Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Resolved for Humility
Jonathan Edwards was one of America's greatest men and minds. His faith and philsophy still resonates within American society. Orrin Woodward features him in his book RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE. What have you resolved for 2013?
Jonathan Edwards was a preacher, theologian, a missionary to Native Americans, and shortly before his death, accepted the Presidency of the College of New Jersey (Princeton University).
Edwards “is widely acknowledged to be America’s most important and original philosophical theologian.”
Furthermore, Author George Marsden, writes,
“Edwards was extraordinary. By many estimates, he was the most acute early American philosopher and the most brilliant of all American theologians.At least three of his many works – Religious Affections, Freedom of the Will, and The Nature of True Virtue – stand as masterpieces in the larger history of Christian literature.”
But Edwards began his ministry with little advanced billing.
His first pastoral position in 1722, at 19 years of age, was far away from his Connecticut hometown, in New York City, then a thriving metropolis of 10,000 people.
Dr. Stephen Nichols, author of The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards, writes of the young pastor,
“Amidst all of this uncertainty and flux, this young man, Jonathan Edwards, needed both a place to stand and a compass for some direction. So he took to writing. He kept a diary and he penned some guidelines, which he came to call his ‘Resolutions.’ These resolutions would supply both that place for him to stand and a compass to guide him as he made his way.”
A.C. McGiffert described Edward’s method of resolutions, “Deliberately he set about to temper his character into steel.”
Tempering is a process to “toughen” the metals, just as written resolutions “toughen” the internal person through study and course corrections.
The tempering process takes time, but the internal fortitude and self-mastery gained living one’s convictions, not one’s preferences, is worth any price.
Jonathan Edwards dutifully wrote out 70 Resolutions (see appendix) between 1722 and 1723.
Edwards committed to read the 70 Resolutions once per week for the rest of his life, and fulfilled that commitment, reading the resolutions more than 1,800 times over the next 35 years.
Here are two of his resolutions.
1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.
2. Resolved, never to say anything at all against anybody, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of this resolution.
Edwards would have many occasions to apply his resolutions.
After his pastoral service in New York, on February 15, 1727, Edwards joined his father-in-law, Solomon Stoddard’s congregation in Northampton, Massachusetts.
In 1729, Stoddard died, leaving Edwards the sole minister in charge of one of the largest, wealthiest and proudest congregations in the colony.
Stoddard, in his later years, had introduced several doctrinal changes not founded upon scriptures.
Edwards, being new, continued the innovations when he assumed pastoral leadership.
But, in 1749, after years of successful ministry and intensive biblical study, Edward’s conscience balked at the doctrinal errors, precipitating an angry response from church members.
The controversy concluded with Edward’s dismissal by the margin of one vote.
Many would have railed against the injustice, but Edwards, dignified as always, preached his farewell sermon with the truth, love and grace, exiting Northampton without rancor or bitterness.
Edwards was, as Randall Stewart wrote, “Not only the greatest of all American theologians and philosophers but the greatest of our pre-19th century writers as well,” making his gracious humble spirit even more impressive.
He didn’t fight for his rights; instead he merely accepted the ruling as God’s Will, taking a position as missionary to the frontier Indians.
Edwards consistently displayed a grace-filled spirit of forgiveness to his many detractors, some who, years later apologized for their involvement in the misinformation spread.
Can one imagine the infamy of being associated with the congregation that dismissed one of the best theologians and philosophers in American history?
But Edwards, in his final years, never missed a beat, writing several classics of Christian literature, leaving an enduring testament to the power of character-based resolutions to transform a person from the inside out.
Edwards faithfully lived his principles externally because that is who he had become internally.
Specifically, he didn’t just give lip service to his resolutions, he truly lived them.
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 7:58 PM EST
Updated: Wednesday, January 9, 2013 8:00 PM EST
Friday, January 4, 2013
Interdependent Relationships
There are three leadership phases a person goes through - dependence, independence, and interdependence. The last, interdependence, is the best. Bill Lewis describes interdependence in the following article. Orrin Woodward, Claude Hamilton, George Guzzardo, and the rest of the LIFE Founders are interdependent upon one another to produce the longterm results they desire. The LIFE Business is producing longterm results.
One key point to remember when trying to succeed is that success always takes a team of people. The notion that someone is self-made is ridiculous. It took two other people just to get you on the planet. I can’t think of anything else on the planet that is less self-made than humans are. So, if we always need others to help us succeed, then we should probably think about how we treat other people. Now, I understand that people are people and are always doing special things. 
I am not saying that people won’t continue to bug us sometimes, but we need to have grace when dealing with humans because all of us are messt up. (I know that’s not a word, but it is appropriate here. Thanks for the grace.) The Magic of Thinking Big gives us four leadership principles to help in this area:
- Trade minds with the people you want to influence.
- Think: What is the human way to handle this?
- Think progress, believe in progress, and push for progress.
- Take time out to confer with yourself.
Let me give you an example of number one on the list. A lady was hired to be the assistant buyer for a low- to medium-priced department store. All of the things she purchased were great, but they were not selling well. Eventually, she was let go from her position. The reason was because she was purchasing items that she liked. She was raised in a well-off family that was used to purchasing high-quality items that naturally cost more. She was thinking everyone would love what she loved, but she never tried to mentally switch places with someone that had a tight budget. It is very important in business to always try to think from the other person’s point of view. How to Have Confidence and Power in Dealing with People talks about the importance of moving to the other side of the table with someone—in other words, seeing the world from that person’s perspective or walking a mile in his shoes. The question to ask oneself is: How can I help that person based on where he is, what he sees, what he likes, what he doesn’t like, and what he dreams about and not what I think he should see, like, not like, or dream about?
