Are You Hooked to the Power Source?

April 11th, 2009

As Christians we are often very independent. We try to do everything and often feel we do everything. Are there times when you are frustrated, tired, irritable, and have no energy? I am not selling you a vitamin supplement, so dont worry. I have recently realized this past week how little I turn things over to the ultimate Power Source – God. Lord, I cannot do this in my own strength. If the children argue one more time – I will scream. God, help me to know what to say without screaming. Lord, what is your agenda for me today – you know I all ready have one figured out. Do we see the many requests of our children as divine interruptions or just another thing to do on our list?



I know often I grow weary and God needs to fill my tank. We fill our tanks with junk food or junk TV for that matter, but do we go to the Ultimate Power Source?

Do you feel some of the things that bother you are really to small to talk with God about or not a big deal? I am convinced that God wants to hear the smallest details of our lives. I have found when I share my frustrations with Him I take a deep breath and calm down. I have more patience with my children, spouse, or work situation.



Please dont hear me saying I have it all together, I certainly dont. I am learning daily to stay connected to my Power Source. That could be a prayer on the way to work or a prayer on the way home from picking up my children. I encourage you daily to connect to your Power Source even if it is a quick prayer for strength, wisdom, or whatever your needs are for the day. I will supply all your needs, according to my riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

2004 Kimberly Chastain
About the Author
Kimberly M. Chastain, MS, LMFT is the Christian Working Mom Coach and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in helping Christian women make the most of their lives. She is the author of the on-line course, I Cant Say No and Pearls of Encouragement for Christian Working Moms, a free e-book. If you suffer from I Cant Say No Syndrome, visit Kimberlys site today for the details on an exciting email course thats sure to set you free! http://www.christianworkingmom.com/online.htm.
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Want Power Before Will Power

April 11th, 2009

The problem isn’t that you don’t have enough will power to achieve what you want. You have will power, but it’s not will power you need, it’s want power.



You have to first want



You must want to change your habits, want to lose some weight, want to give up your evening snacking before your will comes into play. Once you want a thing badly enough, you will do whatever it takes.



If you think you want something (to make a change in your eating habits perhaps), but then find it difficult to follow-through with your plans, most likely you simply want your current reality (your current habits and patterns) more than you want your goals (less weight, better health, etc.)



I can hear you all the way over here, telling me I’m wrong: “No, that’s not right! I want this more than anything, I just don’t have any willpower!” Round and round you go, but the truth is, you will get what you really want. Think back, has there ever been a time when you really wanted something? A certain piece of clothing, a certain house, car, job, spouse? Hum… Yes, we go after what we want, if we really want to acquire or achieve it we do. Nothings going to fall in your lap, you’ve got to go get what you want.



What’s Going on?



Put another way, you may want to avoid the pain (breaking old habits, avoiding some favorite foods, simply not overeating…) more than you want to gain the pleasure (losing some weight, gaining new habits, eating favorite foods in moderation …)



Since losing weight takes time, from weeks to months to years, it’s easy to fall off the path. It’s always easier to get back into our old habits of eating, eating, and more eating. There’s always more food. Unless you are too poor to purchase it, there’s plenty food in America – in fact, too much food, and so it becomes even more necessary to keep the longer-term goals in mind.



How do you keep the longer-term goals in mind, when the short-term food is staring you in the face? What about all the treats offered, what about the commercials, the billboards, the signs everywhere that say EAT?



Wanting, in fact, is the “W”, the first step in the W.H.A.C.K approach. See it in the free e-book, Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss.



Think back to when you last really wanted something. Wanted it more than anything, had to have it, would do just about anything to get it. To want is a mighty powerful motivator, but surprisingly we aren’t all motivated by what we want. Some of us are motivated by avoiding what we don’t want.



What is your Motivation Strategy?



Motivation comes in two (or more) flavors. You can be motivated towards something (what you’ll gain) or you can be motivated away from something (what you’ll lose). This desiring to avoid can be confusing. I’m saying you must want something, and you’re thinking, but I don’t want to be fat. I can’t think about my future, only what I don’t want. Here is what’s going on:



Motivation: Toward



If you are motivated by what you’ll gain you find it easy to look ahead and see your future shapely body, you’ll see people around you with admiring glances, you’ll hear their compliments, you’ll smell the good food and feel good knowing you can eat enough to be satisfied, and then say you’re full. You’ve had enough, thank you. You’ll be in control of your life. You’ll want what you visualize more than anything, and you’ll do whatever it takes to get it. If asked what movie to go see, they’ll have a few ideas, and tell you why.



Motivation: Away



If you are motivated by what you’ll lose you’ll focus on what you want to avoid. For example, you want to avoid dying, you want to avoid being too heavy to enjoy playing with the kids, you want to avoid gasping for breath when you climb a flight of stairs. You want to avoid the embarrassment, the humiliation of other people’s remarks and rude glances. You don’t want any of that anymore, and you don’t want it to the extent that you’ll do whatever it takes to avoid these things. If you ask them what they want for dinner, they’ll tell you they don’t want Chinese, or pizza. It can be difficult to get someone motivated this way to actually say what they do want!



