Tag: Steps

  • Money – And How to Make More of It

    Money – And How to Make More of It

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    I don't know many independent professionals who wouldn't like to make more money.

    It seems so simple. Ultimately there are only four ways to make more money in your business:

    1. Get more new clients or customers

    2. Raise your rates or fees

    3. Sell ​​more services to each client

    4. Get more repeat business from existing clients.

    Yes, but how do you actually accomplish those three things?

    For the next several weeks, I'm going to write a series of articles on how to make more money in your business.

    And I'm going to do my best to give you practical, actionable ideas that work. I know they work because I've3 used them and so have many of my clients over the years.

    But before I start, there's an important things to understand about money.

    Money. Is. An. Emotional. Issue.

    Money isn't dollar bills in our pocket or numbers in our bank account.

    No, in our minds, money is about our self worth, about how we compare ourselves to others, about how we feel about ourselves, about our success, and ultimately about our survival.

    I have a favorite story about money that makes this very clear.

    A few years ago, I worked with a husband and wife team who were executive coaches.

    Because of our work together, they started to attract more clients on a consistent basis.

    However, like many independent professionals, they were undercharging for their professional services.

    But when I suggested they raise their fees, they became very uncomfortable.

    And when I dug in, I discovered why.

    It turns out that both had been raised in relatively poor families and they continually got the message that "rich people are dishonest."

    Because they believed that to be true, of course they didn't want to raise their fees. That would make them, in their minds, dishonest.

    And, if they felt they were dishonest, that would be a moral failure. That wouldn't feel good. It actually felt better to make less money!

    After we explored this belief in depth, they realized that it was both emotional and illogical. It clearly wasn't true that all rich people were dishonest.

    Their belief started to transform to: "We offer an honest service that makes a difference to our clients and it's OK to charge what that service is really worth."

    This new belief felt a lot better than the old one.

    And realizing this, they finally clearly saw that the fees they then charged were virtually nothing compared to the value their clients received.

    And before too long they had doubled their fees with almost no pushback from their clients.

    And no angst on their part.

    So, the very first thing to examine if you are not making the money you want, are your beliefs about money.

    Sounds simple, but it's trickier than it seems.

    Why? Because we believe what we believe to protect us from any kind of harm – even if this harm is imaginary.

    My clients believed they'd become dishonest if they raised their fees. So, in their minds, not raising their fees prevented that from happening.

    What shifted this belief was clearly seeing that it was essentially nonsense. They could raise their fees and still be honest people.

    With this powerful insight, their belief was forever changed.

    And now, as a business owner, I challenge you to question your beliefs about money. First, identify the ones that are holding you back.

    Here are a few very popular ones:

    Money is scarce

    My clients can't pay higher fees

    People will think I'm greedy

    More money will lead to problems

    It feels wrong to make money doing what I love

    Money will corrupt me

    Being wealthy will make me arrogant

    I don't deserve a lot of money

    Money leads to bad things

    More money just means more taxes

    Wanting more money is selfish and shallow

    List yours here: ______________________

    I don't know which of these beliefs is running you, but if you aren't making the money you want it's almost certain that one or more of these beliefs is holding you back.

    What are the fears behind the beliefs?

    Honestly ask if those beliefs are true and if they are serving you or limiting you.

    Then ask how things might change without those beliefs.

    You just might find that it's not so hard to raise your fees after all.

    So, the first thing you must do to earn more money is to question your beliefs about money. Unless you do that, you're unlikely to take the practical steps that will help you earn more money.

    Do this honest questioning about your money beliefs and you'll be ready to learn a number of step-by-step approaches to earning more money that I'll cover in the following weeks.

    Cheers, Robert

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    Source by Robert Middleton

    Views: 0

  • My Wife Thinks I’m Immature! What Steps Can Help Change This

    My Wife Thinks I’m Immature! What Steps Can Help Change This

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    Your wife tells you that you’re immature. Perhaps you agree with her, or maybe you think she’s way off base. Regardless of your stance on the issue, she’s clear on hers. It’s hurtful knowing that the woman you’ve chosen to spend your life with sees you as nothing more than a child in a man’s clothing. Her comments sting, her attitude overshadows all the great things you do and you’re getting tired of trying to please her when you truly believe you’re fine exactly as you are, right?

    There’s a very specific dynamic that dominates a marriage when the wife views her husband as immature. She’ll tend to take the reins on everything from major decision making to raising the children. Over time, a man in a relationship like this will start to feel as though his opinion and contributions aren’t welcomed or embraced. Once a marriage hits this bump in the road, it can be difficult to get it back on a loving and mutually respectful path.

    Talk to Your Wife About Your Concerns

    Before you can work on changing how your wife views you, you must get to the root of why she holds the opinion of you that she does. In some marriages, it’s obvious in that the husband refuses to take on the necessary responsibility that a married partner must carry. This may manifest itself in a man who hasn’t chosen a career path yet even though he’s been out of college for a decade, or it can be a man who insists on splurging on things that the couple can’t afford.

    If you’re unsure why your wife continually views you as immature, ask her. You must be prepared to hear some difficult things about yourself. In fact, when you ask your wife about how she sees your behavior, this may actually open the floodgates and she’ll pour out every criticism she has of you.

