Archive for January, 2009
Friday, January 30th, 2009
I show my clients a way to answer the question, “So, What Do You
Do?” quickly and effectively. What I sometimes hear afterwards
is, “Anna that works great, people now ‘get’ what I do and say,
‘Yeah, I could sure do with help like that’ but they’re still
not hiring me. What am I doing wrong? I get them talking about a
problem and help them arrive at a solution. I then ask if they
want some more coaching. They respond, ‘No, I’m fine at the
moment, I’ll let you know’. ” Coaches feel tempted to start
coaching right then and there. It’s a natural tendency because
we are good problem-solvers and want to showcase our ability as
competent coaches. Next time someone shows interest in your
coaching, ask questions to discover some of their challenges -
BUT DON’T TRY TO SOLVE THEM at this time. You see…they don’t
need a “freebie” session to be convinced you are a good coach.
They need to hear pertinent questions designed to find out is
troubling or impeding them. Show you care enough to find out the
big picture of what is going on and you’ll peak their interest
in hiring you. The idea is leave people wanting more of your
help. Ask, listen carefully and file their answers in your mind.
Then talk about an ideal solution. Not your solution, a general
ideal solution. Use phrases like: “Wouldn’t it be great if you
felt more confident doing ……” “It would probably be ideal if you
could make better decisions that resulted in …… Is that right?”
Here is another common frustration I hear: “I offer a
complimentary coaching session and even then I don’t always
convert them.” What I recommend is to offer a complimentary
coaching assessment session. Where you find out what’s bothering
someone, how bad it is and how committed they are to solving it.
If they are not committed to clearing the problems and moving
ahead or do not have the money, why waste your precious time
(and theirs) going on about how you can help? The simple
question to ask before any coaching gets done is: “How committed
are you to solving this?” If they say “very committed”, then you
can suggest a coaching plan that suits their needs and budget.
You’ll show them that: *You know your stuff by asking questions
that get to the heart of their frustrations *They need your help
- talk about an ideal solution and get their agreement *With
some dedicated coaching from you, they can reach their ideal
solution. *Working with you on X number of sessions will benefit
them in many ways Show professionalism by delving into what is
important to solve and then estimate of the number of coaching
sessions that will help. If a person or organization doesn’t
have the money or determination to clear their issues then we
can safely conclude that they are not our ideal clients and
there are thousands out there who are. Learn more about how Anna
Kanary can help improve your ability to get hired for your
services and attract the kind of clients you love to work with,
by visiting http://www.AnnaKanary.com or join one of Anna’s
high-content, interactive TeleClasses click here to choose the
right one for you. Anna’s Upcoming TeleClasses.
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Friday, January 30th, 2009
Have you ever visited a website (possibly one you saw advertised in an email or through a link on another site) that did not have its own Domain Name? For instance, was the address of the site something along the lines of…. http://members.freehost.com/~business24701/… or anything similar to that? (note that link is made up). Of course you have! We’ve all visited sites hosted on these “cost-free hosts” at some point or another 
)
HEY, WHAT’S WRONG WITH FREE?
Now don’t get me wrong… there is nothing wrong with “free hosts” so to speak. They can be a great resouce for beginners at web site design to post their initial work on or for family members to post vacation pictures to share with Grandma and Gramps… those are all excellent uses of these “free hosts”. http://www.hardwaresoftwarearticles.com
THINK HOW YOU WOULD FEEL…
But I want you to think back for a minute and recall the feelings you had while you were at one of those “free hosted sites”. Regardless of how well-designed and great looking the site was, you still had a subconcious impression at the back of your mind that said something along the lines of, “This site is nice, but I can see by the fact of it being hosted on this ‘free host’ that the owner doesn’t place a lot of VALUE on his own site…. so why should I?”… http://www.hardwaresoftwarearticles.com
Basically when it comes down to it, I want you to imagine that you are a prospective customer, considering purchasing an item online from one of these “free hosted sites”… I’m guessing that at this point you are having serious second thoughts, am I right?
