Confession: I am not a Isagenix Millionaire, nor am I striving to become one (although I reserve the right to become one in future). I do use some Isagenix products (Isalean bars mainly). My wife, who is a health professional, does endorse and enroll people in Isagenix but this is not her primary focus just a side income.
Over the past two years I have been in touch directly and indirectly with a lot of people who are involved in Isagenix. There are some people who I introduced to the products when I was actively involved who are still using the products and there are many who are not. There are people who started before (or after) I did who are still involved in the business side of Isagenix and there are many who are not. This has given me some unbiased perspective over the last couple years on if the claims of becoming a millionaire by Isagenix are, in fact, true or not.
In my personal experience, I can say very confidently, it is, in fact, True. However, I cannot said with any certainty at all if it is true for you. I have seen it happen to at least one person I know, have met others it happened to and know many others well on their way to that goal. It is absolutely, one hundred percent possible to earn a million dollars by selling and enrolling people in Isagenix.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Monday, April 1, 2013
Refocusing my efforts
One of my challenges is staying focused on what's really important. I tend to start one thing and a week or two later want to start something else. I have a ton of great ideas and I want to work on ALL of them but it's just not an efficient or effective use of my time and energy.
I listed a bunch of projects I was working on in my last post and promised to refocus and let you know my results.
So I reviewed my yearly goals statement, my life mission (to Lead, Love and Literate) and applied the 80/20 rule (give 80% of my time/energy into the 20% of things that will produce the most powerful results).
Having done that, I whittled my list down to:
Getting my Isecas the Dream Cat books published.
These two books are finished and just need to be sent off to some publishers. Selling one or both of them could net me some (relatively) quick cash and be a huge moral boost.
Drive NEW traffic to my wife's site.
Again, this is already set up to make money but is basically selling to a stale list. We need to find creative ways and new partnerships to get fresh eyes on the site to drive sell-through.
I'm still committed to refreshing/enhancing and making this site profitable but it's not revenue generating NOW and getting to a point of generating a meaningful amount of cash will take some time. So at the moment it can't be a primary focus.
As always I'll keep you guys up to date on my progress and experiences.
Preston
I listed a bunch of projects I was working on in my last post and promised to refocus and let you know my results.
So I reviewed my yearly goals statement, my life mission (to Lead, Love and Literate) and applied the 80/20 rule (give 80% of my time/energy into the 20% of things that will produce the most powerful results).
Having done that, I whittled my list down to:
Getting my Isecas the Dream Cat books published.
These two books are finished and just need to be sent off to some publishers. Selling one or both of them could net me some (relatively) quick cash and be a huge moral boost.
Drive NEW traffic to my wife's site.
Again, this is already set up to make money but is basically selling to a stale list. We need to find creative ways and new partnerships to get fresh eyes on the site to drive sell-through.
I'm still committed to refreshing/enhancing and making this site profitable but it's not revenue generating NOW and getting to a point of generating a meaningful amount of cash will take some time. So at the moment it can't be a primary focus.
As always I'll keep you guys up to date on my progress and experiences.
Preston
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Finding my Focus
This is something that I'm working on right now.
If I spend as much time focusing on my blog as I do giving my opinion on things that matter nothing in life on the internet (see yesterday's post) I'd easily have 2-3 blog posts a day!
Right now though my focus is scattered all over the place. I'm writing a book (Dillon's Dilemma), sending two others out for publishers to review (Isecas the Dream Cat, Isecas and the River Nile), posting on this site www.thecuphalffull.com, looking at Wordpress.org versus other options, reviewing a book, helping my wife redo her website www.healthybydesignprogram.com, helping her with her new venture Fitness By Design, finding other blogs to partner with, attending a medical clinic to make some easy extra money (I'm here now in fact even though it's Easter weekend and I wish I was at home helping my wife prepare), my day job, my family (which is another area I need more specific focus), church commitments, I've auditioned for a part in a play (which I must blog about) and life's usual assortment of things that must be done.
As you can I've spread myself thin and am constantly on my own case for why I haven't gotten more done in each individual area.
