The SDI Industry Moves Beyond The Dark Side

by Tom J. Kennedy

History has shown that some leaders in the SDI (Self Directed Incomes) industry do not want their associates to be fully educated about the "science of belief", preferring instead to use the techniques themselves, in sophisticated ways to manage and expand their base of power and influence. It is my humble observation that too many honest, hard working SDI associates with ambition are not yet achieving the levels of success that they are capable of. Could it be that they simply need a better understanding of that "mind stuff' as Claude M. Bristol defined it in his book The Magic Of Believing? Why would some SDI leaders still seek to shelter their networks from the real "truth" about this "mind stuff"?

I am fully aware that writing about this delicate subject invites ridicule from those misusing the techniques as well as those who are unknowingly victims of the techniques. In fact, I even anticipate ridicule from observers outside of the SDI industry since we are all subject to clever mind manipulation by the power elite. After 35 years of experience as an insider in the SDI industry whereby I advocated a loyalty to the industry rather than to one particular SDI opportunity I have repeatedly witnessed that the "power and science of belief" is routinely used to transform, persuade, and manipulate countless thousands of unsuspecting new recruits to the SDI industry.

Brainwashing which is a function of "mind stuff" was accidentally discovered by Jonathan Edwards during a religious crusade in 1735, in Northampton, Massachusetts. Since that time brainwashing techniques have been copied and revised and utilized for both good and evil purposes. Intensive research by experienced individuals in the SDI industry indicates that some leaders may still be misusing the "science of belief" in their selfish, personal pursuit of raw power.

I applaud those SDI leaders who have an honourable vision and understand that they can use this "mind stuff" in a very positive way with the permission of the individuals who are participating in their networks. When the techniques and the results of using such techniques are fully explained to those who are willingly participating then both teachers and students can gain much positive benefit.

 Claude M. Bristol wrote these words of caution to those who would dare experiment with the "science of belief":

“In using this science, which is given you with knowledge that no matter how you use it you will get results, I wish to repeat a warning given in my brochure: NEVER USE IT FOR HARMFUL OR EVIL PURPOSES. Since the beginning of man there have been two great subtle forces in the world - good and evil. Both are terrifically powerful in their respective scopes and cycles. The basic principle operating both is MIND POWER - massed mind power.”
 

Sometimes evil appears to have the upper hand, and at other times good is at the controls. It is mind power that has built empires, and now we have seen how it can be used to destroy them - history is recording the facts. If you read this book reflectively, you will understand how the science can be used with terribly destructive force, as well as for good and constructive results. It is like many natural forces, eg. water and fire, which are among men's greatest benefactors. Yet both can be hideously catastrophic, depending upon whether they are used for constructive or destructive purposes.

Therefore, take great care that you do not misuse the science of "Mind Stuff". I cannot emphasize this too strongly, for if you employ it for harmful or evil purposes, it will boomerang and destroy you just as it has others down through the centuries. These are not idle words, but solemn words of warning." (pg. 28-29 The Magic Of Believing, 1948)

Let me assure readers that I do not believe that all SDI leaders are misusing the "science of belief" for selfish, ulterior motives. Indeed, some leaders who understand the "science of belief" teach their SDI associates to use the techniques effectively to wholesale and/or retail their respective product and/or service lines. Those SDI leaders who learn and understand the "science of belief" and in turn explain to their SDI networks that in fact they are using such techniques command an even higher respect.

There has been and still are too many SDI leaders who fully realize that they are misusing sophisticated brainwashing techniques on unsuspecting new recruits in the SDI industry to further their own selfish "hidden agendas" known only to themselves and their loyal "inner core" of powerful people. At this time, it is only my intention to generate awareness and interest of the "science of belief" otherwise known as "mind stuff" so that prospects, new recruits, and seasoned SDI associates will freely talk about this delicate subject.

The "sell it by zealot" technique as explained by Dick Sutphen in his tape lecture caught my attention. I read and re-read the tape transcript that is titled "Brainwashing - Persuasion and Brainwashing Techniques Being Used On The Public Today" to familiarize myself with the techniques and consider how these techniques as explained by Dick Sutphen have been and are being used in other areas of our daily life. I welcome your feedback.

This former Dark side of the SDI industry must be illuminated in the 21st Century. Network distribution, the method of marketing advocated by the SDI industry is inherently a brilliant method of marketing which offers everyone equal opportunity. The SDI industry definitely has the potential to re-distribute wealth in a more equitable manner than the monopoly capitalists are currently capable of.

Individuals committed to the SDI industry are invited to make a genuine effort to fully educate prospects and new recruits on all aspects of the history and evolution of the industry. Dialogue is encouraged with drop outs, current SDI associates and prospects to foster a better understanding of the industry. No longer is it prudent to expect SDI associates to surrender their wisdom and intelligence to self-serving personalities who masquerade as SDI leaders.

