I would love to have you visit me at my new writing blog, Words by Wrose!

Why a writing blog? Well… I often feel as if there’s time to live life OR write about it… not both. But recently I’ve realized just how much writing has taken a back seat to other things in my life, and it has had a detrimental effect. It reminds me of a book I read long ago… Papa’s Daughter, by Thyra Ferre Bjorn. “Button”, had a passion for writing. That burning desire was all but smothered for a number of years, but it smoldered in her spirit and almost consumed her in its demand for fulfillment.

As many young moms have discovered, it’s hard to justify the time spent on writing when there are little ones to care for. That was my experience as our children began to fill our home. When our fourth child, Vicki, was born in 1988, our oldest was not yet six years old. Ian decided to make a way for me to get off by myself and do something just for me. Only a couple of hours once a week, but it was a wonderful oasis in time. I chose to go the church where he was pastor, and let myself in with his key. I would go to the nursery and sit down at the table and write for two hours. I had the baby with me, and the church was so cold we had to keep our coats on, but it was just the quiet and calm I needed. Until then, I didn’t know how much I missed writing. But life got in the way, and before many months had passed, I’d slid back into my non-writing life again.

“Button” was a young mom of two daughters when she stopped writing. No one knew why she slipped into a form of depression — an agitated state that led to insomnia and night flights, when she would take the car keys and drive endlessly. Nothing anyone did for her made any difference. Until one day she happened to mention to her doctor that she used to fancy herself a writer. He picked up on the unspoken message, and wrote her a “prescription” — to write a letter to him every day without fail. It wasn’t many weeks before she didn’t have to follow that prescription any more, because it had worked its magic and healing, and she had returned to her characteristic sunny self.

Writing is my passion… my burning desire. My husband says I live to write. That’s why it’s been so hard for me, these past six years when I haven’t been able to write the way I used to. I am an introvert, so I naturally find it hard to SAY how I feel. If I also cannot express myself in writing, that’s an indication that something is wrong. Very wrong.

That’s why I’ve started this new blog — my writing blog. At first, I may share a lot of stories or memories I wrote years ago and stored on my hard drive. But as the weeks pass, I hope I’ll be writing more and more new things, as I get back into the place where it’s more comfortable for me to do so.

Right now my life is crowded with a lot of fragmented things that need to be either culled out or sorted and filed in the right places. I’m looking forward to getting back to the Real Me again!

Please join me in my writing journey by visiting my new blog, Words by Wrose. See you there!

© Willena Flewelling

An Unexpected Flight

Around the time of my last blog post, my son Andrew gifted me with plane tickets, so two of my children and I to flew across the country to visit my mom in the hospital. This was my first time on a plane in 31 years, and first time seeing my mom in 10 years. It was even longer for Vicki, who hadn’t seen her Grandma since the last time Mom came to Alberta, in September 1997!

I got the window seat, and we had clear skies all across Canada till we reached Lake Superior. It was night time, and the towns and villages looked like amber gems scattered here and there on a black velvet cloth. I felt like a little kid with my eyes glued to the window the whole way!

Visiting My Mom

Mom fell on Sept.25, and her world turned upside down. No broken bones, but she changed overnight from a happy, rational elderly lady living at home — to being confused, bedridden, unable to lift a spoon to feed herself. The doctors diagnosed her with dementia. They never said what form, or how advanced, but it did not sound good, and they gave her no prospect of ever going home again.

The day we arrived, Mom perked up, and she got progressively better over our four-day visit. There are several possible reasons for this, but I’m so glad it coincided with our trip. Mom has since been transferred to long term rehab, and she continues to get stronger and better each day. Because of how well she has been doing, they are going to re-assess her for dementia.

Car Woes

Ian took the car in for repairs last week and discovered it needs a new power steering control module, and will cost a whopping $700!! We could get a new computer for that price.

MKMMA

My extra commitments this past month have kept me busy enough. The Master Key Master Mind Alliance takes considerable time when done thoroughly. It’s also very rewarding, and the cumulative benefits are amazing.

Writing!

And now it’s November, and NaNoWriMo time again! This year I’m working on a book which I hope to complete, edit, and have up on Amazon by the end of the year. I have no idea if that is a reasonable goal, since I’ve never published a book before. And I don’t know if the 50000 word NaNoWriMo goal will mean a completed novel, or if it will need more words. But that’s what the next couple of months looks like for me.

