Expectations. Influencers. Disappointment...Keep Moving!

I will begin by telling you a great way to avoid disappointment: Follow your own mind. Avoid influencers.

Sometimes a person is so influenced by what someone else wants for them, they forget what they want for themselves.

Influencers always have some ideas, input, direction, suggestions. Ignore them.

Every time I entered into experiences that I wanted for myself, I have always been successful. The one time in my life when I had total disappointment-- complete failure--was when I became a Primerica Financial Services Agent. Wow.

I sat for and passed the first exam. That one was followed by other exams for more licensing. There was one that was supposed to really ‘open lots more doors’ for me. I sat for and failed it four times. After the first time, I had to pay. It was not cheap. Each time I was told it was an investment in my future. Not so. Money lost.

There is no reimbursement for the thousands I spent on gas, food, lodging, parking. Again, money lost.

One must have a market for success in this business. I didn’t have one. I couldn’t create one and I could not get into anyone else’s market. I should have known I was done-for when an entire clan of people cancelled their policies within a week’s time.

Not only that, it was impossible to 'convince' people that life insurance is a financial necessity; not an option. Stupid me. I learned. 

I continued to try and build a market. I continued to drive 45 miles one way to attend two-hour Saturday morning training.  I continued to prospect for new business. I continued to pursue people who I had talked to previously.

I never once thought that I would fail. That is, until I accepted that I had. In five years, I didn't clear $500. Wow. What. A. Shame.

It was 5 years before I convinced myself. I looked at what I had done and not done and realized that it was time for me to stop. I weighed my accomplishments against my expectations and disappointments. Stopping was the only option. I learned a great deal about finance and a great deal about the life insurance business.

There is no way I could consider doing it again nor could I consider recommending it to someone else. I learned enough about it well. I could very easily teach the business to someone else. That would be it.

In my entire life, I never had put so much effort into anything for so long with such desire for success and had greater failure--never.

Failure isn't something that I'm accustomed to. Primerica will always stand out as my biggest failure. I did not succeed. My desire to succeed pushed me to listened to other successful people in the business. I watched what they did and I tried to mimic what I learned. Somehow or another, it simply did not take. For a short while afterwards, I felt a slight bitterness. After that, all I felt was relief.

Lesson:

There also comes a time when you have to weigh your losses against your gains. You simply cannot continue to put yourself into something that's not benefiting you. 

When something fails, you are free to pursue something more fulfilling. Seek success in other areas. Sometimes people will tell you that nothing is easy; people are always telling you don't give up—blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. There comes a time to stop listening to what other people say. That’s that!

SandraTeresa Davenport | The Health Reverend

LiveWellToday/DrinkTeaAlways!

Listen In Sunday @ 3 EDT

My favorite cup - Today!