Plan on it. When it comes to sharing what you do, think of sharing the outcome or benefits that your product or service provides. I often share this phrase in my sales training, “Sell the Destination, not the Airplane.” People are buying destinations, not the airplane itself, make sense? Focus on what they get and receive. Create a powerful one or two line statement about what you do for others – their outcome in working with you. List out benefits and outcomes people experience and then utilize those in your sharing. Another way to think of this is every time someone asks you, “what do you do?” pretend they’ve really just asked you, “how do you help others?” By responding how we help others thrive and succeed we keep the spotlight on what we do for them. Keep it short and sweet – remember that we’re just wanting to engage, not overwhelm them with our entire story.
TIP #3: The Power of Intention. In showing up to any event, hold the intention or say a prayer to be of service to the people you will meet. I have had many cool “coincidences” of meeting just the right person that I can help or that can help me with having this mindset. All too often people see networking as “what can I get” yet the adage of show up to serve to focus on “what can I give” makes what Larry Benet, Networking Expert calls a VC – Value Creator. When you’re focused on adding value to people’s lives, you will have an abundance of opportunities and plenty of sales as you provide solutions for others. Whether it’s called prayer or intention in your world, draw upon it to help set the framework of how you’ll show up at the next event you attend…and watch the magic happen.
TIP #4: Increase Retention. All too often we attend a fabulous and inspiring seminar and take detailed notes, only to never see the notes again. To increase your retention, take even 5 minutes before going to bed that night to review your notes. This simply activity significantly increases your retention and therefore, odds of success by applying it. I find that especially if I’m attending a multi-day event, I plan to have a 15 minute evening review to maximize the investment I’ve made to be at that event. To go the extra mile, I like to review those notes once a week during personal study time over the following 30 days. Remember that success is scheduled? If remembering to review is challenging for you, put it in your schedule as a reminder to help you get the value and learning you went for.
TIP #5: Carry Blank Cards. Receiving anything in the snail mail these days stands out, doesn’t it? In the day of texts, emails, and tweets, to receive an actual card almost feels vintage – and it’s powerful. To help set yourself up for success, carry blank note cards with you in your purse or bag. I personally will carry a few in the book I’m reading or in my journal so when I find a few minutes, I can write a card right then and there. Especially when flight travel is involved, I enjoy journaling and writing cards to my new contacts on the flight home. By having them on you and while the meeting is top of mind, I like to ink those sentiments and get it in the mail.
TIP #6: Get Choosy! Although it’s possible and ideal to follow up with every new contact you made at your recent event or seminar, I invite you to pick 1-5 contacts that really stood out to you or that you had a great connection with to focus in on and follow up with. Meeting great people is awesome, following up with them is another. I find that for any goal in life, focus is the game changer to success and thriving. So pick who stood out most to you. Or who you have that “vibe” for. And then begin with building a real relationship with them. Often if we try to take on too much, we get overwhelmed and procrastinate and then do nothing. One person followed up with and a great relationship established is better than a million business cards collecting dust.
- What tip are you most likely to implement?
- Are there others that have worked for you?
- I’d love to hear from you.
Cheering you on!
Tiffany