…GETTING TO THE POINT )
When a prospective customer is deciding whether to make a purchase at your site, one “strong consideration” they will make is on your Domain Name (or lack there-of). I am not saying that “what” the domain name is matters so much as “the existence” of the domain name. People look for that clean-cut .com or .net (etc) and if it is not present, they will strongly reconsider entrusting you with their credit card information.
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Monday, January 26th, 2009
There is no accomplishment that has not been tested by life. Success is never a pain-free process. If you have a dream and want to see it come through, you must be ready to show faith in it, during the darkest, most difficult moments. How many of you reached a point when you said “Enough! I give up!” I bet, many. Even I am one among you. But, the truth is that, if you persevere, if you go past the “I give up” phase, if you affirm your faith in your dream, then the Invisible Examiner will see that you are serious about your purpose and will grant you success. Remember, the only way to pass the Examiner’s test is to show faith in action. Here’s how you do it:
Faith Is Like Love: We Must Prove It with Actions
When you love someone with all your heart, you accept that person as who he or she is, including their imperfections and shortcomings. You don’t say “I love you for this, but I hate you for that”, right? And, when the person you love needs your help you do give it, unconditionally. The same happens with faith. When you have faith in your dream, you do so despite the challenges your dream will bring in your path. It’s your dream and it depends only on your actions to fulfill it. So, when the path to fulfillment gets rough, you don’t give up. You show faith, much as you show love for someone when they are going through a hard time that makes that person difficult to deal with.
An example of unshakable faith is J. K. Rowling, the author of “Harry Potter”. She wrote most of her first “Harry Potter” book in coffee shops, because they were heated and she could not afford to pay for heat in her apartment. A single mother without childcare, she carried her baby daughter in a stroller that she kept by her side while writing away Harry Potter’s story, moved by an inner need to continue on until her book was finished. When she submitted her book, it was at first rejected by a number of publishers. She never gave up. Showing faith in her dream through actions, she persevered. She knew all along that writing Harry Potter was her only option, even though she had no way of proving that it would ever become such a tremendous, tremendous success. Her faith in her dream was so strong that lit her path even when it seemed completely dark and hopeless to others. She passed all the tests of her Invisible Examiner with flying colors, until she proved that her faith was stronger than her challenges.
How to Pass the Test of Faith in Your Dream
You too can you show unshakable faith in your dream! Here are some tips to follow when the Examiner tests you and wants to see that you mean business:
1. Meditate. Use silence to connect with your inner core, your creative source, and draw strength and inspiration to pursue your dream.
2. Stay connected with your dream. Write it as a statement and read it again and again. Or create a collage or a drawing of your dream, and keep it in a visible place, so you can see it frequently. It’s amazing how much this simple activity can re-energize your faith.
3. Talk with your inner mentor, or reach out to your physical mentor. In Reel Fulfillment: A 12-Step Plan for Transforming Your Life through Movies,, I walk you through the steps of doing this.
4. Talk to an ally. This can be a friend, a coach, your minister, someone you trust and who cares about you.
5. Keep checking your results. Keep a log of your progress, to remind yourself how far you have come since you began pursuing your dream.
6. Ask yourself: “Would I want to go back to where I was before I started pursuing my heart’s desire?” Answer honestly, running through your mind all the aspects of your former life. As long as your answer is, “No way!” you’re on the right track
7. Watch a film with your favorite character who also inspires you. Afterwards, have an imaginary dialogue with him or her. In Reel Fulfillment I show you how to do that.
8. Do one thing that brings your closer to your dream when your faith is challenged. This is how you show your Invisible Examiner that you are not shunned by tests. For example, if you want to be a famous author but your manuscript just got rejected, write a short article and publish it in a local newspaper, or on the internet. You will feel better and continue to look for a publisher who will accept your manuscript.
How Movies Can Help You Stay True to Your Dreams
As your faith in your dreams is challenged, tested or questioned, movies can be great allies to keep you on track. This is what you can do: from the following list, pick one or more movies and watch them alone or with friends.
