The Secrets of Knowledge:

A little story.

I was about 12 years old and I was taking the leather band off of my watch. I wanted to put a twistoflex band on and I had a razor blade in my hand, and was going to cut the leather band off. My friend was watching and said ” wait ! ” there is an easier way! Well… I did not listen, thought I knew better and sliced off the leather band. Then to my dismay, my friend pointed out that there were ‘removable’ pins in the two side bars. I could have saved the leather band if I had just ‘listened…’ I learned the hard way.

Another story.

I was standing on the porch in 1986, in Florida, watching the shuttle Challenger take off. It was a clear blue, cold morning, not a cloud in the sky. However — pre-launch - a number of engineers voiced their concerns about the o-rings in the solid fuel bootsers ( the two rockets on the side of the fuel tank). It had been around freezing the night before and they were worried about the seals. They wanted to postpone the launch. Unfortunately, the launch managers did not agree and the Challenger’s fuel tank exploded ( as I and my friends watched ) killing all aboard and horrifying the world. The cause of the explosion? The o-rings… They learned the hard way.

More…

I’m from Mississippi. When I was younger, I loved being near and on and in the ocean, and was one of the few that actually had a surfboard and rode the waves ( whenever I could find them! ) in the Gulf of Mexico. I dreamed of going to Hawaii and read everything I could get my hands on about the islands, and surfing and read and re-read my surfing magazines over and over again. By the time I was eighteen, I was sitting at Waimea Bay, surfboard in hand, in the Navy, with a two year hitch, yea you guessed it, in Hawaii! When I was in high school, I told everyone that I was going to college in Hawaii and I did ! Everyone teases me now, ‘what did you study? Surfing..? ” I just laugh… Not bad for a boy from Mississippi! I applied a key concept - know what you want and it is much easier to get.

In the Philippines off Grande Island…

I was in about 30 feet of water… snorkeling with my friends… it was late in the evening and we were chasing a lobster around a small reef, just having some fun. My friend, then tapped me on the shoulder, and lo and behold, there were four reef sharks circling, just on the edge of visibility. I recalled from my studies of the ocean, that sharks usually fed in the morning… and … the evening… and we were supper!

So… I remembered a story I had read, about divers in the same situation. We had about 100 yards to go to the beach and were in about thirty feet of water. Here’s what we did. There were three of us. I told my friends to ‘lock arms’. I was in the middle, and my friends locked arms on both sides of me. That way, we appeared to be a much bigger target, and the sharks could not single any one of us out.

It took about seven minutes, paddling with our fins, my two friends looking forward, and I was on by back looking backwards, and we swam into shallow water… all the time the sharks were darting in and circling all the way to shallow water! We made a lot of noise and kicked at the sharks everytime they came toward us. We finally made it… and the sharks followed us all the way into six inches of water… before they backed off! Scary stuff! I applied my knowledge from an article I had read about a group of divers who experienced the same situation.

one more… be patient !

I love photography. I had studied a principle that said focus on what you most want to do and the learn everything about it, and it will happen. I did just that. I studied everything I could on photography, got a job as a pickup driver for a film processing lab… and continued to study… wrote down all the principles and techniques that I thought were relevant and applied them to my photo work. Then I got a job at a photo shop and within six months, I got a job at a local small town newspaper as their staff photographer! Was that cool or what? I shot over 10,000 pictures that first year and continued to study what it takes to take a great picture! ( But that is another subject - let me know if you are interested…). To this day, I am amazed at what I achieved in so short a time.

The key…

Ok — can you guess the one key element in all of the above that made the most difference or… could have made a difference? It is of course, knowledge.

When we are born, we don’t have all the answers to start with. It is the lucky child that realizes the value of knowledge, or has parents that instill the value of knowledge and lucky is the kid that ‘listens!’. That child will be different. That child will grow up a little smarter than the rest, only because he or she, will realize the value of knowledge. It doesn’t mean that they will be a straight ‘A’ student or be the class valedictorian, but they will have an ‘edge’ or an advantage that the other kids do not.

Knowledge is a funny thing…

It can heal, it can harm, it can humor, it can entertain, it can inspire and influence… and be used in a million other different ways.

Here is the key… the ’secret’ if you will of the phrase ‘Knowledge is Power’. Please don’t be surprised by its simplicity. I have asked many people, professionals and the like what the phrase really means … and they don’t even have a clue. This is it in a nutshell.

