50 Classic Inspirational Quotations

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it"

"Security is mostly superstition, it does not exist in nature. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing"

HELEN KELLER

"Begin at the beginning and go on until you come to the end; then stop."

"Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast"

LEWIS CARROLL

"A politician needs the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn't happen

"However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results"

WINSTON CHURCHILL

"Your life is entirely what you decide it is. The universe starts in your head and spreads out into the world. Change what happens in your head and the universe changes"

W.MITCHELL

"When I hear somebody sigh that Life is hard, I am always tempted to ask; Compared to what?"

"Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action"

BENJAMIN DISRAELI

"Every Adversity, every failure, every heartache, carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit"

"Opportunity often comes disguised in the form of misfortune or temporary defeat"

NAPOLEON HILL

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible"

'All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me. You may not realise it when it happens but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you."

WALT DISNEY

"Inspiration exists but it has to find you working"

"Everything you can imagine is real"

PABLO PICASSO

"In life you need either inspiration or desperation"

"A real decision is measured by the fact you've taken new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided"

TONY ROBBINS

"For every failure there is an alternate course of action. You just have to find it, when you come to a road block, take a detour"

MARY KAY ASH

"Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome"

SAMUEL JOHNSON

"Adversity is the first path to truth"

LORD BYRON

"Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer"

MACHIAVELLI

"The story of the human race is the story of men and women selling themselves short"

ABRAHAM MASLOW

"Procrastination is like a credit card, it's a lot of fun until you get the bill"

UNKNOWN

"The minute you begin to do what you want to do, it's a different kind of life"

BUCKMINSTER FULLER

"The last of the human freedoms, is to chose one's attitudes"

VICTOR FRANKL

"It is not enough to wish to become the master, it is not enough even to work hard at achieving such mastery. Correct knowledge as to the best means of achieving mastery is also essential"

ALDEOUS HUXLEY

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes"

MARCEL PROUST

"If you can tell me who your heroes are, I can tell you how you're going to turn out in life"

WARREN BUFFETT

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavours to live a life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."

HENRY DAVID THOREAU

'I have always picked people's brains, everyone from Rick Smith and Hank Haney to David Leadbetter. That’s the only way that can you grow. Ninety percent of the information I throw out immediately, five percent I try and discard, and five percent I retain"

TIGER WOODS

"What separates the winners from the losers, is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate"

DONALD TRUMP

"Don't be afraid to take big steps. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps"

DAVID LLOYD GEORGE

"One of the most difficult things about making choices in life is actually realising there is a choice to be made"

PAULETTE MEISNER

"Only those who dare to fail greatly, can ever achieve greatly"

ROBERT F KENNEDY

"Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul in to it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your objective. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm"

RALPH WALDO EMERSON

"Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies"

NELSON MANDELA


"What we think or what we know or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do."

JOHN RUSKIN
"Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently"

HENRY FORD

"The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it-as long as you believe 100%"

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER

'All life is an experiment, the more experiments you make the better'

RALPH WALDO EMERSON

'Success is like death. The more successful you get, the higher the houses in the hills get, and the higher the fences get'

KEVIN SPACEY

“We don’t beat the Reaper by living longer. We beat the Reaper by living well.”

RANDY PAUSCH (1960-2008), The Last Lecture

  'Judge a man by his questions, not by his answers'

FRANCOIS MARIE VOLTAIRE

'I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it.

GROUCHO MARX

'I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind: yet, strange, I am grateful to those teachers.'

KAHLIL GIBRAN

'Believe big. The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief. Think little goals and expect little achievements. Think big goals and win big success. Remember this too! Big ideas and big plans are often easier-certainly no more difficult-than small ideas and small plans'

DAVID J SCHWARTZ

'If you sincerely wish to change or improve your results in your physical world, you must change your thoughts and you must change them immediately.'

BOB PROCTOR

'Most people's lives are a direct reflection of their peer groups.'

ANTHONY ROBBINS

'It takes just one idea to live like a king for the rest of your life'

ROSS PEROT

FREE DOWNLOAD WITH PICTURES

5 Month Plan -Lead Capture Pages

The Pre launch of my 5 Month Plan (to be revealed later - and No it is NOT a paid program) includes strategies designed to build ANY online marketing program FASTER than 99% of participants in these programs will ever do following traditional systems.


That's another story though! Here's the deal. Internet Marketing is NOT easy! Despite what you were probably taught by your sponsor, most programs require sweat, blood and often a lot of heartache just to break even.


This is rarely a factor of the compensation plan or products and services. The problem is that few marketers realize what is involved to get in to that elusive 3% that hit home runs.


The big issue is that few programs are actually seamlessly duplicateable. Most people join Internet Marketing businesses in order to create leverage - so that they can work LESS hours and earn residual incomes off the volume of a team. 

Here's the biggest flaw in the plan. It's just too complicated.
Ask yourself this question: could a 10 year old or a 70 year old duplicate your actions? If not - then you're limiting your leverage dramatically.


