As a little girl, I believed in magic and dragons and ivory tusks, In unicorns,
and fairies and flying and such, but I never believed in me.
I’ve always been just a girl seeking her freedom which took 47 years
to receive. I was unaware up until this moment that my quest was to
simply be Sarah.
I’ve since learned to understand that I wasn’t just the big sister, or
a part-time Mom, or that I wasn’t meant to accept or always be somebody’s
something. I was a seeker of Freedom.
As the oldest daughter of 12 children, I was required to do my fair
share in support of our family. I baby sat, did housecleaning at home, as
well as for my Aunts and grocery shopped for Mrs. Quilty and Mrs. Stanton,
our next door neighbors.
I was 12 years old and Mom was pregnant with number eight. Anything
I earned was absorbed into the household income to help feed the family.
My Dad, bless him, worked two and three jobs at a time for more than 15 years
which meant he was rarely present at home.
Each year, as Christmas approached, my heart would constrict with a fierce
desire for the one, singular elusive gift I hadn’t as yet received. My wish,
always the same, was to be Free; I longed to just be free to do what I wanted,
when I wanted. When would my life begin? When could I be Sarah?
I escaped into my imagination where fantasy and all I desired were at my
command. I devoured and befriended books and lived vicariously first with
Nancy Drew then later immersed myself into J. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings; while
reading I was free to be who I really was.
With the fire ignited long ago, what I truly desired, searched and prayed for,
intensified. Each criticism or opinion that knocked me aside would force me to
retreat and re-formulate another plan to obtain that lifelong dream. At first,
without a strong sense of self, my attempts seemed half-hearted at best.
I signed up with the latest, greatest can’t fail home-based businesses, you know
the ones designed specifically for the “little” woman. I bought the hype hook line
and sinker.
I had house parties, called on family members all to no avail. I switched stores
and tried calling on my Aunts, sisters and cousins to buy my weight-loss products,
in my continued attempt to earn my freedom, again without success.
Married at an early age, I performed as expected, the ever dutiful wife and
mother. Sarah was set aside once again, and silently I cried. I was raising four children
when my marriage went seriously off course. After an extremely disastrous divorce
I found the courage to pick up the pieces of my broken life. I did what I had to survive
and attended night school for twelve solid years. Having accomplished a solid education,
I acquired a lucrative corporate position in the late 1980’s.
Within the next decade, I survived several corporate restructuring programs. I held onto
my survival instincts and weathered many a storm. Eventually, this leg of my ever present,
ever elusive quest for Freedom ended again in disaster. My life and fate seemed once
again in the hands of others, this time corporate America.
Once again, my desires, my dreams slipped through my grasp. Was it ever to be my
life, must I forever sing someone else’s song?
Somewhere, somehow my life was out there and as I sat staring at the broken
prisms of my life I thought back through all the trials I’d endured and survived and the
fire within ignited once more. I decided never again would my security be “taken” from
me based on the whims of the Ivory Tower.
The world was entering another new decade and I entered the universe of Network
Marketing. My earlier efforts had shown me that if done correctly, Network Marketing would
reward me with the true Freedom I sought.
I looked to the successful “Gurus” to show me the path and reveal their “secrets” to
me. I studied, analyzed and joined countless programs claiming to have the only proven
system on the market today.
I was filled with a relentless compulsion to succeed. My aim was to succeed maybe
even surpass the Heavy hitters, the big boys, the big money earners. I listened to and
read my way through every lesson, audio, cd available.
When my efforts to duplicate even one system failed, I was told to “buy leads.” I was
advised to make lists of friends and family, that in order to be successful I’d have to get
100 no’s in order to get one “yes”.
What? I studied some more, was told to make more calls, and that no matter how much
effort I put into my business I was not doing enough. I could not fathom why I could not
duplicate the process after exhausting myself with their advice but the proof hit me square
in the pocket book.
After 14 vain attempts and untold thousands of dollars spent buying “secrets” from many so
called Mentors I hadn’t one legitimate success to call my own.
Why did I keep on this path? That’s an easy answer – the few network marketers I met
along the way that were truly successful had something I wanted. They had that
amazing amount of Freedom I had been seeking since I was a little girl. Oh how I
wanted that and I would have that, I vowed!
In late 2007 I stubbed my toe on a book called Success in 10 Steps by Michael Dlouhy.