• Field of Dreams
• October Sky
• Billy Elliot
• Working Girl
• Real Women Have Curves
Questions to answer:
1. What is the main character’s dream and what challenges he/she face?.
2. Through what concrete actions does the main character show faith in his/her dream?
3. How does the universe help the main character after he/she passes the test of Faith?
4. How does the character inspire you to strengthen faith in your dream?
5. Now that you watched this movie, what will you do differently to stay true to your dream?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Maria Grace, Ph.D., is an expert at teaching people how to learn lessons from popular movies to find the job, home, relationship, and healthy body and mind they want. She is a Fulbright scholar, licensed psychotherapist, sought-after public speaker and coach, and the author of “Reel Fulfillment: A 12-Step Plan for Transforming Your Life through Movies” (McGraw-Hill, 2005). “Reel Fulfillment” was praised by Publisher’s Weekly as one of the top “self help books out of the self-help box” for 2005-2006.
For more information visit http://www.mariagrace.com and http://www.reelfulfillment.com
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Sunday, January 25th, 2009
“Do I contradict myself? Very well, then, I contradict myself.
I am large, I contain multitudes.” — Walt Whitman, Song of Myself
The dedicated writing student must continually search for tools to explore the core balance of plot, character, and poetics, multiple ways of climbing the great, misty mountain called story. But the major difference between Lifewriting and other systems is that we concentrate on the tools from writing that also help us understand our lives…or the tools from psychology or spiritual disciplines that help us understand our craft.
With that in mind, the Parts Party from Ericksonian hypnosis is worth exploring. The “Parts Party” is a powerful tool created by Carol Erickson, the daughter of Milton Erickson, the master hypnotist largely responsible for legitimizing hypnosis in the therapeutic community. Basically, the Parts Party technique is used with a client who lacks access to her own internal resources, or is dealing with values conflicts. Placed in trance, the client is invited to imagine a cocktail party. Each “guest” is a personification of a different aspects–or “parts”– of her personality. In other words, “Ambition”? Meet “Compassion.” “Passion”? Meet “Self-Respect.” The therapist can then engage in what is called “Zero Content Therapy” where a client is led to heal herself without specific intervention.
An example would be a client of mine who was terrified to perform in a singing competition, despite months of practice. The competition would begin in mere hours, and I was brought in as a last-ditch emergency effort. I placed her in a trance, and established a communications signalraising the right finger for a “yes” and the left for a “no.” Then I invited her to imagine a party, at which among the guests she would find Ambition, Fear, The Artist, Her Younger Self, and Her Future Self. I impressed upon her that the nausea and shaking she experienced when contemplating her performance was just her own inner guardians trying to protect her. And yet, there was another part of her that truly, deeply, wanted to prepare for a singing career. I suggested that if there was a way for her to satisfy the need for safety and also enjoy performing, that that would be a desirable outcome. Then I asked her future selfthe one who was a professional singer (her goal) to hostess the party, to introduce the various aspects to one another, and then to let them talk it out.
After ten minutes, she signaled that the conversation was over, I brought her out of the tranceand she jumped up and said “let’s do it!” with a verve I’d never seen from her. She blew the roof off at the recital! I never asked her exactly what conversation had gone on…in fact, it was none of my business.
A story is much the same. As one famous writing technique says, “A story is an argument in a story mind.” In other words, every secondary character exists as a shadow aspect of the main character’s personality. If the conflicts between them can be resolved, the character gets to move to the next level of her life.
Seen this way, in The Godfather, various characters represent Michael Corleone’s ambition, love for family, spirituality, venality, passion, homicidal nature, and so forth. Watching these different aspects “work out” their differences is a fascinating process, leading ultimately to Michael’s utter defeat and destruction at the end of the third film.
As you craft a film, book, or story, looking at it as a “Parts Party” can be an extremely useful tool. It also allows you to enter the realm of the most primal and powerful story, the Therapeutic Metaphor, where a story is structured to create a change in the mind of the reader or viewer. Here is the suggestion: write your first draft with no concern for anything but story and character.