KISS- yes we all know what the acronym stands for BUT...how many actually dedicate their efforts to following the principle. KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID!


Here's an introduction to a topic that frustrated me for a long time - LEAD CAPTURE PAGES


Most businesses have a link to a company lead capture page - but many lack that ability to really brand your unique flavor and personality into the mix. 


Below are two very simple lead capture pages to two of my programs. They are very different and both took less than 5 minutes to create! 


I have also offered a link to my YouTube channel - that shows how simple and effective floating forms really are. 

The real kicker however is that there are a myriad of marketing systems that are virtually imperative to your business growth that individually would cost literally $1000's to set up plus countless hours trying to figure out....

well here's the thing you can actually get it all PLUS $1100+ of crazy good downloads for ....FREE - yes really


Here are the links:

Landing Page:  Get Paid to Travel

Landing Page:  5 Month Plan

YouTube Floating Form (will only show one time per day)

Landing Page:  How It all works plus $1100 bonuses just for checking out

For Goodness Sake What Exactly Are You Marketing! A Rant

I haven’t really become contrary in my old age! But it seems that since I launched my Ebook ‘Rip Up the Rule Book” (click on the penguin if you like) that's the appearance I’ve been presenting.

 That said here’s another slightly provocative post!

Maybe I have a different mindset to a lot of Online Marketers but I do like to look for the differences that identify and characterize achievers rather than look for the common denominator.

I accept the rationale that copy and pasting and automating specific ‘proven’ systems should offer the best chance of success in any area of life but…..

Systems reach a tipping point or saturation point where wisdom that was once recognized as groundbreaking evolves into Bland, Tepid, Vanilla– uninspiring and soulless.

There is a big push amongst many marketers to promote Personal Branding as the holy grail of Internet Business Success. 

The irony of course is that so many are using virtually the same swipe files, automated email messages, blog platforms, software for accumulating social network followers, and promoting the same traffic generation systems – that truth be told are merely excuses to capture names – and its doubtful if 1% of the promoters are actually using the programs!

Why am I a little different? And I’ll qualify that comment with the observation that different doesn’t necessarily constitute BETTER – in fact different is often and rightly so, considered MAD!

 Well here’s the thing. I actually take the time to check out my Facebook connections' INFO and as long as I can find some modicum of identification will send an actual personal reply and thanks for the connect. This is not at all feasible if the goal is to simply hit 5000 connections as soon as possible.

The benefit as I see it is obviously not in playing a numbers game but I get to see what people are about – their sense of humour motivation etc.

After a few genuine comments are shared I’ll invariably check out their primary business web page and/or Blog.

This is where it gets weird!

Some of the websites are truly awesome – opt in boxes – fantastic plugins- content about every imaginable subject relating to motivation, inspiration, traffic generation, and so forth.

What’s peculiar? Well it kind of feels like a repeat of a movie I’ve seen sometime or a book (probably Magnetic Sponsoring!) - the problem unfortunately is that it’s just not that memorable.

Jump onto a dozen marketing Blogs have a look around be awestruck and then try and remember a few days later, which was which? What stood out? What was outstanding? Not outstanding because it was professional but outstanding because it was memorable.

I quite like some of Seth Godins content and delivery. Not because its presented with any particular gloss – but simply because the message is invariably short and concise. It matters little whether I agree or not – but if it causes pause for thought that’s outstanding.

Charlie Page is another. Yes I know his material is designed to solicit my purchase of his Ezine Traffic books and advertising BUT it’s upfront I know what the agenda is and am more than happy to check out the content.

OK –enough of the ramblings! Despite some conventional wisdom that states that no one is interested in your business and that they’ve got to like and trust you and feel bonded and connected because you’ve provided them with so much brilliant content –and all for FREE- then and only then is it permissible to mention that you have a business opportunity that might work for them….

 I get this strategy –it’s the softly softly approach. Offer free content to build trust, capture a name and then market to the list – BUT…

Where’s the belief? I see so many people online who absolutely radiate Hope rather than Belief. Those that truly believe in their business opportunity shouldn’t need to wrap it up in some enigmatic riddle that is exhaustive to fathom out.

I click on people’s websites to see what they're about. I’ll see the usual lead capture pages and free gifts (yep I do offer free gifts myself –it’s all good – but…) and I guess at what the business is that they are actually ‘promoting’

The industry is often very visible – but not the actual program.

I believe there is a market place for that weird, insane individual who basically proclaims –‘here is what I do –it’s awesome – check it out and hook up if you’d like to quit your job next year.'
Not subtle – but incredibly duplicateable!

There are some online Bloggers that I really admire –their style, authenticity and researched content but I sometimes scratch my head and wonder how exactly do they make a living, because their primary business is almost impossible to identify and that being the case how is what they are doing scaleable. 