” Knowledge helps you use your resources,

more efficiently and more effectively, now, and in the future. “

…to put it another way…

” Seek understanding and all else will follow… “

… to put it another way…

What you learn today, you can use tomorrow.

… to put it another way…

There’s an ez way and there’s the hard way.

The ez way is to learn from the knowledge and experience of others.

The hard way is to try and figure it all out ourselves.

Pretty simple yes? The key are the words ‘ more effectively ‘. That is what give you the edge. Now let’s take a look at the examples I gave you in the beginning of the report to emphasize the above.

Logic 101

IF/THEN … or to coin a phrase from the beginning of this document… ” Wait ! ” ” There’s an easier way ! “

If…

I had known about the springs in the pins on the watch I’d have a leather band as well!

If…

the launch managers had listened to the engineers, the Challenger accident may have been

prevented.

If…

I had not set as my goal (a very important piece of information) to go to Hawaii, I may never

have surfed Waimea Bay and Pipeline.

If…

I hadn’t been an avid waterman, and if I hadn’t read the shark story, I might not be here writing

this report!

If…

I hadn’t studied photography, I would not have been able to shoot those ten thousand shots.

If…

your airline pilot hadn’t studied and practiced flying and met the proper qualifications…

If…

your doctor/surgeon/dentist hadn’t studied and practiced for years…

If you knew how to be super healthy

you could live a long and happy life…

If you knew how to [ put your goal to be achieved here.... ]

I could… [ put your results here.... ]

and so on…

A more detailed statement…

The Secret of Knowledge is very simply, that IF you appreciate it as a valuable resource and IF you seek out knowledge that can help you, in the areas of life that you have chosen, and the goals you have committed to, and IF you do it consciously, then IT will help you use all of your resources, more effectively and it will make your life more fulfilling, safer and more secure.

Wealth — the Scientific Approach:

Here’s a question I’m always asked. ” Will it make me rich? “

My response is a question. ” What is your definition of rich? ” or better yet… ” What is your definition of Wealth? ” Number one… do you have a specific idea of what ‘rich’ and ‘wealth’ really mean, and number two, if yes… what knowledge do you need to accomplish that? Third - if you want to become wealthy — become an expert in that field! Study it and find out as much as you can about wealth. What is it? How is it created? What what systems are used? What are the principles and techniques? How do I apply them? Another principle at work here is this…

” If you want to conquer something, study it… “

* Want to learn to fly an airplane? Study it!

* Want to get a black belt in Karate? Study it!

* Want to be wealthy? Study it!

* Want to be able to repair your own car? Study it!

* Want to be a great jazz musician? Study it!

We all start here - some basic truths

Here is a bit of truth. These are absolutes. These are where you start from. Once you realize it, then knowledge, and how to use it, should become more important.

1.) You only have so much time before you die or you become mentally deficient.

2.) There are only about five miles of atmosphere on this planet where you can breath and live.

3.) To live well, you must live more intelligently - and that is where knowledge comes in.

4.) Knowledge makes it happen.

” Knowledge helps you use your resources,

more efficiently and more effectively, now and in the future. “

OK… all that said… How Do I apply it?

Keep reading ! It will be worth it!

I am going to give you a simple information formula. And though it is simple, it is very powerful. Teach it to your family and friends and to your children. But first… a very powerful little lesson … you will love this one and it will dramatically illustrate the value, not only of knowledge, but also, of intelligence and the use of knowledge.

Part I — the lesson — How smart are you?

Here’s a little lesson in the difference between knowledge and intelligence.

A teacher did the following:

The teacher said, ” I can teach you the difference between knowledge and intelligence in about 30 seconds and I will give you a lesson you won’t forget.”

All the students kinda chuckled and said ” ok… we paid $$ for thirty seconds worth of time?” And the instructor said… ” no worries, once you learn the lesson, we will have plenty to talk about, for this lesson, is worth its weight in gold. Ready? “

He pulled out an apple. He told the students, “Take a good look at this apple and take a good look around this room.” He held out the apple for ten seconds. He then said ” close your eyes.” This is the first part of the lesson.

