The Key to Creating Your Own Position is Prosperity Consciousness

One of the most difficult things many people face is to trust that all is well and you will be rewarded for your hard work. The Create your Own Position philosophy follows the laws of prosperity. These laws are governed by the universe and have been proven without a doubt. The simple belief that you reap what you sow. If you "plant" negative "seed" in you mind then you will "harvest" a negative "crop". Our lives are dictated by the thoughts we have and the actions we take. In order to create a better life we must accept that it is our own doing that will make it so. It is a matter of thinking and acting better. Incorporate the term prosperity in your daily life and develop a prosperity consciousness. This prosperity consciousness is the key to organizing your thoughts in order to create your own position in life and in the work place. The following is a ten step process you can follow to developing a prosperity consciousness.

1. 1
   Set aside at least twenty minutes a day to study and visualize your new life.
2. 2
   Buy a loose leaf binder and label it "Dreams Unlimited." This is where you will workshop the life you are creating for yourself and get clear on what you really want. This will be the place where you write your affirmations, make notes about the process, collect uplifting quotes, make collages of the things you are manifesting, and keep track of the things you accomplish.
3. 3
   Develop an affirmation for yourself based on what you are attempting to attract into your life. It should be present tense and contain only positive statements. An example would be "I am rich beyond my wildest dreams" or "Life is easy and fun".
4. 4
   Write out your affirmation at least ten times a day and put it in your notebook. When you are tempted to dwell on the negative, repeat it silently over and over in your head while you take deep breaths.
5. 5
   Ignore the naysayers, dream killers, and negative people who tell you that it can't be done. If someone else has ever done it before, then you can too.
6. 6
   Spend a few quiet minutes every day breathing deeply and visualizing your goal as already completed. Picture exactly how you want it to be, but be willing to accept something better. Don't limit yourself.
7. 7
   Read books on creative visualization, prosperity consciousness, and positive thinking.
8. 8
   Live "as if." If a circumstance in your life is not how you want it, withdraw your attention from it. Whatever you focus on expands. Live as if all of your dreams are a reality now.
9. 9
   "Follow your bliss." Experience the joy life offers at every turn if you know how to look for it. Share your love where ever you can. Wear comfortable clothes in colors that you love. Drink a wonderful cup of tea and watch a sunset. Do only that which brings you joy.
10. 10
    Let it go. Trust that the Universe has heard your request and is doing everything It can to bring it about. Forget about it. Don't worry or fret. Live in the moment and watch how all of your needs are met. When you lose faith, call on your childlike resources and pretend.

There's Data in Them Hills!

It takes a while for most people to gain the right amount of exposure on the internet. The trouble that a lot of analysts have run into is, there is not a real measuring stick that can judge your progress short of some insight graphs and number of "friends" or subscriptions you have. The truth is that you may be getting a large amount of traffic to your website or blog and never truly see a benefit in the real world. That is why it is important to not let your content stand alone. What I mean by that is create a link from one piece of content to another. Guiding those who click on your video or blog through a maze of information that you choose to display. I call it building off ramps on the information superhighway.

I will cover this in more detail in my book but for now I want you to imagine your website as an on-ramp to the highway and your video is a rest stop. At a traditional rest stop you would offer a bathroom and maybe a vending machine. You could include some scenery and maybe even a place to have a picnic. The same is true for your video content on your website. Offer your viewer something other than one thing and offer it in a way that is inviting and pleasant. Then your measurement for success is how long the people spent at your rest stop? How many people used the bathroom? Did they buy candy? Did they take pictures of your scenery? Now you have an better idea of what your customer or client is looking for from you and you are able to offer better products and services in the process. You also want to be honest and genuine. As corny as it sounds it's all about caring and sharing in this new world of marketing. If you do not really care about the viewer they will not care about your product or service.

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Teaching, is the true key to success.

