The Power of the Mind

25 Dec

The power of the Mind

For this wondrous Christmas Day I wanted to be brief and share a few things that are on my mind.

Many of us are blessed in ways we cannot fathom. Or we simply forget that we are blessed. As such we should all make a Gratitude List.
A Gratitude List is simply a way to remind one’s self of all the things to be thankful for. If you are reading my blog you have alist- trust me. Start with the big things. The Family who loves you, the home you own/rent. Your Car and the great toys in your home. If you own a business be thankful for it regardless of its quarterly successes and failures. Your Friends health is a biggie as well. And don’t forget your JOB- especially if you enjoy it. I also added my silver coin collection as I take great pleasure and pride in it- and it adds to my wealth. 😉
My list of small things is crucial too:
My cats,
My blackberry,
My book collection,
My mentors.
The gym.
I could go on and on but that isn’t the point. The point is simply that when we are grateful we are happy. And when we are happy and appreciate the fullness of the blessings in our lives more are there for the taking.
The mind will attract what you put out.
Know the guy or gal who always complains and nothing goes right for? Sorry to say but they bring this madness and unmitigated loss upon themselves.
So remember that in this season of giving and cheer, be thankful, be kind, be happy.
And as you do so you attract the same.
Success is in the mind.
Happiness is in the heart.

#thriveorsurvive.
#findyourfuel.

“The cyclone derives its powers from a calm center. So does a person.”
~Norman Vincent Peale

Thoughts? Concerns?
Questions? Think I’m wrong?
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Image 25 Dec

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Mistakes, and Success

24 Dec

Habits, Mistakes, and Success

You can never make the same mistake twice.. because the second time you make it…. it’s not a mistake..it’s a choice….
-Quoted from Tony toca aka Djchamp the circuit troublemaker da voice of nj

Tonight I’ll be brief.
Life is a serious of decisions. And ultimately those decisions will make or break you.
Not trying to build the blog by heightening. importance but look around folks- one decision can change your life.

Mistakes
We all make them. We’re human. Normal right? Yes and no. There is no reason to make continuous mistakes a perfection will say. However I disagree. Mistakes are teachable moments; they are lessons learned. Everyone learns by making mistakes. Ever see a baby walk? They fall and fall and fall. Its the way they get it right. Do we really change that much folks?
nope.. While I aim for success and set high goals for myself and my business I know that I will stumble. I know I will learn and grow.

I also take stock of these mistakes and periodically list them so I can see if I’m making the same mistakes over and over. I’d highly suggest everyone does this. Its in essence an accountability list. Let this list of mistakes hold you to a relentless pursuit of greatness. It is never acceptable to fail continuously. It is however acceptable to make a plan and a methodology to move beyond problems. If you have read my previous articles then you know I’m a big fan of lists. I make a weekly to do list and often write out daily ones and even email myself other lists that are shorter.
These lists WORK. And in turn they will work even better for you when you put aside fear and face your shortcomings and mistakes. Another way to utilize these lists and make sure that you maximize your mistakes is to use an accountability buddy as well (another favorite tactic of mine).
Let someone see the lists you make.
Let someone know you want to succeed, you will slip up at times, and that failure is not an option.

It is my sincere belief that success is imminent when you battle mistakes head on. I’m not suggesting you are a fool. Or that you can’t do it. What I am suggesting you do is be proactive in utilizing every moment of your journey to be even greater. Mistakes are here to stay,no question about it- so why not make them a partner as opposed to an enemy?

#thriveorsurvive.

Luck never made a man wise.  ~Seneca, Letters to Lucilius

Luck is when opportunity knocks and you answer.  ~Author Unknown

I am a great believer in luck. The harder I work, the more of it I seem to have. ~Coleman Cox

Thoughts? Concerns?
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Winning Is A Habit, So Is Losing

23 Dec

Winning Is A Habit, So Is Losing.

It’s that simple. Not easy, but simple.
Everything in life requires work. Success is not a gift it is a habit.

