On the Internet, it is very possible to make money without selling any product. One way of doing so is through starting your own eZine, also known as an electronic newsletter.

In a nutshell, you send out your eZine issues on a periodical basis to your subscribers. The good part is that you have a flexible choice in automating the process of sending out your eZine issues for you or manually sending them on a periodical basis.

As an eZine publisher, not only can you easily achieve the benefits a conventional newsletter publisher enjoys without having to chop down several trees in the process, you can easily and conveniently spread your marketing influence and expertise to your base of subscribers from the shoes of an ordinary individual. Read the rest of this entry »

Efficiency is often a mental trap. You think that, because you’re so busy and moving so quickly, you must be getting somewhere. In fact, the reverse is often true. The “I-have- never-worked-so-hard-and-got-so-little-done” feeling is an indication that results are not being produced even with the effort expended.

You will achieve your goals on schedule only by learning to transform efficiency into effectiveness. You will then discover that:

* Every action has a purpose.
* Interruptions are consciously eliminated.
* Rushed motion gives way to rational movement.
* Unbalancing surprises become a thing of the past.
* You are seldom caught off guard.
* Your life is planned, stress-free, and seldom behind schedule.
* Excuses for being late are left behind.
* Deadlines are met.
* Your life and your time line are under your control.
Read the rest of this entry »

1. Show respect by encouraging your children to make choices. When it is time to make a decision, give them a choice of two alternatives that are acceptable to you. This gives practice in making choices and makes children feel they have control over some things. For example, say, “It’s 7:30 and bedtime is eight o’clock. Do you want to play for another 15 minutes, then take your bath? Or do you want to take your bath, then play until bedtime?” Or say, “Here are two dresses that are appropriate for church this morning. Which do you want to wear?” Or say, “Thanks for helping me with the dishes. Do you want to wash or dry?”

You can eliminate some of the power struggle arguments by using this technique. This approach allows children to choose from acceptable alternatives, which makes them feel included. It also gives young children lots of practice in making decisions - something most adults learned in later adolescence or young adulthood. Read the rest of this entry »

Monitor your language. Listen to the way you respond to questions and situations. Make a conscious effort to develop a positive charge. You will find that people respond more eagerly to you.

Do you know people who tell you their whole life story even if you don’t ask? Well I hitched a ride with a friend the other day and as soon as we got into the car, she launched into a negative conversation about how much she hated her job. She despises it. I know. She told me and told me and told me and told me! Well, she was giving me a ride, and I couldn’t very well tell her to be quiet in her own car. So I listened.

She went on and on about this job and how bad it was, and finally I interrupted. “If it’s that stressful and if it is causing you that much pain, why don’t you just quit and do something else?” She replied by saying something that put her in the chorus line with a lot of other people going nowhere in their lives. “I would, but …”

Sound familiar? It did to me, so I began testing a theory on other people. I went around for several days asking people what they were doing for a living and if it was their passion in life to do that. If they said their work was not their passion, I asked what their real passion was and why they were not doing it. Invariably, they would reply, “Oh, I would, but . . .”

The “buts” just kept coming up. How many times have you heard one of those words or phrases used as an excuse? How many times have you heard them come out of your own mouth? Too often, we repeat negatively charged words as if we are in a trance, and, in a sense, when we use them we are sleepwalking through life. We seem to be instinctively adept at finding excuses for canceling our own dreams. I think “but” and words like it are dream killers. I think many of us would accomplish more in our lives if we put “but” and his family to rest and plunged into life.

“But” is a crutch; it is an excuse for procrastinators and those of us who lack the courage to live our dreams. It allows us to validate our inaction. When hard times hit, we need to look for reasons to move forward, not for reasons to idle through life.

When you don’t move on life, life moves on you. It is important for you to learn to monitor your language because by listening to yourself and changing your language, you can change your attitude from negative to positive.

During the last week of June 2007, I found myself on the third pew from the front at the Archbishop’s Cathedral. It was the installation of a few new officers of the church.

The weather hung oppressively. My perspiration beaded and pretty soon, I danced in and out of delightful trance. Sigh. The Archibishop wasn’t exactly known for his dynamic style of delivery. My grandmother could regale me with far more engaging tales of filthy politics and lurid romance.

As my head hung in prayerful drowsiness, my gaze fell upon my open palms resting on my lap. Hmmm….. Funny how the furrows and lines resembled the three quarters profile of the Archbishop. There was the glistening pate… the recessive chin… and even the sloping bushy brows.

Like at a rorshach test, I actually saw a full three dimension image of the gesticulating Prelate at the pulpit!

So, while still in half-trance, I literally began throwing mental darts at the glistening pate on my palm. (Geez- what a bored individual can do. )

Thunk thunk thunk. My hertical imagery flowed so immersively, that every palpable hit sent shivers and heat flowing from my palm.

Take that bald pate…!! thunk thunk thunk

God forgive me. I was playing dart board with a mental image of the Archbishop!

I stopped and looked up guiltily- half expecting Angel Michael ready to strike me down.

Lo and behold- the Prelate had stopped speaking. He scratched his head furiously, like ethereal fire ants swarmed his holy crown.

A full ten seconds of scratching, then he resumed speaking.

Wha….?

Was there a connection??

No… it can’t be.

Scientific method states that a theory can be tested properly if results can be replicated. So I did what any self-respecting scientist would do. I ran the experiment a second time.

Relaxed myself.

Calmed down.

Zone out (quite rushing through the phases here).