Now if you are mentoring someone, you have to have the ability to see from the other person’s point of view and understand his position but also be able to see where he can be, rather than just where he is.
The human way to handle things actually seems like it is not natural to humans at all. I have seen people try to be the dictator and the letter-of-the-law person. The dictator sounds like this: “You will do it this way, or else!” That kind of attitude is really good for destroying relationships. Now, of course, most of us don’t approach it that way. We say things like, “Well, I am a so and so, and I think I know what I am talking about” or ”Why would you listen to that person?” We have all kinds of creative ways of saying, “I am the dictator” without actually saying those words.
The other big violator is the letter-of-the-law person. I saw this one tragically implemented one time. Our business team produced a CD that talked about the husband being responsible for the family finances. The letter-of-the-law people told all the males that they should be writing the checks and doing all of the budgeting. WOW! I have never seen so many couples’ monthly budgets get destroyed so quickly! The wife was the organized one, and the sanguine males started torturing themselves trying to do the budgets. The human way is to look from their shoes and implement the principle, not the details. The male could still be responsible for the month’s budget without having to do the technical work. Study anyone that has successful long-term relationships, and they have handled things in a human way instead of the dictator or letter-of-the-law way.
The third item of always seeking improvement can cover many areas, but let me try to boil it down to a few simple steps. First, be harder on yourself than you are on your team members. If you strive for excellence yourself, your team will always follow suit. Second, try to make all your goals revolve around helping others hit their goals. If you plan it that way, then by default, you are focusing on others but still striving for progress.
The last step from The Magic of Thinking Big is to confer with yourself. The number one job of the leader is to think. I believe it was Henry Ford who said, “The hardest work in life is thinking; that is why so few people engage in it.” If the leader is not mentally ahead of the followers, then that means he is mentally with the followers and, by default, cannot be leading. Leaders must have quiet moments in which they give themselves time to think through issues, game plan, and set goals. This should be a weekly habit, but then leaders also need some bigger (or longer) thought-processing moments. Bestselling author Chris Brady wrote a great book talking about that very subject called A Month of Italy.
God Bless
Bill Lewis
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 8:58 AM EST
Updated: Friday, January 4, 2013 9:03 AM EST
Thursday, December 27, 2012
RESOLVED For Character
In Orrin Woodward's book RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE, his introduction contains descriptions of three early Americans - George Washington, Ben Franklin, and Jonathan Edwards. Each of these three men made resolutions to improve their lives. Orrin modeled this method in his own life and shares his 13 resolutions in the book. Indeed, the LIFE Business is a business modeled on the 13 Resolutions. The following is a section of Orrin's introduction.
By nature, young Washington had a fiery temper, but he developed an iron-willed discipline in order to check its excesses. Richard Norton Smith, in his book, Patriarch, said, “The adolescent Washington examined Seneca’s dialogues and laboriously copied from a London magazine one hundred and ten ‘rules of civility’ intended to buff a rude country boy into at least the first draft of a gentleman”. The French Jesuits had originally developed the 110 Rules as principles to live by, and Washington’s methodical writing process helped him to adopt many of these maxims as his personal resolutions for life. As Richard Brookhiser, author of Founding Father, wrote, “His manner and his morals kept his temperament under control. His commitment to ideas gave him guidance. Washington’s relation to ideas has been underestimated by almost everyone who wrote of him or knew him, and modern education has encouraged this neglect. . . His attention to courtesy and correct behavior anticipated his political philosophy. He was influenced by Roman notions of nobility, but he was even more deeply influenced by a list of table manners and rules for conversation by Jesuits.” Character and self-mastery were his goals through living his guiding ideals of fortitude, justice, moderation, and the dignity of every human being.
For Washington, life became a series of resolutions to live by. He wrote and studied many such maxims throughout his life. Here are two examples. (see appendix for more)
1. With me it has always been a maxim rather to let my designs appear from my works rather than by my expressions.
Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected.
2. Washington developed and studied his maxims repeatedly, becoming convicted of the correctness of the maxims, teaching virtue over happiness and duty over rights, resolving to live based upon the principles implied within them.
Katherine Kersten, in George Washington’s Character, asks:
“What would Washington have accomplished if happiness, rather than integrity and service, had been his life-goal? Instead of suffering with his men through the snows of Valley Forge, he might have followed the example of Benedict Arnold, another Revolutionary War General. Though brave and talented, Arnold valued his own well-being and prosperity above all else. Out of self-interest, he plotted to betray West Point to the British, and died a traitor to his nation. What can we learn from Washington and his contemporaries about character-building? They teach us, most importantly, that “the soul can be schooled.” Exercising reason and will, we can mold ourselves into beings far nobler than nature made us.”