OK this sounds like a rant – that’s not the intention –it’s none of my business how people go about their business. If they spam me on Facebook I can ‘disconnect’ it’s not hard – but playing the devils advocate can be enlightening –just a thought


Hope I haven’t upset anyone –actually that’s probably the point, sssshhhh –that’s a secret…

PS: it would be ironic in the extreme if I didn't provide a link to my primary Business Blog (click on pic below)- where I jump up and down and explain why it's so great!! Feel completely free to ignore the blatant pitch...or not

Rip Up the Rule Book!

 This is a short Post - if you'd like to comment and click on the link below - it's the first draft of my E Book 'Rip Up the Rule Book' a compilation of Blog observations and some alternate perspectives. Feedback appreciated - looking for an E book cover if anyone's got some ideas...

It really isn’t hard to be outstanding.

If you have a business I have no interest in seeing your posts on my Facebook wall every hour of everyday!

A comment however raving about one of my Blogs syndicated to your Wall and Retweeted – then WOW you’ve got my attention – you must be so cool!

In fact you seem so remarkable I’m probably feeling motivated to click onto your INFO that no one looks at and probably click on to your site to see what you’re all about.

Next time you make an interesting observation I’ll feel strangely compelled to comment positively!

It's funny how being interested is so much more powerful than trying to impress......

Free download first draft E Book -Click Below

Rip Up The Rule Book

The Two Keys That Will Define Your Life's Destiny

This is a reworking of a post from last year - all comments are appreciated and as always the tone is intended to perhaps momentarily cause pause for thought and not to lecture - and the pic should reinforce that the message is delivered with a little irreverent humor - hope you enjoy...

On a daily basis I observe stressed out puffed out, morbidly obese, frustrated, underpaid emotional bankrupts stumbling blindly through the daily monotony that defines their mortality and bereft of any enthusiasm, joy or hope.


So who these people are that I’m hanging out with?  I’d guess they’re the same poor souls you notice everyday vacuous with funereal expressions in cubicles, factories, shops or commuting in cars, buses and trains like the living dead!


Most of us in the Western World don't live in some Dickensian world of poverty, rather in a modern golden age surrounded by abundance. In a world of unparalleled opportunity, where the barriers of social standing no longer inhibit upward mobility, how is it that the barometer of health and happiness, often labeled 'Life Balance' seems to be so out of kilter?

Stress, obesity, frustration, and empty relationships are mostly a manifestation, not of unfortunate luck or inherent genetic flaw but something profoundly simpler. I'll call it 'sclerosis of the attitudes'. This is obviously a play on words, referring to that other devastating health issue: the hardening of the arteries.


I have studied the subject of self concept, belief, value systems, and the degree to which it is a predicator of general well-being and a question comes to mind. Whilst feeling good about ourselves undoubtedly is of huge benefit in attracting positive energy of people and circumstances in to our lives, it doesn’t answer this question; How to you acquire this magical state of being? A life of contented balance.


The two magic ingredients that will propel you to untold heights of attainment in any area of your life are the following. Wait for the drum roll! Inspiration and Aspiration.

Aspiration is the visualization or goal that you desire to achieve. Much frustration in life is a factor, not of unfulfilled dreams, but rather the emptiness left in the absence of a precise measurable target. The comfort zone of familiarity is often a bleak place, and alas often a prison of our own making, This failure to spot the horizon and the possibilities that lie just beyond, tie us to our worlds of quiet desperation.


Inspiration is the ingredient that enables obese people to lose 60KG’s in six months after a lifetime of misery. That motivates a blind person to scale Everest, a mother to work three jobs to send her kids to private school and factory workers to become over night self-made millionaires in their spare time.


Curiously, these chains that bind us to the status quo are often a eureka insight instant away from being lost forever. There is often a moment of clarity that precedes all great success.


It might be a word of encouragement or a television documentary that inspires us to make decisions and take new actions. 

Occasionally it can be that moment when we reach rock bottom. That moment of darkness before the dawn when we finally become sick and tired of being sick and tired and truly decide that something must change, and it must change now.

For some people this moment happens at a young age, for some in middle age and alas for the majority it never happens. The beauty of this insight however is how simple it is to implement, and thus utterly change your life experiences.

30 minutes invested in brainstorming and committing to paper your dreams hopes and aspirations is the first step.


The second step is marginally more difficult. Find a role model. Or two or three. If you want to lose weight, then simply Google the topic, jump on to YouTube and find someone that you can relate to, connect and get inspired. The inspiration will motivate you to take action.


If you are in an unhappy relationship, then decide what you want. Either take the steps to make the relationship work or ‘get the hell out!’ At the risk of upsetting some people “this ain’t no dress rehearsal”

If you're underwhelmed by your job, or are financially embarrassed, then look for a mentor or role model whose been down that road and achieved success. There are people achieving outstanding success online everyday with relatively little investment in time and money.

Take some action steps. Make some connections and get out of that less than comfortable default zone, fast.