Knowing your motivation strategy makes it easier to find methods that support your preferred strategy. If you are motivated toward, you may enjoy cutting our pictures of people in great shape with similar body types to yours. Find models wearing clothes that would look good on you, pictures of swimming pools, holiday places you’d enjoy; the types of things that go into a dream board.



If you motivated away, then make a list of what you want to avoid and elaborate on that list. Why don’t you want these things? The more detailed you are, the more likely you’ll truly do what it takes to avoid them.



Hopefully these ideas will get you thinking, and much about making changes in our lives comes down to thinking it through. Realizing what we really want can get us past the hurdles of what we already have. To affect change isn’t necessarily comfortable, until you’ve worked at it for awhile, and then suddenly your changed behavior has become your new behavior and the effort is over.

Kathryn Martyn, is a Master NLP Practitioner, EFT counselor, and author of Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss. Visit OneMoreBite-Weightloss.comto see how she gave up 80 pounds over 20 years ago and how you can do the same.

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Boost Your Sales With These Proven Responses

April 11th, 2009

When five years ago I was faced with having to sell my services for the first time I was terrified. I hated asking for the sale. I dreaded the part where my potential clients inevitably came up with objections why they couldnt use my services.

Ive since learned that lack of objections is not necessarily a good thing. In fact, I now welcome it when prospects tell me why they cant.

, when a potential client shares his reasons why he or she hesitates to take advantage of my offer, to me its a sign of two things; one they are interested in my services, and two Im getting closer to closing the deal.

But many professionals find overcoming objections and closing the deal stressful, unpleasant and pushy. If thats you I want to share with you two lessons that helped me develop a different mindset around this.

First, a no doesnt always mean no. Mostly it simply not now or I dont have enough information to say yes.

Second, you cant overcome your prospects objections but you can give them information and tools that allow them to make a new decision

If you too experience anxiety around closing sales here are my favorite responses to the top five objections your prospective clients are likely to raise.

OBJECTION #1: I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT

“I don’t blame you. Hiring a can be a big decision. Can you share with me what specific aspect of my services you are concerned about?

Yes, I can see how this can be a big decision. You know I found that typically my clients are initially concerned with one of the three things: is the problem important enough to solve it now, is this the right solution for your situation, can you afford the solution? Which one of those concerns you the most?

Hmmm… I see. Let me ask you Lets say we get started on this project what are the downsides?

OBJECTION #2: I HAVE TO TALK TO MY PARTNER ABOUT IT

Great. What kinds of questions do you think they might they ask?

Good idea. I always discuss decisions like this with my partner (or spouse). But let me ask you a question what will you do when your partner doesnt like the idea of us moving forward with this?”

OBJECTION #3: IT’S TOO EXPENSIVE

Expensive comparing to what?

Yes, its a sold investment. I tell you what – I know this is only worthwhile if you produce solid results, right? What’s the one result you would want to be absolutely sure we could produce in the next that would have you really happy you hired me? Great- why don’t we make this our top priority and get started right away?

Not really. How does this price compare to what its costing you to do nothing about this problem?

Frankly, thats exactly why you need me.

OBJECTION #4: I SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO IT ON MY OWN

Hmmmmhow long have you been dealing with this issue? If you havent solved it on your own so far what makes you think you can do it now?

Yes, I suppose you could. But let me ask you something when was the last time you saw (heard) of a heart surgeon performing an open heart surgery on himself?

With all the respectI must disagree. If you thought you could solve this problem on your own we wouldnt be talking right now. Tell me, how would things be different if you could rely on an unbiased opinion to give you a fresh perspective of this problem?

OBJECTION #5: I DON’T HAVE THE TIME RIGHT NOW

Yes, it will take some time to address this issue. How much more time per week could you devote to other, revenue-generating activities if you could eliminate dealing with this problem on ongoing bases?

Thats funny; you just told me it takes you 10 hours a week to deal with this problem wouldnt it make sense to hire someone like myself and solve it so that you can use your time on more productive tasks?

Wow, if you are that busy and you are still not getting the results you want perhaps it would make sense to start the project by helping you better prioritize your activities and leverage your time more effectively?

These are only a few examples of responses I found helpful in getting to a yes in negotiating a sale. Rather than trying to memorize those specific sentences learn the underlying concept.

On objection is a cover for a deeper concern. By voicing it your prospect gives you an opportunity to address it and provide information to eliminate it. So quit trying to prove your point and instead ask thought provoking questions. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the outcomes ;-)

(c) 2004 Adam M. Urbanski

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Author, Adam Urbanski, a Marketing Mentor, helps Service Professionals and Small Business Owners attract more clients. For more free tutorial articles, hot how-to tips and a FREE 32-page marketing guide go to http://www.themarketingmentors.com

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Four Super-Deadly Marketing Sins – And How To Fix Them

April 11th, 2009

It seems nowadays every marketing guru and their brother-in-law has a deadly sins and how to fix them book, ebook or at least an article! But apparently nobody is reading this stuff! How do I know? Because nine out of every ten businesses continue making the same marketing goof-ups.

The most amazing part is they are convinced their marketing is great and their phone will be ringing off the hook any moment now!

Time for a reality check! Are you guilty of these four marketing sins? Find out how to fix it!