The ending quotation summarizes character-based training beautifully – “the soul can be schooled”. Washington attended this class daily on his way to developing the nobility of character needed to unite the American colonies. General Henry Knox spoke truthfully when he shared that it was the strength of Washington’s character, not the laws of the new Constitution, that held the young republic together. In a tribute to his friend, Congressman Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee eulogized Washington, saying, “First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in humble and enduring scenes of private life. Pious, just, humane, temperate, and sincere; uniform, dignified, and commanding; his example was as edifying to all around him as were the effects of that example lasting…Correct throughout, vice shuddered in his presence and virtue always felt his fostering hand. The purity of his private character gave effulgence to his public virtues…Such was the man for whom our nation mourns.” Lee’s tribute testifies to Washington’s faithful application of his resolutions into his life, living his maxims both privately and publicly.
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 8:25 AM EST
Updated: Thursday, December 27, 2012 8:31 AM EST
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Viriathus: Warrior Leader
I don't know how Orrin Woodward finds the time to study history, leadership, economics, faith, and philosophy as much as he does, but I am not complaining. History was never this much fun in school! In this post, Orrin Woodward shares the story of Virathus, who resisted Roman domination in Roman Hispania - modern day Portugal. The LIFE Business is full of men and women learning and applying lessons from history, personal experiences, and each other. Here's the post.
In 160 BC, the the Roman praetor of Spain, Servius Sulspicius Galba, negotiated a peaceful surrender of 7,000 Lusitaninan (modern day Portugal) warriors. After disarming them, Galba ordered his soldiers to massacre the helpless men. Nearly all the Lusitanians died, but a few, including Viriathus, escaped into the woods. Through his bravery and first-hand account of the Romans misdeeds, Viriathus was chosen leader of his countrymen in the revolt against Roman rule of the their homeland. Galba sent the Roman commander Vetilius to capture the rebels, but Virathus had a surprise for his unsuspecting opponent. He lured the army further and further into the mountains, cut off their escape, and cut the Roman army to pieces.
Another Roman army of 4,000 men, shortly afterwards received the same treatment from the brilliant Viriathus and his desperate Lusitanian army. Indeed, for three years the Lusitanian leader overran Roman authorities, defeating legion after legion, charged with capturing the alleged outlaws. In 141 BC, Servilianus, the commander of Roman forces, was defeated and sued for peace, recognizing Lusitania as an independent state with Virathus as the Chief Magistrate. The Roman Senate was horrified and when Caepio, the brother of Servilanus, assumed command of the troops, he perfidiously broke the treaty. Not surprisingly to Viriathus, the Romans resumed hostilities against the signed treaty.
By 139 BC, Caepo, discovering he was just as helpless against the superior strategy and will of Virathus, resorted to treachery to accomplish his goal. During peace negotiations, Virathus sent his most trusted friends, Audax, Ditalco, and Minumsy, to negotiate with Caepo. Instead of negotiations, however, Caepo offered large gifts and bribes for the three men to sell out their leader. Sadly, the men chose prizes over principles and plotted the assassination of the only Spaniard to successfully withstand against Roman tyranny. Viriathus, always prepared, slept little and in his armor. In this way, when awaken, he could quickly lead his men into battle. Therefore, it was customary for his closest friends to enter his tent at night on pressing business. Audax and his associated entered the tent after Virathus fell asleep and stabbed him in the throat, the only part of his body not protected by armor. Thus, the fearless leader died, not from his Roman enemies, but from the treachery of his “friends.” Also dying were the hopes of Lusitanian freedom as the rebellion collapsed after Viriathus death and farther Spain bent its neck to the Roman yoke.
Death of Viriathus by Jose Madrazo
Why did I share this terrible story of bad character and ethics? Simply to point out that the prizes won by the traitors are long gone, but the disloyalty lives on in infamy. Never, I repeat never, accept temporary gain for permanent harm. In reality, the three traitors, sold out the freedom of their country, their people, and killed their leader for temporary trinkets. Indeed, a person ought to sell everything he has before he sells his character, for the things can be replaced, but the character cannot. Nonetheless, many do not follow this principles and sell out the permanent for the temporary. Imagine readers, if Virathus had sent you on the peace errand. How should leaders of character respond when offered personal gain to destroy others? Let everyone examine himself.
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 8:52 AM EST
Updated: Wednesday, December 19, 2012 8:56 AM EST
Monday, December 17, 2012
Top 10 Reasons People Quit on Their Dreams
Chris Brady shares his top 10 reasons people quit worthy endeavors. Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady could have easily quit in the early days of learning leadership and community building; however, they didn't and the rest is, as they say, history in the making. The LIFE Business is the result of years of effort, hard work, and persistence to build the best compensation plan and leadership community in the profession. It will change your life. Here is Chris's article.
For nearly twenty years I've worked with people in an entrepreneurial setting, encouraging and coaching them to fulfill their dreams and goals. I've seen people come and I've seen people go, and through it all there emerges a pattern of behavior. I've often been asked, "What's the difference between those who 'make it' and those who don't?"
Giving this some thought recently resulted in what I'll call my "Top 10 Reasons People Quit Something Worthy." This isn't revelation from God, it's not infallible, and it's probably not even complete. But it is mine, and now it can be yours, too. I hope it helps!