When you study for your masters degree, part of your requirement to graduate is to teach.  When studying kung-fu one must teach in order to achieve the level of black sash. The same process is in life and business. Any amount of success worth having can only be achieved when you take the knowledge you have learned and teach someone else. It is a natural progression of things in life that we usually see with parents and children. Although it can also be seen between siblings and friends. The point is to have success in anything you must be available to teach others and this blog will give you a few guild lines to follow to develop the teacher in you.

One of the most notable ways to become a teacher, other than the conventional way, is to mentor a teen or young adult. There are many programs you can join in order to do this. Other common ways are through your church or social club. The important thing is to develop good teaching habits and convey your subject clearly so your "students" can learn. First, be sure to know your subject matter thoroughly. This may require you to brush up on your material but you should be doing that anyway to stay ahead of the curve. In the quest to create our own position  a person must be dedicated to improving their skills on a daily basis. Second, you need to categorize your abilities into groups and write them down. Writing thoughts and ideas down will make them stand out in your mind. If you have a different method that does that for you, by all mean, do whatever makes you focus best. Just understand that this is a commitment to yourself and you are in charge of keeping that commitment and no one else. Diversification is also very important because the more you have to teach your student the more successful you will become as a result. Third, you need to engage with your network and help those who may need it and accept help when you need it. Now, this is not just a simple... "whoever needs help look at me!" method of engagement. What is is meant by that is, you have to care about people's needs in order to be an effective teacher. So, as you engage with people, note who has a need in your area of expertise and only offer information to those people first. Then as you help them, you will find others asking for your help instead of you offering it. Finally, you want to gain credibility. This is the tricky part to the process. Not everyone will rush to your side to learn from you so you need to let people know what and how you can teach. This will take time and effort. Often, conversations with people at social mixers and business seminars can generate a buzz about your knowledge that open the door to teach what you know. A great book to read about communication that can help is, "Fierce Conversations" by Susan Scott.

For far to long the school systems have left many unsatisfied with the education given. It is a responsibility as to invest in education and offer education to others who need it. It's the old fashion "give back to the community" ideology that is the is the untold secret to success. Please remember to follow this blog at the upper left side of the page and feel free to comment below. If there is a topic you wish me to address feel free to email projectbennyblanco@gmail.com.

Secrets Inside Bartering

Have you ever thought to ask your plumber if you could trade something for services. Or asked your mechanic if there was something he was looking for that you both could trade to get your car fixed. In today's economy the most beneficial action to save money and build relationships is the age old art of bartering. It is called an art because it takes a bit of skill to trade effectively and you also need to have a strong enough network of people you can trade with. In this blog you will go over some useful tips that will help you develop the skills of bartering.

Barter is defined by dictionary.com as; to trade by exchange of commodities rather than by the use of money. During times of struggle, like most are experiencing today, this is the most effective way to save money and not sacrifice a lot in the process. But, did you also know it is a highly effective promotions and advertising tool. Not to mention the perfect way to build strong relationships in your community. Let me give you an example. 

Susie is a massage therapist who needs to get her floors redone and she has decided on wood but does not have the skills to lay the floor herself nor does she have enough money to cover the cost of installation. 

Carl is a carpenter who works long hours and has been developing a bad back. He has been to see a chiropractor and was told he should get a regular massage treatment and the cost of a weekly massage is not in his budget at the moment.

As you can see these two people should meet and discuss how they can help each other. Once Susie starts working on Carl's back, he will tell everyone how good he feels. Susie will have her floor done and tell everyone who comes to her home how it was installed. The two of them will start a buzz about bartering and not even realize it. The biggest question people ask is how can Susie and Carl find each other in the first place to make this wonderful transaction occur. The easiest way to make a match up like this is to advertise on Craig's list or Facebook that you have a service for trade. Other ways to find people to barter with are at business socials or the old fashion way... the classified section. Of course when you barter you need to match the value of the services with what you are trading. Be sure to not under sell yourself and get what you really need out of the deal.

