Privateer Nation Blog
The Privateer Nation is the first nation in history to be created by people who share a common philosophy, dreams and vision instead of common orgins, history or religion. The sole purpose of the Privateer Nation is to help you get rich in the profession of your choice, travel the planet and change the world. To learn more go to www.privateernation.com

WHAT I LEARNED FROM TAKING THE PSI BASIC SEMINAR

Filed under: PSI Seminars — admin February 27, 2009 @ 10:40 pm

GET RICH:
Big Bucks

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From the desk of Namaste Faustino, Founder of the Privateer Nation

I took the PSI BASIC SEMINAR a few months ago.  I want to take a few minutes to talk about the biggest lesson I learned from taking the PSI BASIC SEMINAR.  The PSI BASIC SEMINAR contains so many lessons.  The one I am about to write about, may or may not be of value to you.  If you are thinking about taking the PSI BASIC SEMINAR please go to www.psiseminars.com to find out about all the lessons taught in the course.  Having said that let’s begin…

The biggest lesson I learned while taking the PSI BASIC SEMINAR is that my actions affect A LOT of other people.  What’s the big deal about that?  Isn’t that obvious?  It wasn’t for me and you may find out in the next few seconds that it wasn’t for you either.  I took the PSI BASIC SEMINAR in Las Vegas, NV in late 2008.  My instructor was Jeff Rogers.  Prior to taking the PSI BASIC SEMINAR it wasn’t obvious for Jeff that his actions affected others either.  Before taking the PSI BASIC SEMINAR Jeff told us that people wanted to kill him.  He told us that he used to be one of those people who would do things like speed through traffic, cut into a lane and then slam on the breaks to avoid hitting the car in front of him because he was in a hurry.  Of course that meant that the driver he cut off nearly slammed into him.  It’s easy to see why people wanted to kill him.  During the PSI BASIC SEMINAR he became aware of how his actions affected other people.  He realized that his actions are like a stone being dropped into a pond.  First the initial splash happens and then the ripples spread out wide and far.  He realized that the person he cut off might decide to go home and take out his road rage on his wife or kids.  After his PSI BASIC SEMINAR ended Jeff told us that he thought a lot about his actions and decided to change them.  He was happy to tell us that he no longer has to worry about people wanting to kill him.  Nor does he have to worry about his actions causing other people to possibly do harm to others.

After Jeff told that story I thought about all the times I’d done the same kind of thing.  I’d slam on my horn if the person in front of me didn’t take off like a race car driver the minute the light turned green.  If I was walking in an airport and people were standing in my path, I’d walk right through them if I didn’t see an easy way around them.  It didn’t even occur to me to say something like “Excuse me.”  It also didn’t occur to me that people probably wanted to kill me too.  After my PSI BASIC SEMINAR I thought a lot about what Jeff said.  I’d feel terrible if someone I honked at went home and slapped his wife or kids around.  I decided to start being conscious of my actions.  I’m happy to report that in the last 4 months I’ve made decision after decision to NOT do things like slam on the horn.  I’m happier because of it and life is so much easier.

I heard a long time ago that if all you get is one life changing thing out of a seminar then it was absolutely worth it.  I’ve taken a lot of seminars in my time.  I can’t say that I’ve gotten one thing out of each one.  However I can say that about the PSI BASIC SEMINAR so I believe it was money well spent.  For more information about PSI SEMINARS go to www.psiseminars.com

THE PANHANDLER’S SECRET TO GETTING RICH

Filed under: FUN, GET RICH — admin @ 3:13 pm

GET RICH:
Big Bucks

I’m a big fan of Seth Godin.  I ran into his book called PURPLE COW years ago.  The book was amazing.  He put forth the idea that if your company is NOT a purple cow then you are dead.  Why?  When you look at a field of cows the only one that is going to get your attention is the purple one.  When customers look for a company to do business with the only one they are going to notice is the purple one.  I’ve never forgotten that lesson and I continue to use it to this day.

The following blog post called THE PANHANDLER’S SECRET was written by Seth Godin.  It contains yet another timeless lesson if you are in the game to get rich.  Enjoy….

When there were old-school parking meters in New York, quarters were precious.

One day, I’m walking down the street and I guy comes up to me and says, “Do you have a dollar for four quarters?” He held out his hand with four quarters in it.

Curious, I engaged with him. I took out a dollar bill and took the four quarters.

Then he turned to me and said, “can you spare a quarter?”

What a fascinating interaction.

First, he engaged me. A fair trade, one that perhaps even benefited me, not him.