10. Pride - uwilling to "look the fool" while going through the necessary failures along the way
9. Besetting Sin - an addiction or something destructive in their lifestyle that tears their life apart
8. Lack of Character - they have to take their "game" elsewhere because they've been "found out"
7. Distractions - men fail by "broken focus"
6. Comfort - the "lure of lesser things"
5. Dream Not Big Enough - without a powerful dream there is no focus, no passion, and no long term vision
4. Relational Challenges - can't get along with others
3. Unwillingness to Accept Personal Responsibility - blame others for lack of results
2. Self Doubt - can't see themselves having the big victory
1. No Mental Toughness - don't have the discipline and/or courage to hang in there when times get tough
Of course, we could debate the order of these items, and even add a few more to the list, but the point is to provide some thought starters you can use to hold up against your own life. Also, don't get me wrong. Part of success in life is knowing what to quit! You can't do everything, and in order to succeed mightily you must focus. So quitting "unworthy" or "lesser" things is actually a part of success. The situation to which I'm referring in the list above is when people quit something worthy, something central, something that has been their heart's desire, something into which they've poured hours and energy and hopes.
Now, a couple questions:
Are you chasing something great in your life?
Are you seeking to live a life of purpose and meaning?
I hope the answer to both is a hearty "yes," and if so, then perhaps this list can help you identify weaknesses you can shore up against failure. Figure out where you're susceptible and do something about it. It's these ten you'll have to beat if you're going to "make it."
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 11:23 AM EST
Updated: Monday, December 17, 2012 11:28 AM EST
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Build Dreams; Overlook Obstacles
George Guzzardo continues to share success wisdom on his blog. In this article, he teaches how to build dreams and overcome obstacles. Claude Hamilton whole life is an example of building dreams and overcoming obstacles. If you are tired of just getting by in life and want to accomplish bigger dreams, then perhaps the LIFE Business is for you. Any worthwhile dream will take sacrifice, like Orrin Woodward says, "We don't promise easy, but we do promise worth it." What dream would be worth sacrificing for in your life? What are you waiting for?
I was looking at the wall in my office and saw an old crumpled up yellow paper clipped on my bulletin board with the title ‘Build Dreams / Overlook Obstacles’. It’s been with me for years ever since Orrin Woodward asked me to describe the LIFE I’ve always wanted. I’ve recently added one more question, “What are three things or causes in your life that you’re passionate enough to cry over?”
Unlike a lottery ticket, the LIFE business is a vehicle that helps us think and act about which direction we want our life to move. Is it time to re - awaken the vision about where we want our life to go? That vision is the first step in moving toward your desired destination. Look around the world today. It’s not hard to see that most people are aimlessly wondering through life. The standard program is to have achieved a level of success after school and dig in for the long journey ahead. Sooner or later we find out that there is more to learning about life than school. What if there was a way to master the skills necessary to get you where you really wanted to go?
Some pieces must come together to begin the journey. Association is critical so find out how you can get around those who have made a commitment and are moving in the direction of their vision. You can find them at one of the weekly Team Opens. If someone is succeeding so can you. Find out who is making progress. You will typically find people who are called ‘power players’ at the LIFE monthly seminars. The second piece is to become humble enough to allow yourself to learn the necessary skills. By all means avoid contradictory beliefs like being powerless to change and being unworthy of the goal. You are now ready to take some steps toward your goal.
A few small steps can be taken to help get what is important to you. First, use visualization or imagery. Begin to tap into the power of the subconscious mind. Author Peter Senge wrote about great basketball star Bill Russell who said, “It’s not what the vision is, it’s what the vision does.” Visualization creates a tension between our current reality and our destination. If that tension is strong enough we will be willing to go through some learning, better known as mistakes. Vision transforms our view of mistakes into learning experiences. Mistakes simply become the gap between your current reality and your destination. Failure becomes the opportunity to learn. Also, learn how to fall in love with the practice. In sports you practice an unfamiliar movement until you get better at it and then you enjoy it. The master of any game is usually the master of practice. In their best selling book ‘Launching a Leadership Revolution', Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady describe the Tri – Lateral Leadership Ledger where one can measure progress in the area of relationships, character, and work ethic. Building these skills and developing a compensated community is a very satisfying experience. It’s worth honing these skills in each of these areas as we achieve our vision.
In the business of compensated communities you can measure movement toward your goal like showing the plan (having 15 conversations about your business) in a thirty - day time frame or following through (making a friend and finding a need). By understanding the overall purpose of the movement like showing the plan or following through you can then measure the reality of getting to your destination more clearly. For example, weekly activities should lead to monthly depth and Team system numbers growing.
Dr. Benjamin Bloom from the University of Chicago did a five year study and found clues of leading artists, athletes, scholars from various fields. He discovered that it was drive and determination – not talent – that led to success. As author Eddie Cantor said, “It takes twenty years to become an overnight success.” Chris Brady says in the CD ‘The Art of Promotion’, “The dream leads to the drive that leads to depth that leads to the results.” Remember it all begins with what Orrin Woodward says, “Vision is tomorrow’s reality expressed in an idea today.” The old Alchemists used their knowledge about chemistry to turn lead into gold. Like the Alchemists of old, it’s time to take the information that you learn from the LIFE business and the TEAM system and make those elements transform you toward your goal. Start the process and become the master of your life! God Bless, George Guzzardo
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 12:19 PM EST
Updated: Thursday, December 13, 2012 12:27 PM EST
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Ben Franklin's Residual Income Streams
Ben Franklin created passive income streams to allow himself the free time to live his legacy. So many today are so busy making a life that they have no time left to make a difference. The LIFE Business and LIFE Business Compensation Plan are changing that. Orrin Woodward dreamed of providing an opportunity for anyone willing to work hard to get ahead. Ben Franklin worked hard and smart and he got ahead, but not just for himself. Ben helped others run their own business just like LIFE Team. Here's the article.
