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IWP!, flagship product is Chicago's premiere real estate Investment
magazine. Entitled Invest With Passion!, it is the tool for investors and professionals in the
Mid-West. The publication seeks to grow it's market share by providing
powerful information designed to build the reader both as an investor and a
person.
Since it's release in January of 2006, the magazine has been well received and
continues to gain momentum and support. The education, information, and
networking opportunities for the real estate investor has been long neglected.
No More!
The time is now and the momentum is building.
It's Happening!
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PEOPLE ARE LIKE BUTTERFLIES
By Freddie
Taylor
People are like
butterflies. Before the bold, beautiful butterfly flies through the
summer sky, it goes through a state of metamorphosis and enters into a
cocoon state as a caterpillar. They then go through a series of processes
to become a bold, beautiful butterfly.
Similarly,
people enter the metamorphoses state upon birth and begin the process of
being the person we were born to be. Think about it this way, you are
born, you go to school, train for a position, start a business, and
confront the questions of life (family, house, car, finances, a bigger
house, better car, security, retirement, etc.). This is the human
process, our metamorphosis, and each element is very important to the
process.
Alan Watts,
philosopher, told the story of “The Boy, the Guru and the Butterfly” in
one of his audio series.
The boy goes
to the park where he finds the Guru, sitting quietly under a tree, holding
something in his hands. The boy approaches the Guru and inquires, “What
are you holding in your hands?” The Guru responds, “It's a butterfly.”
The boy
looked puzzled at the Guru because in his hands was what looked like a
shell, not a butterfly. The Guru explained that it was a cocoon in his
hands and after the proper maturation process a bold, beautiful butterfly
would emerge. The boy was so excited, but disappointed to find out it
would take some time before it would emerge. The Guru, sensing the
sadness in the boy asked, “Would you like to keep the cocoon until the
butterfly emerges?”
The boy was
excited, but the Guru said he had one condition. “When the butterfly
begins to emerge you MUST NOT help it at all.”
The boy
quickly agreed as he skipped along his way, ecstatic the whole day long.
After a period of time, the boy noticed some rumbling coming from the
cocoon. Some more shaking of the cocoon, then a few moments later, the
cocoon split slightly open, and the butterfly begins to emerge from the
shell. Its head begins to peak above the outer crust of the cocoon, then
the body, the wings, …. Oh, the wings are stuck.
The boy
begins to worry. The butterfly begins to flap its wings as to fly away,
but it can't because it is stuck. The wings beat vigorously against the
cocoon's shell creating a rapid drumming sound.
The boy
panics and assists the butterfly by slightly cracking the cocoon. The
bold, beautiful butterfly emerges, flies up into the air, rising higher
and higher, and then all of a sudden it plunges to the ground, crashes,
and dies.
The boy is
devastated. He picks up the remains and the cocoon and walks back to the
park. Approaching the Guru with the butterfly remains in hand and
extended in front of him, he says, “There was something wrong with the
bold, beautiful butterfly. He cracked the shell, got free, and flew off.
However, he didn't fly too far because he fell to the ground and died.”
The Guru sat
silently, as they usually do, and asked the boy, “Did you do anything?”
Begrudgingly,
the boy admitted to tinkering with the cocoon. The Guru explained to the
boy the necessity to allow nature to run its course. The struggle the
butterfly had emerging from the cocoon, the struggle you felt obligated to
do something about, was nature's way to strengthen the butterfly's wings
to carry him in flight.
The beating
of the wings against the cocoon walls is equivalent to an accelerated
workout plan where the muscles in the wings receive an important workout
and strengthening.
However,
since you opened the cocoon, the butterfly's wings were not sufficiently
strengthened. When the butterfly went to fly away, its muscles gave out
and it plummeted to the ground.
Every step or
process is important; it cannot be aided or skipped. Butterflies beat
their wings against the cocoon to strengthen their muscles and allow them
to be bold, beautiful butterflies. This seemingly minute step is critical
to the process.
People don't
beat their wings against anything. However, we must strengthen our
knowledge, skills, and confidence to be successful in today's society.
These are the critical steps in our maturation process that cannot be
aided or skipped.
This can be
accomplished through a rededication to personal development. Reading
books, listening to audio series, going to seminars and workshops and
building communication and leadership skills are similar to the butterfly
beating its wings against the cocoon to strengthen them for flight.
If we are to
soar like bold, beautiful butterflies, we must build our knowledge. This
can be done by reading the great books and listening to powerful audio
series. Start by going to the library. Get an audio series entitled
“Lead the Field” by Earl Nightingale and you are on your way.
If we are to
soar like bold, beautiful butterflies, we must build our skills. Make the
rounds to the workshops and seminars in your field. There are an
abundance of organizations and institutions to join and build your
skills. Search for them online and consider taking some online courses.
The information and people are out there; you just have to find them.
If we are to
soar like bold, beautiful butterflies, we must build our confidence. The
best way to build confidence is to advance your communication and
leadership skills. Anyone that can stand in front of a room full of
people, articulate a thought, and lead them towards a common goal is bound
to be confident. Toastmasters International can help. Toastmasters is a
nonprofit, public speaking organization designed to build your
communication and leadership skills. Remember the story of
the Boy, the Guru, and the Butterfly as you continue on your
metamorphosis. Beat your wings on the cocoon of your life by continuing
to build and develop your knowledge, skills, and confidence. Don't fall
to folly that you don't have to continue learning and developing to be
successful. Commit to building and developing yourself and the success
will follow you for the rest of your life.
*********************************************************
Freddie E. Taylor II is
an entrepreneur, visionary, and speaker with Masterpiece Enterprises,
lives in the South Suburbs and is generally excited about life.
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