STEP 4 to Lasting Change: Get Activated!

Hello Everyone,

Step 4 to LASTING change is the crucial step from taking an idea, a goal or a wish from the INTANGIBLE world into the TANGIBLE world!

The first three steps are all about getting your MIND and attitude ON TRACK so when you do this last step it creates a powerful reaction in the universe and amazing things happen! Many people will struggle and tread water by doing ONLY step 4. Never underestimate the power of doing these steps completely and in the order outlined!

Step FOUR: GET ACTIVATED!

In other words take ACTION!!! This is about IMPLEMENTING the steps necessary or required to REACH your goals and dreams!

You figured out WHAT & WHY you want what you want now it is a matter of GOING AFTER IT! An ACTION Plan is KEY to success! It is why Banks often won’t give out Business Loans without a CLEAR business plan showing the WHAT, the WHY, the WHEN and the HOW.

Don’t forget however that Step 4 is 1 part planning, 4 parts ACTION.

WHAT is the vehicle, the method or plan for your financial freedom? Do you have one?

There are a few things in this world that create financial success, here is a list;

BUSINESS/FRANCHISING
INVESTING
REAL ESTATE

…which one are you taking action in or on and what is your next step?

Some of you may be overwhelmed or have been burnt in the past by going for one of the above. There are A LOT of “opportunities” out there and well sometimes it is difficult to know which ones are a “good” one and which one’s are a “bad” idea…

Here is some good news for you... Let me SAVE you some TIME, MONEY and HURT…
Next week’s Blog we will begin a NEW series;
A series on Doug and I’s PERSONAL Business/Investing Criteria.

If an “opportunity” be it investing, franchising or business, doesn’t FIT all 5 Criteria it doesn’t meet our standards to move forward on! Anytime we have strayed from these criteria we have LOST MONEY! There are 5 Criteria and I will go over 1 each week!

See you soon!

STEP 3 to Lasting Change; Get EDUCATED!

A quick Review…This is the 3rd part in a 4 part series covering the steps to lasting change. The order is more important than you may realize, so if you haven’t read the first two, be sure to do so!

These steps can also be used in ANY other area of your life!

STEP 3: Get EDUCATED

Now this seems like a pretty common sense step yes? You would be surprised!
Aside from the 12 years we took in school, and any additional we took in college, university or trade school, people can be quite resistant to education. Why you ask?

Because immediately following education…is CHANGE. Once we know something we cannot UN-KNOW it…and if we learn something NEW we have two choices…live in denial and guilt or CHANGE. Those two prospects are not appealing to people (on a sub-conscious level) so they CLING to what they already “know” and their long held beliefs so they can stay the same… comfortably miserable… It is human Nature to resist change; it comes from the most primitive part of our brain.

Remember the brain is NOT in charge of your HAPPINESS your heart is!

Very few people are willing to get Educated in money, the economy, financial matters; even FEWER will actually implement what they did learn if they got that far. And even fewer still will Master what they learn. So there should be no WONDERING WHY “the Rich” only make up 5% of the population. It is FAIR as FAIR can be folks. You cannot complain if you have not gotten Educated, you DEFINITELY cannot complain if you haven’t IMPLEMENTED the Education you HAVE gotten… and if you attempted it…well all I can say is this… MASTERY comes from repeated failure and determination! How many airplane failures do you think it took the Wright Brothers before they got it RIGHT!!!???

The KEY to getting EDUCATED is to IMPLEMENT what you learn!

The SECRET to Lasting Change is to MASTER what you implement!

“If getting rich was EASY…everyone would be rich” T.Harv Eker

Doug and I always say, “If Books worked everyone would be RICH, SKINNY & HAPPY!”
That is why we have created CATCH FIRE UNIVERSITY; an online curriculum to assist people in IMPLEMENTING what they learn. It is based on the Catch Fire book and if you purchase the book today you will receive a FREE gift, the FIRST degree in the University absolutely FREE, it is a $995 VALUE!!

The Associates Degree is about creating the FOUNDATION of Financial Freedom, without this foundation you could achieve wealth or strike it rich, but it won’t last unless you have the basics in place!

So the Million Dollar Question is this… Which type of person are you? Are you going to do what’s hard, so life can be easy…or are you going to cling to what is easy so life remains hard…?

Take the next step!

PART 2 of 4: Step Two: Get MOTIVATED!

In Chapter 9 of our book Catch Fire; How to Ignite Your Own Economy we cover the 4 steps to creating LASTING change in your Financial Life! These steps can apply to ANY goal you have in any part of your life as well!

GET MOTIVATED

“Those who restrain Desire, do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained “ -William Blake

As Doug and I were recently sitting on the private patio of our sea villa in Pangkor Laut Resort in Malaysia I said I felt blessed and grateful. He said why?
I didn’t hesitate;
“Most people never get to live the life they dream about.” To that he replied, “There are reasons for that”

…Yes that is true…but my thoughts went to WHY? What are those reasons…? Why is it people don’t live out what is in their heart?

Part 1 of this series covers one of main reasons... If you have read it, you know WHY... people never get Irritated enough to make necessary CHANGES in their lives.
Wealth & Freedom cannot come about without CHANGE, it is impossible.

The OTHER reason that many people do not create the Financial Freedom they want is because they do not let themselves feel the DESIRE of what they want or even allow themselves to enjoy the current luxuries of life. Life is full of amazing moments, places, foods, people and experiences. They also don't create a PLAN to get there.

If you don't know where you are going you will get NOWHERE...

STEP TWO to LASTING change is about GETTING MOTIVATED, the OPPOSITE of step one in that you are harnessing the positive power of your hearts visions, desires and dreams vs. harnessing the power of the Pain of where you are not. It is a FAR more powerful step AFTER you have felt the Pain of the "stick".

Take a moment, grab a pen & paper and answer these questions…

What do you desire?
What do you long for?
Crave?
Hope for?

If you had 6 figures of ongoing/residual income coming in, what would you have in your life, you currently don’t have?

What would you do, who would you be?

Do you let yourself feel the joy of the possibilities that your life has?


Once you know what you want for your life, now it is time to put it into a tangible and realistic TARGET statement.

In our book Catch Fire: How To Ignite Your Own Economy we have a couple chapters dedicated to helping you create some Targets as well as some real “How To’s and What to do’s” to help you create the FOUNDATION of your Financial Freedom.