Now here’s the second part of the lesson…

He then told them to keep their eyes closed until ” I tell you to open them.” He then walked around the room and put the apple in a different place. And then he said, ” Here’s part two… now… with your eyes still closed, find the apple! “

Now if that didn’t get the point across, nothing will. So what is the point? ( or points in this case ? )

Seeing and observing is the gathering of relevant, experiential knowledge. The knowledge and the data is a way of knowing or in this case ‘ seeing ‘ the world around you. By closing your eyes, that is all but eliminated. In order to find the apple, you have to use memory, conceptual knowledge, past experience and some initiative, as well as action! — and that is ‘ intelligence ‘ at work, i.e using knowledge to accomplish a goal.

Your 30 seconds are up!

Now though it is simple, the lesson above, teaches two main points. The principle of knowledge, which includes facts and details about something… and intelligence. Even though they had a certain knowledge of the room and of the apple, it takes intelligence, using knowledge of the apple and the room , to find it. Simple but effective lesson… teach this one to your kids.

Use a different set of circumstances ! that they can relate to like where are their tinker toys!

Part II — an information formula: HICO

HICO is a simple information formula. What is an information formula? It is a set of words that can be used as points of reference, like a compass. It gives you a ‘bearing’ which is a principle or technique from which to work. Here are the principles of HICO.

HICO stands for…

Health

Intelligence

Courage

Objectives

How does it work and how do you apply it?

You already have varying ‘degrees’ of the above. From a personal standpoint, you have a certain ‘amount’ of Health, Intelligence and Courage. And… you have objectives. So — how do you apply it? Just realize that in order to achieve anything, you must first set an objective. Then apply Health, Intelligence and Courage in your daily routine to accomplish that goal. These are you personal ” tools “.

From very simple tasks, to more sophisticated objectives, the principle is the same. The formula is simple but effective. You can have as your objective, the increase of Health, Intelligence and Courage. That in itself, can be a very worthwhile goal with its own set of results.

Make sense ?

You can also use HICO as a mental file cabinet. What does that mean? All aspects of your life can be categorized under one of the elements.

Health = all things related to the physical world. exercise / nutrition / rest / your physical well being

Intelligence = all things related to the mental world work / thinking / analyzing / goal setting /

Courage = all things related to the Spiritual world. overcoming worry and fear / learning to cope /

confronting life

Geez… wish someone had shown me that one before! Now I can straighten out my head !!! [laugh!]

You can also use HICO to create a direction in your life. What does that mean? When you set goals or Objectives, ( other than simple survival ), it gives your life momentum, or direction and it enhances your life. Reach for something and then use HICO to accomplish it is a way to give your life direction.

These are your basic tools. As you increase your health, intelligence and courage, and use them effectively, you are more capable of achieving your goals and organizing your thinking. I hope you can use this and I hope I have raised your level of awareness a bit and made life a little bit easier to deal with. It is simple, but effective, and best of all, it works!

In conclusion:

And there you have it. Some simple suggestions, principles and techniques! Now after reading this you are a little more…

” Armed and Ready ! “

Thank you! for your time!

Michael M. Hall

SecretsofKnowledge.Com

Author: ‘ Armed and Ready - the Art and Science of Using Information ‘

Your Opinion Counts!!

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please contact me! I would love to hear from you!

mike@secretsofknowledge.com

Mike is a data processing professional and is a self taught web master and marketeer.

He has a number of sites, is a freelance writer and a self proclaimed natural philosopher.

You can read more about his work and websites at http://mmhall.com or http://secretsofknowledge.com

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In todays competitive and challenging business world, everyone looks for an edge, an advantage over the competition. In many cases, business people look to business mentoring or business coaching to give them a competitive advantage. But, I ask the question of why choose one or the other when you can choose and use both! The combination of business mentoring and business coaching provides some very awesome power to those who use both.

Yes, I know I am reading minds of the readers of this article and they are asking what is the difference between mentoring and coaching? One of the major differentiations is the focus of the effort. Business mentoring focuses on the individual, his or her career, and growth and maturity, while business coaching focuses on performance and development of specific skills. In addition, business mentoring does not necessarily have a specific agenda, while business coaching will involve much time spent on specific goals and objectives.

