Jacob S. Paulsen.com

I suppose that I’m only normal if I find some of my very greatest inspiration in movies, literature, and art. Well maybe I’m a little more nuts than most because I consciously think about these things and the themes and lessons that are being taught. I suspect sometimes that I’m even finding hidden meanings where the writers had no intention of meaning anything.

I’m naturally drawn to the hero/epic tales. I like being reminded that human nature can overcome evil and become much more. Heroes come in many forms and stories teach us what heroes are really made of. Perhaps the inspiring concept is that I too can be heroic.

I love the stories. I love pondering the saga of Anakin Skywalker and how one man’s decisions can change the galaxy… twice. I love the story of a humble Harry Potter who’s love and pure determination destroyed forever the darkest wizard of all time. Or the story of Dumbledore who dedicated his entire life to bringing down Valdemort through Harry. I love the painting that sits on the wall in my bedroom, Singing Butler by Jack Vettriano. It depicts a husband and wife dancing in a rainstorm.

I suppose that more important than where one gets their inspiration, is that they get inspired at all. Inspiration is necessary to help us keep the vision when times are hard. Discipline is giving up momentary pleasures for long term joy. When life gets difficult where do you go for a boost? How do you remind yourself of the greater ideals and values in life?

I for one think we can all be heroes and we all need our inspiration. Please share with us. Leave a comment below to share with the group where you find your inspiration.

I was recently interviewed about my experience as an entrepreneur. In the course of the 60 minute interview a very powerful phrase came out of my mouth and I’ve been reflecting on it ever since. I said, “Its not actually about who you know in life, but instead about who you are in life that matters.”

We commonly accept in life that people gain jobs and opportunities based on their personal connections. I think its a reality that can’t be ignored. I think however that the more important question is how those relationships came to be. It isn’t the simple introduction of someone else that gives us a useful “connection.” Your relationship with another is only a valuable asset if they are willing to help you. If anyone is willing to help you and do you a favor we have to assume that you must provide some form of value to them.

Relationships are based on an exchange of value. Sometimes that exchange can be monetary but those types of relationships don’t last. I’m talking about relationships that are built on an exchange of trust and love. These relationships of value give us a greater position in our society because we are an asset to others and they believe in us. So its true that in this life the people you know can make all the difference.

However, the only reason we “know” those people or gain anything from knowing them is because of the relationship we built with them. That is what I mean when I say that its not actually about who you know in life, but instead about who you are in life that matters. Who you are determines the relationships that you have and therefore who you are is the source of who you know.

Of all the things I have learned from the Harry Potter saga, this is the most powerful to me. If you were to ask yourself what was Harry Potter’s greatest strength or asset; what would you say? I would say, “his friends.”

The strength of any person can be measured by those who are loyal to him. This was well illustrated by both Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore, who had such a large number of loyal followers, we cannot begin to list all of them. I hesitate to use the word followers, lest each of us think we need to gain followers (not referring to twitter friends). What I really mean by followers, is people who would readily come to your aid; people who would willing sacrifice their own needs or possessions to grant yours. In effect, people who love you.

We see this pattern over and over as Harry’s friends including Ron, Hermoine, Neville, Luna, & Ginny willingly put their own needs behind them in an effort to help and assist Harry. This was because of both their love for Harry and for their love of Harry’s cause.

Adults were equally drawn in to him. Dumbledore, Lupin, McGonagall, Hagrid, the Weasleys, and countless others were willing to sacrifice their own lives for him and several did.

Creatures including Dobby, Creature, Buckbeak, and Hedwig were eager to defend him and his interests.

The greatest assets anyone can have in their lives are the relationships they build. If you are a religious person, you understand further that your greatest asset is your greatest relationship; the one with your divine creator.

Cherish the people around you. Give them a reason to believe in you by believing in them. Relationships go both ways. The people who have the greatest influence and power, are those who have learned to love and cherish the greatest number of people.

Jacob S Paulsen

Goals are a big part of any business. Over time we have been taught a lot about setting effective goals including the power of written goals. What a lot of people don’t understand is the importance of an action plan. Without a step by step plan to reach your goal you have nothing more than a wish.

Action Plans generally have 3 parts. Each action plan should reflect your goals, the steps you must take to accomplish them, and what will be required of other third parties to make it happen. Third parties may include a business partner, your spouse, or even your creator. In your MLM business this most often includes your upline leadership or company executives.

Your action plan should be written down and signed by all the parties involved. Display it in a place where you will see it regularily and if possible a location where you are in a position to take the most action such as your desk or office.

I have built a simple MLM action plan that you can download here.

Jacob S Paulsen

Somebody emailed me this video this week and I thought it was the most amazing thing I had ever seen.

Also, today I aquired a new cell phone charger for free. A few weeks ago my brother Jeff lost my cell phone charger and I’m too cheap to buy a new one. So with a quick inspiration I stopped by the local Marriott hotel on my way home. I figure that hotels must have a massive collection of lost cell phone chargers and I was right. I just told them I was in need of a new charger and asked if I could go through their lost and found. They pulled out a massive box with different brands of chargers seperated into various ziplock bags. I quickly identified one that would work on my phone and they said I could keep it.