What I really need to do is to set myself down and refresh my goals. Once I re-clarify what my goals are, I need to put them in order of importance, apply the 80/20 rule (80 percent of my time goes to the 20 percent of goals that will produce the greatest results), break them down in monthly, weekly and DAILY activities and determine what habits I need to be developing to achieve those goals.
That is of course a great idea, and I'm committing myself here to getting that done by Monday April 1st (tomorrow is a right off as it's a packed day with family / church Easter activities).
So we'll see you Monday with my results.
If I spend as much time focusing on my blog as I do giving my opinion on things that matter nothing in life on the internet (see yesterday's post) I'd easily have 2-3 blog posts a day!
Right now though my focus is scattered all over the place. I'm writing a book (Dillon's Dilemma), sending two others out for publishers to review (Isecas the Dream Cat, Isecas and the River Nile), posting on this site www.thecuphalffull.com, looking at Wordpress.org versus other options, reviewing a book, helping my wife redo her website www.healthybydesignprogram.com, helping her with her new venture Fitness By Design, finding other blogs to partner with, attending a medical clinic to make some easy extra money (I'm here now in fact even though it's Easter weekend and I wish I was at home helping my wife prepare), my day job, my family (which is another area I need more specific focus), church commitments, I've auditioned for a part in a play (which I must blog about) and life's usual assortment of things that must be done.
As you can I've spread myself thin and am constantly on my own case for why I haven't gotten more done in each individual area.
What I really need to do is to set myself down and refresh my goals. Once I re-clarify what my goals are, I need to put them in order of importance, apply the 80/20 rule (80 percent of my time goes to the 20 percent of goals that will produce the greatest results), break them down in monthly, weekly and DAILY activities and determine what habits I need to be developing to achieve those goals.
That is of course a great idea, and I'm committing myself here to getting that done by Monday April 1st (tomorrow is a right off as it's a packed day with family / church Easter activities).
So we'll see you Monday with my results.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Are Video Games a Tool of the Devil?
I'm going to share this from a deeply personal level in the hope that others who share most or part of this story can take an honest look at their own lives and behaviours and ask themselves, 'Is this what I really want? Or is this done to distract and deny me my own potential?'
I've been really struggling with writing this post. In part because I don't want my fellow video game fans to think I'm hating on their favorite past-time. I'm not. I love video games, or more specifically the gamer scene and that is the problem.
What was once a temporary diversion to fill the dead space in between real life activities or a forum to enjoy real life social interaction, has become a rather ridiculous habit that does nothing to add real value to my life.
The devil has taken something innocuous and enjoyable and used it as a tool against me as the devil so often tends to do. Video games are not in and of themselves evil. Sure some are indeed overtly violent or even deal in demonic themes but for every Call of Duty or Doom there is an Angry Birds or Wii Sports. The games themselves are not the problem, it is in how we use them.
There are two forces ever-present in our lives, even if we remain blithefully oblivious to them.
First there is the presence of the Holy Spirit, there to guide us to our God-given destiny. A life of love, purpose and a peace beyond understanding - which we all struggle to arrive at. The spirit whispers to us and we need to learn to attune ourselves to hear it.
Second there is the devil, always looking for ways to delay or deny us from ever achieving that destiny and from ever fulfilling that purpose. The enemy is loud, attention seeking and forever promising fun, ease and a simpler - if less fulfilling - way.
In a more down-to-Earth sense, there are those things that more you towards your desired goals and those things that move you away. I don't think this is an issue of debate for anyone.
And unless you work in the games industry there is no real debate on where games themselves fall. There are a distraction. That is not a crime and can at times feel like a blessing but when we have people who identify themselves as 'gamers', who play for hours a day, who constantly read up on the lastest news on the latest upcoming games, who spend countless more hours on forums discussing and arguing over those same games and game systems, buying more games than they can actually play, creating a backlog of unfinished games and even a backlog games that have never even been opened or played; we need to step back and reassess.
I myself have fallen into this trap. While I don't actually spend a lot of time playing, two to three hours a week, I spend far, far too much time reading and discussing games and the industry on the net. Yes, I enjoy it. But is it harmless?