Now, we have a relationship. Now, he knows I have a quarter (in my hand, even). So his next request is much more difficult to turn down. If he had just walked up to me and said, “can you spare a quarter,” he would have been invisible.

Too often, we close the sale before we even open it.

Interact first, sell second.

Have You Written Your Bucket List Yet?

Filed under: CHANGE THE WORLD, FEAR, FUN, GET RICH, LIFE LESSONS, PRIVATEER NATION SUCCESS STORIES, TRAVEL THE PLANET — admin January 26, 2009 @ 1:38 pm

GET RICH:
The Power of Nice

From the Desk of Namaste Faustino, Founder of the Privateer Nation

The first time I heard about creating a life time goal list was from my 8th grade teacher, Mrs. Lovetang, when she told us the following story “One rainy afternoon an inspired 15-year-old boy named John Goddard sat down at his kitchen table in Los Angeles and wrote three words at the top of a yellow pad, “My Life List.” Under that heading he wrote down 127 goals.

These were not simple or easy goals. They included climbing The Matterhorn, rafting down the Amazon River, lighting a match with a .22 rifle shot, scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef, sky diving, riding an elephant, learning to sword fight, climbing Cheops’ pyramid, retracing the travels of Alexander The Great and Marco Polo, marrying the woman of his dreams and raising an awesome family, learning to play the flute and violin, and visiting the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

Now, a generation later, he has accomplished 109 of the goals on his original list, including all the goals I just told you about.”

When she was done telling us the story of John Goddard she gave us an assignment.  She instructed us to write up our own lifetime goal list.  Once we were done with that she gave us magazines and instructed us to cut pictures of our lifetime goals.  When we were done with that she told us that we were to put them into a mock photo album as if we’d already achieved them.  I really got into project.  I took magazines home with me and stayed up half the night making my album.  I brought it in the next day and got an A+.  I saved very little from my years in K-12 but I still have that album to this day.  In fact a number of years ago I stopped by Los Osos Junior High (now Los Osos Middle School) and thanked Mrs. Lovetang.

Have you written up a life time goal list yet?  If not I’d suggest you do it right now.  Why?  Cause you are going to die.  If you don’t write up a “bucket list” (things you have to do before you kick the bucket) you very well might miss out on doing something that you really wanted to do.  Why risk dying with regrets?  Do it now!  If you need some inspiration you should go rent the movie called THE BUCKET LIST starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.  I’m telling you that you have no idea how much fun it is to check stuff off your “bucket list”.  I just updated my own “bucket list.”  It’s such an incredible feeling to check things off.  Once you’ve done it you have to do it again and again.  It’s a rush =)  Check out my “bucket list” below…

HAVE FUN & FACE FEARS

Picture of me Solo SkySurfing

Picture of me Surfing

Picture of me HeliBoarding

Picture of me Scuba Diving

Picture of me Street Racing

Picture of me with 6 pack of abs

Picture of me in Fighting Competition

Picture of me climbing a Major Peak

Picture of me Back Packing

Picture of me catching a Northern Pike in Wisconsin

Picture of me Base Jumping Angel Falls (?)

Picture of me Rock Climbing (?)

Picture of me kissing Regina at an epic massive

Picture of WingEnvy and I at our first massive (done 12/31/2007)

Picture of WingEnvy and I wearing tee-shirts from the rave tee-shirt line we started called HUG ME TEES (done 6/28/2008)

Picture of me at the front of a massive loving it! Accomplished this at Monster Massive! (done 10/25/2008)

Picture of Pat and I jumping the same jump that is done in Point Break doing a speed star

Picture of me doing a stand up comedy routine. Now this scares me =)

Picture of me at Mardi Gras Feb 16, 2010

Picture of me meeting Will Smith. This guy has mastered fear.

Picture of me with models at a fashion show in Milan.

Picture of me with the House of Marque krewe celebrating me having faced all my fears on my fear list.

Picture of me in the ocean diving on a Treasure Wreck holding up at least 1 gold coin that I get to keep as a memento.

Picture of me at Times Square for New Year’s

Picture of me at U2 concert

Picture of me at a Beach Boys concert

Picture of me in the pool at the Playboy Mansion.

Picture of me with my personal success coach.

Picture of me taking an acting class. This is another that scares the heck out of me.

Picture of me at Burning Man (done but want another)

Picture of me meeting Kayne West

Picture of me in my first 3 some. Now that would be one hell of a story =)

Picture of me riding a bull.

