Freedom is the right to choose your own frustrations.
You can live however you want, rich or poor, beach or mountains, home or abroad. But you cannot do it all, at least not at the same time.
If you want to live in the mountains, you must accept the frustration of not living at the beach.
If you want to free yourself from enslavement, you must choose freedom
and accept the responsibility comes with it.
There's a price for freedom. You must give up tyranny to enjoy liberty.
It's up to you to count the cost.
And everything you want has a price.
Freedom is the right to choose.
It's the right to create your own life, and assume responsibility for it.
You are free to do whatever you like.
But first, you must give up blaming others for your circumstances.
Accept responsibility for the consequences of your actions and decisions.
Then you can truly choose your own path.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Miracles
The question is not whether or not miracles happen, but whether or not you recognize them when they do.
The family comes together in peace. Someone you meet has the ability and inclination to help you with a problem. Out of nowhere, an idea comes that can change your life.
Miracles are all around us. But we become so preoccupied with ourselves and our daily tasks that we fail to see them. Or sometimes we notice them briefly, then get back to what we were thinking or doing before.
Be open to the miracles in your life. Let them build, strengthen and guide you.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
The family comes together in peace. Someone you meet has the ability and inclination to help you with a problem. Out of nowhere, an idea comes that can change your life.
Miracles are all around us. But we become so preoccupied with ourselves and our daily tasks that we fail to see them. Or sometimes we notice them briefly, then get back to what we were thinking or doing before.
Be open to the miracles in your life. Let them build, strengthen and guide you.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
Monday, September 14, 2009
Educational Goals
If you want to increase your success, increase your knowledge.
We never get to the point in life where we know it all. And your success will largely be determined by what you know.
(Actually, when I was 15 I knew it all. And now it seems I know less and less each year.)
In an ever increasing technical world, the old adage knowledge is power is more true than ever.
If you have set any goals for yourself, determine what you need to know, not just do, to reach that goal. Then, set about learning it.
The only way to reach your destination is to know the road that will take you there.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
We never get to the point in life where we know it all. And your success will largely be determined by what you know.
(Actually, when I was 15 I knew it all. And now it seems I know less and less each year.)
In an ever increasing technical world, the old adage knowledge is power is more true than ever.
If you have set any goals for yourself, determine what you need to know, not just do, to reach that goal. Then, set about learning it.
The only way to reach your destination is to know the road that will take you there.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
Friday, September 11, 2009
Get Up
Solomon wrote in the book we now know as Proverbs, “The man who lives rightly is the one who, if he falls down six times, he gets up seven.”
Failure is nothing but education in the school of success. Do you remember taking tests in school? The lessons you remember best now, are the ones you got wrong then. It is the same way in all of life. Failing does not make you a failure. It just makes you more likely to succeed next time.
Did you blow a sales presentation? That mistake will make your next presentation that much better.
Did you fail in a business venture? What you learned will your next venture that much more likely to succeed.
No matter how hard you fall, get up. Because the only way to truly fail is to give up and stay down.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
Failure is nothing but education in the school of success. Do you remember taking tests in school? The lessons you remember best now, are the ones you got wrong then. It is the same way in all of life. Failing does not make you a failure. It just makes you more likely to succeed next time.
Did you blow a sales presentation? That mistake will make your next presentation that much better.
Did you fail in a business venture? What you learned will your next venture that much more likely to succeed.
No matter how hard you fall, get up. Because the only way to truly fail is to give up and stay down.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Finding your Abundance
Two of my daughters are outstanding equestrians. They own horses and have competed in several show jumping events. I rode a bit as a kid growing up in Texas. I only understand the rudimentary basics of riding. All I know is that the horse will go in whatever direction you point his head. Horses are hard wired to go towards whatever they are looking at. So are people.
An important lesson in success is that you are going to move in the direction of your focus. If you are focused on a bigger house, a fancier car, a nicer watch, you will acquire those things - often at the expense of financial stability. I have worked with many clients who have earned quarter of a million dollar salaries but are flat broke because they bought lots of stuff on large credit limits. If you focus on building an enormous bank account, you may become rich, but usually at the cost of health and personal relationships. If you focus on relationships, you will enjoy closeness to your family and friends, but probably not have much in the bank. A lack of financial security creates its own issues and threatens the very relationships that give you so much joy. So how do you steer your life so you can have supportive relationships, financial security, and enough stuff to enjoy your leisure time? The answer is simple, really. Focus on the abundance that is yours in your talents, knowledge, skills, network of relationships and relationship with God.
Most people have materially less today than they had a couple of years ago. Their homes are worth less. Their retirement accounts have dwindled. Many have lost their jobs. Many of those who have kept their jobs are working harder for less money. In that environment, it is easy to focus on what you have lost. But focusing on loss will only lead you in the direction of more loss.
Instead, focus on how you have grown. What new skills have you acquired? Who has been added to your network of relationships? What have you learned? Have you drawn closer to your God? Now focus on how you want to grow. Make a list of five ways you want to expand your abundance. You could, for example, take a continuing education course in your chosen field, join a new networking group, read a book aloud with your spouse or devote 15 minutes a day to prayer or meditation. Will all this put money in your bank account? Absolutely.