If the ultimate purpose of the SDI industry is to foster "real freedom" and "true free enterprise" then the "Portfolio" concept must be refined and advocated as the timely element that will ensure that "light" is emerging to overcome the dark side of the SDI industry. Indeed, the time has come for all SDI associates to foster co-operative capitalism and work to model the "portfolio" concept as a more pure form of free enterprise that can evolve to become a workable model for the 21st Century.

In this regard, I suggest that all active SDI associates can shine new light on the industry by lobbying the respective SDI corporate companies and SDI associate networks to barter and/or trade their skills, services and/or products within their fast growing interconnected networks. The tarnished image of the SDI industry will shine again when inspired leaders step out and encourage all home-based, SDI entrepreneurs to focus on restoring co-operation and trust within local communities without any dependence on the irresponsible, greedy corporate fascists who have been leading us to the brink of destruction.

I invite readers to re-read this article and browse the internet re: “mind control” to discern if the SDI industry is ready to move beyond the dark side. It will benefit each of us to know more about this phenomenon called "mind control" whether we are loyal followers or passionate critics of the SDI industry. The links (see below) offer information about subtle and sophisticated mind control techniques that are regularly used on many of us without our permission or awareness.

1. Techniques of Persuasion in MLM or NetworkMarketing Companies

2. Brainwashing And Mind Control Techniques

3. Freedom of Mind

4. The Battle For Your Mind

5. Transforming The Mind

6. Resources For Personal Development 

Changes Are Coming In Our Distribution System

By Michael Blagg (1982)

NOTE: Michael Blagg authored this article and it was published in the LEADS Newsletter in the spring of 1982. The “changes” the Michael Blagg wrote about in 1982 – are happening in this 21^st Century.

Our centuries-old system for distribution of goods is in for some shock, according to Martin Goldfarb, chairman of internationally known Goldfarb Consultants of Toronto.

He predicts that huge stores and shopping plazas will close or cut down their space.

“Distribution costs of products and services – including those of government – must come down,” he told a meeting of the American Marketing Association of Ottawa.

Many of our big stores are just inefficient and costly warehouses. Pressures of a marketplace hit by recession and continuing inflation make their economics too unwieldly.

In their place he sees inexpensive home delivery with the domestic engineer ordering what is needed by telephone and/or computer terminal.

These views were just a few expressed in a tough talk entitled: “When The Public Gets Angry.”

And the public really is angry, says Goldfarb. It is especially angry with government.

People feel “ripped off” to be told to restrain spending when they see too few signs of any restraint by government. Instead, they notice indexed pensions, public servants setting themselves up as a new elite, pushing out the harder working private sector, taking over wealth and privilege.

The public will demand cutting off public-service jobs, he says.

The hostility to governments is already observable in various disquieting ways, especially in a growing tendency to cheat. Cheating is considered a way to get even with the system.

The real issue is not to employ more government inspectors to cath the cheats but to attack the real problem. People want to feel that they are getting their money’s worth from government. They want accountability.

But the private sector comes in for broadsides too from Mr. Goldfarb. Management in the big international companies is no more efficient than that of government. And business generally is chasing short-term profits at the expense of quality.

People feel too that advertising has been deceiving them for years.

A study of value systems in the U.S. and Canada had found in our children a lonely generation neglected by their wealth and status-seeking parents who seem to be glorifying money as an end in itself.

Value must return to the goods and services provided by government and the private sector. We’ll be in real trouble otherwise.

Well, some of that’s pretty gloomy stuff. At the same time it points out yet again the strengths of the SDI (Self Directed Income) industry of sales and marketing. This high growth industry with Amway leading the way permits success in return for honest effort. And its right in line to provide a lot of that service direct to the home!

The Secrets of Greatness

Dr. Robert Schuller, the star of Sunday morning’s Hour of Power, was in Canada recently to speak to Possibility Thinkers. He looks out at the storm and bluster all around us, and answers with brave words that should hearten us all.

Sure, there are plenty of people who are not coping well, people who have lost their self esteem and hence their ability to handle problems. And that is the greatest problem … loss of our pride, in being human, our faith that we can cope with these terrible problems.

The answer lies four-square in setting goals. “Why fight fires?” he asks. “Harvest the crops.”

“Where you are today largely depend on the goals you set a year, 10 years or 30 years ago.”

“There are no great people al all, only ordinary persons. The only reason that some are at the top, or the middle or the bottom of the ladder – some don’t even know there’s a ladder – is goals.”

“Great people set great goals.”

So choose your dream and it will take over leadership in your life, he says.

And don’t go surrendering that leadership because of what you see on the faces of others (they may not be thinking what you think, anyway!)

“There’s no such thing as a money problem. It’s always a condition. The real problem is always an idea problem. If you have integrity and intelligence, you can accomplish anything.”

