Debunking A Money Myth: The Only Way To Get Out Of Debt Is By Making More Money

Last week I was asked my opinion of a business opportunity of a company I’d never heard of. My simple answer was, “I don’t know anything about them.” I did end up doing some very little digging, which included going to their website and viewing a three-minute recruitment video.

It was a typical video of happy anonymous people talking about freedom. And then there were the testimonials which included some money figures, with significant amounts of debt that some of them had paid off. The implication was that the money they were making from this particular business opportunity is what they were using to pay off those bills.

The truth is that this company offers its distributors a plan to get out of debt. I think it’s great that the company offers a debt-elimination plan. The video though is misleading because the debt was paid off not necessarily because these people were making any money with this particular business.

What I know about debt-reduction programs is they have little or nothing to do with increasing your inflow, and everything to do with decreasing your outflow.

So the hook for this particular business opportunity is that you can become debt-free. It’s a good hook. Debt is a serious problem. People, in general, are lousy money managers. And because the crazy amount of credit that people have had access to the last decade, people drowning in debt has become an epidemic.

Here is the good news: You can get out of debt. And you can start the process today. There are so many resources, and so many free resources to help you. One of them is Dave Ramsey.

I am late to the party, since I only recently heard of him. But when I mention his name to some folks, they start fawning about how great this guy is. I ended up checking out two of his books, Financial Peace and The Total Money Makeover, from the library and reading them just to see what all the fuss was about. And I gotta say I like how he thinks, what he says, and his plan for ridding oneself of debt and for building wealth.

My husband and I are debt free. We became debt free before we knew of Dave Ramsey, but using the same principles. And he’ll be the first to say that there is nothing revolutionary in what he says. So what sets him a part from others out there?

First, he’s been there. His story of, in his words, the idiotic choices that he made, and all the feelings of fear and stress he felt, makes him empathic and passionate about helping people.

Second, he doesn't sugar-coat the truth. He tells it like it is, and tells us what we need to hear, such as to "Grow up!"

Third, he challenges people to get angry about their debt. He knows that it is emotion, not logic, which moves people. So while his plan for debt-reduction and wealth building is very methodical and logical, he is good at lighting a fire under people to get them thinking differently, and moving them in the right direction.

Fourth, and maybe the most important, he has created a community (live and virtual) of folks who are in the process of, and who have succeeded at, ridding themselves of debt and changing their thoughts about money. It's a community where people can get encouragement and support, just by the mere fact of knowing that they are not alone.

"Future Tripping" Is Not Allowed

Tonight was the first time I "future tripped" about my children. I had a flash, a realization, on an emotional level, that they were going to some day be too big and not interested, in flopping around our home with me.

It was a few minutes before 5:00 pm, their daddy was going to be home soon, dinner preparation could wait a few more minutes. The three of us were sprawled this way and that, on one of their twin beds, as I read from a book I happen to grab off the floor.

I then flipped on to my back and looked over at my daugher lying next to me. I then looked at my son who was lying in the opposite direction as he sat up.

I looked at his innocent little seven-year-old face. I stared actually. Attempting to remember every detail.

"What mamma," he asked.

"You are not allowed to grow up," I blurted.

"Huh," he looked confused.

"No really. This is it. You are not allowed be more than seven years old."

"But I want to get older," my daughter announced.

I took a deep breath. I smiled, squeezing and kissing them, which grounded me and brought me back to the present moment, the present gift, the present joy.

Life is a Theatre...Invite Your Audience Carefully

When I started realizing the powerful effect the people with whom I hang have on my life and my future, I became purposeful about my association. Not an easy process. Certainly sometimes painful. Just the same, necessary.

I came across this anonymously-written piece over a decade ago. And perhaps because of my theatre background, it is in language I  understand. Of how and why I must be intentional about where I let people "sit" in my life.

~ Life is a Theatre...Invite Your Audience Carefully~

Not everyone is mentally healthy enough to have a front row seat in your life.
There are some people who need to be loved from a distance.
It is amazing what you can accomplish when you let go of - or minimize your time with - those draining, negative, incompatible, 'not-going- anywhere' relationships or friendships.

Observe the relationships around you.
Pay close attention...
Which ones lift, and which ones lean?
Which ones encourage, and which ones discourage?
Which ones are on a path of growth uphill, and which ones are going downhill?
When you leave certain people, do you feel better or feel worse?
Which ones always have drama, or don't really understand, know or appreciate you? 

The more you seek quality, respect, growth, peace of mind, love and truth around you, the easier it will become for you to decide who gets to sit in the front row, and who should be moved to the balcony of your life.

