Be a Go-Giver

By Dan Miller
48days.com

CBN.com – This morning I looked out our front window to see a brand new baby deer. It was just learning how to stand on wobbly legs. Momma has been walking around for several days – apparently looking for just the right spot to give birth. What a way to start the day!

I know we are all unique, but for Joanne and me, living in the country provides a creative impetus that is hard to imagine in another setting. Wherever you are, I trust that your day can begin and end with peace, hope, and inspiration.

If you are looking for some fresh inspiration, check out our Automobile University Package for only $32.

" Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

Think You Can?

This week in an interview the host asked me what the three things I wanted listeners to remember were. This is what I gave her:

1. Expect Change. The workplace is going to remain volatile and unpredictable. Our only choice is to decide how we will respond. If you make those decisions in advance, you will reduce the uncertainty and vulnerability.

2. Look inward for your best ideas and solutions. Eighty-five percent of the process of having confidence about your career direction comes from looking inward first. Define your unique skills and abilities – then 15 percent of the process is the application.

3. You are not in a “recession” unless you think you are. The old Henry Ford adage is true – “Whether you think you can or think you can’t; either way you’re right."

I wrote a short piece on the horrible church shooting in Knoxville, Tenn. The shooter said he was angry about not being able to get a job. Another dreadful example of expecting things to stay the same.

Are You A Go-Giver?

I frequently mention how I feel about reading good books; it can transform your level of success quicker than anything I know of. I am in the fortunate position of having lots of great books sent to me – with the author’s or publisher’s hope that I will recommend it to you, our readers.

Well, today I am doing just that. This one is one of those little quick reads with profound application. Written as a business parable – much like The One Minute Manager or Who Moved My Cheese? – The Go-Giver is an inspiring story of a guy who was trying to be successful the old-fashioned way; pushing and working hard.

As you read through Joe’s encounters with some highly successful business people, you will discover The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success:

1. The Law of Value
Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.

2. The Law of Compensation
Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.

3. The Law of Influence
Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.

4. The Law of Authenticity
The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.

5. The Law of Receptivity
The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.

You’ll be reminded that “All things being equal, people will do business with and refer business to those people they know, like, and trust.”

I read it and immediately got copies for all our family members. I consider it a must-read for anyone wanting to be successful in a way that helps others be successful in the process. This book is not just about business. Its best application is to life in general!

We’ve put together a little package including The Go-Giver that Ashley calls our “Is Your Music Still In You?” special.

“I suggest that the only books that influence us are those for which we are ready, and which have gone a little farther down our particular path than we have yet gone ourselves.” – E. M. Forster

48 Days Radio

Each week I create a new online radio podcast—that you can hear in iTunes or at the 48 Days Online Radio Show .

1. I have an idea for a non-profit business that currently does not exist that benefits children. It is something I have a heart for and am passionate about. Can I support my family this way?

2. You have talked about setting up a system where products you sell on a Web site could be shipped directly from the manufacturer and you do not have to mess with carrying inventory. How do I set up such a system (through a fulfillment house) and how do I find product manufacturers that would do this?

3. I want to be self employed with no employees. I have two to four simple business ventures I could begin, but I am unsure that any one of them alone could meet my long-term financial needs. What is your opinion on managing a few ventures where the sum total of their income does meet my needs? Have you seen this approach successfully used?

4. Dan, I love teaching and working with kids in the outdoors, primarily through Scouting. However, it's pretty hard to replace a $75,000 income doing either of those things. Any thoughts on how I might turn these passions into a viable profession?

5. Thanks to Dave Ramsey, we have no debt except our home and we are working on getting it paid off. However, though we bring in $130k/year ($70k for me, $60k for her), I am MISERABLE. We have financial goals that seem to force me to stay in a job I DETEST! Should I try to transition now or wait until we have the house paid off?

6. Dan, I have an idea about starting a business making video resumes for people. I've made my own and gotten positive feedback. Is there a market for this and where do I start? Thank you for your ministry! I left teaching after 13 years and can't tell you the peace I feel at the thought of NOT going back in August!

If you have a question, just click on the 48 Days Online Radio link below and you can ask about starting your own business, getting a better job, or finding your purpose in life.

48 Days Recommends

Got a business, product or service that you think the 48 Days audience of over 100,000 would benefit from? See your business here.

Cruise With The Barefoot Executive™
Carrie Wilkerson is the voice of experience. From corporate life to teaching high school to direct sales, she has 'been there and done that' professionally and personally. An 'overnight mom' to two toddlers through adoption, her priorities instantly changed and so did her workplace. She's now built several businesses and coached others to do the same while overcoming extreme debt, losing 110 pounds, and having two more children, for a total of four, ages infant through 12!

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212ºConnection
How would you like your own business...in 90 Days? How would you like your own great looking Web site in a matter of days? And how about personal coaching and mentoring from Dan Miller and his Leadership Team to make it not just happen but happen right? You can read all about it here – and see the growing number who are turning their ideas into time, freedom, and income. 212ºConnection

How to Raise a Teenage Millionaire
Billie Rae Wells is a 212 member who has created a Web site and book around her passion for teens and finances. She took action and wrote the book titled How to Raise a Teenage Millionaire. Now she's getting great coverage in the media and is busy shipping books. You can find it at 12WinningSecrets. You can sign up for her newsletter, and as a 212 member – only through July 31– you can receive 50 percent off her book by using this coupon code: 212MEMBER. Check it out. You’ll also get the electronic version immediately upon ordering the physical book.

Chuck Bowen Coaching - Financial, Career & Business
Need to do better (maybe a lot better?) with your personal finances? Is your business as profitable or enjoyable as you'd like it to be? Seeking your calling in your career? Contact Chuck Bowen Coaching. If you want to transform your life permanently for the better, he's your guy. Dave Ramsey trusts Chuck to train his financial coaches, and he serves as president of Dan Miller’s 212 Connection. What better proof is there? Contact Chuck Bowen Coaching now!

More Recommended Resources

Find Work You Love
The most popular product in the 48 Days arsenal continues to be the Computerized Personality Report. Before you begin seeking a better job or self-employment, you need to be sure you are pursuing opportunities that match your personality style and will fulfill and reward you for a lifetime!

Stay up to date, add your comments, and share your successes at my No More Mondays Blog.

Humor: I Have No Life

A social worker is facing a mugger with a gun. "Your money or your life!" says the mugger. "I'm sorry," the social worker answers, "I am a social worker, so I have no money and no life."

Okay, if that didn’t fit, you can build your own joke here. Just fill in the blanks:

A ___________ is facing a mugger with a gun. "Your money or your life!" says the mugger. "I'm sorry," the ____________ answers, "I am a ______________, so I have no money and no life."

Dan Miller is the bestselling author of 48 Days To The Work You Love and a renowned Life Coach specializing in career fulfillment. His weekly newsletter reaches 70,000 subscribers. Dan’s articles are featured here at CBN every Tuesday, and you can find out more about Dan at www.48days.com.