Here is a wonderful message from my dear friend and business partner George Shears. George and I know each other for about 2 years and we are involved together - with other friends and business partners - in business ventures online.
I strongly invite you to take 10 minutes of your precious time to watch George's YouTube video by clicking here. George is a retired psychologist and he is referencing to the mindset we have used for more than 100 years and he also referencing some of the major reasons why we do not quite react to global warming yet, as human being and civilization. George is offering a very interesting point of view that make so much sense!
The evidence is extensively documented about the global warming and climate change, this is the first time in the entire human history that we are facing and pushing mother's nature limits. If you could only make your own research and read about all sort of topics related to our way of life: consumption, environment, international politics, etc. and this is what I am still reading about today, I bet you will come to the same conclusion as George and mine.
We MUST change the way things are conducted in our society and the primary target are our politicians and governments. It is very possible but we just need couragous politicians who will dare to do differently.
Thank you George for this message ;-)
George's message.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Operation: Promised Land (OPL) - by Elisabeth Cole
Here is a recent program I have subscribed to, called Operation: Promised Land (OPL). Despite Network Marketing is a great industry but a very difficult industry for most of us, OPL is building genealogy for us and align people strategically where everybody can generate an interesting income.
I wanted to share with a great article written by Elisabeth Cole, who is involved with OPL. She has written a great resume and review of the opportunity. Enjoy!
"Occasionally a program comes along which is very special. I am very pleased to tell you that one of those has just come on the scene. I did not actually want to post this until I saw concrete ($$$) results.
As you may have figured out, I do not like MLMs unless you really want the product so much that you are willing to pay the amount they charge for it. VERY few people make money from MLMs although they are really one of the very best and lowest risk ways to make a lot of money. The problem is that most people cannot refer the hundreds of people necessary to make that happen and once referrals join they drop out of the program when they find that they are paying every month for product and see no money coming in from the program. Therefore, over time the checks, which may never have been very big, start getting smaller and smaller.
Many programs have tried (unsuccessfully) to create a downline for their members but those programs never become popular enough to create large incomes and lasting downlines.
What is different about OPL is that it has already spent 18 months getting large numbers ready to join and now has over 150,000 people waiting to join and pay. Also, apart from those 150,000 the program is growing online at the rate of over 2000 people per week. This is enough to make it extremely likely that this program will succeed where others have failed. As long as the signups continue at a brisk pace, downlines will not quit since they will rapidly be in profit themselves. People who are making money from a program do not drop out of it.
Basically, we join OPL, which is a free program, and all it does is provide us with a downline. We then have the option of joining first one MLM, and then later on others, in which our downline will be built for us. All that we are asked to do is to bring in 2 people and help them to bring in 2 each (optional). This is to make sure that the momentum of the program continues. When we join the current MLM which OPL is building downline in, our credit/debit card is billed $200 approximately 1 to 2 weeks later by the MLM and we get 2 welcome emails. We will then be billed $120 for the required autoship every 4 weeks. Within 2 to 3 weeks on average we begin to get downline (not necessarily anyone that we referred) and the Friday of the following week after we receive downline we start getting paid by the MLM.
Is this working? Yes it is. People are being assinged paid downline in the MLM and payment occurs the next week and every week thereafter. The projection is that we will be receiving $1000 per week beginning 6 weeks (approximately) after we first have downline assigned to our MLM account. This sounds outrageous, that for a one time $200 outlay (plus shipping and local taxes) then $120 per month we can receive $1000 per week, but the fact is that for the few who are able to recruit a large downline in an MLM this is not out of the ordinary. It is just out of the ordinary for normal people, who are not heavy hitters, to be able to do it.
This program has been checked out with the BBB, the local police and every other source which could be found, and appears totally legitimate. In any case we never pay them any money. The MLMs are large, well known, well established, distributing in numerous countries and anywhere from several years old to 15 years old. Eventually we will be offered 4 MLMs that we can participate in all or some of. We are not required to join them, but if we do not join them we also cannot make any money.
What is the probability of success? Extremely high.
What is the safety? Very good.
What is the ROI? Unbelievable.
Therefore the reason I am so pleased with this program is that it is affordable, low risk and very high profit. It will also work for the world's worse referrer. Even if you cannot refer anyone your team mates will help.
It is your decision whether you join or not but you should seriously consider what it has to offer.
I am putting a rotator with the urls of some of my downline who would like to get their 2 referrals but if anyone would like more information, please feel free to email me using the form."
For more information about this fantastic program, or to join, please click here. I also invite to watch the great videos that have been updated lately.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elisabeth Cole is my OPL sponsor's sponsor. She is reviewing programs and building passive incomes, like I am doing. She is an astute online business woman and entrepreneur and I tend to trust her instinct and judgement.
Elisabeth's blog and article link is here.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I wanted to share with a great article written by Elisabeth Cole, who is involved with OPL. She has written a great resume and review of the opportunity. Enjoy!
"Occasionally a program comes along which is very special. I am very pleased to tell you that one of those has just come on the scene. I did not actually want to post this until I saw concrete ($$$) results.
As you may have figured out, I do not like MLMs unless you really want the product so much that you are willing to pay the amount they charge for it. VERY few people make money from MLMs although they are really one of the very best and lowest risk ways to make a lot of money. The problem is that most people cannot refer the hundreds of people necessary to make that happen and once referrals join they drop out of the program when they find that they are paying every month for product and see no money coming in from the program. Therefore, over time the checks, which may never have been very big, start getting smaller and smaller.
Many programs have tried (unsuccessfully) to create a downline for their members but those programs never become popular enough to create large incomes and lasting downlines.
What is different about OPL is that it has already spent 18 months getting large numbers ready to join and now has over 150,000 people waiting to join and pay. Also, apart from those 150,000 the program is growing online at the rate of over 2000 people per week. This is enough to make it extremely likely that this program will succeed where others have failed. As long as the signups continue at a brisk pace, downlines will not quit since they will rapidly be in profit themselves. People who are making money from a program do not drop out of it.
Basically, we join OPL, which is a free program, and all it does is provide us with a downline. We then have the option of joining first one MLM, and then later on others, in which our downline will be built for us. All that we are asked to do is to bring in 2 people and help them to bring in 2 each (optional). This is to make sure that the momentum of the program continues. When we join the current MLM which OPL is building downline in, our credit/debit card is billed $200 approximately 1 to 2 weeks later by the MLM and we get 2 welcome emails. We will then be billed $120 for the required autoship every 4 weeks. Within 2 to 3 weeks on average we begin to get downline (not necessarily anyone that we referred) and the Friday of the following week after we receive downline we start getting paid by the MLM.
Is this working? Yes it is. People are being assinged paid downline in the MLM and payment occurs the next week and every week thereafter. The projection is that we will be receiving $1000 per week beginning 6 weeks (approximately) after we first have downline assigned to our MLM account. This sounds outrageous, that for a one time $200 outlay (plus shipping and local taxes) then $120 per month we can receive $1000 per week, but the fact is that for the few who are able to recruit a large downline in an MLM this is not out of the ordinary. It is just out of the ordinary for normal people, who are not heavy hitters, to be able to do it.
This program has been checked out with the BBB, the local police and every other source which could be found, and appears totally legitimate. In any case we never pay them any money. The MLMs are large, well known, well established, distributing in numerous countries and anywhere from several years old to 15 years old. Eventually we will be offered 4 MLMs that we can participate in all or some of. We are not required to join them, but if we do not join them we also cannot make any money.