Blogging

I still haven’t got my new blog up and running. Because of lack of funds, I get to do it myself, and there are some confusing aspects to it that I haven’t figured out yet. In the meantime, I am posting weekly on my Master Key blog. I’d love to have you visit me there!

© Willena Flewelling

We had a crazy summer. For example, we’ve seen more hornets this year than we did mosquitoes! And I could count on my fingers and toes how many flies we’ve had in our house this fall. I remember the summer before Nathaniel was born, when I killed over 250 flies in our mobile home in ONE NIGHT!! And that was only the beginning.

Our garden was crazy too. Most of the vegetables did well, despite the cool, wet, windy weather. But none so well as our tomatoes. It’s a good thing we didn’t plant our traditional dozen tomato plants.

A friend gave us three plants, from which we harvested a couple of bushels!

We had lots of tomatoes for eating fresh, enough ripe ones to make nine litres (quarts) of stewed tomatoes, AND a dozen large green tomato cakes. Because of our short growing season, most of our tomatoes are picked green and laid out to ripen in the house. We still end up with a lot of green ones, so I found a recipe that calls for twice the volume of tomatoes as flour. This green tomato cake recipe makes a lovely, moist cake — a hit with everyone in the family. I don’t even have to put frosting on it!

In addition to Marquita Herald’s 100 Day Challenge, I am doing another that will take twice as long to complete. It’s Mark Januszewski’s Master Key Mastermind Alliance, also known as MKMMA.

I first heard of MKMMA four years ago, when Mark spoke on one of our Mentoring For Free conference calls. I missed the call, and through a glitch, there was no recording for me to listen to later. By the time I found the page to register, it was too late — the course was full. I was so disappointed, because quite a few of my MFF friends had joined. I missed out the next three years as well. So THIS year I was determined I was going to get in — and I did!

Like Marquita’s Challenge, the MKMMA is closed for this time around. But until I get my new blog up and running, I would like to give you my MKMMA blog link, where I will be posting a minimum of once a week. That’s better than I’ve been doing here for quite some time.

My MKMMA blog: Willena Rose Master Key – My Journey of Discovery.

Right now, the MKMMA seems more like it’s taking me further from my focus, because there is a learning curve. But it won’t take long once I’ve learned the ropes. Already it’s helping me to get my writing goals into sharp, clear focus.

I hope you will join me on my MKMMA blog, and comment every so often.

© Willena Flewelling

“You are the only one who can determine your limits in life! Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life.” ~ Marquita Herald

I Believe…

I believe network marketing is THE BEST way to get true residual income that keeps on pouring in long after you’ve stopped working your business.

I believe Mentoring For Free is THE BEST way to do network marketing with a true servant’s heart, without annoying your friends and family.

I believe Michael Dlouhy is THE BEST network marketing coach and mentor anyone could ask for. His system has stood the test of time. Mentoring For Free will be 10 years old this December, and is even stronger and more valuable than it was when it began.

That said… Changes are ahead for me.

Personal News Flash!

I have too much on my plate. Too many irons in the fire. I am completely overwhelmed. I am not Super Woman. I cannot do it all.

I need ONE goal to focus on and pursue to the uttermost. And it isn’t network marketing. It’s time to return to the one passion that I’ve had since I was a child.

Writing.

I stopped writing five years ago. Two big things happened that year, followed by several more in the next few years. With each blow, I’ve found it harder to bounce back, till at some point I shut down and quit writing.

Sure, I’ve written blog articles, but it’s been a rough road. All spontaneity disappeared years ago, and any kind of writing has been very difficult for me.

I’m getting older, and it’s scary to see the road ahead. It’s time to face the fact that things are not going to get any easier unless something changes.

Things will not change on their own.

I have to make the change!

Believe You Can * 100 Day Challenge

I needed clarity, and I needed a push in the right direction. Marquita Herald‘s challenge has come at exactly the right time!

For me, this challenge will revolve around my writing. Look for some changes in my blog in the coming weeks. It might even be a whole NEW blog, reflecting my new focus.

How about you? Are you ready for a change or a new focus? How about joining us in the Believe You Can * 100 Day Challenge?

Challenge yourself and WIN!!

© Willena Flewelling

“A three-fold cord can never be broken.”

“No one can do it alone.”

“Two heads are better than one.”

