Author Archives: Steve
The other day, I was driving my wife’s van (my car’s in the shop but that’s another story) when an indicator light on the dash told me that a brake light was out.
A day or two later I went to an auto parts store and got a replacement lamp. How hard can it be to change a brake light, I thought to myself.
Wrong.
When I finally got a chance to make the change, it was a freezing cold morning. I got out the manual and tried to follow along. I made it through the first few steps easily.
Then I got to the step that said to remove the lamp assembly by sliding it backwards.
Sounds simple.
Didn’t work.
I tried to slide the assembly out. It wouldn’t budge.
Tried again and again. Nothing.
I tried until my fingers were numb. Finally had to give up and leave for work.
Later that afternoon, when it warmed up, I tried again. Still couldn’t get it to move.
Finally, I thought to look at the other lamp assembly on the other side. I could tell that it had been removed before. I took it apart and, with some effort, determined that when I pulled it a certain way a tab was released that was holding it in place. Then I went back to other side and was able to pull it out rather easily.
Later, it occurred to me how life and business is like that. Many times, we struggle and struggle as we seek success. Eventually, we figure out the importance of learning from people who are already successful.
Next time, you’re having a tough time, stop struggling long enough to find a person or group who have previously done what you’re trying to do. Better yet, find a tested, proven system.
Steve DeVane
It snowed this week. The first significant snowfall for my area in about five years.
It was also the first snow since we moved in our new house about 14 months ago. Once it got deep enough we headed to a nearby golf course for some sledding.
It was the most fun I’d had in years. I’d forgotten how exciting zipping down a hill on a plastic disk can be.
Of course, once you get to the bottom of the hill, you have to grab the sled and walk back up to the top.
During one of my many treks up the hill, I thought of how sledding can symbolize our lives and our businesses.
In nearly anything, you have to do some work to enjoy the benefits. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy.
In network marketing, the successful businesspeople have paid their dues. Consider this, no matter where you are in your business, every superstar was once where you were. If they can get to the top, so can you.
And trust me, the ride is worth the effort.
Steve DeVane
My last post focused on the book, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff … and It’s All Small Stuff by Richard Carlson. Here’s a few more of the book’s principles.
“Smile at strangers, look them in the eye and say hello.” Carlson says there’s a parallel between our attitude toward strangers and our overall happiness.
“In other words, it’s unusual to find a person who walks around with her head down, frowning and looking away from people, who is secretly a peaceful, joyful person,” he says.
It seems these days that most people go through life trying to avoid as many people as possible. You can take great strides toward being successful in life and in business if you’ll just make the effort to connect with people. That connection starts with eye contact and a smile.
“Become a better listener.” Carlson says effective listening goes beyond the urge to finish someone else’s sentence. “It’s being content to listen to the entire thought of someone rather than waiting impatiently for your chance to respond,” he says.
One key to business is helping other people solve their problems. The way to find out if they have a problem is to listen closely to them.
“Develop your own helping rituals.” Carlson says little acts of kindness help us remember how good it feels to be kind and helpful.
The adage is true that if you help enough other people reach their dreams, you’ll certainly reach yours. Focus on helping people whether or not it’ll help your business. As my mentor, Michael Dlouhy likes to say, “Be a mentor with a servant’s heart.”
All these principles are keys to forming relationships, which are the backbone of a strong business.
Steve DeVane
One of my favorite books is “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff … and It’s All Small Stuff,” by Richard Carlson. I found it one day while I was browsing in a bookstore. It was one of those times when I knew I had to have it when I saw the title.
The title came from an experience Carlson had with another author, Wayne Dyer. Seems Dyer had endorsed one of Carlson’s earlier books. Carlson had told a publisher he’s ask Dyer if he’d endorse another one. He asked but never heard back from Dyer. When the book came out, Dyer’s old endorsement was on the new book.
Carlson’s agent told the publisher to pull the books off the shelf. Carlson wrote Dyer a letter of apology. In response, Dyer wrote Carlson a note saying there are two rules for living in harmony — (1) Don’t sweat the small stuff, and (2) It’s all small stuff. Dyer told Carlson to let the quote stand.
Over the years, I pick Carlson’s book up and read some when I get frazzled or uptight about something. It includes 100 chapters, each with a life principle. Here’s a few of my favorites.
Ask yourself, “Will this matter a year from now?” Carlson suggests that when you’re facing an issue consider whether it will seem as important in a year. The exercise often gives perspective, he says.
Let others have glory. Carlson says it’s enjoyable and peaceful to resist the tendency to tell something about yourself in response to someone else’s story. When you listen and ask for more information about the other person, both of you will feel more relaxed and the your need for glory will be replaced with quiet confidence.
Resist the urge to criticize. Carlson says a person who is criticized with either retreat in shame or attack in anger. Being critical accomplishes nothing and contributes to the distrust in the world, he says.
These principles can also apply to our network marketing business.
We often spend lots of time focusing on issues that won’t matter in the long run. We spin our wheels on minor issues that aren’t helping our business grow.
If we focus on helping others succeed, our business with increase because our relationships with our partners will be stronger.