What is the probability of success? Extremely high.
What is the safety? Very good.
What is the ROI? Unbelievable.
Therefore the reason I am so pleased with this program is that it is affordable, low risk and very high profit. It will also work for the world's worse referrer. Even if you cannot refer anyone your team mates will help.
It is your decision whether you join or not but you should seriously consider what it has to offer.
I am putting a rotator with the urls of some of my downline who would like to get their 2 referrals but if anyone would like more information, please feel free to email me using the form."
For more information about this fantastic program, or to join, please click here. I also invite to watch the great videos that have been updated lately.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elisabeth Cole is my OPL sponsor's sponsor. She is reviewing programs and building passive incomes, like I am doing. She is an astute online business woman and entrepreneur and I tend to trust her instinct and judgement.
Elisabeth's blog and article link is here.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, April 24, 2009
The Mirage of Multilevel Marketing - by Stephen Barrett, M.D.
The title of this article catch my attention, so that is why I decided to post it on my blog and share it with you. Really eye opening to me. It reinforces my own observation about this industry. I have found this article on QuackWatch website. Enjoy!
"Don't be surprised if a friend or acquaintance tries to sell you vitamins, herbs, homeopathic remedies, weight-loss powders, or other health-related products. Millions of Americans have signed up as distributors for multilevel companies that market such products from person to person. Often they have tried the products, concluded that they work, and become suppliers to support their habit.
Multilevel marketing (also called network marketing) is a form of direct sales in which independent distributors sell products, usually in their customers' home or by telephone. In theory, distributors can make money not only from their own sales but also from those of the people they recruit.
Becoming an MLM distributor is simple and requires no real knowledge of health or nutrition. Many people do so initially in order to buy their own products at a discount. For a small sum of money—usually between $35 and $100—these companies sell a distributor kit that includes product literature, sales aids (such as a videotape or audiotape), price lists, order forms, and a detailed instructional manual. Most MLM companies publish a magazine or newsletter containing company news, philosophical essays, product information, success stories, and photographs of top salespeople. The application form is usually a single page that asks only for identifying information. Millions of Americans have signed up, including many physicians attracted by the idea that selling MLM products can offset losses attributable to managed care.
Distributors can buy products "wholesale," sell them "retail," and recruit other distributors who can do the same. When enough distributors have been enrolled, the recruiter is eligible to collect a percentage of their sales. Companies suggest that this process provides a great money-making opportunity. However, it is unlikely that people who don't join during the first few months of operation or become one of the early distributors in their community can build enough of a sales pyramid to do well. In July 1999, the National Association of Attorneys General announced that complaints about multilevel marketing and pyramid schemes were tenth on their list of consumer complaints.
A recent analysis of Quixtar's reported income figures indicates how poorly most MLM distributors do. In a declaration filed in a suit by two former Quixtar distributors, he concluded:
A statistical sample of distributors revealed that 99.4% of the IBOs [independent business owners] earned on average just $13.41 per week—before product purchases, all business expenses, and taxes. This average income is far less than the costs of the business, resulting in 99% of victims of Quixtar making no net profit. Fewer than 1 person in 10,000 are at the "Diamond and above" levels, the upper ranks of the Quixtar chain that every new recruit is urged to aspire to. . . .
The massive loss rates among Quixtar victims that are revealed in Quixtar's own data are the inevitable mathematical result of the endless chain business model. In this model, the success of the IBO is based on continuous recruiting of additional distributors (IBOs), who are induced to make monthly purchases for their own consumption, rather than on making retail sales in the open marketplace. In the recruitment model, only those participants at the top levels of the pyramid can earn true profits, since the source of a participant's real income is the expenditures of individuals below them on the pyramid, and only a small percentage can be in those top positions. The untenable model result in approximately 70% of IBOs quitting Quixtar within the first year. The mission of this deceptive business model is to continuously enroll losing investors (IBOs) and replace them as they suffer losses and quit the program.
Many distributors who stock up on products to meet sales goals or increase their hoped-for commissions get stuck with unsold products that cost thousands of dollars. Some companies permit direct ordering of their products, which avoids this problem, but the risk of failure is still high.
Dubious Claims
More than a hundred multilevel companies are marketing health-related products. Most claim that their products are effective for preventing or treating disease. A few companies merely suggest that people will feel better, look better, or have more energy if they supplement their diet with extra nutrients. When clear-cut therapeutic claims are made in product literature, the company is an easy target for government enforcement action. Some companies run this risk, hoping that the government won't take action until their customer base is well established. Other companies make no claims in their literature but rely on testimonials, encouraging people to try their products and credit them for any improvement that occurs.
Every company I have looked at has done at least one of the following.
* Made misleading statements that could frighten people into taking dietary supplements they do not need.
* Made misleading statements of product superiority that could induce people to buy products that retail stores sell more cheaply.
* Made unsubstantiated claims that their products would prevent or remedy health problems
* Uses research findings to promote products without noting that the findings are not sufficient to substantiate using the products.
* Uses deception by omission by making statements about the biochemical properties of various substances without placing them in proper perspective. An example would be stating that a certain nutrient is important because it does this or that in the body but omitting that people who eat sensibly have no valid reason to take a supplement.
* Exaggerated the probability of making significant income.
Most multilevel companies tell distributors not to make claims for the products except for those found in company literature. (That way the company can deny responsibility for what distributors do.) However, many companies hold sales meetings at which people are encouraged to tell their story to the others in attendance. Some companies sponsor telephone conference calls during which leading distributors describe their financial success, give sales tips, and describe their personal experiences with the products. Testimonials also may be published in company magazines, audiotapes or videotapes. Testimonial claims can trigger enforcement action, but since it is time-consuming to collect evidence of their use, government agencies seldom bother to do so.
Government enforcement action against multilevel companies has not been vigorous. These companies are usually left alone unless their promotions become so conspicuous and their sales volume so great that an agency feels compelled to intervene. Even then, few interventions have substantial impact once a company is well established.
Motivation: Powerful but Misguided
The "success" of network marketing lies in the enthusiasm of its participants. Most people who think they have been helped by an unorthodox method enjoy sharing their success stories with their friends. People who give such testimonials are usually motivated by a sincere wish to help their fellow humans. Since people tend to believe what others tell them about personal experiences, testimonials can be powerful persuaders.
Perhaps the trickiest misconception about quackery is that personal experience is the best way to tell whether something works. When someone feels better after having used a product or procedure, it is natural to give credit to whatever was done. However, this is unwise. Most ailments are self-limiting, and even incurable conditions can have sufficient day-to-day variation to enable bogus methods to gain large followings. In addition, taking action often produces temporary relief of symptoms (a placebo effect). For these reasons, scientific experimentation is almost always necessary to establish whether health methods are really effective. Instead of testing their products, multilevel companies urge customers to try them and credit them if they feel better. Some products are popular because they contain caffeine, ephedrine (a stimulant), valerian (a tranquilizer), or other substances that produce mood-altering effects.
Another factor in gaining devotees is the emotional impact of group activities. Imagine, for example, that you have been feeling lonely, bored, depressed or tired. One day a friend tells you that "improving your nutrition" can help you feel better. After selling you some products, the friend inquires regularly to find out how you are doing. You seem to feel somewhat better. From time to time you are invited to interesting lectures where you meet people like yourself. Then you are asked to become a distributor. This keep you busy, raises your income, and provides an easy way to approach old friends and make new ones—all in an atmosphere of enthusiasm. Some of your customers express gratitude, giving you a feeling of accomplishment. People who increase their income, their social horizons, or their self-esteem can get a psychological boost that not only can improve their mood but also may alleviate emotionally-based symptoms.