“Team work makes the dream work.”

Here’s a different take on the same story from my friend Sandra Cromwell, a member of our mastermind group, the 30 Day Mental Cleanse. Her thoughts on The Power of the Mastermind…

Chapter 10 Power of the Mastermind
The Driving Force
The Ninth Step toward Riches

“Anybody can wish for riches and most people
do, but only a few know that a DEFINITE PLAN,
plus a BURNING DESIRE for wealth, are the only
dependable means of accumulating wealth.”

We learn here that Power, often equated with
wealth is organized and intelligently directed
knowledge. And to be wealthy and stay wealthy,
one must have POWER.

Let’s do an experiment. go outside and gather a
handful of twigs, all about the same diameter of
one of your fingers. Now, taking just one twig, hold
it at both ends with a firm grip, and bring your hands
together. SNAP! The twig will break easily at it’s
weak point. Now, take ALL of the other twigs and,
keeping them together, attempt the same process.
You will discover it to be extremely difficult to break
the twigs.

We did this to show the strength of numbers, like a
Mastermind. Where an individual may easily be broken
– in heart, spirit, and mind – a group wherein all think
alike lends strength, one to the other, equally shared.

I have seen this, time and again with this powerful
Mastermind group. We have each and all of us shared
a weakness with the group and discovered the strength
and fortitude of the group given in loving support.

With that kind of Magnified Power, all we have to do is
PLUG IN and get charged up.

With Blessed Gratitude
Sandra Cromwell

Sandra’s story reminds me of another analogy you may have heard before. A lump of coal, dug out of the fire and set aside, alone, will lose its glow, and grow cold. Only when it is placed back in the fire does it burn bright and powerful.

I like to work alone, and there is a place for that. But I meet regularly with my mastermind group to compare notes and brainstorm strategies and lessons learned. It’s my anchor and my inspiration. Napoleon Hill interviewed over 500 of the richest men in the world, and discovered that one thing they all had in common was being a member of a mastermind group of like-minded people. What’s good enough for them had better be good enough for me, if I want to succeed in my own life!

© Willena Flewelling
<a href=”http://willena.bigmlmlies.com/?mad=54552″>Success in 10 Steps</a>

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Katherine is a fellow member of our mastermind group, the 30 Day Mental Cleanse. These are her thoughts on Napoleon Hill’s chapter on persistence.

Chapter 9 Persistence-The Sustained effort Necessary to induce Faith

There are at least 20 blog posts I can do on this chapter but today
I am going to focus on the title.

Persistence-The Sustained effort Necessary to induce Faith

I can’t think of a group of people more persistent than those in
this Mastermind.

Everyone that winds up here, has done so through sheer
determination and unwillingness to give up…persistence.

Many have failed forward for years, some are new on the scene
but already seeing all the holes in the system, some absolutely
positive they will never touch MLM again…we all had the
Persistence to open one more book…and it’s changing our lives.

As I look back at my life, persistence should have been my middle name!

I was thinking back…what one event in my life stands out most to me
regarding the word persistence. Nursing school? Getting out of a
wheelchair, twice? Learning how to use my phone? Ha Ha!

There are many, but if I had to choose one, it would be a bitter cold
January day. I found myself lying on the frozen ground being
pelted with ice as I slowly crawled my way along, reaching up with
a screwdriver handle to break the ice off of my electric fence.

My wheelchair was worthless on the ice and almost 2 inches of it
had accumulated on the strands overnight, weighing them down so low
I was afraid the horses would just step right over it.

I had no income and had just emptied my savings account buying hay
for them to get through the winter. If they got out I was afraid
they would head straight for the hay or get out onto the road, both
would have been disastrous.

Cold, wet, exhausted and wracked with pain, I pushed forward thinking
surely I was almost done…when I saw the small tree that had fallen
across the fence.

I realised I had been working for hours and without taking care of
this tree, it was all for nothing. What was I going to do? I couldn’t
use my truck, it was stuck right where it was. If I had the strength
to get to the barn, grab a rope and catch a horse I could have them
pull it off but that wasn’t an option either. I belly crawled over to
the tree, rolled onto my back, put my feet on it and using my shoulders
and head as a brace I pushed. It moved, slightly.

