Guest post by Teresa Romain

I looked up the word “illusion” in my dictionary and found it defined, among other things, as “an erroneous perception of reality or an erroneous concept or belief.”

The reason I looked up this word is because I see far too many direct sellers building their businesses (or attempting to) based on illusions.

Which is why I’ve decided to expose a couple of illusions in my post today – because, consciously or subconsciously, these illusions may be blocking you from experiencing the abundance you have and want in your business and your life.

 

Illusion #1:  Money makes you abundant.

Money – the amount you have and your relationship to it – is the result or expression of your abundance.

Consider this analogy.   An apple seed, planted in the ground and given the sunshine and water it needs, will one day produce apples on its branches.    These apples do not make the tree “apple” – they are merely the result of its inherent “appleness” coupled with its outward growth.

Abundance is, first and foremost, an “internal” quality of being.   A universal law of nature teaches us that the “internals create the externals.”   If and when you think that money makes you abundant, you are defying this natural law by trying to make the “externals create the internals”.

It doesn’t work that way for the apple tree and it won’t work that way for you.

It takes years for an apple seed to develop its root structure and grow into a small seedling.   Despite the absence of red fruit on its branches, you would still call this seedling an apple tree.   “Appleness” was within the seed and is now within the seedling… and it is this “appleness” that causes it to grow.

So it is with abundance.   Abundance does not result from having “red fruit” on your “branches” or dollar bills in your bank account.  Abundance results from growing the inherent abundance that is within you outward until, with intention and action over time, this outward growth produces the “fruit” of money and financial prosperity.

Carrying this apple tree analogy one step further, consider the fact that when your apple tree finally does produce fruit, the initial harvest will be small.   Only as the tree continues to grow and mature will it produce a large harvest of apples.

Far too often, direct sellers expect to produce a bounteous harvest of “apples”, i.e., money, quickly.  

Many forget the growth that must precede their monetary success.  Others forget that the initial “harvest” may be small and so, when they do start experiencing financial results, they discount them as “not enough” because they don’t yet have a bounteous harvest.

Which leads me to the second illusion that must be shattered if you are to experience the abundance – including financial abundance – that you desire.

Illusion #2:  Money measures success.

Let’s continue with our apple tree analogy.

Is an apple seedling less “successful” than a larger apple tree simply because it hasn’t produced red fruit?

In other words, are “red fruit” the definition of success in the world of an apple tree?   Or is the definition of success for apple trees broader and, at the same time, more individualized than that?

You see, success can only be defined in relationship to what you want, what you have, where you are at and how you have grown.   Just because you have not yet made the money you want and intend to make in your business doesn’t mean you are not yet successful.

Focus on your growth and your progress – for therein lies your success.

After all, to say that a one-year old apple tree is not successful because it hasn’t produced red fruit is ridiculous!

That being said, money can be ONE factor by which to measure your progress.  In and of itself, however, it is not an accurate or adequate measure of your success.

In recognizing your success, remember that everyone enters this industry at a different stage of development in terms of the skills, traits, beliefs, commitment and self-confidence necessary to achieve the financial results they desire.

Perhaps you were a newly planted seed or a young sprout.   If you already had some direct selling experience or had developed some of the skills needed, e.g. sales, leadership, self-discipline and self-initiative, then you may have entered this industry as a young seedling.  More fully developed skills and experience when you began could mean that you were a young tree when you began your business – which meant that you could produce apples more quickly.

Honestly knowing where you were when you started your business is essential if you are going to be able to celebrate your progress and your success.   If you were a newly planted seed and have grown and developed yourself and your business so that you are now a young tree – your success is just as great (perhaps more so  as that of the person who began as a young tree and has now produced an apple.

How do and will you define and measure your success?

Will it be solely on the basis of the amount of money you make or accumulate?   Or will your definition of success include other factors that are necessary for abundance – factors such as learning, growth, progress, quality of relationships, quality of life, health, joy, fulfillment, contribution?

Again, money can be used as one factor in measuring your progress – and it’s your progress that you must recognize and celebrate because therein lies the basis for success!

So – now that I’ve exposed these two illusions about money, I’m eager to hear your reaction, questions, comments and AHAs.

Have you fallen victim to these two illusions?  How have they blocked you from experiencing real success and abundance in your business and your life?

How does seeing them for the illusions they are change the way you are now thinking about and approaching your business?

Are you feeling challenged, skeptical, more free?

I’d love to hear.  Just post your comments below.

 

Teresa Romain is the President & Founder of www.AccessAbundance.com and has trained and coached thousands of individuals around the world access and experience greater freedom, fulfillment, well-being and abundance in their businesses and their lives. Unique in her approach and dynamic and passionate in her style, Teresa is known for making the transformational process of accessing abundance challenging, fun and powerful in its results.