    View this as a step in a positive direction. Try not to become defensive. Instead, absorb it as a tool for change and a means towards a closer, more enriching marriage.

    Do Things Within Your Marriage That Command Respect

    If someone views you as immature it may be a sign that they simply have little or no respect for you. In the case of a married couple, this can stem from any number of circumstances but it’s generally something that can be rectified.

    Commanding respect may feel like an ominous task, particularly in the case of a man who wants his wife to show him more respect. But it’s often your own view of yourself that others will follow. For instance, if you don’t take care of yourself physically or emotionally, your wife may start to believe that you don’t value yourself. In turn, she’ll begin to devalue you as well which can result in her seeing you as someone who isn’t on the same level as she is.

    Working on improving yourself is a simple way to garner more respect from your wife. Take stock of where your life is compared to where you want it to be at this point. Perhaps you believed that you’d be running your own company by the age of thirty, or maybe you envisioned yourself a successful investor by the time you entered your forties. Whatever your life goals have been now is the time to redefine them and start making them a reality.

    When a person invests more energy, care and time in themselves, others follow that lead. That’s why you must start putting more effort into becoming the man you know you’re capable of. You can show your wife, through dedicated actions, that you aren’t the immature boy that she believes she marries. Instead, begin showing her that you are indeed a focused and mature man who now sees the potential within himself.

    Don’t Try and Hurt Your Wife in Retaliation for Her Criticism

    When a person we love hurts us verbally there’s a very strong temptation to throw something just as hurtful back in their direction. You may have already done this with your wife when she referred to you as immature. If you have, ensure that it’s the last time it happens.

    If you fall to the same level of your wife and throw hurtful words in her direction, you are showing her that you are the definition of immature. You are, in fact, proving her own point for her. Children like to engage in hurtful banter that often results in one person being so stung that the relationship will never be the same. It’s much worse when it’s married adults who are engaging in this type of destruction behavior.

    The next time your wife tells you that she thinks you are immature, you need to respond in a very specific way. Look her straight in the eye and calmly say, “you are entitled to your opinion, but I disagree.” Then end the conversation by leaving the room or saying goodbye if it’s via telephone. Don’t engage her a moment longer because if you do you will be tempted to say things that will escalate the situation until you both are hurt.

    If you repeatedly handle the situation with this type of dignity and grace your wife will soon realize that her words are hollow. You’ll be showing her that you are indeed mature, calm and reasonable.

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    Source by Gillian Reynolds

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  • How to Generate Small MLM Business Success

    How to Generate Small MLM Business Success

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    Success doesn't come to those who wait, it comes from hard work. There are key steps in a MLM business that one can take to make the work easier. There are no fool proof methods, only experience and experimentation can help in the end. The tools offered here may help some business owners achieve results. But, as with any tool, it can only be used as a general foundation that should be built upon. Even a house needs a little work or remodeling as the family grows or shrinks from like. Don't let one or two failures determine the future of the business. Learn and adapt from the situations. Two main points today include audience targeting and technology implementation will be discussed.

    Get your MLM business audience to engage
    The biggest key to your MLM business success is to get your audience to engage with your marketing. By engaging with your marketing, they are showing interest in the topics that you have researched and developed based on the "prospects" needs. Sounds problematic and it is, but take a look at why you joined the company and you can see a pattern from your steps. People around the world are facing similar issues, take dive into social media and do some research to see what other MLM business owners are talking about. Ask questions, post polls, get feedback before you launch a major campaign.

    Your MLM business will do better if you have done the leg work first. Your chances of success will nearly double if you have done your research and developed material that helps by providing extreme value. Such formats can be presented in a way that is appealing without sacrificing quality of your message. Make sure that you include a call for action at the end of your informational message. This will help guide those who are interested in learning more about your business.

    Using Technology to build MLM business success
    Technology in most aspects can enable you to achieve MLM business success. Every piece of software and hardware may present advantages for your business. There are also limitations to such tools, such as costs and parameters that may not be beneficial for your business. Engage with your audience through these tools, share your messages and go for short term achievements, as you work towards a greater level of independence. Short content that talks to your audience will do better than content that shouts at them.

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    Source by David L. Feinstein

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  • 5 Tips for Improving Performance in Small Sales Teams

    5 Tips for Improving Performance in Small Sales Teams

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    In my years of experience in sales and sales management, I have observed many small and medium sized sales teams. Often, they struggle to perform at capacity and hit their goals and it's frequently a sales management issue. Sometimes it's because the CEO or business owner is the de facto sales manager and is wearing many hats. They are often just too busy running their business or spread too thin. Sometimes they're the technical experts in their field and their expertise and time is being used to improve products, systems or services. It's sometimes because a top performing sales person was promoted into a sales management role and their strength lies in salesmanship and delivering revenue to the business personally rather than in a broad sense. Below are five things you can do to improve sales management in your company now.

    1. Planning
    Many business owners have at best a rudimentary sales plan. If they do have one, often times it consists of higher and higher sales goals, without accounting for what will drive that new business. Will a new product line be added, a new market be opened or new additions made to the sales team? Will the company be able to support the added expense while markets are opened and new sales people trained? How much risk will the company bear? A good but simple sales plan takes this into consideration. Takeaway: Make a better sales plan with concrete steps to get to the desired goal.