Ask for wisdom and discernment, and choose wisely the people who will sit in the front row of your life.
You cannot change the people around you, but you can change the people you choose to be around.
Who is in your front row?

Amway: An Equal-Opportunity Business

In the mail today, amongst all the fun holiday cards and photos, we got the latest copy of Achieve Magazine, Amway's quarterly trade publication.

Inside was page after page highlighting the "Women of Amway." As an Amway Independent Business Owner (IBO) in North America, I was particularly pleased with this focus.

Over the years I have noticed and experienced that there is a segment of the Amway community passionate about empowering men. In and of itself, this is very good and necessary. Unfortunately, and unintentionally, some have done this in such a way that it has disempowered women, hindering them from reaching their full potential as people and as business owners.

Having an unmarried woman as our Amway sponsor, actively building her business, has been a helpful example that the  Amway business is an opportunity to all. And it's crucial that the corporation continue sending the message to all IBOs and prospective IBOs that women can--and already do--play a vital role in building Amway businesses.

How fitting to have Holly Chen with her husband, Barry Chi, on this cover. They currently hold the highest achievement level in North America with 70 FAA points (which basically means they have a honkin' huge, highly profitable business). In addition, as they have helped thousands of people make lots of money, they have achieved high pins in other Amway markets around the world, including China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and New Zealand.

Why is it fitting? Because Holly started the Amway business on her own. After she met Barry, he joined her. And while he was satisfied when they hit the Diamond level in 1986, Holly was not. So she has continued to be the one to take center stage, and take their business to where it is today.

This is the third time in 20 months that Holly and Barry have appeared on the cover of Achieve, each featuring a new level of accomplishment.

From Achieve's April 2009 issue, "If you want to learn about building a successful Amway Global business, just watch Holly Chen and Barry Chi in action. Holly is an amazing leader, mentoring groups of Crown Diamond, Double Diamond and Executive Diamond IBOs. Barry is a talented trainer, teaching them how to improve retail sales. Together, they are a force. We are fortunate to have them on our team."

They are examples of using one's passions and strengths, regardless of gender, to get the job done. How they have built their business is directly opposite the gender roles that all too many organizations have long imposed on couples--hubby shows the business opportunity and mentors while wifey focuses on retail.

Given the fact that other direct-selling business opportunities are women-centric, I understand why some in the Amway community wish to focus heavily on men. On top of that, Amway was founded as a partnership of two men--Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel.

Against that backdrop, then, it's especially important, and timely, that Amway has directed the spotlight squarely on Holly and Barry's business. Their story is a powerfully eloquent reminder that a successful Amway business is possible to anyone willing to do the work.

Amway Australia...You GET It.

This video from Amway Australia captures in two minutes how social media is the new word of mouth to the n'th degree.

Adults Say The Darndest Things

This two-minute video sums up every idiotic or inappropriate question or comment complete strangers have said to me...well, almost. I think my "favorite" was when a lady YELLED, across the street, as I am strolling my infants, minding my own business, "DO YOU BREASTFEED THEM?!"

No Turning Off Your True Self When You're Online

Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill

‎"When it comes to technology in general, and social networking in particular, the heart is simply revealed."

--excerpted from a piece by Mark Driscoll in the Washington Post.

While he is responding specifically to one issue of  Facebook and adultery, Driscoll's statement addresses a much broader issue relevant to us all.

‎"Impatient, angry people post flame-throwing statements in haste.

Boastful, narcissistic people post statements and photos constantly to ensure we do not ignore them.

Dissident troublemakers post trolling inflammatory comments, seeking to have the same effect as a hose on a bees' nest.

And the perverted pursue illicit connections, including adultery, as they enjoy posting and seeing sexualized photos and statements."

I can attest to the truth of those words, especially having actively engaged on the 'Net on different platforms over the past few years. My online dialogues with a wide spectrum of people have ranged from MySpace (just who is on there anymore?), Facebook  and YouTube to Twitter  and a wide variety of forums and blogs.

In that time, I've engaged in diverse (and hot-button) topics such as Amway, homeschooling, politics, religion, sports, family and money.

Are we all entitled to the occasional "off" day, in which we respond in a way that doesn't reflect our authentic self? Absolutely. But what is the pattern of how we engage with the world--both online and offline?

Years ago, I thought it was a given topic that caused people to respond in a certain way. But through engaging online with hundreds of people from many different walks of life, I've witnessed undeniable, and all too predictable, patterns emerge.

Driscoll's diagnosis puts into words what I've come to firmly believe: cyber-behavior truly is a matter of the heart.