An hour later, I was still there, shaking now, losing feeling in my
fingers and toes, my coordination failing, every push excruciating,
I finally collapsed into a sobbing wet pile of human. I just layed there,
crying. As I grew too tired to even cry, I noticed the stillness
around me. It was eerily quiet, my body had stopped shaking…I
didn’t even feel the cold anymore. I was so tired, I just wanted to sleep.

As I lay there peacefully drifting off, images and memories
would float in and out of my consciousness…my kids, my grandkids,
my parents, friends…things from my childhood…a story that I
used to listen to on a record as a kid…the little match girl.

It seemed so cozy here, after years of pain and praying for death
at times, I was so relieved to be in this state of nothingness.

Then the nothingness seemed to bend. It was as if something was
pushing at me, I was comfortable and didn’t want to awaken, but
it was persistent and I came to with one of my mares nudging
me and licking my face.

In that moment, I had a choice. Part of me really wanted to just
go back to sleep. I knew I could end it all right there. I also
knew, I had been awakened for a reason.

I had Faith…that one day, things would improve for me.
That I could get that tree off of that fence, get inside and see
better days…so I pushed…and I pulled…and eventually, that
tree fell clear of the fence. I crawled back inside, pulled off my
wet clothes, got under about 4 blankets and passed out.

The title says that Persistence is the sustained effort necessary
to induce Faith…I say, Faith is what gives us the strength, ability
and will power to have persistence.

I think it is Faith that has brought us here together in this group.
Faith that we can help ourselves and others by doing this type of
mindset work, combining energies and applying these principles with
persistence until we succeed.

The MFF ebook “nudges” people…like my mare. It wakes people up
and brings them around. It gives them Hope. It whispers
“Don’t get too comfortable in that giving up place…you were
meant for bigger things…” When I read the ebook, I had choice…
I could have stayed all cozy where I was. Convinced that I was a
failure…that the tree would never fall free. It would have been
so easy to stay asleep…

But I knew I had been awakened for a reason. That book gave me faith
to keep pushing, to have persistence. It led me to a team of people
working together for every ones greatest good, even in different companies.

It was like being awakened from that frozen dream to see
Michael Dlouhy arriving on a back hoe with a whole construction crew!
They lifted that tree off of the fence, carried me inside, built a fire,
fed me a warm meal and taught me how to build a better fence! Ha Ha!

Thank you Michael, Linda and the entire MFF family, keep nudging <3

Katherine Clement
Boulder, Colorado, USA

Katherine’s courage and determination are an inspiration to me to keep going no matter what I’m facing, what it costs me, and how much it hurts — and the importance of knowing what I want, so that I can go after it with courage, determination and faith.

Things have happened in my life in the past five years that cause me to struggle even today. It would be easy to give in to the pain, and just give up. On some level I did do just that. Today I am stronger for it, and the future is opening up to me in a new way.

How have you struggled and overcome? I’d love to hear your story in the comments below.  

© Willena Flewelling
<a href=”http://willena.bigmlmlies.com/?mad=54552″>Success in 10 Steps</a>

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Personality is only one of many factors governing a person’s behaviour at any given time. That’s why it’s wrong to pigeonhole people and say, “You are this personality colour, and therefore you will act in this way all the time.”

Here’s another scenario for your consideration.

Here in northern Alberta, where I live…

On June 21

The birds begin singing before 4:30am. The sun rises in the northeast at 5:10am and sets in the northwest at 10:15pm. The sky never goes completely dark all night, and there is a tinge of colour on the northern horizon even at 1:00am when it should be darkest.

On December 21

My husband never sees the sun on weekdays because it’s dark when he’s driving to and from the city for work. The sun rises in the southeast just before 9am and sets in the southwest shortly after 4pm. Chances are it’s bitter cold, with icy roads, high winds and blowing snow.

Imagine how differently I am looking at things on December 21, from the way I am on June 21, especially if it’s been stormy or overcast, and I have not seen the sun at all during that short day.

Get Service

This video has been around for a while, so you may have seen it already. But it bears watching again every so often, just to put things into perspective.

We never know what kind of day someone is having, or what struggles they are up against. Some people don’t mind complaining, and sharing their complete list of aches and pains — while others suffer in silence, not wanting to burden even their true friends. My own daughter right now is coming up to the first anniversary of losing her beloved husband — the love of her life, her best friend, her soul mate. I know something of her heartache, because I lost my first husband when I was 25. This is the same girl who lost her brother, our oldest son, three years earlier. Life has not been easy for her. Yet she never complains. Seldom has she unloaded on me, so it is a privilege to me when she shares her heart with me. Most of the time I must read between the lines, and read body language, to pick up on clues as to how my girl is doing.

