Give Yourself The Greatest Gift

- by Chris Green

(c) Chris Green - All rights reserved
http://www.conqueringfear.net
=============================================

Imagine if you could give yourself the best gift ever. A
gift that would bring success, happiness and abundance into
your life, not just temporarily, but for the rest of your
living years.

Would you be interested in having such a gift? Hmm, let me
guess! The good news is that YOU CAN. The gift I'm talking
about is personal responsibility. Let me share with you
precisely why this gift is the best you will ever receive!

When you decide to take personal responsibility for your
whole life, a remarkable series of reactions takes place.
All of these reactions increase your personal power.

Acceptance is the first, crucial reaction. You accept that
where you are right now is all your doing. No longer will
you blame anyone else for your current situation or list
excuses such as bad luck or lack of opportunity. Blame and
excuses are heavy baggage and they do not bring success.
Acceptance will help you abandon them for good.

In accepting full responsibility for your current situation,
you also accept that where you'll be in a year or 5 years is
also down to you. You chose the paths to the destination
you're at right now. Therefore, you can choose better paths
to lead you to a greater destination.

Acceptance leads to the realization that you have the power
to change your life for the better. So exercise your power:
Choose what you want to do with your life. Choose where you
want your life to take you. Choose to be the person you
truly want to be. Choose to live life the way YOU want to
live it. Spend time thinking about all of the above and
commit your ideas to paper. Don't let the whims and fears of
others guide you in this. Only YOU can be the person you
want to be.

Be in total control of what you allow your mind to be
exposed to. If you listen to people who live life craving
for security, you will take on board their fears. So be
responsible for your own education. You've found this
article so you're already taking steps to fill your mind
with positive information to help you achieve your
ambitions. Resolve to make this an ongoing process.

I was once told "if you don't take responsibility for what
enters your mind, you risk allowing others to educate you.
And they may not have your best interests at heart." Think
about this. It is so important to take responsibility for
what you allow into your mind. Eliminating negative inputs
and focusing instead on positive, life-enhancing feeds which
take you closer to your goals is vital.

Taking personal responsibility is a big step - somewhat
frightening initially. No more crutches to lean on, no more
"I could've been something if only...", no more hand holding
from well meaning but misguided souls who fuel your fears
and stop you from taking action. From this moment on, accept
that you are the Captain of your ship. You plot the course,
you select the landmarks and ports you need to stop at en
route to the final destination: the real you who lives your
dream life.

Personal responsibility means you give yourself the power to
command. Yes, it means you will make mistakes as you learn
to become the master of your destiny. But don't let fear
stop you from taking command. Seize it. Plan. Act. Learn.
Plan. Act. Learn. Refuse to be blown off course. Resolve
everyday that no matter what happens, you will handle it and
overcome it. And you will learn from experience and use it
all as stepping stones towards your destiny.

Look at it this way: the world is full of people who do the
same things week in, week out. Through no fault of their
own, they will never ever achieve their full potential
because they've been educated to conform. Why be like
everyone else when you can be the unique, inspired and
fulfilled person living life on YOUR terms instead of the
terms of the masses?

The world is crying out for your special talents. Why keep
it waiting any longer?

Until next time.

Resource Box: Chris Green is the author of an amazing new
book that will show you how to conquer fear and make your
dreams happen. Welcome to your personal power revolution!
Click Here for more info =>http://www.conqueringfear.net

Marketing Hat For Graphic Designers Or Wannabe's

Article Title: Marketing Hat For Graphic Designers Or Wannabe's
Author: Joy Gendusa
Word Count: 1541
Article URL: http://www.isnare.com/?id=5693&ca=Marketing
Format: 64cpl
Author's Email Address: karla_jo@postcardmania.com

Easy Publish Tool: http://www.isnare.com/html.php?id=5693

================== ARTICLE START ==================
Many people think that the quality of any graphic design is
determined by how aesthetically pleasing it is: Although making
the card look good is important, this couldn't be further from
the truth. The only true measure of any design, at least
commercially, is "How well does it pull?". By pull we mean what
type of response does it elicit? Does it pull in calls, or pull
people into the store? In essence, does the design accomplish
what it set out to do?

From this fact it is not a reach to come to the conclusion that
the merit of a graphic designer is based on the performance of
his or her designs. You may be able to put together the most
beautiful ad that the world has ever seen, but if it doesn't
make the phone ring it isn't worth the paper that it is printed
on.

By giving clients designs that are not only attractive but,
more importantly, that get them the response they need to turn
a profit, you are making it much more likely that they will be
willing and able to come back to you for future services. In
short, if the ad doesn't make your client any money, you don't
make any money in the future.

The following text is a breakdown of the different actions to
take and ways to make sure that your beautiful design is also a
big time moneymaker for both you and your client.

Chapter 1: "BE" the Target Market

There is a monkey loose in your office and you can't seem to
get any work done. The only solution is to catch the little
distraction and FedEx him back to the jungle that he came from.
Question: How do you
catch a monkey? You have to get into his head, think like him.
You have to "BE" the monkey to find out what is going to bring
him close enough for you to catch him.

What does an annoying monkey have to do with Marketing Design?
Keep reading.

Every potential customer is like the monkey. They are going to
do whatever they want unless you can persuade them to listen to
you. You have to get into their head, think like them, "BE"
them. A monkey is a simple animal so you can probably get his
attention with the stereotypical banana.

Human beings on the other hand are extremely complex. Then you
add in the fact that the mailing list is targeted and it can
get quite challenging. Following are a few examples:

1) Product = Wrinkle Reducing Eye Cream.

Who do you need to "BE"? Probably a woman over the age of 40.
Try it. Pretend you are a woman over 40 with crows feet
(wrinkles around the eyes, for all you guys) and they are
getting worse and worse each day. Did you do it? Are you her?
Good.

Now, how bombarded with advertising is this woman over 40 that
you're being? Just think about it. PLENTY! So how are you going
to communicate to her in an ad to get her to respond?

You may have a headline that pushes the button of how upset she
is about those crows feet like, "Crow's Feet Getting Worse as
You Age?" You may want to show a before and after shot.

2) Product = New Golf Ball that goes farther and straighter
than the competition.

Your target market is Senior Citizen golf enthusiasts in the
state of Florida. So what is the number one benefit of this
particular product for that target market? To answer that
question you should use three things:

. Reasoning

. Experience

. Research

In this golf case, in particular, I can tell you from others'
stories that the older the guy, the straighter the ball goes.
Practice makes perfect and older people have generally had much
more practice. Also, as people get older they start to lose
strength over all. This means that they will start to lose
distance on their shot. It is relatively easy to tell that the
distance factor is going to be the biggest benefit and
therefore should be the focus of the ad.

Sometimes it's really easy, most times it's not.

3) Product (Service) = Refinancing.

This example has you trying to determine the biggest benefit of
refinancing a mortgage for families with a household income of
$75k, revolving debt of $15k and 2+ children. Sound
complicated? It can be. Maybe the benefit is getting cash to
pay off their debt, maybe it's paying for college, or even
lowering their monthly payments. There is no real way to tell
just by looking at the situation. Now you are going to have to
do some research.