If you identify yourself as a gamer add up the amount of time you spend reading about, discussing, shopping for, and playing games. Now answer this: If you took that same time, money, energy and passion and devoted it over however many years you've been a gamer to some worth while cause - be it writing a book, starting a business, finding a life partner, helping others, advancing your career, getting a higher education or whatever else seems good to you - where would you be in life right now?
For myself, I probably spend about 30 minutes playing either at home on or my smartphone - yes it counts - an hour reading game related news and about three or four hours on forums in pointless debate over how games and games systems are going to do. That's about five hours a day. Effortless hours as I do it for fun and do not consider it work, but it is, work is involved, it's just effort without lasting reward. I'd estimate I've spend about $2,000.00 over the last six years on games and game accessories - and that's only because I'm notoriously cheap and spent an average of $20 per game. And yes, I have an enormous backlog that eventually had to be excused as a 'collection' because I probably won't live long enough to finish them all.
$2,000 over six years isn't really a great deal of money and at best might have paid for some evening college courses. Five hours a day though, over six years? That is a tremendous amount of lost potential. I could have written and gotten published multiple books. If I applied that to my Isagenix business I'd be a millionaire by now. This is a little disingenuous though as much of that wasted time is wasted at work, killing time waiting for something to do. Yes, I am highly under-employed. No I'm not complaining, but it is not the benefit you might think, rather it is a dreadful bore. Regardless, even if some of that time was put to focused thought on how to improve my life, daily, there is no doubt that I would be living a higher quality of life than I am now. And I spend those five hours obeying the holy spirit? It brings tears to my eyes to know the difference not only to my life, but to my kids and to countless others lives if I had acted with that same passion, and effortless joy to what the spirit bade me to do.
I've always considering my habit 'harmless' but now the spirit has revealed to me the truth. That it has a very real cost. Time that I cannot reclaim (but for the grace of God) opportunities lost, bad habits past on to my children and aiding and abiding others in there own unhealthy gaming passions.
What saddens me further is knowing, from my years on forums there are countless others who spend far more time playing, far more time on forums discussing and far more money buying games than I. To them I am a 'casual' gamer for they are the 'core'. I am not better than they, only more blessed by having other demands on my time and money.
If you identify or relate to what I'm saying, then do as I have started doing. Rebuking that devil! Now when I feel tempted to read about what's happening in the gaming scene, or log-on to a gaming forum or look to see what sale there might be on games (like I need another one) I rebuking the devil for trying to waste my time, my money, my passion and my life. Instead I the holy spirit and what God would have me doing at that moment.
I am not perfect at it. Out of habit I still find myself 'taking a peek' but I am getting better, the urge is getting less, the passion for the games and moreover the gaming culture is dwindling and I am able to focus on more meaningful things. Things that are better my life, my families lives and hopefully, God willing, yours as well.
I've been really struggling with writing this post. In part because I don't want my fellow video game fans to think I'm hating on their favorite past-time. I'm not. I love video games, or more specifically the gamer scene and that is the problem.
What was once a temporary diversion to fill the dead space in between real life activities or a forum to enjoy real life social interaction, has become a rather ridiculous habit that does nothing to add real value to my life.
The devil has taken something innocuous and enjoyable and used it as a tool against me as the devil so often tends to do. Video games are not in and of themselves evil. Sure some are indeed overtly violent or even deal in demonic themes but for every Call of Duty or Doom there is an Angry Birds or Wii Sports. The games themselves are not the problem, it is in how we use them.
There are two forces ever-present in our lives, even if we remain blithefully oblivious to them.
First there is the presence of the Holy Spirit, there to guide us to our God-given destiny. A life of love, purpose and a peace beyond understanding - which we all struggle to arrive at. The spirit whispers to us and we need to learn to attune ourselves to hear it.
Second there is the devil, always looking for ways to delay or deny us from ever achieving that destiny and from ever fulfilling that purpose. The enemy is loud, attention seeking and forever promising fun, ease and a simpler - if less fulfilling - way.
In a more down-to-Earth sense, there are those things that more you towards your desired goals and those things that move you away. I don't think this is an issue of debate for anyone.