Every successful venture starts with a successful person. Expand your abundance, and your success will expand with you. When you are focused on abundance, employers will want to hire you, clients will want to do business with you, and networkers will want to build relationships with you. As your business and network expands, so will your net worth.
This is, of course, a never ending process. But that is okay, because it is fun and inspiring. What new idea will come to you today? What new insight will broaden your world view? What new relationship will empower your future? Reach inside yourself and find it. Bring it out and share it. Then watch miracles happen.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
An important lesson in success is that you are going to move in the direction of your focus. If you are focused on a bigger house, a fancier car, a nicer watch, you will acquire those things - often at the expense of financial stability. I have worked with many clients who have earned quarter of a million dollar salaries but are flat broke because they bought lots of stuff on large credit limits. If you focus on building an enormous bank account, you may become rich, but usually at the cost of health and personal relationships. If you focus on relationships, you will enjoy closeness to your family and friends, but probably not have much in the bank. A lack of financial security creates its own issues and threatens the very relationships that give you so much joy. So how do you steer your life so you can have supportive relationships, financial security, and enough stuff to enjoy your leisure time? The answer is simple, really. Focus on the abundance that is yours in your talents, knowledge, skills, network of relationships and relationship with God.
Most people have materially less today than they had a couple of years ago. Their homes are worth less. Their retirement accounts have dwindled. Many have lost their jobs. Many of those who have kept their jobs are working harder for less money. In that environment, it is easy to focus on what you have lost. But focusing on loss will only lead you in the direction of more loss.
Instead, focus on how you have grown. What new skills have you acquired? Who has been added to your network of relationships? What have you learned? Have you drawn closer to your God? Now focus on how you want to grow. Make a list of five ways you want to expand your abundance. You could, for example, take a continuing education course in your chosen field, join a new networking group, read a book aloud with your spouse or devote 15 minutes a day to prayer or meditation. Will all this put money in your bank account? Absolutely.
Every successful venture starts with a successful person. Expand your abundance, and your success will expand with you. When you are focused on abundance, employers will want to hire you, clients will want to do business with you, and networkers will want to build relationships with you. As your business and network expands, so will your net worth.
This is, of course, a never ending process. But that is okay, because it is fun and inspiring. What new idea will come to you today? What new insight will broaden your world view? What new relationship will empower your future? Reach inside yourself and find it. Bring it out and share it. Then watch miracles happen.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Moving through failure into success
Life is a journey. As in any journey, there are up hills and down hills. There are smooth roads and rugged roads. There are times when the going is easy, and times when you don’t think you can take another step.
I have often faced failure in the face, like a bear blocking my path. At those times, I have three choices. I can give up the journey, turn and run. I can just plain give up and let my self be eaten. Or, I can fight my way through.
Perhaps the bear is not the best metaphor. Imagine yourself mired in a swamp of failure. Nothing you do seems to get you anywhere. You fight and struggle, but all your effort only seems to move you a few inches. Sure, you may think, you will exhaust yourself and die before you find your way to solid ground. But swamps are a funny thing. You never really know how far away solid ground is. It may be inches. It may be yards. Do you just give up and die, or do you plod ahead, knowing that solid ground is sure to come.
Here are some principles I have found helpful when stuck in the mud.
1. Realize that the swamp is a natural part of the journey. Every road to success has its share of them. From time to time you are going to come face to face with failure. The key to success is not to give up and stop in the swamp. You really don’t want to spend the rest of your life there. Keep plodding. Don’t quit. No matter how slowly you are moving towards your goal, you are still getting there.
2. Always remember why you are on the journey in the first place. In my younger days, I used to do some mountain climbing. There were plenty of times on the way that my feet were aching. I had blisters. I was exhausted. But I continued on because I wanted to see the view from the top. In most of life’s journeys, there is a lot more important “Why” than seeing a view. Are you pursuing success to provide for your family? Give your children the best possible education? Secure your future? When you find yourself struggling through failure, remember why success is so important. It will give you strength to keep going.
3. Always remember where you are going. It is important to have clearly defined goals and to keep them always in front of you. Use visualization and affirmations to keep your goal always in front of you. Be careful to accurately represent your goal. If your goal is financial security for your future, don’t fill up a vision board with fancy cars, houses and trips. When you are surrounded by failure, a fancy car is probably not going to provide you with sufficient motivation to keep going.
4. Look for an easier path. Don’t confuse your goal with your current path. Your goal may be financial security. Your path may be your current job. Your goal is not the same as your path. Sometimes, as you struggle on your current path, it is time to move to a slightly different path that will take you to your goal much more easily. Large corporations are notorious for mistaking their current path as the only path to their goal. That is usually because the path was successful in the past. That doesn’t mean it will always be successful. Is there another path that will move you towards your goal more easily? Can you add a new product line? Change your advertising? Find ways to become more attentive to your customers? Change companies? Go into business for yourself? Simple changes can sometimes jump start your path to success without changing your ultimate goal.