Now that the concept of bartering is understood, here are a few hints as to how you can find enough people to trade with where you can really see a difference in the money you are saving and the promotion you are getting:

1. Become and member of a barter brokering group. These groups have brokers not unlike on Wall Street that help you connect with whoever you need to trade with. You simply tell the Barter Broker what you need and what you have to trade and they locate the person right for you to trade with. It's that simple. The service usually costs under $5 a month and you pay a very small fee per trade.
2. List 5 things you are really good at and rate them from best to least favorite to do. Then start with the top skill and market it as a service to your family and friends in trade. This also ties into creating your own position.
3. Offer trade for services with landscapers, accountants, plumbers, mechanics and ask them to spread the word. Even if they don't accept the deal, the fact that you asked will create a buzz that you have a service to offer and these professionals see a lot of people who they can tell.

Finally, a lot of people that are not fans of trade have not really looked at the things they need done other than paying bills. So, you really need to be sure you create a good network of people you can negotiate your skills with rather than wasting your time calling random businesses. This is why the barter service is important, just in case you cannot make time to meet people. The more businesses that trade with each other the better chance of helping to keep more businesses open during hard economic times. Your business's cash flow will open up and you will be able to budget much more effectively by bartering just a few services and getting your name out in the public in a new light. For more tips on bartering and how barter brokers work, visit Insidebarter.com. 

7 Skills Needed to Create Your Own Position

Over the years I have noted the necessary skills needed to create your own position in business. Some can even be considered skills for life as well. I will let you decide which ones work for you in life but all seven are needed in business.

No. 1: Accounting and Bookkeeping

For most people this is a boring subject to learn and others eat it up like candy. Wherever you stand on the issue, accounting and bookkeeping are the two top skills you must have in order to create your own position. Don't fret if you are not a whiz with numbers because there are programs you can get that will help you kepp track of all the numbers step by step as you keep track of your finances and growth. You can also hire an accountant and/or bookkeeper to handle it all for you but I am more partial to knowing how to handle it yourself. How else are you going to control you destiny?

No. 2: Written and Verbal Communication

Superior communication skills are essential in business, specially in today's instant information driven society. The person who can clearly get their information through will win every time. Writing can take time to develop and even professional writers take time to learn better ways to spell out their information. If you are having a tough time with writing do your self a favor and take a course either at a college or online. A well developed writer is a value to any business. The next equally important form of communication is verbal. Being able to present your idea's verbally has sometimes been lost in business today with the advances in social media which means it will take that much more effort to get your point across in a timely and professional manner. Public speaking can be intimidating for most and in my experience even the most seasoned public speakers still get butterflies before a presentation. It's only natural. What you need to do is practice and even join a public speaking club.

No. 3: Marketing and Promotion Techniques

This is not only for you to use as a service to provide but also as a tool to promote yourself. In order to create your own position you have to promote yourself effectively. Attend mixers and business social functions as often as your schedule will permit. This is one thing I am still struggling with to develop in my own business because I am excellent at marketing others but have had a hard time over the years marketing myself. What I have found is that the use of some specific marketing techniques in social media as well as within the organic community can be very simple and effective. General marketing 101 material is the starting point and creativity takes over from there so develop the right side of your brain a bit and be creative with your self promotion as well as with what you offer to the public. In todays information driven world the more creative the better.  

No. 4: Social Media Management/SEO

You will be missing out on more than you can possibly imagine if you discount the power of social media. It may not be necessary to sign up for every social site on the web but the ability to promote you and your abilities at the least cost possible is the best bet in ant book. My top choices are LinkedIn and Facebook to mingle with people and introduce yourself without ever leaving your home. Saves a ton on gas. This is not to say you should not mingle in public. As I said before, you should always attend functions in the organic community in order to work on your self promotion. It also helps with your public speaking.