Over 300 years ago, in the city of Boston, a port town in the burgeoning American colonies, a baby was born on the frontier edge of the British empire, whose impact on history boggles the imagination, named Benjamin Franklin, but later in life, praised as “the first great American.” With superhuman exploits in business, science, politics, diplomacy, and nation building, as a Founding Father, the fascination with Franklin will continue indefinitely, at least as long as history is written. Much has been written, and rewritten, on the achievements of this great man, but surprisingly, little has been written on his economic engine, that allowed this polymathic genius the leisure to dabble in his many areas of interest. It’s not too much to say, that Franklin’s greatest discovery personally, was a forerunner of today’s modern franchising, allowing him the financial independence that led to nearly all of his other discoveries. Without the freedom from toil, necessitated by the need to maintain life, Franklin would be remembered as little more than a colonial printer, but through his understanding of the principles of wealth, learned through countless years of self study, Franklin created a printing network that spanned throughout American colonies. It was this monumental achievement, arguably the first ever franchise model, that sparked Franklin’s meteoric rise to worldwide fame, displaying what a free man, one no longer bound by the enervating ennui of life, can achieve by investing his newly won freedom in the service of humanity. A cursory review of the highlights of Franklin’s life will serve as proof what free men can do with free time:
1. Set up the world’s first franchise type model, freeing himself from day to day work routine, typically necessary in order to make a living.
2. Developed systems for paving, cleaning and lighting city streets.
3. Introduced new trees, cereals and fertilizers to America.
4. Invented swim fins, improving swimming speeds and the famed Franklin Stove, improving the heat efficiency of wood fires.
5. Conceived and recruited the formation of a citizen’s fire brigade, reducing the damage incurred by fires.
6. The founding of an academy that later became the University of Pennsylvania.
7. The organization of city and province defenses during the Indian wars.
8. Conceived and founded America’s first public library.
9. Discovered electricity and its nature through countless experiments performed in his free time, making him a world renown scientific figure.
10. Invented bifocals, created concept of daylight savings, and charted the Gulf Stream temperatures of the Atlantic.
11. As an author, he wrote and published Poor Richard’s Almanac, one of the best selling publications in early American history. His autobiography has become a classic in literature, influencing millions of people with his message of personal improvement, public service, and philanthropy.
12. As postmaster general, he revolutionized the mail service delivery of the colonies, by implementing home delivery and one day service.
13. As a later revolutionary politician, he played an active part in the creation of nearly every major document, including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the war alliance with France, and the peace treaty with England. In fact, he was the only party to sign all four.
14. Shortly before his death, Franklin accepted the presidency of a society formed to end the stain of slavery in America.
These achievements are enough to satisfy a dozen men of renown, but nearly unfathomable when one ponders that all of this was achieved by a run-away youth starting with no wealth in colonial America. The question is, how could anyone find the time to perform all of these activities, while excelling in every field? The answer is a combination of disciplined time management and a relentless pursuit of knowledge, and the freedom obtained through his franchising business model. Franklin learned early the multiplying effect of good leadership, leading himself through a rigorous program of self development, even, for a period of time, becoming a vegetarian in order save money to invests in more books. Franklin fed his brain before his belly. But he didn’t stop there, Franklin studied the greatest influencers of his age, seeking to develop the right mix of charm, posture, and tact to go along with his unquestioned character, becoming a leader of leaders. In fact, Franklin developed one of the first personal development programs, freely sharing his success system in his autobiography, and in his yearly Poor Richard’s Almanac, loaded with witty sayings, pearls of financial wisdom, and solid leadership thoughts. Franklin was a hungry student, studying principles of character, task and relationships to improve his leadership, writing, “Not a tenth part of wisdom was my own.” Franklin’s personal leadership program is conveyed best in Launching a Leadership Revolution, Chris Brady’s and the author’s Wall Street Journal number one best seller, “So Benjamin Franklin did what we have been discussing in this chapter: he deliberately set out upon a program of personal growth. He selected thirteen virtues he felt worthy of his attention and organized a demanding schedule of improvement and tracking. He would work on one virtue for four weeks at a time, recording his progress or lack thereof, then move on to the next virtue, repeating the cycle over and over throughout several years.” Even though Franklin had no formal education, he was one of the most educated men in America, teaching himself English, Italian, and French, displaying a voracious hunger to learn that he maintained his entire life. Franklin leadership training may have been the most significant development in his life, since all the other achievements flowed from his mastery of self and others, through leadership.
When Franklin was still a boy, he apprenticed with his elder brother, James, in a printing house. Learning the ins and outs of the newspaper and printing business, while actively educating himself with his free hours, many times, reading until late in the night. Several books, like Plutarch, Defoe, and Mather impacted him greatly. His world-view, developed from his readings, seeing history as the stage in which great men and women acted, included in this, was that virtuous men and women bettered societies, that individuals counted in the making of history, and that fortune favored the bold, at least on earth anyhow. Franklin set upon a course to become one of these great men, history would record that he was not disappointed in his quest. Franklin’s rise in business began at the early age of 16, when he ran away from his hometown of Boston, tired of the abuse from his older brother, starting work at a Philadelphia print shop. In less than three years, Franklin built a reputation in Philadelphia as a diligent worker with a witty pen, a man on the move up, becoming well known as a prominent printer in the young city. Franklin’s world-view is best displayed in his decision, at only 42 years of age, to hand over his successful printing enterprise in order to focus on his many areas of interests, including science, politics, and local community affairs, writing to his mother, “I would rather have it said, ‘He lived usefully,’ than ‘He died rich’.” Franklin received his wish, dying one of the most influential people of the 18th century, while never having to work another day in his life. Franklin used his new found time, not for personal laziness, but for public usefulness.
