Dear <$firstname$>, A few nights ago I was dealing with a physical challenge and did not feel at all up to working in my office, so I ended up watching a rather extraordinary movie with my husband. The book, The Kite Runners, has been on the best seller list for quite some time, and more recently it was made into a movie. I have not read the book, although my guess is that it is even better than the movie. But in my "humble" opinion, the movie was outstanding. It is a deeply touching story about loyalty and betrayal, but one of the things that impacted me the most was the depiction of Afghanistan before the Soviet invasion and after. If you can not be bothered with subtitles, this movie is not for you. But if you are willing to face the harrowing consequences of war, perhaps like me, you will gain a deep, deep sense of gratitude for life, all life, and particularly your own. This movie, The Kite Runners, awakened me to the incredible blessings that surround me. So much so that when my car's engine went completely kaputt the next day, I was not even phased (so what my car is dead, I AM ALIVE!). In this week's article I will share with you how this movie, along with watching a very special mentor in my life, has helped me to better understand how to create the life you desire.

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What If You Could Get What You Want? By Tammy Stanley If could only name one thing our daughter, Audrey, is an expert at, strangely enough to those of you that have been long-time subscribers, I would not say, "Ballet." Instead I would tell you that she is an expert at getting what she wants. And because she is an expert at that, I have been paying close attention to what she says and does. The funny thing is that she tells me, "I just do what you have told me to do, Mom," when I ask her to reveal her secrets. AH, telling is always simpler than doing, is it not? One of the toughest things about having a direct sales business is that you often have to exert a considerable amount of energy before you see truly worthwhile results. To add to the difficulty, most of you begin your career in direct sales after attending some kind of an opportunity event or meeting, where the people that are doing really well in the company often boast about their impressive incomes for minimal part-time work (They like to paint that picture, but personally I can assure you that I built a million-dollar organization by working full-time! Now I did get to do that while staying home and raising our children, so it was indeed very, very cool.) It is only natural to think that you are going to have an impressive income yourself with just a few months of part-time work. But during those first few months you often face some of the toughest obstacles, and keeping your eye on the prize becomes more and more challenging. Here is where my daughter's story might just inspire you as it has me! Audrey started taking ballet lessons around the time she was five years old. By the time she was eight or nine, she started talking about becoming a professional ballerina. When she was eight, we moved to Arizona and I started trying to find a good ballet studio, which by the way, is no small task. It seemed that we had yet to find what we were looking for when something magical happened - two extraordinary teachers (a married couple) began teaching at her studio. After just one year of training with them, we saw more improvement than we had in the last five years. A year later, this couple opened their own studio that was targeted specifically to students desiring to become professionals. In the next few years of training with them, Audrey improved by leaps and bounds. Then last year something unexpected happened - her teachers announced that their studio was financially unsuccessful and would be going out of business. When Audrey asked me what we were going to do, I encouraged her not to worry about it, to keep working as hard as she could until another solution presented itself. That is exactly what she did. She stopped worrying and continued working. Then within a month or two, we received a phone call that she had been accepted at a ballet conservatory in Connecticut. When she arrived at the school in Connecticut, she was disappointed to learn that she was not placed in the top level class. She inquired why not and was told that although they believed she could handle it, they wanted her to stay in the class she was in. Instead of focusing on not being in the class she was qualified to be in, she accepted her position in the second level class, but kept asking herself how she could also get the training that the top level students were receiving. Before long, it occurred to her that she could work overtime by squeezing in a few of the top level rehearsals along with her current schedule. When she inquired whether or not she could participate, she was encouraged to join any time she could. After the winter break, Audrey's teachers began to take note of and talk about all the hard work and extra hours she had put in and continued to put in. Not long after that, one of the more serious and talented danseurs wanted to practice various routines with her after class ("After class" in this case means after a day of school AND six and a half hours of ballet class.) The next thing she knew, one of her teachers choreographed a Pas de Deux specifically with Audrey in mind. Now at this point she could have decided to think that she was "hot stuff," that her hard work had paid off, and that she could take her hand off the proverbial pump. INSTEAD she committed to working even harder, fitting in every top level rehearsal into her schedule, and practicing on her own to learn all of their routines as well as her own. When audition time came around, she was allowed to audition with all the top level students because she had learned all of their routines during her "spare time." That audition took place just before she came home for Spring break. When she got off the plane she could hardly contain her excitement because she had a chance at landing a "Grand Pas" for the final performance. What I noticed most was the absolute joy she expressed about having a chance. Her joy was not about "the getting," but rather "the chance, the opportunity of getting." The difference was that her joy was not dependent on the outcome, but was a reflection of her opportunity. As it turned out, Audrey did not land the one "Grand Pas de Deux" she thought she had a chance to get. Instead she landed that one and another, as well as the "Pas de Deux" that had been choreographed with her in mind! Of course Audrey was ecstatic when the cast list came out, until she realized that the danseur she was to partner with did not have the same enthusiasm or work ethic as she. Her solution? Continue working as much as possible with the selected partner and use any spare time to practice with another danseur more compatible with her. Once again, instead of focusing on the result she currently had, she kept thinking about and working towards what she actually wanted. This morning there was a voice mail on my phone: "Hey Mom, it's Audrey. Just calling to let you know that my thinking has worked again - you know, getting what I want and all, because I'm going to be doing 'Diane and Acteon' with John, and John and I do that 'Pas de Deux' really, really well." What I have realized from observing Audrey is that she does not allow herself to get flustered when it appears as though she is not going to get what she wants. She ignores the appearance and never lets go of focusing on what she wants. It occurred to me the other day that what trips me up more than anything is that too often I allow myself to get caught up with what appears to be happening. The toughest work is continuing to think about what you want even when everything around you seems to be saying that you can not have it. In other words, the easy work is believing what appears to be true; the tough work is believing in what you desire to be true. But if we commit to what we want, and like Audrey, we stay focused and keep working (Oh boy, is that ever key!), we do end up with what we want. After watching The Kite Runners the other night, I became intensely aware of my many, many blessings. That night I went to bed feeling immersed in gratitude. The next morning I could actually feel how connected gratitude is to getting what I want. And one of the best ways to express gratitude is through joyful work. If now or at some time in the future you feel at all frustrated with your business and where it is, I encourage you to remember that it is easy to believe the appearances that tell you that you are never going to be able to create what you want. I encourage you to get tough, GET MENTALLY TOUGH, and keep your focus on what you want, no matter how ludicrous it seems right now, and by all means KEEP WORKING. But as you work, work for the sake of working. Feel the joy of working harder than you think you can. Feel the joy of making five more phone calls than you are sure you can. Feel the joy from seizing the opportunity you have right now to work. Then one day, you will awaken to discover you have created what you want. WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE? WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR ON YOUR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Author, Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker Tammy Stanley publishes the propelling 'Sales Refinery Insights' weekly ezine for direct sales professionals. If you're ready to jump-start your direct sales business, make more money, and create more value, get your FREE tips now at www.tammystanley.com/ezine/ezine_offer_ds.htm