Deadly Marketing Sin #1

Not Standing Out From Your Competitors

You want to be one in a million not one of the million. In the marketing jargon its called a Unique Selling Proposition (USP). I call it a HUB Hot Undeniable Benefit of doing business with you. Your HUB sets you apart from the crowd. It tells your customers why you are special. And it answers the question your customers are asking themselves, which is: “Why should I do business with you versus anyone else?”

So how do you go about discovering your HUB? Do you know what makes you different from others offering similar product or service? The more competitive your industry the more important it is to emphasize even the smallest differences. Do you cater to a specific group of people? Are you better than others in addressing a specific issue? Do you guarantee your work?

How about the one thing no one can duplicate – what makes you you?

If you cant find anything unique right now, look for unresolved problems in your industry and become an expert in providing a solution to them. Here is good example. Youve heard of a small parcel delivery company called FEDEX, right? Do you know their USP? Its: “When you absolutely, positively need it overnight. Guaranteed.” Funny thing is they are no longer the only company doing it but they offered it first.

Discover your HUB, articulate it in all your marketing messages and watch your results soar.

Deadly Marketing Sin #2

Assuming Your Customers Know As

Much About Your Business As You Do

Small business owners are a very special breed we walk, talk, breathe, eat and sleep thinking about our business. Listen, just because you think about your business all the time doesnt mean your customers do the same!

Fact is, I can count on one hand the businesses I became exposed to in the last twelve months that didnt fail to educate their customers on how they solve their problems and meet their needs and wants.

Your customers don’t really buy products and services. They buy SOLUTIONS to their problems. Use articles, presentations and case studies to educate them about WHAT you do, HOW it works and WHY its the only logical solution to their problems.

And dont just do it once. Frankly, if you dont have a way to consistently and automatically keep in touch with prospects, customers, centers of influence and strategic partners you are missing the boat!

Deadly Marketing Sin #3

Wasting Time and Money On Marketing

Strategies That Dont Work!

Do you know which of your marketing efforts result in new business? Do you ever calculate the time, money and effort it takes to get a new customer from each promotional strategy you use? Why? Because if it is working you want to do use it more often! And if it isnt – you need to stop wasting your money!

Case in point; most professionals believe that networking is the best way to get new business. And it can be – but not always and not for everyone. Find out for yourself. Add up the amount of time you spent networking last month. Put a dollar value on it based on your fees. Add the actual price you paid to attend those events. Then divide this total amount by the number of new customers your networking produced. Are you happy with your results? Or is it a shock to see what it actually costs to get new clients by networking?

It doesnt matter if its networking, advertising, referral or joint venture strategies if you dont know your ROME (Return On Marketing Efforts) I guarantee you are wasting money doing things that dont work! Every marketing strategy can be tracked and measured. So figure out what works best for you!

Deadly Marketing Sin #4

Missing Out On Repeat Business

Youve heard about the back-end-sales, havent you? Are you doing it? Its astonishing how many small business owners do not develop strong relationships with their customers and have no plan for generating repeat business.

You see, one of your biggest costs of doing business is marketing and getting new customers into your funnel. And once youve done a great job for them, and then you nurture the relationship youve developed, its so easy to ask for more business. But you have to develop different levels of products and services to offer to them.

Listen to your clients and develop new offerings to respond to their needs. Create assessments to uncover hidden opportunities for additional projects. If you cant or dont want to offer those new solutions partner up with someone who does. McDonalds made a fortune on supersizing their fries time for you to start thinking about supersizing your business with each client.

Bottom line is this: when I hear businesses talk about bad economy, clients not having money and overall complaining about how tough it is to make a sale I can always pinpoint their poor performance to at least one of those marketing sins. Frankly, there is no such a thing as a shortage of business there is a shortage of knowledge how to get that business.

(c) 2004 Adam M. Urbanski

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The Author, Adam Urbanski, a Marketing Mentor, helps Service Professionals and Small Business Owners attract more clients. For more free tutorial articles, hot how-to tips and a FREE 32-page marketing guide go to http://www.themarketingmentors.com

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Spanish Food – How To Prepare Boquerones

April 11th, 2009

Whilst on your travels in Spain and pausing to take a breath from site-seeing, you have surely experimented with “tapas” at a welcoming bar.

If this is the case, it is more than likely that you have come across the small, tasty filleted fish, preserved in olive oil, sliced garlic and chopped parsley, and highly popular throughout Spain. This delectable dish is usually known as “boquerones” but, depending on the area, can also be called “anchoas”.

Boquerones are small, fresh anchovies. Accompanied by crisp, fresh Spanish bread, a glass of ruby-red wine or refreshing Asturian cider, they are a delight to eat. Moreover – as with many traditional Spanish dishes which comprise the renowned Mediterranean Diet – they are extremely healthy.

Like its friend the sardine, the anchovy is an oily fish, packed full of proteins and minerals, protecting against heart disease, and “good” for cholesterol. Whats more, in many areas of Spain -in particular the Mediterranean coast – fresh anchovies are extremely cheap.

On first coming to Spain, I happily enjoyed many tapas of boquerones, completely unaware of one fact … all those little anchovies I had eaten were not cooked! For a moment, I deeply regretted asking my Spanish neighbor, Carmen, how to make them!

Fortunately, Carmen went into immediate action and saved the day! She frog-marched me to the local fishmongers, bought a kilo of the little fish, took me home and showed me “her way” of preparing them. They were so delicious that I quickly recovered my passion for boquerones and have been enjoying them ever since!

