7.28.2006

Not Feeling Entrepreneurial?

There's nearly 50% odds that the reason is genetic, according to a recent study.

The authors propose several methods by which genetic factors might influence people's tendency to become entrepreneurs. For example, genes may predispose an individual to develop traits such as being sociable and extroverted, which in turn facilitate skills such as salesmanship, which are vital to entrepreneurial success.

In addition, genes have been shown to affect the level of education an individual receives, and more highly educated people are likelier to become entrepreneurs because they are better able to recognize new business opportunities when they arise.

This study shows a clear genetic predisposition toward entrepreneurship and makes it now possible proceed with studies to identify the specific genes involved in being an entrepreneur.


Not that I'm trying to give anyone an excuse to not do something...

As the tagline for Gattaca says, "There Is No Gene For The Human Spirit."

How Walking A Rut Is Digging A Grave

Working hard and being broke is killing you.

No, this isn't the start of a Quixtar opportunity meeting... It's the findings of two British medical studies.

The first study found that stressed-out workers were twice as likely to suffer from heart disease and diabetes 2. Characteristics of the metabolic syndrome are obesity, insulin intolerance, high blood pressure and high-cholesterol.

The study also sited previous studies that found "a social gradient in work stress and the metabolic syndrome suggesting that the social gradient in the metabolic syndrome and heart disease could in part be explained by greater exposure to work stress among less advantaged social groups."

In other words, the lower you are on the corporate ladder, the greater the risk.

The second study found that people of a lower socio-economic status aged 7 years faster than their better-off counterparts.
The research showed that "the poor have shorter telomeres, the caps on chromosomes that prevent them from fraying, which makes them biologically older than people of the same age in higher social groups."
The study considered and adjusted for factors such as obesity, smoking and exercise.

The hypothesis? "The idea is that psychological stress itself or the loss of control might have a biological impact . . . It might raise levels of oxidative stress in the body and make cells turn over more quickly."

That's comforting.. dying broke AND early.

UPDATE:
In response to my comments regarding sports nutrition products with antioxidents, Rocket raised the comparison to EAS products (which he gets from the retailer GNC.) I indicated that the Trim Advantage meal replacement products from Quixtar were competative to EAS.com prices, both at retail. Rocket requested a price comparison.

Unfortunately, GNC.com doesn't have RTD shakes, just the mix-it-yourself packets, and I can't compare GNC retail store prices at the moment.

I was comparing EAS.com prices... I've just done a comparison of bodybuilding.com prices, for lack of access to a GNC retail store.


ProductSource Qty Volume Total Vol Retail Price Price Per Volume Price Per Use Price/Volume Equivilent*
Trim Advantage RTD Meal Replacement Shake
quixtar.com
12
11.2 oz
134 oz
29.99
0.2238/oz
2.49
45.65 / 17 oz
EAS Myoplex Original RTD Meal Replacement Shake
bodybuilding.com
12
17 oz
204 oz 35.89
0.1759/oz
2.99
n/a
EAS Myoplex Original RTD Meal Replacement Shake
EAS.com
12
17 oz
204 oz 49.95
0.2448/oz
4.16
n/a
Trim Advantage Meal Replacement Bar
quixtar.com
9
2.1 oz
18.9 oz $22.60
1.195/oz
2.51
45.53 / 38.1 oz
EAS Myoplex Deluxe Bar
bodybuilding.com
12
3.175 oz
38.1 oz 29.89
0.785/oz
2.49
n/a
EAS Myoplex Deluxe Bar
EAS.com
36
3.175 oz 114.3 oz 107.85
0.944/oz
2.99
n/a

*Price/Volume Equivilent: For items of lesser volume, this represents the price for an equivilent total volume, based on the price per volume.

7.24.2006

"If you only knew the freedom"

Dean Kosage on Time Management:

"im constantly amazed at how much pain and emotional energy leaks are created because of people not planning out thier wks and months at a view . I believe some people fear that planning is going to micro manage them somehow to much . when in fact if done correctly it actualy frees you up. If you dont learn to work when you work / play when you play / and worship when you worship ...it will all just blog you down . So many familys could enjoy life so much more and have family traditions if someone would just lead and help the family get a wkly flow .
Its odd but humans love to work hard , and structure is a good thing as long as you have the ability to create that structure yourself.
If you only knew the freedom of not feeling guilty , and whats sad is some people can only find that place by escaping on the wknds by numbing it through fake highs . Now im all for having fun , as long as its not a way of avoiding pain !
We feel no guilt when we have taken the time to figure out who we are , where we are going , then feel we are on point with our mission statement or purpose ."

The "Cult-like" Culture of...

IBM? Walt Disney? Wal-Mart? Oh, say it isn't so!

Ron Swift of "Top Achievers" has the scoop on group mentalities molded for mutual success.

Success Breeds Success

Congrats to OneIBO for continuing momentum in their business and good luck on their ever-closer goal of Eagle.

Confessions of a Non-CORE IBO

I'll admit it-- I haven't been CORE in at least 3 months. As I indicated in my April Accountability post, life changes have really turned my schedule upside down.

I'll also admit that the counsel of many WWDB leaders to singles that they have an advantage over couples and that they should seize the opportunity while they are still single, is wise counsel indeed. On a similar note, I would surmise that the counsel of Ron Puryear to "dig your well before you're thirsty" is also wise.

I'll admit thirdly that I have gone more than 3 decades of life without effectively learning or practicing time management. It is said regarding both time and money that if you do not learn to control them, they will control you.
I'll further admit that my lack of time management skills is due mostly to a lack of personal discipline. I suspect that most people in American society function on a similar compulsory basis behind their financial and time-management decisions: They move when circumstances have bound them to move, in the direction that circumstances demand.

Fourth, and most controversial, I hereby submit that my contractual relationship with Quixtar currently offers me no greater chances of success than in MLMs like Oasis Lifesciences, Usana, Amway, Shaklee or Nikken. ("Ha!" critics and naysayers the world over exclaim, "He admits it!")

Well yes, I'll stand behind my confession. Quixtar currently offers me no greater chance of success than those other vehicles-- because I'm currently applying equal effort to all of them. (Equal in the sense that zero = zero.)

If there is a "dirty little secret" behind those engaged in Quixtar-affiliated independent businesses, it is that most people who are involved never choose to overcome their bad financial and time-management habits. I know, I know, that's much less scintilating than cult conspiracy theories and "secret" tool money rumors, but well.. it is what it is. (Tin-foil hat wearers should direct their attention to the tall mysterious hairy creature running through the woods to catch a ride on that glowing saucer-like vehicle while the rest of us continue in an adult conversation.)

Ironically, this "dirty little secret" is also had in common with most former-IBOs-turned-critics. To further the irony, these critics are less likely to admit this reality than presently affilliated IBOs who are more or less still positive. In truth, the only difference between myself and a former-IBO-turned-critic is that I admit the lack of achievement is directly tied to my lack of discipline AND since I understand that, I have continued hope because of a belief in my ability to change.

A formerly affiliated critic cannot risk admitting that lack of discipline applied to the Quixtar business plan is responsible for the majority of those who don't acheive an arbitrary pin level because it opens the possibilty of exposing their own shortcomings.

Since my goal is to become financially free, not to be "right", I have no such reservations to admitting my shortcomings.

But I've digressed...

Where was I? Oh yes-- Time management: I still need to master it. Going forward, my efforts will be focused on that, because I understand that with personal discipline in this area will come success in the arena of my choosing.