And unless you work in the games industry there is no real debate on where games themselves fall. There are a distraction. That is not a crime and can at times feel like a blessing but when we have people who identify themselves as 'gamers', who play for hours a day, who constantly read up on the lastest news on the latest upcoming games, who spend countless more hours on forums discussing and arguing over those same games and game systems, buying more games than they can actually play, creating a backlog of unfinished games and even a backlog games that have never even been opened or played; we need to step back and reassess.
I myself have fallen into this trap. While I don't actually spend a lot of time playing, two to three hours a week, I spend far, far too much time reading and discussing games and the industry on the net. Yes, I enjoy it. But is it harmless?
If you identify yourself as a gamer add up the amount of time you spend reading about, discussing, shopping for, and playing games. Now answer this: If you took that same time, money, energy and passion and devoted it over however many years you've been a gamer to some worth while cause - be it writing a book, starting a business, finding a life partner, helping others, advancing your career, getting a higher education or whatever else seems good to you - where would you be in life right now?
For myself, I probably spend about 30 minutes playing either at home on or my smartphone - yes it counts - an hour reading game related news and about three or four hours on forums in pointless debate over how games and games systems are going to do. That's about five hours a day. Effortless hours as I do it for fun and do not consider it work, but it is, work is involved, it's just effort without lasting reward. I'd estimate I've spend about $2,000.00 over the last six years on games and game accessories - and that's only because I'm notoriously cheap and spent an average of $20 per game. And yes, I have an enormous backlog that eventually had to be excused as a 'collection' because I probably won't live long enough to finish them all.
$2,000 over six years isn't really a great deal of money and at best might have paid for some evening college courses. Five hours a day though, over six years? That is a tremendous amount of lost potential. I could have written and gotten published multiple books. If I applied that to my Isagenix business I'd be a millionaire by now. This is a little disingenuous though as much of that wasted time is wasted at work, killing time waiting for something to do. Yes, I am highly under-employed. No I'm not complaining, but it is not the benefit you might think, rather it is a dreadful bore. Regardless, even if some of that time was put to focused thought on how to improve my life, daily, there is no doubt that I would be living a higher quality of life than I am now. And I spend those five hours obeying the holy spirit? It brings tears to my eyes to know the difference not only to my life, but to my kids and to countless others lives if I had acted with that same passion, and effortless joy to what the spirit bade me to do.
I've always considering my habit 'harmless' but now the spirit has revealed to me the truth. That it has a very real cost. Time that I cannot reclaim (but for the grace of God) opportunities lost, bad habits past on to my children and aiding and abiding others in there own unhealthy gaming passions.
What saddens me further is knowing, from my years on forums there are countless others who spend far more time playing, far more time on forums discussing and far more money buying games than I. To them I am a 'casual' gamer for they are the 'core'. I am not better than they, only more blessed by having other demands on my time and money.
If you identify or relate to what I'm saying, then do as I have started doing. Rebuking that devil! Now when I feel tempted to read about what's happening in the gaming scene, or log-on to a gaming forum or look to see what sale there might be on games (like I need another one) I rebuking the devil for trying to waste my time, my money, my passion and my life. Instead I the holy spirit and what God would have me doing at that moment.
I am not perfect at it. Out of habit I still find myself 'taking a peek' but I am getting better, the urge is getting less, the passion for the games and moreover the gaming culture is dwindling and I am able to focus on more meaningful things. Things that are better my life, my families lives and hopefully, God willing, yours as well.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
I haven't forgotten you
Havn't posted in a few days and I just wanted to let you know that I'm still here and still working this blog.
So you have an idea of what's happening and to keep myself honest here is a list of things I'm currently doing to move this blog forward.
I am working on my most controversial blog post yet - it's also proving to be the most difficult. I know what I want to say but struggling to find the right 'voice' to say it.
I am reading a book which I will be doing a review on.
I am learning all about Wordpress to see if I want to move my blog - and my wife's website - over to it.
But to be honest, I could be doing more. I'm easily distracted and have plenty of things to distract me.
So let's set some goals:
My post to be up by tomorrow.
Review by end of next week.
Wordpress site up by next Wednesday (not live).
See you tomorrow.