The secret to your success is found in your daily habits.
What you do daily is exactly what you will be. Michael Jordan wasn’t a phenom from birth. He practiced, then practiced some more, and then worked at it more after the game. Derek Jeter came out of the Yankees farm system to rise to the title of captain. His love of the game and dedication ot constant improvement made him a leader amongst men. Clearly there is a correlation between actions and success.

What You Do You Become.
In life you are your actions. People who eat too much are obese. People who skip school don’t graduate. The guy who boozed it up, he still boozes. Enough of failure- Wayne Gretzky was relentless he became Hockey’s greatest by sheer action. He played the game. He took advice. He did it all. Ted Williams has one of the top batting averages in baseball. Why? He worked at it. He questioned pitchers to see what they did and how they saw the game. He got into the mind of his opponent. He read up. He practiced. He worked his butt off. Are you doing the same?

Who you Associate With You ARE.
I’m sorry for the harsh words to come- but if you roll with losers you are a loser quite literally. Your best friend smokes weed in his pops basement and talks about what he will do one day, rather than doing something- he’s losing. Your roommate works at Arby’s and thinks he will run the franchise- but he is late most shifts and the customers constantly complain about his lack of effort, yup he is the winner-NOT!
We can’t be more than what we aim to be. Ever see the Olympics? The best have to be vetted to be with the best. And from there the hard work only increases. Do you think that would work if they let slackers in?
Is your country inclined to win multiple Gold medals if just anyone can get on the team? Sorry it doesn’t work that way. Excellence breeds excellence. And excellence feeds off excellence. Indeed if you are even competing against losers I’d say you have lost already.
Back to Ted Williams. He did a variation on this. Ted let the reports who chased him fuel him. He fed their hatred and this became a tool to make him better. Even in using his adversaries he sought those who could challenge him. He didn’t focus on the nobodies. He didn’t deal with the guys who weren’t there every game- why? They weren’t serious. The writer who focuses on a topic is at every game, every event.
Life isn’t a past time and your passion shouldn’t be either.

You have to decide Simply whether you will Be a Winner or a Loser.

#thriveorsurvive.

“I find the Harder I work the Luckier I am.”
-Thomas Jefferson

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Change Your Blackberry Battery Icon to Numerical Value

23 Dec

Change Battery Icon to Numerical Value
You can change the signal graph to numerical value:
quote:

-Rather than looking at signal bars, you can change the coverage indicator to show ‘signal strength’ in digital (dBm) format. While at the home (icon) screen, hold down the ALT key while you type NMLL. The bars change to digital mode. A lower number is better, and anything between -90 to -50 dBm is good.

-To get the signal bars back, repeat the process: hold down the ALT key while you type NMLL.

#thriveorsurvive.

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From: “Bob Lefsetz” Advice

22 Dec

From: “Bob Lefsetz” Advice

1. Empower Your Fans
They’re the key to your success, not the mainstream media. Fans are forever, newspapers are not, never mind the reporters who write for them. Your fans believe in you, have time for you, are dedicated to you, reciprocate.

Fans want information. Which they can spread. Encourage fan sites. Give exclusives. Give interviews. These are your partners.

2. Say Yes Not No
No only applies if you’re a superstar. And there are very few of those left. Let me be clear, say yes to your fans, to the Internet, don’t say yes to intermediaries, like corporations or hustlers who say they can do something for you, which they almost definitely will not, and if they do will extract compensation far in excess of what you desire to pay them.

There are no rules. Do it your way. Stumble upon new ideas, forge new pathways, there’s no right way, only your way.

3. Be Three-Dimensional
Mystery is history. The more you reveal, the more people can bond to you.

Social media is a running dialogue that pays dividends long after you wish. It’s a walk into the wilderness that could leave you very lonely. So don’t start unless you plan to finish. It’s a commitment almost as strong as your music. Only try to goose it with contests and stunting occasionally. But giving away something people want always works. Give away a free house concert, a free guitar lesson, and don’t do this to increase your reach, but to motivate your fan base.

The best tweets are not self-promotional. Sure, you can say you’re here or there occasionally, but if you’re using the channel as a sales/promotion outlet, people will tune out. Twitter is where you’re real. Post thoughts and ideas. Pictures of what’s interesting to you. Social media is about coming down from the mountaintop to engage, just like everybody else. But in your case, people are insatiable in their desire to know more about you.