Multilevel companies refer to this process as "sharing" and suggest that everyone involved is a "winner." That simply isn't true. The entire process is built on a foundation of deception. The main winners are the company's owners and the small percentage of distributors who become sales leaders. The losers are millions of Americans who waste money and absorb the misinformation.
Do you think multilevel participants are qualified to judge whether prospective customers need supplements—or medical care? Even though curative claims are forbidden by the written policies of each company, the sales process encourages customers to experiment with self-treatment. It may also promote distrust of legitimate health professionals and their treatment methods.
Some people would argue that the apparent benefits of "believing" in the products outweigh the risks involved. Do you think that people need false beliefs in order to feel healthy or succeed in life? Would you like to believe that something can help you when in fact it is worthless? Should our society support an industry that is trying to mislead us? Can't Americans do something better with the billion or more dollars being wasted each year on multilevel "health" products?
Physician Involvement
Many any physicians are selling health-related multilevel products to patients in their offices. The companies most involved have included Amway (now doing business as Quixtar), Body Wise, Nu Skin (Interior Design), Rexall, and Juice Plus+. Doctors are typically recruited with promises that the extra income will replace income lost to managed care. In December 1997, the American Medical Association Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA) advised against against profiting from the sale of "non-health-related products" to their patients. Although CEJA's policy statement does not mention products sold through multilevel marketing, CEJA's chairman said the statement was triggered by the growing number of physicians who had added an Amway distributorship to their practice.
Recommendations
Consumers would be wise to avoid health-related multilevel products altogether. Those that have nutritional value (such as vitamins and low-cholesterol foods) are invariably overpriced and may be unnecessary as well. Those promoted as remedies are either unproven, bogus, or intended for conditions that are unsuitable for self-medication.
Government agencies should police the multilevel marketplace aggressively, using undercover investigators and filing criminal charges when wrongdoing is detected. People who feel they have been defrauded by MLM companies should file complaints with their state attorney general and with local FDA and FTC offices. A letter detailing the events may be sufficient to trigger an investigation; and the more complaints received, the more likely that corrective action will be taken. If you possess a distributor kit that you no longer need, I would be pleased to add it to my collection. If you would like to help Quackwatch gather information on MLM companies on the Internet, click here."
This article was revised on January 21, 2008.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quackwatch has grown considerably. To help visitors with special areas of interest, we maintain 21 additional sites for autism, chiropractic, dentistry, multilevel marketing, and many other hot topics. We are also closely affiliated with the National Council Against Health Fraud, which cosponsors our free weekly newsletter, and with Bioethics Watch, which highlights issues of questionable research on humans.
Our Internet Health Pilot site provides links to hundreds of reliable health sites. Our Casewatch site contains a large library of legal cases, licensing board actions, government sanctions, and regulatory actions against questionable medical products. These sites can be accessed through the "Visit Our Affiliated Sites" drop-down menu above. Their contents can be searched simultaneously with our WebGlimpse multi-site search engine or individually through our Google search page.
Article link is here.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Don't be surprised if a friend or acquaintance tries to sell you vitamins, herbs, homeopathic remedies, weight-loss powders, or other health-related products. Millions of Americans have signed up as distributors for multilevel companies that market such products from person to person. Often they have tried the products, concluded that they work, and become suppliers to support their habit.
Multilevel marketing (also called network marketing) is a form of direct sales in which independent distributors sell products, usually in their customers' home or by telephone. In theory, distributors can make money not only from their own sales but also from those of the people they recruit.
Becoming an MLM distributor is simple and requires no real knowledge of health or nutrition. Many people do so initially in order to buy their own products at a discount. For a small sum of money—usually between $35 and $100—these companies sell a distributor kit that includes product literature, sales aids (such as a videotape or audiotape), price lists, order forms, and a detailed instructional manual. Most MLM companies publish a magazine or newsletter containing company news, philosophical essays, product information, success stories, and photographs of top salespeople. The application form is usually a single page that asks only for identifying information. Millions of Americans have signed up, including many physicians attracted by the idea that selling MLM products can offset losses attributable to managed care.
Distributors can buy products "wholesale," sell them "retail," and recruit other distributors who can do the same. When enough distributors have been enrolled, the recruiter is eligible to collect a percentage of their sales. Companies suggest that this process provides a great money-making opportunity. However, it is unlikely that people who don't join during the first few months of operation or become one of the early distributors in their community can build enough of a sales pyramid to do well. In July 1999, the National Association of Attorneys General announced that complaints about multilevel marketing and pyramid schemes were tenth on their list of consumer complaints.
A recent analysis of Quixtar's reported income figures indicates how poorly most MLM distributors do. In a declaration filed in a suit by two former Quixtar distributors, he concluded:
A statistical sample of distributors revealed that 99.4% of the IBOs [independent business owners] earned on average just $13.41 per week—before product purchases, all business expenses, and taxes. This average income is far less than the costs of the business, resulting in 99% of victims of Quixtar making no net profit. Fewer than 1 person in 10,000 are at the "Diamond and above" levels, the upper ranks of the Quixtar chain that every new recruit is urged to aspire to. . . .
The massive loss rates among Quixtar victims that are revealed in Quixtar's own data are the inevitable mathematical result of the endless chain business model. In this model, the success of the IBO is based on continuous recruiting of additional distributors (IBOs), who are induced to make monthly purchases for their own consumption, rather than on making retail sales in the open marketplace. In the recruitment model, only those participants at the top levels of the pyramid can earn true profits, since the source of a participant's real income is the expenditures of individuals below them on the pyramid, and only a small percentage can be in those top positions. The untenable model result in approximately 70% of IBOs quitting Quixtar within the first year. The mission of this deceptive business model is to continuously enroll losing investors (IBOs) and replace them as they suffer losses and quit the program.
Many distributors who stock up on products to meet sales goals or increase their hoped-for commissions get stuck with unsold products that cost thousands of dollars. Some companies permit direct ordering of their products, which avoids this problem, but the risk of failure is still high.
Dubious Claims
More than a hundred multilevel companies are marketing health-related products. Most claim that their products are effective for preventing or treating disease. A few companies merely suggest that people will feel better, look better, or have more energy if they supplement their diet with extra nutrients. When clear-cut therapeutic claims are made in product literature, the company is an easy target for government enforcement action. Some companies run this risk, hoping that the government won't take action until their customer base is well established. Other companies make no claims in their literature but rely on testimonials, encouraging people to try their products and credit them for any improvement that occurs.
Every company I have looked at has done at least one of the following.
* Made misleading statements that could frighten people into taking dietary supplements they do not need.
* Made misleading statements of product superiority that could induce people to buy products that retail stores sell more cheaply.
* Made unsubstantiated claims that their products would prevent or remedy health problems
* Uses research findings to promote products without noting that the findings are not sufficient to substantiate using the products.
* Uses deception by omission by making statements about the biochemical properties of various substances without placing them in proper perspective. An example would be stating that a certain nutrient is important because it does this or that in the body but omitting that people who eat sensibly have no valid reason to take a supplement.
* Exaggerated the probability of making significant income.