Jacob S Paulsen

UPDATE: This Ebook is no longer available via the below method/form. To learn more about how you can receive this book, visit www.mlmfaststart.com

If you haven’t already received your copy of my ebook “Fast Start: MLM Lessons Without Any Name Calling” just fill out your name and email below and I will send you the link! If you like the content come back and retweet and digg this post.

Thanks in advance,

Jacob S. Paulsen

This E-Book contains valuable lessons about analyzing the industry and preparing for success. Learn about the most common mistakes that people make when getting started and how to gain momentum in the first few weeks.

Play to your strengths. It was Mad-Eye Moody who gave Harry Potter this advice when he encouraged him to think of his own strengths that would help him beat his dragon in the upcoming task. In the last 5 years it has been a consistent theme among personal development coaches to teach the focus on one’s strengths instead of the constant focus on improving one’s weaknesses. Nobody did this better than Harry Potter. He learned quickly what he was poorest at, and he surrounded himself with people who could compliment his weaknesses.

What he didn’t do is worry about what he was bad at, and spend all his time trying to improve. Did he study extra hard at Potions or Defense Against the Dark Arts? We need to take his example to heart. We must discover our greatest strengths and structure a life around them. Find a career that will play to your best atributes and surround yourself (especially a spouse) with people who can compensate for your greatest weaknesses.

The second half of this lesson to search out solutions to problems by focusing on your strengths. When trials stand in your way consider what you have to offer to the problem. What talent, resource, or trait are present in you that will allow you to overcome with the greatest speed and efficiency. It does little good to focus thoughts and time outside of your circle of influence. Consider that life never throws anything at you that you can’t overcome even if sometimes it will require the help of your truly greatest resource; your friends.

Our own belief system controls our reality.

In the Harry Potter book “The Half Blood Prince,” Ron believes that he has been given , the lucky potion. Because his own belief system is changed, his reality also changes. He performs as if he had been lucky. Clearly this effect would only work if Ron already had the skills necessary to perform. The important point is how our own beliefs change our reality.

Each of us live in a reality that is generated based on what we see and not what is actually there. This is a huge problem in relationships and discussions since none of us can understand the world as seen through anyone else’s perspective. This is a huge bonus however because it also means that you have the power within you to change the world by simply altering your own beliefs. This is done by filling your mind with positive thinking, good education, and hard work. By sharpening our skills and increasing our mental capacity we become capable of changing our own world around us.

In the same book when Harry Potter finally understands that he must kill Voldermort because of who he is and what he did to his family instead of the prophecy it changes everything. The end result is the same but his world changes because of the reason. In his words “It was, he thought, the difference between being dragged into the arena to face a battle to death and walking into the arena with your head held high.”  Dumbledore worked hard to explain to him the importance of this single thing because changing Harry Potter’s belief would alter his own reality and make him all the more likely to succeed in his task.

What does this mean for you? It means that you have control over your world. All the complaining about your job, life, family, or circumstance is your own fault. Not just because you are a whiner (although true) but more importantly because the things you whine about are shaped in your own reality because of your own belief system over which you have COMPLETE CONTROL.

It also means that the way to change your own world is to change your beliefs. This means learning, finding purpose, and understanding your own values. To live by your own values and be conscious of the act will cause in effect a peaceful and happy reality! You are the author of your reality and you hold the power to change it.

“Sometimes making a decision is more important than making the best decision.”

Harry Potter is a very decisive person. When confronted with decisions he certainly doesn’t always make the best one but I would argue that by making one right away vs weighing it out in his mind for too long he tends to come out on top. One might say that Harry is a boy of action not reflection.

One such example comes in book 4 “The Goblet of Fire” when inside the maze he runs through a mist that turns the world upside down. It feels to him that if he lifts his foot off the ground he will surely fall into infinite nothingness, but deciding that his other option is to just do nothing until presented with a different solution he acts pulling one foot hard off the ground. The world is corrected and he proceeds into the maze.

I’m not suggesting that thinking before acting is foolish. JK Rowling does a great job of taking us through Harry’s decision making processes in which he almost always thinks out the problem. What I am suggesting is that once you have thought something out in the first moments determining your options it becomes wiser to act than to wait continuously hoping for different options or for one such option to become perfectly more clear.

So Harry Potter teaches us that analyzing a situation and making a quick decision can be done hand in hand to come to a good end. We avoid acting without thinking it through but also avoid endless and pointless debate as to the best decision.

Worry, hurry, and fear prevent us from following Harry’s example. Practice with your everyday simple problems and trials. Think through the logical options and then make a quick decision even when you are not able to determine which one is the best option!

Sometimes we have to stretch ourselves a little. How often do we really stick out our own necks to perform? In an effort to both make the goal and publicly declare it I am writing this post. On August 8^th, 2008 I will run a half marathon here in Provo, Utah. The Provo River Trail ½ Marathon is an annual event along the Provo River in the canyon. Even though I’ve always been a runner this will be by far the longest race I’ve ever run. Up until now my morning runs consisted of 2-4 mile jogs and my longest competitive race was a 5K.

I’m pumped. I’m not excited about running 13.1 miles but rather I’m excited about doing something audacious. I’m pumped about bending my own limits and pushing it past the comfort zone. What I’m wondering is what each of you are going to do to stretch yourselves this year? What are you willing to publically declare?

Here is a picture of a stretch of the trail where I will be running my 1/2 marathon!