Feb 19

The One Thing Every Winner Should Read

Joint Ventures, Objectivism, capitalism, philosophy No Comments »

I am often shocked when people smirk and hiss at the length of the speech by John Galt in “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand, but then I realize that those who hate that speech have realized that it is, in fact, the very essence of a philosophy that exposes their own impotence and thievery.

Parasites don’t like to be called parasites, any more than losers like to admit that they are incompetent and impotent mediocrities.

When a looter looks in a mirror and sees himself for what he really is, he breaks the mirror.

A Speech For Winners and Producers

Winners and producers, on the other hand, love the speech, “This is John Galt Speaking”, and wish it were longer.

It:

feeds us,
sustains us,
encourages,
empowers,
motivates us,
is our bible,
is our motto,
is a reminder that we are on track to greatness.

We listen to that speech on CD’s and read it when we wonder if we’re the only people who see what is happening in a world that is falling fast into a deep fissure of socialism, mysticism, collectivism, and government control.

There is no public ownership of the mind. That is all we have, and it is all we need.

A Tool for Knowledge

If you want to know who people really are and what their philosophy is, get them to read this book, and this speech in particular.

Better to read the entire book, since it sets the correct context for the speech. Losers don’t even read, and if they do, they read junk, so they’re excused right at the outset.

Then, simply watch the reaction of the readers.The champions will love this book, re-read it, and embrace and promote the philosophy and Galt’s speech.

Are You A Winner?

Here’s a sample, to illustrate my point – watch your own reaction, and perhaps you will make a discovery of your own philosophy:

“The parasites who asserted that my brain and my life were their property…
The professor who, unable to think, takes pleasure in crippling the minds of his students…
The businessman who, to protect his stagnation, takes pleasure in chaining the ability of competitors…
The incompetent who takes pleasure in defeating achievement…
The mediocrity who takes pleasure in demolishing greatness…
The extortion of loafing relatives…”

Your philosophy will determine what you love and achieve in life. Be sure to choose a good one.

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Feb 12

Life After People / Producers

capitalism, philosophy, self-improvement No Comments »

Ayn Rand wrote,

“All work is an act of philosophy.”

For innovators, produces, and creators, our work is our lives – our businesses are simply an extension off our philosophies and values.

We take our work very seriously, and we take full responsibility for being the best we can be. We don’t do it for other people – we do it for ourselves.

A writer must write, a painter has to paint, and a dancer is compelled to dance, since what they do is an expression of their minds. Entrepreneurs are also artists. Musicians create symphonies; business owners create businesses.

Producers Vs Parasites

I have heard from many people that they have been told by other workers not to work too hard and embarrass their slothful co-workers.

I have witnessed utility workers and government laborers slacking off to stretch the work to earn more money. They take no pride in their work, have low self-esteem, and little or no self-respect. These people accept the terms. They are basically paid slaves, moochers, who will take the most possible and give the very least acceptable.

A producer would walk off the job.

A World Where We No Longer Exist

The History Channel has a fascinating show called, “Life After People” – it predicts what would happen to the world if all the people suddenly disappeared. It investigates consequences from pets, to zoos, to wild animals, to nuclear waste. Very mind-expanding.

In her life-changing book, Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand predicts what would happen if the

prime movers,
producers,
and innovators

Left the world to the

parasites,
mystics,
looters
and politicians.

Why Read “Atlas Shrugged”?

So that we can recognize creeping collectivism and socialism, avoid it, and protect ourselves from being flung onto the sacrificial altar by those incompetents and leeches who would rule us and steal our creations. This is the Big Brother of the future:

“from each according to his ability, to each according to his need”. One can avoid a thief only when one identifies a thief.

A Cause and Effect

Without those who build and invent, produce and innovate, the world would collapse. Look at the “new” South Africa – the new government decided that the maintenance of power plants, mines, and other major components of the country’s infrastructure didn’t need to be fixed, maintained, or improved. The resulting rolling black-outs and the descent into statism is evident for all to see.

Cuba is another simple example. When Russia withdrew her funding, they had to run to new milch cows. While the Socialist Cuban government decries capitalism, it is itself using Capitalism to make money from wealthy Capitalist tourists.

People live in hovels that they call houses, just above the poverty line – after all, what do they NEED? They don’t NEED swimming pools and smart cars… And medical doctors work as waiters in the state-owned hotels in order to make more money.