Far too much to fit in a Blog!

"The only difference between your dreams and making them a reality is a plan of action and sticking to it". Melanie Nelson

STEP 1 to LASTING Change - Part 1 of 4

In celebration of our book Catch Fire: How to Ignite your Own Economy being finished and delivered I will do a 4 part Blog briefly covering each of the ‘steps to change’ that you find in Chapter 9 of the book.

If you have not yet purchased your own COPY of the book do so now at www.catchfirebook.com For a LIMITED time you will get an autographed copy if you buy the SOFT COVER!

Part 1; Irritation: Popping Pills

STEP ONE; Get IRRITATED!

North America isn’t just addicted to their prescriptions. They take all kinds of other pills you cannot see but rather hear. They sound like…

Excuses, Rationalizations and Justifications.

These are pain pills people take so not to feel the pain or irritation of their current situation. Its how the mind keeps you “comfortable” with where you are at rather then think of and take action towards where you could be.

EXAMPLES of Excuses: "I don’t have enough time, money or support. I am too old, young, fat, stupid, I need a _____ for that and I don’t have it etc… "

EXAMPLES of Rationalizations: "When the kids get older… when my spouse…I am not a ‘morning person’, I could never do that, it’s just not my personality, I’ll start in the fall... it’s just bad timing, etc…"

EXAMPLES of Justifications: "We really do have so much to be grateful for, I am happy where I am at, we are fine, It’s really not that important to me, I guess it’s not meant to be, My life is just so complicated right now, I have so much on my plate, All you need is love etc…"

Any of these sound familiar?? So which of these are your fall back position when things are tough or when you are faced with an opportunity to change your life?

Again the mind uses these to numb the pain of NOT having what it is you truly desire. Your heart has ideas and dreams, and they were put there for a reason. Each one of us has something special to do in this life! You HAD dreams and goals…where are they now? You buried them alive with your pain pills!

The truth is most people live comfortably miserable. They pop these pills all day long in every conversation they have with their friends, family and co-workers to ensure they don’t feel the disappointment, shame, anger or pain of their perceived failure. Since everyone around you is typically doing the same thing it makes it FAR easier to just keep doing it. This creates a RUT many never get out of.

Now I am not saying not to be grateful for what you have, just don’t use it as justification for not living your full purpose.

The more time and money you have the larger the impact you can have in your life and the lives of others. Marianne Williams said it best when she said; “Playing small does not serve you or the world”

The fact is most people will NOT take consistent lasting action towards their goals until they have hit what I call their “bottom line”. Everyone has one, but most never hit it for all the pain pills they are popping, literally and metaphorically.


The MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION is: when is it going to get tough enough for you to say to your self; “This is IT!! I am done living this way!”?

When it does happen, people shift in an instant and their lives will forever be changed. Many people have this after a near death experience. An accident, a heart attack etc… I am thankful that was not my bottom line. My story isn’t that exciting, but it was painful enough for me to make the necessary changes to get out!

Impatient to create your freedom? For a week, a month or whatever you can stand STOP taking the pain pills and actually FEEL the pain of your situation. Allow yourself to get REALLY IRRITATED with your reality! Is it the reality of living paycheck to paycheck? Escalating debt, kids college fund dwindled away to pay bills? A medical emergency sucks you dry, a job loss, not being able to fulfill your hearts desires and dreams? Whatever it is about your current situation you don’t like get to the point where you CANNOT STAND it ANYMORE! Then see what happens!

"When I clearly see where I should be and what I lack, and feel the pain of not being there, I merit the gift of my next level and growth". - Michael Berg

Playgrounds and Playmates

A little exercise for you… grab a piece of paper and pen… go ahead… I will wait!

Now List the 5 people you spend the most TIME with...

Now along side their name put their estimated annual income... Yes you know it, or at least have a fairly good idea…These are the top 5 people you give your time and energy to so don’t pretend you don’t have a REALLY good idea what they make.

Now ADD all of the Incomes together for a Grand Total...

Now divide it by 5. This will give you the AVERAGE...

Take a moment and really do this…I’ll wait…

OK, so what is it?

Does this number look familiar? It should!

Statistics show that your income will be the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with! Surprising? Shouldn't be, it's natural law.

Now if you have burning desire to better your financial situation you may need to look at expanding your playgrounds and playmates. Unless those folks are like minded and looking to broaden their horizons and create Financial freedom as well…then count yourself lucky…however if they are NOT, they may be holding you back unintentionally. There is NO judgment here; it is merely a matter of what is MOST important to you.

So what is most important to you? Staying the same, clinging to what you know and what is comfortable or venturing out to unknown territory and making some new friends. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying dump your friends I am merely saying go and make some NEW ones! Build a new network of people with similar goals or even better, people that have DONE WHAT YOU WANT TO DO! Folks the BEST way to reach your financial goals is to hang out with people who have what you want and ask them what THEY did! Then do the SAME!

Some Sound Advice: It is VITALLY important that you ARE BEING someone that a successful person would WANT to spend time with.

The VAST majority of people that Doug and I know that are INCREDIBLY wealthy are SELF MADE. Now that does not mean they did not have support, mentors or instruction. But their common attitude was; “I am going to do this no matter what. I am going to create my own destiny and nothing will stop me”. This type of attitude and more importantly the corresponding action attracts the right people to you. You won’t need to find them, THEY will find YOU!

BACK TO YOUR PLAYGROUND:
Unfortunately the peeps in your current playground like you the way you are because it is familiar but inevitably when you begin to grow and change you WILL hit some resistance from them. Although they mean well, they simply want to “keep you” where you are at. When you truly commit to creating more success in your life you will not have to force building a new playground, it happens almost naturally. If you are reading this blog you have a larger purpose. The world is waiting for you. You have bigger fish to fry, people to help, lives to change and a mark to make!
Get to it!

Who are you listening to??

Greetings everyone!

A recent post I saw on Facebook has inspired today's Blog… This recent post reminded me of a rule I live by that has served me VERY well and has been a BIG part of why I have been so successful.

My RULE: “I do not take advice from those that are not qualified to give it”.

Let me explain…Everyone has opinions, opinions are great and fine and we are all entitled to share our opinions…it’s a free world!