Inspiration and aspiration will ultimately define your future success in every area of life. Enjoy your journey!

Pop Over to My Primary Site and have a browse...

Why List Building May Be Hurting Your Business!

Warning: If you are an online marketer with a thin skin and a keen evangelical sense that there's only one sensible way to market online - then be warned - you won't like this post!!

Has there ever been an industry since time immemorial that has evolved and changed so rapidly as e-commerce? Back in the dark ages of the early 90’s it was actually frowned upon – the idea of using this educational resource for commercial gain!

No sooner have you got a handle on Hotmail than it’s usurped by Gmail. Yahoo defers to Google, E-bay is struggling to build brand loyalty and paid for content is drowned by open source.

 Early adopters risk getting it wrong or occasionally hitting oil. Late adopters find themselves alone in the playground with redundant Beta toys. Cool Nokia cell/mobile phones are now a little yesterday, laptops are quivering in the face of ipads for a share of relevancy and those tiny camcorders you bought awhile back suddenly seem grotesquely enormous.

Online marketing is evolving at warp speed. It’s no coincidence that the big players from a few years back are offering the source codes to their lucrative programs for peanuts as they ‘exit’ that particular marketing domain.

I’ve recently blogged about the potential merits of differentiating yourself from the herd.  Copy and paste has merit, if you are franchising a patented business, but blindly copying the exact techniques by your industry leader may not be entirely fruitful.

Industry superstars that emerged 3 or 4 years ago succeeded by using marketing strategies that were new and creative back then but those same ideas may well be seen as bland and less successful today.

Re inventing the wheel is not the message. That said a little redesigning and engineering can work wonders. Facebook is really only a variation of Myspace, yet different enough to have become the social networking giant it is today. 

Yahoo, Google, Hotmail, Gmail, Myspace, Facebook, Tinyurl, Bit.ly Twitter they evolve or they die (get superseded)

I recently decided to opt out of about 50 or so lists. I felt a bit guilty as I couldn’t help feeling disloyal to these email buddies who were kind enough to send me link after link after link to the latest cutting edge traffic generation techniques and business opportunities over the last two years!

It seems like EVERYONE has an auto responder nowadays. Free Report – pop your name in the box below (and I’ll send you not only a free report but a couple of emails a week forever on any number of unrelated matters-until you opt out)

Free Bootcamp – a million variations of Mike Dillard’s excellent magnetic marketing program.  The problem is of course, when so many people duplicate the same system it starts to really lose credence.

 Don’t get me wrong –and truth be told I’m playing the devils advocate here for a moment – just in case you’re getting bent out of shape!! 

Like the wheel I’m not saying we should all run around trying different shaped attachments to our vehicles just to be different, but there’d be no Maserati if no one aspired to creating something a little more adventurous than the penny-farthing (bike!)

Here’s a thought.  Instead of offering the magic 7 tips for success – try 11! Instead of offering a Free Bootcamp try a series of lectures. Instead of offering a gift for a name try offering content without an optin required. Yes I’m being crazy….well not really.

Social networking is changing the game plan. It was seen as unwise a mere few moments back to declare what business you actually participate in. Like Amway distributors back in the 80’s when there was a real backlash and stigma to what was referred to as pyramid selling it became almost an art form to prospect using coded language.

Today a similar mindset seems to have engulfed most online marketers. Never divulge the business opportunity …without getting an email address first.

Yes – I do get it. Once you have an email address you can send your message 100 times and consequently have 100 x more chance of earning a business partner. There is a counter argument though. If everyone is playing this black hat guerrilla game, then who’s targeting the niche prospect pool of those who just don’t opt in?

If I have developed a trusting relationship via Facebook, Twitter (unlikely!) a Blog, a Syndicate etc and they offer a link to their business opportunity-without it feeling spammy – then I might just click the link and check it out.

I probably don’t want to be followed up and interrogated as to when I want to get started etc maybe I’m happy to navigate the company website find out a little about the program and then at my own leisure hook up with my Facebook/Twitter contact.

This is NOT a Bootcamp or even a serious strategy to build an online empire, but the point I’m making perhaps a little too convoluted, is that sometimes there’s a merit to just  being a little out there. You don’t need to be a weirdo but its ok to be authentic and genuinely share what you’re about.

If you spend the weekends painting garden gnomes for a hobby and now you’ve decided to set up your own MLM company to sell them – well I might find that a little funny but equally I may pop onto your site and buy a bunch to give to my friends at Christmas – for a joke!

Look if you’ve got a system that’s absolutely producing the goods that’s awesome but if you’re new online or a bit adventurous take the plunge be a bit ridiculous, different, interesting- and I guarantee there’s a bigger pool of equally off center folks in Cyberworld ready to follow you!

 Hoping life's treating you well and you're appreciating the humor of life

Why Exactly Are You Participating In Social Networking?

Social Media; “I just don’t get it!”

If I had a dollar for every time I heard that comment – well maybe $10 – I’d be pretty happy!

