Mastermind Alliance

The concept of a mastermind alliance was made popular by Napoleon Hill in Think and Grow Rich. In a nutshell you start an alliance with others to create a synergistic relationship. The collective knowledge will produce better results. Over the years I have definitely bounced around different groups. I have benefited from every alliance I have been a part of and I hope the members have benefited from me as well.

I want to share with you the members of my alliance that have been a constant the last few years. This alliance is made up of some of the best in their field. Unfortunately I don't contribute much to them but what I take from them I try to share with others. These people are successful because they share and serve others and so I'm sure they don't mind that I use what I learn from them to share also. I will break them up into different categories below.

Religion:
Besides going to church every Sunday I try to listen to and read books by Joel Osteen. The book that turned me on to this pastor was Become a Better You. After reading this I started to watch him on TV when I could find him or downloaded his free podcast. His messages are always so positive and he's very articulate. An amazing story teller that knows how to apply scripture so that you understand what God wants from us. You can also find more information on him and his ministry at Joel Osteen.

Motivation:
This next man has been called a natural treasure. After reading many of his books I can see why. If you are going to add any of these people to your own Mastermind Alliance he definitely has to be one of them. This man has been through it all and if anyone can get your mind out of the gutter it would be Zig Ziglar. He has so many books out from Success for Dummies to his latest Embrace the Struggle: Living Life on Life's Terms. Go out and pick up any of his books and I guarantee it will alter the way you think and make you a better person. Check out his website at Ziglar and at least sign up for the newsletter and maybe download his podcast.

Money:
At Cal State Northridge my major was in Business Administration w/ an option in Finance. As a kid I read so many books on cash flow, time value of money, and leveraging money. This made me a little arrogant and I stopped listening to advice from my parents regarding money. I should have read a book about debt and how debt has the ability of making you a slave and really killing your spirit. I first saw Dave Ramsey on the Fox Business channel and thought why does this man have a show and there's really nothing sophisticated about the advice he's giving. No get rich quick scheme or how to settle your credit cards for 50 cents on the dollar. Just biblical teachings about money and common sense. He even goes out and says that he just gives you advice that your grandparents would have given you. This man has been through bankruptcy and now is a success story. Need to get back on track about money then check out The Total Money Makeover. You can also check out his site, Dave Ramsey , and check him out on the radio or Fox Biz.

Family:
I am going to go ahead and admit my mad crush on this woman. I am sure she has been responsible for saving many relationships and I'm not just talking about husband and wife. She offers great advice for women, men, and children. I just recently added her to my alliance but I always wonder how much of a better dad I could have been had I found her years ago.   I am currently reading Bad Childhood---Good Life: How to Blossom and Thrive in Spite of an Unhappy Childhood but she also has so many books. For men I suggest Ten Stupid Things Men Do to Mess Up Their Lives. For women I suggest Ten Stupid Things Women Do to Mess Up Their Lives. I'll get to those books but I had to suggest them just from the testimonials I've heard on her radio show. Check her out at Dr. Laura and listen to her from a live feed or on her radio show.

I hope this helps some of you in your lives cause I know the above have helped me tremendously. At least bookmark the links I have given you for them cause their sites offer helpful tools. I know I didn't include anyone for Politics but the truth is I admire the founding fathers so much that I try to read history books for that but in this world of ours it's a constantly changing and learning process.

Working Yourself Out of a Job

"When you're 18 I'm free!", this is the phrase some of us say when we're joking about parenting. Well some of us are joking others maybe serious. You can ask any grandparent and they'll all tell you that it never ends but the demands from the children just change.

I've spent most of my parenting as a single parent. I remember taking on the task and swearing off of any relationships until my kids are 18 and off to college. This was 9 years ago and yes it is tough. I'm not at all a psychologist but I did know that if I did focus on a relationship for myself that it would create drama for my kids, especially my daughter. This is not about me so let me get back on track. In this day and age even two parent households face a very tough time raising their kids. We find ourselves working more and spending less time with the kids. Being under the same roof is not the same as spending time.

"Kids spell L-O-V-E, T-I-M-E" - Zig Ziglar. I love this quote because it is so true. I'm told that I'm a patient man but I don't see that. Sometimes I feel that I can scare my kids away when I'm coaching. I'm really competitive and it shows when I coach. To my surprise the kids love me and their parents aren't concerned about my yelling. Leads me to the conclusion that kids just appreciate that someone cares about them and is willing to play with them. The parents must appreciate that it's not them that is yelling at their kids.

Whoever follows my blogs or me on Facebook or Twitter can see that I spend a lot of time with the kids. I have even been asked by other parents if I ever work. I know they did not mean any harm. They actually follow up and congratulate me for spending so much time and volunteering my time as a coach. We have so many demands on our time that we start to forget the real reason why we work so much. Eventually the material goods that we want, not need, become a burden. Then we start trying to buy our kids love.

Being thrown into single parenthood was a huge wake up call. Prior to that I was about status. I was young and having status felt like it meant so much. Deep down inside I was in conflict with how my parents had raised me. I allowed my then wife to convince me to spend as if there was no tomorrow. Divorce, single parenthood, bankruptcy, etc... brought me back down to earth. What was important now was God, family, and friends. Needless to say I feel that my purpose in life is to raise my kids and give back to the community by being a positive influence to other kids. This is the kind of greed that I'm proud of cause it doesn't pay anything but I get points with God.

To answer the question if I work, yes and all the time. As a Realtor who is a know it all I'm there as a resource to all my contacts. People will call me with real estate questions, tax questions, and even directions. Do I always get paid no but that's not what I'm concerned with. I am concerned that I'm there to serve others. The real estate business is where I make my money and because I serve others eventually they reward me with a referral. My business is round the clock. It is more flexible than a 9 to 5 but I am on the clock from 7am to 11pm. Thanks to PDA's, laptops, and technology I have found something that I love to do and is flexible enough to be a parent that is hands on. Also I have learned to accept help from friends and family. The circle I have around the kids and myself is full of very loving people. My character is a reflection of my surroundings.

This brings me to the point I'm trying to make. When you decide to become a parent it should be job number one. Plan your career and life according to the children. We should always be striving to make the next generation better. Get the kids away from the TV and go out and play with them. We all need to try to be kids again but be careful cause I've realized I don't bounce up as easily as them. Remember the freedom our parents gave us. These freedoms have allowed us to make our own mistakes and learn from them. What I do is point out the mistakes I've made to my kids and I ask them not to repeat them. In the end wisdom comes from experience. I love my job as a parent but to be an effective parent I know that one day I will have worked myself out of this job and set these kids free.