Then, in the process of re-write, search for meaning. Try to gain a sense of what your unconscious mind was up to, what you were trying to say. What is your thesis and counter-thesis? Once this has been determined, look at your characters again. Who is the main character? What aspects of her personality might the other characters represent? Now the conflicts between them can be seen as external versions of the internal struggles we all endure as we try to change, grow, and heal. Those actions and words can provide the lessons necessary to grow (remember the gathering of Allies and Powers on the Hero’s Journey?)
Your character may succeed, or may fail. Or may fail to get what they want, and instead get what they need. These are your choices, based upon your beliefs about human nature and the ethical structure of the universe. Controlling the secret meaning of your subsidiary characters can be an incredibly powerful way of creating meaning and emotional depth to your work…and speaking to your reader’s deeper consciousness without being polemical.
When you do this, there is another wonderful result. You are also speaking to yourself, your own inner wisdom. And you develop sensitivity to the multitudes within us all. During quiet moments of meditation, or in the “hypnogogic” state between waking and sleep, you will hear voices within you. How powerful it can be to identify the voices as aspects of our personalities as well as positive or negative figures from our past! This approach is perfect for Lifewriting because it allows a writer to strengthen the connection between the inner and outer worlds. When you look at your craft in this fashion, everything that you do to improve and heal yourself automatically makes you a better writer…and everything you write automatically increases your integration as a human being.
And that is a worthy goal. THAT is Lifewriting.
NY Times Bestselling Writer Steven Barnes is a dual black belt as well as a Tai Chi instructor. He was trained in Ericksonian model Hypnosis. He is creator of Lifewriting, the high-performance success system for writers and readers. Learn more at http://www.lifewriting.biz and http://www.lifewrite.com
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Sunday, January 25th, 2009
A Tribute to Goodness … and those friends I have met on the street, who gave to me the gifts of fairness and compassion, adventure and lust.
By Punkerslut
It is a crime, I confess, on the books of our government to take another’s property without consent. It is this that is called stealing. But it was just this that I did. One store or another, I would walk in, and obtain property, without the consent of the owner. I stole food, and I gave it to those who could not afford it. I gave it to men who looked more ragged than any Hollywood movie could envision, and I gave them a little more than just food to fill their stomachs. I gave them the promise that there is forever at least one Humanitarian in every generation, a hope that life one day will not be one of poverty, a desire to be free and live life well. I am a thief, and I have stolen that the poor, hungry masses might not starve. In the eyes of the state, I am a merciless criminal. I vow to forever battle the peoples’ hunger of food as much as I vow to battle for their hunger of liberty. As long as the shimmering star of life continues to burn in the heavens, there will always be a revolutionary there to resist the brutality of the state’s iniquity. And as long as there as we can see more than just green when we see a forest, as long as we can see more than just white when we see a cloud, as long as we can see more than just blue when we see the ocean, as long as our souls are not deaf to beauty’s inspiration and depth, and as long as our minds are not dormant to the possibilities of hope, we will forever be one marching mass, constantly reaching and clawing, diving deeper in creativity and love, learning more and more by reading the books of experience, and as long as we march on past the blistering winds with our companions, we will enjoy a type of freedom that comes with integrity, and we will have a type of hope that renders results. To this degree of existance and meaning, I can only say this: there are few things I would rather be a part of.
www.punkerslut.com
For Life, Punkerslut
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Friday, January 23rd, 2009
Every business or company needs efficient, fast and quick results from their employees; they are more dependent on the manual work than machines for a few accurate and quick processes. The major places where there are problems, faced by either small businessmen or tycoons, are accounts or cash procedures. Even in an age where machine power is the norm, many businesses yet depend on manpower. This gives rise to inefficient and delayed results. Billing software, also known as invoice software, is software that helps us to maintain bills or accounts accurately.
It simplifies the process of manual billing and provides features like automatic invoicing, integration with other systems, time management, self service, payment processes and more. Added to this, it can be used to maintain a complete client and staff history with billing adjustments and time-slip production. This software can be also used in creating invoices, quotes, proposals and customer statements, and also to keep track of outstanding invoices and customer payments. This is a very important component that can be used in any type of business.