Then image creation. Yep… called back that rorshach image and…

thunk thunk thunk

Looked up. Okay. No scratching.

Slow down, Joe. Slow down. You were rushing it. Act nonchalanant. Detach from desired result.

Again- thunk thunk thunk

and for good measure- another volley - thunk thunk thunk That palms/forehead was now itching like mad.

Look up.

EUREKA!! I whispered in half-shout. The Prelate scratched his noggin like a man possessed. His cap nearly fell. Unfortunately a beautful lass shushed me from the right.

Looks like energy does follow thought, and the law of attraction does exist if you’re detached enough from your desired outcome.

I walked out of that Cathedral feeling the Sword of Angel Michael poised dangerously over my neck.

Joey P.

Imagine how much closer to living our dreams we would all be if everyone who ever promised us something actually delivered it! How much fuller our lives would be if, any time we asked people for something, they would say yes by giving it to us. When we don’t get what we want from others, when they fail to keep their promises, when they let us down, we often have hurt feelings.

Even deeper (and more frequent) are the times we have let ourselves down. How much greater are our imagination and desires than our physical abilities to fulfill them. The result of all this letdown is often hurt feelings - sadness, loss, grief. And in our bodies, these hurt feelings are felt in the center of the chest, in the area most people refer to as the heart. Read the rest of this entry »

You can sell Benzes to refugees during war time.

You easily part a nun from her vow of chastity.

No doubt- you’re the greatest at influencing people one-on-one.

But can you conduct killer power point presentations?

If you’re like 99% of all the presentors out there, I bet you ‘re a veteran at observing the MEGO Syndrome in audiences.

MEGO?

“Mine Eyes Glaze Over”

That’s right. Three minutes into the powerpoint presentation, the audience is restless. Some begin sneaking out the door. The more polite ones just pretend to listen behind dark spectacles. But you know where their minds went.

The MEGO Syndrome arises from five monumental presentation mistakes. Do the opposite and you’ll deliver utterly drool worthy power point presentations- and influence the socks out of your crowd.

1. Keeping Them Guessing. Many speakers fail to give a roadmap of their speech. So throughout the presentation, the crowd is asking ‘huh? What’s his point? Where’s this leading to?’ Guide them by the hand. Before the actual presentation, outline exactly what you’ll cover and let them know when you’ll finish.

2. Failing to Connect At the Beginning. Audiences don’t like to be preached to. They’d prefer to be talked with. Keep your style interactive. Open the talk by asking a rhetorical question, launching an anecdote, or saying a shocking statement- then invite a comment! You’ll draw them in like Pirahnnas to a pork buffet.

3. Looking at the Floor and Closing Your Body. I’ve seen it so often. The speaker assumes a closed body language. Guilty of this? Hands in pocket. Arms crossed. Legs tight together. Look stiff, and you alienate the audience. To invite the audience to appreciate your power point presentation, move around. Gesture. Smile!

4. DataDumping. I’ve attended hundreds of business presentations where the speaker fills the slide with size 9 font text crammed to the margin. Then they read each line. Good lord! We’re attending a presentation, not an online reading course! The best slides follow the 4 by 4 rule. Four words across, four bullets down.

5. Forgetting the Call of Action. At the end, the speaker jumps to “any questions?” without giving the audience a specific command. Is it to buy? To invest? To visit a website? Without the call to action, the audience is left wondering what you yammered about for the last 20 minutes of their valuable time.

So here’s my call to action for you: create drool worthy powerpoint presentations. Right now.
Your audience deserves it

I’ve seen intelligent folks negotiated out of a great bargain, denied of a critical bank loan, flunk at an IPO road show and even kicked out of their houses by their spouses.

Just for one reason.

They simply can’t meet halfway. The negotiation starts with both parties neither yielding nor accomodating. Each one is simply preoccuppied with getting the most out of the negotiation encounter.

Poor negotiation skills lead to misunderstanding, then suspicion, then ultimately withdrawal. It’s the fastest way to lose not just your shirt - but your associates and friends. Read the rest of this entry »

Imagine that you’re in a canoe with a friend and there’s a fork in the river. Your friend convinces you to take the channel on the right. Next thing you know, you hear the roar of a waterfall. What do you do? Do you start yelling at your friend? Of course not! It’s counterproductive. You paddle like crazy for shore! Let’s say you make it. Now do you start screaming? That’s what a lot of people would do. But why? Blame solves nothing. It’s counterproductive. Irrelevant.

When you’re in the middle of a life-threatening situation, you naturally ignore blame. It’s a survival instinct. But life itself is the ultimate life-threatening situation, because all life ends. You are headed for certain death, now and every moment of your life. The same instinct to ignore blame should apply. But it doesn’t. We take the finite, wondrous accident of our own existence for granted and act as if we can play self-destructive blame games forever. We pity ourselves and hate those who have hurt us. We hold grudges, sometimes seek revenge, take secret pleasure in the suffering of those we blame - and feel totally justified. Read the rest of this entry »

Creative visualization is one of the most important tools we have for creating and maintaining good health, happiness, and success.

One of the basic principles of holistic health is that we cannot separate our physical health from our emotional, mental, and spiritual states of being. All levels are interconnected and a state of “disease” in the body is always a reflection of conflict, tension, anxiety, or disharmony on other levels of being as well. So when we have a physical disorder, it is inevitably a message for us to look deeply into our emotional and intuitive feelings, our thoughts and attitudes, to see what we can do to restore natural harmony and balance to our beings. We must tune in and “listen” to the inner process. Read the rest of this entry »