The Business of Making Bread

There are very few things as delicious as fresh baked bread from the oven.

I'm reading Tom Barrett's Dare to Dream and Work to Win (www.daretodream.net) which is about making a different kind of bread, but the parallels are worth commentary.

From Chapter 2 SUCCESS: IT'S NO ACCIDENT

Dr. Barrett is amazed that we can remember our checklist when leaving the house, but forget our dreams, the one big thing that puts our day in perspective.

Ever wonder why some people do well in network marketing and for others, it just doesn't pan out? The answers for Barrett lie in attitudes, beliefs, insights, skills of each individual and FOUR INGREDIENTS for success he suggests you MEMORIZE.

The Four Ingredients for Success

WARNING: these don't look very exciting. Don't be fooled by looks.

1. Determine what you want.
2. Decide what you are willing to reschedule or give up in order to get what you want.
3. Associate with people who will help you get what you want.
4. Have a plan that works; work your plan.

Sound eerily like some of Jack Canfield's chapters from The Success Principles? It's because these are the foundation for all success.
Hello!

Ingredients for bread aren't very exciting either... flour, water, yeast, sugar. BORING! But I go a long way for good bread... Boring ingredients don't mean the end result isn't worth waiting for!

I love how he says that there are always times when we experience being tired, frustrated and filled with doubt. Those are the times we are acutely aware of how hard the work seems and how much easier it would be to just quit. We ask ourselves "Why am I doing this?" in such moments. It's best to have our why written down and nearby to read, remember and keep our focus in such moments. Perhaps that's why there's an entire TEAM in the birthing room. When it gets too hard for the mother and she says she's quitting, someone helps her stay focused and gets us all born!


The first difficult lesson Barrett reveals is full of truth and wisdom. Pay attention because it's hard to swallow but good for you. Many people have literally spent their lives being told what to do, when to do it, and how to do it and are disoriented and overwhelmed at the thought of living by internal motivation. Some realize they need more self-discipline and goal setting; others never face it when they get into direct sales or network marketing.

Most of us share our business out of genuine enthusiasm and love. We want this to work for others, too. And here is the first difficult lesson to learn: You cannot want this business for people more than they want it for themselves. You have honored them with your invitation, but until they envision it themselves, Dr. Barrett says "you are wasting your time." Tough words, but true. Ouch. That's why it's a tough lesson. Surely we can change them somehow, we think, get them to see what we see. That's how we linger with them, dragging them along like dead weight, hoping they'll start creating their own momentum. "Move on," Dr. Barrett coaches. Wait for them to be motivated to take responsibility for their own dreams, and then you can support and teach them...

One has to wait for yeast to rise and do its leavening work. You cannot rush it along. Warm the water too much and you kill it instantly. It must do its own work or you're left with unleavened bread, flat, sometimes dense, but still usable for some things. Mix the bread ingredients, then cover and let rise. Each has to do its part.

Countless people will express interest in our business. Every wonder why they never sign up? It's not the price of the kit, Barrett says, so much as the price of the effort. They love the idea of having extra income and gag on the effort required. They'll have some regrets when they see you successfully moving forward in your life and they're still in the same ol' spot. But they'll just conclude that you got lucky. Barrett says it will never occur to them that you actually worked your business. Duh!

A clear dream does two things for us, says Dr. Barrett: it gives us perspective and perseverance! A fresh-baked loaf of bread gives us two things: sustenance and hope for more at the next meal!

Dreams, like the first rising of yeast bread, can be full of holes. That's why we punch down the dough and make it rise again. Each rising produces a finer grain bread. Let us not begrudge those who try to punch holes in our dreams. Rise again, and the effort will produce an even finer dream.

"If you don't have a dream, and if you have no real desire to see your life circumstances change,
then don't bother getting involved with network marketing.
This is a business only for those fortunate people who still have a dream."
Dr. Tom Barrett