5. Never ever, ever give up. No one fails until they give up. Sometimes it seems you are moving backwards. If you leave your current job and start your own company, you may live off your savings for awhile. It may seem you are not moving towards your goal at all. But the truth is that you are not spending your savings. You are investing in a future enterprise that promises large returns. I have started several companies and I can assure you that nothing makes you feel like you are mired in failure than trying to get a new company off the ground. But once it takes off, you will not only realize your financial goal, but will enjoy a thrill of accomplishment like no other.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
I have often faced failure in the face, like a bear blocking my path. At those times, I have three choices. I can give up the journey, turn and run. I can just plain give up and let my self be eaten. Or, I can fight my way through.
Perhaps the bear is not the best metaphor. Imagine yourself mired in a swamp of failure. Nothing you do seems to get you anywhere. You fight and struggle, but all your effort only seems to move you a few inches. Sure, you may think, you will exhaust yourself and die before you find your way to solid ground. But swamps are a funny thing. You never really know how far away solid ground is. It may be inches. It may be yards. Do you just give up and die, or do you plod ahead, knowing that solid ground is sure to come.
Here are some principles I have found helpful when stuck in the mud.
1. Realize that the swamp is a natural part of the journey. Every road to success has its share of them. From time to time you are going to come face to face with failure. The key to success is not to give up and stop in the swamp. You really don’t want to spend the rest of your life there. Keep plodding. Don’t quit. No matter how slowly you are moving towards your goal, you are still getting there.
2. Always remember why you are on the journey in the first place. In my younger days, I used to do some mountain climbing. There were plenty of times on the way that my feet were aching. I had blisters. I was exhausted. But I continued on because I wanted to see the view from the top. In most of life’s journeys, there is a lot more important “Why” than seeing a view. Are you pursuing success to provide for your family? Give your children the best possible education? Secure your future? When you find yourself struggling through failure, remember why success is so important. It will give you strength to keep going.
3. Always remember where you are going. It is important to have clearly defined goals and to keep them always in front of you. Use visualization and affirmations to keep your goal always in front of you. Be careful to accurately represent your goal. If your goal is financial security for your future, don’t fill up a vision board with fancy cars, houses and trips. When you are surrounded by failure, a fancy car is probably not going to provide you with sufficient motivation to keep going.
4. Look for an easier path. Don’t confuse your goal with your current path. Your goal may be financial security. Your path may be your current job. Your goal is not the same as your path. Sometimes, as you struggle on your current path, it is time to move to a slightly different path that will take you to your goal much more easily. Large corporations are notorious for mistaking their current path as the only path to their goal. That is usually because the path was successful in the past. That doesn’t mean it will always be successful. Is there another path that will move you towards your goal more easily? Can you add a new product line? Change your advertising? Find ways to become more attentive to your customers? Change companies? Go into business for yourself? Simple changes can sometimes jump start your path to success without changing your ultimate goal.
5. Never ever, ever give up. No one fails until they give up. Sometimes it seems you are moving backwards. If you leave your current job and start your own company, you may live off your savings for awhile. It may seem you are not moving towards your goal at all. But the truth is that you are not spending your savings. You are investing in a future enterprise that promises large returns. I have started several companies and I can assure you that nothing makes you feel like you are mired in failure than trying to get a new company off the ground. But once it takes off, you will not only realize your financial goal, but will enjoy a thrill of accomplishment like no other.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Team Quality
A chain is no stronger than its weakest link. A wall is no stronger than its gate.
When building your team, pay close attention to quality. If there is a weak member in your team, find a way to strengthen them.
You are probably a member of several teams. You are a member of a family team. You have a personal team of friends and people you spend time with. You may have a spiritual team. If you are in business, you have a business team of associates, support personnel and clients.
You obviously cannot replace members of your family team, so you should devote some time, preferably every day, to strengthening the other members of your family team. You can do this by giving them the careful attention they need and deserve, and by finding ways to help them fulfill their own lives. This will strengthen them so they can better support you.
The same applies to personal and business relationships. Choose friends and associates that support your vision and goals. Find ways to strengthen them and your relationship with them. Then you, with the support of your team, will only find victory.
"True leaders are not those who strive to be first but those who are first to strive and who give their all for the success of the team. True leaders are the first to see the need, envision the plan, and empower the team for action. By the strength of the leader's commitment, the power of the team is unleashed." - Unknown
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
When building your team, pay close attention to quality. If there is a weak member in your team, find a way to strengthen them.
You are probably a member of several teams. You are a member of a family team. You have a personal team of friends and people you spend time with. You may have a spiritual team. If you are in business, you have a business team of associates, support personnel and clients.
You obviously cannot replace members of your family team, so you should devote some time, preferably every day, to strengthening the other members of your family team. You can do this by giving them the careful attention they need and deserve, and by finding ways to help them fulfill their own lives. This will strengthen them so they can better support you.
The same applies to personal and business relationships. Choose friends and associates that support your vision and goals. Find ways to strengthen them and your relationship with them. Then you, with the support of your team, will only find victory.
"True leaders are not those who strive to be first but those who are first to strive and who give their all for the success of the team. True leaders are the first to see the need, envision the plan, and empower the team for action. By the strength of the leader's commitment, the power of the team is unleashed." - Unknown
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
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