4. Live
Is free and should be promoted ad infinitum. Every one of your shows should be on YouTube and available on the Internet for streaming and downloading. Make every one different, change the set lists, improvise, and your fans will be hooked.

The web is all about getting people to come back. And they’ll only come back if you change your site and deliver something intriguing. Live tracks are a reward for those who already come see you and buy your stuff. They’re thrilled you’re giving back. And they won’t stop talking about you.

That’s how you succeed today. By having third parties hear about you from your fans. Which is why you want your fans talking about you constantly, to wear down the resistance of third parties. Don’t pressure your fans to convert others. Give them the tools, the music, and they’ll spread the word.

Come on, who hasn’t been on a car or plane ride with their seatmate boring them to death about their passion. But then, if you hear about this same passion from another person, you check it out.

5. Mistakes Count
In other words, make them. We’re all imperfect. If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not taking chances. When you screw up, people love it and are endeared to you. Your screw-up evidences your humanity.

6. Don’t Shoot Beyond Your Limits
If you make klezmer music, you’re not gonna get on Top Forty radio. Be realistic. If you’re making cutting edge, dissonant music, few people will be interested, certainly at first. If your goal is to be ubiquitous, make music in a genre that dominates, like Top Forty/rhythmic or country.

7. Don’t Be Sour Grapes
Nobody likes a complainer.

8. Don’t Always Be Positive
This is hogwash spread by religious zealots and self-help book writers. Express your disappointment and frustration, just choose your moments. People love to sympathize, and they gloat in your triumph down the line.

9. Honesty & Transparency
Scalping and other ticket shenanigans are for the ancient classic rockers and the here today, gone tomorrow Top Forty stars. The more information you give people, the more they understand. Go to all-in ticketing. Those fees are promoter profit, not kickbacks to Ticketmaster, only acts can change this perception, to the benefit of the industry at large. Go paperless. If you’re not doing your best to get your hard core fans into the show, with their rumps in great seats, you’re doing it all wrong, you’re part of the problem, not the solution.

10. If You’re Not Going To Play Your Hits Say So.
People might pay to see you once, but not again. If you’re not delivering what people expect, be sure they know. And play smaller halls and charge less.

11. Tastemakers
If they’ve got credibility and a loyal audience they can get you tons of look-sees almost instantly. But you’d better be ready when you get the attention. Justin Bieber broke Carly Rae Jepsen. Howard Stern boosts careers on a daily basis. Stern has a reputation for being honest. If he endorses something, if he says it’s worth checking out, his audience does so. If you’re a classic rocker or a Gen-X’er there’s no better place to promote your product. But Howard does not take you from zero to sixty, you’ve already got to have a head of steam.

Just because someone has an audience, don’t believe they’ll give you a ride to commercial heaven. Most talking heads are meaningless. Get on morning television and you think you’ve made it, but you’re part of an inner circle of jerks unaware the rest of the world is laughing at you.

12. Friends
You’ve got to have them. They’re the ones who will get you gigs. Yup, you’ve got to have a good relationship with not only your fans, but other bands, so you can trade favors. If you think you can make it alone you’re wrong. It’s okay to have enemies, but if you have no allies, you’re going to be defeated.

13. Charts
Are for dummies. It’s a full time job keeping your position. And no one’s on top forever. You live in the heart of your fans. That can’t be quantified. Other than in your income, which no one other than yourself will ever truly know.

14. Criticism
Be wary of it. Don’t try to be what others want you to be. They’re never satisfied. You’re best off being yourself. People don’t know what they want until you give it to them. Unless you’re giving them what they’ve already got, which puts a time stamp on your career. Ignore people who say your songs aren’t political, that you can’t play your instrument, that you’ve got to do it their way. Unless, of course, you’ve got no traction. But if you’ve made it, ignore the naysayers. They just want to turn you into a faceless ideal they’re going to put on the scrapheap. Artists are not remade. Artists are singular. Artist go against the grain. Artists are leaders.

