Wikipedia tells us,

“A blind spot, also known as a scotoma, is an obscuration of the visual field. A particular blind spot known as the blindspot, or physiological blind spot, or punctum caecum in medical literature is the place in the visual field that corresponds to the lack of light-detecting photoreceptor cells on the optic disc of the retina where the optic nerve passes through it. Since there are no cells to detect light on the optic disc, a part of the field of vision is not perceived. The brain fills in with surrounding detail and with information from the other eye, so the blind spot is not normally perceived.”

Psychological Scotoma – The Inability to See Clearly

Try this interesting, fun exercise.

Psychological scotoma, like ophthalmological scotoma, is an inability to see or notice, or correctly interpret situations that are often obvious to objective observers.

All of the following can contribute to the establishment and maintenance of a psychological scotoma:

• ignorance,
• greed,
• wishful thinking,
• fear,
• denial,
• comfort,
• a vested interest in the existing situation

A popular example is men and women who don’t notice that their spouses are having affairs and flirting, while everyone else does.

Another is the behavior and choices of cult members, ranging widely from religious to political to financial; one can see a highly intelligent, politically savvy, wealthy, connected TV host performing brilliantly and winning tough arguments, while at the same time wearing “Holy Undergarments”.

The Purpose of This Article

But the purpose of this little article is to ask you,

“Is your scotoma preventing you from succeeding financially?”

Is this why you hook up with losers, waste money on scams, refuse to stop financially draining activities or withdraw from dead-end MLM schemes?

I have seen many women with massive financial potential get involved with men who are basically parasites and who not only leech all their money away, but prevent these smart women from reaching their full potential.

Has your conditioning  and “education” created a blind spot that prevents you from making heaps of money?

Reality Check on Your Financial Blind Spot

In our society, many of us have been exposed to conditioning without even being aware of it.  Banks, employers, politicians, educational institutions, mystics, and others have a vested interest in our financial ignorance and enslavement.

It starts when we’re young children.  Having said all that, it’s time to give ourselves a “check-up from the neck up” as Zig Ziglar used to say, and take a good, hard look in the mirror.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself that might establish the fact that you have, indeed, succumbed to a psychological financial scotoma:

1. Is it possible for you to retire within one year with more passive monthly income than you need to live on? (It is.)
2. Is it possible for you to become a millionaire? (It is.)
3. Is it possible for you to create wealth with no cost, risk, or selling? (It is, and this isn’t Network Marketing.)
4. Is it possible for you to be happy, financially free, and fulfilled person? (It is.)

What We Believe is Usually Not True

Our perceptions of life and our options and the way things works are simply a chosen interpretation.

We tend to believe the stories we tell ourselves about the meaning of our circumstances. To get outside the proverbial box, we need to talk with people who are already outside the box.

When I was poor and I wanted to get rich, I found people who had created wealth and learned from them. I continue to find people smarter and richer and more successful than I am, and I learn from them, often through the books they write.

It’s Never Too Late to Break Free

There is a lot of valuable information for you on our Websites and Blog, including thousands of articles, Podcasts, videos, and audio clips, but the best way to break free is via the training we present.

Paul Graham and his partners invest in startup businesses. He says,

“We learned quickly that the most important predictor of success is determination. At first we thought it might be intelligence. Everyone likes to believe that’s what makes startups succeed. It makes a better story that a company ‘won’ because its founders were so smart.

The PR people and reporters who spread such stories probably believe the stories themselves. But while it certainly helps to be smart, it’s not the deciding factor. There are plenty of people as smart as Bill Gates who achieve nothing.”

The Person Behind the Opportunity

They say that when Venture Capitalists evaluate a new business to invest in, they evaluate the PERSON more than the opportunity or business.

They look for determination, because they know that is the key to success. When you get truly determined, you become unstoppable.

You will burn through any obstacle and attract a host of willing followers. Most people are looking for a strong leader. Someone once said,

“Real leaders are ordinary people with extraordinary determination.”

A Look At What Determination Is

Let’s look at this word, “Determination”. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “determination” as “the act of deciding definitely and firmly.”

It includes the word, “termination”, which, to me, implies the termination, or end of alternatives or options.

The word “Decide” has the Latin root “-cide” in it, meaning “to kill” – to kill off any recourse or modifications.

Set in stone – no turning back – no more dithering – no questions asked – burn the bridges, all-or-nothing, this is it, baby.

A Quitter Will Never Win

Ayn Rand  accomplished amazing triumphs in her life. Her motto was,

“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.”

Sounds a bit like Mohammad Ali, doesn’t it? George Allen said,

“People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don’t know when to quit. Most men succeed because they are determined to.”

In my 23 years of business, I have never seen a truly determined person fail. I have seen many highly educated people with massive support and financial backing fail, however, due to lack of determination.

Quitters NEVER win. My daughter, Sacha, is the most determined person I know.