With most of the people we come in contact with each day, we don’t have the luxury of knowing them personally. Drivers on the road… people waiting in line at the grocery checkout… the cashier behind the counter… All we see is the way they act in our presence. We don’t know what they are going through, or if they need a helping hand rather than impatience and an angry reaction from us.

There’s more than one way to lend a helping hand.

Even if it’s someone we don’t know very well, there are things we can do to show compassion.

We can put the best construction on what someone says or does.
Remember, you can’t see or hear everything behind what they’re saying. Don’t assume the other person is insulting you, even if it appears that way. Give him the benefit of the doubt.

We can be willing to listen quietly.
Not every rant requires a lecture or even well-meaning advice. Don’t offer advice unless it’s asked for, because sometimes people just need a sounding board, and in speaking to you, things sort themselves out and the answers may come without your input.

We can slow down and not be in such a hurry.
A few minutes won’t make a difference, and if it does, then plan better for tomorrow so you won’t be running late.

We can let someone else go ahead of us sometimes.
Rush hour isn’t easy for anyone, and maybe that pushy person really needs to get somewhere in a hurry.

We can shrug off a perceived offense, rather than letting it get us down.
Maybe the other person is having a rough day. Maybe he will feel horrible about how he acted, later on. Let it go.

Given my non-confrontational personality, I often feel as if I am “always” the one who has to back down from stronger personalities who seem bent on wearing me down and walking all over me in certain areas. I have learned that backing down is a wise move, as long as it’s not a serious issue. I’d rather back down than lose an otherwise great friendship or family relationship.

With people we don’t know, or don’t know well, why not give them the benefit of the doubt and treat them with kindness and compassion wherever possible?

What do you do to stay on an even keel yourself, and make life easier for those around you? Thoughts and comments are most welcome!

© Willena Flewelling
Success in 10 Steps
Phone 780-349-7163

Missy

We have FIVE cats (long story…) and they are all excellent hunters. I don’t mind their catching mice, shrew, moles, and even the occasional bat. But I draw the line at birds!

Last year Ian strung a clothesline from our back deck to the row of spruce trees 30 feet away. Several bird feeders and a couple of suet hangers, are strung along the clothesline. Prior to that, all of those feeders had been hanging above the railing of the deck. I loved seeing the birds right outside my kitchen window, but they weren’t safe. Now the only ones at risk are the ground feeders. Like the northern flicker…

DISASTER

Yesterday morning, I heard the tell-tale cries of distress on the deck. I grabbed the broom on my way past, and flung the back door open. I expected to find Missy with a bird under the table nearby. I did not expect her to be right outside the door. A white streak whizzed past me, down the hall and down the stairs! My anger turned to dismay, as I knew I would never be able to catch a bird and get it back outside. In tears, and unable to close my ears to the cries of distress from the basement, I knew I was going to have to let nature take its course.

A few minutes later, I saw Missy flopped on the floor at the top of the stairs. I dumped her outside, and went very cautiously down to the basement to find the bird. From its position and angle, I thought I was going to need a little box. The little wing moved slightly as I touched it. For one wild moment, I thought it was still alive… but that was impossible. I reached for it again — and it opened its eye!

DILEMMA

A young northern flicker, and it was just barely alive. NOW what was I to do??

The cats were banished outside, and all pleas to come in were ignored. The little bird didn’t move for several hours, but we could see it was still alive. After a while it began peeping again, and moved a couple of feet to a darker spot. By the time Ian came home from work, we thought we could move it to a tall cardboard box. But how to keep it safe overnight?? Our older sons were coming home, and with five people in the house, how could we keep the cats from coming in? We don’t like to leave them out all night anyway, because the coyotes come very close to our home.

Out to the silver garage Ian went, to find an aquarium with a fitted screen lid, which we used for gerbils years ago. He filled the bottom with grass and twigs, and put a small amount of suet in. So far the little bird had refused to eat.

Nathaniel agreed to give up his room for the night, and sleep in the living room. Ian put the aquarium in the bedroom and closed the door.