Business mentoring provides benefits such as a sounding board for the protg to use and be able to pick and choose from the advice received. It also presents an opportunity to learn from others errors and successes and is often free through such organizations as SCORE (Service Corps Of Retired Executives) and others. A business mentor also brings a network of contacts of higher-level decision makers that could be a very valuable asset to the protg.

A business mentor, in the broadest sense, will be someone who takes a special interest in helping you develop into a successful business professional. He or she will share his or her life experiences, wisdom and specific technical and professional expertise and the business mentor will also grow personally from being exposed to new ideas and perspectives of the protg. There are many potential rewards from business mentoring and the risks are low to zero.

Business mentoring and business coaching is not the same thing and in combination provides an awesome advantage to anyone who enjoys a positive relationship with both. I encourage you to use both to help you become the best that you can be at whatever you do in business.

Would you like to learn more about the power of the combination of business mentoring and business coaching and how to use this awesome power? If you say YES, please contact Glenn Ebersole through his website at www.businesscoach4u.com or email Glenn at jgecoach@aol.com

Glenn Ebersole, Jr. is a multi-faceted professional, who is recognized as a visionary, guide and facilitator in the fields of business coaching, marketing, public relations, management, strategic planning and engineering. Glenn is the Founder and Chief Executive of two Lancaster, PA based consulting practices: The Renaissance Group, a creative marketing, public relations, strategic planning and business development consulting firm and J. G. Ebersole Associates, an independent professional engineering, marketing, and management consulting firm. He is a Certified Facilitator and serves as a business coach and a strategic planning facilitator and consultant to a diverse list of clients. Glenn is also the author of a monthly newsletter, Glenns Guiding Lines Thoughts From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach and has published more than 250 articles on business.

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As hot debate continues to rage over the thorny issue of what actually comes under the umbrella of “coaching” and what falls outside its remit, it’s time to start being honest with ourselves…

But before we do, I’m becoming increasingly convinced that it’s only coaches who actually care about the semantics! Our clients, in the main, couldn’t give a damn - they just know that they want someone to help them move from where they are to where they want to be!

Business development guru Peter Thomson neatly summed up the difference between what people think they want, and what they actually want when he once pointed out that “When someone buys a drill, it’s not a drill they really want. What they really want is a hole!”

And I guess it’s the same with coaching. Clients aren’t actually that bothered over whether the right coaching questions are asked - or even whether they’re asked in the right order - all they really want is a mechanism that helps them achieve their goals.

Some - but not all - coaches pride themselves on the fact that they allow their clients to come up with all the answers. The idea is that the coach simply asks good questions and the client searches within himself for those responses that will help him best.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for using intuition and inner creativity, but for my money, this approach is simply abdicating the coach from any responsibility! It would, however, explain why there are so many people on the scene who - having completed a single weekend’s coaching course - now sport business cards boasting that they too are bona fide members of the coaching fraternity…

Your client needs more than a list of questions…

If coaching were only about asking “the right questions and letting the client come up with all the answers”, then a robot could do the job!

Within the industry, we encourage clients to feel comfortable with the coach they choose. While part of the comfort factor comes from a sense of rapport and knowing that the coach is there to act as a “personal conscience” (reminding the coachee of their personal objectives and commitments), knowing that the coach has at least a smattering of understanding about the challenges facing them is also of high importance to the client.

Surely, the point is to bring to your clients the wealth of expertise you have - and by applying previous experience (and of course encouraging your client to do the same) to the current situation, the learning & development process for your client is streamlined. It’s this level of expertise that corporate clients expect - and pay for!

To those coaches who would argue that this approach is actually better described as “consultancy”, I would simply say “nonsense”! When you’re brought into an organisation as a consultant, you’re there to do the work itself, or to bring specific advice to a particular project. When you’re brought into an organisation as a coach, you’re there to work with the people who are there to do the work. It’s an important distinction.

When we refuse to share our knowledge because “we’re coaches not consultants”, then everyone loses: the corporate paymaster, the individual coachee and ultimately the coach himself - whose credibility is soon diminished.

Of course, the focus of every coaching session must remain on the client. And when the client doesn’t have direct experience of a particular situation, then the imagination becomes a powerful tool in the coach’s arsenal.

While much can be learned from the past (isn’t it interesting just how many CEOs rely on the oldest military treatise in the world: Sun Tzu’s “Art of War”), it also worth inviting the imagination to play out a number of likely scenarios, just as Edward de Bono would encourage with his “six hats” exercise. Engaging the imagination in this way once again enables a streamlined learning process.