Picture of me shooting an AK-47

Picture of me winning at a hand of blackjack on a gambling boat on the Mississippi river

Picture of me meeting Joseph Jaworski

Picture of me with one of the kids I adopt on a Boy Scout backpacking trip

Picture of me ripped at the beach

Picture of me at Clinton Initiative

Picture of me at the TED Conference

Picture of me on Oprah Show for the Privateer Nation

Picture of me on my first private jet ride

Picture of me at 100 years old celebrating life

Pictures of me partying in an extra stretch limo with friends and then in the 21 suite overlooking the strip celebrating my 33rd birthday with a hottie

GET RICH

Picture of me the day I quit my part time day job

Picture of me with employees @ airport so I remember why I work so hard

Picture of me with that orange cart with my Ferrari key at the airport

Picture of me holding my credit report with the highest score possible

Picture of me with my 1st hot personal assistant who also doubles as my personal chef.

Picture of me celebrating 1st year anniversary of Privateer Nation with citizens. This one is extremely close to my heart because in 2002 I wrote on my dream list that more than anything I wanted to find a fun way of making money because at the time I hated the business I was in so much. The Privateer Nation is my realization of what at the time seemed to be an impossible dream.

Speaking in front of 100,000 people

Picture with a President of the USA that I actually respect

Picture of me on the day my first book comes out

Picture of me on the day I get my Submariner

Picture of me with my customized black credit card with unlimited credit.

Picture of me the day I break $100,000 a month in income which has been my dream since I was 18 years old.

Picture of me getting measured by a private tailor as I get complete line of suits custom made.

Picture of me on the day that I get my Diamond Encrusted Oyster Perpetual Day Date Rolex

Picture of me with pinkie ring, matching bracelet & Presidential

Picture of me picking up my silver Ferrari Spyder

Picture of me picking up my baby blue Phantom Rolls Royce

Picture of me picking up my white Land Rover

Picture of me with my $30,000 + movie star smile

Picture of me in front my dream mansion

Picture of me on the opening day of the Privateer Pub

Pictures of me with each country krewe leader for the Privateer Nation

Picture of me celebrating the day I achieve financial independence

Picture of me celebrating my first million in a limo driving down Malibu Coast

Picture of me marrying woman of my dreams

Picture of me with the 12 kids I adopt and build a dynasty with

Picture of me completing Peak Potentials Warrior Training

Picture of me completing ILP as an IL for Landmark Education

TRAVEL THE PLANET

I’ll never forget Lacey saying to me “I’ve heard you talk about traveling the world for years. You never go because you say you are always working. If you don’t go now you are going to be one of those weird old guys trying to dance on the beach with 20 somethings.” That statement woke me up. The following pic is of me in a boat (that’s me in the orange shirt) in Thailand on the way to one of the famous Full Moon Parties that draw 10,000+ travelers from all over the world. I worked in a telemarketing room for 7 months to pay for that trip. And I was sick that day but I refused to let stop me. It was a dream come true to be there. A rain storm was coming in and lightening was flashing across the sky as we danced to world class trance on the beach. Picture of me on my first vagabonding trip overseas (done 10/27/2005)

Before I left on my first overseas trip I read the book Vagabonding by Rolf Potts. In the book I read about GOA, INDIA. I’d never heard of it before but it was a magnet for travelers from all over the world since the 60’s. In the book I wrote “I gotta so GOA, INDIA.” A few years later I was coaching the Self Expression and Leadership Program for Landmark Education. I decided to give one of the people I was coaching my copy of Vagabonding. Right before I wrapped it up I flipped through it looking at my notes. I saw “I gotta do GOA, INDIA.” I’d done the trip 6 months before and I had an amazing time. It was so cool to see that goal in that book and to know I already achieved it. This pic is of Sryah and I at our favorite bar Zoories that sat on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea. The coolest part about this pic is it was taken a few hours before I had one of the craziest nights of my life. Picture of me in GOA, INDIA (done 10/27/2005)

Picture of me, Pat and Lyds on Haad Rinn Beach in Thailand @ Full Moon Party

Picture of me riding a camel at the Pyramids in Egypt

Picture of me in front of Taja Mahal

Picture of me at Angor Wat

Picture of me and friends at the Love Parade in Germany

Picture of me running with the bulls in Spain

Picture of me at the entrance to the city carved in stone in the Gobi Desert

Picture of me at Macho Picho

Picture of me at Stone Hedge

Picture of me at the top of Mt. Kilamanjaro

Picture of me white water rafting

Picture of me at Big Ben in London

Picture of me at Effiel Tower in Paris

Picture of me landing on the moon

Picture of me on Easter Island

Picture of me clubbing on Ibiza

Picture of me in the Coliseum in Rome

Picture of me rafting down the Amazon

Picture of me diving on a treasure wreck

Picture of me scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef.