Chapter 2: Research the Target Market

Research can be as in depth as actually phoning some of the
people in the target market and conducting surveys, or it is
often as simple as talking to your client about his experiences
with past customers. Start with the easiest action and survey
your client. Here are some good questions to ask:

1. What do your top five customers have in common?

By this I mean, what do your top five customers' orders have in
common. Do they all purchase a certain add on? Is there a
service that none of them take advantage of? This will help
tell you what a "good customer" actually is to that client.

2. What is the most-often-stated benefit of your service?

Is it product? Is it service? Is it price? Ask them, they know
and you need to know for obvious reasons.

3. What do they think is the most beneficial part of their
service to their customer?

Many companies have already done the research, or have been
doing it long enough to just give you the information out
right.

It is not always obvious what is going to be the benefit that
is going to pull the most response. Use your three assets
(Reasoning, Experience and Research) to get as close as
possible. As time goes on you will build up your experience,
but in the beginning you will need to rely more heavily on your
Reasoning and Research. And the easiest and fastest thing you
can do is to "BE" the target market.

Now back to the targeted family that we want to refinance their
home. Pretend you are a family man or woman with a household
income of the $75k with revolving debt of $15K and you've got
two kids! Kids can be pretty expensive. So, why would you like
to refinance?

Chapter 3: You Want the Customer to do WHAT?

Since you've now figured out what the customer needs to hear to
be interested, next you need to figure out what it is you want
from them. What are you trying to accomplish? Sometimes it is
as simple as getting them to go to your website for more
information. Other times you are looking for them to pick up
the phone and actually place an order. Whatever it is that you
want them to do you need to state it clearly on the promo
piece.

For example, if you want them to call and talk to a
representative, the card should very clearly say "Call today
and speak to one of our representatives for more details." This
simple statement tells the customer exactly what you want them
to do. It even tells them when to call - "today". Believe it or
not, people like to be told exactly what to do in advertising.
You should make it easy as possible to make the requested
action. The more your prospects have to think, the less likely
they are to actually act.

Another key part of the call to action is supplying the proper
accompanying information along with the request. In this case,
the phone number should be prominent and be the closest element
to your call to action. Common sense would seem to tell you that
as long as the phone number is somewhere on the promo they will
find it and give you a call. The reality is that if the number
isn't right there for them to see, your response rate will drop
considerably.

Make sure that the call to action is bold and easy to
understand. And keep any important contact information in close
proximity to the call to action.

These are the three most important steps that a graphic
designer needs to take to make a piece that will be aesthetic
and pull at the same time. Pull = a call, a walk-in, a buy, a
response - all for more money in their door. Which, by the way,
gets you remunerated for your services and is actually your
exchange for a job well done. Their customers buying means your
customers are pleased and wanting more of your services. And
it's a happier, prospering world.


About The Author: Joy Gendusa founded PostcardMania in 1998,
her only assets a computer and a phone. By 2004 the company did
$9 million in sales and employed over 60 people. She attributes
her explosive growth to her ability to choose incredible staff
and her innate marketing savvy. Visit
http://www.postcardmania.com
================== ARTICLE END ==================

For more free-reprint articles by Joy Gendusa please visit:
http://www.isnare.com/?s=author&a=Joy+Gendusa

10 Highly Effective Ways to Increase website Traffic and Promote

There are many ways to promote your website for free online. Here
are 10 highly effective strategies you can use right now.

1. Write articles or free reports for other webmasters to publish
and put your website address in the by-line. If you write good
content, your articles will be published and many readers who like
your article will go on to visit your website.

2. Arrange a Joint Venture partnership with List owners and
Webmasters.

3. Add your ad or website address to your email signature. This way,
every time you send an email, you'll be promoting your website.

4. Exchange Links with Other Webmasters. This is another effective
strategy for generating targeted traffic to your website for free.
It involves contacting other webmasters for a possible link exchange
partnership.

5. Add a blog to your site and Ping weblogs.com and other search
engines. Pinging your blogs to the search engines is the fastest way
to get the search engine robots to visit your blog and attract new
visitors to your web site.

6. Submit your blog address to blog search sites and directories.
You can submit your blog's URL to websites such as Technorati,
Daypop, Blogdex and Popdex. For a complete list of websites where
you can submit your URL, go to http://www.guidetorss.com

7. Create RSS feeds for your site and submit the feed URLs to the
major RSS feed directories online. A good place to start is
http://www.guidetorss.com/ which provides a list of the top RSS
directories.

8. Be an active commenter. Try to leave comments on the blogs that
you regularly visit. Most comment systems also provide a way for you
to leave a link back to your blog or website which begs a visit at
the very least.

9. If you plan to have anything printed up, put your web address on
it. You can print your URL on business cards, stickers, leaflets,
etc.

10. Add your web address to your forum profile signature. Every time
you post or respond to questions your ad will be displayed. If you
post good content in forums, people who read your threads will also
check out your website.

© Copyright 2005 Chileshe Mwape. Submit articles for free at
http://www.going-platinum.co.uk/ All articles are published
instantly. You can submit reports, news, press releases, stories,
product reviews, opinions, editorials about your website and
services and much more. (This article may be republished as long as
the above link is active and clickable and this author box (byline)
is not edited.)

[aageneral] Monday Morning Mindfulness 07/11/2005

Publishing Guidelines: You are welcome to publish this
article in its entirety, electronically, or in print fre*e
of charge, as long as you include my full signature file
for ezines, and my Web site address(http://www.schrift.com)
in hyperlink for other sites. Please send a courtesy link
or email where you publish to sandra@schrift.com Thank you.
___________________________________________________________

TITLE: Monday Morning Mindfulness
AUTHOR: Sandra Schrift
CONTACT: sandra@schrift.com
Format: 60 Characters per line
___________________________________________________________

Table of Contents
1. On Special Offers and Invitations
2. On Feelings
3. On A Great Story
4 . On Irresistible Attraction
5. On Finding the "f."
6. On Subscribing and Canceling (at the end of newsletter)
_________________________________________________
Welcome to Monday Morning Mindfulness . . . to my clients,
colleagues and friends. Join me every other Monday in
getting motivated and inspired to act/think/feel differently.
_________________________________________________

1. ON SPECIAL OFFERS AND INVITATIONS

Use Speaking and Writing to Move your Business from OK to Booming - do you
want to boost your business to its highest - to bring more clients and
consistent monthly income? I am excited! Judy Cullins, book and internet
marketing coach and I ,once again, are providing a five hour program to help
you up level your marketing and promotion - mark your calendar with these
five dates: September 14, 28, October 12, 26, November 9 est.. We are
looking for a maximum of 12 committed people who are ready to be part of an
interactive small group coaching experience. Learn from each other as well
as Coaches Judy and Sandra on how to use writing and speaking to promote
your business. Interested? For details and registration:
http://www.schrift.com/group_coaching.htm
"Sometimes things become possible when we want them enough." --T.S. Eliot

Summer Sizzle Sale!
Want to cut your learning curve by 60% to become a well paid professional
speaker? If you have the passion and the persistence to do this, I have the
product for you. All of our most popular products are discounted for a
limited time.

Choose from any of 15 Hear the Pros one hour audio tapes

6 hour audio cassette program on How to Succeed in the Speaking Business;
Order the Audio Cassette program by July 18 and you will also receive a
Fre*e PDF Bonus Report to go along with this program. "The World Is
Changing...So is the Meetings Industry"

6 hour streaming audio program on How to Make it as a Professional Speaker

6 hour three CD Rom program on How to Become a Highly Paid Professional
Speaker.

All programs include PDF handouts and 20 minutes of coaching with me. Such a
deal! http://www.schrift.com/products.htm to get details on products and
your deep discounts.

2. On Feelings

Feelings run the world. Feelings move us around as human beings. We love, we
lust, we anger, we feel joy, sadness, ambitious, amused, appreciative,
bored, calm, cheerful, compassionate, curious, and concerned, to name a few.
There are probably at least 500 emotions we can experience. In meditation, I
learn to be aware of my feelings, my breath, the grief and sorrow, the
tears. And so I strive to be mindful of my feelings in the feelings. When
this happens, it is very freeing. The mind is the principle element of
creation.

The Coach quotes Jack Kornfield . . ." the mind is just a thought factory
and like a pasta factory, spews out many shapes."

3. On A Great Story

Aneeta says that one of the best ways to generate an interest in who you are
and what you do is to tell a great story. Here are some of the laws of great
storytelling:

Keep your mouth shut and your ears open.
Begin your story with a question.
Speak to your audience just as you would your family or friends.
Notice what your audience is not saying.
If someone asks you a question then answer it briefly.
Remember to take a break when storytelling.
Invite your audience to participate in the storytelling.
Aneeta Sundararaj, is the creator of the bestselling ebook 'How To Tell A
Great Story'. Visit http://www.howtotellagreatstory.com to learn more.

4. On Irresistible Attraction

Coach Thomas Leonard reminds us that in a freely competitive world, whomever
provides the most value for a potential customer will secure the customer.
If you don't add value continuously, you will lose the customer. AND your
potential/current customer knows for sure what value is, because they'll
respond predictably and naturally when enough value is present. Help your
customer to buy from you by eliminating any blockages around price, fear,
availability, packaging, quality and your personality. Then the customer
won't have to think much about buying. They will just buy!

The Coach asks . . . are you ready to become irresistibly attractive for the
joy of it?

5. On Finding the 'F'

Read the following and find all the words that include the letter "f."

FEATURE FILMS ARE THE RESULT
OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY
COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE
OF YEARS.

Point: If we only see what we focus on then we get that. I have learned that
whatever I fear, I will attract into my life. Whatever picture I have in my
mind, I will attract.

The Coach believes . . . that it is best to focus on what we want, not on
what we don't want.

6. On Useful Websites and Announcements

'Speak Like a Pro for Profit': Struggling to get clients? Want to have a
full speaking calendar? This e-book contains proven tips and techniques to
become a polished presenter to speak effectively to anyone, anywhere, with
confidence. I wrote this for speakers, coaches, authors and business
professionals who want to deliver masterful presentations and/or grow a
profitable speaking business. Only $8.95. Go to
http://www.schrift.com/speaklikeaproforprofit/index.htm for details.

Free reports on public speaking skills http://www.schrift.com/tips.htm

Want to speak to Associations? Check out the association meeting & event
planners directory from Douglas Publications:
http://www.douglaspublications.com

Need a list of thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and TV stations? Go
to Gebbie Press www.beggiezine

Since great covers will increase sales of your ebooks, here is a top notch
do-it-yourself eCover design program (from Judy Cullins, book coach):
http://maxcovers.com/x.php?adminid=1660&id=4976

Back to Top

About the Author

Coach Sandra Schrift shares a few easy-to-read insights in this bi-weekly
broadcast, and welcomes positive responses and input. Her 13 years as the
founder/owner of The Podium Speakers Bureau in San Diego afforded her the
privilege to work with many outstanding professional speakers and meeting
planners nationwide. She knows what the Meeting Planners want . . . and
knows what speakers need to know!

If you are an Executive, you will benefit by strengthening your presentation
skills, so that whatever audio-visual aid you use will enhance, rather than
distract from, your message.

As your coach, Sandra provides you with greater focus, increased ways to
prospect, more ideas for getting referrals, and just more business.

E-mail Sandra for your Complimentary 30- minute Coaching Call:
Sandra@schrift.com (http://www.schrift.com)

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is
noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience,
which is the bitterest."
--Confucius

Thank you for reading this issue of Monday Morning
Mindfulness Look for your next issue on July 25, 2005
--Coach Sandra

If you have a comment you would like to share, please email me at
Sandra@schrift.com. I appreciate hearing how this newsletter is influencing
your career and life.

Invite a friend, speaker, coach who would enjoy reading MMM to subscribe.
Copyright 2005, Monday Morning Mindfulness. This content is copyright please
copy it right when you pass it on!

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[aageneral] Monday Morning Mindfulness 07/11/2005

Publishing Guidelines: You are welcome to publish this
article in its entirety, electronically, or in print fre*e
of charge, as long as you include my full signature file
for ezines, and my Web site address(http://www.schrift.com)
in hyperlink for other sites. Please send a courtesy link
or email where you publish to sandra@schrift.com Thank you.
___________________________________________________________

TITLE: Monday Morning Mindfulness
AUTHOR: Sandra Schrift
CONTACT: sandra@schrift.com
Format: 60 Characters per line
___________________________________________________________

Table of Contents
1. On Special Offers and Invitations
2. On Feelings
3. On A Great Story
4 . On Irresistible Attraction
5. On Finding the "f."
6. On Subscribing and Canceling (at the end of newsletter)
_________________________________________________
Welcome to Monday Morning Mindfulness . . . to my clients,
colleagues and friends. Join me every other Monday in
getting motivated and inspired to act/think/feel differently.
_________________________________________________

1. ON SPECIAL OFFERS AND INVITATIONS

Use Speaking and Writing to Move your Business from OK to Booming - do you
want to boost your business to its highest - to bring more clients and
consistent monthly income? I am excited! Judy Cullins, book and internet
marketing coach and I ,once again, are providing a five hour program to help
you up level your marketing and promotion - mark your calendar with these
five dates: September 14, 28, October 12, 26, November 9 est.. We are
looking for a maximum of 12 committed people who are ready to be part of an
interactive small group coaching experience. Learn from each other as well
as Coaches Judy and Sandra on how to use writing and speaking to promote
your business. Interested? For details and registration:
http://www.schrift.com/group_coaching.htm
"Sometimes things become possible when we want them enough." --T.S. Eliot

Summer Sizzle Sale!
Want to cut your learning curve by 60% to become a well paid professional
speaker? If you have the passion and the persistence to do this, I have the
product for you. All of our most popular products are discounted for a
limited time.

Choose from any of 15 Hear the Pros one hour audio tapes

6 hour audio cassette program on How to Succeed in the Speaking Business;
Order the Audio Cassette program by July 18 and you will also receive a
Fre*e PDF Bonus Report to go along with this program. "The World Is
Changing...So is the Meetings Industry"

6 hour streaming audio program on How to Make it as a Professional Speaker

6 hour three CD Rom program on How to Become a Highly Paid Professional
Speaker.

All programs include PDF handouts and 20 minutes of coaching with me. Such a
deal! http://www.schrift.com/products.htm to get details on products and
your deep discounts.

2. On Feelings

Feelings run the world. Feelings move us around as human beings. We love, we
lust, we anger, we feel joy, sadness, ambitious, amused, appreciative,
bored, calm, cheerful, compassionate, curious, and concerned, to name a few.
There are probably at least 500 emotions we can experience. In meditation, I
learn to be aware of my feelings, my breath, the grief and sorrow, the
tears. And so I strive to be mindful of my feelings in the feelings. When
this happens, it is very freeing. The mind is the principle element of
creation.

The Coach quotes Jack Kornfield . . ." the mind is just a thought factory
and like a pasta factory, spews out many shapes."

3. On A Great Story

Aneeta says that one of the best ways to generate an interest in who you are
and what you do is to tell a great story. Here are some of the laws of great
storytelling:

Keep your mouth shut and your ears open.
Begin your story with a question.
Speak to your audience just as you would your family or friends.
Notice what your audience is not saying.
If someone asks you a question then answer it briefly.
Remember to take a break when storytelling.
Invite your audience to participate in the storytelling.
Aneeta Sundararaj, is the creator of the bestselling ebook 'How To Tell A
Great Story'. Visit http://www.howtotellagreatstory.com to learn more.

4. On Irresistible Attraction

Coach Thomas Leonard reminds us that in a freely competitive world, whomever
provides the most value for a potential customer will secure the customer.
If you don't add value continuously, you will lose the customer. AND your
potential/current customer knows for sure what value is, because they'll
respond predictably and naturally when enough value is present. Help your
customer to buy from you by eliminating any blockages around price, fear,
availability, packaging, quality and your personality. Then the customer
won't have to think much about buying. They will just buy!

The Coach asks . . . are you ready to become irresistibly attractive for the
joy of it?

5. On Finding the 'F'

Read the following and find all the words that include the letter "f."

FEATURE FILMS ARE THE RESULT
OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY
COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE
OF YEARS.

Point: If we only see what we focus on then we get that. I have learned that
whatever I fear, I will attract into my life. Whatever picture I have in my
mind, I will attract.

The Coach believes . . . that it is best to focus on what we want, not on
what we don't want.

6. On Useful Websites and Announcements

'Speak Like a Pro for Profit': Struggling to get clients? Want to have a
full speaking calendar? This e-book contains proven tips and techniques to
become a polished presenter to speak effectively to anyone, anywhere, with
confidence. I wrote this for speakers, coaches, authors and business
professionals who want to deliver masterful presentations and/or grow a
profitable speaking business. Only $8.95. Go to
http://www.schrift.com/speaklikeaproforprofit/index.htm for details.

Free reports on public speaking skills http://www.schrift.com/tips.htm

Want to speak to Associations? Check out the association meeting & event
planners directory from Douglas Publications:
http://www.douglaspublications.com

Need a list of thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and TV stations? Go
to Gebbie Press www.beggiezine

Since great covers will increase sales of your ebooks, here is a top notch
do-it-yourself eCover design program (from Judy Cullins, book coach):
http://maxcovers.com/x.php?adminid=1660&id=4976

Back to Top

About the Author

Coach Sandra Schrift shares a few easy-to-read insights in this bi-weekly
broadcast, and welcomes positive responses and input. Her 13 years as the
founder/owner of The Podium Speakers Bureau in San Diego afforded her the
privilege to work with many outstanding professional speakers and meeting
planners nationwide. She knows what the Meeting Planners want . . . and
knows what speakers need to know!

If you are an Executive, you will benefit by strengthening your presentation
skills, so that whatever audio-visual aid you use will enhance, rather than
distract from, your message.

As your coach, Sandra provides you with greater focus, increased ways to
prospect, more ideas for getting referrals, and just more business.

E-mail Sandra for your Complimentary 30- minute Coaching Call:
Sandra@schrift.com (http://www.schrift.com)

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is
noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience,
which is the bitterest."
--Confucius

Thank you for reading this issue of Monday Morning
Mindfulness Look for your next issue on July 25, 2005
--Coach Sandra

If you have a comment you would like to share, please email me at
Sandra@schrift.com. I appreciate hearing how this newsletter is influencing
your career and life.

Invite a friend, speaker, coach who would enjoy reading MMM to subscribe.
Copyright 2005, Monday Morning Mindfulness. This content is copyright please
copy it right when you pass it on!

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[aageneral] When the Messsage Light Doesn't Blink

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in
print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A
courtesy copy of your publication is appreciated.

__________

WHEN THE MESSAGE LIGHT DOESN'T BLINK

Seeing one of her neighbor's children playing alone, a woman asked him
where his brother was. "Oh," he said, "he's in the house playing a
duet. I finished first."

Too many people find themselves playing a duet alone. Too many people
are lonely. They rise alone in the morning, they eat meals alone, they
watch television alone and retire alone in the evening. They have too
few friends and family to share their lives with. It feels as if they
should be playing a duet or an ensemble and everyone else finished
first. They are more than alone; they are lonely.

"I don't have an answering machine," one man said. "I live alone, and
I'm sometimes told that I've missed calls when I've been out. ‘You
should really get an answering machine,' my friends tell me, but I
won't. I don't want to come home to find the message light not
blinking. I don't want to know with such certainty that no one tried
to get in touch. It's worth missing a message or two to avoid that."

A folktale tells of a monarch long ago who had twin sons. There was
some confusion about which one was born first. As they grew to young
manhood, the king sought a fair way to designate one of them as crown
prince.

Calling them to his council chamber one day, he said, "My sons, the
day will come when one of you must succeed me as king. The burdens of
sovereignty are very heavy. To find out which of you is better able to
bear them cheerfully, I am sending you together to a far corner of the
kingdom. One of my advisors there will place equal burdens on your
shoulders. My crown will one day go to the one who first returns
bearing his burden like a king should."

In a spirit of friendly competition, the brothers set out together.
Soon they overtook a frail and aged woman struggling under a heavy
weight. One of the boys suggested that they stop to help her. The
other protested: "We have a burden of our own to worry about. Let us
be on our way."

So the second son hurried on while the other stayed behind to help the
woman with her load. On his journey to the kingdom's edge, the same
young man found others who needed help. A sightless man who needed
assistance home; a lost child whom he carried back to her worried
parents; a farmer whose wagon needed a strong shoulder to push it out
of the mud.

Eventually he did reach his father's advisor, where he secured his own
burden and started home with it safely on his shoulders. When he
arrived back at the palace, his brother met him at the gate and
greeted him with dismay. "I don't understand," the brother said, "I
told Father the burden was too heavy to carry. How did you manage it
alone?"

The future king replied thoughtfully, "I suppose when I helped others
carry their burdens, I found the strength to carry my own."

Isn't that the secret of living with loneliness? When we find others
who need help with their burdens, we also find the strength to carry
our own! Get busy helping others, even if it is nothing more than
making a phone call or writing an encouraging note, and you'll find
that your burden of loneliness will become easier and easier to
manage. And soon you'll be too happy and busy to even notice if the
message light is blinking.
__________

Steve Goodier Publisher@LifeSupportSystem.com is a professional
speaker, consultant and author of numerous books. Visit his site for
more information, or to sign up for his FREE newsletter of Life, Love
and Laughter at http://LifeSupportSystem.com.

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[aageneral] Introverts Can Network and So Can You

TITLE: Introverts Can Network and So Can You
AUTHOR: Susan Dunn, MA, The EQ Coach
WORD COUNT: 1,201
WRAP: 60
URL: http://www.susandunn.cc
Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc

"Introverts Can Network and So Can You,"
by Susan Dunn, MA, The EQ Coach

Tomaso arrives at the office with a bag of breakfast tacos
for the staff. He sells paper, a highly competitive
business, and he's a top salesman for his company. Tomaso
is also an introvert.

The smart people have always known that business is about
relationships. Now it's called "networking," and it's
always been the way to make money. Twenty years ago, my
mentor told me, "Here's the key, Susan. People do business
with people they like and trust. That's all you need to
know." Networking is the only way to do that.

Fear of strangers is absolute human nature, and you deny
this at your peril. It's monumentally important in today's
multicultural environment. It's survival instinct to be
wary of people we don't know and to notice differences.
These reactions which come from the reptilian brain are
strong and unavoidable. In our animal brains, any human
could potentially harm us.

So initially we react with suspicion to what we don't know.
We may over-ride it with all the things we know
intellectually, but it's an over-ride. In other words it
takes time. In good response fashion (vs. "reacting") we
move from the reptilian brain up to the limbic (social
instincts, which we also have) and then the neocortex (what
we know intellectually).

Building relationships is all about giving the other person
time to experience you and to get over any negative initial
impressions. Relationships build slowly and they run on
talking. There's no such thing as small talk; it's all big!

So how can an introvert do this when extroverts appear to have
the edge? They're over-represented in the higher levels of
management, and show up anywhere more often. Since there
are more extroverts, and since they are more "in your face,"
most situations are geared toward their preferences. So we
have Chamber mixers where people can run around handing out
their cards which are quickly deposited in the circular file
as soon as the person returns to their office, but the savvy
introvert goes about it differently.

Let's look at how Tomaso works. The receptionist, Maria, is
his entry point. He watches and listens to her closely with
the great intuition most introverts have. He calls and say,
"Hi chica, I'm bringing breakfast tacos tomorrow. Let
everyone know." Notice that he doesn't try a manager, or
the CEO.

Maria likes him immediately, so she helps him out. "Good,"
she says. "That other guys brings cookies and we want
breakfast tacos. Bring potato and egg, chorizo and egg, and
bacon and egg. And label them."

Tomaso does exactly that. When he arrives, he gives Maria
the bag, and she goes to work. She announces the breakfast
tacos have arrived.

Meanwhile, Tomaso knows Maria can't leave the desk, so he's
brought her the kind of tacos she likes, with a plate, salt
and pepper, and a small container of hot sauce. He's
thoughtful. He notices.

Then Tomaso walks down the hall to Christina's office.
Christina's Anglo, Germanic background, formal and reserved,
but he knows she will be polite.

"Hi chica," he says. "The tacos are here." Then he stands
there with a big smile on his face and says nothing else,
just looks available and quizzical. Christina's in upper
level management and swings into action. He just follows
her sophisticated lead in conversation.

Then they move down to the break room where people have
gathered. Tomaso enters and takes the extended hand of
Saul, the CFO and shakes it firmly. Saul's a talker, and
all Tomaso has to do is listen to Saul brag. His eyes
senses remain alert to who else is entering the room. He
takes the temperature and listens for conversational cues.
(Perhaps there's mention of a new copier, or the power
failure of the day before.)

Anne walks in. An introvert, she's the most important
person to Tomaso. She works for the Supply Manager, the one
who orders the paper.

Tomas moves over toward Anne, remaining at the farther
distance introverts prefer, and just beams, radiating
warmth. He relaxes his body, extends his palms slightly
forward, suggesting, though not initiating a hug. He knows
Anne's the "mother" of the group, and suspects she will hug
him. Which she does, but he knows to let the introvert lead.
He's just available for what will likely transpire.
And so it proceeds. Keen to the different personalities
he's dealing with, he works the room mostly by standing
there smiling.

When he leaves, Anne asks, "Is he the one who's wife is
expecting?" No one can answer. Things went well; Tomaso
didn't talk about himself. Much of what we call "relating,"
has to do with listening, with a few filler phrases and
nonverbals. Here are a few. Say and do them without
anxiety, and you'll have most of the work done:

--Raise your eyebrows and say, "Oh really?"
--Purse your lips and furrow your brows and say, "Is that
right? I didn't know that."
--Smile, maintain an open body posture, move slowly, observe
preferred distances in position, and say just about anything
light and inconsequential: "Good to see you," "Boy, red is
really your color," or "How about them Bears?"
--Use facts with men; talk to women about their appearance.
Nothing suggestive, of course. Notice a bracelet, a ring.

Notice that Tomaso calls all the women "Chica," (no
translation) - just affectionate and complimentary, with no
sexual overtones. And notice he calls ALL the women this;
don't play favorites.

The less you say the better, and of course avoid
controversial topics, which can sometimes include such
innocuous topics as weather and traffic, if they're
particularly bad. It's been over 100 degrees here for a
week, 102 yesterday, and it was THE ONE THING nobody was
talking about. Avoiding the most obvious thing on your mind
is often a good policy.

When in doubt, talk about what's right in front of you. For
instance, about the tacos - "Did you find one you like? Did
I bring enough hot sauce?"

"What's new?" always works. So does, "How are you doing?"
The introvert is the perfect audience for the extrovert, and
in work groups, you can both expect far more extroverts, and
count on that many of the introverts will be acting like
extroverts. There's far less need to make conversation than
you may fear.

Things to avoid? Anything heavy, including being "too"
anything. The trick is to appear like you're not trying at
all. Resist urges to get introspective, say anything
significant, or teach anything. For more specific tips, see
"Networking for Introverts."

At the bottom line, all that's required of you is that you
show up, and stay out of trouble. The less you say, the
less likely you'll be to get into trouble, which is easy for
interoverts. Since most people are clamoring for attention
and dying to be heard, your work is a whole lot easier than
you might think. Smile, listen, be light and neutral, stay,
and return.

©Susan Dunn, The EQ Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc .
Coaching, Internet courses and ebooks around emotional
intelligence for your personal and professional success.
"Networking for Introverts" is available on her website.
Training and certification for EQ coaches - fast,
affordable, comprehensive and no-residency.
Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc for more information.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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[aageneral] Abortion: Pros and Cons

This article may be freely published provided the author's
bylines and resource box remain intact. Please send an email if
you choose this article for publication.

Title: Abortion: Pros and Cons
Author: Jan A. Larson
Word count: 804
Copyright: (c) 2005 All rights reserved.

Abortion: Pros and Cons

By Jan A. Larson

With the resignation of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor from the
Supreme Court, both sides in the abortion debate are jockeying
for position in an attempt to influence the selection of
O'Connor's replacement.

The 1973 Roe v. Wade decision is arguably the most
controversial decision ever handed down by the Court.
Supporters are wringing their hands that a shift in the court
might result in Roe being overturned. Opponents are hoping for
just that.

This missive is an attempt, feeble as it may be, to cut through the
rhetoric on both sides of this debate and discuss this issue from
an analytical viewpoint.

The term abortion, as used here, refers only to those abortions
that do not involve pregnancies resulting from rape, incest, etc.
or are performed in order to save a woman's life.

I refer to those that wish to maintain the status quo as "pro-Roe"
and not "pro-choice." I find that term diminishes the gravity of
the issue, reducing it to nothing more than a decision akin to
plain or peanut. Of course, that is what supporters of that
position prefer � promoting the notion that the decision to abort
a pregnancy is no different than choosing a flavor of ice cream.

Likewise, I will refer to the "pro-life" position as "anti-Roe" as I
honestly do not believe anyone is anti-life. I also assert that the
anti-Roe side does a disservice to their cause when referring to
the other side as "pro-abortion." I will offer that none but the
most insensitive, when faced with the decision, eagerly seek to
have an abortion. Having no first-hand experience, I can only
surmise that doing just about anything would be preferable to a
visit to a clinic for the purposes of an abortion.

Just what are the pros and cons of legalized abortion? There are
of course many cons, paramount of which is the death of a
human being before he or she can draw first breath.

The pro-Roe supporters argue that a "fetus" is not a human
being. This basically comes down to semantics, but I will point
out that every one of those supporters was also a fetus at one
point in time.

There is also little doubt that most women that have abortions,
again other than the most selfish and callous, eventually suffer
emotional repercussions. Their lives are forever changed. Two
lives (at least) are negatively affected by every abortion.

Are there positives to legalized abortion?

The pro-Roe position is that legalized abortion gives women
control over the reproductive decision and fear that a reversal of
Roe v. Wade would restrict the right of a woman to choose when
she has a child. The problem with this position is that women
had the right and ability to choose long before Roe and continue
to have that right today. That "choice" is made several months
before a woman is faced with the prospect of an abortion, if you
know what I mean. Legalized abortion allows a "mistake" that
could have been avoided in the first place, to simply be wiped
away. No fuss, no muss.

In the book Freakonomics, economist Steven D. Levitt makes
the case that the legalization of abortion beginning in 1973 has a
very strong statistical correlation and may explain the dramatic
drop in crime rates in the 1990s.

Levitt cites studies that indicate that the women most likely to
have abortions post-Roe were the women least likely to be able
to provide a secure home environment for a child. It is children
that grow up in such environments that are most likely to turn to
a life of crime.

Levitt's analysis, however, concludes that even if one could
assign a value of 100 fetuses to equal the value of one newborn,
the annual "cost" of legalized abortion is 15,000 lives, far more
than the number of homicides "saved" by legalized abortion.

On balance, it would seem that the loss of life and the emotional
scars carried by women (and their families) that have abortions
outweigh the benefits of reduced crime (if there is a direct cause
and effect) and the convenience of "cleaning up a mess" of a
poor decision.

For all the rhetoric and hyperbole on both sides of this issue,
there can never be a middle ground to the abortion debate.
Those that believe that abortion is murder will never believe
otherwise. Those that believe that having an abortion is a
woman's "right" and that a "fetus" is just tissue aren't likely to
change their views either, at least not until it is too late.

While it is undeniably true that many aborted babies would not
be born into situations conducive to a full and productive life,
the bottom line is that a society, such as ours, that values life is
diminished when life may be terminated so easily.

-----
Jan A. Larson publishes a weekly commentary, "What is the
Deal?" at the Pie of Knowledge
(http://www.pieofknowledge.com). His work also appears on
NewsBull (http://www.newsbull.com), OpinionEditorials
(http://www.opinioneditorials.com), American Daily
(http://www.americandaily.com), ChronWatch
(http://www.chronwatch.com) and The Conservative Voice
(http://www.theconservativevoice.com).

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[aageneral] Writing Time Travel Romance

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

Terms for reprint:
1. You must publish the article AS IS. Do not modify, alter or edit
it. (unless it's a technical/computer problem like a ' being changed
to weird computer codes)
2. The author's resource box must accompany the article at all times.
3. The link/s must be active or clickable.
4. Notifying the author is not required, but doing so is appreciated.

Thanks :)

Title: SHALLA CHATS with author Judie Aitken: "Writing Time Travel
Romance"
Word Count: 1,395
Author: Shalla de Guzman
Email: shalladeguzman@yahoo.com
Article URL:
www.shalladeguzman.com

SHALLA CHATS with author Judie Aitken

"Writing Time Travel Romance"

by Shalla de Guzman
www.shalladeguzman.com

First off, who's Judie?

Judie Aitken is a multi-award winning author of Native American
themed romance novels. Judie is a winner of the prestigious HOLT
Medallion, and is a two-time nominee for Romantic Times' annual book
of the year awards. She writes both paranormals and
contemporaries, and her books continue to earn high accolades from
the reviewers and from the readers, alike. Her latest book for
Berkley, Secret Shadows, is no exception; it is a Romantic Times Top
Pick and is a double finalist for the Reviewer's International
Organization.

Shalla: Hi Judie, so we'd love to know, what made you start writing
Time Travel?

Judie: Hi. Like so many others, I was completely enthralled by
Jude Devereaux's "Knight in Shining Armor."

I'd never even considered writing time travel but I suppose you
could say that the book gave me "permission" to consider it. It's
an absolutely perfect genre for someone, like me, who loves writing
both historical and contemporary stories.

With a time travel I get to have the best of both worlds. My own
Native American family's heritage has always been part of my writing
and it was only natural that I incorporate this into my time travels
as well. I have carefully chosen events or topics within the Native
culture that are not only of interest but also offer the opportunity
to teach my readers a little about the history and the people, as
well.

My first book, "A Love Beyond Time," a complete sell out from
Berkley, involved the Battle of the Little Big Horn and the next
time travel, "Distant Echoes" was about the off-reservation Indian
Schools of the late 1800s. I love being able to tell the history of
my people and yet also be able to tie it over to the present and how
it affects the people living in our time.

Shalla: Where do you get your stories?

Judie: Ideas for stories come from so many sources that it is
impossible for me to pinpoint any specific
one. I read a lot of nonfiction historical and anthropological
books and treatises, and some ideas have taken root from these.
News articles, conversations with friends, even paintings have also
given me story ideas.

Shalla: Where do you get your characters?

Judie: When I get an idea for a plot, the idea of who my hero and
heroine should be usually comes with
the plot. I determine which character should have the most serious
conflicts, goals, or motivations that will give the book the best
angle. The antagonist doesn't always have to be antithesis, but
they do have to cause more than a few pesky bumps for my
protagonists. The surprising characters are those who aren't planned
but who push their way into a story.

Shalla: How do you make characters credible?

Judie: There is always a bit of someone the author knows in his or
her characters. Because I write Native
American-themed books, my characters are not only based on people
that I know but also on the generational differences that exist
among the people. I try to recreate the specific speech rhythms of
a character, give each a specific voice and personality. I try to
avoid clichéd or over-the-top reactions, thus keeping my hero and
heroine and my secondary characters realistic and believable.

Shalla: How do you make characters sympathetic?

Judie: In order for a character to be sympathetic, the reader has
to like them. The reader has to have
an emotional investment in the character and in the situation.
Even if the character is unlikable at the beginning of the book, if
there is change for the by the end of the book, the reader will be
satisfied. To gain the reader's sympathy the character has to be
fully drawn, a whole individual that shows strengths and weaknesses
and who changes through the conflicts and goals of the story.

Shalla: Any tips on writing believable dialogue?

Judie: A lot of beginning writers try to write dialogue exactly as
we speak in real life. It doesn't work.
Spoken dialogue is riddled with stutters, repeated words, unfinished
sentences, and over use of an individual's name. Written dialogue
should be crisp, show emotion without an overuse of adverbs in the
dialogue tags. Dialogue is not there to fill space. It must move
the story forward and, provide information.

Shalla: How do you put the reader into the arena of action?

Judie: You have to create the arena and in doing so, make it
believable, if you don't the scene becomes
laughable. Think about all the horror movies where the heroine goes
down into the dark basement because she's heard a noise and the
lights have gone out. Everyone in the audience shouts at the
screen, "Don't go in the basement." The scene is not only clichéd,
but laughable. The arena of action whether physical place or a
plot point is actually a stage on which the scene is played. It has
to be solid, believable, and made familiar enough to the reader that
they are able to put themselves into the action. That's what
reading is all about – becoming the hero or heroine yourself.

Shalla: Any tips on creating sexual tension?

Judie: Sexual tension is all about the slow progression to the
final act. One of my favorite authors, Linda
Howard, has a fabulous "recipe" for building sexual tension:
• Eye to body. The old once-over, except it happens in a fraction
of an instant. Only a few significant details are absorbed.
Attraction occurs or it doesn't.
• Eye to eye. Eye contact is sustained only between intimates. If a
stranger stares, it's considered rude or an act of aggression.
• Voice to voice. Ranges from small talk to intimate.
• Hand to hand. This requires some trust. Hand to arm counts here,
too (man's excuse to get his hands on her, by guiding her).
• Arm to shoulder. May be a hug.
• Arm to waist. Can be sexual, especially if "waist" is considered
the small of the back. Men won't do this to other men.
• Mouth to mouth. Full frontal contact during a kiss.
• Hand to head. Requires trust.
• Hand to body. Any body part –- breast, shoulder, chest…
• Mouth to breast.
• Hand to genitals.
• Genitals to genitals.

Shalla: Do you have any suggestions on how to hook a reader by, say,
page 3?

Judie: The book should begin with the inciting moment. It is what
happens to the protagonist(s)
that is the little pebble that begins the avalanche, that brings
about all the problems, threats, changes, etc. that the character(s)
are forced to deal with while trying to attain their goals. The
longer book, 100,000 words or more, allows the author to ease into
the story, taking longer than a paragraph or two or three. With the
shorter book, it is necessary to immediately grab the reader with a
sharp hook.

Shalla: Finally, and romantic time travel movies you'd recommend?

Judie: Of course I'd recommend the one that is on everyone's
list, "Somewhere in Time," with Christopher Reeve, but I'd like to
add 2 others. My absolute favorite is "Frequency" with Dennis Quaid
and Jim Caviezell. This is one of the best crafted story lines I've
ever seen and worthy of being watched over and over as subtle
nuances are discovered with each viewing. Also on the list although
not a true time travel – it just deals with people in the same time
but one group is totally living as they did 150 years before,
is "The Last of the Dog Men" with Tom Beringer.

Shalla: Thanks so much Judie! For more on Judie Aitken, please visit
her website http://www.judieaitken.com

Best wishes Judie. We at Shalla Chats send you our best. Thanks so
much for taking this time to talk with us. We look forward to more
of your successes &#61514; Please come back and talk with us again.

Shalla de Guzman writes multicultural, fantasy and paranormal novels
with a chick lit tone. A former writer and producer of a health and
fitness cable show, Shalla is currently writing her next women's
lit. She is President of the ShalladeGuzman Writers Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShalladeGuzman/ She is also a member
of OCC/RWA and FF&P.

Join Us for our Q&A with Writers House Literary Agent on July 20
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShalladeGuzman/

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[aageneral] How to Reduce your Debt in 5 Easy Steps

How to Reduce your Debt in 5 Easy Steps

You're free to publish or reprint this article on your websites
as long as all the links are active and clickable and the author
box (byline) is not edited.
=================================================================

How to Reduce your Debt in 5 Easy Steps

If you have incurred substantial personal debt, consider these
options: budgeting, debt consolidation, credit counselling from a
reputable organization and working with your creditors. You will
need to choose a debt reduction method that will work best for you?
The method you use will depend on your level of debt, how much spare
money you have, your level of discipline, and how quickly you want
to get out of debt.

1. REALISTIC BUDGETING

The first step towards taking control of your financial situation is
to do a realistic assessment of your income and expenditure. Work
out how much you earn (your total income) and write this figure
down. Then total your expenses. This is how much you spend each
month for rent, fuel, food, clothing, heating, water, electricity
and other bills. The difference between your total income and your
total expenses is the amount of money available to pay your
creditors or lenders.

Decide if there are any monthly expenses that you can reduce or live
without. Focus on lowering your expenses so that you can increase
your income. You'll be amazed at how many things you can do without.

a) Debt Reduction Methods

Choose a debt reduction method that fits your situation and gives
the maximum benefit. You could choose to focus on repaying debts
that are most important to your credit rating or to maintaining your
family's safety. Or you can start by paying off those debts with the
highest interest rate thus reducing the total spent on interest
charges and increasing the amount available to pay off debt.

Alternatively, you could focus on paying off bills with the lowest
balances. Then the money used for those payments can go to pay off
other debts.

If your credit payments (excluding mortgages) exceed 15-20% of your
take home pay, you can work with creditors to set up monthly
instalments that are more in line with your income.

b) Credit Cards

Transfer your credit card debts (balance) to a card offering an
introductory 0% interest rate for balance transfers. Make sure you
keep up the repayments and then just before your 0% introductory
offer is up, apply for another 0% card, transfer the balance over
before you starting paying interest – and repeat. With a good
credit record, you could do this for years, moving your debt from
one card to another until it's paid off.

3. DEBT CONSOLIDATION

This is when you use a new loan to pay off multiple debts. Your
monthly payment will be lower because repayment is spread out over a
longer period of time. This will usually eliminate the hassle of
having multiple creditors, multiple bills, and multiple payments to
make. It's very important not to take out any additional loans until
your consolidation loan has been repaid. Borrowing against your home
is a cheap way to raise money, but it's risky. If you can't
make the payments - or if your payments are late - you could lose
your home.

However, you could replace expensive debts with a cheaper personal
loan (unsecured loan). Before taking on new debts, you might want to
check out your credit history.

4. CREDIT COUNSELING

Some people are not disciplined enough to create a workable budget
and stick to it. If you can't work out a repayment plan with your
creditors and you can't keep track of mounting bills, consider
contacting a credit counselling organization or a financial advisor.
In the UK you can use free debt counselling services such as the
Consumer Credit Counselling, the National Debtline and the Citizens
Advice Bureau. Similar services are available in the US.

5. CONTACTING YOUR CREDITORS

A creditor is a company or person to whom you owe money. Many people
struggling financially ignore debts and fear contacting their
creditors. This reaction will damage your credit record. Creditors
or lenders may take action against you in an effort to get payment.
If you're finding it hard to get your bills paid, be the one to
contact creditors. They will be more willing to work with you. Work
out arrangements that satisfy you both. Explain to each lender that
you aim to repay each debt in full over time, but that they must
accept reduced repayments for now. Decide how much you can pay them
each month and set up a debt repayment plan.

Conclusion
If you're serious about reducing your debt you should stop
spending on your credit cards and stop taking out new loans. To
increase your income, consider finding a second job or a lodger.
Claim every state benefit that you qualify for and work on cutting
down your expenses. Sell stuff that you don't need on eBay or at
Car Boot fairs. Put enough money aside for emergencies, but use the
bulk of your savings to pay off debt. Debts usually cost you far
more in interest than you gain on your savings. Also, if you have a
fairly good credit record, you should transfer your debts to cheaper
lenders. Finally, shop around for better deals for services and
products that you use.

Disclaimer: This article does not constitute financial advice. If
you require such advice, you should seek appropriate professional
guidance.

Copyright © 2005. Chileshe Mwape writes for Debt Consolidation
Loans UK: http://www.best-debt-consolidation-loan.co.uk/. Visit our
site to consolidate debts and apply for a loan online. This article
may be reprinted as long as all the above links are active and
clickable.

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[aageneral] 3 Keys To Overcoming Problems

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or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are
included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be
appreciated - send to kathy@wisdomforliving.org.

Title: 3 Keys To Overcoming Problems
Word Count: 752
Author: Kathryn Williamson
Email: kathy@wisdomforliving.org
Article URL: http://www.submityourarticle.com/articles/easypublish.php?art_id=1712

The article is preformatted to 60CPL.

3 Keys To Overcoming Problems
Copyright 2005 Kathryn Williamson

Are you stuck in a rut? Do you seem to have the same
problems popping up time after time? What will it take to
finally get you over your problems and into the abundant
life? Here are three biblical principles to help you get
out of whatever personal problems you’re going through and
on the road to achieving the life of your dreams.

Have you noticed that almost all of our problems stem from
relationships? Either someone has hurt us or we lack
relationships in our life, especially healthy ones.
Sometimes other symptoms develop as a result of our hurt or
isolation; such as addictions, depression, bitterness,
anger, and loneliness. Then we get sidetracked working to
resolve these symptoms instead of realizing there is a
deeper underlying cause - that of unhealthy relationships.

It has been discovered that when a person works on living
their life according to God’s overall instructions, their
problems get resolved as a by-product. So, when we work on
having the following three key principles active in our
life, then almost all of our problems get resolved.

The first principle is: when you develop a strong, deep
relationship with God, then you will know how to build
loving relationships with others. It is only through our
relationship with God that our deepest desire for
unconditional love gets fulfilled. No other person can
fulfill this need except God. Since God is love, He has the
greatest capacity to provide us the love we so desperately
search for.

Since God never leaves us, we can stand firm in our
relationship with Him. During our lifetime we will never
fully uncover the depth of God’s love toward us. So we have
a lifelong pursuit in this love relationship. How close we
get to God is up to us!

Once we experience God’s love revealed to us, then we can
properly love others. We can quit expecting others to meet
our deep need for love because we now receive that from
God. Through our understanding of how God treats us (or
doesn’t treat us) we learn how to properly interact with
others.

The second key principle is: to overcome our problems we
must take 100% responsibility for our own life. We must
stop blaming others and making excuses for the way we act.
Once we realize that we have a choice on how to act and
react to situations, we gain control over the quality of
our life. In order to move on in life and let go of our
focus on our problems, we must learn how to act and react
in a different manner.

Many of our reactions to hurtful people are changed after
God shows us His unconditional love. We realize that
because God loves us even with all our mistakes, then we
can learn to love others in the same way. God asks us to
make the effort and He will provide His love through us to
others. Now we’re on our way to developing healthy, godly
relationships.

Taking control of your life also means you must plan for
your future, and that is where the next principle helps you.

The third key principle is: when you find God’s unique
purpose for your life, you have the motivation to keep you
headed in the right direction and you discover the abundant
life. God’s plan usually entails taking whatever you are
passionate about and putting it into a life-long project
whereby you use it to love and serve others.

God created man to have an intimate relationship with Him,
then to love others, and then to carry out the specific
purpose he designed us for. While there are general
guidelines on how God wants us to live and act, God also
gives each of us a very personal goal for us to carry out.
Since this vision includes loving and serving others, it is
important that we have the first two key principles in
place to enable us to adequately carry out God’s plan. With
a proper understanding of God, His love and His plan, then
we will be able to handle trials that come while serving
the Lord.

When you focus on implementing these three key biblical
principles instead of dissecting every individual problem,
you will get better results. Now that you know three areas
to work on, get a pen and paper and begin to determine what
these items will require of you in your daily living.

About the Author:

Kathy Williamson teaches people how to apply biblical
principles to overcome their problems and achieve the life
of their dreams. Free ezine available at
http://www.wisdomforliving.org

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[aageneral] 10 Benefits Of Submitting Articles To E-zines

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electronically or in print, free of charge, as
long as the resource box is included. A courtesy
copy of your publication would be appreciated.
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10 Benefits Of Submitting Articles To E-zines
by David Riewe

1. You'll brand your web site, business and yourself
by submitting articles to e-zines. You could include

your name, business name, your credentials, web site
address and e-mail address in your resource box.

2. You will become known as an expert on the topics
you write about. This will give you and your business
extra credibility which will help you compete against
your competition.

3. Your article might also be placed on the publisher's
home page. If they publish each issue on their home
page this will give you some extra exposure.

4. You might get extra exposure if the e-zine publisher
archives their e-zine on their site. People might want
to read the back issues before they make the decision
to subscribe.

5. You will get free advertising. This will allow you to
spend your profits on other forms of advertising. You
could buy advertisements in other e-zines that don't
publish your articles.

6. You might get extra income from people wanting to
hire you to write other articles, books, or even ask to
speak at seminars. This is a great way to multiply your
income.

7. You could allow e-zine publishers to publish your
articles in their free e-books. Since people give them
away, your advertising could multiply all over the
internet.

8. You will get your article published all over the web
when you submit it to an e-zine publisher that has a
free content directory on their web site. They'll allow
their visitors to republish your article.

9. You'll gain people's trust. If they read your article
and like it, they won't be as hesitant to buy your
product or service. You will then be able to increase
your profits.

10. You could get your article guaranteed to run in
an e-zine. You could agree to run one of their articles
in your e-zine if, in exchange, they run yours in their
e-zine. It's a win/win situation.

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"Little Known Minnesota Man Making Six Figures
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[aageneral] 10 Innovative Ways To Use Your Autoresponder

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10 Innovative Ways To Use Your Autoresponder
by David Riewe

1. Collect leads with your autoresponder. You will get
an e-mail digest of everyone's e-mail addresses who
requests information from your autoresponder.

2. Publish a price list of all the products and services
that you offer. You could also include order forms,
product descriptions, and other sales material.

3. Publish free reports in autoresponder format. The
reports should be related to your business or web site.
Giving away free stuff will quickly increase your traffic.

4. Collect vital customer satisfaction information by
publishing a survey in autoresponder format. This type
of information will help you serve them better.

5. Instead of answering every customer question that's
e-mailed to you, publish " Frequently Ask Questions" in
autoresponder format. This will save time and money.

6. You could publish your testimonials or endorsements
in autoresponder format if you don't have the room in
your ad copy. It's more effective to include all of them.

7. Provide back issues of your e-zine archives in auto-
responder format. This will give your subscribers and
web site visitors easy access to them.

8. Publish your entire web site in autoresponder format.
Sometimes visitors don't have enough time read your
entire site. They could print it out and read it offline.

9. You could offer your ebook in autoresponder format.
Your visitors won't have to download it or have the
software to read it right away.

10. You could publish the terms and conditions to any
business transactions in autoresponder format. This
could include return policies, purchases, refunds etc.

-------------------------------------------------
"Little Known Minnesota Man Making Six Figures
Per Year Online, From the Comfort of Home, Reveals
His Top Internet Money-Makers to YOU!" Click here:
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