    2. Modernize
    There are many new technologies that make it easier to interact with prospects. Among them are CRM systems, collaboration tools, the cloud, dialers, email tracking, prospect and customer information systems. Existing systems are being upgraded all the time with the newest capabilities. All are designed to more efficiently and effectively reach more buyers, disseminate information, warm them up and help make sales. Social media platforms allow a business to extend its reach inexpensively and makes your business more visible to search engines such as Google.com. Takeaway: Evaluate new technologies on a regular basis to make sure you are keeping up and modernize as needed.

    3. Training
    Training sales people serves three purposes. The first is that it provides them an opportunity to hone and refresh their skills. The second is that it reminds them that performance is important and that expectations for them performing well are high. The third is that it shows a willingness to invest in them and that they are part of the long term plan for the organization. Takeaway: Make sure you offer training to your sales people every year (a sharp ax cuts better than a dull one).

    4. Lead Generation
    All businesses need sales and most small and medium sized businesses are subject to the feast / famine paradigm. When they're busy, the first thing that gets pushed aside is prospecting for new business. Until business slows down. Then there's a flurry of sales activity and soon business is back where it should be. For a while. Most small businesses don't have bandwidth to prospect effectively in a consistent way.

    Lists should be highly targeted and refreshed regularly. Technology should be used and a proven process followed. The technology should reinforce the process rather than detract from it. Top management should enforce the use of the technology and following of the process. Utilize social media and blogging to widen your reach inexpensively. Finally, no one can be an expert on everything so get help from the professionals when needed. Takeaway: Make prospecting part of the company routine and culture and call in the experts when needed!

    5. Measurement
    You get what you measure is the old adage and it's mostly true. The challenge is top management often has a hard time pinning down the exact actions, activities and behaviors they are trying to encourage and measure. Here's a practical example. Maybe top management believes that offering free webinars will increase sales since it worked well in the past. So the goal is to run well attended webinars.

    How will these webinars be promoted to prospects and clients? Will a set of emails be sent, starting a few weeks before the first webinar? Then a prospect list with email addresses will need to be purchased and loaded and a compelling email invitation created.

    Will prospects be called and told about the webinars? Then phone numbers will be necessary, a script will need to be created and a person designated to make the calls. To track call results, an activity report should be created and run on a regular basis to test the messaging, to make sure the calls are being made and to analyze the prospect responses. Will the report be grouped by prospect type (or industry or state or city or source)? Then that data will need to be captured or imported for each prospect.

    Finally, reports should measure the success of each webinar, so that results can be tabulated. How many people registered and attended are important to measure, as well as what happened to the prospect once the webinar was complete to determine the ROI. Takeaway: Create reports that measure actions, activities and behaviors that drive sales success, run them regularly and share the results.

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    Source by Jerry Crowley

    Views: 0

  • Yoonla – Digital Lifestyle Business – Is It Any Good? Quick Review

    Yoonla – Digital Lifestyle Business – Is It Any Good? Quick Review

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    This is a quick review of the Yoonla online digital lifestyle business created by Reno Van Boven. All of the information provided is from my personal experience of trying the business in which I aim to provide a honest perspective on Yoonla & in what this entails for you.

    This article is not meant to get all technical & confusing for those reading or interested in becoming digital marketing professionals so I try to keep the wording as simple as possible.

    There are 2 types of accounts:

    1) Free- pretty easy to create (like creating an email or Facebook account but can’t make money… YET TILL YOU UPGRADE TO…

    2) Elite- this is where you really start earning money. Once you followed the 7 steps of creating your elite account (all the hard part is done by Yoonla) & upgraded to elite; you are on your way to earning well. Mind you, you do have to upgrade to elite to get all the benefits of this program. You are wondering how much. It is only $50-$70 dollars to start earning commissions on a regular & consistent basis. But THIS IS WELL WORTH IT!

    Once you upgraded to elite, you can get to earning by getting people to sign-up under you. There are 2 tiers of making money from Yoonla- let me briefly explain tier 1:

    1) You get $4 for every free account that signs up under you from English speaking countries (UK, USA, New Zealand etc)

    2) You get $2 from people in non-English countries (Spain, Brazil, China)

    Tier 2 is where it gets all exciting… for every person who upgrades to the elite account under you (you the SPONSOR) you get $30 commission for each person.

    The reason I enjoy this program is the fact that its WORLDWIDE… anyone can make money from this. Male or female, rich or poor. This program does not discriminate which is reason why I recommend people to upgrade as soon as possible. The price for starting the elite account will be recovered as soon as you get people to sign up under you.

    All payments are done by PayPal so all the commissions will be sent to your PayPal account. And you get paid once a month. Consider this as a lump sum of money.

    This business is a slow build- don’t expect to earn $10,000 in a month straight away like you hear in some videos or personal stories. 95% of the time they did not earn it like they say & if they did; they are only the few out of hundred thousands to do this. Simply, just because you started your business does not make you entitled to earn huge sums of money. In hearing some of Yoonla stories, most people do not make serious money till 5-6 months later on down the line.