Picture of me panning for gold and finding some

Picture of me digging for diamonds and finding a big one

Picture of me with citizens of Privateer Nation in each of 194 countries

CHANGE THE WORLD

Picture of me doing Career Day at MBHS

Picture of me at opening of NFTE program that I caused at Morro Bay High School on the Central Coast of California

Picture of me the day I break 1 million micro loans to 3rd world entrepreneurs

Picture of me on the day I become the #1 lender on Kiva.org

Picture of me on the day that Entrepreneurial Education is made a HS requirement

Picture of me in front of the Museum of Happiness on opening day.

Picture of me at Dreamers Awards giving away 1st Award for a team that helped all its members achieve financial independence

Picture of me at opening for home for runaway kids that I founded that teaches them how to be entrepreneurs

Picture of me on the day I become the #1 donor on SmileTrain.org

My New Definite Major Purpose In Action

Filed under: PRIVATEER NATION NEWS — admin September 26, 2008 @ 2:29 am

EDUCATION:
http://www.goodmagazine.com/

About a month ago I updated my definite major purpose to read…

“My definite major purpose is to be

living with my girlfriend near the beach

in an energy intense city in Florida

while making $4000 + a month building the Privateer Nation

before I’m 32 years old.”

A month went by and nothing really happened to forward me towards realizing my definite major purpose.  Then I walked into my day job this morning and my boss said “We’ve got this new company procedure we are going to need you to follow.”  When he was done explaining the new procedure I knew that things were going to change.  I’m both excited and scared.  I’m excited because the result of this new procedure may be that I get to work on the Privateer Nation full-time.  I’m scared because I do not know if I’m ready to build the Privateer Nation full-time.  At this point in the game I do not think I’m delivering enough value to prospective citizens of the Privateer Nation.  I’m doing a decent job but in my opinion some changes need to be made to up the value I’m delivering.  I also have never found a good source of leads for prospective privateer nation citizens.  If I ended up building full-time right now I do not know who I’d prospect all day.  I would literally be calling out of the phone book.

We’ve all heard the quote “Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it.”  I know that creating that new definite major purpose caused this new “procedure.”  A part of me wants to trust the Universe.  I know that sometimes on the road to getting what you want the old needs to fall away.  However I’m still human.  The idea of suddenly being out of a job when I wasn’t ready to build the Privateer Nation full-time yet is scary.  I will live and it may make a great story some day.  However at this moment I can say that I’m concerned about the future.  Especially since I’m burned out at this moment.  Throwing myself into building the Privateer Nation full-time right now is the last thing I was planning on doing.  However having said all that, it makes sense.  If I’m going to be making $4000 a month and living in Florida with my girlfriend by the time I am 32, I need to take action NOW.  I just feel like I got shoved in the right direction this morning.  I know I asked for it but that does NOT make it any easier…

The author of this blog post is Namaste Faustino.  Namaste founded the Privateer Nation in early 2008.  To learn more go to www.privateernation.com

 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr On Freedom courtesy of Tim Ferriss

Filed under: CHANGE THE WORLD, FEAR — admin September 5, 2008 @ 9:28 pm

TRAVEL THE PLANET:
Vagabonding

If you have not read The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss go get it now.  This short blog comes to you courtesy of his blog…

“I say to you, this morning, that if you have never found something so dear and precious to you that you will die for it, then you aren’t fit to live.

You may be 38 years old, as I happen to be, and one day, some great opportunity stands before you and calls upon you to stand for some great principle, some great issue, some great cause. And you refuse to do it because you are afraid.

You refuse to do it because you want to live longer. You’re afraid that you will lose your job, or you are afraid that you will be criticized or that you will lose your popularity, or you’re afraid that somebody will stab or shoot or bomb your house. So you refuse to take a stand.

Well, you may go on and live until you are ninety, but you are just as dead at 38 as you would be at ninety.

And the cessation of breathing in your life is but the belated announcement of an earlier death of the spirit.

You died when you refused to stand up for right.

You died when you refused to stand up for truth.

You died when you refused to stand up for justice.”

-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
From the sermon “But, If Not” delivered at Ebenezer Baptist Church on November 5, 1967.

How To Choose An Accountant by Gaebler.com

Filed under: GET RICH, LIFE LESSONS — admin @ 9:16 pm

GET RICH:
Rules for Renegades

I made the decision a few days ago to figure out how to find an amazing small business accountant.  While researching I found this article on www.gaebler.com and it gave me some great things to think about…

Choosing an Accountant for your Small Business

Choosing the right accountant for your small business can mean the difference between success and failure. After all, it’s your financial numbers that make or break your business.