Methods for preparing boquerones tend to vary slightly from family to family. However, the basic principles are always the same. You first have to clean and fillet the fish, which is simple enough, but rather tedious until you get the hang of it.

Next, you soak the fillets, either in white wine vinegar or a mixture of half vinegar and half water. The vinegar will clean and bleach the fish and also soften any remaining little bones. Some people sprinkle the fish with salt; others (myself included) feel that the fish is salty enough already.

The fish has to be left for a good few hours soaking in the vinegar. Again, this tends to vary, with some Spaniards leaving them overnight in the fridge and others just waiting a couple of hours. Also, some families change the vinegar/water-and-vinegar mixture once during this process, whilst others dont bother.

Once you have thrown away the vinegar, the bleached fillets are covered with a good quality virgin olive oil, which will preserve them. You can add as much, or as little, sliced garlic as you wish, plus freshly chopped parsley.

So … here is the actual recipe.

BOQUERONES

Ingrediants:
- 1 kilo fresh anchovies.
- White wine vinegar.
- Virgin olive oil.
- Garlic.
- Parsley.
- Salt (optional).

Method:

1. Top and tail anchovies.

2. Slit along underside and discard innards.

3. Open out fish.

4. Remove central bone by lifting from tail end upwards.

5. Rinse well.

6. Place a layer of anchovy fillets in a shallow dish.

7. Sprinkle with salt (optional) and pour on plenty of vinegar.

8. Repeat with another layer, changing direction.

9. Leave to soak in vinegar for a few hours or overnight.

10. Pour off vinegar.

11. Very gently rinse fillets.

12. Cover fillets in virgin olive oil.

13. Add slices of garlic and chopped parsley.

It is so pleasant to find something in life that is a delight to the senses, affordable, healthy and does nobody any harm (apologies to any vegetarians out there and, also, the little anchovies …). So … do make the most of fresh anchovies whilst you are in Spain and enjoy!

Linda Plummer is English and has lived on the Costa Blanca in Spain for 20 years. She is webmistress of the information- rich site: http://www.top-tour-of-spain.com with its FREE monthly newsletter, “The Magic of Spain”.

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An Introduction to Viral Marketing

April 11th, 2009

iral Marketing is the hot topic at the moment, but many dont really understand what the term means. As this is an internet based business, and therefore Internet Marketing, we need to look at it in internet terms.

You know when someone sends you a joke on email and its a good one you want to pass it on. From your mailbox you open your list of friends names and post the joke on to everyone you know, or everyone on your joke list, a list of people you pass jokes on to.

Next time you do this, have a scroll down the email to see the list of people it has come from at the head of each mailing. Each person who sent the joke on will have sent it to everyone on their joke list. Youll see quite a few names youll recognize, some of who will be on your own list.

This is Viral the joke has been passed on like a virus from person to person. Everyone they come in contact with has passed it on to everyone else they know.

The trick with viral marketing is to duplicate that process with your products and the business opportunity itself pass your stores website URL on to everyone who cleans their house or takes nutritional supplements, or who might, and get them to do the same with everyone they know.

Also, a lot of people who start using the products are going to want to get the products at wholesale. So they want their own store. So they sign up under you! And you get the commission not only on what they buy, but on anything people they know buy from them, and for anyone who signs up under them, who will be in your second line!

So, just as you send a joke you get to your joke list, you need to get the biz opp to anyone who has a biz opp list. Congratulations, you have just been introduced to Listbuilding!

Marketing tools

Why use marketing tools? A lot of people on the Net arent looking to join a program, they are already in one. It doesnt matter that ours is better than theirs, if they never look at the opp and consider it, they aint gonna signup.

What we can give them however is a way to market what they are already selling. So we offer them our marketing tools. In doing so, they join our downline for that program, and so does anyone else they sign up. This gives us marketing methods to get our biz opp out to people who DO want to see it!

Listbuilding

Remember the analogy earlier about the joke list? What you have there is a list of people you send jokes to. How did you build that list? Your list of friends who you send jokes to. How did you get on the list of someone else, the person who sent you the joke?

What you need to build for your biz opp is what is known as an opt in list. This is a list of people who have chosen to join your list to receive information from you.

Building a list is vital for many reasons.

SPAM is the first and foremost it is illegal to send spam unsolicited email to people who havent asked for it and didnt want it. Junk mail.

Despite the legal ramifications, look at the basic logic. Why send your biz opp to someone who doesnt want to see it? Why send a letter to someone who will just bin it without even opening it? Why send an email with a link to your site if the person receiving it doesnt want to know so wont even go look at it?

You may have the best biz in the world and sell the hottest products but if you cant get people to it, you arent going to make a sale!

So we use listbuilding tools so that you have people to send your biz opp to! These are known as VLBs Viral List Builders.

And a great way to advertise your VLB is on a Traffic Exchange program a TE, Surf Exchange, Surf 4 Hits, etc. (Whats in a name?)

Once you have a list of people who opted in to hear from you, and you have made initial contact and built up a relationship, then you can show them a biz opp that works for you, and then help them build their own business.

Congratulations – you’ve just become a mentor!