Their life is in their hands - not yours!

Of course, the client remains the final arbiter and decision maker - and it’s absolutely about helping him achieve what’s right for him. It goes without saying that it’s never about persuading your client to do what you’d do in his circumstances!

But refusing to let him benefit from a wider perspective is not only cruel but bordering on the criminal. (If we apply the same logic to children, while we know that kids (and indeed adults) learn from their mistakes, it’s a rare parent who would be prepared to stand back and watch a child let his hand sizzle in a naked flame.) In the same way that we have a responsibility to our children, we also have a responsibility to our clients - while of course not making the mistake of treating clients as though they were children!

When we get hung up on the debate about coaching v consultancy, we allow ourselves to be distracted from the outcome - and indeed the process - instead choosing to hang our hat on semantics.

And when we get distracted in this way, we’re short changing our clients. Isn’t it time instead, to start focusing on delivering all of our best stuff?”

Author & Coach Olivia Stefanino is Principal of “The Quantum School for Therapists”. Join today and receive 500 worth of free gifts ‘ including a 9 CD audio library, 9 workbooks & a 2-hour coaching session! Visit http://www.thequantumschool.com

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One of the most effective ways to help your staff succeed is to provide regular, consistent coaching throughout the year. A Progress Review is a specific kind of coaching discussion, tied to the employees Annual Objectives and Standards. It is an informal discussion in which the manager coaches the direct report to meet any unmet goals that are below target, and praises him or her for goals that are being met. Conducting progress reviews are a very important role for being an effective leader or coach. It is suggested that each of your direct reports receive a progress review discussion from you at least 2-3 times per year.

An outline of process for conducting a Progress Review is below:

1. Refer to the annual objectives and standards previously developed. Give a copy to the employee.

2. Ask the employee to review his or her progress to date.

3. Praise the employee for all on-target performance.

4. For below-target performance, ask the employee for suggestions to improve. After all the employees suggestions have been made, contribute any additional ideas you may have.

5. Revise and change the standards or objectives where necessary.

6. Set a date for the next progress review session.

If you schedule progress reviews with each of your direct report at designated intervals throughout the year, you will find that it helps you remember to conduct these very important coaching discussions. The end result is that your staff will be more productive, and you will be an excellent leader. Dont put them off! Schedule progress reviews today!

Susan Cullen is President of Quantum Learning Solutions, Inc., based in New Jersey. She has over 15 years experience in Organizational Development and is considered an expert in the use of blended learning methodologies for lasting organizational change. For more information go to http://www.quantumlearn.com or you can reach us at (800) 683-0681.

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Why Successful People Hire a Coach
What do Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and a CEO of a Fortune 500 company have in common?These are all exceptional people, professionals, and the best in their respective fields. Do they need a personal coach? Maybe, maybe not. Do they each have a personal coach? Most likely! Top performers recognize that an effective coach will lift them to a greater...

The other day I was late for something. Not very late. In fact, I was actually on time but an angry voice berated me anyway, saying, “You are late! There will be no seats left. You wouldn’t run late if you were more organized!” It was a terrible feeling, especially because the voice was partially right.

Who was this voice yelling at me? It was my nemesis the Shrew who lives in my head.

We all get annoyed at ourselves from time to time; it is only natural. But for some of us, it can become an unrelenting bother. There can be no contentment when the Shrew is on the scene!

Some call it a gremlin, others an inner critic, others negative self-talk. I call her the Shrew. No matter what you call yours, you know who I mean. She’s fierce, she’s damning and she’s quick to pounce on every mistake you make, turning them into capital offenses. The Shrew exaggerates our flaws, smashes our self-esteem, ruins our confidence, distracts us from what we are doing and makes us miserable.

I am choosing not to live with it anymore! I invite you to do the same. There is a force which can tame the Shrew: The Buddha in Your Back Pocket*.

Think of a time when you witnessed a stranger being scolded and felt badly for them. Perhaps it was a worker being accused by an angry boss of “screwing things up” for something you knew wasn’t their fault. Did you wish you could go up to that worker and say, “Don’t pay any attention to them. I saw what happened and I know you are a doing a good job!”