    This is where you have to put the hard work to get to this stage in the first place. If you’re interested in learning how do this as soon as possible, leave a comment.

    Thank you for reading.

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    Source by Zhane Kelly

    Views: 0

  • What Trading Psychology And Feng Shui Have In Common

    What Trading Psychology And Feng Shui Have In Common

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    I know, a weird title and an even weirder combination of subjects. Please bear with me for a second: I have traded since 2001. On my trading journey learned one big thing, which I call the unified theory of trading success. This thing is that absolutely everything is connected.

    Let me explain:

    Traders and humans at large are so used to thinking in boxes that we overlook the biggest, simplest law of our existence that influences how we create our (trading) success. I am talking about how consciousness works.

    Consciousness permeates everything, that’s the universal law.

    This law basically means that everything you look at and experience in your trading world is experienced through your consciousness first, before you become aware of the individual boxes which your mind has set up like a filter system, so that you can make sense of all the different experiences.

    Here is the rub: Your mind processes most of its experiences subconsciously.

    The tendency to see things as separate creates a skewed view of the world. It also makes you take the wrong action, because you act on the illusion of separation as if it where real.

    Box thinking stops you from seeing what Feng Shui and trading have in common.

    Have you ever considered that consciousness sees literally everything before you give the experience a value?

    For example: You value a good trade set up as worthy of your attention, just as you would value a nice looking beach as a motivation to develop better trading habits. Yet, you know that the beach is not your reality today, because your office is dark and it’s raining, or snowing outside. That’s your reality as you see it.

    Are you getting where I am going with this?

    You have of course seen the images of traders sitting by the beach, or driving a Ferrari. The idea behind these images, usually brokers’ adverts, is to entice you to trade with them not because they are the greatest broker, but because your untrained mind is greedy. It wants the Ferrari and the beach life style NOW.

    Almost too simple isn’t it?

    If you are an experienced trader, or an experienced investor you will know how these “little” desires which run deep inside the emotional part of the brain influence your behaviour.

    Imagine how your trading mind would relax if every time it steps into your trading room, it sees a lovely, desk, and a pleasing objet d’art. Your conscious trading mind reasons that it only needs a good looking chart.

    How wrong you are:

    Whenever your trading mind sees something that is beautiful, it stimulates a feel good factor that makes you want to perform better. The brain does not “see” the object d’art, rather it sees what it associates with that objet d’art: Like wealth, success, or security, the key motivators that drive us to carry on, even when we are going through a rough patch.

    Remember: Your brain does not think in terms of now and tomorrow. Your brain only sees now in every moment.

    When you enter your office next, take a look around, but with your CONSCIOUS mind switched on. Notice what subliminal messages your office is sending to your trading brain. I think you will be surprised.

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    Source by Mercedes Oestermann Van Essen

    Views: 0

  • Daddy Daughter Fun Ideas to Heal and Grow the Bond for Life

    Daddy Daughter Fun Ideas to Heal and Grow the Bond for Life

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    Why it just has to be a one day for daughters to gel up with their fathers when it can be done almost on daily basis. It doesn't take much of time for daughters to sit with their fathers and create a great bonding for life. It takes tad bits or steps from the part of fathers and their daughters to create a bonding or connection that is eternal and hard to break. Even when the fathers are busy catching up with their day to day life deeds, their daughters shouldn't be left ignored even for a minute because the relationship between the two is very important to maintain since the beginning. Down below are the few daddy daughter fun ideas or activities that can help the duo to nurture and heal their relationship for life without stressing upon the factor like time.

    Watching Any TV Show Together

    The duo can enrich their bond by indulging in a habit of watching some kind of TV show together. This gala time will help the duo to interact with each other and reveal their areas of interests and likings. This activity doesn't require much of time and energy. Fathers even after a tiring day at work can just make a little time at the end of the day to widen that smile on the face of their daughters.

    Long Strolls around Market or Park

    Apart from watching TV, the duo can go for the walk around the park and can utilize the remaining day's time to interact with each other whilst going around the market to buy some grocery or home improvement item maybe. The deal here is to just go for it and make it happen. This small act will help in improving the relationship between the two.

    Picnic at the Beach

    Daughters are never too old to go for a picnic at the beach. If the schedule doesn't give much of time to interact with the daughters, then it is the best idea to plan for some picnic on weekend. The weekend time will give ample of time and opportunity for the pair to walk in each other's shoes. This quality time will help the bond between the two to improve and strengthen or deepen for life.

    The above are the few minimalistic approaches and ideas that are huge enough to create a big impact on the lives of the father daughter pair. If the duo wants to go for more methods and ideas, then there are various father daughter event planners that provide weekend activities ideas to make the relationship between the duo to be stronger and healthy.

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    Source by Karanveer Rawat

    Views: 0

  • Healing Grief’s Mental, Emotional, Physical Anguish, Pain And Suffering

    Healing Grief’s Mental, Emotional, Physical Anguish, Pain And Suffering

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    Mental anguish can detour your healing journey indefinitely.

    Emotional pain may darken your hope.

    Physical suffering may well obstruct your healing progression.