There were no more peeps, and in the morning, we discovered that our little friend had not pulled through. It wasn’t a broken wing. Was it internal injuries? Was it because it was a young bird, who probably still needed its parents? I don’t know. We did the best we knew how.

TWO LESSONS

When I decided to share this story, I thought that was all it would be — a story. But there are two lessons here in a network marketing context…

1) There’s no point in being angry with a cat for doing what only comes naturally. “Now, Missy, it’s okay to kill mice, but it’s not okay to kill birds!” Riiiiiiight. She’ll never learn the difference, because she’s a cat. And in my dealings with people, I should never try to change a person, or make her see that she needs what I have to offer. I can show her, and encourage her, but unless SHE sees the benefit and wants it for herself, she’ll never buy it.

2) To love cats and birds is a conflict. The two cannot coexist in nature, and it amounts to the same in my own mind. It’s impossible to be focused without suffering in one area or the other. I can’t help the way I am made, but if that kind of thing spills over into many other areas of my life, then I become a very unfocused person.

What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

© Willena Flewelling
Phone 780-349-7163

The thirty year time frame is much on my mind today too. On this day, our oldest son, James, would have been thirty years old. I remember the day he was born, and how he surprised the doctor by being born much more quickly than she had thought.

I can recall a few of James’ birthdays, but two in particular stand out for me today…

21 years ago, James welcomed his new baby brother, Timothy, home from the hospital. James said Timothy was his best birthday present ever.

5 years ago, James drove me to the river in his new truck. He had taken possession three days earlier, on Timothy’s birthday. He wanted to see if his new truck could handle driving on the pathway from the bridge to the beach. The river was higher than usual that day, and there was no beach! He had to back up into the water in order to turn the truck around and drive back along the narrow path.

Today, if I’d had the strength, I would have made cheesecake in my big glass cake pan – cherry in one half, and blueberry in the other. James asked for cheesecake instead of birthday cake, for his last several birthdays.

It’s been almost five years since James was called Home, and we still don’t have a memorial stone for his grave. We’ve had so many financial emergencies during those years. Yes, I feel bad, but I know what James would say… “Don’t you dare spend money on a gravestone for me, when the living need it!”

Each year I hope to have enough money saved, to have a stone installed by his birthday. And each year something gets in the way.

Tonight two of our daughters, Raewyn and Vicki, came over and presented us with something that our five older kids have been adding to, for the past year and a half – an envelope of money that will go a long way toward buying a memorial stone for their brother’s grave. I did not know they were doing this, and it was a wonderful surprise.

And then, on impulse, Vicki and Nathaniel went out to the silver garage and brought in boxes and boxes of memoirs – wedding keepsakes, baby clothes and other items – and we spent the rest of the evening enjoying treasures we hadn’t seen in a long time.

I am thoroughly amazed at how well certain items have fared, especially the 32-year-old baby girl outfits that haven’t been worn in 25 years! They are almost as good as new. The silver garage, which we had thought was weather-and-pest-proof is definitely not – so we were delighted at the great condition of the clothing.

Raewyn and Vicki each tried on my wedding dress. Despite their differences in height and weight, the dress fits both of them beautifully.

Nathaniel had a fun time looking at the clothes he wore as a newborn – marveling that he was ever small enough to fit into them. More surprising still is that James wore some of them! When full grown, James was 6’2” and 250 lbs. His hand would hardly have fit those tiny outfits now!

Thirty years. Many changes. Memories… such a treasure.

© Willena Flewelling
Phone 780-349-7163

One adventuresome little miss was a mere ten months when she discovered her big brother’s large, heavy duty plastic tugboat. Leaning on it, she would take several steps, then let go and step out on her own. We watched her take one step before falling… then two… then four… then seven… and then she was off!! No matter how many tumbles she took, she got up and kept on going. By sixteen months, she was climbing up the end of the bunkbed to the top bunk!

Not so our firstborn. She never did take one shaky first step. Her first steps took her all the way across the living room to her bottle, which stood on the coffee table. It was as if she watched and calculated and made very sure she knew what she was doing before heading out on her own.

Network marketing is a little like a baby learning to walk. It doesn’t matter whether you are a fast starter, or if you like to make certain of your way first… It takes little tiny steps to move forward in your new venture.

Do you feel as if you are stuck taking baby steps, and are not getting anywhere in your business? Look back… where were you a year ago? Can you see any growth at all? I would be very surprised if you didn’t.