Unfortunately, once you’ve selected an accountant, it’s a pain to switch. Your accountant gains detailed knowledge of you, your business and your data —it makes it very tough to transition to a new accountant. The end result is that many businesses that work with mediocre accountants don’t make the change to a better accountant simply because the switching costs are too high.

Given the inertia that settles in after you’ve selected an accountant, it’s important to make a good choice the first go-around. Makes sense, right?

Surprisingly, most business owners don’t thoroughly consider their needs when selecting an accountant. That’s because many of us who don’t have a strong accounting background view all accountants as being equal.

But the reality is that all small business accountants are not created equal.

This article explains how accountants can assist your business and provides useful questions you should use to choose an accountant that truly can help your business grow, not somebody who just crunches the numbers.

What Do Small Business Accountants Do Anyway?

The increasing role of small business in the American business landscape and more powerful and accessible information technology has changed the role and importance of the small business accountant.

Why do you need an accountant? Some small businesses make due with a bookkeeper – someone to perform the tedious task of recording financial information and cranking that data into the necessary formats, like P&L statements and tax forms.

But a good small business accountant does much more than just record transactions and passively generate documents—they actively analyze, interpret and convert that data into actionable business intelligence.

Based on where you want to go with your business, they should be able to tell you how to get there. If your accountant is just showing you the financial tracks of where you have been, you’ve made a bad choice and you’re missing out on a great opportunity to receive good business advice.

To be sure, today’s small business accountant offers more than crunched numbers. They can be your primary resource for:

Tax Planning. Beyond simply preparing tax forms, an accountant should be involved in business planning throughout the year. They should be able to regularly advise the business so it functions with peak tax efficiency.

Business Consulting. A good accountant should be able to help your business grow. Talented small business accountants function as a trusted general business consultant, assessing business problems and offering specific solutions. They offer advice on internal controls, risk management, lease versus buy decisions, inventory strategy, pricing, and even marketing. In short, an accounting professional who really understands your business from the inside out should be a trusted business advisor who is highly motivated to see you succeed.

Personal Finance Advice. A good small business accountant understands that your personal finances are integrally linked to your business finances. They view the two holistically and offer advice on both fronts. For example, while serving as your small business accountant, they might offer retirement planning advice and estate planning advice that is ancillary to your small business activities but that will ultimately leave you in a stronger financial position.

Technology Know-How. Computing technology has dramatically improved small business capabilities as powerful business software is no longer only for corporations and the Internet provides a level of access to knowledge, customers and suppliers hardly dreamed of even ten years ago. A good accountant must — must! — absolutely be proficient in applying the fantastic and inexpensive information technology that turns business data into strategic intelligence. They need to be very familiar with leading small business management software packages from leading vendors like MYOB, Intuit and Peachtree.

Networking. While the strength of an accountant is still what they know, a mark of a successful pro is also who they know. Your accountant should be a good source of referrals as they should now precisely each of their clients’ strengths and needs. Need to get a loan for your small business? Your accountant ought to be able to introduce you to the right banker.

Questions to Ask Your Prospective Accountant

The bottomline is that you should expect today’s accountant to be much more than a bookkeeper. Most do add considerable value. The trick is to separate the wheat from the chaff.

So, with your raised expectations, how do you choose the right accountant for your small business? Like any relationship, it boils down to a compatibility of interests, experience and outlooks. Seek recommendations from your peers and ask prospective accountants the following questions:

Do you have a CPA? Business owners are often confused as to the certified public accountant (CPA) designation. A CPA has a surpassed accepted financial education levels, passed state-administered tests to prove competency and periodic re-certification exams. Certain situations, such as audits and many loan applications, require CPA involvement. Not surprisingly, CPAs can charge higher fees than a non-CPAs. But there are a great many non-CPAs who excel at small business accounting and financial and technology consulting. Again, getting to know them and your needs is the necessary first step.

What kind of creative business advice will you offer me? A good accountant can deftly handle data and numbers but should also be able to demonstrate quick and creative business acumen. Ask the candidate to offer three quick ideas on how your firm might be able to save money right now. Ask them for three examples in which they offered useful business advice to other clients that went beyond just tracking the numbers. While “creative accounting” is usually a negative, having a creative business mind can be a huge asset towards helping your company to grow.

Do you consider yourself to be tech-savvy? Small business accounting software has made powerful accounting tools available to everyone. But these accounting packages, most notably MYOB and QuickBooks, are only as useful as the person who installs them and runs the applications. Even if you are not a “tecchie,” do your homework to be able to determine whether the candidate understands the role computer technology plays in turning business information into business intelligence. For example, ask them how they will integrate your computer files with the technology in their office. What role will the Internet play in keeping in touch and interchanging financial information?