Most multilevel companies tell distributors not to make claims for the products except for those found in company literature. (That way the company can deny responsibility for what distributors do.) However, many companies hold sales meetings at which people are encouraged to tell their story to the others in attendance. Some companies sponsor telephone conference calls during which leading distributors describe their financial success, give sales tips, and describe their personal experiences with the products. Testimonials also may be published in company magazines, audiotapes or videotapes. Testimonial claims can trigger enforcement action, but since it is time-consuming to collect evidence of their use, government agencies seldom bother to do so.
Government enforcement action against multilevel companies has not been vigorous. These companies are usually left alone unless their promotions become so conspicuous and their sales volume so great that an agency feels compelled to intervene. Even then, few interventions have substantial impact once a company is well established.
Motivation: Powerful but Misguided
The "success" of network marketing lies in the enthusiasm of its participants. Most people who think they have been helped by an unorthodox method enjoy sharing their success stories with their friends. People who give such testimonials are usually motivated by a sincere wish to help their fellow humans. Since people tend to believe what others tell them about personal experiences, testimonials can be powerful persuaders.
Perhaps the trickiest misconception about quackery is that personal experience is the best way to tell whether something works. When someone feels better after having used a product or procedure, it is natural to give credit to whatever was done. However, this is unwise. Most ailments are self-limiting, and even incurable conditions can have sufficient day-to-day variation to enable bogus methods to gain large followings. In addition, taking action often produces temporary relief of symptoms (a placebo effect). For these reasons, scientific experimentation is almost always necessary to establish whether health methods are really effective. Instead of testing their products, multilevel companies urge customers to try them and credit them if they feel better. Some products are popular because they contain caffeine, ephedrine (a stimulant), valerian (a tranquilizer), or other substances that produce mood-altering effects.
Another factor in gaining devotees is the emotional impact of group activities. Imagine, for example, that you have been feeling lonely, bored, depressed or tired. One day a friend tells you that "improving your nutrition" can help you feel better. After selling you some products, the friend inquires regularly to find out how you are doing. You seem to feel somewhat better. From time to time you are invited to interesting lectures where you meet people like yourself. Then you are asked to become a distributor. This keep you busy, raises your income, and provides an easy way to approach old friends and make new ones—all in an atmosphere of enthusiasm. Some of your customers express gratitude, giving you a feeling of accomplishment. People who increase their income, their social horizons, or their self-esteem can get a psychological boost that not only can improve their mood but also may alleviate emotionally-based symptoms.
Multilevel companies refer to this process as "sharing" and suggest that everyone involved is a "winner." That simply isn't true. The entire process is built on a foundation of deception. The main winners are the company's owners and the small percentage of distributors who become sales leaders. The losers are millions of Americans who waste money and absorb the misinformation.
Do you think multilevel participants are qualified to judge whether prospective customers need supplements—or medical care? Even though curative claims are forbidden by the written policies of each company, the sales process encourages customers to experiment with self-treatment. It may also promote distrust of legitimate health professionals and their treatment methods.
Some people would argue that the apparent benefits of "believing" in the products outweigh the risks involved. Do you think that people need false beliefs in order to feel healthy or succeed in life? Would you like to believe that something can help you when in fact it is worthless? Should our society support an industry that is trying to mislead us? Can't Americans do something better with the billion or more dollars being wasted each year on multilevel "health" products?
Physician Involvement
Many any physicians are selling health-related multilevel products to patients in their offices. The companies most involved have included Amway (now doing business as Quixtar), Body Wise, Nu Skin (Interior Design), Rexall, and Juice Plus+. Doctors are typically recruited with promises that the extra income will replace income lost to managed care. In December 1997, the American Medical Association Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA) advised against against profiting from the sale of "non-health-related products" to their patients. Although CEJA's policy statement does not mention products sold through multilevel marketing, CEJA's chairman said the statement was triggered by the growing number of physicians who had added an Amway distributorship to their practice.
Recommendations
Consumers would be wise to avoid health-related multilevel products altogether. Those that have nutritional value (such as vitamins and low-cholesterol foods) are invariably overpriced and may be unnecessary as well. Those promoted as remedies are either unproven, bogus, or intended for conditions that are unsuitable for self-medication.
Government agencies should police the multilevel marketplace aggressively, using undercover investigators and filing criminal charges when wrongdoing is detected. People who feel they have been defrauded by MLM companies should file complaints with their state attorney general and with local FDA and FTC offices. A letter detailing the events may be sufficient to trigger an investigation; and the more complaints received, the more likely that corrective action will be taken. If you possess a distributor kit that you no longer need, I would be pleased to add it to my collection. If you would like to help Quackwatch gather information on MLM companies on the Internet, click here."
This article was revised on January 21, 2008.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quackwatch has grown considerably. To help visitors with special areas of interest, we maintain 21 additional sites for autism, chiropractic, dentistry, multilevel marketing, and many other hot topics. We are also closely affiliated with the National Council Against Health Fraud, which cosponsors our free weekly newsletter, and with Bioethics Watch, which highlights issues of questionable research on humans.
Our Internet Health Pilot site provides links to hundreds of reliable health sites. Our Casewatch site contains a large library of legal cases, licensing board actions, government sanctions, and regulatory actions against questionable medical products. These sites can be accessed through the "Visit Our Affiliated Sites" drop-down menu above. Their contents can be searched simultaneously with our WebGlimpse multi-site search engine or individually through our Google search page.
Article link is here.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, March 8, 2009
The U.S. Economy: Designed to Fail - by Richard C. Cook
The title of this article is very difficult to read. There is no easy way out folks! Since I am reading this type of news on a regular basis, maybe I am beating up my positive mood but at least I know what is coming.
In just a matter of time, the entire world economy will face a very difficult reshaping, paying for mistakes and artificial wealth created over the the last decades. An debt driven economy combined with money created out of thin air is an explosive cocktail that will blow out in our face!
I still think too much people still do not have a clue of what is going on in our world and in the economy, unfortunately. And when you talk about this to non educated people, most are looking at us saying what the heck are you talking about? Typical answer is that this is just another recession and everything will go back to normal in 6 to 12 months...
Anyway, this article is a real eye opening about what's coming in the next few weeks and months. Enjoy!
"President Barack Obama showed a great deal of gumption in standing before Congress last night delivering his first speech to the joint assembly. All the trappings of power were on display as members of the House and Senate, the Supreme Court, the Joint Chiefs, the Cabinet, and the VIP guests hugged and waved at each other, radiant in their tailored attire only two nights after the Hollywood stars put on their own show on Oscar night.
Too bad neither the president, nor Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi applauding on the podium behind him, nor the jubilant Democrats with their solid majorities, nor the grumpy Republicans slouching in the minority across the aisle, know what they are doing as economic extinction stares the United States of America in the face.
Yes, it’s that bad. The day after the speech the Dow-Jones dropped to 7,271, almost 50 percent off its October 2007 high, with no bottom in sight. According to the Washington Post, the Big Three automakers are now facing a “bottom-up” collapse of their component supply lines if their vast network of suppliers doesn’t receive new federal loans within a week. Worldwide the situation is just as bad. The U.N.’s International Labour Organization reports:
“What began as a crisis in finance markets has rapidly become a global jobs crisis. Unemployment is rising. The number of working poor is increasing. Businesses are going under.”
President Obama’s speech was long on resolve but short on substance. He assured the nation:
“We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.”