15. Advice
Don’t heed it if it doesn’t feel good. Resonate with your inner tuning fork first and foremost. But don’t be afraid to question yourself, don’t be afraid to learn.

Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/

—
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Are You A One Hit Wonder

18 Dec

Are You A One Hit Wonder

Are you a one hit wonder-
That my friends is the question.
I’m sure just like me you guys have checked out the one hit wonder shows on VH1.
You guys know, the ones where they show music artists that made it to the top for about 3 weeks and then went and got a regular old 9-5. That one song, that one moment wasn’t parlayed into a successful career. Instead it became a moment in time so brief as to make them fodder for jokes by the little guy at home working like a slave.
One hit wonders make for great filler on an ipod but that’s about it. In business and in life there is no room for one hit wonders.
Success is a numbers game, and your numbers have to be long term.
Success comes from repeating great habits. And then repeating that. And repeating that. You get the point. Let’s examine some of the fine points.

Can they duplicate your system?
A lot of people are in direct marketing and or mlm based business models. In this economy there may be no better business model to thrive and survive (#thriveorsurvive, hint hint). However no matter how good your business, its compensation plan, or your pitch- if the system isn’t easy to duplicate than you may fail but your recruits by a vast majority will fail for sure. If they can’t see how to do what your doing then they can’t show it to others. If you have one of the aforementioned models learn it, be it. If you have your own business- whether you sell financial services or you teach seminars et al you have to be able to show people your concept and its simplicity. When they see that they will buy, duplicate or both.

Can you duplicate quality?
When you teach one recruit or team member to be a leader and a fiscal success or otherwise you are riding high. Everything was worth it. Your pride and self esteem, through the roof. However if you can’t duplicate that quality repetitively you have already lost. Put the team building aside for a second. If you can’t duplicate quality in your own actions and plans what are you doing? Watch a baseball game? The pitcher has to be able to throw the same pitch over and over with accuracy. The batter. For get about it even harder. A .300 average in baseball is good- and they only hit the ball 3 out of ten times. Look at any championship team and you will see that they have found the framework for success and have duplicated it over and over. Build from success to success and do the same things that got you to the top. For you and your team.

Leadership- You keep giving.
A great leader is effective, caring, charismatic and proactive. The list could go on and on but that’s the key components I’d say and as such you need to know if you lead well. If not any success you have will be fleeting. Leadership gives you the tools and lays the groundwork to get you beyond that one hit.
Kanye West is said to be fanatical about putting together verses for his tracks. And Pusha-T said in an article that Kanye did the same to him. He told him to rework it. Then rework it again. Then rework it some more. And at the end he got greatness out of him. Not good but great. That is effective leading and it is also strong and proactive.
A good leader is also accessible. Be there all time. Its not an up sell to mentor. It can be but that is an option not a necessity.

Be Excellent.
There will always be a place at the table for excellence. A great musician can play anywhere. A one hit wonder only has one song. A superior craftsman will always land contracts whereas the shabby, liar will get contracts for a time then they will be few and far in between. Excellence breeds its own success. Excellence makes you a contender. It puts the new guy on his toes and your contemporaries back to practicing. The true greats transcend time and even death itself. The Beatles, Big Pun, Steve Jobs, Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, VanGogh, Da Vinci, Botocelli- the list goes on a bit longer but you see the point. Excellence in any form exists forever and becomes the antithesis of a one hit wonder.

Parting shot:
Your destiny is not determined by your critics. Rise above the criticism and run your own race.

#thriveorsurvive.

Thoughts? Concerns?
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3 Reasons Your Social Community Is Shrinking

16 Dec

3 Reasons Your Social Community Is Shrinking

Often times Marketers think they know what their communities want. Soon though that snazzy content marketing strategy is prompting people to unfollow, unclick and or unsubscribe. I found a few reasons why so let’s break it down folks.