Preston Squire
So you have an idea of what's happening and to keep myself honest here is a list of things I'm currently doing to move this blog forward.
I am working on my most controversial blog post yet - it's also proving to be the most difficult. I know what I want to say but struggling to find the right 'voice' to say it.
I am reading a book which I will be doing a review on.
I am learning all about Wordpress to see if I want to move my blog - and my wife's website - over to it.
But to be honest, I could be doing more. I'm easily distracted and have plenty of things to distract me.
So let's set some goals:
My post to be up by tomorrow.
Review by end of next week.
Wordpress site up by next Wednesday (not live).
See you tomorrow.
Preston Squire
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Give me your suggestions
I'm just digging around looking at different products / books / etc that I can review for you.
So far I'm looking at various things that will help you technically to improve your life. That is to say, manage stress, improve relations, improve finances, 'manage' time, etc. Nuts and bolts stuff. I will look at Christian based tools but I'm if there are better tools that aren't Christian-based then I'll focus on those.
Then there's the mental/emotional/spiritual side of things. Knowing the nuts and bolts may not help if you're stuck in a rut, like I was, and not effectively utilizing them.
However, I would love to hear from you, my readers, as to what you'd like me to review for you. Any products or books for self-inprovement that you're curious about but wondering if it's worth the money/time investment? Let me know and I'll try to review it for you. It certainly doesn't have to be Christian material and if you want me to review, something like 'The Secret' or other New Age material I will but you'll get a decidely Christian take on the material. If that's what you want, fine, suggest away.
Please post in the comments below or msg me at Prestonsquire@thecuphalffull.com
Thanks.
Loving regards,
Preston Squire
So far I'm looking at various things that will help you technically to improve your life. That is to say, manage stress, improve relations, improve finances, 'manage' time, etc. Nuts and bolts stuff. I will look at Christian based tools but I'm if there are better tools that aren't Christian-based then I'll focus on those.
Then there's the mental/emotional/spiritual side of things. Knowing the nuts and bolts may not help if you're stuck in a rut, like I was, and not effectively utilizing them.
However, I would love to hear from you, my readers, as to what you'd like me to review for you. Any products or books for self-inprovement that you're curious about but wondering if it's worth the money/time investment? Let me know and I'll try to review it for you. It certainly doesn't have to be Christian material and if you want me to review, something like 'The Secret' or other New Age material I will but you'll get a decidely Christian take on the material. If that's what you want, fine, suggest away.
Please post in the comments below or msg me at Prestonsquire@thecuphalffull.com
Thanks.
Loving regards,
Preston Squire
Friday, March 22, 2013
I'm Back!
When I first started my blog - TheCupHalfFull.com I was reading all sorts of self-help books and felt the need to 'give back' and share a lot of the great information I was learning.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11
Whether you've been visiting this blog for years or just discovering us now, sound off in the comments below and let me know how you feel about this new direction.
Loving Regards,
Preston Squire
At the time I felt the best way to help others would be to provide the information, that I had taken the time, effort and money to acquire, in easy to digest posts for free. Why should lack of money separate someone from the crucial bit of knowledge they need to succeed?
Over time my opinion on that changed. Part of that was from my own investment of a large sum of money to get a Life Coach to radically change my life. I had the coaching for a year, and while I discovered many things, two of the primary lessons I learned from that was: A) That I already knew pretty much everything there was to know about self help. I wasn't being told anything I didn't already know (aside for some insight into my own psyche) B) That KNOWING ISN'T ENOUGH. Despite KNOWING what to do, I still hadn't changed my life. What got me to start doing a lot of the things I knew, putting principals into actual daily consistent practice was the fact that I had spent the equivalent of a used car (money I couldn't afford and didn't have) to get this coaching and I was determined to get my money's worth (and hopefully turn my life around enough to re-coop that money).
If you are a long time reader, you'll know Life Coaching didn't provide the breakthroughs I so desperately sought. Those came from giving my life over to Christ and that was far more transformational than anything man could teach.