    All three – mental, emotional, and physical miseries – often accompany an unwanted grief happening. They lead toward lack of clarity and uncertainty in your thinking about how to stop grieving and start a healing process. All three highlight your fear and doubt of overcoming your sorrow and loss. It is essential you take important steps to transform your grief and loss into healing hope. The “HOW” is a vital answer you must seek.

    “If I could tell the world just one thing

    it would be we’re all okay,

    and not to worry cause worry is wasteful

    and useless in times like these.

    I won’t be made useless.

    I won’t be idle with despair,

    I will gather myself around my faith.

    Light does the darkness most fear.”

    ~ Jewel

    The faith to heal at the time of your darkest hour is needed to move past your fear. Recognizing that impossibilities are so often temporary is essential.

    “Things are only impossible until they’re not.”

    ~ Jean-Luc Picard, character in STAR TREK: The Next Generation

    Let’s examine together beneficial solutions that provide ways you can overcome and erase fear and vagueness and meet head-on the mental anguish, emotional pain, and physical suffering caused by your grief experience. There are five solutions you should consider:

    1- Don’t Give Up Your Power

    “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”

    ~ Alice Walker

    At all cost don’t let your unique circumstance rule your emotions and hope. Take charge and rule your life from within. Your hope is a powerful empowerment. Search deep within for all the mental, emotional, and physical muscle you have. You do have your own power beyond what you temporarily believed you had when your awful grief resulted.

    “Greatness is not in where we stand,

    but in what direction we are moving.

    We must sail sometimes with the wind

    and sometimes against it –

    but sail we must,

    and not drift, nor lie at anchor.”

    ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

    You must focus your attention and hold a healing effort course with a relentless commitment to weather the storm of your grief, loss and sorrow.

    “No one is in control of your happiness but you; therefore, you have the power to change anything

    about yourself or your life that you want to change.”

    ~ Barbara De Angelis

    Seek your individual and unique power. You have more control than you think.

    2- Stand Up To Your Obstacles

    “Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have.”

    ~ Norman Vincent Peale

    Fear and discouragement can be left in the dust if you use your greatest weapon; action is your greatest weapon. Fear and hesitation must not be allowed to molder and mildew for it grows by itself. Because of your personal grief experience you may feel you have run into a thick insurmountable wall. Don’t be submissive and give up without a fight. Determine how to go through it, or climb over it, or figure out how to work around it. Begin today.

    3- Don’t Give In Until The Cows Crow

    Take a firm personal stand and follow Jonathan Huie’s suggestion:

    “I won’t give up ’til goats sing and walruses fly.”

    Think about it: You are the only one who can make yourself give up.

    “Circumstances don’t defeat you – you defeat yourself when you give up.” ~ Jonathan Lockwood Huie

    Many give up about the time success is in the near future. They give up too quickly at the last ten seconds of the game one basket away from winning the game. Perhaps you will need to modify your efforts and the way you approach your target; keep your eyes on your goal to reconcile your grief condition and don’t quit. Keep pondering and seeking for solutions that fit your unique grief and sorrow.

    “When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems you cannot hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time the tide will turn.”

    ~ Harriet Beecher Stowe

    Don’t let a temporary defeat condition last longer than it should. Giving up makes your grieving misery permanent. You’re not a product of your condition or circumstance but of the personal decisions you make. Draw deeply from the heart of your grief and loss suffering – for your sorrowful experience may be the means of personal inspiration, strength and survival.

    4- Expect Hope

    “Expect to have hope rekindled.

    Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways.

    The dry seasons in life do not last.

    The spring rains will come again.”

    ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach

    Always look for hope. It is a mistake to let grief cloud and obliterate the whole blue sky of hope. Hope or the lack of optimism is purely a function of one’s attitude.

    “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass… It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.”

    ~ Vivian Greene

    Life happens. Waiting for the grief storm in your life to pass is a mistake. Learning to dance with hope in your heart is vital to healing.

    5- Gather Your Strength

    The storms of life give you opportunity to learn. The grief storms of life provide another day – another way to learn a lesson for fighting the current challenge you face and the next battle.

    “When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.”

    ~ Helen Keller

    Looking at closed doors stops you from seeing the open doors of healing possibilities and opportunities. Look for your unique personal door of strength. Walk through this door before it closes. Deep within is grit and fortitude untapped until you need it.

    “Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength

    which will always spring up if thou wilt always look there.”

    ~ Marcus Aurelius

    Gather solutions for the strength needed for your unique grief healing challenge. You Can! Believe this is so!

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    Source by Duane Marchant

    Views: 0

  • Marketing With Logic and Emotion

    Marketing With Logic and Emotion

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    A couple days ago our refrigerator conked out.

    A repairman showed up today to take a look. The verdict? We’d need a new freezer coil. The cost was close to $1,000 and would take almost a week to get the parts.

    A new refrigerator was about $2K. And that’s the option I chose. It will arrive tomorrow.

    Logically, I could have saved more than $1K if I’d chosen to get it fixed.

    But emotionally, I didn’t want to be without a fridge for a week, perhaps longer. The discomfort of that was worth avoiding even if it meant paying $1,000 more.

    All buying decisions are emotional, not logical.

    When a client decides to work with you, they may justify it logically, but ultimately, they chose to get your help because of how they feel about you and their situation.

