Go For It!

This is a motto that is becoming more appropriate with each passing day. With the economic situation the way it is, people are going to have to take some chances if they hope to succeed. Playing it safe is rapidly becoming a recipe for failure. Just ask all those people who lost their jobs in the last few months due to the economic conditions. Safety is an illusion.

I started thinking about this when talking with a friend of mine. He make a fair amount of money investing in the stock market. Following the prescribed methods for success, he did what "he was suppose to do". Yet, he finds himself in a situation where he is suffering greatly.

His strategy was to invest in good quality financial institutions which paid a healthy dividend. Over the years, he realized a tremendous gain due to the appreciation of the stock. Nevertheless, with the recent collapse, he lost well over $1 million. Again, I need to stress that he did not invest in high risk programs. His system was one that was conservative designed for the long-term.

So, what does this all mean? To me, this says that you might as well take the chance because nothing is guaranteed to work out anyway. My friend sacrificed rewards for safety. However, in the end, there was no safety. And that is true for all of us.

People hold onto their jobs for fear of losing. Sadly, many find they lose it anyway. Was it worth the sacrifice of what they would have had otherwise? For most, probably not.

It takes courage to "go for it". Living one's dreams requires strength and inner resolve. Yet, it is the only way to go if you are to be truly free. "To thine own self be true". There are many who are slaves to the paycheck, exchanging their life for a few measly dollars. This is the common practice and is sad to witness.

Playing life conservative never results in success. Present circumstances are teaching us that everyday. We only need to look at the news to see the latest world catastrophe to understand how fragile everything is. It is time for you to decide to go for it in your life. What is it that you always wanted to do? Start the process of moving in that direction. There is no better time to consider your dreams then right now. For many, it might be the only way to survive.

Remember, safety is an illusion.
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The One Survival Skill

Many people are worried about their jobs with the recent economic events that took place around the world.  And, for good reason.  Things are awful in many areas.  This is perhaps the worst economic environment that we have seen in a couple of generations.  Before it is done, we might surpass the Great Depression for worst economic crisis ever to impact the industrialized world.

Do you have the same fear?  I was posed this question the other day by someone.  After looking into where I stood emotionally, I realized that I have no fear regarding the current economic situation.  Things are bad for many; for me this is an opportunity.  I can excel where others are struggling.  This is something that separates the successful from those who allow circumstances to swallow them up.

Why do I have this outlook?  Like many, I am overexposed with some of my debt.  However, I use debt as a method to increase my wealth.  I am not buried by unsecured debt like so many. Also, my investments were hammered over the past year.  Some days, I see stocks I purchased decreasing by double digits percentages.  I am no different then others in this regard.  Finally, my businesses are down substantially from a year ago.  Money is tight all around thus all businesses are suffering to some degree.

So, what makes me so different?  When I got to the core of my confidence, I realized that I had the security of knowing that the catastrophic gloom would not strike me.  Many, when they loose their jobs, have difficulty finding another.  This leads to financial pressures often encompassing the losing of a home.  Facing events like this strikes terror into the hearts of so many.

I understand that I am exempt from these pressures.  Regardless of how bad things get, I will be able to overcome any obstacle.  My businesses can go under and I will be able to maintain the basics of life.  Being out in the cold is not an option in my life.  This is the reality of the economic circumstances we face today.  People who have my skillset are in greater demand now then they were a year ago.  Everything in my life can crash today and I will be employed tomorrow.  And, it is simply because I have this one skill that most fail to learn.

What is this magical skill that I am referring to?  And, can it change your life to give you the same peace of mind in an economic crisis?  It most certainly can.  You will have all the comfort of knowing that you will succeed if you can do one thing: SELL.

Okay, now I lost most of you.  Many of you would walk through an alligator pit before taking a job selling.  Well, that is exactly why I will excel where others fail.  The present economic circumstances are limiting what businesses can do.   Many positions that were needed a year ago are no longer necessary.  A company does not need all of its customer service personnel when its customer base decreased by 25%.  Administrative positions are being eliminated daily. Organizations are doing everything they can to "trim the fat".  And, if one is doing it, so is everyone else.  

Yet, sales people are needed.  They are the solution to declining revenues.  Sales people are the one group of people who can positively affect the bottom line.  In short, they are the only personnel who actually pay for themselves.  Everyone else within an organziation is an expense. Sales people affect the left hand side of the balance sheet in a positive way.  They are the ones who generate the revenues for companies to expand and grow.

That is why I am so confident in this economic environment.  My sales background is the most fundamental sales style there is.  I was groomed in the traditional mode where one takes a territory and generates business.  It is that simple.  You can put me anywhere in this country, provide me with some product training, and I can go to work that day.  A phone book and map is all I need.  My livelihood is not contingent upon anyone else.

Compare this to your present circumstances.  Who holds control over your employment? Assuming that you are a terrific employee, what other factors could impact your livelihood.  I am surrounded by companies that do a lot of defense work.  They have cutbacks every time government contracts are not funded by Congress.  Washington controls their employment.  I know others who were laid off because of diminishing sales.  Businesses enter into bankruptcy. People take their business to a competitor.  All these factors are out of an individual's hands.

The bottom line is that sales people are the only ones who can be assured of being needed.  When things get bad economically, their services are required even more.  Every company is looking to increase their revenues.  To do that, they need people to "hit the streets" and make sales, not another mid-level manager.  

Start to learn some of the basics about sales.  It is something that will give you an avenue to pursue should this economic crisis continue.

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