So don’t let the same thing happen to you! The last thing you want to do is WASTE the education you may have just received by doing NOTHING with it!

If you have been reading some of my previous e-Letters, you will know that I like to be brutally honest and I like to put things into perspective.

So here it is…by attending an educational seminar or workshop, or purchasing an educational CD or book, and doing absolutely NOTHING with the information and/or education that you obtain, it is like purchasing a package of flower seeds and leaving them in the original package hoping they will germinate and grow into something beautiful all on their own.  While the seeds do possess the genetic capabilities to grow into something truly beautiful, in order to do so they will first need to be removed from the package.  Then they need to be planted in such a way that they have the best chance of realizing their true potential.  Then they need to be watered and fed.  They also require the correct environment.  After all of this, then and ONLY then can they grow and become something truly BEAUTIFUL!

By attending seminars and workshops, or by purchasing educational CD’s or books, you will obtain seeds of a different type.  Seeds that have the genetic potential to provide you with the necessary tools or ideas that will help you to achieve or obtain… whatever it is in your life that you want!

You may also obtain seeds that have the genetic potential to help you…MAKE A LOT OF MONEY and/or make a REAL DIFFERENCE in the lives of others!  Regardless of whatever it is you are looking to achieve, it is “what you do with YOUR seeds”, that REALLY matters!

The moral of the story… Don’t leave your seeds in their packages, DO SOMETHING WITH THEM!

It is a known fact that only a very SMALL percentage of people will actually “DO SOMETHING” with what they have learned at a seminar or workshop, or with the information or education that they have obtained from listening to a CD or reading a book.

Obtaining Education and NOT doing anything with it is a… COLLOSAL WASTE!

It can also become a pretty expensive DUST MAGNET!  Because that’s all your seminar or workshop binders will be doing is sitting on your shelf collecting dust, especially if you do not do ANYTHING with them!  So don’t be one of those who don’t do ANYTHING – get off the wall and take some…ACTION!

Will you experience some disconnects?  ABSOLUTELY!  This is all part of the learning curve, so don’t be AFRAID!  We “LEARN” from our mistakes.  However, if you do not make ANY mistakes, you will NOT learn ANYTHING!

Unfortunately…that’s just the way it works!

Depending on what type of education you elect to pursue, it may also help you to lower the FEAR barrier!  The FEAR barrier typically paralyzes most people from taking ANY action at all!  However, once you lower the FEAR barrier, you will be in a much better position to see over the top of the FEAR barrier and you will be able to take ACTION!  I can personally relate to this.  Before I educated myself on real estate, I had NEVER purchased a single piece of real estate, except for my own home.  After educating myself, I lowered the FEAR barrier and was able to purchase 10 properties within the first five weeks of graduating from the seminar.  Did the education STOP there?  ABSOLUTELY NOT!  Just like the “flower seeds” I referred to earlier in this e-Letter, they needed to be watered and they also required the correct environment to do so.  As a result, I continue to “water my seeds” by attending many different seminars and workshops, as well as listening to many CD’s and reading many books.  By doing so, I create the “correct environment” to create even more SUCCESS!

So as you can see… EDUCATION is a CONTINUOUS thing!

A word of CAUTION regarding the “FEAR barrier” thing!  Do not totally ELIMINATE the FEAR barrier altogether, as a “little” FEAR is a good thing.

It will keep you in check.  This can also be viewed as your BIG SISTER or BIG BROTHER as it will be watching over you!  Without “some” FEAR, you may also become RECKLESS!  And that is NOT a good thing!

So now that you know how to lower “YOUR” FEAR BARRIER… What are you waiting for?

It’s all about self-promotion! Self-promotion comes in many forms and you can use different tactics to get your name out there. Look at politicians! Talk about self-promotion and in some not so discreet ways, at that. But, seriously, consider some of the major superstars we all know. Madonna, Donald Trump, Howard Stern and Bill Clinton, just to name a few.

We all self promote. Did you raise your hand in class to show the teacher you knew the answer? Of course! That’s self-promotion. This is the kind of self-promotion we are talking about. With dignity, class and the knowledge to back it up. If you self-promote only to prove you don’t really know what you’re talking about, you’re going to lose business.