    They will choose the option that feels the best to them.

    In most cases, people buy your professional services because something isn’t working for them.

    And that decision is always emotional.

    And they also want things to work better for them or their companies.

    And that decision is emotional as well.

    Since marketing is 100% communication, your first job is to remind your prospective clients of the problems, issues and challenges they are experiencing.

    And your second job is to inform them how much better things will be after you help them by using your professional services.

    Nevertheless, this emotional content needs to be presented in a logical, understandable way.

    That’s why the third law of attracting clients says you must balance logic and emotion in your marketing.

    This is the art of marketing.

    Learning how to communicate this way can be tricky, but I like to break it down into these 6 logical steps:

    1. Write a list of all the problems, issues and challenges your prospective clients are facing.

    2. Write a list of how things could be if their problems, issues and challenges were resolved (the mirror image of #1).

    3. Prove to them that you have the experience and know-how to help them achieve #2.

    4. Write a list of all the other benefits and advantage they’ll gain if they hire you to help them.

    5. Explain what you’ll actually do and what it will look like (but not in too much detail).

    6. Let them know what they need to do to get started with you (including your fee).

    Now, of course, this can be written or spoken in an infinite number of ways, but these steps are the building blocks of marketing communication that turns prospective clients into paying clients.

    Cheers, Robert

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    Source by Robert Middleton

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  • Is He Marriage Material? Four Steps for Creating Your Custom Plan & Deciding If He's Worth Your Time

    Is He Marriage Material? Four Steps for Creating Your Custom Plan & Deciding If He's Worth Your Time

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    It's important that you know yourself, your goals, your needs and wants really well before you can find a great relationship that could potentially lead to marriage.

    And the best way to determine if your current or future boyfriend is marriage material is to know yourself, create a checklist of what's right for you, and then test him to see if he fits.

    In this article, we'll break down what things you need to know about both yourself and him in order to even consider that next step!

    Step One: Know There Is a "Mr. Perfect for You" and That You Can Design Him

    Are you still waiting for HIM? You know who I mean:

    "Mr. Right". The perfect man that will satisfy all your dreams and make your life worth living?

    Yeah, that guy. Well, sorry to break it to you like this but …

    Prince Charming, riding on a white stallion, lost his way because men hate asking for directions.

    Or he found Princess Charming and got married to her on his way to your castle … or, you know, your apartment.

    And by the way, even Prince Charming wasn't flawless. I'm pretty sure he left dirty dishes in the sink and never made up the bed.

    Anyway, the point is that PERFECT isn't showing up anytime soon.

    Truth is … nobody is perfect. No man and no woman. Perfection doesn't exist in people. But don't feel bad if you have been looking for the perfect man.

    I did that for a long time, deathly afraid that if I didn't get him exactly right, I'd failed myself, my future kids, the planet, my Mama, and possibly God.

    I was wrong. Don't even look for perfect, because the concept of "perfect for YOU" exists instead. You can plan the guy that may not perfect in the world, but is perfect for and fits YOU well.

    The perfect-for-you man of your dreams is not hiding under your bed, though. That would be too easy. Can't have that.

    Nope, you are going to have to actively design and then look for him. But don't worry, the search can be fun if you want it to be, and the hardest part is done. You now know you won't find perfect, so the pressure is off!

    By the way, are you feeling the whole "not pretty enough" thing sometimes too? Wondering "why am I still single" even?

    I did too. However, I learned that although I may not completely fit my society's "standard of beauty", I did meet quite a few men's individual standard of beauty … or was at least close enough!

    And that's all you really need. So don't worry. "Mr. Close-Enough-To-Perfect-For-You" might be just around the corner … if you'll give him a chance!

    You can plan him. Don't do this by default.

    I've noticed that we sometimes find ourselves dating or even married by what I call "by default". That means we find a man, decide that he is the best we can do, and latch on without really analyzing him to determine if he's really right for us or our lives.

    Don't fall victim to default. This isn't the time for "get in where you fit in". You CAN plan him. When you do your research and work your strategy, you won't have to put up with the losers!

    You'll have a way to know whether he's marriage material … or not!

    Now that you know that there is no "Mr. Right" or perfect man, the pressure is off, and you can now have fun looking for what I call your "ideal male". You're also aware that dating by default isn't the best way to avoid the pain of being with a dud. And you understand you can take the bull by the horns and decide what you want your ideal guy to look like.

    Now it's time to dive into YOU, determine your dating deal breakers, and decide what kind of guy fits you best.

    Step Two: Get to Know YOU: Your Goals and Dreams, Needs and Wants, and Deal Breakers

    Did you see the first The Matrix ™ movie? Remember that scene where Neo goes to see the Oracle?

    He is trying to figure out if he's "the one" – a Messiah of sorts and the man Morpheus is searching for– and thinks the Oracle can help him decide what to do.

    Typical of a good mentor, the Oracle makes Neo find his own way. Before putting him out to find his own answers, she points out the plaque above her door that reads nosce te ipsum.

    Know thyself.

    You should know yourself really well before committing to someone else.