But accomplishing this depends entirely on one thing: more federal deficit spending to serve as the economic engine in an economy where bank lending has dried up because businesses and consumers can no longer repay their loans.
Unfortunately, the deficit is approaching the breaking point.
During fiscal year 2009 the U.S. Treasury is on-track to pay over $500 billion just in interest payments to finance the already-existing debt. New debt this year will likely exceed a trillion dollars. The total debt burden on the economy as a whole could reach $70 trillion by 2010, with annual interest payments for individuals, households, businesses, and all levels of government likely to reach $3 trillion out of a $14 trillion GDP that is now in sharp decline.
Financing the deficit continues to depend on whether China will still purchase Treasury bonds. This is why Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said frankly during last week’s trip to China : “We are relying on the Chinese government to continue to buy our debt.”
But at least President Obama is trying. He knows the economy can only recover if growth is rekindled. So he is focusing on the creation of jobs that translate into real worker income. But can he reverse a generation of job outsourcing and income stagnation? I don’t know of anyone who believes he can. Will the Republican nostrum of tax and spending cuts do anything? You jest. Not when unemployment is approaching Great Depression levels..
But neither President Obama, nor his Democratic supporters or Republican antagonists, should feel badly about what is happening. This is because the system they have been given to work with was designed to fail. The U.S. was saddled long ago with a debt-based monetary system, whereby the only way money can be introduced into circulation is through bank lending. It was the system that was instituted in 1913 when Congress gave away its constitutional power over money creation to the private banking industry by passing the Federal Reserve Act.
It was then that the catastrophe we are now facing became inevitable. It took nearly a century to get here but it finally happened. We should have known it was coming when Federal Reserve-created bubbles replaced economic growth from our disappearing heavy industry, starting with the recession of 1979-83. We could have seen it coming when the dot.com bubble collapsed in 2000-2001, and Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan worked with the George W. Bush administration to substitute the housing bubble for a real recovery.
The day of reckoning is here. So don’t worry, Mr. President. It’s not your fault. When the collapse takes place the international bankers who will take over might even let you keep your job."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard C. Cook is a former U.S. federal government analyst. His book on monetary reform, We Hold These Truths: The Hope of Monetary Reform, is now available at www.amazon.com. He is also the author of Challenger Revealed: An Insider’s Account of How the Reagan Administration Caused the Greatest Tragedy of the Space Age. He can be contacted through his website at http://www.richardccook.com
Richard C. Cook is a frequent contributor to Global Research. Global Research Articles by Richard C. Cook
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
In just a matter of time, the entire world economy will face a very difficult reshaping, paying for mistakes and artificial wealth created over the the last decades. An debt driven economy combined with money created out of thin air is an explosive cocktail that will blow out in our face!
I still think too much people still do not have a clue of what is going on in our world and in the economy, unfortunately. And when you talk about this to non educated people, most are looking at us saying what the heck are you talking about? Typical answer is that this is just another recession and everything will go back to normal in 6 to 12 months...
Anyway, this article is a real eye opening about what's coming in the next few weeks and months. Enjoy!
"President Barack Obama showed a great deal of gumption in standing before Congress last night delivering his first speech to the joint assembly. All the trappings of power were on display as members of the House and Senate, the Supreme Court, the Joint Chiefs, the Cabinet, and the VIP guests hugged and waved at each other, radiant in their tailored attire only two nights after the Hollywood stars put on their own show on Oscar night.
Too bad neither the president, nor Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi applauding on the podium behind him, nor the jubilant Democrats with their solid majorities, nor the grumpy Republicans slouching in the minority across the aisle, know what they are doing as economic extinction stares the United States of America in the face.
Yes, it’s that bad. The day after the speech the Dow-Jones dropped to 7,271, almost 50 percent off its October 2007 high, with no bottom in sight. According to the Washington Post, the Big Three automakers are now facing a “bottom-up” collapse of their component supply lines if their vast network of suppliers doesn’t receive new federal loans within a week. Worldwide the situation is just as bad. The U.N.’s International Labour Organization reports:
“What began as a crisis in finance markets has rapidly become a global jobs crisis. Unemployment is rising. The number of working poor is increasing. Businesses are going under.”
President Obama’s speech was long on resolve but short on substance. He assured the nation:
“We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.”
But accomplishing this depends entirely on one thing: more federal deficit spending to serve as the economic engine in an economy where bank lending has dried up because businesses and consumers can no longer repay their loans.
Unfortunately, the deficit is approaching the breaking point.
During fiscal year 2009 the U.S. Treasury is on-track to pay over $500 billion just in interest payments to finance the already-existing debt. New debt this year will likely exceed a trillion dollars. The total debt burden on the economy as a whole could reach $70 trillion by 2010, with annual interest payments for individuals, households, businesses, and all levels of government likely to reach $3 trillion out of a $14 trillion GDP that is now in sharp decline.
Financing the deficit continues to depend on whether China will still purchase Treasury bonds. This is why Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said frankly during last week’s trip to China : “We are relying on the Chinese government to continue to buy our debt.”
But at least President Obama is trying. He knows the economy can only recover if growth is rekindled. So he is focusing on the creation of jobs that translate into real worker income. But can he reverse a generation of job outsourcing and income stagnation? I don’t know of anyone who believes he can. Will the Republican nostrum of tax and spending cuts do anything? You jest. Not when unemployment is approaching Great Depression levels..
But neither President Obama, nor his Democratic supporters or Republican antagonists, should feel badly about what is happening. This is because the system they have been given to work with was designed to fail. The U.S. was saddled long ago with a debt-based monetary system, whereby the only way money can be introduced into circulation is through bank lending. It was the system that was instituted in 1913 when Congress gave away its constitutional power over money creation to the private banking industry by passing the Federal Reserve Act.
It was then that the catastrophe we are now facing became inevitable. It took nearly a century to get here but it finally happened. We should have known it was coming when Federal Reserve-created bubbles replaced economic growth from our disappearing heavy industry, starting with the recession of 1979-83. We could have seen it coming when the dot.com bubble collapsed in 2000-2001, and Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan worked with the George W. Bush administration to substitute the housing bubble for a real recovery.
The day of reckoning is here. So don’t worry, Mr. President. It’s not your fault. When the collapse takes place the international bankers who will take over might even let you keep your job."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard C. Cook is a former U.S. federal government analyst. His book on monetary reform, We Hold These Truths: The Hope of Monetary Reform, is now available at www.amazon.com. He is also the author of Challenger Revealed: An Insider’s Account of How the Reagan Administration Caused the Greatest Tragedy of the Space Age. He can be contacted through his website at http://www.richardccook.com
Richard C. Cook is a frequent contributor to Global Research. Global Research Articles by Richard C. Cook
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Don't Fix Wall Street, Replace It - by David Korten
Hello everyone! I love the title of this article! Hopefully this economic crisis will be a historical opportunity for doing differently! The scariest thing about the current situation is not necessarily to face the crisis (we all know the coming years will be difficult) but rather to get back to what we were doing!
Changes in the economy are mandatory, we must change the way we do business. We must go back to what the economy were destined for: to serve people, not the way around. I strongly invite you to read the article from David Korten just below. Enjoy!
"Why not an economy of real wealth? The current economic debate centers on how best to revive our existing economic system through some combination of a Wall Street bailout and a job-creating economic stimulus package. That amounts to trying to revive an economic system that has failed in every dimension: financial, social, and environmental. Rather than prop up a failed system, we should use the current financial crisis as the opportunity to create a system that works. Trying to solve the crisis with the same tools that caused it is the definition of insanity.