Too Many Updates.
You know the guy at work who says hi 40 times a day. Or the cousin you are fond of but they call you 3 times a day to repeat the same facts or update you on the facts from five minutes ago. My personal pet peeve is the facebook guy who posts all his food pics, plays 8 different Facebook games with those 80 accompanying updates. O-M-G. Facebook forced me to go groundhog. Well not Facebook, I won’t slander them. Its the medium of choice for over a billion people worldwide (a great place for recruiting, marketing, and plain old friendship).
The point is this: Too many updates pushes people away.. Good timing, concise posts will win over fans and create business. Less is more folks.

Inaccurately Representing your brand.
Everyone hates being tricked. Fact. Pure and simple. According to the study I consulted 22% of users felt betrayed by a brand forcing them to disconnect from said brand. That’s a large loss for the companies who cheat clients whether it be inadvertent or not. When you misrepresent your brand to grow your social media fan base you are building the proverbial house on sand. The social media community is quite savvy and when you cross em they are in the wind. And that’s if you’re lucky. Hopefully word won’t spread and burn you. See yelp results to see where I’m going with this. Be genuine. Be authentic with all your moves and you will be doubly successful.

There’s No Value in Maintaining Connection.
The people who like your fan page, follow you on Twitter and buy your products do so because a connection was made. They love your product. They believe your spiel isn’t rhetoric. And indeed it shouldn’t be. When it is you have failed from the get go. That’s a lesson for another article. Be more than products. Create Value.. Be a friend and be a provider of quality. Purveyors of greatness rarely are flawless but they are always real. People rally behind them. Be great.

One parting thought- 16% of the people in the survey I consulted listed other as the reason they ‘disengaged’ from a brand. This may not help but we can assume these are people who left twitter, facebook, stumbleupon, and the like. So that is a good metric even if indirectly so.

Lastly, what key strategies do you have in place to avoid losing members of your social media communities?

#thriveorsurvive.

“Better understated than overstated. Let people be surprised that it was more than you promised and easier than you said.”
-Jim Rohn

“It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go.”. -Jim Rohn

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You wanna be Rich, or Build Wealth

15 Dec

You wanna Be Rich, or Build Wealth?

Its an easy question. However most people don’t ask it of themselves.
Do you want to be rich, or are you building wealth? You see there is a huge difference between wanting and action.
There’s a few ways to get there. Let’s list them and discuss my favorite(s).

Save.
This is a tried and true method. Every financial planner, adviser, Buffet, or Orman will advise it as a foundation building move or the only move you need. It works. No question. Every dollar you take home should have a portion set aside just for this purpose. 20% should be the goal. In real life that’s a high dollar value for most folks. Start with 5%. If you can’t start with 1%. That’s doable for anyone who is reading this blog on a smartphone, laptop, tablet, or work pc. After you see the ease of saving a percent raise it up to 2%. Then 3% and so on and so on. Its an easy way to get yourself into the savings game.
Just remember that these funds are not to be dipped into. Not for beer, not for friends, not for Christmas.

Build a system.
Want wealth? Want to surpass simple riches and be truly, independently wealthy? There is a key concept to do that for you.
Build a System, that’s it. It doesn’t have to be mlm. It can be a franchise or an online presence based on your favorite hobbies. You may start an llc or get on Kickstarter and get some cloud funding for your favorite concepts you’ve been kicking around in your head. In any case your goal is to build a system. Have a plan. A written one. Have a guideline. Know the costs, revenue projections, long term needs and goals. Everything. Then put that all into a system and make it work. Sweat equity will take you the rest of the way for any dream. If you use an mlm model or direct marketing system that’s cool too. They work. They create millionaires daily. However a system must be implemented no matter what you choose. Systems, are akin to practice-they lead to perfection. When you work the system it works. Cliche sounding but eerily factual.