Silke Stahl is an International Internet Marketer and Home Business Entrepreneur. Visit her website at: http://www.silkestahl.com and her forum at: http://thestork.proboards20.com

Posted in Internet and Businesses Online | No Comments »

Energy and America

April 11th, 2009

America is entering into a time of Energy crisis. It could easily be the greatest crisis that human-kind is to face. America can not continue to lead the world econimcally and drain it dry at the same time. The National Collegiate Clean Energy Initiative is working to unite American students and citizens alike, to demand CLEAN ENERGY POLICY.

ENERGY ESP ALERT!!
Kevin Gluckstal
NATIONAL COLLEGIATE
CLEAN ENERGY INITIATIVE
WWW.NCCEIUSA.ORG
720 Northern Blvd
Brookville NY 11487
516-445-1500

The FED Chairman, Mr. Alan Greenspan was on
capitol hill in the semi-annual monetary policy
meeting with congress. (also known as the Humphrey
Hawkins meeting)While Mr. Greenspan was mostly upbeat
about the economy (Note: I am not as up beat) he made
some very troubling remarks.
Mr. Greenspan commented that the…”Long-term futures
for crude oil…going 10-years out…have risen
substantially in the last few years…and are being
sustained at these levels…”
Now… the market is a discounting mechinism. Has the
futures market begun to discount PEAK OIL? I believe
the answer is YES! In REAL DOLLARS, crude needs to get
over $100/brl to equal the peak of the 70’s crunch.
It is extremely crucial that clean energy comes to
market NOW – being infront of this curveball will
determine our future and the state of our economy.
What is just as troubling is that I have not heard any
covering of this in the media.

ENERGY ESP #2
I believe the greatest crisis that Human-Kind has ever
seen has begun. America, a country founded on the
basis of freedom is under attack by unstoppable
inflating energy prices, and it has just begun. The
situation in the middle-east is escalating with no end
in sight, as relations with the OPEC countries has
begun to fall apart. Believing the promises of Saudi
Oil is not an option. With horrifying accounting
scandals of greed in our country…. who truly
believes that the OPEC countries will be honest with
us regarding the oil reserves; or anything else for
that matter?! It is common knowledge of the recent
events at Shell and their false statements of
reserves. It will not stop there Im sure. While Saudi
Arabia has been pumping water to flush out oil from
their depleting reserves since the mid-late 90’s . . .
more problems are developing. Americans are being told
to leave the middle-east. We all know that we need
those Americans in the OPEC countries in order for us
to actually get the oil to American soil. Should
America, the largest and most powerful nation in the
world be relying so much on foreign energy?

From an Economic point of view, RENEWABLE ENERGY, such
as wind and solar energy will be a long-term net
positive, not only for Long Islands economy . . . for
the nations economy as well. Just as in the Aviation
industry many years ago, Long Island became the
National Economic Leader and was looked upon with
great admiration. Long Island Thrived. It will take
two years to begin construction of the wind park off
Jones Beach. By that time, oil prices will be much
higher then where it is now acting as a devastating
tax on American Citizens. This is a once in a lifetime
opportunity must not be missed. It simply makes
dollars and sense.

The DOE predicts that the price of Crude Oil will
climb until around the year 2025 and then peak. If
true this means that Peak oil is now. Supply has
already begun to decline as not one OPEC country has
claimed new oil finds. Let us not forget the two wild
cards; China and India. America is now at the mercy of
two countries growing by leaps and bounds. We have no
control and it has only begun to effect us all. In
terms of REAL dollars, to reach the equivalent price
of oil during the energy crisis of the 70’s. Oil
would need to go to over $100 dollars a barrel. $40 is
simply a drop in the bucket.

Supply is going down – Demand is going up. This is the
current long-term situation and it is not going away
UNLESS.
Wind Power will give Long Island Independence from the
volatile and raising energy prices ahead. It will give
stability to our children and our grandchildren. It
will give them a chance.
(SIDE-BAR)
.Im driving my daughter to school as we always do
and she bursted out singing the song she learned for
her pre-K graduation, Im Proud To Be an American.
By the time she was in the plains of Minnesota and the
hills of Tennessee I was glad I had my sunglasses
on…. my eyes were flooded. This is not the same
world that we were born into… and I for one… am
scared for my children.
On behalf of students across the country who are
fighting for the future, on behalf of the National
Collegiate Clean Energy Initiative please ADVOCATE and
vote for CLEAN ENERGY POLICY.

ENERGY ESP #3
The National Democratic Convention began on Monday as
President Clinton gave his usual Reagan-like speech.
It has been interesting to listen to all of the
members of the Democratic party give praise for John
Kerry as the next President of the U.S.A. What has
been more interesting is listening to the united
conviction towards clean energy, energy
independence and energy sustain-ability. In almost
every speech that included policy, clean energy and
energy independence or simply a good energy policy
was numero uno.
The Electric Power Research Institute estimates that
power outages and power quality disturbances cost
businesses in the U.S. more than $120 billion a year.
This goes hand and hand as the infrastructure is older
than my grandfather.
In the New Growth Initiative Apollo Alliance for
Energy Independence plan, bio-fuels and energy
efficiency investments alone could produce over one
million jobs by 2015.

Tonight, John Edwards will speak to the country. Will
clean energy and energy independence be on his
agenda?