This softer side of you is the anti-Shrew. It is empathy and compassion. The Shrew is afraid of it because she fears you might offer it to yourself. It is a skill to learn to apply this loving, tender, supportive side of ourselves to ourselves. Many of us, me included, are not in the habit of it.

The morning I was late, Ms. Shrew was in full force. But, before she could ruin my day, I was able to ward her off by pulling out the Buddha in My Back Pocket. It felt a bit like Luke Skywalker yielding a light saber against Darth Vader. “Luke, use the force!”

I let the powerful voice of the Buddha in My Back Pocket counter the accusations of the Shrew. He asked, “What were your reasons for making the choices you did this morning?” and “Would you make these same choices again?” Then he reminded me of two universal truths: “You are doing the best you can” and “Growth involves observing one’s actions and then learning from them.” Under this influence of love and a genuine intention to seek understanding, I was able to temporarily silence the Shrew, objectively analyze my “lateness” and gain valuable personal insight. Within a few minutes, I felt relieved, re-engaged in life and able to peacefully continue with the rest of my day.

Unfortunately, we can’t eradicate the Shrew completely. But we can learn to access this equalizing force: the pursuit of empathetic understanding a loving friend that takes your side and helps you learn about yourself in a safe and protected way. The Buddha in your Back Pocket is always with you to calm your mind, forgive your errs, and remind you of the growth in your life. As you cultivate your relationship with the Buddha in your Back Pocket, you will experience more self-love, confidence and peace.

Life is too short to spend time unnecessarily berating ourselves with critical self-talk! Go forth into your day and bring the Buddha in Your Back Pocket with you. You never know when you might need it!

*I do not wish to offend anyone by using the title Buddha. I have the utmost respect for the Buddhist tradition. In this article, I refer to Buddha as a representation of an enlightened teacher offering guidance to those who chose to listen.

Deirdre’s coaching is an accelerant that helps produce results. Through scheduled teleconferences, Deirdre creates a structured environment where you can work towards your goals. Using practical analysis, active listening and brainstorming, she challenges you to improve your quality of life immediately.

Looking for a topic and speaker for your next meeting? Why not: “How to Create Exceptional Work-Life Balance” based on Deirdre’s upcoming book Intensely Content: Seven Steps to Experiencing More Joy in Your Life? Work-Life balance is always a crowd-pleasing topic! Call Deirdre today to discuss the details of your event: 207-439-4280.

Presentation Folders for Corporate Marketing
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Home Insurance - Take Care Of Your House Against Unseen Events
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5 Reasons Being Debt Free Rules
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(c) Soni Pitts

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Soni Pitts is the Chief Visionary Butt-Kicker of SoniPitts.Com. She specializes in helping others reclaim “soul proprietorship” in their lives and to begin living the life their Creator always intended for them.

She is the author of the free e-book “50 Ways To Reach Your Goals” and over 100 self-help and inspirational articles, as well as other products and resources designed to facilitate this process of personal growth and spiritual development.

How To Choose A Life Coach
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I’m No Superman
As professional coaches, we help people. People with Attention Deficit Disorder, people with issues with time management, disorganization, procrastination, perfectionism, people who would like to make changes in their lives. We have strategies and ways to look at things from a different perspective, focusing on our clients' strengths, not their w...

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Do you realise that if you’re green you’re growing and if you’re ripe you’re rotten? So says Winston Marsh, Business Marketing Guru in his recent newsletter.

Here’s an excerpt from it …

“Over the last week or so I have been presenting a series of seminars for MYOB throughout New Zealand and I have made an amazing discovery.

Most people would rather service their car than service their brain!

Now what do I mean by this? Well, quite simply, nobody gives a second thought to putting their car in for service or to get it fixed. They might moan and groan about the cost but they’ll still do it.

Why?

Because they need their car to get around! They rely on it and have become dependent on it. So, no matter what the cost, they get the car serviced or fixed or whatever. They might have to beg, borrow or steal to pay for it but they front up with the money and get it done.

But, it’s a whole different scene and set of feelings when it comes to an investment in the most important piece of machinery— that money making, good time creating piece of machinery called themselves.

So many people have truckloads of reasons and excuses as to why they can’t spend some time or money to get better at what they do… and some of the reasons are pathetic.”That’s the night that Who Wants To Be A Millionaire is on” or “I’m too tired after work” or “I went to something like that once and I didn’t like it” or “I can’t afford it” or whatever are the reasons that they don’t invest in their brain.