The Personal Success Plan

Finally, let me share with you what I learned from Paul J. Meyer, Founder, Success Motivation® International, Inc., when I got into business 23 years ago. This “Personal Success Plan” he created is burned into my brain. Note step number five.

“1. Crystallize Your Thinking

Determine what specific goal you want to achieve. Then dedicate yourself to its attainment with unswerving singleness of purpose, the trenchant zeal of a crusader.

2. Develop a Plan for Achieving Your Goal and a Deadline for its Attainment

Plan your progress carefully; hour-by hour, day-by-day, month-by-month. Organized activity and maintained enthusiasm are the wellsprings of your power.
3.  Develop a Sincere Desire for the Things You Want in Life.

A burning desire is the greatest motivator of every human action. The desire for success implants “success consciousness” which, in turn, creates a vigorous and ever-increasing “habit of success.”

4. Develop Supreme Confidence in Yourself and Your Own Abilities

Enter every activity without giving mental recognition to the possibility of defeat. Concentrate on your strengths, instead of your weaknesses…on your powers, instead of your problems.

5. Develop a Dogged Determination to Follow Through on Your Plan, Regardless of Obstacles, Criticism or Circumstances or What Other People Say, Think, or Do.

Construct your Determination with Sustained Effort, Controlled Attention, and Concentrated Energy. OPPORTUNITIES never come to those who wait…they are captured by those who dare to ATTACK.”

Determination 24/7/365

With this level of determination, you cannot fail.

“24/7/365, outside my comfort zone, whatever it takes, I am bulletproof”

– those are the words of a determined winner, who never doubts the fact that she or he will conquer. And here’s the best part: determination can’t be

• inherited,
• bought,
• stolen,
• leased,
• or copied

– it is simply CHOSEN – second-by-second, minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour, day-by-day, until it becomes a habit and a natural way of living.

You win by being determined, and determined people are focused, consistent, congruent, and unstoppable.

Years ago, I was chopping wood for a barbeque. I wore sandals, and stupidly supported the wood with my foot.

Bang!

I chopped right into the tip of my front toe. The only thing that prevented me from cleaving the entire toe in half and limping for the rest of my life was my sandal.

Idiot.

At the emergency room, they injected directly into the quarter-inch wound before sewing it up. Ouch!

I no longer chop in the direction of my feet.

A New Respect Gained

I was preparing for a camping trip to Ponta Do Ouro in Mozambique in the summer of 1972. (Don’t go there now, unless you like the idea of landmines – you might lose more than a toe…) As I packed my VW minibus camper, I carried my snub-nosed .38 Astra Special revolver on a sleeping cushion. As I stepped up into the back door, the loaded gun slipped off the pillow, hit the bus’s floor, and went off.

Since the windows and other doors were closed and a bullet was definitely fired, it can only have passed between me and the inside of the one door – a very small space – a close miss, if ever there was one.

Stupid.

I learned an important lesson and gained a renewed respect for guns.

Limit Risk and Costs

I have met more conmen, shysters, and outright thieves in the past twelve years than I ever thought possible.

And with governments fast going the way of outright socialism and banks and the taxman collaborating to put the squeeze on business owners, we live in an increasingly  dangerous business world. It’s time to grow up and realize that we are at risk, and that we need to limit our risk.

Avoid it All Together

When I tell people to do business with no cost and no risk, I mean it.

I know a fellow with a giant ego and a small IQ who regularly sought to differ with me on this point. I have seen him lose a lot of money, since he doesn’t understand how to avoid risk and cost. If he did, he wouldn’t lose so much money in his harebrained schemes, or work with thieves.

Knowing how business works, and understanding the odds, the risks, and the fact that there are a few dishonest people around, makes it necessary, if one wishes to get rich, to avoid risk and costs.

It’s Easier Than it Seems

1. Use leverage and existing resources instead of paying for new ones. Work strategically and don’t rely on any one source of income.
2. Pay for results, not promises.
3. Be VERY careful whom you associate / do business with. Remember that people can change for the worst – easily and quickly, so be prepared for that.
4. When you smell a rat, RUN. Cut bait. Delete. Immediately.
5. Test people in many ways to make sure they are still loyal and honest. Be a detective.
6. Don’t disclose the identities of your Joint Venture partners.
7. Triangulate deals – don’t sell your own products and services.
8. Align yourself with people who share your philosophy – don’t link up with mystics, socialists, environmentalists, or reverse racists.
9. Don’t trust government or work with government or their agents.
10. Operate with no overhead – lean and mean. Expect the best and prepare for the worst. Spread your income and diversify.

Joint Ventures allow one to operate as above, and the older and wiser I get, the more I appreciate the power and sophistication offered by the Joint Venture systems I use.

If you’re carrying a gun, make sure it’s not pointed at you.

The PBS television show I watched described how a couple in New York City closed their coffee shop because of the recession.