“From each according to his ABILITY”?

It simply doesn’t work.

Learn to Be an Aware Thinker and Rationalist

The Western world has been and is being programmed for massive socialism, and because it doesn’t truly understand the implications, it sits like the frog in a pot of water on a stove – the water increases in there slowly until the frog boils to death.

Liberals flirt with the naughty boy of socialism, playing with the tiger until they get eaten alive. They elect leaders who will imprison them.

We who are the thinkers and the rationalists have to be aware of what is going on in this new world order.

We have to be able to identify the slave owners and witchdoctors who demand our self-sacrifice in order to avoid them. Atlas needs to know when and how to shrug.

Feb 10

Troubled Business Owners: Save Your Business with Joint Ventures

Business Owners, Joint Ventures, Recession and Financial Stress Solutions No Comments »

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.

Feb 08

“Rand’s Atlas Is Shrugging With a Growing Load” by Amity Shlaes

capitalism No Comments »

BLOOMBERG.com

“You get the feeling plenty of Atlases are shrugging these days, in part because their tax burden is getting heavier. It’s interesting to compare sales of ‘Atlas Shrugged,’ provided by the Ayn Rand Institute, to Internal Revenue Service distribution tables.

In 1986, a year when ‘Atlas Shrugged’ sold between 60,000 and 80,000 copies, the top 1 percent of earners paid 26 percent of the income tax. By 2000, that 1 percent was paying 37 percent, and ‘Atlas Shrugged’ sales were at 120,000. By 2006, the top 1 percent carried 40 percent of the burden.

Yet President Barack Obama has made it clear he would like to see the rich pay a greater share. Anyone irked at that prospect can find consolation in Rand’s fantasy, in which the most valued professionals evaporate from the work place because of such demands.”

Feb 03

Success by Design

Joint Ventures, capitalism No Comments »

This past week we enjoyed a wonderful Alaskan Cruise. High end, high class, high standards. Ran like clockwork, every detail attended to.

One night, a large section of the crew, including officers, chefs, and people representing every department, showed up on the stage in the theater at the end of one of the performances. They sang, and it was great. The entertainment manager stated at the end of the event,

“We represent many countries and creeds. See how we can all work together in perfect harmony, regardless of our backgrounds, cultures, religions, or education? We have a lot to teach the world.”

They then proceeded to sing, “We are the world.” Very sweet, but not very accurate.

A Principle of HarMONEY

The implication was the usual one: “Multiculturalism works great, we’re all the same, the United Nations is right, and let’s all be happy.” Here’s the difference.

This ship is shipshape because it works on the principle of harMONEY: It’s a capitalist, autocratic setup. People get paid according to their contribution and skill set, regardless of their color or creed.

The captain does not earn the same as the waiters or cleaners. And if people mess up, fight, steal, or slacken, they get fired. They are well managed and told exactly what to do.

If a waiter, who is on a ten month contract, misbehaves, he or she gets summarily fired and has to pay for their own trip home. Strict controls.

The captain gets the big bucks, because without him everyone would end up on the rocks. When you use affirmative action and reverse racism to accomplish goals, you’re no longer headed for success.

How It Works

There is no “redistribution of wealth” for the losers and slackers to leech off the producers.

People actually EARN their money, and there are no unions to force businesses to pay brain dead laborers ridiculous salaries – that’s why cruise ships decided to use Seattle rather than Vancouver – because dockworkers and longshoremen who deserve $10 per hour have to be paid $45 per hour in Vancouver.

Any cruise line that was run by a socialist would be bankrupt within weeks.

In fact, entire countries go bankrupt when they elect socialist leaders and money is distributed according to greed and need instead of value. Imagine assigning a bus driver to run a Fortune 500 company.

What You Get With Capitalism

Capitalism creates superb value and excellent service and products, as was evident on our cruise.

Rolex is not run by a socialist. Cuba is a third world backwater like all African countries, because of the way money is distributed.

When your philosophy is statist / collectivist, the motivation for excellence diminishes. That’s why highly trained Cuban doctors prefer to do the work of waiters – they can earn more money that way.

