CHAPTER 1
A Glimpse into How It All Started
The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness. — Lao Tzu
If you can look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow and which will not, speak then unto me. — William Shakespeare
I'm a Christian, so I go to church regularly. On one occasion, the pastor said that King Solomon had asked God for wisdom and understanding and that God had given him not only the wisdom he asked for but also wealth. I followed the advice my pastor gave me, and I started seeking God. My determination and curiosity allowed my spiritual mind to develop, even though the seed I sowed didn't produce anything immediately.
Much like a real plant, spiritual growth takes time. It may take months before the ground thaws enough for results to be seen. Even if the situation doesn't seem so at first, things will eventually come to fruition, though perhaps not in the way you intended them to flourish.
The seed I planted didn't turn out the way I anticipated. While others were reaping a bountiful harvest, my seed was just still a seed, and it seemed that planting it had been a fruitless effort. Things weren't happening the way I thought they should. I looked back and searched within myself to see where I had gone wrong or what I had neglected to do. I discovered that my understanding and ideas were flawed; I was being pulled in a new direction. The road I was on was unfamiliar and not one I would have chosen on my own.
• Growth takes time. Even if the situation doesn't seem so at first, things will eventually come to fruition.
There Are Consequences When You Ask
No one is in control of your happiness but you; therefore, you have the power to change anything about yourself or your life that you want to change. — Barbara De Angelis, author
I once had a business partner whom I trusted because we had been friends for seventeen years. He encouraged and inspired me to go to church. We worked to build the clothing store we owned and to create a positive reputation for it.
After I planted the seed, I prayed for wisdom and understanding. At work the situation became complicated; my business partner and I started to have problems. The disagreement was irreconcilable, so we decided to part ways. He was supposed to buy out my half of the business. After our partnership ended, I waited, but I never heard from him. He never came through on his promise to pay me for my half of the business.
Soon after dealing with my ex-business partner, a sister at church came up to me and gave me a book called The Secret. As I read The Secret, I became aware that I am the power. I realized how I had built successful businesses in the past and that my inner strength could enable me to do so again.
The book made me aware of the power that was always there — the riches within me. That's how I started on my journey — by studying and applying these books to my life; this is how I saw results. I came to understand that human beings need to plant the seed of wealth so that the harvest can follow and so we may reap what we sow.
While reading The Secret, I also slowly came to a realization, and I started seeking God in a more earnest manner. I learned that there are abundant resources in the universe and that we need to let go of one thing to embrace another. I recognized that I needed to walk away from the business with my friend. There's always something more, another opportunity waiting — you just need to have faith to claim it.
The Secret has done a lot for me. It enlightened me and gave me a better understanding of how to apply my faith to my life. If I possessed faith, I could be anything. The book asked me whether I wanted to be a millionaire, and my answer was yes; I decided to be a millionaire. Then my studies began.
• You're the power.
• Plant the seed of wealth for the harvest to follow.
• Release what isn't working; there is another opportunity waiting.
The Method
It is the food which you furnish to your mind that determines the whole character of your life.
— Emmet Fox
When the solution is simple, God is answering.
— Albert Einstein
You can make positive deposits in your own economy every day by reading and listening to powerful, positive, life-changing content and by associating with encouraging and hope-building people.
— Zig Ziglar, master motivator
It isn't necessary to be religious for positive thought to work, but spirituality helps in all things. The Bible is my navigation system; it is my guiding light. I rely on what is written in the Bible because what has kept me going forward in difficult times is my faith in God and the promises I have from the universe.
I watched the business I'd had with my partner from the sidelines. It didn't do well after I left — which taught me that whatever energy and thought you put out into the universe will be reflected back. I was the person who'd helped the business grow, and I'd been the one responsible for the business turning a generous profit.
When I left that partnership, I didn't know how I was going to make it. I had no clear direction in life; I didn't know where I was going or what I wanted to do next, but I didn't let that deter me. Because of what I went through then, I'm now the owner of the Millionaire Mindset Club. It was no easy feat, and I had to go through a lot before I got to where I am now.
For four years, I locked myself up and researched, reading one book after another on prosperity and wealth. After reading Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich, a good friend gave me $40,000. With this money I opened a boutique not too far from my previous store, in an area my friends and I called "the desert" because it was like the middle of nowhere, a residential area with slow business. I knew I had to do something, or else I would see this new endeavor fail before it had even had a chance to succeed. I sat down and got my think tank going.
One morning I decided to go door-to-door. I dressed professionally and started walking around the neighborhood. I knocked on every door, and I told everyone I was a black female entrepreneur and that I would love it if he or she would come check out my new store. I also handed out fliers to everyone I saw everywhere I went. I was passionate about the outcome of my business, and this showed.
I never back down from challenges. I'm someone who persists until the end. Within a few days, all that hard work paid off as my business began to boom. Soon after that several stores opened in the area because I had set the trend. My store was a success!
I had worked in retail for most of my life. When I arrived in the United States of America, I worked in a men's clothing store a Jewish family owned. I ended up renting the property from them; it was my first business. My thoughts became positive things as I attracted the business to myself. I had always seen myself owning a business. When the Jewish family returned to the country, they gave me the opportunity to buy the store, so my partner and I took the offer.
My retail experience taught me that satisfying customers' needs is necessary. A surefire way to meet a customer's needs is to talk to them. By making a customer feel welcome and...