    Have you ever taken time to really think about what YOU want for your life? I don't mean what you THINK you want – which is usually what others want for you – or what society wants for you – don't get me started on that, but what YOU really, truly, want for yourself?

    Why? Well, understanding yourself is the most important thing you can do before getting deeply involved with another person.

    I'm not saying you'll do everything perfectly even if you see yourself clearly. Problems can still happen, and you will make mistakes.

    But if you pick a mate based on what you learn about yourself, you will have a much better shot at finding compatibility than if you have no idea who you are and just go into this blindly, hoping it will turn out okay.

    If you don't know yourself or your needs well, and hook up with someone before finding YOU first, you may end up realizing that the person you are with does not fit you or your life at all, or at least not enough for things to last very long. Relationship compatibility is CRUCIAL.

    Being badly matched could be disastrous, especially if you cement yourself to him by having a child or getting married.

    Know Your Goals and Dreams … and Stick With Them

    When I think about it, I'm so glad to have been born when I was. We've got so many options now that women in my mother's age range and older just didn't have. We now have the tools and the right to decide what we want in terms of a career, marriage, and family just as much as men do.

    However, despite having goals and dreams, we sometimes get so caught up in a relationship that our own lives take a backseat. We end up giving up our dreams for relationships and marriage, children and family.

    Now, if you have a family with a man that's right for you then maybe these sacrifices are worth it.

    However, they are never worth it with the wrong man, so always keep your goals in the front of your mind and don't let the wrong guy take them from you.

    So what are your goals and dreams?

    Think about the things you want to do with your life. Your goals can be in any category, including career, travel, health, spirituality … anything at all. It's up to you. But to get you started, I suggest you look at these areas.

    What do you want to be when you grow up?

    Do you have a specific career in mind? Is there any special education you want to achieve? Anywhere in particular you want to work? Maybe even start your own business?

    What about fun? Have you always wanted to travel? Where to? How long? Don't be modest; anything is possible!

    Do you have any specific body or health goals? Want to lose a bit of weight? Gain weight? Gain muscle? Run a marathon?

    Do you feel a lack in your spiritual life? Want to attend church more? Study other religions? Memorize a holy book or two? Become a Buddhist? None of the above? Don't forget this is about YOU.

    Do you want kids? No kids, but more dogs? A cat or two? A llama? Plan your own family goals!

    The point is that these are to be YOUR ambitions and no one else's. Let your imagination have some fun.

    Now that you've considered your goals, let's look at what you want and need in a relationship.

    Decide on Your Needs / Wants

    I hear some of you asking: "wants or needs … what's the difference?"

    Well, when I say needs, it's exactly that. Those are characteristics you can't really live without. Wants are nice, but not crucial. You can go on without them if necessary.

    I have several friends who are single and looking for a good man. A couple of these ladies wanted to buck the trend of just dating whoever came along.

    Instead they really studied themselves and then decided what type of man they want. They began to examine what type of guy complemented them and quickly discovered what they would and would not tolerate in a mate. I suggested they document their needs and wants to decide if the next guy would fit them.

    For example, one friend, Josie, decided her ideal guy would know how – and be willing to – cook some of the meals. He had to be thoughtful, emotionally available and like to talk things out after an argument instead of hiding out and pouting.

    She also realized she needed him to be on the same page as her spiritually, and that he would have to be an avid church attendee. He also should love and want children like she did.

    Clearly, getting involved with a man who had none (or barely any) of these characteristics would result in serious arguments and almost guaranteed problems in Josie's future.

    So she wrote her requirements on a checklist, and if potential dates didn't meet her minimum needs, she politely said thanks, but no thanks.

    By doing her work up front, Josie was able to avoid a lot of the painful frustrations of dating the wrong guy. She hasn't found the "right one" quite yet, but she's successfully avoided several really wrong ones.

    So what are your wants and needs pertaining to him?

    Like Josie, do you want him to be spiritual or religious? Look back at your goals list. Does it have any things on it that you want to do and he should match? For example, if your goal is to become a Buddhist, should he already be one, or be open to it?

    Should he want kids? Should he want pets? Do you already have a pet and / or or kids and the "children" have to sign off on him?

    Next, you will discover that some of your wants / needs will have nothing to do with your goals. They'll be all about his personality traits, which we'll cover in a bit.

    Be Aware of Your Deal Breakers

    Speaking of wants vs. needs … deal breakers – like needs- are crucial. These are the characteristics you must have – or avoid – for a relationship to work.

    A huge deal breaker that I have encountered in my work has been the differing desire for children. If that's you, just be upfront about it.

    If he wants kids and you don't, that's okay, but you two aren't compatible. If you want them and he doesn't, then it isn't going to work. Children just aren't something you can compromise on.

    Another deal breaker I recommend you consider is ANY type of abuse. Even if it seems "mild" or that he's "just playing", mistreatment is a red flag and it's better to be single than dead. Too many women have ignored the signs and ended up paying with their lives.

    Are there other deal breakers on your mind? Then put them on your list.

    Now That You've Listed Them, Look for Your Needs, Wants, Dreams and Deal Breakers in HIM

    If you're currently dating, does your current guy fit any of the items on your checklist so far?

    Remember to be honest about this. Be aware whether you see these attributes because you want to, or if they are really there.

