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I’ve found a photo of the exact car. One day, I’ll be making the owner an offer.

I was hanging out to buy some brown suede brogues, English country doctor shoes, to go with my brown suit. I rather like playing up the stuff conservative image, except the older I get, the fewer people see the post-modern irony in that image. Doh!

Anyhoo, I ended up buying some very plain, very cheap, very comfortable, brown lace-up shoes. They looked horrible, as though they’d been painted. But they are a great shape and fit.

So I took them home, wore them as is for a day, sure, people pulled faces at them. But then, folks, the magic… I polished my brown shoes with black polish.

This immediately transformed them. It gives them a slightly antique look. Now I’m alternating layers of black and brown, giving it a few days between polishes to make sure the last layer is as solid as possible. They look great!

I’ve realised that I was wanting to have an investment property to create cash flow.

It’s the other way round, duh! ONCE I’ve got cashflow (see my entry about Network 21) THEN I can get into property.

I’d like to make and entry about this, as I can see that the term “financial independence” is being used by some folks to mean “I earn my way with my own hard work”, while others are using it to mean “I don’t need to work any more”.

My goal is the second one. I’d urge anyone to read Robert Kiyosaki’s “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” and “Cash Flow Quadrant” to get clear about this. It’s like a secret hiding in plain sight.

I’ve been independent for years, but it’s only in the last few months that I’ve understood what financial freedom means, and how I’d need to change my thinking to achieve it. But I have changed my thinking, I’m acquiring a new education, and it’s paying off. I’m building assets that will continue to put money into my pocket when I’ve stopped building them, and I’m looking into giving up work (swapping my time for money) by the middle of 2008. In other words, I’ll have achieved more in 18 months that I did in the previous 30 years.

Taa-daa!!!

My major means of creating passive income is kicking in. My network marketing business is now making more money than my property investments.

To give you some idea, it took me thirty years to save up the money I’ve got invested in property. It’s taken me six months network marketing. Every cent I saved for property was money I had to find from somewhere. Every cent I’ve put into network marketing is money I was going to spend anyway! I seriously wish that I’d paid attention when I was first shown network marketing in 1981! Doh!

154 episodes of the most intelligent, inspiring, hope inducing show I’ve ever seen. This is why they invented TV. I’m going to watch the lot again from the beginning!

Well, beg pardon that it’s been a while, but I’ve been adventuring as well as building a business!

I went overseas, to Tel Aviv, to catch up with my beloved while she was visiting there too, then came back and had to move house almost immediately. That led to a long hiccup while I was disconnected from the web.

However, in the meantime the business continues to grow. I have started a second leg, which will build up to my making a little profit. At the moment, the returns are still low, but that is exactly as it should be at this point.

The thing is, it’s like crossing a mine-field. If I can see someone on the other side, and I follow in their footsteps, then I’ll be safe. So I’m doing that. The person who’s footsteps I’m in became financially free within 18 months. It’s now six months on from then and they have the income that you would usually expect to earn from have $1,000,000 invested.

Last weekend, I went to the Network 21 Regional Conference. An amazing event. There was about 20 minutes on products – which was eye opening as Amway are market leaders in the health and wellness world, and very big players in some of their other main product areas. But the rest of the weekend was all about personal development and how to create amazing opportunities for other people. It cannot work if you try to use people beneath you to get rich. It ONLY work by using those already above you, and they want you to use them and hard! It is so supportive. I love it. I’ve been in many different lines of work, and none have anything like the support structure or earnings potential of this.

Bloomin’ awesome!

Next payment dropped into my account, and it was exactly what I’d planned for. From now on, I’m not going to say any amounts, as that would be irresponsible, but suffice it to say that I’ve very glad that my upline was in the habit of listening for people who are looking for some extra income.

I’m in that habit now, and why wouldn’t I be? This is going to allow me to afford to move to the States and marry my girl!

So, if you’re reading this, could you use some extra income? It’s a no-brainer really!

Leave a comment if you’re interested.

I just made Leader’s Club. Network 21 is very strong on recognition, and has a variety of ways of achnowledging achievement. Today, I made Leader’s Club, which means that I have got 5 people personally registered as Amway IBOs.

The longer I’m involved, the more impressed I am with both Network 21 and Amway. Sure, there was a phase when people were less than professional about Amway, and it created a noxious reputation. But a 1982 Toyota Corolla is not a 2006 Toyota Corolla. Likewise Amway have learned and grown. Their products, their committment to quality, to health and wellness, to rewarding the effort of thier IBOs is remarkable. I have never known any employer look after their people as well, and they don’t even employ me.

This week, I also recieved my first check for a whopping $11.21! This represents a rebate on my spending of 3%, a little thank-you for having grown my little business to where it is in two short months.

This is the season in which I sow, the season in which I reap is coming. If I keep up this rate, judging by others who’ve done the same, I should have replaced my entire income by the middle of next year.

This goal is part of the mentoring I’m recieving. I have sell three things, anything at all, by 17th, or I don’t get my second session.

I have no idea what to sell. This guy is good – he pushes my buttons with both feet!

Ok, I’ve moved almost all of my available funds to be invested through a partner. He has a lot of experience with property, is currently playing with around $14,000,000 with a great team of project managers, builders, financiers, lawyers, and accountant, and is providing me with mentoring in wealth and property. He’s tough. He’s going to shift my habits. He won’t even let me write with my favourite pen!

I’m about to commit to making an investment through some colleagues. It’s exactly the kind of property deal that I’m interested in. I provide a bridging loan to some people reccomended through advisors I trust, they pay me back in six months or less with a large chunk of interest attached. In the meantime, I’m getting on with creating other income streams that require me to be present, at least to get them rolling.

I resisted network marketing for years. It sounded great, but just way too much trouble.

However, I’m clear now that Network 21 have addressed the problems with it, and can provide me with a great training in business as well as a passive income stream.

My commitment: to become wealthy by making others wealthy, and have that be a way I express myself.

This is a sub-goal of “Become finacnially independant”.

I’ve just got back from a trip to Chicago. Before I went, I applied for a loan, and while I was away I listened to Dolf De Roos “Property Investor’s College” CDs. Loads of fun, and made me realise just how possible it’s going to be to become a greater property investor.

Well, I’ve stopped relying on hope! Instead, I’ve been reading and reading and reading, and I’m now spending time listening to CDs. Next, I’m starting to hang out with others who have the same things in mind. This is going to become a hobby for me.

The thing it, once you’ve got a GMail account, you can just keep inviting yourself, and that then extends the number of invites you have available.

This is no longer a goal for me, it’s mroe part of standoard operating procedure!

This is really a sub-goal of “Live in a home I love”. While it’s good to be specific, I can see that this would limit some of my other goals.

I know, for example, that L would love to have a prairie garden, and I’d kinda like that idea too. Tricky in a warehouse (unless there’s a strong roof…)

Although I’ve got no wish at the moment to give BDSM as much attention as I did a while back, I’d still love to be great at Shibari so I can use it with my beloved L. She’d love that, and I love her, so it’s a lock.

Well, this is still a great idea, but it’s not a goal of mine any longer. For while back there, it totally possessed me.

However, my biggest goals are to get married and move to Chicago. Right now, dealing with my interests in BDSM does not seem to be a contribution to that game. So they’ve gone on the back-burner for a bit.

Well, some months ago, I was totally in action expanding my social life through the internet. TinyLittleMiss was one of the people in whom I had some interest, but that has simply faded. So it goes.

So I’m going to let it go, and free up one of my 43 Things.