When it comes to advice that will affect my life, I only seek out or listen to advice from those that walk the talk and have experience in their field; a PROVEN track record if you will. I only take health advice from those that are healthier than me; I only take business or marketing advice from those more successful than me. What often surprises me is how LITTLE Doug and I are asked “how did you do it?” How do you get to live the lifestyle you live?”

Maybe I am surprised because I was and am the person who is always asking those questions. When I was beginning my journey to Financial Freedom I purposely went out to educate and get advice from people that had what I wanted.

I remember very clearly the first multi-millionaire I ever met. His name was Roger. Roger was down to earth, sincere and consistent. He became an unknowing mentor of mine. Every week I saw Roger, I loved asking him what he was up to and what he thought of current events, business and investing. I basically studied him. He didn’t know it but Roger helped me more than he can even know.
For several years after I invested my time and money in educating myself in business, marketing and finances. And no, not from Professors at a University with a job earning them a $60-90,000/yr income, but from those who had made millions through business, marketing and financial planning.

Another simple example; when I lived in Dallas I was looking for a local Chiropractor I could start seeing regularly. I found one close by so I booked an appointment. One look at the doctor you could see he was extremely unhealthy. I canceled my appointment and walked out. How can I expect someone to give me health advice that does not follow their own?? To me it is a matter of INTEGRITY!

Unfortunately most people take money advice from their broke family and friends. Most people take life advice from those who are comfortably miserable and most take health advice from the 30 sec commercial about the newest fat burning pill promising amazing results.

SO THE MILLION DOLLAR question is… who are you listening to? Who or what are you following? Who is giving you advice? What type of education are you getting? Is it REALLY heading you in the direction of your goals?

Dougism: “You WILL BE EDUCATED…the question is by whom?”


On the other side of the coin…If you are looking to create your own financial freedom by pronouncing yourself to be some sort of expert and want to be taken seriously you better have the qualifications to do so. In upcoming Blog I will talk about the ONE crucial thing YOUR NEED in order to do just this successfully.

Personally, qualifications doesn’t necessarily mean a degree or piece of paper to me, I am more concerned in the TANGIBLE results someone has created consistently. The only way to be a genuine success is to first help yourself, change YOUR LIFE, and THEN teach others to do what you have done! There is also the refreshing concept of just being honest and asking people to join you on the JOURNEY to creating your desired results!

Till next time!

PASSION or PURPOSE?

How many of you have heard people say that “you can make millions doing what you love”…
”follow your heart and it will all work out”…

Sounds great…but Doug and I are contrarians when it comes to this populous belief.
We call BS on this one! We are known for being REALISTS. There are a couple reasons for this and hear us out...

1. For most people doing what they LOVE does not monetize well, Both from a business standpoint and from a spiritual standpoint. Let me explain; often it is best that what you love to do stays an ‘Advocation’ versus a Vocation. Meaning that what we want to GIVE to this world doesn’t often translate into a solid profitable business plan, and to force it to be so just creates struggle. And if it can be a viable business, how many of you have started a business or a job you love and after a few years you begin to dread it then eventually hate it? It happened to me and it sucks! Our philosophy is get the ‘Money thing’ out of the way, go out and create Financial Freedom and THEN go give your gift to the world for FREE because you can now FUND it yourself!

2. The truth is not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur. Not everyone has the skills or traits to take a start up idea and end up one day in Forbes magazine. There are only a handful of people in the world that have done this. Oprah, Donald Trump, Warren Buffet, JR Ridinger, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates are a few of the few. If this is the case, as it was for me, the BEST thing to do to create your freedom is to tap into and leverage an existing and PROVEN system! No need to re-invent the wheel! You can still be crazy successful if your not the next Steve Jobs.


3. The ways in which to create wealth and freedom aren’t always FUN or give you warm fuzzies! They are just systems; Investing systems, business systems etc… Some of you would go through a two year root canal if it meant you would be Financially Free for the rest of your life….BUT many of you quit at the first bump in the road and say things like…”oh, guess it wasn’t meant to be”, or “it’s not my passion”, “it’s not a fit (anymore)”, “I am going to AB and C instead”.

I used to say these types of things about Real Estate. To me Real Estate was the most boring thing to research let alone there were SO many details to buying and selling a home. It just seemed like I couldn’t get excited about it. What I learned when I finally bought my first positive cash flow property is that I got real excited about the Passive Income coming in each month.

It is in our experience that the journey to Financial Freedom means doing things you perceive NOW to be boring, not your personality type, not your skill set or not your “passion”. I will actually go as far as to guarantee it!

Most are unwilling to do things they find boring, uncomfortable. The list of excuses people use goes on and on. As someone who helps people reach Financial Freedom I have heard the best and worst excuses and stories around why people QUIT their journey towards freedom. Then they go back to doing what they were doing with some sort of twist hoping for new results. My heart goes out to them.

But, this is EXACTLY what we are talking about when we say;
“The world is not separated by ‘HAVES and HAVE NOT’s’ but rather ‘WILL and WILL NOT’s’”...And you have probably heard Doug and I say that before...It is a common theme in what we teach because it is the most fundamental difference between successful people and unsuccessful people.

So no matter what you think you don’t like or is not part of your passion…aka technology, talking to people, internet, sales, real estate, etc… remember this…“Successful people are simply WILLING to do what most choose not to do”

Do what you NEED to do versus what you WANT to do is a practice in discipline! One that will help you achieve your dreams and even make you very wealthy!

So... how about making your PURPOSE doing what you need to do to create your freedom!
Then make your PASSION or MISSION in life as something your can GIVE to the world for free so it stays a choice and something you love!

What do you say?

It's NOT ABOUT the Money!!

Many people have negative associations, beliefs and emotions wrapped around money. Today we are going to examine that and how it plays a role in your current financial picture. First I have to thank Mr. T. Harv Eker for these teachings because if it weren’t for them I wouldn’t be where I am today!

Hearing statement growing up like: “Rich people are greedy”, “We can’t afford it”, “It is more spiritually acceptable to be poor”, “money doesn’t grow on trees”, is part of the reason many people feel negatively about money.

Did your parents fight over money? Was it bad form to even TALK about money? Was money a form of CONTROL in your household? Was their jealousy and when it came to rich people? All of these can also create negative associations with money.