    Be honest with yourself, put the emotion aside, and find out who he actually is. Time out for the fantasies and soap operas. This is serious. If he really doesn't fit – even if you really want him to – strike him from consideration. Doing so doesn't mean he isn't a good guy, he's just not the right one for you.

    Step Three: Look for Generally Good Traits in Him

    Remember I said earlier that you also needed to consider his personality traits too?

    Now it's time to look into whether he has good personality traits or whether he shows some relationship red flags you need to steer clear of.

    I'll mention my top three desirable traits just to get you started. It's up to you decide whether they are also on your list, or you can do without them. I know I've said this a lot, but your checklist is always yours and should reflect you, not me or anyone else.

    Trust

    Trust. I usually trust close family and friends, but are hesitant to extend it to strangers. It takes a while to gain my trust, and I suggest you do the same when dating.

    Have you ever heard the expression "measure twice, cut once?". I think it's mostly for carpenters and woodworkers who want to be sure before making a permanent move. You can always take off a little more, but you can't always put it back.

    Keeping that phrase in mind while dating wouldn't hurt. Why?

    We have to be careful. A poor choice in a mate can have huge consequences in a woman's life, so we definitely have to measure our men multiple times before committing. One of the ways you should evaluate a man is whether you trust him, so be sure to do that carefully.

    To determine whether you can trust your partner, here are a few tips:

    * Rely on yourself first. Do you normally make good decisions? Yes? Then trust that you will make the right call.

    * Depend on your head and your heart. Look for signs. Is he checking out other women when you're together? Does he hang around with trustworthy people or does he deal with shadies?

    * Pay attention to what he is telling you AND showing you and then use that information to help you make informed decisions. Talk is cheap. Watch what he DOES.

    * Remember that if you have decided that you are going to trust him, then follow through and trust him! Don't sit and worry at night, wondering what he's doing or if he's being unfaithful.?If you feel you have to do that, then a relationship with this guy just isn't worth the stress.

    Honesty

    Trust and honesty go hand in hand, so let's talk about it a bit. Find out if your partner is honest before getting too deeply involved with him.

    How do you know if your guy is honest?

    Take the initiative.

    You must be honest if you're expecting it from your partner. Don't hide things, mislead him, or tell little "white lies" that are so easy to rationalize: it's no big deal if I just hide this small detail, etc.

    I know an otherwise really sweet couple who seemed to build their relationship on white lies. I think they were trying to "spare each other" from bad stuff, but it ended up backfiring on them. They didn't outright lie to each other (at least in their minds), but those little lies formed cracks in their relationship that eventually caused it to collapse.

    Do your homework.

    Find out all you can about your partner.

    You don't have to be obsessed, but do your research within reasonable boundaries.

    I don't think it's necessary to get the cops involved here, but say if you were introduced by a mutual friend or family member, ask that person about your partner. Are they trustworthy? What are they like in private? Find out those types of things and you'll quickly get an idea of ​​their honesty.

    You'd ask for a referral and recommendations for anything else you're considering -from a plumber to a lawyer-why not get more information on a potential mate?

    Last, make sure he knows upfront that honesty is an expectation and you won't tolerate anything less.

    Have conversations about honesty. Make it clear that you are going to be honest and ask him to do the same. It's funny how many issues in relationships can be worked out through simple communication. Just talk.

    If you start your relationship on a good, honest foundation, your chances of success increase greatly over those who choose to be dishonest or shady. And if you inform him upfront that it's expected, here's his chance to leave if he can't handle it.

    As with anything else, there is risk involved. If trust is earned and then continues, awesome! But if it gets broken, don't beat yourself up and think you failed. You did everything you could.

    We all make mistakes, you're only human. Learn from it, move on, and eventually you'll get it right!

    Respect

    I try to follow "The Golden Rule". I try to treat others as I would like to be treated. I want to be respected, so I try my hardest to respect others. It ain't easy all of the time, but it's worth at least trying!

    If you have tried giving plenty of respect to your partner, but are not getting it in return, don't forget that you have the right to fix that problem. Don't just take his lack of respect lying down!

    Whether that means talking with him about the lack of respect and asking for changes, or deciding this is not worth your time, make sure you don't allow disrespect to continue too long.

    To figure out where you stand, ask yourself these questions:

    • Does he respect you? If he demeans, objectifies, or degrades you, you're better off leaving. As the investors say on Shark Tank ™: "I'm out".

    • Notice the way he treats you when you don't agree with him. Can you appreciate each other's different views without him getting pissed off?

    • Find opportunities to be around his closest friends or family. When with familiar people, he will show his true colors eventually. Is he respectful around them?

    • How does his family treat you? If they treat you as their equal, not an inferior, that's a good sign. Hopefully, he learned good things from them.

    You also need to be honest with yourself regarding how you view your partner. Do you really value him, too? If you find you don't, you need to rethink your relationship.

    Step Four: Tidy Up Your List

    This isn't the end, it's just the beginning. Your checklist is always growing and changing along with you, so don't hesitate to add or even delete items that no longer fit you.

    The point is that your plan reflect you at all times and if used, will allow you to choose a man who is right for you.

    Good luck!

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    Source by Nichole White

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