Thank you for your interest in the International Success Network. The
ISN is a global network of people dedicated to helping each other
realize their dreams by sharing their knowledge, ideas and interests.
These dreams cover a wide range of categories from working your
dream job to owning your dream home, from learning to fly to finding
that perfect relationship. It doesn't matter what your dream is, if it's
important to you, then you owe it to yourself and everyone around
you to have it.

WHY DREAMS ARE IMPORTANT.
Dreams are important because they give us a chance to do the things
we love to do. And doing what we love opens up vast energy
reserves within us. They're the things that make us feel truly alive.
People who do what they love are happier, healthier, stronger and
live longer. Not only that, they have a positive effect on everyone
they meet. Have you ever been around someone who's truly happy?
Someone who walks up to you with a big, warm smile and shakes
your hand saying "good to see you," and truly means it? Being
around these people is enjoyable. It lifts our spirits and makes us feel
good. In contrast, have you ever known someone who's miserable?
Someone who's always whining and complaining? Given a choice,
which one would you rather be around? Or better yet, which one
would you rather be?

Think back. Can you remember a time when you were truly happy?
One of such times for me was being a child during summer vacation.
I'd wake up in the morning, hop out of bed raring to go. I just couldn't
wait to get going with the day. There were so many things to do, so
much fun waiting to happen. Why? Because I had the freedom to
spend each day doing whatever it was I loved most. I'd play with my
friends, go exploring, ride bikes, anything my heart desired. Take a
moment now to remember a time in your life when you felt this way.
What was it like? What did you see? What were you feeling? Would
you like to feel that way again?

ACHIEVING YOUR DREAMS
There are two parts to every dream, having them and achieving
them. Everyone has a dream, that's a given. Even if you don't know
what your dream is, you still have one. There's still something out
there that you love to do even if you don't know what it is. That's a
part of being human. Even if you don't know what your dream is, help
is available to find it via Success Teams. More about that later.

Achieving that dream, however,  is where most of us stumble. For
instance, your dream may be to open a Pizzeria, yet you don't know
what to do or even who to ask questions of. Local Pizzerias refuse to
help because after all, who needs more competition? So you go on
with your life hoping some day a miracle will happen. Until now.

INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS NETWORK
ISN consists of two parts, the Member Database and Success
Teams.

1. THE MEMBER DATABASE
Each of us has a lifetime of experience, skills, ideas, and wisdom to
draw upon in any given situation. Alone, we have this and only this to
draw upon. Brainstorm with a friend however and you DOUBLE your
resources and increase your chances of success by more than
double (the synergy effect.) But what if you could tap into the
resources of hundreds, perhaps thousands of people? That's what
the Member Database is all about.

The Member Database is a listing of all members of ISN. These are
people from all over the world and from all walks of life. Doctors,
lawyers, hot air balloon pilots, bobbies, entrepreneurs, inventors,
fishermen, writers, artists, computer specialists, counselors, athletes,
you name it.  The database lists their names, e-mail addresses,
occupations, skills and interests. Each person who joins ISN receives
a copy of this list via e-mail along with monthly updates. Now you
have a treasure-trove of resources to call upon to help you achieve
your dream. Whatever your question is, someone in the ISN is bound
to know the answer, and that someone will be more than happy to
answer it for you. Why? Because you'll answer questions for them!
That's how it works. If you have a question ask it. If you get a
question, answer it. All through the convenience of e-mail.

COMING SOON! SEARCHABLE DATABASE SOFTWARE
As a PowerBuilder developer I am currently in the process of
designing software that will allow ISN members using Microsoft
Windows to selectively search the Member Database. For instance,
lets say you're dream is to go deep sea diving. With the new software
you'll type in the word "diving" and the your computer will
automatically search through the list of members and return the
names of all members who have skills or interests in diving. When
completed, this software will be made available to all ISN members
free of charge. Look for updates in upcoming newsletters.

Rules Regarding Member Database
1. When contacting another member of the Member Database,
questions should be kept as short and succinct as possible. Make it
easy for them to respond.
2. The Member Database is used to ask questions, advice or ideas,
not to secure services. Don't expect a lawyer to represent you in
court free of charge or a counselor to provide professional ongoing
counseling.
3. No member is obligated to answer all questions. If another
member asks too many questions which are part of your profession
and/or if you feel taken advantage of, you are not obligated to
answer. Set up some other arrangement with them.
4. Although no one is obligated to answer all questions asked of
them, if you are unwilling to answer any or most questions, you
should consider not being a part of ISN since our agreed upon goal
is to help each other achieve our dreams.