Did you have a particular experience where money was involved that had an impact on you? Maybe someone stole money from you? Maybe you lost all your money…or whatever the circumstance did it cause you pain?

So why is this important? What you saw, heard and felt growing up about money has an impact on your current & future financial life. Negative beliefs about money can prevent people from making or keeping money. If you are looking to create Financial Freedom, stability and comfort, detaching from those negative beliefs and emotions is key if you want to move forward financially.

Remembering money is simply a tool, helps to put it in perspective. Money simply has replaced the old bartering system of trading your goat for three bags of Flour. It is the current system of giving and getting what you want and need! Taking the negative emotion out of it is essential if you want to move forward.

IT'S NOT YOU; IT'S ME!

Ever heard this one….”Money Changes people”…let me be CRYSTAL CLEAR…

Money DOES NOT CHANGE PEOPLE!!!!

It merely brings out more of who they are. So if you are generous and kind, you will be MORE generous and kind. If you are a jerk, you will be more of a jerk.
Money cannot change you and proof of this is Lottery Winners.
Let's be honest here; the majority of folks that buy Lottery Tickets are on a different socio-economic level that those that don’t. Many of them have meager salaries or jobs or none at all and are usually in debt. Beliefs, habits and circumstances have created that. Statistics show that Lottery winners are 5 x more likely to file for Bankruptcy! Why, because they have NOT changed, they still have the same habits and beliefs around money they did when they didn’t have any. If you cannot handle money, you won’t KEEP it let alone GROW it!!

It’s YOU, not the money.

Examine your beliefs, emotions and habits around money before blaming the money for your lack of relationship with it.

It is an inanimate object YOU bring the baggage!

Just like people, money does not like to hang around where it is not respected or wanted. If you have negative emotions or beliefs around money than you will NEVER have more money in your life.

Often people believe the Pursuit of money is impure or wrong. But anyone who has made a lot of money knows it’s NOT about the money, it is what money CAN DO for you; it is a tool to get us what we want out of life. Why is getting what you want out of life wrong? Why is struggle and hardship so appealing to you?

What do you want out of your life? What can permanent ongoing income DO for you? Give you Time!! Time to do what? Spend with Family? Help a worthy cause? Travel the world?

Freedom was my big thing. The freedom to do what I want when I want, but first I had to have the discipline to do the mundane, ordinary and necessary consistently in order to have that freedom. I had to MAKE time to do the things that would eventually land me where I wanted to be.

My worthy cause you ask? Children, Animals, the Planet and YOU.

Yes, YOU!

More specifically helping YOU get where you want to be financially so you can have the time to do the things you were meant to do here on this planet!

This blog is just one of the many ways our Catch Fire U project does this! I hope you are enjoying it but more importantly getting something out of it that you can apply to your life that will create change for you!

Till next time!

Part 4: Your BIGGEST obstacle is...

Today’s post is the FINAL Installment of the 4 part series on the Common Obstacles you will encounter on your journey to Financial Freedom!

Drum roll please…

YOU are your biggest obstacle.

There is NOTHING, no circumstances, no tragedy; no story that someone else does not share that has “made it”. There are no EXCUSES, they were taken away when someone who had the same excuses overcame them and achieved their goal.

You MUST overcome your ego, your un-supportive beliefs, your fears, your excuses, and stories if you are ever to achieve true lasting freedom.

The physical obstacles of time, money and life’s circumstances are just an opportunity for you to become more tenacious, more diligent, more dedicated, more passionate, more determined, more of the person that deserves wealth and freedom.

Yup I said ‘deserves’!

When your child does not do their chores, do they deserve their allowance?

When you do not do your job at work do you deserve that job?

When you do not treat your partner with love and respect do you deserve that relationship?

The same goes for financial Freedom!

You can WANT it till the cows come home and spoon runs away with the fork, but that doesn’t mean you deserve it.
What are DOING about it!??

Don’t misunderstand me; each one of us is born and dies WORTHY of all we want in life! The question is who are you being to allow you to experience that worthiness?

Mastering YOURSELF is one of the greatest journey’s our spirits can embark on.

Here are some great ‘Mastery questions’ from a GOAL SETTING exercise I created and have included them here FOR FREE!

When working towards your freedom, obstacles are sure to come up. Asking yourself THESE questions will help you look inside and overcome them more quickly!

• Does this goal/intention support the person I want to become?
• What am I teaching people about me?
• What’s MOST important in this moment?
• What is the outcome/feeling/result I would like to create right now?
• What kind of a person do I desire to be?
• How do I want my children to see me?
• Do I need to be RIGHT about this?
• Am I willing let this hurt/pain go?
• What is the most integral thing to do here?
• If I were normal, I may quit right now, but I’m not, so what’s my NEXT step?
• Who do I know that could support me?
• Is there something I don’t know?
• Am I being open and coachable?
• What can I learn from this?
• How can I LEAD myself in or out of this situation?
• Am I coming from FEAR (mind) on this? If so, what is the opposite reaction?

Life is the only game that is completely lob-sided…you are the player, opponent, referee and fan! You are worthy of winning the game! You deserve to win when you overcome your inner opponent and referee!

So post these on your wall, to remind you that YOU are the captain of your ship and the CEO of your life!

The BUCK stops with YOU!


Today I will not criticize, condemn or complain.

Every decision I make is a choice between a grievance and a miracle.

I am responsible for what I see.

I choose the feelings I experience.

I set the goals that I will achieve,

And everything that seems to happen to me,

I ask for and receive as I have asked.

… A Course in Miracles

FREE Catch Fire Book winners and the ACTUAL Forward!

CONGRATULATIONS to those who "guessed" correctly on Facebook Last Night you have WON a FREE Catch Fire Book!

We asked if you could guess who the author of our FORWARD was...we gave a couple hints...and these awesome folks either know their Financial Authors well or did a lot of google searching ;-)

Andrea Carbine, Angella Mckinley Trout, Jake Howell, Shelia Smith, Jan Henrikson, Sarah Vondrak, Chad Williams, Patrick Tsang, Veronica Buna, Max Beer, Javid Mursalov, Purdeep Randhawa, Nicholas Cocchiarella, and Brandon Martin!