Because I understand just how important it is to develop yourself and your skills from the very beginning, and because so many people tell me how much they value my advice and inspiration, I've been trying to figure out how I can help more people like you tap into your potential and achieve what you want in your business. I've been trying to design a program that gives you ME on a regular basis, but is also affordable. Finally I realized what my clients were needing and wanting... A LONG-TERM way to keep learning and stay motivated on a CONSISTENT basis. So I did some brainstorming with my staff and came up with a program in which I share... ¥ The marketing, selling, recruiting, and success strategies I used to develop a Million-Dollar Sales Unit and to develop leaders that did the same. ¥ This information in "spoon-fed" doses, reviewing and clarifying one topic at a time in an easy to understand way ¥ An opportunity that allows you and I to interact and brainstorm with the best of the best in the direct sales industry. INTRODUCING MY BRAND NEW... DIRECT SALES MASTERMIND Learn all about it by clicking here!

Tammy Stanley, founded and directs The Sales Refinery, a sales training company that assists sales professionals to generate more business and build long-lasting sales teams through powerful marketing, selling and leadership strategies.

Tammy has been coaching and training since 1994 and has a deep understanding of the challenges and needs of the independent sales consultant. While raising four children, Tammy built a multi-million dollar direct sales organization, reaching her company's Circle of Excellence 7 consecutive years in a row. She earned numerous sales and leadership awards, world travel, and promoted 11 offspring managers.

The Tammy Stanley Sales Refinery
Tempe, AZ 85283
Call Today: 480-775-4866
tammy@TammyStanley.com