Natural self-promoters are the former and I want to tell you about the three major traits they have and use to build themselves and their businesses.

1. The first is position. You need to position yourself around people who can make a difference in your life. You need to do this frequently. You need to wake up every morning and ask yourself “Who can I meet today who will make a difference in my success?” In fact, go a step further, write it in big, bold letters and tape it on your bathroom mirror.

Also consider:

Who can help me meet my goals?

Is it a prospective customer/client? A colleague with contacts? An association with key members who may become prospects?

Don’t settle into interacting with the people who are the easiest to access. You need to reach outside your comfort zone and there you will find a wealth of new connections that will bring you great success.

2. Now, let’s talk about Style. No, this doesn’t mean you need an Armani suit to bring in more business (though, let’s be honest-it wouldn’t hurt) J What this really means is how are you different from your competitors and others in your industry. What makes you memorable with customers?

If you are meeting a lot of people and they don’t remember you once you leave the room, you have a serious problem! This means you have an opportunity to present yourself in a more memorable way.

There are lots of little subtle changes you can make. Reassess your:

• Business cards
• Company message
• Your picture
• Your wording

Maybe even, your hairstyle (of course, now we’re back to the expensive suit, but it really works!)

You get the idea. There are lots of little ways you can work on making your image and business more successful. Also, consider how you sound on the phone and how you greet people at meetings or other events. Think about your 30-sec elevator speech.

3. The third trait of natural promoters is repetition. You can’t say it once and leave it at that. Successful self-promoters say it as many times as they need until they get a response. Would you remember a commercial for Coca-Cola if you only saw it once, no! You see it over and over and eventually you head out to the store.

You, also, have to make multiple impressions on those you are networking with in order to build brand awareness. Repetition is in direct connection with positioning. Once you find people to network with, reach out and find hundreds more who can help in your success as well.

I think this statement pretty much sums up the value of building and maintaining a strong network. The more you network, the more relationships you will build. The more relationships you build, the more opportunities you will be presented with. It’s just the way it works! You can network in a variety of different ways; some of which include but are not limited to the following:

• Attending Educational Seminars and Workshops
• Joining Clubs
• Becoming Members of Special Interest Groups
• Attending Charitable Events
• Joining your local Chamber of Commerce
• Give back to your community by becoming an active member of a “Not-for-Profit” organization

For every person you meet, you will have the potential to meet many, many more people!  I have attended a great number of events over the years, and I continue to do so. Each time I attend an event I meet new people; and with each new person that I meet, I am introduced to other people. This is the compounding effect that networking has, and this is how I further expand and grow my own network.

Here is an example of one of the many ways that I “Give Back” and increase my own network at the same time.  A number of years ago I personally elected to apply for and become a board member of a local “not-for-profit” organization.  This organization was originally formed by a group of local businessmen that had a vision of assisting local entrepreneurs that wanted to start their own (small) businesses, but did not have the capital to do so. In order to qualify for a loan they had to generate income that was classified as “below the poverty line”. After joining this organization I soon came to realize that providing people with a loan (money), was not necessarily the best way to help them. I looked at it this way… if you don’t understand how money and finances work in the first place, your chances of achieving success in business are somewhat limited. This was exactly the case, as many people who were loaned money to start a business, FAILED! One of the key reasons (in my mind) many of them failed, was as a result of their lack of “Financial Education”. They were NOT Financially Literate. They did not understand money and how it works. This has always and continues to be a problem, as Financial Literacy is not taught in the schools.

Robert T. Kiyosaki, the author of the best selling book…Rich Dad Poor Dad, said this…“You can give a man a fish and feed him for a day, or you can teach a man how to fish and feed him for a lifetime.”

This famous quote pretty much supports my view of the situation regarding the need to provide people with Financial Education. This problem is not strictly isolated to the poor or uneducated, since it exists at all levels of society today.  

I strongly believe in “Giving Back” and especially within my own community. By “Giving Back”, I am also provided with the opportunity to meet and network with many different people. As a result, I am further enhancing and expanding my own personal network. See how it works?

So I ask you this question…How strong is your Network? 

