Are You Consorting with the Lottery Mentality and Lady Luck?
Filed under: fear, mentality madness, introversion, self realization, personal growth, uncategorized
Has anyone else noticed the growing trend of people adopting the “Lottery Mentality”? As an entrepreneur and network marketer I cannot help but notice a frightening shift in the way people think but its not just in business–it’s everywhere.
The lottery mentality is the desire for unearned success or as Liz Strauss describes it “I Want Mine Gimme More”. We have allowed it to become so ingrained in our way of thinking we are constantly in want for more, more, more! We are a people of instant gratification. I want mine. Gimme More.
You see the lottery mentality when…
- Someone says they are waiting for their breakthrough moment because they just know it will change their lives for the better and for all time. All I need is one great idea!
- You watch television. These “reality” shows and game shows are founded on the lottery principle. There is no talent or skill in being on the Price is Right OR better yet, in doing some of the phenomenally, disgusting and -stupid- tasks to be on a reality show like Fear Factor. I want mine, NOW!
- Watching network marketing company presentations. “I signed up 500 people in a matter of 2 months, I just received a 10K bonus and I have quit my J.O.B,” He says with light in his eyes and a grin big enough to qualify him for the Joker look alike contest. “The best part is -anyone- can do it. Its easy!” [This one really hits close to home and makes me sick to my stomach considering my close proximity to network marketing companies and the industry]
- You look at diets. To be fair, there most certainly are some individuals who have lost sheer amounts of weight and kept it off but its mostly because they maintain the practices of good health and exercise. Not as a result of using the latest and greatest diet plan promising anyone can flush the pounds away in a matter of weeks.
The list could go on and on…
The Lottery Mentality and Lady Luck
Adopting this mindset places your hope in Lady Luck rather then good old fashioned planning and ingenuity. What happened to the days when we planned for our future?
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for life changing events, especially when they bring a positive to the person’s life but I have yet to hear about a lottery winner who didn’t lose all their winnings AND the shirt off their back because they didn’t know how to handle the responsibility which comes with great wealth.
My point is, time is on our side. You might want untold riches, love or maybe you would be happy with a modest amount of fame but if you are not ready for these things to be present in your life, you will not know how to handle or maintain them. The danger in the lottery mentality is thinking that a small bit of luck is going to bring untold changes and happiness to your life.
Fame, Fortune and even Love can posses a jarring impact on one’s life.
Are you ready for impact?
When we understand this we discover the time spent is a blessing. After all, if we got everything we wanted with little or no effort we would not respect or appreciate it. Think about it, doesn’t it feel better to have earned the special something rather than having it suddenly thrust upon you?
To often the things we want are not in line with our passions, happiness and the lottery mentality mindset is a flashing red light indication.
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July 13th, 2007 at 11:09 am
What a great post !
July 13th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
Very nice post, Tim. I wholeheartedly agree with you. That is exactly why I really focus on telling people what it takes to run a business. The hype and “it’s easy” sales pitches give the network marketing industry a bad reputation. Thanks for speaking out and letting people know what it’s all about.
Natasha
July 14th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
Ben and Natasha - Thanks Ben, I appreciate the feedback and its always good to hear from a fellow lifelong learner.
Natasha, this issue has been stuck in my craw for a long time now. Its absolutely within their rights for a company to want to grow and see it happen exponentially however they don’t train and teach people that it is a “business” first and foremost.
It takes time and has a learning curve. More and more people are leaning towards home based business as the corporate world begins to take a nose dive. The disservice is in misleading people who could otherwise be very successful.
August 6th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
Nice post Tim. I am totally agreed with you.
Nothing comes easy in life. Instead of buying Lottery tickets every week, people could of use those monies on so many things…
Home based business is the way to go. I have seen so many successful clients who started their business from home. At the end of the day, good service is the main reason for customer to come back to you, not the look of your office.
August 17th, 2007 at 6:20 am
Tim
read you blog and believe in it’s overall statement. As i discussed with you yesterday my search for the best NMC in terms of solid, ethical, commissions and growth potential is where i want to focus. I have been burned several times by other NMC with make tons of money in a short time and they were all false fronts. It would be great to have a standard (not biased towards one company) set up questions to ask all NMC one might consider so that new people getting into the industry could determine values they want to associate with. Please feel free to pass this idea onto YTB corporate for their input but make sure they work on a generic list of important issues that face all people coming into the business and wanting to stay in the business and yes make lots of money if your willing to work at.
Dan the Man
August 22nd, 2007 at 2:07 am
Dan - I agree that some standards as far as ethics go is a very real need in the network marketing industry. However, not all of the blame can always be placed on the companies or the leaders within them.
Making all companies a standard issue, however, would be like telling Target and Wal-Mart they need to adopt the same ideas, looks and vision. It just doesn’t work that way and would kill the diversity of the industry, at least from my point of view.
So with that said, I believe there is work to be done on both sides of the fence. There is a large shift happening across the globe as more and more people seek to work from home for any manner of reasoning. Most of them are not prepared for it and don’t know what it means to be self sufficient, let alone run a business.
The companies need some work and in some cases a real dose of ethics (YTB is not one of them) and people in general need to shift their way of thinking.
Take care Dan, and God Bless you in your search.
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