Franklin could afford his early retirement because he had conceived of an ingenious plan to aid journeyman printers, helping them to own their own businesses. In a true spirit of win-win, the 26 year old Franklin, in 1731, was offered the position of South Carolina’s official printer for its public records, an opportunity that he declined because he didn’t wish to leave Philadelphia. But, instead of rejecting the offer outright, Franklin suggested an alternative plan, proposing to the Charleston officials that they hire one of his journeyman, Thomas Whitmarsh. Franklin would sponsor the project, helping the journeyman with the press equipment, fonts, funds, not to mention mentorship, while Whitmarsh would run the day to day operations in Charleston. All parties profited by this unique arrangement. South Carolina received a top notch journeyman, trained under the tutelage of Franklin; Whitmarsh received capital and mentorship, both factors in short supply in the colonies, allowing him the opportunity to own a business; lastly, Franklin, received one third of the profits for six years, after which, Whitmarsh could either buy out Franklin’s ownership interest or continue with his current financial arrangement. Since Franklin had capital, but little time, while the journeymen had time, but little capital, this arrangement benefitted both sides of the partnership, providing to each other, what each on their own lacked, a true example of a win-win trade. Franklin’s franchise marketing program expanded across the colonial cities, he looked for hungry, sober, hard working journeyman to be his long distant proxies, helping to build many sister newspapers, that dotted the colonial landscape, following the leadership of his Pennsylvania Gazette masthead. Over time, Franklin’s expansive printing empire reached all the way from Hartford in the north, and as far south as Antigua, with Lancaster, New York, and New Haven, too mention just a few, in between the two poles of influence, an impressive accomplishment in this largely agrarian society. In fact, by 1755, eight of the fifteen newspapers printed in colonial America were part of Franklin’s powerful conglomerate. Although not all his partnerships made money, most of them prospered under his leadership. Franklin forged partnerships for over fifty years, creating a residual income stream that left him free to pursue his purpose, no longer enslaved to monetary want.
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 7:13 AM EST
Updated: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 7:16 AM EST
Monday, December 10, 2012
Chris Brady on Success
Chris Brady shares his thoughts on success. Mr. Brady's new book A Month in Italy has been one of the favorites with the LIFE Business. Where else do people receive LIFE Business Compensation Plan income for sharing great information with other members and customers? Orrin Woodward said he was going to do things differently and build the best community for leadership growth ever and he did. Here is Chris's article.
What is success?
Your answer to that question is critical in your life, because in many ways it will dictate your behavior and determine how you spend the time you've been given. Time is both a gracious gift from God and a merciless task master - it is the medium through which we live our lives but also the stern disciplinarian who stands over us with relentless continuance, refusing to slow for any purpose. In fact, it often feels as if time grows increasingly impatient with us as we age and therefore actually speeds up (remember how long summer vacation felt when you were a child)?
I truly love the poem often attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson:
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
Beautiful, truly. However, I believe this needs to be paired with the ending of my favorite Bible book, Ecclesiastes:
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."
Realizing that none of us could withstand such a judgment and therefore must be saved by the Lord Jesus Christ, for we are not "basically good" as the humanist's like to suggest, rather, our hearts are "desperately wicked, who could know [them]?" For "we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. BUT GOD, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace we are saved."
We must be careful indeed how we define success.
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 6:37 AM EST
Thursday, December 6, 2012
LIFE Business: Building Compensated Communities
In this article, Orrin Woodward shares his thoughts on Compensated Communities. Learning is great and earning is great, but imagine how powerful the LIFE Business is when it combines the best learning with the best earning. It almost seems crazy to think about. For instance, imagine if universities, instead of taking tens of thousands of dollars per year, paid people tens of thousands of dollars per year to learn. How much more learning would be accomplished when there is a direct reward for learning and leading? This is the LIFE Business first year results were so impressive. Here is Orrin's article.
Social Capital
During the Progressive Era, L. J. Hanifan, a practical reformer and visionary, defined a new conceptual invention, terming it “social capital,” writing:
. . . those tangible substances that count for most in the daily lives of people: namely good will, fellowship, sympathy, and social intercourse among the individuals and families who make up a social unit. . . . The individual is helpless socially, if left to himself. . . . If he comes into contact with his neighbor, and they with other neighbors, there will be an accumulation of social capital, which may immediately satisfy his social needs and which may bear a social potentiality sufficient to the substantial improvement of living conditions in the whole community. The community as a whole will benefit by the cooperation of all its parts, while the individual will find in his associations the advantages of the help, the sympathy, and the fellowship of his neighbors.