Every time President Clinton spoke of the future of
jobs, the first industry on the list was the clean
energy industry.
Now . . . by no means do I anticipate the republican
convention to be any different. Do you?
Stay tuned for a complete breakdown of the NATIONAL
COLLEGIATE CLEAN ENERGY INITIATIVES positions on
Clean Energy policy…or lack there of.

Energy ESP Newsletter #4 7-30-04
Crude oil is now at $43 per barrel reaching new highs.
Or Are they. Lets not forget that about $114 is the
actually peak of the Yom-Kippour War. My how short the
human memory could be. John Kerry gave an emotional
speech full of great rhetoric. In the last ESP I was
waiting to listen for ENERGY information. What will he
do? When will he do it? When time came to talk policy,
he said he was going “say something FDR couldn’t do at
his speech,… goto JohnKerry.com” So JohnKerry.com it
is…

What did we find? “…Investing in future technology,
today…” Fuel Cell vehicles were mentioned. Clean
Energy efficiencies…” yadadad… Nothing truly in
depth as I had hoped for. I remind you,reader, that
this is a NON-PARTISAN effort to advocate for CLEAN
ENERGY. With that said…why do you goto JohnKerry.com
then goto Georgebush.com and see if there is a button
on their site called “Energy.” When you find it…read
and compare. THIS IS IMPORTANT!!

So needless to say I was a little let down at the
level of importance that Clean Energy and Renewable
Energy was given. THAT, my fellow advocates…is why
there is now the NATIONAL COLLEGIATE CLEAN ENERGY
INITIATIVE.
Soon…very soon, a massive email campaign will begin.
It will go to many student organizations around the
country. But until than, much work needs to be done.

ENERGY ESP #5
There is a lot of talk as of late about something
called clean-coal. Kerry promises 20% of the
countries electricity via renewable energy sources
proposing clean-coal. Is there such a thing? YES!
A company by the name of Headwaters Inc. (HDWR on the
NASDAQ) based in South Jordan Utah, Headwaters seems
to be leading the way in creating a clean-coal
environment. Through its subsidiary Coval Fuels, a
coal based synthetic fuel is available that is safe,
odorless and easy to handle. They do not increase
HAPs, VOCs, Sox or Nox emissions and do not fall under
any hazardous material regulations.
For more info click the following link:
http://www.hdwtrs.com/envbenefits/covolfuels.html

Attorney Generals from eight states including New
York, Iowa and California file lawsuit last month
against utilities including Cinergy Corp., Xcel
Energy, and Southern Company just to name a few, for
dumping a stagering 10% of the countries emitted
greenhouse gases. The question is simple. Did they
know what they were doing? Did they know these gases
were harmful to people? Did they care? Apparently they
are not being fined for anything from the past. They
are simply being asked to decrease harmful emissions.
Is that enough? Shouldnt there be some kind of
accountability? Why… remember when the EPA was first
formed. We knew then that talons killed.

Global Warming said to be responsible for an
ecological catastrophe as the coastal waters of
Scotland warm. Scores of skuas, terns and guillemots
(all birds) are not breeding. The small fish they eat
is moving closer to colder waters, hence there is not
enough food. Just a foretaste of what lies ahead, -
Tony Juniper of the Friends of the Earth.
STUDENTS OF AMERICA – STAND UP! WAKE UP! REALIZE THE
IMPORTANCE OF CLEAN ENERGY AND ENERGY INDEPENDENCE!!!
JOIN NCCEI AND BE ACCOUNTED FOR!!!

ENERGY ESP #6 8/10/05
Fed raises Discount rate 1/4%…why not…
Crude now at $44.5… and the charts spell “higher” -
plan and clear. Commodity prices have stabilized in
the past months… – only a buying opportunity in my
view. Lets not forget… we’ve entered into a SECULAR
BULL MARKET IN COMMODITIES!!

Yukos up in the air! Accounts frozen one minute… not
frozen the next. Which is it going to be Mr. Putin?
I’m sure he doesn’t mind the price of crude going
higher… Mr. Putin figures… Russia has more oil
then people think… if you include all that
wilderness over there and lets not forget about
Putins’ attempts to tap into the potential oil under
those frozen (or not so frozen anymore) ice-caps. So
when crude is at $100/brl they will have some amazing
crude finds…I’m sure. It would be nice… since
there hasn’t been any oil reserve finds in how
long…?

Can anyone find any oil from Iraq yet… not me…
they keep having to shut-down plants… you know…
that terrorism thing.

Lets talk about ETHANOL – How much money could the
farmers make if the farmers could farm ethanol? How
about turning all that High Fructose Corn Syrup into
Ethanol instead??? Do you know the average person
consumes 63lbs of HFC per year. Oh we’re fat alright!
Allocation of resources… Allocate more farmed corn
to produce Ethanol… instead of HFC. Think Coke will
go for that?