As individuals, we humans appear to be an intelligent species. Collectively, however, our behavior ranges from supremely wise to suicidal. Our current collective economic insanity is the product of an illusion—a belief, cultivated by the prevailing economic orthodoxy, that money is wealth and that making money is the equivalent of creating wealth.
Money is merely an accounting chit with no intrinsic value—it is useless until we exchange it for something of real value. Wall Street’s specialty is creating money for rich people without the exertion of producing anything of corresponding real value. They increase their claims against real wealth without increasing the supply of goods, making it harder for the rest of us to meet our needs.
Real wealth is, first of all, the tangible things that support life—food, shelter, clothing. Of course, the most valuable forms of real wealth are those that are beyond price: love; a healthy, happy child; a job that provides a sense of self-worth and contribution; membership in a strong, caring community; a healthy vibrant natural environment; peace. Our Wall-Street-driven economic system makes fantastic amounts of money and actively destroys all these many forms of real wealth.
We have been in thrall to a pervasive cultural story, continuously reinforced by academics, government officials, and corporate media, which led us to believe our economy was functioning splendidly even when it was quite literally killing us. You have heard this story many times:
“Economic growth, as measured by Gross Domestic Product, creates the wealth needed to provide material abundance for all, increase human happiness, end poverty, and heal the environment. The faster we consume, the faster the economy grows and the wealthier we become as the rising tide lifts all boats.”
The logical conclusion from this story is that the faster we convert useful resources to toxic garbage, the richer we are. The only true beneficiaries of this obviously stupid idea are a few very rich people who reap financial gains from every economic transaction—whether the transaction cures a disease or clearcuts a rainforest. It is a system that deifies money and dilutes wealth.
In contrast, the Main Street economy is comprised of local businesses and working people who produce real goods and services to meet the real wealth needs of their communities. It has been battered and tattered by the predatory intrusions of Wall Street corporations, but it is the logical foundation on which to build a new, real wealth economy of green jobs and green manufacturing, responsible community-oriented businesses, and sound environmental practices.
Let Wall Street corporations and their phantom wealth machine slip into the abyss of their own making. Devote our public resources to building and strengthening Main Street businesses and financial institutions devoted to creating real wealth in service to their local communities."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Korten wrote this article for the Spring 2009 issue of YES! Magazine, Food for Everyone. David's latest book is Agenda for a New Economy: From Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth (published by Berrett-Koehler, Feb 2009). Read an extract. David is also the author of the international bestseller When Corporations Rule the World and The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community. He is co-founder and board chair of YES! Magazine, and a board member of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies.
You can visit David Korten's website at http://www.davidkorten.org
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Changes in the economy are mandatory, we must change the way we do business. We must go back to what the economy were destined for: to serve people, not the way around. I strongly invite you to read the article from David Korten just below. Enjoy!
"Why not an economy of real wealth? The current economic debate centers on how best to revive our existing economic system through some combination of a Wall Street bailout and a job-creating economic stimulus package. That amounts to trying to revive an economic system that has failed in every dimension: financial, social, and environmental. Rather than prop up a failed system, we should use the current financial crisis as the opportunity to create a system that works. Trying to solve the crisis with the same tools that caused it is the definition of insanity.
As individuals, we humans appear to be an intelligent species. Collectively, however, our behavior ranges from supremely wise to suicidal. Our current collective economic insanity is the product of an illusion—a belief, cultivated by the prevailing economic orthodoxy, that money is wealth and that making money is the equivalent of creating wealth.
Money is merely an accounting chit with no intrinsic value—it is useless until we exchange it for something of real value. Wall Street’s specialty is creating money for rich people without the exertion of producing anything of corresponding real value. They increase their claims against real wealth without increasing the supply of goods, making it harder for the rest of us to meet our needs.
Real wealth is, first of all, the tangible things that support life—food, shelter, clothing. Of course, the most valuable forms of real wealth are those that are beyond price: love; a healthy, happy child; a job that provides a sense of self-worth and contribution; membership in a strong, caring community; a healthy vibrant natural environment; peace. Our Wall-Street-driven economic system makes fantastic amounts of money and actively destroys all these many forms of real wealth.
We have been in thrall to a pervasive cultural story, continuously reinforced by academics, government officials, and corporate media, which led us to believe our economy was functioning splendidly even when it was quite literally killing us. You have heard this story many times:
“Economic growth, as measured by Gross Domestic Product, creates the wealth needed to provide material abundance for all, increase human happiness, end poverty, and heal the environment. The faster we consume, the faster the economy grows and the wealthier we become as the rising tide lifts all boats.”
The logical conclusion from this story is that the faster we convert useful resources to toxic garbage, the richer we are. The only true beneficiaries of this obviously stupid idea are a few very rich people who reap financial gains from every economic transaction—whether the transaction cures a disease or clearcuts a rainforest. It is a system that deifies money and dilutes wealth.
In contrast, the Main Street economy is comprised of local businesses and working people who produce real goods and services to meet the real wealth needs of their communities. It has been battered and tattered by the predatory intrusions of Wall Street corporations, but it is the logical foundation on which to build a new, real wealth economy of green jobs and green manufacturing, responsible community-oriented businesses, and sound environmental practices.
Let Wall Street corporations and their phantom wealth machine slip into the abyss of their own making. Devote our public resources to building and strengthening Main Street businesses and financial institutions devoted to creating real wealth in service to their local communities."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Korten wrote this article for the Spring 2009 issue of YES! Magazine, Food for Everyone. David's latest book is Agenda for a New Economy: From Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth (published by Berrett-Koehler, Feb 2009). Read an extract. David is also the author of the international bestseller When Corporations Rule the World and The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community. He is co-founder and board chair of YES! Magazine, and a board member of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies.
You can visit David Korten's website at http://www.davidkorten.org
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, December 29, 2008
The Opportunity Within the Current Financial Crisis - by Lynne Twist
Hello everyone, I want to take this time of the year to wish you a wonderful Happy New Year for 2009.
I have received another article from Lynne Twist, the author of one of my all time favorite book I have read in the last years, called "The Soul of Money".
Every crisis entails an opportunity to think and to do differently, to change ourselves for the better and re-evaluate our values and dogms.
Here is the integral of the article I want to share with all of you before the end of the year.
"Dear clients, colleagues and friends,
We now have the opportunity to live the most meaningful lives any generation of humankind has ever lived.
The halls of power have managed thus far to keep the climate change crisis at bay, the species extinction crisis at arms' length, and the social justice crisis as an afterthought. Now we can see that the financial crisis is dramatically different. It is lodged in the hearts and minds of citizens, and is in the face of leaders in all sectors of society.
The opportunity in this global economic crisis is that it's forcing us to rethink our relationship to money and life, and to confront not only the financial crisis, but also all other crises which stem from the same root - Scarcity.
How can you use this financial crisis/opportunity as an impetus to live the most meaningful life of any generation?
Each of us can begin by saying "no" to the toxic lies of scarcity and choosing instead to live in the radical, surprising truth of sufficiency.
Each of us can decide to treat this economic recession as the "recess from excess" that is long overdue.
Here are 3 things you can do right now:
1) Pay attention to and foster what you love, not what you fear. Fear is not the opposite of love; it's the absence of it. So, when you move into fear, the most important antidote is to act in ways consistent with what you love.