Tribes of Trust
Hanifan’s social capital, in networking, is built through “tribes of trust.” Leaders build trust within the tribe and trust builds a culture of reciprocity (the Golden Rule) within the community. Reciprocity creates speed within the tribe, because people learn that deposits made into the community will be reciprocated, even without a ledger account. The tribe, in other words, through building trust, creates a culture of reciprocity, which, like a tide raising all ships, lifts everyone within the tribe. Yogi Berra’s defined reciprocity by saying, “If you don’t go to his funeral, he won’t go to yours.” Perhaps a better definition is from Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone, “A society characterized by generalized reciprocity is more efficient than a distrustful society, for the same reason that money is more efficient than barter. If we don’t have to balance every exchange instantly, we can get a lot more accomplished. Trustworthiness lubricates life. Frequent interaction among a diverse set of people tends to produce a norm of generalized reciprocity.”
The best compensated community builders, therefore, build “tribes of trust” where reciprocity flows throughout the organization. Trust produces reciprocity, which builds speed and growth. The fastest growing tribes have leaders who serve their communities, trusting that this service will be reciprocated. In fact, its the leaders who must initiate the service model to others. When the tribe sees the leaders example, it reciprocates service throughout the organization. Those who serve, in other words, deserve. Leaders without the tribe’s trust will not maintain their following. Abraham Lincoln aptly stated, “You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all of the time.” When the tribes discovers the leader isn’t authentic, the culture reverts to the all too familiar selfish motives.
Those Who Serve, Deserve
Unfortunately, networking is filled with examples of fast growing communities which eventually crash and burn. For when leaders forget that tribes are not sheep to be sheared, but rather people to be served, the crash is imminent. Great leaders are servants, period. Servant leaders achieve results when their groups reciprocate the love invested unconditionally into them. The tribe serves others, not by compulsion, but through compassion. Effectively, people respond in kind when they experience the time deposits from the leaders. Not surprisingly, the level of reciprocation is equivalent to the level of leadership currently inside of the person. For example, a true leader isn’t going to remain passive when multiple deposits are made into his life and business by up-line leaders.
Culture of Reciprocity
In essence, the best kept secret in community building is its culture of reciprocity. With the breakdown of family, friendship, and faith throughout Western Society, compensated community building tribes provide a sense of belonging and safety for thousands of previously isolated people. Compensated communities isn’t just a way to make money, its a force for good in a world declining from lack of community. Most people feel something is missing in their life, even though few understand the angst traces back to lack of community roots. Putnam, again, emphasizes this point, “Social capital turns out to have forceful, even quantifiable effects on many different aspects of our lives. What is at stake is not merely warm, cuddly feeling or frissons of community pride. We shall review hard evidence that our schools and neighborhoods don’t work so well when community bonds slacken, that our economy, our democracy, and even our health and happiness depend on adequate stocks of social capital.”
Compensated Communities: Have Fun, Make Money, and Make a Difference
A healthy compensated community tribe has three attributes:
1. Tribes have fun
2. Tribes makes money
3. Tribes makes a difference
Having fun and making money are different sides of the same coin. In truth, the tribes making the most money seem to have the most fun. Remember, people join the tribe for many reasons, with most members never intending to become wealthy. Instead, they join because of the the fun and fellowship offered within the community. Strikingly, more people quit communities due to hurt feelings than from lack of profit. Tribal leaders must never forget this point. Make joining the community fun and a person will never lack volunteers who desire association with the tribe. People aren’t looking for another job, but would love to find a fun-loving community who are accomplishing something with their lives.
Ultimately, the real goal of community building should be to make a difference. Having fun and making money are great, but unless people grow personally, the tribal experience will seem shallow. One of the greatest joys for leaders is when a teammate has a personal breakthrough. Perhaps he was struggling with his marriage, blaming his wife for the situation. However, through reading, listening and association, he realizes it wasn’t his wife, but his attitude that created the problem. Typically, truths are discovered in communities through comparing a person’s life to the examples around him, not being hit upside the head by his leader. Community building, done properly, provides a fun-loving tribe of purpose-driven encouragers for people to experience acceptance and belonging. Over time, the new community’s models of servant leadership give a person permission and the courage to confront and change himself. Essentially, compensated communities are a platform for people to have fun, make money, and make a difference. What a noble profession we belong to. Sincerely, Orrin Woodward
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 7:52 AM EST
Updated: Thursday, December 6, 2012 7:58 AM EST
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Society: State or Community Led?
Orrin Woodward shares his thoughts on society. Should it be led the the State or Communities? In other words, involuntary or voluntary? The LIFE Business is a group of entrepreneurs that believe in freedom and the right for people to be rewarded based upon their efforts. Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady are NY Times best-selling authors and teach freedom to tens of thousands around North America. What dream do you have in your heart that the LIFE Business could help bring out?
The Desire For Community
The more I read, the more I realize the true secret to success in business and life is related to the strength of relationships within a person’s community. The myth of rugged isolated individualism, although enduring, is, in truth, only a myth. Economic, educational, even political effectiveness are all improved when people work together. Please don’t misunderstand me, I haven’t turned to economic communism; however, I do comprehend better than previously how so many people have been drawn into this evil illogical doctrine. Specifically, most people, if given the choice between being alone or in community, will choose community, even if the association is Biblically wrong, thus communism’s growth. In fact, a cursory look at organizations as diverse as communism, the mafia, and gangs will exhibit the enduring need for community.