When ever NCCEI hears about an ENVIRONMENTALLY
friendly company we will do our best to spread the
word…

New Belgium Brewing Company, from Ft. Collins CO. is
the first American Brewery to be powered by 100% WIND
Energy. New Belgium is also proud of it’s recycling
efforts. The best part is… this is an employee owned
company. The employees voted to forgive some of their
profit sharing plan (options) in order to make this
happen. WAY TO GO!!!! And guess what…profits are
up!!
The company is gaining market share as Beer drinkers
are paying attention. This is a perfect example of the
long term economic benefits to using a 100% renewable
energy source. Don’t let me forget the energy company
supplying the power – VESTAS.
VESTAS Wind Systems A/S – This Denmark based global
leader in Wind generation sure is making a name for
it’s self. Keep up the good work!!

I am a 31 yr old adult full-time student and single father of two. Passionate about the Energy situation in the world I am an Energy Economist. I was in the Navy for 4 yrs and in the finance industry for 7. Creating the National Collegiate Clean Energy Initiative is by far the greatest challenge I could undertake. The NCCEI is working to UNITE students across America and advocating for CLEAN ENERGY POLICY. Please visit WWW.NCCEIUSA.ORG.

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Universal Success Secrets

April 11th, 2009

Are there any universal laws that most



successful people seem to follow? Great question, huh?



With that in mind, I began listing some common denominators in order to share them with others. Ive been very fortunate to have had some success in my life, as well as the opportunity to meet with some very powerful and influential people over the years. These are the common laws that each seemed to follow, and I now wish to share them with you.



Universal Success Secrets





1. Always maintain a positive, solution-seeking attitude.



2. To truly succeed at anything, your chances increase when you enjoy the task. When you do what you love and love what you do, youll have success your whole life through.



3. The only limitations you really have are those you give yourself.



4. The only expectations you need to fulfill are those you give yourself.



5. Nothing is as powerful as a positive attitude, and nothing is as detrimental as a negative one.



6. Morally speaking, if you have to wonder whether something is right or wrong, chances are its wrong.



7. When you focus on other peoples success, yours is sure to follow.



8. Live your word. Lead by example.



9. Share. (Wealth + Information + Glory = Success)



10. You have the best chance of reaching a goal by simply giving yourself one to reach.



11. Observe every obstacle as a learning experience. The greater the challenge, the greater the reward.



12. Do the hardest thing first, and the rest will be easy.



13. Treat others the way that they want to be treated.



14. Few great accomplishments have ever been achieved by anyone alone; seek support from those whose talents exceed your own.



15. You are the reflection of the five people you associate with most, and your income is the average of those five people. Choose your friends wisely.



16. A dream written down with a date becomes a GOAL. A goal broken down into steps becomes a PLAN. A plan backed by ACTION makes your dream come true.



17. You can learn more about someones character on one bad day than on all their good days put together. The true measure of all great leaders is how well they weather storms.



18. Its better to invest time doing what pleases you, rather than to waste time trying to please everyone else.



19. In the end, the extent of your own success will be measured by the accomplishments that you have helped create in others.



20. Having potential simply means that you possess talents and abilities you arent applying.



21. Things are the way you think they are, because you think they are that way. Your perception determines your experience.







************************************

You have permission to publish this article electronically



or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are



included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be



appreciated – send to: GregReid@AlwaysGood.com

About the Author

Greg Reid, GregReid@AlwaysGood.com

http://alwaysgood.com

Gregory Scott Reid is a Well-Known Speaker and two-time #1 best-selling author of, “The Millionaire Mentor” and “Wake Up: Live the Life You Love” http://www.AlwaysGood.com

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Run Your Business From Home? Here’s 10 Ways to Be More Productive

April 11th, 2009

Ah, working at home… Visions of leisurely days, conference calls in comfy sweatpants, increased productivity with fewer interruptions. But the distinctions between work life and home life soon blur. You really should throw some laundry in the wash before you write that proposal. You have an hour before a meeting: Should you balance your books or clean the kitchen? And remember to call that client back right after you empty the cat box.

Welcome to the real world of working at home: unforeseen distractions, a lack of structured time, and sometimes a perceived loss of identity. But don’t give up the dream just yet! By putting into place a few simple ideas, you can reap more of the rewards of working at home. Based on my experiences and those of my associates, here are 10 simple ways to help you stay on track.

1. Separate Your Space.

Keep a separate, distinct work area in your home. (This is especially difficult if you’re living and working in a shoebox studio, like I was when I started my business in New York City!) If you don’t have a separate room, at least define an area, and know that when you’re in it, you’re in “work mode.”

2. Structure Your Time.

As your business and personal time mesh, it’s more important than ever to structure your day. For example, if you regularly take a walk or go to the gym, try to do it every day at the same time. Value that personal appointment with yourself – even when you’re very busy. It will actually help you keep your business on track! I like to get up early and work until noon, then I take a few hours off to enjoy lunch, do some reading, and take my daily jog on the beach. Then I’m back at my desk at 4:00 until who knows when!

3. Outsource All You Can.

When I began my business, I made the mistake of acting as my own courier service. I soon learned how much time I was wasting by frequently visiting clients just to pick things up and drop them off. Whenever you start thinking, “Well I can just do that myself,” STOP. Streamline your business, making everything as automatic as possible. Use outside services to stay focused on your *real work*. Get accounts with an overnight delivery service, messenger service, virtual assistant (VA), bookkeeper, etc. Save your energy for your brilliant ideas! : )

4. Use Technology to Your Advantage.

In-person meetings are very valuable when appropriate, but schedule them sparingly. Try to do most of your business via phone, fax, and e-mail using the best equipment you can afford. For most home-based entrepreneurs, when you’re out of the office, you’re NOT making money. So it’s important that you can communicate flawlessly from where you are. And PLEASE do us all a favor and get separate lines/services for your phone, fax, and Internet! No one likes getting a busy signal.

