Responsibility

The other night I happened to see a rerun of "Northern Exposure" where Ed, the young filmmaker, errand boy and Native American shaman-in-training is being hounded by a demon -- a little green man who is the personification of low self esteem. Leonard, Ed's mentor, tells Ed that every shaman has his own demon and that low self esteem is the worst one of all. That low self esteem is the root cause of most of the humanity's woes. That when you don't value yourself, you can't possibly be any good to anyone else.

How very true.

One of my network marketing company's products is a meal replacement product designed to aid in weight loss. In conjunction with this product line, the company puts out an excellent brochure on weight loss tips. The first thing on the list is this:

"My primary responsibilities are to myself and my family. In order to meet someone else's need, you must first take care of your own. That's not selfish. That shows love and respect for yourself, and others."

I've seen a lot of failures and a lot of successes in life. There really is not that much difference between a spectacularly successful person and a dismal failure. But the difference is crucial. And the difference is self esteem. People who succeed are people who believe in themselves and value themselves. Successful people value their own time and they don't waste it. They value their health and they don't fill their bodies up with poison.

A well developed self esteem creates a confidence that enables successful people to avoid wasteful conflicts with others. Successful people sincerely respect and value other people, and that trait alone draws success to them like a magnet.

People who believe in themselves are willing to take responsibility for themselves. The losers in life blame their troubles on someone else, and by so doing they give control of their lives to others. I see so much of this, and it is painful to watch. People who refuse to take responsibility for their own lives are always frustrated and depressed. They are professional victims.

Success does not take a long time to achieve. In fact, you can go from failure to success in an instant. All in takes is an attitude adjustment. All it takes is a willingness to believe in yourself and to take responsibility for yourself. As soon as you can do that, then you are a success. You may not have a lot of money or fame or whatever, but that really doesn't matter. Because once you are truly successful, once you sincerely take responsibility for your own life, you can have whatever it is you want.

Network marketing is a wonderful vehicle, a great tool. But network marketing cannot make you successful if success is not inside of you. Love the person you are enough to give love and respect to others, and your achievements will be unlimited.