If the billing isn’t on time and accurate, or if the billing processes are inefficient, then there are chances of losing customers and revenue. Billing software can be the perfect solution to your problem. It can not only help get your billing done fast, but manages to save your customer contacts and provide sales reports. This software meets the requirements of not only a one-person office, but also a large network-based organization getting fast and immediate results.
If you are looking for software that will get your billing done with minimum time and maximum flexibility, get billing software in your office. Spend less time billing your customers and more time filling their needs.
Billing Software provides detailed information on Billing Software, VoIP Billing Software, Chiropractic Billing Software, Free Billing Software and more. Billing Software is affiliated with HIPAA Complaint Medical Billing Software.
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Thursday, January 22nd, 2009
So you have a web site and now you need to figure out where to host it. There are many choices but not too many affordable, reliable solutions. So how do you know which one to choose? What makes a hosting company good? Here are some general guidelines you can use to help you find the perfect hosting company. * Is their website professional looking? It’s safe to assume that if a hosting company has a sloppy looking website then the company is also run sloppily. You don’t want to get stuck dealing with a company that’s run by a bunch of kids out of a garage.
* Is their customer service available by phone during business hours and by email 24/7? Many Hosting companies take a long time to get back to you and some don’t even have a phone number listed. You can get an idea about how good customer service is by contacting them anonymously with a question. See if they answer the phone and/or get back you quickly. This will help you gauge how long it will take them to get back to you once you’re a paying customer. *Are they charging too little or too much? Remember the old saying “If something seems too good to be true, it probably is”. This is very true when it comes to web hosting. If they are charging under $5 it is likely that the service is poor and their technology is antiquated. Also if the prices seem astronomically high, it’s likely you’re being ripped off. There is no regulation when it comes to web hosting pricing so some companies will charge an arm and a leg hoping that someone “bites”. So keep in mind that you want to find a hosting company that provides superb support, stability and value. Don’t be fooled by ridiculous claims and don’t assume that paying more means you’re getting more.
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Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
Now you can check interest rates quickly online and foresee if there are possible traps you should know about. You should be smart today to check up if you have a nice deal or if you don’t with the moneylender that offers you a credit loan. 13.3 percent loan rate may seem so average but will it stay unvaried after you’re going to give back your deferred payment. That’s the reason why now you really need to investigate and forecast if you can have a bank loan at a estimable percent interest rate. A merchant bank in New Orleans Louisiana or so can have a total different actual rate of interest for a 12500 dollar credit loan then a bank in Henderson Nevada and that makes a immense clear gap in your monthly pay offs. It doesn’t matter if you live in Battle Creek Michigan or in Elkhart Indiana a serious online investigation will preserve you often lots of disorder. Lots of of the merchant banks wil show you a rate that is looking fair but feels severely or so after some time. Investigate to see if the merchant bank who is tending to give you a money loan is estimable.
Translated in Dutch it means: Woon je in Beemster of Leerdam en hebt u BKR verleden. Lenen met en BKR codering is nog nooit zo eenvoudig geweest. Verwen jezelf met een andere caravan met minikrediet binnen 10 minuten, 447318 euro is geen obstakel om te lenen. Van Hardenberg tot Laren, financieren met en BKR codering is altijd mogelijk.
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Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
With brand new hi-tech advancements such as digital Television, HDTV, Freesat & home cinema audio, if you’re present telly machine is greater than five years old, then today a terrific time to buy a new TV. Nevertheless, as equipment changes nearly day after day, obtaining a new telly machine might be greatly hard & bewildering.
This editorial aims to describe all the most recent technological advancements that will promise to take your telly pleasure to a whole new level.
High-Def Telly: Conceivably the most significant advancement to television since the introduction of colour technology, High Def (HD) television presents detail, clarity & colour, with images frequently 4xs as sharp as several traditional telly devices. To see the advantages of Hi Definition programmes you are required to own a Hi-Def Ready TV. Sky & Freesat have already started to give high-definition television series so you can now take pleasure in an assortment of your much-loved TV programmes, movies & sporting occasions with incredible realistic pictures.