Real Success

Success is not a mystery, and we should learn from history. When you assume that everyone is equal,regardless of their contribution, and you are not prepared to pay for excellence, true success will elude you. That’s why capitalism is worth fighting for, no matter how unpopular it is with parasites and liberals, and why real success is based on:

money,
value, and
rational thinking,

not:

mysticism,
altruism, or
multiculturalism.

Jan 08

A Circling Kayak?

Joint Ventures, capitalism, management 1 Comment »

A friend of mine went kayaking with his wife and two kids in beautiful Deep Cove. He sat in front of one kayak with their daughter in the back, and off they paddled. His wife sat in front of the other kayak, with their son in the back, and off they went. After a while, my friend noticed that, while he and their daughter had traveled far and wide and were having great fun, the other kayak was still going around in circles.

Upon examination, they found that their son had fallen asleep in the back of the kayak, and that one side of his paddle was dangling in the water.

So, even though his exhausted mom was paddling like crazy in front, their son was unwittingly preventing her from getting anywhere.

Passengers or Partners

In life, you have either passengers or partners, parasites or pals. Some people will help you to reach your goals, while others will hurt you, even when they don’t mean to.

You can work hard and be honest and commit and risk, but if you’re linked up with a loser, you’ll just keep on going round in circles, like a moth around a flame, until you burn out, and your well-rested passenger simply moves on to his next victim, laughing and smiling and hugging everyone along the way.

What Are You In Business For?

You’re not in business to provide bloodsuckers and freeloaders with a job.

You’re not working to sacrifice yourself and your family’s future for idlers and moochers. That’s what Obama wants to do – he wants to “spread your wealth” between the deadbeats and leeches out there.

But then he’s a socialist, and hopefully, you’re not. He’s never run a business, and that’s probably why he hates capitalism.

Measure and Monitor Production

Make sure that when your partners become poisonous passengers, you cut them loose – fast.

People should only eat what they kill, and anyone stealing off your plate should have his fingers severely beaten.

Measure and monitor production, and pay for results, not words and promises and compliments.

If you want your kayak to take you to Treasure Island, make sure you don’t have a pirate on board with you. And keep checking.

Dec 30

Battling Intrusive Pain? Remove It!

Business Etiquette, capitalism, philosophy No Comments »

I went on a great, long bicycle ride the other day. I rode along the Coquitlam river, through lush forest, along a dyke through a marsh, and around Lafarge Lake. Beautiful. I’m quite fit now, the bike goes great, and I saw a coyote, a number squirrels, and a magnificent blue heron. No problem, except on the way home, when I got a stabbing pain in my right big toe every time I depressed the pedal.

Are You Battling Intrusive Pain?

All the way home, I battled with this intrusive pain. It spoiled the ride home considerably.

I took my shoe off, examined my toe, nothing to see. Mystery. Frustration. All my attention started focusing on my sore toe in the midst of all the natural beauty surrounding me.

Strong Light Reveals the Source of Pain

I got home, took a good look in the strong bathroom light, and found a minute splinter that must have got into my shoe (I wasn’t wearing socks) and stuck in under my toe. I managed to remove the tiny thing with a tweezers. Such a small splinter certainly had a dramatic effect on my journey.

What is Your Splinter?

On your journey through life, what is your splinter? More specifically, WHO is your splinter?

What e-mails / phone calls / contacts / meetings do you dread?
Who spoils your day?

Usually someone whom we think we need or someone who has leverage on us, often a family member.

Who is it that, once removed from your life, would allow the sun would come out from behind the clouds?
Who is the spoiler, the “stone in your shoe” as the Mafia say, the one who pours cold water on your hopes and dreams and stinks up your life?
Who is stealing your rainbow?

Removing Splinters

Since most people don’t change, and freedom is my highest value, I have learned to pay the price to remove splinter people from my life, no matter who they are.

Generally, they’re negative parasites who don’t care about you (read “Atlas Shrugged” for a great example of this type of family member) or your welfare.
Often they’re jealous, resentful, bitter losers who blame you for their bad choices.
Many times, they’re passive aggressive.
In all cases, you’re better off without them.

You are Entitled to Joy

Ayn Rand said,

“Achievement of your happiness is the only moral purpose of your life, and that happiness, not pain or mindless self-indulgence, is the proof of your moral integrity, since it is the proof and the result of your loyalty to the achievement of your values.”

Stop compromising, and stop sacrificing your own happiness; start living! It’s your life, and you are entitled to joy, fulfillment and the fruit of your labor, in spite of what the mystics and socialists tell you.