Be in gratitude for that which you love, take care of the people you love, and deepen the taproot of your commitment to community.
Money is like water - it can be a conduit for commitment, a currency of love. Reallocate your financial resources to support what you love.
Take money away from that which is destructive, and reallocate it to that which is productive and sustainable. You can do that with every spending decision you make.
2) Do the things that you always thought you "should" do but haven't yet--carpooling, composting, having a potluck instead of a catered dinner, to name a few. Become active in local, national, and/or global movements-- bring your talents to the table, to the event, to your neighbor.
3) Be a global citizen with your money, rather than a consumer. Ask yourself if you really need something before buying it. For every new purchase, consider what you can give away, recycle, or "re-gift".
Pay attention to where goods are made, who made them, and with what materials. Avoid products that came from child labor, that are damaging to the Earth, or are over-packaged.
In summary, as we ground ourselves in the mindset of sufficiency and take a recess from the fear and anger produced by a life of excess, we create a new future of sufficiency for ourselves and all beings everywhere.
Blessings at this season - may it be a celebration of light, peace, and new beginnings.
Lynne Twist"
I invite you to explore and discover Lynne Twist's website. The link is in my "Yan's Personal Development and Inspiration" section on your right.
I have received another article from Lynne Twist, the author of one of my all time favorite book I have read in the last years, called "The Soul of Money".
Every crisis entails an opportunity to think and to do differently, to change ourselves for the better and re-evaluate our values and dogms.
Here is the integral of the article I want to share with all of you before the end of the year.
"Dear clients, colleagues and friends,
We now have the opportunity to live the most meaningful lives any generation of humankind has ever lived.
The halls of power have managed thus far to keep the climate change crisis at bay, the species extinction crisis at arms' length, and the social justice crisis as an afterthought. Now we can see that the financial crisis is dramatically different. It is lodged in the hearts and minds of citizens, and is in the face of leaders in all sectors of society.
The opportunity in this global economic crisis is that it's forcing us to rethink our relationship to money and life, and to confront not only the financial crisis, but also all other crises which stem from the same root - Scarcity.
How can you use this financial crisis/opportunity as an impetus to live the most meaningful life of any generation?
Each of us can begin by saying "no" to the toxic lies of scarcity and choosing instead to live in the radical, surprising truth of sufficiency.
Each of us can decide to treat this economic recession as the "recess from excess" that is long overdue.
Here are 3 things you can do right now:
1) Pay attention to and foster what you love, not what you fear. Fear is not the opposite of love; it's the absence of it. So, when you move into fear, the most important antidote is to act in ways consistent with what you love.
Be in gratitude for that which you love, take care of the people you love, and deepen the taproot of your commitment to community.
Money is like water - it can be a conduit for commitment, a currency of love. Reallocate your financial resources to support what you love.
Take money away from that which is destructive, and reallocate it to that which is productive and sustainable. You can do that with every spending decision you make.
2) Do the things that you always thought you "should" do but haven't yet--carpooling, composting, having a potluck instead of a catered dinner, to name a few. Become active in local, national, and/or global movements-- bring your talents to the table, to the event, to your neighbor.
3) Be a global citizen with your money, rather than a consumer. Ask yourself if you really need something before buying it. For every new purchase, consider what you can give away, recycle, or "re-gift".
Pay attention to where goods are made, who made them, and with what materials. Avoid products that came from child labor, that are damaging to the Earth, or are over-packaged.
In summary, as we ground ourselves in the mindset of sufficiency and take a recess from the fear and anger produced by a life of excess, we create a new future of sufficiency for ourselves and all beings everywhere.
Blessings at this season - may it be a celebration of light, peace, and new beginnings.
Lynne Twist"
I invite you to explore and discover Lynne Twist's website. The link is in my "Yan's Personal Development and Inspiration" section on your right.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
A Life That Counts - By Dr. John C. Maxwell
Hello everyone, I have received today another article by one of my friend and business partner George Shears. This article has been written by Dr. John C. Maxwell. I do not not where is the exact source but let me share with you the integral of this article that has resonated with my heart:
"Ben Franklin once wrote, "I would rather have it said 'he lived usefully' than 'he died rich.'" More than just words, it was the way Franklin lived his life. One example of his useful nature was the invention of the Franklin stove. Instead of patenting it and keeping it to himself, Ben Franklin decided to share his invention with the world.
According to Dr. John C. Van Horne, Library Company of Philadelphia: "Franklin's philanthropy was of a collective nature. His sense of benevolence came by aiding his fellow human beings and by doing good to society. In fact, in one sense, Franklin's philanthropy, his sense of benevolence, was his religion. Doing good to mankind was, in his understanding, divine." Even his position as a printer fit this philosophical bent. He did not hoard his ideas, but shared them, and everyone benefited. He had an "abundance mentality."
Instead of seeing the world in terms of how much money he could make, Franklin saw the world in terms of how many people he could help. To Benjamin Franklin, being useful was its own reward.
As I age, I gain perspective on the illusion of wealth and status as forms of fulfillment. I don't want my life to be measured by dollars and cents, or the number of books I've authored. Rather, I want to be remembered by the lives that I've touched. I want live a life that counts. With each day that passes, I feel a greater sense of urgency to make sure my time and energy are invested in developing leaders.
A Life That Counts Is Determined By:
1. The Relationships That I Form
Relationships help us to define who we are and what we can become. In my own life, I can see how relationships have shaped my character, values, and interest. I consider relationships to be my greatest treasures in life and an immense source of joy.
Most people can trace their failures or successes to pivotal relationships. That's because all relationships involve transference. When we interact with others we exchange energy, emotions, ideas, and values. Some relationships reinforce our values and uplift us; while others undercut our convictions and drain us. While we cannot choose every relationship in our lives, on the whole, we get to select those who are closest to us.
Relationship Rules
Get along with yourself
The one relationship you will have until you die is yourself.
Value people
You cannot make another person feel important if you secretly feel that he or she is a nobody.
Make the effort to form relationships
The result of a person who has never served others? Loneliness.
Understand the Reciprocity Rule
Over time, people come to share reciprocal, similar attitudes toward each other.
Follow the Golden Rule
The timeless principle: treat others the way you want to be treated.
2. The Decisions That I Make
Good decisions sometimes reap dividends years into the future, while bad decisions have a way of haunting us. Consider diverging decisions made by Johnson & Johnson and Phillip Morris.
In 1982, Johnson & Johnson faced a dilemma when seven people died from cyanide poison placed inside of Tylenol bottles. Johnson & Johnson's reaction? The company pulled its product from the shelves, invested in tamper-proof bottling, and emerged as a paragon of corporate responsibility. To this day, Johnson & Johnson remains one of America's most admired companies.
In 1999, Phillip Morris, in an attempt to counter antismoking measures in the Czech Republic, commissioned an economic analysis to look into the "indirect positive effects" of premature deaths to smokers. The purported "benefits" to Czech society included savings on health care, pensions, welfare, and housing costs for the elderly. After word of the study began to circulate, public opinion forced Phillip Morris to issue a sheepish apology. In light of clear evidence showing the health detriments of smoking, Phillip Morris' decision to justify cigarette sales has contributed to the "Big Tobacco" image as an object of consumer scorn.