It seems a tad ludicrous to dismiss a social networking phenomenon that embraces hundreds of millions of participants. It suggests that you are either intellectually far more astute than these deluded minions or the more likely scenario is that you don’t perceive a personal relevance yet.


Personally I don’t get the whole celebrity worship and ubiquitous headline conversation surrounding reality TV identities – however there’s a whole massively lucrative entertainment industry that does get it and are profiting very nicely. In other words just because I don’t get it doesn’t invalidate its power.

I posted a blog awhile back titled ‘Why are you Online?’ which analyzed the motivations and strategies required to achieve your online objectives.


So why exactly are you participating in Social Networking?

This is a question that needs to be examined, to ensure that the long term time and energy invested will produce the desired results rather than waste half your life!

Building your brand.

In 5 years time you may start a business, or apply for your dream job, or join a dating agency, or start a charity organization. Like it or not your new audience will pay less heed to your exaggerated or fabricated testimonials than you’d like.


In 5 minutes, with a little help from Google I can get a pretty good picture of what you’re all about. Unfair? Of course, I can never get to know you based on such a whimsical investigation, but….that’s the reality of an open profile world.


Comments on Facebook remain. Articles written in the heat of the moment, drunken moments shared on Flickr, and a million other snap shots that hint at who you are, will define and enforce your reputation. Be protective of the reputation that you are creating with every click.

Some hints to fast track your Authority Online.


Building enormous and largely anonymous connections is largely pointless. "Why Having Too Many Followers May be Killing Your Online Experience" (unless you’re Justin Bieber!) without a coherent effort to engage. There maybe some moderate credibility garnered by having a perceived large following – but beyond 1000 or so this loses credence.


Engagement is the key to creating a worthwhile benefit. Ironically, despite so many people connected via so many social networks, few are engaged to any significant degree with more than a handful.
There is almost a magic to the power of engaging and the natural urge to reciprocate tells a story.

Invest an hour a day for a week engaging with your networks and I guarantee a profound effect will unfold.

• Send some direct (not automated) messages commenting on a Blog.
• Click the ‘like’ button on a dozen posts per day. 
• Leave a considered comment on a few Blog posts. 
• Retweet interesting Tweets.
• Post non-business comments on Facebook. 
• Ask questions – such as what’s your favorite song, band, holiday destination, mobile/cell phone? etc. This is what people do in face-to-face social gatherings.

It’s called engagement, and engagement creates dialogue and depth of relationship.


Because so few people take the time and effort to undertake these actions, you’ll find that within a week or so you start to become a centre of influence within your community. People love it when they’re acknowledged and want to reciprocate. Friendships evolve and serendipity starts to weave its crazy impact.
 
Social networking is NOT just about optimizing keywords and creating a funnel for your list. SEO techniques are not the starting point of building a solid social network. The starting point is to share your unique personality, which will attract like-minded people like bees to honey.


Try it today – Maybe 'like' - 'comment' - 'retweet' this post just to get started! Lol!


Seriously though as George Bush might have said its not rocket surgery or brain science-but it works!

 

Pop Over To My Global Networking Site For a Visit

The Power Of A Wrong Decision

There is a gap between stimulus and response, and the key to both our growth and happiness is how we use that space.

Steven Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

My Top 40 Inspirational Quotations Free Download

Accidents invariably happen when decision-making is compromised. Driving 100k’s down the freeway is not the time to have a moment of indecisiveness. Hit the indicator and then take that turn, there’s a reasonable chance you’ll negotiate the journey safely. The autobahn of life operates similarly, and yet so many of its participants lack the decisiveness to negotiate its perilous journey and myriad of choices with clarity and confidence.

Due diligence is given as an excuse to postpone making a decision. Procrastination is a nice sounding word that has cancerous implications. So many poor souls live lives of quiet desperation, not because of a scarcity of choice, but rather because opportunities are so often disguised as scary monsters residing in the location of the discomfort zone.

It has taken a lifetime to reach this status quo we find ourselves inhabiting, and we are well equipped to justify staying there, regardless of how insanely uncomfortable it really is.
Regret is a mostly pointless indulgence. However it is an emotion that modern societies seem to encourage. 

Crass confessions of celebrity excess are the fodder of tabloid press. Brands need to be protected, and therefore carefully crafted interviews conveying remorse are channeled through crocodile tears for the consumption of the masses.

The masses in turn tend to confuse this manipulation as an example of the risk of poor decision-making. More often than not, it is a weakness in actually making decisions quick and often that leads to paralysis and unfulfilled ambition.

Questions precede all actions. There is a remarkable tendency for the mind to find the resources to achieve emotional and concise goals. Ask the right questions and be prepared to make decisions that may initially appear to be taking you in the wrong direction, and almost imperceptibility miracles will seem to manifest.