Pay less taxes.
This will make you infinitely wealthy. When you pay less taxes at any income level you are winning. Billionaire Warren Buffet pays less in taxes than I do by about 20%. Pretty sweet right? Oh, you think that’s unfair, you are entitled to that opinion but until the system changes wouldn’t you rather pay less taxes. Assuming you make 40,000 dollars a year and are taxed at 25% you lose 10,000 dollars right there alone. Then your fica, et al(those pesky deductions) takes a chunk too. However if you could lower your taxable income then you would pay less on all of these. One way to do so is to use tax deferred or pre-tax strategies. My employer offers pre-tax deductions for retirement, metrocards for public transportation, and medical expenses. Essentially you are putting aside, or saving (hint hint) beforehand which the government applauds and rewards. If not seek financial counsel. IRA’s, physical wealth, gold and silver will all be viable options to supplement your 40wk et al and possibly reduce your taxes.
Or start a home based business and garner all those tax deductions and itemized breaks Uncle Sam allots for. Remember its not cheating when the government has created a system to account for all these matters. Work with the government not against it. at the very least you will have more coin in your pocket legally and over the long term you will be wealthy and a lesser drain on the economy, government, and your fellow man.

DO.
This is the heart of it all. A good system, a great dream, even a winning team all mean nothing if you don’t DO.
Factual and concise, without effort you attain nothing in life. I don’t care if you hate Bonds and the steroid users (no implication of guilt, just trying to frame my ideas- sorry professional athletes.)- if they still didn’t work beyond their abilities to get to the top they wouldn’t be the best. Being the best means you work. HARDER. Being the best means you work when the other guy sleeps. You practice after you win the gold- Same night. Those who DO get wealthy. They aren’t just rich. Riches are fleeting and not guaranteed. A lot of people strike it rich off the lottery only to be dead broke, heavily in debt, or plain old dead. The wealthy stay wealthy.
A side note- wealth is also fulfilling your dreams. Not just having zeros in your bank account.

Disclaimer: All advice in this blog, whether fiduciary or otherwise is opinion unless otherwise noted. Seek licensed, and or certified advisers before making your decisions.

#thriveorsurvive.

“Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.”~ Leon J. Suenes

Thoughts? Concerns?
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Who is subsidizing whom?

11 Dec

Who is subsidizing whom?.

Not to say I agree or disagree but lets look at someone else’s perception.

Can’t hurt right?

Who is subsidizing whom?

March 15, 2012 | Posted by Ken Cohen

In its lead editorial yesterday, The Wall Street Journal took a hard look into the Obama administration’s campaign to end so-called “subsidies for Big Oil.” The paper’s conclusion turns the administration’s claims on its head: “The truth is that this industry is subsidizing the government.”

This is the flip side of the coin that few realize – the oil and natural gas industry is an enormous source of revenue for the U.S. government. In fact, the industry pays the federal government approximately $86 million a day – or about $31 billion a year – in rents, royalties, bonuses and corporate taxes. That doesn’t even include the payments made at the local and state levels.

At times, the industry is actually sending more to local, state and federal governments in taxes and fees than what it earns in the United States. According to the Journal:

“Not paying their ‘fair share’? Here’s a staggering fact: The Tax Foundation estimates that, between 1981 and 2008, oil and gas companies sent more dollars to Washington and the state capitols than they earned in profits for shareholders.”

And, keep in mind, the taxes the oil and gas industry pays are only part of a much larger contribution to the U.S. economy. Our industry and the activities that support it accounted for more than $1 trillion of the U.S. economy in 2009, or about 7.7 percent of U.S. gross domestic product, according to a recent study. The industry contributes an estimated $470 billion a year in spending, wages and dividends alone.

So what about those “subsidies” that oil and gas companies supposedly get?

“These aren’t direct cash handouts like those that go to the green lobby,” the Journal says. “They’re deductions from taxes that cover the cost of doing business and earning income to tax in the first place. Most of them are available to other manufacturers.”

I’ve talked at length on this issue, but it bears repeating – attempts to misrepresent the industry’s tax contributions are nothing more than an attempt to pick winners and losers in the marketplace. The fact is that taxpayers would benefit far more from the revenues associated with increased access to U.S. energy supplies than they would from punitive tax measures aimed at oil companies. Policies that support greater energy development could generate $800 billion in government revenue by 2030 through lease sales, royalties, production fees and taxes, according to a recent study.

So when taxpayers see these claims about “subsidizing” oil companies, I think it’s valid to ask: “Who is subsidizing whom?”

 

#thriveorsurvive.

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