An Incredible man, with a great story, a lot of expertise and a NY times Best Selling Author of "Killing Sacred Cows"
Garrett B Gunderson

is the Author of our Forward...

Here it is for you to read!

I am sooo reluctant to ever do an endorsement (especially a forward) as it is rare to have people think clearly and have a full premise without contradictions or holes in their philosophy or teachings. It is also essential for me to read anything I support.  Well, I am a bit embarrassed that I have kept this book from you due to the delays on my part because I procrastinated, that is until I was inspired by Doug’s story. 
See, there are people out there that dream of an easy life, if they could only have financial freedom… on the other hand there are those that realize that freedom allows them to give more and have a greater positive impact in the world. This is what happens when money is put in its proper place, behind purpose. What I mean by the previous statement is money becomes as asset rather than a liability. It is only when money isn’t the primary reason or excuse for people doing or not doing something that real power and freedom can come about. This is who Doug is, what he represents and what he will teach you in this book which is why I am honored to write this forward.

If you wake up worried about money or in a financial prison, chapter 7 will be of huge significance for you. It may be hard to hear, but easier to do something about it and deal with the reality. I love that Doug has nailed it when it comes to what really has to happen to get out of (and stay out of) debt. He talks about the root of debt and unless you know this, debt will always be in your life. You will learn not to borrow to consume, to eliminate all things that move you backwards, and only borrow to invest when you have certainty (otherwise it is gambling). Although I have different strategies around debt and debt management, Doug and I agree that most miss the root of what causes debt and that is why it is never resolved. There are plenty of books merely about sacrificing, saving and deferring your life to the future, but Doug is wise in knowing that it isn’t merely about defense, it is about offense as well.

Doug gives great council of living within your means and the great news about you investing in this book is it gives you an opportunity to catch fire and increase your means. You will learn that it is about the investor not just the investment.
Doug has nailed it when it comes to what you can do about the economy. He will not only illustrate the concept that destroys wealth but he dismantles it. If you are chasing net worth, this will revolutionize your life.
Also, before you put another dollar in a bank or an investment, you have to read about the issues surrounding our banks and banking system. Doug articulates how the major problem of protecting our money with our money, and the concept of imaginary money.

Every single American has to see what is shown when it comes to the amount of tax we pay. See this book won’t skirt the issue to make people feel warm and fuzzy, you will learn some things that are very difficult to see, how banking actually works, what inflation is and the possible ramifications…….good news is you learn about the most important economy for YOU.
 
So how did we get in this mess? Why are there so many numb people? Why don’t more people get it? The secret is in the following pages. This book isn’t just pointing out the problems either (although it shows you behind the curtain); it has a major focus on what to do. It gives you questions to ask of yourself and gives you ways to apply this to your life and discover what you can do. Hell, the Essential Skills section is worth the investment in this book alone.
Oh yeah, huge bonus for anyone in a relationship, Dino Watt gives you the essentials to give you the real riches in life.

So what I can tell you is that everyone has a Soul Purpose, but not everyone is living it. You have one, will you live yours? Read this book and the odds are now in your favor.

Garrett B Gunderson, New York Times Bestselling Author of Killing Sacred Cows

Part Three: Working....HARD!

PART THREE of the four part series that is exposing the common obstacles that come up while on the journey to Financial Freedom. Here is a summary if you have not yet read the blog and just joining us. My suggestion, go back a read them, I keep it pretty short and to the point! It’s worth it!

First Obstacle: You will have people try to take your dreams away. People will unfortunately and I think in some misplaced effort to protect you stomp all over your efforts, ideas and try to talk you out of what you are doing.

Second Obstacle: You will make some bad deals, meaning you will loose some money. It is inevitable. Swallow the bitter with the sweet, it is an unavoidable obstacle, but one you always learn A LOT from!

Third Obstacle: I believe that many of us have misconstrued that when we work for Passive, Ongoing or Permanent Income that it should be easy, or easier than what we are currently doing. Let me clear this up…

I worked HARDER for my freedom than I ever did at my traditional business or any job I ever had.

Freedom isn’t free.

Many choose the constant trod of daily prison over a short term “work your ASS off” for a few years to achieve freedom.

I have noticed that over the generations we as North Americans have become lazy. We forget what it took our ancestors to build the foundation of what we have today.

Many of you will have to work for your freedom when you are NOT working your 9 – 5 or your current business…WHICH MEANS that the time you USUALLY took to watch TV, play on the internet, help the kids, or take a nap will now have to be re-prioritized. . Meaning what you now feel is important may need to be moved down the list.

First thing you must do: Create NEW ground rules for the ‘after work’ time. If you have a family; a discussion with them on how things are going to look for the next few years while you work towards goal A, B and C. Be sure to ask them for support with stuff around the house etc...Communication is EVERYTHING!

Freedom will demand that you become more organized, diligent and productive with your time.

“Your Financial Freedom depends on what you do in your SPARE time”
-Dougism

And by “spare time”, we mean ANY time that is not spent putting a roof over your head and food on the table.

Many of you currently watch far too much TV, give it up! Many of you play Farmville on FB, not anymore! Many of you volunteer your time. If your goal is to be able to volunteer ALL your time, you may need to cut back a little now, so you can achieve that dream.

This means you will be working VERY, VERY hard. Most are unwilling to give up their small comforts now to have it all later. Statistics prove that! That is Short Term thinking! In order to acheive Freedom you must thing Long term...(another topic I will cover, it's the one that CHANGED MY LIFE!)

It also means you will have to learn how to do NEW things, make mistakes and be willing to do things you may not entirely enjoy in your "spare time" (this is another topic I will cover in another Blog)

Are you up to it?

The reward is greater than you can even imagine.

PART TWO: You win some..you LOSE some...

Again; this series is about making you aware of some of the common obstacles that arise on the journey to financial freedom. Unfortunately ‘warning you’ doesn’t make the journey any easier; however, I have learned that everyone needs to make and overcome their own ‘struggle’.
Obstacles are the best and sometimes only way to grow into the person you need to be in order to have wealth and freedom. So why tell you about them…? I too often see people QUIT in their journey due to obstacles so many others have chosen to overcome. I tell you in hopes that when you come across these obstacles in your own journey you don’t get discouraged and quit, so one day you can look back and go yes, that was necessary for my growth and move on!