Who are your other clients? Imagine this scenario. You hire an accountant based on the assumption that he understands the basics of your business. Then, you find out that he’s never had a client like you before. Instead, he’s only prepared tax forms for wealthy individuals that don’t own businesses. Avoid that possible disaster by asking who the accountant works with. If they are businesses that are similar to yours, that’s a good sign. In asking about their clients, you will also want to understand how busy they are and whether they have the time and resources to support you adequately.

How do you calculate your fees? Ask the accountant what you can expect fees to be and will he guarantee that you will not exceed certain amounts that you agree upon up front. In a time-based fee structure, make sure to find out the hourly rate, as well as all fees for expense reimbursement. Find out now whether a simple two-minute phone call or a one page fax means an hour of billable time. If that’s the case, run for the door.

Are you active in the local business community? Who do you know that can help me? Find out whether your prospective accountant can introduce you to people who might be useful to you, including prospective customers, suppliers, bankers, and investors. Since talk is cheap, take it one step further. Ask the accountant for examples of introductions they’ve made in the past for other clients and how those introductions played out.

Why should I use you? As a final question, it’s always good to let the accountant make the case for why you should engage them. Find out whether your prospective accountant can introduce you to people who might be useful to you, including prospective customers, suppliers, bankers, and investors. Since talk is cheap, take it one step further. Ask the accountant for examples of introductions they’ve made in the past for other clients and how those introductions played out.

A COMPLAINT FREE WORLD

Filed under: LIFE LESSONS — admin August 26, 2008 @ 1:10 pm

GET RICH:
Big Bucks

I’ve been taking the A Complaint Free World Challenge that was created by Will Bowen for 2 months now.  The results are incredible!  Read on to learn more….

HOW IT ALL GOT STARTED
Will is a pastor at a church in Kansas City.  Back in 2006 he came up with an idea for a sermon that discussed the nasty impact complaining has on a person’s life.   At the end of the sermon he threw out a challenge.  Everyone knows it takes 21 days to create a new habit.  Will challenged the audience to go 21 days with out complaining. To aid those that were willing to take the challenge he passed out purple bracelets.  The idea was that you had to switch the bracelet to the other wrist if you complained.  The goal was to keep the bracelet on the same wrist for 21 days, signifying that you had gone 21 days with out complaining.

REALITY CHECK
Now I’m going to say something that might shock you.

You have NO IDEA how much of a whiny, sniveling complainer YOU ARE.  If I were to ask each one of you individually, I bet all of you would say, “At the MOST I complain once or twice a week.” You’d be SHOCKED if I followed you around with a tape recorder for 1 day and then replayed what came out of your mouth.  And believe me I know because I’m speaking from personal experience.

BENEFITS
So let’s talk about the benefits you’ll get from creating the habit of not complaining…

We’ll start with Pat’s favorite word “Entrainment.”  We are constantly synching up to people around us.  When you complain you are “entraining” i.e drawing other complainers to you.  Think about the people in your life right now.  Are they complainers?  If so that means you are too.  Stop complaining and you’ll draw fun, joyful, loving people to you 

Complaining is talking about things you DO NOT WANT rather than what YOU DO WANT.  When we complain, we are using our words to focus on things that are NOT as we would like.  Our thoughts create our lives and our words indicate what we are thinking.

By not complaining you get play at the leadership level of Gandhi and Princess Di and your peers will see you as a leader at a higher level.

Buddah said, “We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think.”  Most of your complaints don’t even escape your lips but you are still thinking them.  Guess what you are becoming?

Stop complaining.  Change your words, change your thoughts, and you will change your life!  When Jesus said, “Seek and you shall find,” it was a statement of universal principle.  What you seek, you will find. When you complain, you are using the incredible power of your mind to seek things you say you don’t want but nonetheless draw them to you.  Then you complain about these new things and attract EVEN MORE of what you don’t want.

