Looking Out My Back Window #383

Originally posted on Facebook HERE

Had a rather lengthy conversation today with a friend of mine today about “limiting beliefs”. We met many years ago when we both lived in the Milwaukee area, and there were actual things called “music stores” where you could go and play through gear and stuff. We’re both bass players, and we’d run into each other all the time because we’re also both gear-heads. And we’ve kept in touch ever since. Both of us have had success in our businesses that I think I can say have exceeded anything we saw for ourselves when we started. And, as we were talking he said something like, “could you have imagined this 30 years ago”?… which really got me thinking. My goals in 1994 had nothing to do with ever becoming a financial advisor. I was still selling vacuum cleaners back then. I had vague financial goals, I guess — “make $100k/yr” I know was one I held for a long time, as well as “$1 million net worth”. But I never really had a plan. I did have belief, though. I really felt that at some point in my life those goals would come to fruition. What if, instead of those goals — I said my goals were “make $1 million a year” and “$100 million net worth”? Would that have happened? I don’t think I could have seen it and believed it for myself back then. So — there’s a limiting belief. We all have them. I try to stay open to all opportunities. If I didn’t have that mindset, I might still be playing music for a living, or selling real estate. I love doing both of those things. But — life opened doors I couldn’t have ever foreseen for myself. Because, somewhere in my subconscious the operatives put together a plan to achieve what I saw and believed would come true. And I left my mind open enough so that when — even though I had just won an award for real estate production in 2005 and it took me two years to build that business from scratch — when the opportunity arose to become a financial advisor, I walked away to start a new career from ground zero. The first full year was 2007. The second year was 2008 — a year that blew many financial advisors to the curb. But I hung in there. Those were really tough years, learning the business and trying to grow it in that environment. But I really had belief that if I hung with it, being a financial advisor was going to change our lives. I loved the actual work right away. Everything I did my entire life prepared me for that job. So, despite all the emotions and setbacks that go along with being a newer financial advisor in a really bad investment timeframe — I had faith that it was all going to work out somehow. From day one, our business plan was “Meet people and care about them”. We saw as many people as we could, we helped in any way we could — even if it didn’t necessarily benefit us. I just figured, as Zig Ziglar said — “if you help enough people get what they want, you’ll never have to worry about getting what you want”. So, we forged ahead. And now I run one of the largest financial services offices in the country for my firm. We grew faster than 95% of the branches last year without doing any advertising. This isn’t something I feel 100% comfortable in sharing publicly — but, wow. What you think about expands. In 1984 I was addicted to drugs and alcohol. November 1st, 1988 I went through treatment and have been clean ever since. In 1990 I left music to start selling vacuum cleaners. My first month I made what I had made the year prior as a full-time musician. By 1994 I was in the top 2% of the sales force nationwide. With each step I adjusted my beliefs about who I was and what I was capable of. And now, looking back — it’s overwhelming. What I see and believe for my future is way more than I ever expected. I’ve already exceeded almost every goal I ever set for myself. It has a lot to do with belief. And a bit to do with reality, I guess — if my belief had been I was going to play in the NBA — well… Spud Webb was about my height, but he had the talent and drive to do it. And the belief that he could. I know a lot of today’s post might sound like bragging. Maybe it is. I’m certainly proud of where I am. But take a look at your own beliefs today. Just because you’ve been doing a job for a long time, does that need to define you going forward? If you think you’d be happier living somewhere else, can you see it as a possibility? Do you believe it? Goals without belief are just wishes. Our minds create our realities. I’m so grateful for everything I have, for everything that has happened in my life, including my addiction. Just waking up sober is a win for me. Every moment is a gift, so let’s do what we can to use them wisely and set ourselves up for success, whatever that means to you.