Dr. Schuller told some remarkable storied to illustrate his message.

One was about a mathematics student back in the Depression. The student with top marks in his class was going to be appointed assistant professor. There were some pretty bright people in that class and our hero had somehow to top them in an exam. He happened to arrive late.

A couple of the problems were on the blackboard. After he had completed the exam paper, he turned his attention to the problems on the board but he just could nlot make any headway. When the professor called for papers to be turned in, the student asked if he could work on the problems at home and was given permission.

One he managed to solve; the other appeared impossible. In anguish, he turned his paper in thinking the other bright students would be certain to have resolved both.

On the weekend, his professor came to his home and announced that he had won the assistant professorship. He’d also made mathematical history by solving one of the two problems on the board; both had been considered unsolvable.

Because the student turned up late he had not heard the professor say that! Determination is wonderful. If we’d just fuel ourselves with some of it!

There was another ghastly story about a woman raped and shot in the head by an attacker. She had recently been watching the Hour of Power and listening daily to possibility thinking tapes. With five bullet holes in her head, she decided to live. And she did.

No. It’s not a matter of special privileges, education, genetics and talent. It’s a matter of thinking. You really can be GREAT!

And Many Great Things Are Happening In The SDI Industry    

Ross Peat, a leader in the SDI industry, recently spoke about a meeting of Bill Merlo’s group in Detroit, Michigan. Only people at 15% or above could attend. There were 3000 people there, all downline from Bill, all with groups turning over 1500 PV a month or more.

Looking at the guru of the SDI industry – Dexter and Birdie Yager. The picture becomes even more dramatic. The Yagers have helped over 100 distributorships to reach the diamond level within the prestigious Amway network.

A tip to the wives from Georgia Held: “A husband with a wife supporting him can change the world. A husband with the world supporting him and the wife against him can do nothing.”

And an afterthought from Ross Peat: “If you accept people’s excuses you keep them where they are!” So toss the excuses on the garbage pile (yours too). Good sponsoring!                                                                              

Invest in an Honest Enterprise

By Tom J Kennedy

If we understand the “interest” is “usury,” and we do NOT want to deal in usury, then the only answer for we – the wage earners – is to invest our labour and usuryfree capital in one or more part-time enterprises that do NOT directly or indirectly depend on usury-lending.

When we learn the “truth” about our orthodox, economic system of usury-based, debt money system, we must accept the premise that “interest is usury.” Our long-term goal ought to be to withdraw all funds that are currently et aside in banking institutions to earn usury as a secondary source of income.

In the short term we must motivate ourselves to search the SDI (Self Directed income) industry for creative and innovative part-time business opportunities that do not require the investor to invest large amounts of borrowed funds requiring monthly usury payments.

In the ongoing search for opportunities to invest “maximum labour and minimum capital,” the SDI industry has surfaced as the best way to invest without any need for borrowed funds. It is now possible for we – the wage earners - to establish a part-time enterprise that markets one or more quality products and/or services manufactured by ourselves and/or by reliable companies in the SDI industry.

It is worthy of note that many of the prosperous SDI companies are “debt-free” and thereby they escape the tentacles of the usury-lenders who hold most of the traditional manufacturing and retail store enterprises hostage in the usury-lending game.

In Luke 19: 12-27 Jesus taught a lesson on values that many of us never bothered to learn. Jesus invited us to pursue profit and gain, but only by engaging in ethical practices. The parable of the unfaithful servant is misrepresented by those who favour usury-lending so that they may further promote this dishonest practice. In the parable of the unfaithful servant, the condemnation by Jesus was not for failure to take usury, but for failure to invest. The underlying assumption is that there are ethical and honest investment options available.

This parable contains the key to understanding the Divine will for us concerning all valuables, including money, labour, abilities, talents and even life itself. Profit only becomes objectionable and evil when  it is of an illegitimate or immoral nature.

Since “interest is usury” and “usury is immoral,” it stands to reason that we must find ways to profit without being involved in the conventional usury-lending, banking system, that is designed to keep borrowers (debtors) in financial bondage to the lenders (creditors) and bestows few blessings financial or otherwise on anyone except those who exact usury as lenders.

As more and more people learn the “truth” about usury-lending, they are better prepared to make informed choices about investing in part-time enterprises that have the potential to earn honest, secondary incomes rather than accepting to passively participate in the usury-lending game as lenders or perceived lenders.

Profit from a part-time enterprise – which is debt-free – in the SDI industry or otherwise is an honest investment for there is equal risk of loss or gain for each entrepreneur involved. Reaping profit from an honest part-time enterprise is not usurious. In fact, usuryfree capital is technically the same as lablour, in that funds merely represent acquired labour-value and/or profit.