(BONUS TIP: If your phone company offers voicemail, get it. Not only will your outgoing message sound more professional, but if you’re on an important call and don’t want to be disturbed, other callers can still leave you a message.)

5. Group Your Errands.

Try to group your meetings and errands together to minimize your out-of-office time. Make a list in the morning of all the outside tasks you need done for the day, and attempt to complete them in one fell swoop. Even better, do what I do and designate just one day a week as your “blitz” day for errands and meetings. Plus, then you only need to get dressed up one day a week! : )

6. Stay Focused.

Make your workspace off-limits to other roommates or family members when you’re working. For you animal lovers, this may go for pets as well. (My cat Francine gets *very* jealous when I’m not giving her complete attention!) Keep all personal paperwork such as bills, magazines, and to-do lists out of sight, so they won’t distract you from your projects.

7. Beware of Yappers.

Many of your friends and family will be immediately delighted when they learn that you’re working at home. They picture you lounging on the couch, eating potato chips, and waiting for their calls. When they call you simply to chat, politely remind them that you’re working, and ask them if you can call them back after your day is over. It may take them a while, but they’ll eventually get the idea.

8. Work With Your Moods.

Keep track of your moods and productivity compared with the time of day. For example, if you find you’re more alert in the morning, use this time to make important calls and do your creative work. Take advantage of your natural cycles. If you feel better after an afternoon nap, go for it! (I’m a BIG proponent of the catnap. In fact, I may start a support group.)

9. Suit Yourself.

To bring out your best work, make your environment perfect for YOU. How do you work best? With plenty of breaks, or with no interruptions? In silence, or with some light music in the background? On a cushy couch and coffee table, or at a business desk in an ergonomic chair? (My friends thought I was nuts when I spent $750 on my Herman Miller Aeron chair, but they quickly understood why once they sat in it! And my spine thanks me every day.)

Also, find some places you can do work when you need a change of scenery. How about the library, the park, or your neighborhood coffee shop? When I need to do serious reading, thinking, or editing, I take my work outside to the beach. The sea air, sunshine, and soothing waves help me think much more clearly.

10. Break for People.

Feeling sluggish, lonely, or moody? Arrange for at least one social break during the week. (I aim for two or three.) Schedule breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even just coffee with a client, vendor, or friend. Join a business networking group, or sign-up for social activities such as dance class or recreational sports league. Don’t go into hermit mode – it can be self-destructive!

1999-2009 Alexandria Brown International Inc.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Online entrepreneur Ali Brown publishes the award-winning “Highlights on Marketing Success” weekly ezine with 36,000+ subscribers. If you’re ready to jump-start your marketing, make more money, and have more fun in your small business, get your FREE tips now at AlexandriaBrown.com

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What’s Your “Purpose”?

April 11th, 2009

What’s Your “Purpose”?

Hi Friends!

I recently started coaching a mega-successful entrepreneur who by any standards has made it big. As we have been getting deeper and deeper into what life is really about, I asked him a question, “‘What’s the purpose of your life?”

For over a minute he just stared at me and then asked, “What do you mean?”

So I repeated the same question again, and added “What are you on this earth and journey for?”

He sat there with a blank stare on his face and then started to cry like a baby. He had never even thought about that question once. He felt saddened that his life seemed to have little if any meaning.

We quickly remedied that feeling by going over all the wonderful things he had done. Then we really got into his true life’s purpose, and all I can tell you is that now he is so-o-o-o-o-o jazzed!

As with almost every person I meet, they have not really asked themselves that question, let alone have an answer for it. Let me suggest that each one of us is here to do something special. It is our job to discover what that something is and fulfill it. For example, here is what I believe is my own purpose:

The purpose of my life is to live, to love, to grow and to be mega-happy. It is also to be a great father to Keenan and Noah and to love, inspire and serve others.

It has taken me many years of questions, and many refinements to get my own purpose so clear. The value for me is that once I am clear about my life’s purpose, I can be clear about what I do on a daily basis. It allows me to feel good about my self and what I will contribute to this planet before and after I die.

I heard a wonderful visual story a while ago that goes something like this:

One day God was choosing only 1 person out of a possible 250 million to go to Earth and contribute something great while there. He asked all of the applicants to write out why they should be chosen and what they would do on earth if he chose them.

He then made them promise that they would do everything they could to fulfill their promises if chosen.

Now, I want you to imagine that God chose you.

Now, go and write out what you would have told Him because you can still keep your promise.

Remember to laugh and be silly and to create a great life!

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated – send to: John@TheStreetKid.com

——————————

By: John Assaraf, aka The Street Kid, a New York Times & Wall Street Journal Best-Selling Author, Trainer & Entrepreneur. Go to: http://www.thestreetkid.com to discover his “Secrets To Building A Multi-Million Dollar Business Guaranteed!” Go to: http://www.TheStreetKid.com/seminars to register for your No-Cost eCourse, “The Science Of Making Tons Of Dough.”

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