Yet there’s only thing that will determine your income and level of success and that’s your brain … what you feed it on and how you use it determines your results. Look after it and fill it with new ideas and information and it will richly reward you. Neglect it and it will fade and fail.”

www.bgrowth.com.au

The Final Word

I’ve found that those people who do not invest time and money in themselves and rely on their employer to pay for their development, dance to someone else’s tune. They leave their future in someone else’s hands.

In fact most people drift along in life taking whatever is dished out to them.

They cannot ‘be bothered’ investing any extra time, money or energy in themselves. It’s much easier to float with the crowd.

I also notice that many of the clients I have who invest their own money into their coaching program are extremely committed to making changes into their lives. They move ahead in leaps and bounds compared to clients who have had their program funded by their company.

When you pay for something yourself, you are more likely to value it.

If you really want to move ahead in your life, isn’t it time that you started to invest in yourself?

About The Author

Lorraine specialises in working with businesspeople showing them how to dramatically boost their productivity, reduce the stress and the mess in their lives and have more time for enjoying their life. http://www.office-organiser.com.au, lorraine@office-organiser.com.au

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Traditionally, mentors volunteer the wisdom of their experiences to help others who wanted to follow in their footsteps. These days, many people have learned to appreciate the value of a good mentor.

Therefore, we see messages on discussion boards asking, “Would someone be willing to mentor me?” Total strangers call, asking, “Will you be my mentor?”

You may get lucky. You begin a series of one-to-one conversations with someone you respect. Soon, the relationship has evolved into full-scale, helpful mentoring, with no effort on your part and no fees to pay.

However, you may find yourself paying in other ways. Mentors sometimes seek rewards not from money but from the satisfaction of seeing their protegs (”mentees”) flourish.

They may become frustrated because, “You’re moving too slowly!” or, “You’re not following my suggestions!” And they may be reluctant to see you fly off on your own.

Regardless, just because someone’s been successful doesn’t mean she’s the right mentor for you. Many resources are better at teaching than doing and vice versa. Some of the most successful professionals cannot articulate why they achieved so much and the path they followed may be closed to you.

Before you begin your search, ask, “What do I want from a mentor? Information? Moral support? Ongoing encouragement? And can I obtain these benefits by paying a coach or consultant? If I stumble across a mentor, will she be able to provide these benefits in a helpful way?”

And are you prepared to be a good mentee? Will you listen carefully, act on advice (or be prepared to explain why you won’t), and express appreciation to your mentor? Will you avoid making unreasonable demands?

These days, mentoring tends to come with a price tag, and the service may be labeled “consulting,” “coaching,” or even “counseling.” For example:

“Mervin” wanted to open a retail toy store. “Gwen” had found success with a similar store in a nearby town that resembled his own. Mervin offered to pay Gwen a thousand dollars to learn the business. Gwen accepted. Mervin now has his own successful store and he remains friends with Gwen.

“Hilary” wanted to set up a life coaching business. She found experts who would not be competitors and paid them for mentoring. There was a fine line, she says, between coaching and mentoring, and she paid the equivalent of coaching fees.

“Reginald” found a mentoring service that charged a monthly $200 fee, giving him access to experts who normally charged $500-$1000 per session.

These stories exemplify the New Mentoring, usually more effective than asking for help from strangers. A proactive approach allows you to identify the service you need, assess the would-be mentor’s ability to deliver that service, begin and end when you choose, and avoid hidden costs. Focus on the benefits you receive, regardless of the label, and these days, be prepared to pay the going rate.

About The Author

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant. How to hire a mentor who will lead you to success (not lose you in the jungle) http://www.cathygoodwin.com/mentorbook.html

“7 best-kept secrets of client-attracting websites”
http://www.makewritingpay.com/subscribe.html
Contact: cathy@cathygoodwin.com
206-819-00989

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“Whats terrible is to pretend that the second-rate is first-rate, that you dont need love when you do or that you like your work when you know quite well youre capable of better.” - Doris Lessing

My dictionarys definition of integrity: “Adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.”

My own simpler, though less elegant, definition of integrity is doing the right thing when the right thing is hard to do. Sometimes the most challenging integrity to honor is the integrity to which there is no witness the kind in which the only person youre accountable to is yourself.