No. 5: Goal Setting and Time Management

Zig Ziglar has one of the best takes on goals. I recommend his teachings on witting your objectives down, setting a deadline, identify the obstacles, identify the people and organizations you need to work with,  make a plan of action, spell out what you need to know, and write down what is in it for yourself. It is a proven method to success. Of course your attitude must match your intention to accomplish the goal or there is no reason to even set the goal in the first place. So, always have a positive attitude about the outcome throughout the whole process. Some goals are harder to attain than others and you must realize that ahead of time. There are courses and seminars on this topic as well.

No. 6: Leadership and Customer Service

In order to be an effective leader you must be an effective listener. The same is true in customer service and I don't mean as in a waiter at a restaurant, although that is a noble profession I was never good at. Customer service is in every job and in every company. A customer is anyone you engage with that you do something for. Most of the time money is exchanged but other customers can be your office manager, or the payroll clerk that needs you to fill out your time card correctly. The way in which you communicate with all of your daily customers will help develop how well you are as a leader. There is a great seminar called "The Internal Customer" that covers customer service in great detail.

No. 7: Experience and Sound Judgement

This is the hardest skill to measure and teach because it is a scale only you can control. What you learn from your decisions will dictate both the value of your experience as well as how good your judgement is. Be sure to always remain a student in life and do not be afraid to not know the answer. Part of learning sound judgement is the ability to know when you need to learn something in order to succeed. Experience is taking all that you have learned and putting into action.

I will go over all of these seven skills in more detail, as well as share my stories of success and failure with creating my own position, in my book "KungFu Marketing". Continue to check back daily for more information about creating your own position and I will share more details that will help you as we dive into 2011.

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Do what others will not do for a short period of time in order to do what you want to do for the rest of your life.

I've been an entrepreneur all of my life. I say that not because I have owned businesses or came from a rich family. Far from it actually. I say it because ever since I sold candy bars in the second grade and couldn't keep the money, I was determined to find out how to make my own money. As I got older I realized making money was just a game with no instructions or set rules. There are consequences for breaking the law but there is nothing stopping you from making money. In my family there are some of the hardest working people I know to this day. They are up at dawn or some at night, who make it  to work on time every day, week in and week out. The blue collar, middle class working folks that make our world go 'round. When they would hear of the next deal, or the next opportunity, or the next best plan that I was working on they did what all good families do, they told me to get a job!

"Hey, the Post Office is hiring..."

"Did you look in the Wednesday classifieds..."

"You have security experience, join the police department..."

Success was based on a stable income and benefits. The amount of your income was a bonus. As long as you have a steady job with benefits you were a success story. Today that philosophy has a cautionary tail due to the amount of lay offs and cut backs. Working my way up the corporate ladder I began to get knocked off and sometimes even thrown off. All the while, I would always remember that feeling I had when I gave my hard earned candy bar money to Sister Rita Mary. I was playing the money game by the wrong set of rules and I was loosing. It was not to say that my family was wrong, it was just that the instructions did not work for me and I needed to play by another set of rules.

I have been called a jack of all trades because of the many different industries I have worked in and the most success I have ever had was when I said, "This is what I can do to help." rather than, "What do you want me to do?".  Once I began to list the things I could do to help others, I began to be seen as a valued commodity not only in the work place but also to myself. No longer was it necessary for me to wait for the Wednesday classifies. I was creating my own position. I would find a business that needed my skills and implement a position to handle those issues. Mostly small businesses and not for a whole lot of money but it was always enough and I didn't need to fight up any stupid ladder. Over the years I have been able to learn from business professionals as I help them solve their problems. As my skills improved so did my ability to offer more services and the more valuable I became in my own work place.

My lesson of life is, that in order to learn you must be willing to teach and in order to live you must be willing to learn. Allow this new year to open the doors to new possibilities and adventures. 2011 promises to be a year of opportunity so when you hear the door knock... answer it.

Happy New Year!