By building up and not criticizing our colleagues in our business and those in other companies, we’ll become trustworthy people others will want to join.
Next time you’re frantic about some issue you’re facing, remember the two rules for living in harmony. They’re good principles for business, too.
Steve DeVane
I recently bought a car. My old car got totaled in a wreck several weeks back.
The car I bought is a smooth riding Oldsmobile Aurora. It’s got a number of bells and whistles my old car didn’t have. Among them is a gadget on the dashboard called an information center.
The information center tells me all kinds of things about the car, including how much oil life is left and how the battery is doing.
The thing that intrigues me most about the information center is the section that gives me an instant readout of my gas mileage. When I start out, it tells me I’m getting five or six miles to the gallon. It increases until I reach cruising speed, where it usually levels out at about 20-something. Going downhill, it can get as high as 99.
The most interesting thing about this is the impact it’s had on my driving. I’m not known for being slow. As a matter of fact, I have something of a lead foot.
But I soon noticed that my gas mileage is considerably lower when I speed up fast. So, I’ve taken to taking my time getting up to speed in an effort to save gas. This change happened almost without my noticing it.
It occurred to me how useful a similar device would be to my business. I wish I had something that informed me when I needed to slow down and pay more attention to folks or let me know when I was getting too carried away with something that’s not important.
Then I realized that I always had the ability to save gas. I knew that I was using more gas the way I was driving. All I had to do was change my driving habits.
Similarly, I know what it takes to be successful in business. I just have to take the needed actions.
Steve DeVane
Earlier today a friend of mine was talking about her son’s decision about which college to attend. I paid close attention because my oldest daughter is about to go through the same process.
Seems my friend and her son visited three schools. There were a number of reasons behind his choice, but one of the biggest was the visit to that school.
During the visit the school representative went out of his way to make them feel welcome. The prospective students had to fill out a piece of paper with their name and hometown. During his presentation, the school official recognized each student and said something to personally connect with him.
My friend was impressed. She said that if she would have been making the decision, she would have chosen the same school.
That’s how we act in our businesses. Each time we meet someone, we should try to connect with him or her on a personal level. Moreover, we should do that not just because they might be a prospect for our business, but because we want to get to know them.
If you try to connect with them while thinking about the possibility of them joining your business, the connection will likely feel fake to them. That’s not surprising, because it will be fake.
Next time you meet someone, try to be their friend before you try to make them your business partner.
Steve DeVane
Earlier today I was putting our riding lawn mower in the shed. My son had mowed the front yard for probably the last time this year.
The boards that we usually use to help the mower ride up into the shed were missing, but I thought I could just drive the mower over the ridge between the ground the concrete floor of the shed.
I was wrong.
The mower got part of the way in the shed and stopped. I put it in the reverse and tried to back out. It wouldn’t move that way either.
Tried it again in forward. Nothing.
Reverse. Nothing.
I tried it both ways a couple of more times, before finally becoming convinced that it was stuck.
So, I turned the mower off, got down and manually pushed the mower the rest of the way into the shed.
It occurred to me that sometimes that’s the way it is with our businesses and our lives. We have all these high-tech ways to get leads and to contact people, but ultimately you have to make a personal connection.
People join people they know, like and trust. That takes building relationships.
Next time your business needs a boost, be sure you’re making personal connections with other people.
Steve DeVane
Recently, I did something I haven’t done it years – I shaved my entire face. Since then, nearly everyone who sees the “new” me, asks me why.
I can explain in one quick sentence: I was tired of looking old. You the hair on the top of my head remains mostly black. My moustache and beard, however, were gray. I once had a friend who hadn’t seen me in a while ask me if I was coloring my hair. I joked that I tried it, but the wax from the crayons was making a mess.
I wasn’t coloring my hair, but I could see how she thought that because my moustache was so gray. I resisted the temptation to explain to her that if I was going to color my hair, I’d have the good sense to color my moustache, too.
At any rate, I really haven’t minded looking a little older than I was. But now that I’m getting a little older (closer to 50 than to 40 now), I decided it was time to look more my age.
There’s an added benefit. As someone in the wellness profession, I think I look better. I’ve lost about 25 pounds in the past year, too. I believe that a leaner, clean-shaven me looks better.
And since, I look better, I naturally feel better. Since I feel better, I think I’m a better me.
I had forgotten what a pain it was to shave every morning, but it’s a small price to pay for feeling and looking better.
Steve DeVane
I recently heard an excellent presentation about making the most of our talents. It included this old proverb: “If you want to know what you’re doing in the future, tell me what you’re doing right now.”
As I thought about it, the wisdom of the statement stuck with me. So often we go through life hoping things will get better. But if we want our lives to change for the better, we have to change for the better.
I’ve also heard it said that the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same things and expecting different results.
In our lives, if we aren’t happy, we need to make a decision to be happy. Once we make that decision, we’re on our way to reaching our goal.
In our businesses, if we aren’t successful, we need to make the changes needed to be successful. Once we make those changes, we’re on our way to reaching our goal.
Steve DeVane