 
The girl you fancy may rebuke your advances, but significantly less often than if you’d never asked! Apparently super models are rarely approached by mere mortals as conventional wisdom is that they can do better! The irony of course is that there’s less competition for the brave soul willing to act!

Traveling to the other end of the globe, for something as frivolous as a holiday can so easily and rationally be postponed, indefinitely. The money could be spent in so many better ways…and yet, this mindset is what creates the sense of apparent lack. 

 

Creating a big enough vision, a big enough WHY will usually facilitate the HOW.

Be prepared to get it wrong. (There is no wrong by the way, it’s a perception, some of the greatest experiences in your life would never have happened if you hadn’t taken a ‘wrong’ turning somewhere back on the road that led you to the big payoff)

Start a business. Risk some money lose it learn from the experience and move on better educated and equipped to take advantage of the next opportunity that comes your way.
Take some piano lessons, enroll in art class, buy the car that symbolizes your mid life crisis, sell your house and travel the world for two years. 

Is such unbridled hedonism just an excuse for irresponsibility? That’s for you to debate, but I would play the devils advocate and state that the craving and pursuit of the sensible is what defines the height of the ceiling of all potential accomplishment.

Think of the worst decision you’ve ever made in your life and I’d venture to suggest it ended up becoming the greatest lesson you ever learned. If you have any regrets I’d also guess it was a factor of failure to actually make a decision that led to the regret.

So next time the apple of your eye demands a treat, the lawn needs mowing, the out dated TV needs replacing, or an acquaintance invites you to a function try occasionally being spontaneous- make the decision on the spot, don’t say you’ll think about it, or try, or will check with your boss, husband, lawyer…just a Yes or no will suffice.


Just don’t blame me if it all goes pear shaped….

Free Inspirational Resources-No Opt In Req'd

It's Time to Get a Little Emotional!

Have you ever met a an ambivalent success story? Have you ever admired someone or aspired to to achieve their state of nonchalance?

The polar opposite of indifference is obsession. Is this a more favorable disposition? if someone described you as pathologically compulsive, would you feel flattered?

Somewhere between these two states lies our default zone, and as a direct consequence, our capacity to shape our destiny.

Ambivalent people are mostly bit players, and extras in the comedy of life. Life indeed, is something that happens to them, rather than something they direct. Motivation is the fuel that allows one person to run through a brick wall in the pursuit of a goal, indifference provides barely enough fuel to get out of bed.

On the continuum of emotions from indifference up to obsession there are a myriad of complex stimulators and inhibitors that aid or hinder our quests. The problem with obsession is that the narrow focus and lack of peripheral insight repels rather than attracts the object of the obsession. It is an addictive and often self centered pursuit of self gratification.

If you could choose your emotional state (which of course you can), which emotional state would be most conducive to your pursuit of your dreams, goals and aspirations?


This is a simple scale of emotional states you CAN choose from.

• Ambivalence/Indifference
• Wish/Hope
• Vague Interest.
• Strong Desire
• Passion
• Obsession

Very few changes in the conditions of our life will ever occur, unless we can find the inspiration and hot button to move us into the state between Strong Desire and Passion. That is the zone in which common folks find the energy to accomplish uncommon goals.


Sadly most people live in the zone between Hope and Vague Desire, which provides neither the energy or motivation to set goals, take action and move out of the comfort zone.

All of us have unimaginable potential to achieve great things, but a combination of lack of belief and unempowering mindsets, inhibit our ability to achieve fulfillment.

Try being a tad obsessed about achieving a significant goal this year, and if you lose traction perhaps you'll slip back into the zone labeled passion!

Social and Business Networking Sites-what rocks and what sucks! Top 191 Sites

Unless you’ve done a Rip Van Winkle and have sleep walked through the last 5 years you’ll be aware that the social and business landscape has evolved, utterly.

The plethora of social networks has compounded rapidly. We are reaching a point, if not of saturation, definitely a stage of potential overload.

There must come a point where hard choices need to be made and energies focused. A few years back, anyone who was cool needed to be a Myspacer- I was never quite cool enough!

Most of the literate global population now has a Facebook account. They may only use it at Christmas or Thanksgiving in order to connect, but it seems almost old fashioned not to at least have an account.

Below is a link to 191 Social and Business Networking sites. If you have the time and energy to engage, you can dive in and network 24 hours a day. Obviously this is not practical. So what is practical?

 191 Social and Business Networking Sites

For a more comprehensive overview of 40 of the more popular networking sites for business entrepreneurs click HERE

As a business networker you need to establish what your primary objective is. Personally I go against the grain somewhat in that I don’t believe that those with the most connections WINS!

Internet Marketers are probably familiar with Frank Kern who I believe is pretty inactive in this arena.

My goal is engagement.  I have lived in big cities, such as London and have felt less connected than in small rural towns. Don’t get me wrong I prefer city life, but massive geographical connectedness does not equate to real engagement.

This is not a pulpit speech about the merits of connections and engagement, but rather to pose the question: Which forums provide the best return of investment, of your time, energy and perhaps money.