Not that you want to stay there… Think of where you are right now. Believe that you are in control of your life today, right now. Commit to some more baby steps that will take you just a little further into the unknown. And know that as you grow, those steps will get bigger and bigger till one day you’ll find yourself striding forth with the steps of a man or woman.

If you are struggling in your business, you might want to consider taking it down a new path… a path that leads to sure success. The best way I know to do that, is to start by downloading the free ebook, Success in 10 Steps, by Michael Dlouhy. Be ready for some eye opening surprises! All is not as it appears in the world of MLM, so be ready to make some changes!

© Willena Flewelling
Phone 780-349-7163

I often hear MY mentors say things like:

“Your WHY must make you cry!”
“Your real WHY is never money.”
“Your WHY is about who YOU really are.”

Your driving factor must be WAY more than money. But it took me a while to understand that. I thought the whole point of going into network marketing was so that I could make lots of money!

In this brief post, Randy Gage puts it all into perspective…

WHY YOU TELL YOUR STORY

By Randy Gage
November 18th, 2011

A vital part of Network Marketing is events. And a vital part of events is people telling their story. These can build belief, develop confidence and get new team members over the line.

But only when they’re done right…

You have to always remember why you are telling your story. It’s not your reward for a job well done. That’s what your bonus check is for. It’s not to recognize you. That’s what the pin and recognition is for.

The only reason you are telling your story is to build belief for the people in the audience that they can do it too. If you just beat your chest talking about all the cars, trips and money you have earned, you simply make the audience feel bad.

Sure you want to talk about and celebrate the rewards of the business. But don’t forget to talk about the challenges, where you started from, and the path you had to take to create that success. That’s when the audience will really connect with you and understand that they can do it too.

– RG

To build belief in the audience that they can do it too. THAT is the role of a true leader. When we see the whole picture, all the parts are so much easier to do.

Have you ever heard the story of how Michael Dlouhy won a BMW? If not, read on. You’re in for a treat!

“Lots of people talk about positive thinking,” says Michael. “Here’s how it REALLY works.”

I WON THE CAR TO PROVE A POINT TO MY GROUP

Winning the BMW was a challenge that excited Michael for more than the prospect of having a shiny new toy. He did it to help his group to understand that they could do it too — and show them exactly how he did it.

Recently Michael told this story again on a Mentoring For Free leadership call.

Listen to the recording here.

No matter who you are, or who is your circle of influence, you will only encourage people if you share your story.

Willena Flewelling
Success in 10 Steps
Phone 780-349-7163

Let’s take a peek through one of those windows now, shall we?

It’s a quiet Sunday afternoon in May, 1953. A young couple have joined some friends for an afternoon of fishing down at the river. Suddenly, and without warning, that young couple sprang into action, scrambling under the fence again in a race against time – to the car and down the highway to the hospital. Baby has decided she has waited long enough and It Is Time to make her appearance!

Yes, I was born on Mother’s Day in 1953, first child of my parents. That same day, Fred Astaire was celebrating his 54th birthday, and Wayne Dyer turned 13. I was in good company.

On that day in the UK, people were listening to Frankie Laine singing “I Believe”.

This song was #1 on UK charts May 10, 1953, for the 3rd of 9 weeks. To this day, it still holds the UK record for the most weeks spent at #1.

In North America, people were listening to Patti Page singing “The Doggie in the Window”, where it was #1 on the US charts for the 12th week in a row.

Both of those songs have been long-time favourites of mine, even though it’s only recently I learned that they held the #1 spot on the day I was born.

“I Believe” is a song of faith and beauty. “Every time I hear a newborn baby cry…” has always brought a tear to my eye. Faith in my Lord Jesus Christ has been precious to me since He blessed me with the gift of salvation when I was 13.

“The Doggie in the Window” has been heard often in our home – not by Patti Page, but from a tiny music box inside a teddy bear given to our son Andrew when he was born almost 23 years ago. The teddy has been through a lot, but he still sings for us when we squeeze his paw.

My mom was not expecting me to be born that day — I was 12 days early. It’s probably the only time in my life I’ve ever been in a hurry to take action! My dad swore he’d never take my mom fishing again. And he never did! But I take delight in the fact that I made my mother a mother on Mother’s Day, just three days before her own birthday.

© Willena Flewelling
Success in 10 Steps
Phone 780-349-7163