This made me view the blog very differently. Posting free information, no matter how good, how potentially life altering it was, wasn't doing my readers any good. They loved to read it, occasionally thank me for it or commented on it but because it they had gotten it without effort, they didn't actually apply it in any real meaningful way. They gave it the same value as they paid to get it. Virtually none. Plus, complete self-reliance is fundamentally flawed. A sick mind can't heal itself. God needed to be brought into the picture.
Nor was the blog doing me any good. It had been semi-therapeutic to write at first and a good practice to help maintain the knowledge I'd learn but it was still an investment of time that benefited me not at all. Knowing I was helping people had been payment enough, but once I felt I was actually short-changing them by reducing the value of the information to nothing, there was no incentive to continue.
My own transformation had also caused me to go away from some of the new-age stuff I had originally blogged on and become more Christ-centred and centric but I didn't feel biblically schooled enough to teach a Christian path. Nor did I want to exclude non-Christians from the truth. Or perhaps more accurately, I didn't want them to exclude themselves if I spoke of Christ.
So where am I now...?
My desire to give back has returned but now with more of a renewed sense of direction.
I am happy to share information freely but at the same time realize that some things must be earned in order to have value.
I am content and confident in my Christian walk enough to share it openly but I do not seek (nor will I bother too) preach to the choir. This blog is more for people who are desperately seeking to improve their life and are at least open to listening to how Christ - plus many practical do-it-yourself methods - can make a difference for them as it has for me and countless others.
I will review and occasionally endorse self help products, books, coaching etc from a Christian perspective. In time I intent to create some of my own. And yes, expect to pay for quality life enhancing products. As I said, some things must be earned. And I might indeed make a percentage of proceeds should you buy a reviewed product through my site. So in advance I thank you for choosing to pour back into my life by making such a purchase. I pledge to make and provide information on the very best products I can find that I TRULY feel will help, or could help if properly applied, my readers to make some changes in their lives. I will be trying each one out myself and will give a thorough, frank and honest assessment and let you know if it's right for you. Some things may be right for some folks but not others. If I see something that I feel is a scam, or hurtful or not-in-line with Christian principals I will alert you to that too.
I hope to make the site a lot more social and more open with lots of discussion. I fully expect people to ask questions about God. Or my thoughts on things like 'The Secret'. I expect some challenges. I welcome them. And I expect my Christian readers to welcome them as well. For if someone is coming to me and challenging God, then that means they are seeking answers. They may not yet be ready to actually receive them, but hopefully something I or another says will plant a seed that slowly takes root and in time flowers into a more abundant life for them. I have seen a great many people who were 'lost' and 'beyond help' be restored by God and become some of the most valuable members of society. We are all His children and He loves us all. It's only a matter of if you are open to receiving that love. Even some people in the church struggle with this.
I do not know everything and this will be as much as a learning experience for me as it is for others. I will be seeking answers and knowledge from those further ahead in life and in spirit than I (and from God, the bible, etc) and in turn, passing that on to those people who are still where I myself have been - struggling, broke, lonely, confused, frustrated, depressed, anxious, addicted and emotional bankrupt. I had endured them all for longer than I care to think about. Now I am on the other side. I am at peace, confident, loved, determined, breaking new ground and learning to live a life of excellence. If you are here with me, link arms and help me, if you are struggling to get to this point - keep coming back. We love you, and we (I) am committed to help you along your path.
In accordance with all this, look for a lot of changes to be happening to this site. I'll be moving it from Blogger to WordPress.org to have more flexibility. Changing the look and feel of the site. Doing more reviews, interviews, and working with others to bring my readers the very best I can. TheCupHalfFull will fulfill it's original design and become more social, having a Facebook site and forum - living up to it's tagline 'Inspiring Conversations'. In short - I'm not playing. I intent to make this site the very best I can, meaningful, impactful, inspiring, and inviting. I place I can live, figuratively and literally in a financial sense - so I can give this site the full time attention it deserves. A place you'll want to come back to day after day to learn more, be more and do more. A fellowship of people all committed to help one another grow. And an introduction to Christ, who He is and why you should seek Him to help you in your journey.
Every journey begins with a single step.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11
Whether you've been visiting this blog for years or just discovering us now, sound off in the comments below and let me know how you feel about this new direction.
Loving Regards,
Preston Squire
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