Incorporated Digital Tuner: A TV with an integrated digital tuner (typically referred to as idTV) allows you to look at all free to air digital channels, including the likes of: E4, BBC3, Sky News & many many more without the need for a second set-top box.
Freesat: A new digital satellite television service available by joint venture between the BBC & ITV, supplying you free High-Definition programmes at no added charge. Freesat has no contract, no members fee, but instead just an up-front payment for the TV, satellite dish & installation. Plus because Freesat is broadcast via satellite, it is available to more or less each and every house in the UK. Freesat telly is at this moment in time only obtainable with Panasonic televisions. Find great deals on Plasma TVs at John Lewis.
LCD or Plasma: Even though LCD and Plasma TVs function in completely different ways, the advantages of both are very much similar. Nevertheless, it’s imperative to keep in mind that when selecting between a Plasma or LCD TV, it is in actuality simply a question of size. LCD is at its greatest performance up to and including 32 inches, whilst Plasma TVs offer optimal performance at thirty seven inches, & above. For that reason, if you need to purchase a small flat panel telly set, then LCD offers the superior performance, in contrast if you call for1 a larger panel size, then Plasma is certainly the ideal choice.
In conclusion, its essential to keep in mind when acquiring the right television for you, to consider your actual funds, your viewing distance, the look you yearn for and if it’s to be an LCD or Plasma television.
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Tuesday, January 20th, 2009
In most presentation articles, I stress how important it is to neither read nor memorize your presentation. The first can alienate and /or bore the audience, while the second can easily trip you up when you forget a word or phrase.
However, I was recently captivated and enchanted by a presentation given by a successful woman and speaker who read her whole hour and fifteen minute speech. How did she achieve this exception to the rule? What made this technique work for her?
If you are planning to read all, or even part, of your presentation, practice your techniques. I have mentioned before how distracting a presentation can become when the presenter reads to us from PowerPoint slides, overheads and/or a flip chart. The woman with whom I was so delighted was a practiced professional. She made constant eye contact with us, had a great deal of energy in her voice and tone, paused at the right times and places, and when she glanced down to read, read as if she were speaking to us in a natural, conversational way. If I hadn’t been observing so closely, I may not have even noticed that she was reading. She was that proficient!
Make sure that the content of your presentation is worth the effort. There is a difference between the spoken and written word. If you are presenting a paper that has been created for reading, you will have a challenge keeping the audience’s attention. What was so special about the presentation in question was that the presenter had kept in mind the difference between the written and spoken word. She must have read her speech aloud many times before she shared it with us. She filled it with engaging, personal stories that established immediate rapport, and many quotations from others that fit right into her presentation at the right time and place. We all benefited from what we heard and I wondered if she would have been able to share so many fine quotes if they hadn’t been written down.
Physically plan your written document so it works with the least amount of distraction for you and/or your audience. I didn’t see what the written words looked like, because the papers were placed on a lectern at the perfect height for the speaker and out of our view. I do know that if you are reading from a printed piece of paper, the fonts need to be large enough — and not all CAPS, which are difficult to read — with the lines spaced so you can easily see them and follow along without losing your place. The speaker I enjoyed so thoroughly didn’t appear to be turning pages or following along with her finger. She shared so much material that there must have been many sheets of paper, however, we were unaware of them.
As always, know your subject inside and out. Fortunately, we had time for questions following the presentation. Our presenter continued with the same ease, command of the subject and obvious knowledge as before. She answered questions with charm, professionalism and to our satisfaction. It became evident that her reading of her presentation never served as a “crutch.” She speaks on a regular basis to all ages and is in demand as a speaker, so has found a technique that successfully fits her style.
Chris King is a professional speaker, storyteller, writer, website creator / designer, free agent, and fitness instructor. Sign up for her eclectic E-newsletter, Portfolio Potpourri, at http://www.PowerfulPresentations.net You will find her information-packed E-book How to Leave Your Audiences Begging for MORE! at http://www.OutrageouslyPowerfulPresenter.com and her business website at http://www.CreativeKeys.biz
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