UPDATES AND NEWSLETTERS
Member Database updates and newsletters are sent out the first of
each month. As stated there is no charge for this service or to be a
member of ISN. However, as we all know in CompuServe there is a
postage charge to send e-mail if one's monthly e-mail quota goes
beyond 90 average messages. Since we at ISN exceed this quota
with all the updates and Success Team correspondence we send out,
it's necessary to send out updates and Success Team
correspondence postage due. The average cost for you to receive
this is between 12 and 25 cents. This cost IS covered in your
CompuServe monthly e-mail allowance so if you usually send less
than 90 average e-mail messages per month, these postage due
messages will be absorbed by your CompuServe allowance and not
cost you anything extra.

If you're not set up to accept postage due mail, you'll need to have
your software set up to accept them on the first of each month in
order to receive your updates and newsletter, and also within a few
days after sending us your membership form if you're interested in
being a part of a Success Team.

If you're using WinCim, choose "Mail" under "Special" of the main
menu. Once inside, click the radio button "always retrieve" in the
group box titled "Postage Due Messages."  Afterward experiment by
having a friend send you a postage due letter. This can be done by clicking
on the "options" button on the bottom of the create mail window, then
choosing "postage due." The reason I suggest testing it out is
because when I first set mine to accept postage due mail it didn't
work.

If changing your settings in WinCim doesn't work, GO asciimail, then
choose 6 "set options", then choose 5 "receive postage due
messages, then choose 1 "receive postage due messages[YES]. As
you exit, choose [Y] when prompted to make changes permanent.
This should allow you to receive postage due mail.

2. SUCCESS TEAMS
Whereas the Member Database is wide-spread and casual, the
Success Team is close knit and personal. It's the second half of your
formula for success. A Success Team is a group of 4 or 5 people who
are dedicated to helping each other find and/or fulfill their dreams.
These people go beyond answering questions; They do whatever it
takes to get you to your goal.  If you need answers, they brainstorm
to find solutions, if you need encouragement, they give it, if you need
a shove, you get it, if you need support, you have it. Have you ever
before had a group of 3 or 4 people who were totally dedicated to
helping you to get what you want? It's a magical experience. But why
would they do all this for you? Again, because you'll do it for them!

Think of the possibilities. Five people (including yourself)
brainstorming to help you find the answers to what's stopping you
from getting what you want. Five people trading ideas, talking to
friends and acquaintances, scouring the earth to find answers for
YOU. Five people helping you take the steps needed to get to your
goal. All five excitedly awaiting your progress report at your weekly
meeting. Five people to hold you accountable to taking those steps
(extra incentive which helps a lot if you're at all like me). With all
these resources there's nothing you can't do.

There are two types of Success Teams, on-line and in-person. The
on-line Success Teams consist of 4 or 5 people who live anywhere in
the world. They meet and work with each other via e-mail and on-line
conferencing. The in-person teams consist of people in your area
and meet in each others homes or in a local meeting place. If you're
interested in being part of an on-line Success Team, answer "Yes" to
the question "Do you want to be part of an on-line success team" on
the Membership Form below. You will then be matched up with 3 or 4
other people and be on your way to your dreams. To learn more
about how a Success Team operates, read the information following
the Membership Form. You can also use this information to start an
in-person Success Team in your area.

MEMBERSHIP FORM
Directions: To become a member of ISN please fill out the following
form and return it via CompuServe e-mail to:  ISN  76363,1311
Include as many skills and interests as possible including past
interests or things you're only slightly skilled in. Sometimes a single
idea in a subject you're somewhat familiar with can make all the
difference to someone who doesn't know anything at all about the
subject. Take as many lines as you need to answer any of the
following questions.

Name:
E-mail address(s):
Sex:
Approx. Age:
Country:
Current Occupation:
Past Occupations:
Skills:
Interests:

Do you wish to be part of a Success Team?______
When would be the best time and day for you to meet on-line?
___________________________________________________
List ALL other days and times you could meet on-line.
___________________________________________________
What time zone are you in? (Central, eastern, etc).___________
Would you like to be Team Leader?______
Comments?__________________________________________

SUCCESS TEAM FORMAT
Once we have 4 or 5 people who's meeting times match (days and
hours of availability) each member will be notified and a Success
Team formed. You'll receive via e-mail the names of your other team
members, homework to have ready for your first meeting and the day
and hour of your first meeting. The homework consists mainly of
asking yourself what you want and what's standing in your way. If
none of the participants has elected to lead the first meeting, you will
be asked if you would like to be the first leader. Leadership usually
rotates after that. The first meeting leader will then be sent additional
information. If you're planning to start a local Success Team, e-mail
us and you'll be sent the additional information as well.