If asked, most of us would say we are individuals of integrity. Yet the business of daily life can crack our integrity, leaving fissures of unacknowledged desires and pools of choices made for approval rather than authenticity. Bit by bit, day by day, we lower our standards and settle for less, telling ourselves that “Its no big deal.”

A client recounted this story. “I want to get back in shape and just hired a personal trainer. I showed up for the first session holding a cup of coffee.” Not the mark of someone ready for a workout. This client recognized that showing up to exercise with a cup of coffee in hand screamed her commitment level to the world: Zilch.

Part and parcel of integrity is the ability to have compassion for ourselves, and the awareness that we only deceive ourselves when we fear the action honesty would require. At some level, we know that if we clean up a lack of integrity in one area of life, well need to apply the broom to more and more areas. This thought can range from mildly daunting to absolutely terrifying.

Still, its a task worth examining. Consider these clues that your actions may out of alignment with your integrity. You:

Tell yourself one thing but do another. Notice when your actions speak louder than words.

Hear yourself saying yes when you really want to say “NO!”

Tell yourself you have no choice. Notice when you fail to take responsibility for your choices and decisions. Also notice when you try to take too much responsibility for your choices and decisions.

Pretend that second rate is first rate?

Put yourself last. Be aware of how youre treating yourself. Do you treat yourself well?

What do you say about yourself?

Frequently choose approval over authenticity

Over time, all the “yess” that were really “nos” add up and drain us of valuable energy and self-worth. At the same time, its easy to see why we choose approval over authenticity or tell ourselves one thing and do another. Acting with integrity requires courage, sticking to your guns or saying what no one wants to hear. You may be forced to uphold a boundary or stretch in new ways.

Refusing to settle for less can be exhilarating; theres a clear-headedness and crispness that accompanies setting boundaries and standing your ground. You stand up straighter. You hold your head higher. You ooze that magnetic self confidence that attracts others to you.

So be honest with yourself. Where are you out of integrity? Have years of compromising your ideals for other peoples desires whittled you down? Its never too late to turn the tide. Start today by having a good ole fashioned “come to Jesus” conversation with yourself. And then take action!

Claudette Rowley is a professional coach, speaker and author who helps savvy professionals like you identify their true purpose and calling and mobilize the courage to pursue it. Sign up for her free monthly ezine “Insights for the Savvy” at http://www.metavoice.org or contact her directly at info@metavoice.org.

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To understand what your customer thinks of you, you need to think like they do.

If you have ever read a book, or completed a course, in sales or marketing you will have learnt that ‘People buy on emotion’ so how about this: If people buy on emotion AND people pay with money THEN what emotion does their money buy them?

When your customer buys from you what emotions are you satisfying?

For example, my young children regularly spend their loose change at ‘The $2 Shop’. Of course the stuff is junk, and it breaks in no time at all, but when we shop there I feel safe because I know that nothing will cost more than two bucks. As for my kids they have the [short lived] fun of spending their disposable income. I feel SAFE and they have FUN!

‘The $2 Shop’ and others in that category market themselves entirely on price. Their price IS their marketing and, as a strategy, it works for them.

If you are contractor or freelancer think about your price and ask yourself: What emotion does it satisfy in your customers?

Greed? Disdain? Pity? Love? Lust? Pride? Fun? Security? Concern? Worry? Fear?

Does your customer purchase your product or service because they ‘must have’ what you offer? If so, why is that? Must they have what you offer because they are trying to outdo others (greed) or will owning what you provide make them proud of themselves, or will it satisfy their lust in some way? Does the price you charge have a bearing on your customer’s impression of you? Will your price excite, entice, satisfy or disappoint?

Will your price make your customer feel safe or afraid? For example, the dentist who charges half the ‘going rate’ will always make me feel afraid.

Take the time to understand your customer’s emotions and you will find it easier to price yourself right.

Jane Francis is the author of ‘Price Yourself Right: A guide to charging what you are worth’ [ISBN 0-595-38601-6] which is available at Barnes & Noble (US), WH Smith (UK) and at amazon.com. She is available as a coach, trainer and workshop leader to help you learn how to present your price with creativity and confidence You can read more at her blog: http://www.priceyourselfright.blogspot.com

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