Are You a Seminar Junkie?

Do you enjoy going to Seminars? Yes?!? Do you think that you are a seminar junkie? Yes, I know what you are thinking - "Goodness gracious me, no!"

Do you think that there's a thin dividing line, between a Seminar Junkie and an information gatherer (a knowledge acquirer)? What, in your opinion, is the difference?

Do you think that the difference is in the objective? The mission that you have in your mind when you attend a seminar?

There are so many seminars, that you may sometimes be overwhelmed. Which one to choose? Millionaire Mind Intensive Seminar? Guerilla Business Intensive Seminar? Train the Trainer Seminar? Master Your Mind Seminar? Enlightened Warrior Camp? Never Work Again Seminar? Property Mastery Seminar? Kung Fu Marketing Seminar?

Don't you think that you should gather as much knowledge as possible? Of course you should be learning everyday. Continuous learning. So that you can contribute to The Learning Organisation.

Enlightened companies, like Exxon-Mobil, Motorola, Intel etc, have policies on the number of official training days that an employee attends a year. These would normally average about 5 -10 days. The rest of the training would be on-the-job training. So this would be a good norm or standard for you to benchmark yourself, isn't it?

But the question is, what amount of training days should YOU undergo, if you do not include organisation-sponsored training? Using your own money?

It indicates what your mentality (or mind-frame or belief-system) is when you need to make a decision whether to undergo training for which YOU PAY out of your own pocket! Isn't it true?

You have an employee-mentality when you expect your organisation to pay for all your training.

You have an entrepreneurial belief-system when you pay yourself for training. Training that you feel will make you a better person. When you are a better person, will your organisation be a better one? Will your future be a brighter one (whether in your existing organisation or a new one)?

When you are thirsty for knowledge, is it not true that you may become a seminar junkie? That you may attend all the seminars that is presented, or offered, to you?

Have you attended some excellent seminar previews? The ones that know exactly how to tempt you with irresistible offers? Some even use NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) techniques, which are very effective (if you are not aware that they are using them).

Some previews use peer pressure. Others (the occasional odd ones, thank goodness) use hard-selling; they may even make you feel humiliated, by decreasing your self-image, if you do not take-up their offer.

So, how to make sure that you do not become a Seminar Junkie? The answer?: Balance! Everything in life should be done in a balanced way. Everything should be done in moderation.

The moral of the story? Seek knowledge wherever, and whenever, you can.

However, to avoid over-doing the Seminar Circuit, just spend about 10% of your annual income paying for training programmes. If you can afford it, perhaps increase the amount to 20% of your annual income. This will ensure that you avoid the "All study and no action, makes you a geek" ... hehehe!

I wish you Success in your undertakings and Good Health and Wealth to you and your family. Take care!

What's the "Be - Do - Have" Formula?

I invited a very good friend for a business preview seminar. I didn't say much because I was not too familiar with the business myself. My friend postponed another appointment (a training session) to accomodate my invitation.

Another person that I contacted had said that she would attend the seminar. Later she said that she had some other urgent appointment. I believe it was just an excuse, but that doesn't matter. Whether it was true that she had another urgent appointment or not, it's her life ... her destiny, not mine.

What do you think is the difference between the two persons above? Other than their sex (one said "Yes please" and the other said, "I got a headache" ... hehehe ... that woke you up?).

I realised that one person is into Action. He just says, "O.K. I will be there." He is in the present. When he attends the business preview, he will be in the present. Not the past. Not the future.

This Action person behaves the same way with regard to other aspects of life. I once asked him, "Are you going to join the 140 km bicycle ride on Sunday?" His answer (without missing a beat) was, "Yes."

He does not think, "Ooohh ... how many hours will that take?"
"We will be cycling across the mountain range, I wonder if I can make it?"
"Will my 14-year old son be able to complete the distance?"

[Although I had just started cycling a couple of months back, I decided to join him on this 140 km ride. Because my cycling "prowess" was not too far behind his ... hehehe ... I needed a friend when I am (always) at the back of the cycling group! We started at 7 a.m. What time do you think we returned to our starting point (carpark)?]

The other person is into thinking ... too much! You have heard of information overload? The Paralysis by Analysis syndrome?

She's not in the present. She's in the future. She's in the past.
"Is it an MLM business?"
"Is it direct selling?"
"I don't want to sell like what I see some people do. Some people open a small table and start selling (a product, or a service)."
"I think that the business will not be appropriate to my present business/interests."

For heaven's sake, baby! You have not heard what the potential business is all about! And you are making comments as though you have listened (for two and a half hours) and understood, what the new potential business is all about? Good heavens! You know these kind of people? Make sure you don't spend your precious time with them, o.k?

The moral of the story? "Who you are" is "what you are 'be'ing". It is also critical that you are always "being in the present" (as opposed to the past or the future) when you are 'be'ing yourself.

Why? Because "being in the present" eliminates fear. Fear of your past negative experience - which in all probability will not recur. And imagined fears of the future - which in all probability will not occur. It does not mean that you are unaware of your past, or the possibilities of the future.

The 'be' in you is the 'thinking' in you. The 'thinking' in you will lead to your 'do'ing - the actions that you take. Your actions will lead to what you will 'have'. Your 'haves' are your results. Your results are your successes.

Success in life requires you to follow the "Be - Do - Have" formula in that exact sequence. When you become a better person, you will take better actions, and you will get better results.

Interesting? So, be an interesting person, o.k.? You will take interesting action. With interesting results. Such as marrying an interesting person ... awesome, isn't it? Hehehe!

I wish you Success in your undertakings, and Good Health and Wealth to you and your family. Take care!

P.S. You guessed the time that we returned from the 140 km ride? You are right! ... if you guessed 5.30 p.m. The next day, I had a challenge to climb the stairs to my office ... hehehe.

P.P.S. Did my friend take up the business opportunity? I will inform you when you give your answer (and e-mail address) in the comments... hehehe!