FIRST MEETING
On-line meetings take place using the CompuServe CB simulator. As
members of your Success Team log on to the CB Simulator you invite
each other into a private group session. At this point you're all still
strangers so the Leader will perform some team building exercises
designed to help you become a team. The next step, if you like, is to
choose a name for your team. Next, decide if someone wants to be
the timer. Someone who owns an electric or wind up timer would be
best. They will inform the group when each members' time is up.
Usually the leader is the timer at the first meeting. Next, the leader
repeats the rules in brief, ending with a reminder that the team's
number one purpose is to help each other achieve their dreams. All
team members should keep this as their primary focus.

The next step is to begin to discuss your homework. Each person is
allowed 15 minutes of focus. NOTE: it's important to adhere to the
time guidelines otherwise the group may turn into a social gathering,
lose focus and not serve its purpose of helping each of you achieve
your dreams.

After someone has chosen to go first, the timekeeper sets the timer
and the group asks the goalsetter (the person who is up) "What do
you want." The goalsetter then responds with whatever he came up
with during the last week such as "I want to be a black belt"
(homework). Then the group asks "What's the problem?"

Then the team helps the goalsetter find the first step(s) to achieving
his/her dream. They do this by narrowing down a large or vague
dream into concrete steps that can be taken beginning with next
week. One good way to do this is to work from the end.

For instance, lets say the goalsetter wants to become a blackbelt.
The group will then act as if the goalsetter is already a black belt.
They may ask, "what are you a black belt in? What martial art? Once
that's decided they ask something like "how did you learn, was it
through a school, a private tutor, a friend? Then they ask what needs
to be done to find the school, friend or tutor. Is there anything that
needs to be done before that? Eventually the group arrive at the
present and the goalsetter has some concrete steps to take before
the next meeting.

While these ideas are flying, it's up to the goalsetter to jot them
down. The next step is for the goalsetter to take the ideas and
schedule them with specific dates to be accomplished in the
upcoming week, knowing the team is expecting a full progress report
at the next meeting. If any of the steps are frightening or difficult the
goalsetter lets the team know and they arrange for someone to e-mail
or call to help or boost the goalsetter's confidence before, during
and/or after taking the step.

If the goalsetter can't think of a goal, his/her first goal should be to
find a goal. One of the best ways to find a goal is to have the
goalsetter make a list of what he/she DOESN'T like about his/her life.
Then, out of that list the goalsetter chooses something to change.
Perhaps the goalsetter can imagine it's opposite and let that be the
first goal.

Another way is for the goalsetter to make a list of what he/she does
best and likes most. The team can then brainstorm to put the different
things together to form a goal. For instance, lets say three of the
things the goalsetter enjoys most are working with the elderly, playing
games and being out doors. Perhaps the goalsetter would like to get
or create a job as a games coordinator working with the elderly in an
out of doors environment.

Still another way to find a goal is to ask what the goalsetter's
childhood goals or dreams were. Perhaps some of them are still
alive. Or perhaps some form of those childhood dreams can become
adult dreams.

Once the timer rings, regardless of where you're at, it's time to move
on to the next person. Not doing this will throw the meeting out of
balance. It will make meetings too long or some members will get
gypped, all in all it could lead to the group falling apart.

When all members have had their turn, discuss whether or not this is
a good time to continue to meet. If not, set up a new time. Discuss
whether you want to continue to meet weekly or twice a month. In
order to keep the momentum going it is better not to meet less than
twice a month and best to meet once a week. Also decide on the
length of the meeting. If you want longer meetings each person can
be given 20 minutes or the open discussion at the end can be
lengthened. Read through the next section "Second and subsequent
meetings" to figure out what the groups' allotted and overall meeting
time length should be. By this time in the meeting each member has
definite concrete steps to take toward their goal before the next
meeting and the next meeting has been set up. At this point you can
have an open discussion which lasts five to fifteen minutes. Then the
leader officially closes the meeting by saying "If there are no further
questions, this meeting's adjourned." After that members can leave or
continue to talk, whatever  they wish.