So obstacle number TWO: Yes you will loose money on some deals gone bad.

It could be an investment or something that some friend told you about and you got sucked into the excitement of big $$$. Dollar signs in your eyes can cloud your vision and better judgment. Always ask those that are more experienced than you about deals or investments or opportunities that come your way. I did, it helped me evade a few money loosing situations. But not all…

In the beginning of my journey to Financial Independence… in my early twenties… when I was OPEN to any and all opportunities that came my way… I invested in a scam at the time I thought was a great opportunity. I invested $1500 dollars. Not a lot, but it was my savings at the time, all for the promise of four grande coming back. Sound good right!? Nope, I lost it all.

It was discouraging. But I was uneducated and rearing to go. Innocent mistake, but I did not let it stop me. I got EDUCATED. I invested my time and money into really LEARNING the “in’s and out’s” of money & investing so I could make wise decisions. It is imperative to make solid decisions based in FACT not emotion.

I will share our PERSONAL business & investing criteria in an upcoming BLOG...stay tuned for that!

Now when an investment goes south or a deal falls through it is typically 10 – 100x that much, but the ones that DO work out FAR out shadow the losses.

A great real life example of this is the gentleman who is now a Venture Capitalist. He gives money to those he thinks have a great idea that may pan out. MANY of his deals don’t work out…but when they DO….BOY oh BOY, do they ever work out! A few years back some boys came to him with the idea of this thing called GOOGLE, it impressed him. He took a calculated risk, knowing it MAY or MAY NOT work out.
It was his expertise and experience that made him able to become a venture capitalist, it taught him you will win some and lose some, but when you WIN, wow, you will win BIG! GOOGLE is just one of the many examples in his life that more than worked out any losses he has incurred.

I believe that more often than not people experience this particular obstacle in the beginning of their journey. Mainly because there is an excitement and impatience to getting where we want to go and achieve the dreams we hold in our heart. The paradigm shift that occurs when you realize you CAN actually achieve your dreams creates an emotional frenzy! It’s good, except that when

“Emotions go UP….Intelligence goes DOWN”.

That causes a lot of people to take others up on the “magic bullet” or Quick Money” or “Easy money fast” schemes or investments. And ANYONE who has created LASTING freedom for themselves KNOWS that it is a long term plan and sometimes slower than we would like. There is no magic bullet to the Lasting freedom Doug and I teach about.

Many people get sucked into jobs that pay a LARGE commission, I stock this up to the very same principal. Short term gratification may be BIG on big ticket items, but you still don’t have your freedom. There is always the next sale that must be made in order to maintain your lifestyle.

As long as you are diligent, seek counsel from those more experienced and actually listen you can minimize your losses! Never let loosing money scar you, bitter you or victimize you. It’s not the money’s responsibility, it’s YOURS!

A message of Truth!

I am not a big fan of the "community" of Hollywood. Frankly I think the VAST majority of the "Stars" have a negative effect on the trends of our Nation. Body Image, lifestyle choices such as drugs and drinking, etc... Many of them are childlike and have no sense of their responsibility.

ONE STAR however doesn't fit this bill. He is different, you see it in his movies and the message he shares in each interview. And he is one star I would like to meet one day!

The message in this video is what the Team at Catch Fire University attempt to package up everyday.

We wish is was a simple to feed you this pill and you would instantly have the PASSION, COMMITMENT, COURAGE, FOCUS and willingness to MASTER yourselves, your dreams and your life so you could be UNREALISTIC too!

Take the time to WATCH AND LISTEN to this VIDEO...it's WORTH it, so MANY nuggets in here. A message of Gratitude to "themindguru" who put this clip together:

WILL SMITH WISDOM

FOUR PART SERIES: Part 1 - you will encounter critics

I think many people have a misconception that when they actually begin on the road to financial freedom that it will be paved with roses, daisy’s and rows of personal cheerleaders. I know I had that idea when I first started to do things differently. It seems every seminar, book etc…outlines what I was to do and who to be to become free, happy and wealthy but almost none outlined or prepared me for the obstacles I had to overcome.

This blog post will be the first in a Series of FOUR outlining common obstacles you can expect and be mentally prepared for as you work towards your Financial Freedom! Even if you read this four part series you will not be exempt from having to overcome these, it just means you will know they are coming and hopefully they won’t slow you down as much!!

The Beginning!

See if this sounds familiar; when the concept of being a millionaire and being free to do what I wanted when I wanted FIRST entered my mind as a remote possibility for my life I was so excited I was bursting at the seams! I didn’t know HOW I was going to do it, but I just knew I was going to make it happen. I was 19 at the time, but I had just put myself on the road of good things to happen, I could feel it! I was so thrilled with my new plans that I was telling EVERYONE!

# 1 OBSTACLE: People will ‘poo poo’ your dreams

Back to the new utopia that had just been planted as a budding seed in my mind. When I was prancing home on my cloud 9, I stopped into my place of work and told my boss my new plans and he right away stomped all over my precious new dreams. I was stunned for a moment that he was not on the same page as me being as he owned his own business and was striving for the wealth I spoke of, but nonetheless I moved on.

I remember my brother telling me once; “why don’t you get a real job, or go back to school”.

Again great advice if you want to be normal, but counter intuitive to the success I wanted to create.

Most people in my life did not understand my goals or dreams and as for REAL genuine support I had to find that elsewhere. It seems odd that is how it is, but I rarely ever come across people who have unconditional, cheerleader support from their closest family and friends. You are truly blessed if that is what you have! If you don’t, finding that elsewhere is what you MUST do!

Critics don’t just show up at the beginning of your journey, they will pop up, and probably when you are most vulnerable.

Here is the good news...if you DON'T have any critics, it's because you are NOT DOING ANYTHING!! Critics show up when you move outside of your and their comfort zone. Leaders will ALWAYS have the MOST critics, it is a sign you are on the RIGHT path!!

Stay strong, ask for support and forge ahead!

The idea of true wealth and freedom had been planted in my mind and was taking root, I was on my journey. I was open and willing to do what was necessary to get there…maybe a little too open…uh oh…next obstacle…coming soon…

THERE WILL BE A REVOLUTION!!

How many of you grew up using computers or mobile devices?