In some cases, closing down a business that is running at a loss is the right thing, however in many cases, a business can be saved instead of being closed down, especially if there are leases and penalties and further losses to be incurred by the closure.

There is a little-known way to redeem a business and move it back into profitability.

How can one turn a business around without incurring additional costs and risk?

Turning It Around with Joint Ventures

We’re talking about a blood transfusion here, not a brain transplant. But then it does take a different way of thinking to rectify this frightening situation.

“You’ve gotta know when you hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, and know when to run” is right.

But it’s good to know that most entrepreneurs are unaware of the most valuable, lucrative option available to them – Joint Ventures. Thousands of businesses could be saved with Joint Ventures.

Leverage Your HIDDEN Assets

Instead of focusing on what is drowning us, like insufficient sales and customers, high overhead, bank loans, and so on, let’s focus on what we DO have:

• hidden assets,
• resources,
• relationships,
• credibility,
• access,
• a database,
• inventory,
• location,
• a brain and a work ethic – these are qualities that are seldom found…

we have far more than we don’t have. We might be rowing our boat along with breaking back and blistered and bleeding hands, while we have access to a seventy horsepower outboard motor we’re not even aware of…

Create 100% Profit Without Cost or Risk

Business is not about selling more cups of overpriced coffee and muffins. It’s not about getting more customers. It’s not about increasing sales and cutting costs or feeling important – it’s about NET PROFIT.That is the true purpose of business: To make the maximum after-tax profit, as fast as possible, with the least cost, risk, time, effort, and frustration.

Joint Ventures allow one to leverage existing resources, access and leverage the resources of others, and create multiple additional income sources – fast – all at 100% profit, with no cost or risk, and little time.

Discover Your Existing Resources

How can the coffee shop owner leverage existing resources? He starts thinking about what OTHER people want – his customers, people who are not his customers, his vendors, his competition, the public, tourists… Then he starts solving problems – linking supply and demand, like a broker or middleman, and getting paid an ongoing commission on all the resulting sales. Zig Ziglar said,

“You can get anything you want out of life, if you’re prepared to help enough other people to get what they want.”

Enter Joint Ventures.

Create Income and Increase Value

The coffee shop owner can Joint Venture with the hair salon who is also in the financial doldrums. When a customer indicates an interest in buying jewelry, real estate, or finding a cab, Ka-ching! When his vendors need help with their problems, when someone is looking for a good printer or needs renovation services – all of these are income opportunities.

The coffee shop owner can use Gift Certificates to create income and increase value, work with tour guides and dentists, and set himself up as a go-to guy that gets stuff done.

He is literally surrounded by lucrative Joint Venture opportunities, and he’s right in the middle of New York City. He has the gold mine, and I have the shovel.

Reality Check on Small Business Joint Ventures

In fact, someone who really understands Joint Ventures would never open a coffee shop to begin with. But that’s why most of the owners of small and medium-sized businesses operate at about ten percent of their potential profit, and why they work too hard, too long, and risk too much, for far too little.

For more information on the power of Joint Ventures visit us at www.jvwidom.com, – we have solutions.

Few people have guts to tell it the way it is. Robert Kiyosaki, in this incredible video, says things like,

“Four things make 90% of the people poor: taxes, inflation, debt, retirement plans.”

And then he provides solutions. He says,

“America will become a third world nation – rich and poor. That’s it. Tell me something money does not affect. Most guys are just wimps. Pussies. Cowards. They don’t have it. so they should get a job. It takes discipline. Most people would like to have a great body like Charles Atlas, but they’re at Burger King wolfing down a Whopper with fries. I don’t know how you can expect to get anything you want without some degree of long-term commitment. Quitting is the easiest thing to do. That’s why most people don’t make it. Everybody has doubts and fear of failing. But look at Tiger Woods or any great athlete: when the going gets tough, that’s when they turn into geniuses and most people turn into wimps. Get off your butt. If you want to be a mechanic, you go hang out with mechanics. If you want to get rich, hang out with rich people.”

3 Things You Need to Succeess

When it comes down to it, you need three things to succeed in business:

Too many people have jumped aboard the Mediocrity Train and caught the viral Excusiologist Flu that came sweeping in with the recession.

Everything gets blamed on the recession, from halitosis and hiccups to oversleeping and body odor. People make excuses for lethargy, low sales, their dogs’ fleas, and failing to stop at traffic lights.

ENOUGH!

Contrary to what the media is feeding you, not everyone is suffering during this recession. And YOU don’t have to, either.

Entrepreneurs, more accurately termed “Solopreneurs”, often believe that they are an island, that they must accomplish everything on their own with their own resources.

These Solopreneurs think that they are maximizing their chance of survival and profitability.

They are totally WRONG.

Two Kinds of Business

Consider what Michael Gerber says in his world-famous book The E-Myth: Revisited

Here are some real life illustrations for you: