Self-Improvement
All of us want to be financially secure and yet few actually achieve that goal. Why is that? Even when a person has a stroke of good luck, say, by winning the lottery or if they are fortunate enough to be good at a sport, or at singing, in order to capitalise on that talent, there are many examples of those same people becoming poor once again after their sporting or musical career is over. They were not able to hang on to their wealth while they had it. Why?
Conversely, there are also self-made millionaires who have lost everything they had, but have recovered their previous position of wealth within a few years. How is that possible?
A book which I am currently reading by T. Harv Eker (Secrets of the Millionaire Mind; ISBN 978-0-7499-2789-9) puts forward a very interesting theory: it is because most of us have had our minds already set for us by our early influences; by our childhood memories. If, for example, your parents were always struggling with money, the chances are that you will follow the same pattern – unless you are able to identify what it is that is preventing you from reaching your potential. The subconscious thoughts that are set from a young age also mean that even if you do study hard, take courses, none of this will make any difference to your situation unless your 'blueprint' is set correctly. Eker refers to this as the 'financial thermostat'; those who are millionaires, billionaires even, have their 'thermostat' set to high so that even if they do lose everything, their mindset is such that they are mentally able to bring themselves back up to their former state. If your 'thermostat' is set to a lower setting, then even if you are in a position to earn a good income, you are likely to still find yourself barely getting by.
These 'thermostats', according to Eker, come from what we're told from an early age. If for example, your parents drilled into your head that "money is the root of all evil", for example, of course that will affect your attitude in later life. How financially secure you become is entirely dependent on how your mind is set, and the vast majority of people are totally unaware that they are thinking in such a way that they are harming their own financial futures.
It is important, therefore, that you are able to reset your mind in order to eliminate the subconscious blocks to your own success. If you're new to starting your own business, or if you've been in business for some time and recognise yourself as one who is always living from month-to-month, then this is something you need to be thinking about.
I will be returning to this subject in future blogs; meanwhile I would recommend you obtain a copy of Eker's book and help yourself to reset your own mind to one that is geared for financial success!
Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Something which cropped up in a Skype conversation I had recently with a fellow marketer got me thinking; we were talking about how we conquered our fears of doing something different, moving out of that comfort zone of familiarity. The quote '20 seconds of bravery' was her way of dealing with that fear of the unknown, in other words just be brave for that short period of time and go ahead; make that call, knock on that door, whatever it is you were concerned about, be brave for just those 20 seconds it takes.
The quote is actually from the movie "We Bought A Zoo" (based on the memoirs of a British journalist who really did buy a zoo in Devon, England) and the exact words of the lead character (played by Matt Damon) were:
"Sometimes all you need is just 20 seconds of insane courage – literally, just 20 seconds of embarrassing bravery."
How many times have you stopped yourself from going out and doing something different, perhaps through fear of the uncertainty? People in full-time employment, for instance, who may be considering striking out on their own and doing something new but are held back because of the possible insecurity that would come with leaving a steady job. The thing which most people overlook is that their steady job may not always be there – what if your firm is taken over, or if you already work for a large firm, what if your department is outsourced? The latter happened to me several years ago and the lingering uncertainty which surrounded the office from that point on was worse than the fear of the unknown which comes with doing your own thing, because as an employee who was transferred across from one company to another, you have no control over your destiny. It is decided by unseen executives, those who only see employees as figures on a spreadsheet.
With the explosion in opportunities for ordinary people to earn a good living using the Internet, there are many ways in which you can take charge of your own life, your future and the security of your family. All you need to take that first step is that "20 seconds of embarrassing bravery" in order to get over your own fears. There are many people who have done just that and are enjoying the freedom that comes with taking charge of their own destinies, rather than have it determined for them by faceless executives.
If you're feeling brave for 20 seconds, that is all you need to click this link or fill in the details to the right for more information on how you can Map Your Life!
See you on the other side?
The dictionary definition of a contrarian is simply this: one who expresses a contradicting viewpoint , especially one who denounces the majority persuasion. Going along with the majority is not always the right thing to do; the majority of people once believed that the Earth was flat and those who theorised otherwise were considered mad. Only when science proved it beyond doubt did it become accepted that the Earth was indeed a sphere, those who thought that to be the case against popular opinion were contrarians.
Being a contrarian doesn't mean taking an opposing viewpoint for the sake of it; it means taking the viewpoint opposing the majority because you sincerely believe it to be the right one. Contrarians can exist in many walks of life, and one such contrarian who is well-known in the financial world is Warren Buffett. Buffett has become successful and wealthy by practising his beliefs, namely that the time to invest in a particular stock is when the price has been beaten down owing to the market's shortsightedness. A famous saying of Buffett is that one should “buy winter coats in the summer”; that is, buy something you will need in the future when the price is lower and there is little demand for it.
A good example of contrarian thinking today is in the world of finance. Most people are totally unaware of the way finance works and are saving in the wrong things. If you're putting your savings into a bank account, the interest that you will earn is such that when the time does come for you to retire, what you invested will not be worth very much at all. A contrarian would look at other ways to invest, tangible assets that do not depreciate. Investing in currency is what most are doing, but when you consider that banks in the US and worldwide have been printing more money in recent years (quantitative easing, as it is known), that money cannot be worth as much when more of it is in circulation. The financial crisis is not yet over, and in fact the signs are collapse is imminent. While it is still 'summer', one should be buying their 'winter coats' now and investing in things other than a fiat currency. Few people are even thinking about this, yet are working long hours and finding their bills increasing year on year, and having less and less to set aside for savings. Those that do save, are saving in the wrong things. Only the few who do understand that things cannot continue as they are with banks printing money to try and get out of debt, will be in a position to live comfortably in their later years.
To conclude: rather than think the exact same way as everyone else you know, your friends, family, co-workers, why not think the way the few do, the ones who are successful? Your friends and co-workers are unlikely to be rich, indeed they may be struggling to make ends meet as you may be yourself. To change that situation, you need to change your whole mindset.
I would like to invite you to view the short video linked here and to take the first step towards changing your mindset, changing the way you think about money and starting yourself on the road to financial freedom. Please click the link and fill in your details at the end for more information.
I'll see you on the inside!
I hope everyone has had a very happy Christmas and New Year.
The start of any new year is always a time for looking forward, and perhaps making plans for the coming 12 months. Most of you will be returning to work after the holiday, to the traffic jams, the crowded buses or trains, and the daily grind. You might even find that the bus or train fares have risen, eating further into your salary.
The past two years have seen severe economic turmoil and 2012 promises to be just as turbulent. Many more people are waking up to the realities about the global money system, and much of what is unfolding now has been foreseen by many of the experts that I am currently studying under. At a conference I attended in Las Vegas, my eyes were opened by what I heard from some very eminent speakers, some of whom came from an investment banking background.
If you are working for a monthly paycheck and finding it is having to stretch further and further, if you are burdened by debt, taxes, if you are finding that planning for your retirement is getting tougher and tougher, or if you have been looking at a franchise business and found that the start-up costs are prohibitive, the business of financial education could be for you. One thing is clear, a storm is brewing and when it comes there will be two groups of people: those who are financially educated and those who are not.
The company I am with (Wealth Masters) offers several levels of financial education; from a multimedia course encompassing audio, video and the Internet, to conferences held in locations worldwide.
I would like to invite you to watch the video presentation which I have linked here and if you have any questions, please contact me.
For further details please see the site linked at the bottom of this post and I look forward to seeing you on the inside!
We've all been to networking meetings I'm sure, where the person you are talking to is eager to get straight into whatever it is he or she is pitching. They talk at length about the product and what it can do, without ever thinking first what it is the person that they are talking to actually does.
If you've ever been to a corporate presentation, or perhaps if you are working and your company has outsourced the department off to a contractor, you will have seen all the slides about the new company's history and their achievements. Whether you are being sold something, or are being sold off yourself, the chances are you did not care two hoots about the company's history!
In both scenarios the selling is pushed on you, and you are naturally put straight onto the defensive. Who is this man/woman, what do they want from me and why are they pitching their product so hard? When people come to networking meetings, or even network online, it is because they are looking for something, most likely a solution to their problem. They don't care about the history of the vendor, they only care whether or not you can help them in the way they are looking for.
In short, they are looking for a leader. Someone who can show them how they can achieve their goals, not someone who wants to sell them yet another product. They want to be pointed in the right direction, not simply parted from their cash. The best marketers understand that before people will buy from them, they have to sell themselves as a leader, as an expert, first.
When you are able to show yourself as a leader, then people will come to you instead of you chasing after them. This is the basic principle behind Attraction Marketing.
In attraction marketing, you first of all need to have your own presence on the World Wide Web. This usually means a blog, and you can either use a free online platform like Blogger or Posterous, or you could self-host using Wordpress. The latter involves a little more setting up, but you have greater flexibility. Your home page should be branded to announce yourself to the world, that means a picture of yourself and a short tagline. Say who you are, and what you are about (an 'About Me' page is usually the way to achieve this). Alternatively, if you are on Facebook, why not link to your profile or page? (Your profile would need to be professionally-oriented, which is a subject for another blog).
Make sure your site is clean, well-laid out and easy to read. Templates are readily available for Wordpress which fulfil all these requirements, or you can choose a similarly-clean template for Blogger or Posterous from their selection. If you are feeling adventurous, you could design one yourself or have it made for you professionally. Remember – keep it simple!
Avoid pushing your product onto people – this can't be stressed enough! Attraction marketing works by providing value, leadership, to your visitors and this can be anything from regular tips given from your blog, perhaps a downloadable PDF file with some helpful information on it, or a short video clip with useful content. The essential thing is content – provide good, helpful content and you will be seen as a leader who provides value.
Anyone who comes across your site is likely to be a new internet marketer themselves. They're almost certainly confused, and are looking for someone who can help them understand the way the industry works. You should become that someone! Even if you yourself are a newbie, if you have something of value to share, then share it! All people want is a way to make their life easier, a way to work smarter and perhaps to save some money. Rather than pitch your latest whizzo product at them, you will get their attention more easily by offering them something of value.
In short, you are selling yourself first, not your product. Once you are established as a leader, it won't matter what you are selling – provided you are continuing to offer value people will naturally be interested in what you have to offer. Attraction marketing is a skill-set that not too many understand, but those who do, are the ones who are the highest earners.
Now that you understand the principle of attraction marketing, you can learn more about how to take advantage of this strategy with a free webinar. Yes, I said 'Free' (remember – offer value!) 
If you would like to know more about Attraction Marketing from some of the industry's top producers please follow the link by clicking the image below.
I've recently become aware of a powerful new platform called TribePRO, which uses social networks to gain rapid exposure for your website, through something they call 'The Tribe'.
What do they mean by the Tribe? Essentially, it is a grouping of like-minded internet entrepreneurs, which helps you to spread around your website, blog posts, videos, or other content to their social networks which are already built. The upshot is that your brand becomes expanded, you generate more of a 'buzz' online and therefore increase traffic to your website.
The whole point is to leverage the use of social networking (which we all know is essential to market online these days) and save you time. Instead of trying to syndicate your content yourself, let the Tribe do the work! In the words of the people from TribePRO themselves, Socialise, Share, and Succeed!
There are three pricing platforms which offer more features the higher you go, but you can sign up as a free member right now and see for yourself what TribePRO can offer you.
See how you can share your message across social networks with minimal effort! Just follow the linked image and join the Tribe:
One of the most frequently asked questions of internet marketers: 'Is It A Pyramid Scheme?' Pyramid schemes are of course illegal, but the question still gets asked. However, for those working a 9 to 5 job, they may be surprised to find that they themselves are in a 'pyramid' and that they are likely to be at the bottom!
I've prepared a downloadable presentation regarding this question – it's quite short, so you won't have to sit through a ton of slides!
Are You Always Being Asked 'Is It A Pyramid Scheme?'
The downloadable version has a macro and includes a short video – you can see the slides themselves (with a link to the same page within the last slide) here however:
News reports are suggesting that the Bank of England is set to print more money in an attempt to boost the weak British economy. The process, known as quantitative easing, means that the central bank (in this case the Bank of England) buys up bonds from other banks in order to help finance those banks and improve their lending. Where does the Bank of England actually get this money from? They create it out of thin air!
Yes, they actually print money and put that into the banking system, and anyone with even a basic grasp of finances knows that the more money that is out there, the less it is worth.
In Douglas Adams's 'Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy', a prehistoric Earth is colonised by settlers from another planet; those deemed the least useful to their home planet's society. Once on Earth, they hold meetings and one policy decision is to adopt the leaf as their currency. Of course this policy is shown to be flawed somewhat, when one settler points out that the ready availability of leaves means it would now take "three major deciduous forests to purchase one ship's peanut".
We're told that this policy is essential in order to stave off economic collapse, but at what cost? Will we all need a forest to buy a peanut? At this rate, quite possibly.
The following cartoon which I found on youtube explains quantitative easing (from a US viewpoint; it mentions the Fed, but the basic principle applies regardless of the nation) and illustrates what a flawed idea it is (some strong language!)
When you consider that this money, created out of thin air remember, is loaned out and interest is charged on it, you see what a swindle the whole thing is. More about the Conspiracy Against Your Money is explained on the DVD which you can get from my site; click the link to find out more.
I've been involved with a company that specialises in financial education for some time now and they've been saying exactly what this trader has said, only they did not say so on BBC television.
Consequently the remarks made by trader Alessio Rastani have come as a shock to those who are unaware of exactly what's going on in the financial world; even the BBC interviewer told Rastani that 'jaws were dropping' as he spoke. Essentially he warned of the imminent financial collapse, he actually said he was looking forward to it as he knew how to earn from it. He also told the watching audience that they can also use it to their advantage – provided they know WHAT action to take.
If you're wondering about the action you can take – you can find out more by watching The Conspiracy Against Your Money. The one thing you should NOT do, is not act.
Here's Alessio Rastani's BBC interview; it has taken a while for the mainstream media to wake up but now that they have, the time to take action is now.
Alternatively fill in the details on the right (at ronniesoo.com) and I'll see you in the inside!
I’m not a particularly religious person, but in my opinion this excerpt from a sermon given by the American pastor Dr. Jamal Bryant is worth listening to. In it, he urges people to break free from the conditioning that they should ‘have a job’ in order to be fulfilled. He challenges us all to change our mindset, to use our own talents to liberate ourselves from what he calls the ‘aircraft hangar’ of the regular day job. I am reproducing the transcript of his speech in full here, with acknowledgements to Larry Beacham for transcribing it, and to Seb Brantigan for sharing it with me so that I may do the same with you. There is a link to a video of Dr Bryant’s speech below the transcript. (Ronnie)
“I Don’t Need A Job” – Jamal Bryant
Every day, billions of people around the world go to a job that they can’t stand. And because they are going to a job that they cannot stand, they are wasting their gifts, their talents, their abilities, their bodies, their time, their brains, their skills, and their anointing.
It is an aeronautical fact that if you build a plane and put it in a hangar, but you do not fly it and just let it rest in the hangar, after several years of sitting in the hangar, idle, the motor will be of no good.
Consequently, conversely, if you build a plane and let that plane fly with frequency around the nation, around the world, that motor would in fact need service and maintenance but it will be in better condition than the one that stood still.
Ladies and gentlemen – I want you to understand that the reason why the plane flying is in better shape than the one that is standing still is because the one that is flying is operating out of its purpose. But the one that is sitting still is starting to erode because it is not functioning in the purpose in which it was designed.
Many of you within the sound of my voice are falling apart, and the reason why it is that you’re falling apart is because your job is a hangar. It is not allowing your ability, your skill set, your gift, your talent to fly. It is just keeping you in a cornered office and you have in fact placated yourself into convincing because of a paycheck you’re happy, when your mind is not working.
Ladies and gentlemen, we spend a third of our lifespan on a job. One-third of our lifespan is spent on a job. On average, you will spend this year, 2080 hours on a job. Most of us will have a 40-year career span. If you have a 40-year career span, mathematically that then equates to you spending 83,200 hours on a job you don’t like.
That is, ladies and gentlemen, when you look at your day, you spend 10 hours a day at your job; 8 hours a day on average sleeping, and you only have 6 hours a day free. So you spend more time in your day doing something you don’t like than you do in your day doing something that will in fact help discipline and cultivate you.
You have to make up in your mind, ladies and gentlemen, that you spend too much of your time doing a job that you don’t like. God did not put you on this planet to be miserable; he put you on this planet to prosper, to have dominion and to have authority.
As a consequence, you’re going to have to change your thinking as you approach your job, so that your job is very clear, that you don’t need the job – the job needs you.
We are in fact designed in the mind of God to live abundantly, not sufficiently, and most of our jobs are just making it sufficient for our existence.
So if you are in a job that is giving you an adequate pay, it is out of the will of God. You ought to be operating at a level where you are producing something that affords you a lifestyle to be in abundance.
Let’s see if these statistics will allow me to get a little close to my argument.
- 87% of you do not like your job
- 50% of you do not feel satisfied or fulfilled
- 25% of you say that your job is the #1 stress factor in your life
- 41% of you are living from paycheck to paycheck
- 70% of you are not motivated by what it is that you do
- 50% of you are woefully underpaid
- 67% of you are in the wrong field
- 72% of you are in a place where you are being undermined so you will not succeed
You were not born to be in a permanent job situation. If I stood up in front of you and held up a coke bottle, the coke bottle would represent your life. But if I then brought clay and told you to cover the coke bottle, you would in fact cover that coke bottle as best as you could, but no matter how many coats of clay you put on the coke bottle, the clay would now take the shape of the bottle.
The problem is this: the coke bottle is your job, and you have shaped your life around your job. So as a consequence your job dictates when you take vacation. Your job tells you what time of day that you eat. Your job suggests to you how many hours you need to put in order to be motivated. Your job then tells you how much time is put in before you can retire.
There is no scriptural reference from Genesis to Revelation that tells anybody, “get a job.” Nowhere in the entire bible is there an edict that suggests from Heaven, “go get a job.” God does not tell us to get a job, he tells us, “go to work.”
Now it’s interesting that everything that is created understands that… Cars work; chairs work; your watch works; planes work; money works; computers work; TV’s work; dryers work; lamps work; but you want to get a job!
I’m going to suggest to you… jobs are designed to take you off of your purpose and away from your assignment. Jobs have in fact been constructed so you would lose sight of what it is that you were born and created to do.
God gives you work to do…
So there are some people in this room; you are frustrated because your job has taken the wind, that energy, and the strength away from you, and you’ve been thinking, “God I’ve been created to do something different from this,” and God is saying, “I’ve been waiting on you to wake up and shake it off and remember that there is a greater call on your life. I never said to you “punch in”; I never said to you “sign in”; I never said to you that you’ve got to be answerable to somebody else. I said work the works of Him that sent me, but you’re too tired from your job to do your ministry!”
Work is the activity that exerts strength in order to perform a function. I am not telling you to quit your job. What I am saying to you is your job is not your life. I’m getting ready to save somebody from a life of stress, a life of misery, a life of heartache, and a life of pain.
So tomorrow when you go to work you have a different attitude.
When you struggle to make a difference, you will not have to struggle to make a dollar.
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+Ronnie Soo
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Former IT technician turned internet marketer and blogger, with an interest in the ever-changing world of search engine optimisation and the use of Social Media for business.
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Former IT technician turned internet marketer and blogger, with an interest in the ever-changing world of search engine optimisation and the use of Social Media for business.
Copyright © 2011 Ronnie Soo. All Rights Reserved.