I know I sure didn’t! I purchased my first computer as a young adult. It was like learning another language and like a language it is FAR easier to learn when you are a child and far more difficult as an adult.

There are several generations now that HAVE and ARE growing up with the Internet, Computers and MD’s. This is extremely important to your wealth & freedom that you take serious notice of this…do you know why?

Computers and the Internet are BY FAR the LARGEST and most POWERFUL revolution to hit planet earth! They have changed the way we LIVE, SOCIALIZE, COMMUNICATE AND DO BUSINESS. If you look back at history there has not been any other revolution that has changed the PLANET. There are nearly 7 BILLION people on this earth; 6 BILLION of those have access to the Internet!

Are you beginning to catch on?

One of the only ways to create TRUE FINANCIAL FREEDOM is through a systemized BUSINESS! And one of the only ways TODAY to make ten’s, 100’s of thousands to Millions today in Passive Business Income is on the INTERNET!!!

Do you realize the importance of this moment in time? UNDERSTAND THIS; and you can quote me on it:
“The INTERNET revolution has not even BEGUN yet!”

When the children of the last three generations grow up and become buyers and a consumer force THAT is when the Internet Revolution will truly begin. This is not too far off folks. That first generation is graduating from college as we speak.
You are in a window of time that is only a few years short to set yourself up for a life of luxury. In this time I highly suggest setting up an internet business and system that pays you whether you get out of bed, go on vacation or heaven forbid tragedy strikes.

Many of you have a fancy Internet Billboard or brochure but it is not monetized. It is CRUCIAL you do that if you ever want to experience a life of freedom.

Here is a checklist of what to do:

1. Register a Business (LLC or Corp)
2. Get a Merchant Account
3. Decide what your business/services/products will be
4. Create or hire someone to implement a MARKETING Plan
5. Build a site/online store
6. Partner with Affiliates to create leverage!
7. Enjoy the hour a day work week while the money comes in.

There are also online sites you can invest in to make this process easier. Just be sure to do our DUE DILLIGENCE, don’t just invest in the first online business you hear about! Find the BEST! It will be worth your time to research!

Yes this will take time and money (aka Investment)! Hello what doesn’t??? What will cost you WAY more is to sit on your RUMP and do nothing!

This is how Doug and I have created not just Freddom, but WEALTH!

You are at a moment of choice RIGHT NOW! In 5 years you will either have gotten incredibly RICH off the Internet and continue to get richer, because here is what you don’t know…ONCE you do it the FIRST time, it is EASY to duplicate and do it again and again and again!

In 5 years you will either be explaining to OTHERS how you succeeded utilizing the internet revolution or explaining WHY you haven’t! It’s up to you.
Don’t fool yourself, this is not just a trend, it is a revolution! Just like the Industrial Revolution forever changed the face of North America, this has too, but this time it is the WORLD!

It has already begun…are you onboard?!

Financial Freedom Number Crunching

Hello avid learners!

Some SHOCKING numbers for you in today’s Blog. Let’s get RIGHT to it, there is literally NO time to waste!

Take your current AGE multiply it by 10,000.
That is what you would need in the BANK or INVESTMENTS TODAY in order to be ON TRACK for an approximate $40,000 a year retirement income. (Investment ROI is approx 5%)

EXAMPLE: Let’s say your 42.
42 multiplied by 10,000 is $420,000.

This # is what is needed in the bank or investments at this moment.

We have a more detailed Retirement Calculator on the home page of our brand new www.catchfireuniversity.com website.

Go check it out right now, this is important! I’ll wait....

If these calculations are not a wake up call I am not sure what is.

One of the BIGGEST obstacles people have when it comes to achieving financial freedom, independence or even just security is their budget, or more LACK of a budget.

We live in an “instant gratification” society. If we want it and cannot actually afford it, we can FINANCE it and pay 2- 5x the amount for it in interest payments! When you read it like that, it sounds crazy, but “they” have advertised it like it is a good, normal and safe thing to do. But it is NOT!!!

Taking on DEBT by financing furniture, appliances, home reno’s, electronics etc… is GAMBLING! Yes, gambling. You are BETTING that you will MAKE more MONEY in the future than you do NOW. Add up all the interest that you pay on these items and you will HAVE to or you will be up “S*&% creek without a paddle”.

The problem lies in the FACT that due to inflation and other elements MOST people will NOT make more than they currently do in the future, they will actually make LESS.

The KEY to true Freedom is TWO FOLD and if you ACTUALLY apply these two principals, it will CHANGE your life.

1. Live below your means (not above it like you are now) This will REQUIRE you to let go of your IMAGE and your ego that is attached to it. For many it will require getting out of debt by budgeting. Those of you not in debt will have a much easier time of this. In our ‘Catch Fire’ book we give you assignments to help you budget properly. In the Catch Fire University you will have access to our own SOFTWARE called the “DEBT-INATOR” to assist you in eliminating the biggest enemy to your freedom; your DEBT.

2. Increase Income (preferably passive income) This can be done through business and investing. Doug and I prefer to do this through Business. We feel it is a more stable, reliable way of creating wealth. Again we go into more detail about this in both our book and University
Doing these two things over a period of time will INEVITABLY create Financial Freedom.
When I was first working towards my FF, I was in my early twenties, on the verge of bankruptcy, so I had to make some humbling changes. I got rid of my apartment downtown and moved in with some very supportive family...

VITALLY IMPORTANT TIP:

The place you can cut the most FAT from the PIG (your budget) that will have the largest impact is to downsize your biggest bill; your mortgage! Most people are unwilling to do this due to their attachment to their image.

...During the time I was living with family I had a much reduced overhead aloowing me to pay off more debt more quickly. I also worked hard to make more income, the passive kind. This short term sacrifice was essential to me getting out of debt and achieving my first level of freedom. Without doing this I would have had to claim bankruptcy and destroy my credit rating. A choice I was unwilling to make. Now I live a drastically different life. I can live wherever I want, travel when I want and buy what I want without having to worry.

The process of living below your means when you are SOOOO accustom to the freedom stealing Instant Gratification habits will be uncomfortable to say the least. Here is the good news; it is a short term sacrifice. You give up some stuff NOW to have it ALL later. This is called LONG TERM thinking. And if you begin to think this way I promise it will change your life, it did mine!