• Do you attend Educational Seminars or Workshops on a regular basis?
• Do you belong to a local Club?
• Are you a Member of a Special Interest Group?
• Do you attend Charitable Events?
• Are you a Member of your local Chamber of Commerce?
• Are you an active Member of a “Not-for-Profit” organization, and do you “Give Back” to your community? 

If the answer is no to some or all of these questions, you need to change that. I know some of you may feel uncomfortable with the idea of meeting new people and becoming actively involved with something that may put you out of your personal comfort zone. I do not mind admitting to the fact that I was out of my personal comfort zone when I originally applied to join the board. I was even more out of my personal comfort zone when I was elected (by my peers) to take on the position of “Board Chair”. So, if this is an obstacle for you…you will have to overcome this obstacle pretty quick! Especially if you want to truly be successful in life, as networking is a critical component to your overall success.

Give it a try…You just may surprise yourself!

If you have not already done so, you can start by attending or joining smaller (less formal) types of events and/or groups, and then work your way up to larger ones. You do not have to pay anything to attend some events and seminars, since there are always free ones that are being offered. You should take the opportunity and use these types of events to network. You will be truly amazed at the opportunities that will present themselves!

Before attending any events or joining any organization or club, it is imperative that you have a business card, and that you develop and perfect your “Elevator Speech”.  What is an “Elevator Speech” you may ask? You need to describe (in 20 seconds or less) what it is you do and what you have to offer the person that you are pitching to. It’s truly amazing at the results you will achieve when you perfect this relatively “simple” strategy. I have personally turned many (brief) encounters/conversations into Millions of Investment Dollars… all because somebody asked me, “What do you do?”

Remember…Your NetWorth, is Equal to Your NetWork!

I am constantly doing this at my Real Estate Investing Seminars and Workshops. It’s even mentioned on my (www.TonyPeters.ca) website and on the back cover of our Lease To Own (business in a box) System Guidebook.

I have elected to write about the importance of Enjoying the Journey once again, due to a recent, most tragic and unexpected loss in our family.  Our son (Jordan) would have turned 18 on December 14^th, but unfortunately we have been denied the opportunity of celebrating this occasion with him because his life was cut extremely short.

Jordan was taken away from us on July 17, 2010.

It’s kind of ironic really, as I have been stressing the importance of Enjoying the Journey for many, many years. Now that I have personally experienced the loss of a loved one, and one that was at such a tender young age, it further anchors and supports my belief even more!

As a result of my personal and first hand experience, I would like to think that I am even more qualified to speak about this today, than I ever was before!

One of the things that brings comfort and peace to Jo-Ann (my incredible wife of almost 25 years), my beautiful daughter Chelsea (15 years) and my own life is knowing that Jordan truly “Enjoyed his Journey”, even though it was cut so drastically short!

Jordan lived life to the fullest, and he would be the first to support the message that I have in this e-Letter, and a message that I will ALWAYS preach to others…Life is a Journey, NOT a Destination!

With that said, I am not suggesting for a minute that you should run around living each day as it was your last. Absolutely NOT!  Enjoying the Journey is about doing the things and saying the things to people that you love and care for. It is imperative that you employ and maintain a healthy balance in your life.

Tony’s TIP:  Don’t put off for tomorrow, what you can do or say today!

Be sure to tell those that you love, that you love them! Give those that you love and care for a hug each and every day. 

You just NEVER know when that “luxury” and “privilege” will be taken away from you. How do you think I know this?

Please do not get me wrong, as this month’s e-Letter is not intended to solicit sympathy for our loss. This e-Letter is dedicated to celebrating the life of our dearly beloved son Jordan, and in doing so we hope to positively influence the lives of others. Jordan would want it that way I just know he would, because he was an extremely caring, kind and generous person! This world could use a few more people just like him.

As I mentioned previously, in order for you to Enjoy the Journey you need a healthy balance in your life. Some of the things you will need should include but are not necessarily limited to the following; 

• Your Health
• Your Family
• Good Friends
• Love
• Time
• Money

Do you have a…Healthy Balance in YOUR life?

Are you…Enjoying Your Journey?

Tony’s TIP: Tell someone you love that you love them, and give someone you care for a BIG hug today!

– Tony Peters