“Ok,” I said to myself, “Sarah, one more shot-read this one.” I asked myself because my
friends and family would run whenever I came their way. “Why?” – It was my heart
that answered me back, “Just read it.”
I looked at the table of contents and thought, Huh? Where is step 1 of 10, and step 2 of 10,
and all the other steps I’d have to complete? The chapters with titles such as ‘Your
warm market has ice in their veins,” and “Give your prospects a puppy” had me refocusing
my eyes to assure myself I had read them correctly. I put the book down. Yeah, right
Michael this is going to help, not!!
Few days later, I felt drawn to pick up Success in 10 Steps again. That night, as I’m reading
through why “your warm market has ice in their veins,” the phone rings. Michael Dlouhy
himself is calling me?? I’m thinking it must be someone using his name because it surely
cant be him.
No, it has to be a sales call for some new system that will not duplicate and I prepared
myself accordingly. Already on the defense, I allow myself to give half a listen to what Michael
was asking and told him I had not read the book. After all I still had 10 pages to go.
There was no way I was going to tell him at that time that I liked what I’d read or even
that I understood it, I knew he would try to close me. Michael concludes his call by telling
me they have a free call on Saturday that I was welcome to get on– I don’t listen.
Whew, I sighed in relief, because I felt that was a close call. I was positive he was
after the few remaining dollars of credit left on my credit card.
Few days later Michael calls again, and again, and again never asking for any sort of
payment, never delivering the pitch I was waiting for. After all this time and all the
companies and pitches and money, and failure I couldn’t help being suspicious when
Michael’s advice to me included ideas like, “to build people and people will build my
business,” and, “Don’t buy leads,” then, “business models drive the behavior in the field.”
I may have begun to listen a little more at this point, at least it didn’t cost me
anything and somehow Michael was beginning to make sense to me.
Once again Michael calls and this time he begins to tell me about me!
He knows I am quiet, need data and then more data, that I’m slow to decide, well
organized; do not like calling leads – what is this guy a mind reader?
He says, “Sarah, you’re a green. You are perfect to do this business just the way you are.”
Ok so now he has me, I am utterly intrigued, but I refuse to let him know.
On his next call, I’m starting to really believe there may be something to this guy and his
system. I’m getting the feeling there isn’t any other agenda on this guys mind than to
help me. ME? Who am I to deserve his help ? for Free?
This time I find myself telling him everything about my 14 failed attempts, my lead buying, my
collection of no’s, my inability to master this , and how all 14 uplines told me the same
thing, I was not working hard enough.
Michael patiently explains the 5 pillars and Bam, wow I get it and the fire ignites once again.
Best of all my failure in this network marketing venture was not my fault. So now I ask,
“How much to continue, Michael?” I mentally brace myself for his reply. “No payments are
required at Mentoring for Free. If you want my help You, Sarah, need the mental cleanse
right now more than you need oxygen.” My answer a very scornful “YEAH, right Michael.
Shortly after our last conversation, I received an e-mail with four audio links, and no place
to fill in credit card numbers. I may have began at this point to believe in the possibility that
Michael may have a little integrity, so I listen. I was prepared for his next call and this
time I asked questions – hmm sounds like this is the real deal.
I have now listened to the 5 pillars over a dozen times – have a notebook full of scribbled
notes. I start to attend the training sessions and I get addicted to these calls.
Michael calls again – Now, it is like we are old friends, I have told him about my children,
he even asked to say hi to my daughter when he heard her say Hi Mom. He told me about
his wife Linda, his son Matthew and daughter Amanda.
I am thinking “hey ya want to adopt and older daughter?? Michael calls yet again and says
“ Sarah, Linda and I will believe in You until You believe in Yourself” The most powerful
words he could have said. How did he know I did not believe in myself?
What is this guy a mind reader?
That is exactly what Michael and Linda did – they loaned me their belief until I found my own.
It worked, simply worked, perhaps because it is simple. Michael keeps it simple and true,
amazing how simple and fun this business is the Dlouhy way. I did listen , I became coachable
I found Freedom, I OWN my life.
Think maybe you should read this book ? Click here Freedom
Call anytime 603-232-9194
Sarah Thompson
sarahthompson06@gmail.com
Walk in Truth
personality types, training
network marketing personalities
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