Losing Steam

Hey Everyone

It can be easy to lose steam when working towards our goals. Life comes up.

It can be a simple as a bad day or as serious as a family illness. For me personally I am solar powered, and for the last 8 days it has done nothing but rain and I have been trapped by a low hanging grey sky. One or two days is nice, is an excuse to hunker indoors, watch a movie, read a book, take a nap, sauna or bath. BUT 8 DAYS! I was going STIR CRAZY! I sat on the couch for nearly a WHOLE day! For those of you who know me, know that...that is NOT me! I lost momentum and focus on my goals. I became a LUMP!
Then I remembered something I learned in Biology in high school, my favorite subject!

"An Object at REST will tend to STAY at REST and an Object in MOTION tends to STAY in motion"

This was one of Newton's Laws of Motion. And I believe it applies not only to obects but humans as well. Many of us have experienced the essence of this law when we begin an exercise program after being sedentary for sometime.

It is also stated in science that it takes the MOST Energy OUTPUT to get MOVING again after being at REST.
Meaning it is the hardest point of effort, after that it is NATURAL to get into a flow.
Your goals and effort to acheiving them are NO different. Last night around 9 pm I decided to get up and do something small...just to start...but it took me till 9 pm and a lot of guilty talk in my brain all day to get there. I did something as simple as organize my office, which lead to another productive activity, which lead to an even MORE productive and meaningful activity...suddenly it 2 am! Here I am today tackling the world again, even though it is day 9 of cloudy greyness.
It's a Small Victory but a victory none the less! Celebrate all your small daily victories...Success is also a motion and a flow you can create in your life. So if you find yourself at rest when your heart knows there is more in store for you, start with something small and don't stop!

Will or Won't do...

Doug and I went for lunch today at a lakefront restaurant, while there we saw two gentleman searching in the lake and on the shore with metal detectors. They were up to their waists in cold water searching for..treasure I suppose.
I smiled, but also shook my head. I thought; "wow, it's amazing what some people will do to make a little extra money"...but then after a moment of reflecting on that, it's even MORE amazing to me what people WON'T do to make money.

People will spend money on expensive equipment and spend hours scouring beaches to find...whatever...maybe make an extra few hundred dollars in treasure or coins, but they won't take that time to educate themselves on finances, investing or business.
Most Americans will spend countless hours and approximately $70 - 100 a month on Cable so they can watch their favorite Reality TV show, but won't make time weekly to do what must be done to create freedom.Doug and I come across tens of thousands of people saying they want Financial Freedom, they want to be out of debt or at the very least security and peace of mind, but very few are actually willing to do what it takes to get it.

"It is no longer a matter of the "have's" and "have-Not's", but a matter of the "Will's" and Will-Not's"."-Doug Nelson - Catch Fire; How to Ignite your own Economy

Doing what it takes to acheive your financial desires and dreams is not more difficult, it's just different. Educating yourself on how to get where you want to go is paramount and then taking consistent actions on what you have learned. If you do that you will actually move forward to your dreams not just spin your wheels and waste your time on fruitless activities.
The question is this; are you a "Will" or "Will-Not"?

In our book "Catch Fire" we go over financial steps you need to take to create freedom as well as our own personal Business Criteria. You can pre-order the book (a special edition Hard Cover) on our website www.catchfirebook.com

Learning to Lose

Losers! That is what winners actually are.

Any true Champion in sports has LOST more than most will ever dare to try. Ask Michael Jordan, he has missed more shots, lost more games than most ever will and because of that he WON the most too. Michael was not afraid of imperfection or failure. He understood that to be the best, he would have to be a loser.
Take any successful business person, take Donald Trump, he has lost more money than most will ever earn in their lifetime!

Losing is a part of Life and any game you play, including the Money Game. Many are just too afraid to take the “risk”. Losing is a part of the Long Term strategy to Freedom and wealth. You cannot avoid it on your journey. Doesn’t mean you have to like it, just means be mentally prepared for it, which is NOT the same as being focused or fearful of it.

Doug has endured much loss in his life. “I lost my father suddenly at the age of 11, I lost my family when I was put in the Foster Care system, I lost my skin in an explosion, and I lost my mother to Heart Failure. Each one of us has stories of loss. Why we think that we will get out of that in the money game is just naive”. On my journey to freedom, I remember the first time I invested in a bad deal. I lost nearly $1500. For me at the time, that was a LOT of money to loose. It was devastating and I was angry. I have lost $100, 000 of thousands since then. Doug and I have lost on Real Estate, Investments gone badly, Start up Company and projects gone sour. It’s always been tough, but because we continue to build our wealth we have not been affected by our losses.

If you are willing to be a Loser, I promise you, you will become a winner. Let go of the Fear and move forward. Always be sure to do your due diligence and seek advice from those more experienced, but at the end of the day there will be circumstances you cannot foresee and you cannot let that stop you.

Forge forward to your freedom!

The Beginning

Every Journey must have a beginning...today is the start of Catch Fire Blog. But in fact this moment came to be because of so many before it.
It is hard to say what moment in time really started me on this journey...I recall the butterfly effect or theory, one choice can determine which direction your life goes. I believe that. I also believe in destiny, in a Larger Plan, in a higher power. I hope you do too.

If you are reading this I believe you too were meant to live a life Larger than the one you have created thus far. You were meant to achieve more, give more, BE more. It has been said "think big, you will never be bigger than your thoughts". I agree, but I also believe you must ACT big, because I can guarantee you will never be bigger than your ACTIONS!

This Blog will be a combination between who you need to BE and what you must DO (actions) to achieve the life you dream of. My husband Doug and I believe that your true destiny and contribution to this life can only be fully expressed when you have unlimited resources to do so. Financial Freedom, Financially Independent, Independently Wealthy, however you want to put it! When you have pay checks coming in that you no longer need to be there for, that is when you have created freedom. "A re-occurring Profitable action without your presence" that is true freedom. But like anything worth while it takes time, effort, growth and a burning reason WHY.
We will get into all of this here, for you...as our gift.

I am Melanie Nelson, president of Ignite Promotions. Many of you know me as Doug's wife. Many of you know me as your business mentor and coach, and many of you may not know me at all. I know we will get to know each other on this journey. I am looking forward to it!

Cheers to the future