I have provided a couple of links to sites that I think do justice to reviewing some of these sites and let you judge where you believe best matches your aspirations.

Below are about a dozen social networks that I have experienced with my brief thoughts. As with all things in life, we all have different expectations and my thoughts will totally contradict many others, but anyway here we go.

lINKEDIN: Content rich dialogue. Can be a bit dry and less social than other networks and seems geared mostly toward business job seekers. Pretty low on the fun scale

MY SPACE: A bit yesterday? this will upset some adherents and it is still a very relevant hub, but the lustre has worn off a bit.

TWITTER: Ubiquitous and almost a compulsory forum for online connections. I particularly like the fact that you can LIST groups that appeal to you and you can really get a feel for what someone’s all about by checking out their tweet History

FACEBOOK:  Doesn’t really require a review, and who doesn’t know about this monster? Some people are becoming concerned with some privacy issues, but is still the Big Daddy of networking

YOUBUZZ: founded my Internet Marketer Darren Gaudry. Geared towards online promoters and fairly easy to navigate, but I disliked the promotion of the dislike icon. It’s a little too easy to attract mean spirited types with an agenda and makes it less social in my mind.

ECADEMY: I joined this Site after having read and reviewed Penny Powers great book on social networking -"know me, like me, follow me". To tap into the real conversation requires a modest investment of $5 per month. The jury is still out on this one. 

There is a bit of a bias toward UK networkers and I found the navigation a bit messy. I did observe though that an article that I submitted to Ezine Articles that had attracted just over 200 views, attained over 500 views on this forum. Some similarities to Linkedin, in look and feel.

SWOM: I did a short review on this monetized networking site awhile back. Personally I gave it the flick quite quickly. I was continually inundated by barely coherent and inane pitches with negligible content value.

YOUTUBE: This is virtually a must for any online business promoter. It is becoming really user friendly and there are so many friendly online forums to assist in educating yourself on its benefits.

AAACHOO:   This promises to be a true monetized social/business-networking site. It is geared heavily towards those with an MLM mindset. (I’m not an MLMer but many of my business colleagues are) Its promoted as a legitimate latest generation network, with a FREE and paid for component and a 3 x 9 matrix. 

After studying the program and talking to those who have been in it for awhile I'd suggest avoid like the plague! The marketing plan with its spillover is misleading and members get no updates other than reminder of recurring fees. All gloss but no substance

For More Info

 What’s the best? Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder and it depends on what you are searching for. I’m biased towards those that offer the maximum potential for engagement and would love to delve into many more especially Squidoo and Hub Pages – but you know what? There’s only so many hours in the day and at some point you’ve got to make some decisions and I’d recommend focusing on just 3 or 4, unless you want to outsource. Don’t get me started on what I think about outsourcing on social networks!!

The Real Secret To Conquering Your Demons Revealed

Have you ever been frustrated?  Have you ever played that game in your head that starts off with the mindset 'if only..."?  If I could just figure out the secret to generating a tonne of traffic.... If I could just get my Blog readership up to 1000... If I could just find 1great leader for my business...


All great copywriters earn their fortunes by tapping into this need for answers, by alluding to but never actually completely providing the solution, before leading you into an ever more intricate maze of enticing possibility.


Successful Soap opera's rely on hinting  but never revealing any real secrets or answers, without first baiting its audience with an ever bigger and juicy riddle.

A few years ago there was a tipping point in the personal development pop psychology publishing world. The release of Rhonda Byrne's book "The Secret" with more than a little help from Oprah created a feeding frenzy of interest, discussion and almost religious zeal in extolling its message.


There were echoes of the Blair Witch Project. You just had to investigate, what all the fuss was about.

Yep, it was all about the magic of hype and uncovering THE SECRET. Secrets sell.


For those of you that remember the early 80,s "Who Shot JR?" was a cultural phenomenon with no apparent logic.

Which brings me belatedly to my point! Why are we consumers so seduced again and again by the promise of withheld answers, that we are willing to part with much hard earned coin and emotional energy for THE ANSWER?


The success of any soap opera is dependent on the producers never answering a question, without posing at least another even more vexing question.


Weight Loss; 
2 acquaintances of mine, recently shocked me, with separate stories of how they managed to lose upwards of 40 Kilos!

What was their secret? Well here's the thing, and don't tell anyone in the weight loss industry! It's not the strategy, the pills, the laxatives, the self flagellation. It's not the new Ab Master, Home Gym. The key to their independent success was... Tune in next week, only kidding.


The key to both successes was the strength of their DECISION.


Bob (not real name) made a real decision after a family intervention. No threats or tears simply family concern triggered an emotional response that was life changing.


Rick woke up one morning looked in the mirror and just decided. Personal responsibility and making a real decision triggered actions and motivation never found in a supplement or diet book.