My friend, legendary basketball coach John Wooden, encourages leaders to, "Make every day your masterpiece." Two ingredients are necessary for each day to be a masterpiece: decisions and discipline. I like to think of decisions as goal-setting and discipline as goal-getting. Decisions and discipline cannot be separated because one is worthless without the other.
Good Decisions - Daily Discipline = A Plan without Payoff
Daily Discipline - Good Decisions = Regimentation without Reward
Good Decisions + Daily Discipline = A Masterpiece of Success
3. The Experiences That I Encounter
In addition to relationships and decisions, our lives are shaped by pivotal experiences. Whether triumphs or tragedies, our lives are molded by a shortlist of prominent experiences. Perhaps we receive a long-awaited promotion or we're suddenly let go from a job. Perhaps a loved one passes away, or a newborn baby enters our lives. These experiences immerse us in emotions and challenge our convictions. They may even reveal our purpose in life.
Oftentimes, we're defined not so much in the moment of experience itself as in our response to the experience. Do we quit or rebound? Do we harbor bitterness or choose to forgive? Do we blame or improve? Whatever the case, the experiences in our lives profoundly touch us.
The life experiences we encounter are broad and varied, but here are a few brief pointers on gaining the most from them.
1. Evaluate experience
Experience isn't the best teacher. Evaluated experience is the best teacher. Learn from mistakes and victories alike. Draw upon experiences to grow and gain wisdom.
2. Manage the emotional aspects of experience
Pivotal moments come with a flood of emotions - at times positive, and at times negative. Teach yourself to counteract negative feelings and learn to harness the momentum of positive emotions.
3. Share them through storytelling
Experiences are my richest repositories of teaching material. Make a habit of sharing the lessons learned from the experiences that have shaped your life and your leadership.
REVIEW
Living a Life That Counts Is Determined By...
The Relationships That I Form
The Decisions That I Make
The Experiences That I Encounter
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you're not doing something with your life, then it doesn't matter how long you live. If you're doing something with your life, then it doesn't matter how short your life may be. A life is not measured by years lived, but by its usefulness. If you are giving, loving, serving, helping, encouraging, and adding value to others, then you're living a life that counts!"
"Ben Franklin once wrote, "I would rather have it said 'he lived usefully' than 'he died rich.'" More than just words, it was the way Franklin lived his life. One example of his useful nature was the invention of the Franklin stove. Instead of patenting it and keeping it to himself, Ben Franklin decided to share his invention with the world.
According to Dr. John C. Van Horne, Library Company of Philadelphia: "Franklin's philanthropy was of a collective nature. His sense of benevolence came by aiding his fellow human beings and by doing good to society. In fact, in one sense, Franklin's philanthropy, his sense of benevolence, was his religion. Doing good to mankind was, in his understanding, divine." Even his position as a printer fit this philosophical bent. He did not hoard his ideas, but shared them, and everyone benefited. He had an "abundance mentality."
Instead of seeing the world in terms of how much money he could make, Franklin saw the world in terms of how many people he could help. To Benjamin Franklin, being useful was its own reward.
As I age, I gain perspective on the illusion of wealth and status as forms of fulfillment. I don't want my life to be measured by dollars and cents, or the number of books I've authored. Rather, I want to be remembered by the lives that I've touched. I want live a life that counts. With each day that passes, I feel a greater sense of urgency to make sure my time and energy are invested in developing leaders.
A Life That Counts Is Determined By:
1. The Relationships That I Form
Relationships help us to define who we are and what we can become. In my own life, I can see how relationships have shaped my character, values, and interest. I consider relationships to be my greatest treasures in life and an immense source of joy.
Most people can trace their failures or successes to pivotal relationships. That's because all relationships involve transference. When we interact with others we exchange energy, emotions, ideas, and values. Some relationships reinforce our values and uplift us; while others undercut our convictions and drain us. While we cannot choose every relationship in our lives, on the whole, we get to select those who are closest to us.
Relationship Rules
Get along with yourself
The one relationship you will have until you die is yourself.
Value people
You cannot make another person feel important if you secretly feel that he or she is a nobody.
Make the effort to form relationships
The result of a person who has never served others? Loneliness.
Understand the Reciprocity Rule
Over time, people come to share reciprocal, similar attitudes toward each other.
Follow the Golden Rule
The timeless principle: treat others the way you want to be treated.
2. The Decisions That I Make
Good decisions sometimes reap dividends years into the future, while bad decisions have a way of haunting us. Consider diverging decisions made by Johnson & Johnson and Phillip Morris.
In 1982, Johnson & Johnson faced a dilemma when seven people died from cyanide poison placed inside of Tylenol bottles. Johnson & Johnson's reaction? The company pulled its product from the shelves, invested in tamper-proof bottling, and emerged as a paragon of corporate responsibility. To this day, Johnson & Johnson remains one of America's most admired companies.
In 1999, Phillip Morris, in an attempt to counter antismoking measures in the Czech Republic, commissioned an economic analysis to look into the "indirect positive effects" of premature deaths to smokers. The purported "benefits" to Czech society included savings on health care, pensions, welfare, and housing costs for the elderly. After word of the study began to circulate, public opinion forced Phillip Morris to issue a sheepish apology. In light of clear evidence showing the health detriments of smoking, Phillip Morris' decision to justify cigarette sales has contributed to the "Big Tobacco" image as an object of consumer scorn.
My friend, legendary basketball coach John Wooden, encourages leaders to, "Make every day your masterpiece." Two ingredients are necessary for each day to be a masterpiece: decisions and discipline. I like to think of decisions as goal-setting and discipline as goal-getting. Decisions and discipline cannot be separated because one is worthless without the other.
Good Decisions - Daily Discipline = A Plan without Payoff
Daily Discipline - Good Decisions = Regimentation without Reward
Good Decisions + Daily Discipline = A Masterpiece of Success
3. The Experiences That I Encounter
In addition to relationships and decisions, our lives are shaped by pivotal experiences. Whether triumphs or tragedies, our lives are molded by a shortlist of prominent experiences. Perhaps we receive a long-awaited promotion or we're suddenly let go from a job. Perhaps a loved one passes away, or a newborn baby enters our lives. These experiences immerse us in emotions and challenge our convictions. They may even reveal our purpose in life.
Oftentimes, we're defined not so much in the moment of experience itself as in our response to the experience. Do we quit or rebound? Do we harbor bitterness or choose to forgive? Do we blame or improve? Whatever the case, the experiences in our lives profoundly touch us.
The life experiences we encounter are broad and varied, but here are a few brief pointers on gaining the most from them.
1. Evaluate experience
Experience isn't the best teacher. Evaluated experience is the best teacher. Learn from mistakes and victories alike. Draw upon experiences to grow and gain wisdom.
2. Manage the emotional aspects of experience
Pivotal moments come with a flood of emotions - at times positive, and at times negative. Teach yourself to counteract negative feelings and learn to harness the momentum of positive emotions.
3. Share them through storytelling
Experiences are my richest repositories of teaching material. Make a habit of sharing the lessons learned from the experiences that have shaped your life and your leadership.
REVIEW
Living a Life That Counts Is Determined By...
The Relationships That I Form
The Decisions That I Make
The Experiences That I Encounter
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you're not doing something with your life, then it doesn't matter how long you live. If you're doing something with your life, then it doesn't matter how short your life may be. A life is not measured by years lived, but by its usefulness. If you are giving, loving, serving, helping, encouraging, and adding value to others, then you're living a life that counts!"
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