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Or: why "affirmations" have no place in the life of a successful leader.

I always thought affirmations were silly. I didn't use them my first few months with my last MLM company, but as time went on and the mindless dialing and follow-up was starting to take its toll on me, I found myself turning to daily affirmations for strength, just like everyone else.

And it did help to tell myself I was 'an abundantly blessed woman' and that 'the lead and cash flow were strong' (even though they were not). It did help build my confidence and belief'at least until the next abusive prospect screamed in my ear and slammed down the phone on me. Then the good feelings quickly evaporated and it was back to square one'(meaning MORE affirmations).

On bleak days like these (and they were many), the advice from my upline was to say my affirmations repeatedly out loud ' a minimum of five times a day -- to 'strengthen my belief'.

(I remember this one girl on my team'she had this special little song of encouragement she would sing to herself any time someone hung up on her. It always struck me as terribly sad'even back then when I was just as brainwashed as her.)

Which brings another thought to mind: Have you ever considered why it is that the events put together by MLM companies are always so full of hype and practically free of any substance? There are flickering lights, loud music, touching 'success stories', 'incredible' product launches, "before-and-after-I-got-rich" pictures'plenty of all that.

All designed to get you (back) on your emotional high. To keep you sucked in. To get you wound up enough to keep going until the next event ' where it all starts all over again.

Let's face it. The reason it's all fluff and no substance is because your leaders don't really have anything to teach you. Like you, the people up on stage are just pawns in the larger corporate puzzle. They don't know the first thing about marketing.

As one of the prominent leaders in my last MLM company willingly confessed: 'I don't know anything about building a business. If, today, you asked me to do it all over again, I would be just as clueless as I was back then.'

She had been with her company for 11 years and was making over six-figures. Yet she wasn't afraid to flaunt her ignorance. In fact, she used it as a line of reasoning whenever she spoke to a prospect: 'So you see, if I can do it, YOU can do it too!'

Right.

The reason affirmations are given so much emphasis in MLM is the same reason the events are so overrated. It's because so many people are struggling.

Just think about it'When your downline is dissolving and after twelve months you aren't any closer to financial freedom than the day you got started, when low-quality leads continue to suck your energy and your bank account, when you have no friends or family members left to recruit, when you are drained, disillusioned, and mildly depressed, then you really do need something to offset all the negativity.

You need a 'lift' of some kind, so that you're actually physically able to drag yourself back to your desk and pick up that 100 lbs phone one more time to dial the next loser. And that's also why you need the dream board and the positive sayings posted around your workplace. The harder it is to build your business, the more of all that stuff you need.

Now, STOP for a minute and ask yourself this question:

If you, on the other hand, are seeing real, tangible results from your efforts, if you are getting paid what you're worth (and YOU are the one who decides what you're worth, by the way), if you love what you do, and if you feel proud of your business and good about yourself and what you have to offer -- do you need those daily affirmations? NO!

You don't need to try and talk yourself into feeling a certain way if you ALREADY feel that way'naturally! You see, real belief is simply the byproduct of real results!

Do you think that before she goes out on the campaign trail, Hillary Clinton (or any other serious politician) stands before the mirror and proclaims to herself, ' I am an abundantly blessed woman'the voters are loyal'it is inevitable'I AM the nominee.'?

Of course not... She already has the confidence; she doesn't need to fake it!

And neither do you...

If you find it necessary to constantly turn to affirmations to strengthen your belief, I suggest you instead STOP and ask yourself why your business is not producing for you the results you are looking for.

That is exactly what thousands upon thousands of networkers around the world have started doing. In massive numbers, fed-up MLM'er are throwing in the towel on downline building and instead turning to a new, groundbreaking concept called GPT.

GPT is a business model that is virtually immune to downline attrition and essentially eliminates the individual networker's sales and marketing abilities as variables for their success. Hence, it levels the playing field in such a way that new marketers can often enjoy the same results as seasoned veterans.

The system is 90% automated; there's no cold calling or dialing for dollars, no selling, no three-ways, no explaining complicated compensation plans and no time-consuming follow-up. One can REALISTICALLY replace one's wages within 60 to 90 days, and generate an executive level income potential one's very first year in business.

If you're thinking to yourself right now that this all sounds too good to be true...well, in that case you're right. Then it is...for YOU. It takes big thinking to achieve big goals.

And maybe you actually enjoy holding home meetings, wearing buttons to the grocery store, and sticking fliers on car windows?

However, if you don't, if you like the vast majority of network marketers are fed-up with all the hype and empty promises, then, if nothing else, for the sake of your entrepreneurial spirit, I challenge you to set aside your pitiable affirmations for just one minute and go pick up a book on REAL WORLD Internet marketing.

Then you will see what you are up against.

In this day and Internet age, your conventional Mickey Mouse home-based business is just not going to cut it. Whichever you're selling -- vitamins or weight loss products, financial services or travel packages -- if you don't know how to MARKET your products correctly, utilizing the proper tools, you are going to spend yourself out of business quicker than you ever thought possible.

You may not be running for president but, like it or not, you're in a race nonetheless. A race against multitudes of other MLM'ers, products, opportunities, sales pitches, offers and compensation plans that compete relentlessly for your prospects' attention. That's pure fact.

And how exactly are YOU planning to take them all on?

Nothing else that you do is going to matter if you don't first find the answer to that question.

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