SECOND AND SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS
Regular meetings should follow this format:
1. Blab Session.  If you schedule your meeting for 7:00 pm, schedule
the blab session for 6:45. The purpose of a blab session is to give
members a chance to say hello to each other before the formal
meeting begins. Attending the blab session is optional.
2. At 7:00 sharp the leader for that meeting calls the meeting to
order. Do it however you like, saying something like "OK guys, it's
7:00, lets begin the meeting." Then the leader asks "who would like
to go first?" Once a volunteer emerges the timekeeper starts the
clock and that person gets 15 or 20 minutes, whatever has been
decided upon. During this time all of the team's focus is on that one
member. The groups only purpose is to help that member reach
his/her dream.
3. The First 5 Minutes.  The person who's up uses the first five
minutes to give a report on their homework from the last meeting.
They let the group know which tasks they accomplished and which
ones they didn't. They report any problems they may have
encountered as well as any additional steps they took beyond the
assigned homework.
4. The Next 5 or 10 Minutes. In this time slot, the team first applauds
the goalsetter for progress made. If there was something the person
had agreed to do which was not mentioned, the group brings it up to
find out what happened. No negative criticism should be given.
Pushes are fine, put downs are not. Then the team asks what they
can do to help. Important: Let the person who's up ask for what they
want, don't assume you know. Some of the common types of help are
as follows:
A. Group brainstorming to gather ideas.
B. Contacts or connections.
C. Professional skills of another team member. (Unlike work within
the ISN Member Database, Success Teams usually elect to share
their professional skills free of charge with the other Success Team
members. Success Teams are designed to go the extra mile and do
whatever it takes to help their team members reach their dreams.)
D. They may need to rehearse what they plan on saying to someone.
E. They may need encouragement such as a phone call right before,
during or after taking a step.
F. Or they may simply need to whine. (Constructive whining can be
very useful to clear out negative or heavy      feelings that bog us down
and get in the way of making progress. The group simply agrees to
listen with a sympathetic ear without judgment while the team
member gets everything off his/her chest, then works to get them to
their next step.)
5. The Final 5 Minutes. The final five minutes is used to assign
homework. During this time the person who's up decides on what
definite steps he/she will take during the following week and
schedules them as appointments. The other team members also jot
these steps down and will ask about them during the next meeting.
This way the person taking the steps knows they will be held
accountable for doing what they promised.
6. Next Person. Once the person's time is up, the group moves on to
the next person. If there is still unfinished business with the person
who's up, it has to wait till the end of the team meeting. Each time
allotment must be followed precisely otherwise the meeting will be
too long or someone will get gypped out of time. In time, members
will learn how to work within their time frame and things will run
smoothly.
7. Winding Down. The final 5 or 15 minutes is devoted to winding
down the meeting. During this portion of time any other questions or
comments team members want to make can be voiced. Important: No
matter what happens, always make sure to end meetings on time.
Individual members can always stay longer if they wish, but ending
on time lets those members who have other commitments leave
without feeling like they've run out on their team. Once the agreed
upon time arrives, the timekeeper says so and the leader ends the
meeting.

BETWEEN MEETINGS CORRESPONDENCE.
During the course of the week many of you will get ideas or make
connections that you know will help your team mates. When this
happens there's no need to wait for the next team meeting. Drop
them an e-mail the first chance you get. This will give them an
opportunity to use your idea or connection immediately and report on
it at the next meeting.

SUCCESS TEAM RULES:
1. Never judge another team member's dream. A dream is a personal
thing and no matter what it is, it's important. No dream is trivial, bad
or unworthy of pursuit (unless of course, it involves murder, suicide
or other illegal pursuits, in which case it needs to be redirected.
2. You're all here to help each other, not to argue, debate, outshine,
or put each other down.
3. Begin all meetings on time, even if all members have not shown
up.
4. If someone shows up late, it's up to them to join the meeting
already in progress. Do not backtrack or update that person, keep
the flow going and next time they wont be late.
5. Team members should realize that being late takes away from the
group power. By your being late, you've taken away the benefit of a
whole team from another member.
6. All team members should work from the premise of "can" instead of
"can't." In other words, always assume a goal CAN be reached, then
figure out how.
7. All comments should be of a positive, constructive nature. No
negative criticism allowed. No attempt made by a member or failure
to take a step should ever be criticized. Criticism only lowers self
esteem and leads to failure. What may look like an easy step to one
member may be the hardest thing in the world to another.

SUGGESTED READING
There are three books I highly recommend you read. They are:
"Teamworks!," "Wishcraft," and "I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew
What It Was," written by Barbara Sher. These books go into great
detail about the subjects spoken of here. At the time of this writing,
"Teamworks" is out of print and will have to be found at a used book
store or your local library. The other two books can be found at your
local bookstore.

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS
If you have any additional questions or comments, please send them
via e-mail to ISN  76363,1311. Thanks again for your interest in the
International Success Network.

                                        May all your dreams come true.

                                                        Art Carvajal,

                                                        ISN Founder