Life is short, and you deserve the consequences of your choices. You are not obliged to pay for the bad choices that other people make. You’re not a slave to anyone, and people who care about you don’t hurt you. It has to work both ways – give and take; leeches, guilt-mongers, and passengers have to pay their way or get off the bus.

Sacrifice and Serving

When you summon the strength and resolve to kick the losers out of your life / remove the splinters, you will be amazed at how fast you can soar to unprecedented heights of success and peace of mind. Ayn Rand said,

“I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.”

I encourage you to take your life back, and to break free from mental and emotional slavery. Ayn Rand again:

“It only stands to reason that where there’s sacrifice, there’s someone collecting the sacrificial offerings. Where there’s service, there is someone being served. The man who speaks to you of sacrifice is speaking of slaves and masters, and intends to be the master.”

The best way to predict the future is to create it, so remove the splinters from your toes and your heart, get on your bike, and enjoy your journey through life. It’s not too late, and there’s a wonderful world out there, waiting for free people to enjoy it!

Dec 25

Self-Diagnosis: Your Values Determine Your Value

capitalism, philosophy, self-improvement No Comments »

Do you find that although you’re honest, loyal, hard-working, committed, and conscientious, yet you’re not making money?
You attend the seminars, read the books, and apply the principles, but nothing seems to work?

Don’t worry; there is a rational reason.

Your Values Determine Your Value

Too many times, we assume that we’re free of negative, limiting conditioning. Watch this video to see how your values determine why one gets rich or not.

Our beliefs about money and value and our self-esteem regulate and control our choices and the results we get. When our philosophy, values, beliefs, and priorities are properly aligned to wealth and success, everything changes.

If we:

Love what we do,
Believe in what we do,
When we are grateful for what we do and have,

we remove limitations from our lives.

Take Inventory

Guilt, resentment, and fear will hobble even the most intelligent, hard-working people. Take inventory. Reassess what you value. Look at your real priorities.

What do you spend your time and energy on?

Examine what you believe, and you will find out why you’re not getting rich. We always have the energy and time for things that are highest on our values. Money flows to your values.

Where are you most disciplined, organized, and focused?
What do you think about and read about most?
What do you secretly wish for? Why? Why is it a secret?
What is your internal dialogue?
Where do you spend your time?
What do you talk about?
What do you emotionally react to?
Those are your highest values – that’s what you are dedicated to. Is it making you rich?

We’ve all been conditioned and continue to be conditioned by the people in our lives and the information we’re exposed to. We all have values hierarchies or priorities, and the good news is that these can be adjusted, reinterpreted, and reprioritized. It’s all about interpretation and perception.

How do you define “wealth”?
What do think “rich” means?

Living a Life Congruent with Money

For example, if your highest priority is your kids, you might presently prioritize spending time with your children over working on your business, so you neglect your business or apply less passion to it, than, for example, building kits with your kids.

By understanding that your business can provide you with the passive income, money, and time for a better quality of life for your children, plus their education, security, and peace of mind, you can increase the priority of your business and see more “purpose” in it.

The meaning that we apply to our different options determines how we value them. By linking your priorities to the right activities and discipline, you can effect the changes you want.

Your Feelings About Money

How do you actually feel about money?
Do you secretly believe that rich people are dishonest, that money is the root of evil, or that money is a “necessary evil”?
Do you feel guilty about having money?
Do you resent others who have more than you do?
Do you feel bad when you have money while others don’t?
Does that cause you to subconsciously sabotage your own success?
Is your philosophy one of collectivism, or mysticism and superstition, as opposed to capitalism?
Do you feel you don’t deserve to be rich because of your past “sins” or bad choices?
Do you feel responsible for the choices that others make? Do you have low self-esteem?

Getting in touch with what you really want and believe is sometimes daunting and threatening, however confronting our true values is essential if we want to change our circumstances.

Empowering Your Beliefs

Removing the source or root of bad beliefs, replacing disempowering beliefs with good ones, and taking the time to think through this stuff, is easiest when you surround yourself with the right people and expose your mind to the right information.

In order to break free of these limiting beliefs and arrange a mindset that makes it possible to reinterpret your values priorities, I suggest you read Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”, which I guarantee will change you life if you are serious about financial freedom.

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