Thirty years ago my father an 80 cigarette a day smoker also made a decision, with no fan fare, to stop smoking. No patch, self talk, nicotine gum, or promises, just a real decision. He never smoked another cigarette.
.
Real decisions foster immense motivation to act. Rhonda Byrne's book, tells us that we attract into our lives that which we think about. Sorry if I've spoiled the plot. The packaging is so much more enticing than the answer.


What's the slogan? Just do it!

Richard Bandler Reveals his NLP secrets - Book Review

The foundations of the modern Personal Development industry were quarried out of a new world view and away from traditional Freudian analysis.

Through the codifying of behavior to identify what works, why it works, and how it works, a new path was forged with the objective of facilitating change, not by virtue of hours of talk and endless questioning, but instantaneous change born out of simple techniques.

This new direction was manifested in the NLP movement of the late '70's. Change is rarely universally popular, particularly if it confronts the very fabric of a lucrative, if somewhat arcane industry. That industry was traditional psychology.

The first superstar of this movement was uber-celebrity, Coach to the stars, Author, and Seminar leader extraordinaire, Anthony Robbins. Love him or hate him, his impact is powerful and ubiquitous, and he will go down as one of the great salesmen of his generation.

This Review however is not about Mr Robbins, but the rather less known, though hugely respected in his field, Richard Bandler. Bandler co-founded Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) with John Grinder and coached the likes of Robbins who then packaged, rebranded and sold it to the world.

GET THE LIFE YOU WANT will be looked on as the bible of NLP. Bandler is an innovator, a doer, a worker bee and queen bee at the same time. He is not however an entertainer. This book strips the mysticism, magic and psycho babble from this oft derided "behavioral technology". Ironically one of his earlier masterpieces was titled the THE STRUCTURE OF MAGIC

There is no strong premise to the book. Rather Bandler ascribes to the Keep It Simple lesson. His assertions are all backed up by practical examples of his methodology and results. The key message is that desired change; change of attitude, elimination of Phobias, eliminating emotional baggage, changing beliefs and overcoming any number of obstacles, does not need to be a gradual process. Change can and should be quick.

He contends that all beliefs, fears, addictions, worries and self doubt are learned, and therefore can be unlearned. The key is to mirror and model the thought processes, breathing patterns, posture, and physiology of those that are better adapted.

Phobias are a mentally created fear and mostly can be eliminated by "noticing" the thought processes that precede the utter fear. The question is asked "how do you get in to that state?" 'what do you think about and focus on to create the fear?" "what is the voice in your head saying preceding this fear?" Now let's look at how non-phobics react in the same situations. Notice what's different and mirror it.

This is a book about the techniques that produce results. Good and bad. Even the cynically minded will feel somewhat seduced by the actual stories of profound success, and the speed of change.

A more diluted presentation of the world of NLP than Anthony Robbins' best seller "UNLIMITED POWER". From the Granddaddy of NLP, this is a remarkably clear introduction, and unadulterated with academic references, as one might have expected from a lifetime scientist. As they say if you only ever read one book on the topic, this is probably it. Big title, little hype. 

More Reviews of inspirational books including those of Friedman, Ferris, Hill, Tracy, Anderson,  Koch, Trump, Alborn and Sharma click below

Inspirational Book Reviews

Do you Remember 1996? OJ, linken Park, Nintendo 64, Bill Clinton....

Consider this:

 

Remember 1996. Let me refresh you. That was when the Atlanta Olympics were on. Linken Park were band of the year, OJ Simpson’s first trial, Nintendo 64 released, and Bill Clinton was elected president.

I don’t know about you but that doesn’t seem too long ago.

In 1996 there were less than 20 million people online. Today there are well in excess of a Billion! It is estimated that more than one in five people on the planet is connected. The landscape has changed utterly, and you know what? It’s virtually untapped. It’s like the dawn of the industrial revolution. We’re just stumbling around in the dark trying to figure out what’s happening. 

There has never been a more exciting time for your average person to embrace entrepreneurship. 

The internet has dissolved all the boundaries and obstacles that previously stopped ambition in its tracks.

In the offline world you need a kings ransom to create any reasonable traditional business or franchise. Stock, premises, staff, shipping, accounting, human resources, stationary, signage, and a marketing and advertising budget that would bring tears to your eyes. And all for what?  80 hour weeks, stress, and a scary statistical probability of losing your shirt. Excited?

Sure online business opportunities do not represent a free lunch. There’s no secret formula that allows you to plug in, do nothing and make your fortune. But what you can do is plug into an unbelievable reservoir of mostly free resources, invest some time and energy and a relatively small financial outlay and create an empire, with little risk.

Despite this, most people will sleep walk through this historical period of unlimited opportunity only to awake years later and wonder what happened! hype?

The message is this. Tap in fast. Get involved and evolve with the technology. Those that embrace the medium will attain successes that previous generations could only dream about. For one simple reason. It’s called Leverage. The ability to leverage other peoples’ skills and resources is absolutely phenomenal.