It is important to understand clearly that whether we choose an honest investment of usuryfree funds, an honest investment of labour or a combination thereof the risk of real loss or gain is shared by each individual who chooses to invest in any selected part-time enterprises.

In the common usury-lending transactions, the risk of real loss and/or gain is NOT shared by all who invest. Loans and mortgages are routinely secured with collateral relieving the lender of the risk of any loss. In the usury-lending transaction, both the lender and the borrower claim to take a risk, however, the borrower is the only party risking possible loss. To exact any usury and reap the profit without sharing the risk is definitely usurious in nature.

In summary, profit from honest investment of usuryfree funds or labour is acceptable and necessary in a free enterprise, economic system, but profit from usury-lending is greedy, unacceptable and self-destructive. Lending is explained in Biblical terms as a duty to help the needy. It is NOT for helping the lender. (Ex 22:21-26) (Lev 25:35-37) (Deut 15:7-11) (Prov 19:17).

As passive investors armed with “truth” we now have a choice. We can carry on earning usury on funds set aside in the banking institutions with full knowledge that we are party to the usury-lenders and their ilk who hold the borrowers in bondage while exploiting them and milking the very sustenance out of our cherished free enterprise system.

The other choice is to become active investors and invest our usuryfree capital from our primary source of income and our labour (formerly non-productive time) in an honest, debt-free, part-time enterprise that markets quality products and/or services. By so doing, we can be consistent in precluding usury, while actively rebuilding our nation’s economic system.

Our individual and collective action as entrepreneurs in the SDI industry can provide the leadership and renewed trust needed to set up an alternative financial and exchange networks that will eventually short-circuit the banking institutions and gradually improve our local and global standard of living.

To examine some worthwhile and honest SDI opportunities, study the compensation plans and be assured that the products and/or services offered are of the highest quality. Then select an enroller or sponsor whom you fully trust to adequately mentor you.

Spend some time at the SDI Eye Opener and the UsuryFree Eye Opener and enrol (join) the UsuryFree SDI University to become fully educated about this unique sales and marketing industry.

Top 50 MLM (SDI) Blogs for 2013

Top 50 MLM (SDI) Blogs 2013

NOTE: SDI (Self Directed Income) industry = Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) ...

"Here we go! After 5 consecutive successful years of giving credit to the Top MLM Bloggers of our industry, we are proud to announce the official Top 50 MLM Bloggers for 2013. 

And to follow up on the exponential growth going from the Top 50 MLM Blogs of 2009,2010, 2011 and 2012, we decided to head back to our roots for this years results with one goal in mind:

To deliver a result of 50 MLM Bloggers who truly represent the status of being a top blogger and value provider for our industry. 

This meant making some drastic changes on how we determined the results. The last few years the majority of the results were based purely on votes.

This created a catch 2 scenario:

Great buzz, excitement and boat loads of traffic and publicity for all the bloggers..

BUT…  Also created an environment where anyone with great support, a big list (or have friends with big lists) could be awarded with being a Top 50 MLM Blogger without having an actual blog that provides consistent value and or receives little to no traffic.

So for 2013, we set out to return back to our roots.

For the Top 50 MLM Blogs of 2013, votes were only intended to count a small margin and all the focus was meant to be placed on the actual blog and value that the blogger provided.

How We Calculated the Results

Initially, the goal was to determine the results by leadership, value, klout score, consistency of content, votes and traffic that the blog receives.

Although Klout Score delivers great social proof of a bloggers authority, we found that the majority of the selected top bloggers were not registered with Klout, so we had to exclude this from the selection.

We used consistency of content, leadership and of course the votes as a way to filter the original list. There were some top bloggers with a great audience from great leaders who could have easily made the selection, but there blogs haven’t been updated for several months.

These were automatically excluded.

So it came down to the one and only indicator that walks the talk for any blogger, which is of course Traffic!

After we filtered through the lists with votes, leadership, consistency of content, we came up with the final results.

The original results together with the Top 50 MLM Blogs badge can be downloaded here.

Now, I know a few bloggers might be upset that we’ve included bloggers who didn’t enter the contest. But having to delete almost half of the links to dead blogs from previous bloggers who simply quit the industry and stopped blogging is frustrating and definitely doesn’t serve the industry in any way.

So sticking to the goal of delivering a Top 50 MLM Blogs list that represents the true leaders in the industry was top priority.

I invite you to visit all these blogs, subscribe to their mailing lists or follow them on social media and send them a message to congratulate them on becoming a Top 50 MLM Blogger for 2013.

Last, but definitely not least, I would like to thank this years 3 independent sponsors, Brian Michael, Eldon Beard and Joshua Fuson who made this years event possible." (snip)

Read the complete article and review the list of the 50 blogs at this website where the article is originally published: http://top50mlmblogs.com/top-50-mlm-blogs-2013