If community is essential to human beings, then the question is: How do we incorporate community into a society without sacrificing life, liberty, and property? Since liberty cannot exist where the State dictates, the idea of community and freedom precludes State control. Therefore, free communities are misnomers unless they are voluntary organizations. However, although the non-involvement of the State is essential, it isn’t sufficient to create community. The other side of the equation is for people to learn how to work within a community setting. Consequently, the atomistic rugged individualism of American myth must be replaced by men and women who work within a Biblical framework of ordered liberty and love. In other words, the greedy, self-centered capitalist is not a true picture of a free-enterprise Biblical community. In fact, this caricature of American freedoms pinpoints what is plaguing America – the loss of community roots and liberty (Social Power), instead, replaced by today’s (State Power) crony capitalism.
State Power vs Social Power
Murray Rothbard, the late dean of Austrian Economists, wrote in Conceived in Liberty:
My own basic perspective on the history of man, and a fortiori on the history of the United States, is to place central importance on the great conflict which is eternally waged between Liberty and Power, a conflict, by the way, which was seen with crystal clarity by the American revolutionaries of the eighteenth century. I see the liberty of the individual not only as a great moral good in itself (or, with Lord Acton, as the highest political good), but also as the necessary condition for the flowering of all other goods that mankind cherishes: moral virtue, civilization, the arts and sciences, economic prosperity. Out of liberty, then, stem the glories of civilized life. But liberty has always been threatened by the encroachments of power, power which seeks to suppress, control, cripple, tax, and exploit the fruits of liberty and production. Power, then, the enemy of liberty, is consequently the enemy of all the other goods and fruits of civilization that mankind holds dear. And power is almost always centered in and focused on the central repository of power and violence: the state. With Albert Jay Nock, the twentieth-century American political philosopher, I see history as centrally a race and conflict between “social power” — the productive consequence of voluntary interactions among men — and state power. In those eras of history when liberty — social power — has managed to race ahead of state power and control, the country and even mankind have flourished. In those eras when state power has managed to catch up with or surpass social power, mankind suffers and declines.
In sum, wherever State Power flourishes, Social Power declines. Thankfully, however, the reverse is true as well. By standing on the intellectual shoulders of both Nock and Rothbard, we see that societies can be organized around two competing philosophical choices:
1. State Power: Top down external discipline and the subsequent loss of liberty endured.
2. Social Power: Bottom up internal discipline and the subsequent ordered liberty enjoyed.
Restoring Social Power – Volunteer Communities
The first option (State Power) is the real-life history of America since around the Civil War, with State Power moving ahead and Social Power in subsequent decline. Since 1913, however, the battle has become a full-fledged drubbing, with State Powers triumphing in the Federal Reserve Act, the Federal Income Tax amendment, and the democratic election of Senators. In truth, it’s hard to fathom a worse mix of legislation (as related to Social Power) in one year, in one country, than what occurred in America in that disastrous year of 1913. In other words, 1913 wasn’t just (to use Oliver DeMille’s term) a freedom shift, it was a freedom rout. DeMille’s soon-to-be-released book 1913 will elaborate further on these fateful events.
The second option (Social Power) is America’s (and the West’s) best hope for freedom. America needs a community restoration, starting, not from the top down (State Power), but rather, from the bottom up (Social Power), in order to revitalize America. Social Power is fueled by social capital – a sociological concept which refers to the value of social relations and the role of cooperation and confidence to get collective results in any endeavor – to paraphrase Robert Putnam, in is classic Bowling Alone. Putnam explains the key role of social capital, “A society characterized by generalized reciprocity is more efficient than a distrustful society, for the same reason that money is more efficient than barter. If we don’t have to balance every exchange instantly, we can get a lot more accomplished. Trustworthiness lubricates life. Frequent interaction among a diverse set of people tends to produce a norm of generalized reciprocity.” Furthermore, Putnam argues, “Does social capital have salutary effects on individuals, communities, or even entire nations? Yes, an impressive and growing body of research suggest that civic connections help make us healthy, wealthy, and wise. Living without social capital is not easy, whether one is a villager in southern Italy or a poor person in the American inner city or a well-heeled entrepreneur in a high-tech district.” Social capital matters, in other words, both personally, professionally, and politically.
Converting Dreams into Realities Through Communities
Putnam goes on to list five specific areas where the trust and understanding inured by social capital helps translate aspirations into realities:
1. Social capital allows citizens to resolve collective problems more easily through improved teamwork.
2. Social capital greases the wheels that allow communities to advance smoothly through improved trust.
3. Social capital helps widen the awareness of fellow citizens that their fates are intertwined through improved understanding.
4. Social capital serves as conduits for the flow of helpful information and resources to accomplish community and individual goals.
5. Social capital improves individual lives through psychological and biological processes. In fact, numerous studies suggest lives that are rich in social capital cope with trauma and illnesses significantly more effectively.
Despite social capital’s overwhelming advantages, Putnam acknowledges its decline, writing, “Americans have had a growing sense at some visceral level of disintegrating social bonds.” Furthermore, he writes, “More than 80% of Americans said there should be more emphasis on community, even if it puts more demands on individuals.” In sum, social capital isn’t just the fuel for Social Power – a necessary check on State Power – but it also enhances individual lives through the sense of belonging engendered within communities. Strikingly, then, the decline of social capital, not only attacks society’s freedoms, but also attacks an individual’s well-being. Simply put, America cannot remain free without a revival of Social Power through building social capital in voluntary communities. With so much at stake, why aren’t more people focused on restoring voluntary communities throughout America and the West? That question will be answered in further articles on Social Power and communities. Sincerely, Orrin Woodward
Posted by OrrinWoodward
at 7:52 AM EST
Updated: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 7:59 AM EST
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