Now let’s hear from a couple of people who have chosen not to complain…

TESTIMONIALS
I suffered from chronic headaches.  Every night I’d come home and tell my wife how much my head hurt that day.  While taking the Complaint Free Challenge I realized that telling my wife about my headaches did nothing to lessen their occurrence or painful severity.  I decided to stop talking about them.  To my utter and complete surprise my headaches stopped.  Today I’m headache free.
        Tom Alyea

In 1999, at the very young age of 39, Hal was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.  The doctors gave him 6 months.  In addition to his mortal diagnosis, Hal was facing other challenges.  Even though Hal had sold health insurance for a living, he had none.  His bills piled up and it was a constant struggle to keep the lights on and his family fed.  When Will (the pastor who wrote A Complaint Free World) found out about Hal’s situation he went out to visit him.  Will expected to find Hal in a pretty bad way but Hal spent the entire visit talking about how great his life was and how fortunate he was.  Will came back to visit him twice a week after that.  One day Will asked Hal, “How do you manage not to complain with all you are going through?”  Hal smiled and said, “Easy, it’s not the 15th of the month.  I decided that I’d allow myself to complain one day a month.  And you know what the great thing is? By the 15th of the month I’ve forgotten what I was going to complain about.”  Hal actually lived for 2 years past what the doctors gave him and he was an inspiration to everyone that even in the face of terminal illness you can choose to be happy.  That’s the health affirming power of living a life of gratitude rather than one of complaint.
        Will Bowen

This last one is my personal testimonial.  Like everyone else I thought that I complained very little.  Two weeks after putting my complaint free bracelet on I hadn’t even been able to keep it on the same wrist for one day.  Today I’m at 2 months and the longest I’ve gone is 3 days.  Now I know why the average time to win the Complaint Free Challenge is 4 to 8 months.  Even though I still have a ways to go to reach my 21 days I’ve noticed a dramatic increase in my daily happiness.  This was super surprising to me because I was already a happy person.  I feel like this huge weight has been lifted off me.  I’m floored and it keeps getting better.
        Namaste Faustino

In closing, when Will was being interviewed by an associate producer before he went on the Oprah Show he was asked, “What is your goal with all of this?”  He replied, “To transform the consciousness of our world.”  The associate producer looked at him and smiled sympathetically, “That’s a pretty big dream, don’t you think?”  He smiled and replied, “Do the math.”  The challenge started just over 2 years ago.  Today we’ve shipped over 6 million complaint free world bracelets to 80 countries around the world.  We’re now receiving over 1000 purple bracelet orders a day and those numbers just keep getting bigger.

It’s no accident that you are on this call.  You can change the world by simply becoming an example of positive change.  You can create a complaint free world.  As you become a happier person, you raise the overall level of happiness in the world.  You will send out a vibration of optimism and hope that will resound with others of similar intent.  And together–we will–change the world.

Go to www.acomplaintfreeworld.com and order your bracelets today.  However you can start immediately by simply putting a rubber band around your wrist and switching it when you complain.  Don’t wait.  Do it now. 

I promise you that it will be the most impactful thing you do this year. 

My Definite Major Purpose Updated

Filed under: LIFE LESSONS — admin August 21, 2008 @ 12:23 pm

EDUCATION:
The Celestine Prophecy

I first read Napoleon Hill’s famous book Think & Grow Rich when I was 19 years old. In that book he explains that knowing your definite major purpose is the key to success. What’s a definite major purpose? It’s the thing that you desire most in life. Why is it the key? As Napoleon Hill says, “Our brains our magnetized with the dominating thoughts that we hold in our minds, and these magnets attract to us the forces, people and circumstances of life that harmonize with the nature of our dominating thoughts.”

Over the years I’ve spent a lot of time figuring out my definite major purpose. And I’ve learned some things…

1. You have to really want it. If you have to force yourself to think about it 10 times a day then it’s NOT it.

2. It changes. I’ve achieved my definite major purpose before and now I have another.

3. Spending the time to figure it out is worth it because you get exactly what you ask for (or extremely close to it).

4. If you read your definite major purpose statement, and it does NOT excite you, then you need to change it. Why? If it doesn’t excite you then you won’t do what it takes to bring it into your life.

All of this year my definite major purpose was to make $4000 a month building/supporting the Privateer Nation. When I first wrote this statement it excited me. Two weeks later it didn’t and I kept putting off changing it because I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Finally, I figured it out. It’s not the money that excites me. It’s the lifestyle the money will bring me that excites me. It seems like I’m being overly picky about words but in my experience you have to be. Here is my new and updated definite major purpose (by the way I carry this around with me at all times and look at it a couple of times a day)…

Say it out loud, “My definite major purpose is to be

living with my girlfriend near the beach

in an energy intense city in Florida

while making $4000 + a month building the Privateer Nation

before I’m 32 years old.”

For fun I included my notes on creating a definite major purpose….

Is it definite?

Does reading my definite major purpose make me excited?

Is it a burning desire?

Am I continually intensifying my desire for it in my mind?

The main thing, is the keep the main thing, the main thing.

Any idea that is held in the mind that is either feared or revered will begin at once to clothe itself in the most convenient & appropriate physical form available.

An intangible impulse of thoughts can be transmuted into material rewards by the application of known principles.

Truly “thoughts are things” and powerful things at that, when they are mixed with definiteness of purpose, persistence and a burning desire for the translation into riches or other material objects.

Our brains are magnetized with the dominating thoughts that we hold in our minds, and these magnets attract to us the forces, people and circumstances of life that harmonize with the nature of our dominating thoughts.

You may as well know right here that you can never have riches in great quantities unless you uncover the white heat of desire for the money and actually believe you can possess it.

Thoughts + Words + ACTION = Creation

People Come Into Your Life For A Reason, Season or Lifetime.

Filed under: LIFE LESSONS — admin August 17, 2008 @ 6:11 pm

EDUCATION:
http://www.goodmagazine.com/

An unknown author wrote the following lesson.  People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person…

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.

They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support,

To aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are.

They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,

This person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.

Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done.

The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.

They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.

They may teach you something you have never done.

They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.

Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.

Other people come into your life for a lifetime.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons,

Things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.

Your job is to accept the lesson,

Love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life

It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant

Thank you for being a part of my life, whether you are a reason, a season or a lifetime.

Learn how to deliver a masterful Elevator Pitch by Startup Nation

Filed under: LIFE LESSONS — admin @ 5:56 pm

GET RICH:
Big Bucks

You can picture it – you step onto an elevator and standing right there is your dream financier. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Your pulse quickens. Your body temperature rises. You know this is your shot.

Elevator Pitch

To make sure you’re ready to seize the moment when fate puts you on that elevator with Mr. Moneybags, here we give you our advice on delivering an effective “elevator pitch” in as little as a one-minute ride. After all, Mr. Moneybags is always in a hurry and you’ve got to hook him quickly or you’ll never see him again!

You have to convey all the essential information in a clear and concise manner, communicating in a tone that’s likeable, passionate and also credible.
Remember, the elevator pitch is not designed to take the place of a solid business plan, but is simply intended to capture the attention of a potential investor. If you achieve that, the odds are good that you’ll get a chance to present your business idea in more detail at a later time (part of why having a complete business plan is also a must).
When you deliver an elevator pitch, you have to clearly and succinctly address the following points:

1. What’s the idea?
2. What’s the status of the idea or business?
3. What market or markets does the business address and are there any testimonials or customer feedback?
4. Why do you believe you have the advantage in the marketplace relative to the market needs?
5. What’s the competition in the marketplace?
6. What’s the revenue model (such as “e-commerce,” or “wholesale”)?
7. Who’s the team that’s going to make the business succeed?
8. What’s the longer term vision, the “end-game,” for the business and the projected return on investment for investors? (some examples are: “the business will distribute big profits to investors from cash flow by year X”, or “the business will be acquired by another company for $XYZ”)
9. What’s the total funding required to execute the business plan?
10. What amount of financing are you seeking initially and what are the terms of investment?

Your Elevator Pitch

Note that the order of these points can be changed around depending upon what your strongest points are. If, for example, you’ve got the most amazing and experienced team members, by all means, bump that up in front. Or, if you’ve got incredible initial sales results or testimonials, then mention that earlier. Whatever you believe is most compelling, you have to try to mesmerize Mr. Moneybags before he gets off the elevator!)

Example Elevator Pitch

Read the pitch out loud and time it - you’ll see that it can be done in 60 seconds or less. You’ll need to be able to pitch your idea in the same amount of time.

“Our company is called ConstructionBoots.com, an e-commerce website that sells brandname construction boots. There are currently no companies serving this niche exclusively. ConstructionBoots.com will drive traffic to the site by linking to other websites catering to the construction industry as well as through word-of-mouth. In industry surveys, over 90% of construction workers have these three traits: 1) they have a favorite brand of boots, 2) they know their size, and 3) they hate shopping at stores. In our own polling, over 70% indicated that they would prefer to buy their boots online and have them delivered. Accordingly, we expect a great market response and rapid sales ramp-up.

We need $1.5 million in funding to get to the point where the company is self-sustaining. This should happen in the middle of our second year. Right now, we’re seeking $500,000 of initial funding in exchange for a 30% ownership stake in the company. I am the CEO with lots of operational experience and deep contacts with boot manufacturers. Our Marketing Director was instrumental in the growth and recent sale of a very successful e-commerce clothing company. If we hit our numbers, we expect to be able to sell ConstructionBoots.com to a ‘brick and mortar’ retailer within 3 years.”

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