A little prayer....

Father, as the year closes, I let go of everything that keeps me from receiving Your best.

A little prayer...

Lord, grant me the eyes to see You, the mind to understand You, and the heart to desire You, always and everywhere.

A little prayer

Jesus, as the world prepares to go back to the normal routine of everyday work, help me to discover the significance of Your coming — for me, as an individual. Amen.

Advice Experts Needed!

Let's say you have a very unique, maybe eccentric, hobby. I'll use taxidermy as an example.
So let's say every spare minute you have, every hour you're not on the clock at your regular job, you devote to taxidermy. Over the years you've developed certain skills and knowledge that only a few people possess. And, until recently, unless you owned a taxidermy business, your hobby would have remained just that: a hobby. 

But since we're living in the Information Age, this highly-specialized training you possess has some currency to it. It has become a commodity.
No matter if it's taxidermy or how to install custom lighting in your home or how to setup a great home theater or how to create beautiful jewelry from piles of brightly-colored beads, you can bet that any specialized knowledge you've accumulated can be turned into practical advice. And those people just starting to learn about whatever it is that you are an expert at will seek you out and reward you for your help. 

Identifying Your Commodity 

Before I tell you how to make money giving advice, I'd like to help you focus on your own area of expertise. First, here's a list of subjects I advise AGAINST: 

-Relationships 
-Love life 
-Law 

The reason I think you should steer clear of these areas is because unless you have some official specialized training - like you're a licensed counselor or a lawyer, for example - there isn't much of a market for your opinion.
Because, let's face it, we all have relationships (parent, spouse, sibling, etc.), and we all have dealings with the law (even if it's just a parking ticket) but unless you bring some "inside" information to your advice-giving, your opinion isn't going to hold much currency. Even if everybody in your family and all your friends come to you for advice… that isn’t enough. 

Also, the market is already flooded with Dear Abby-style advice columns. We don't want you wasting your time in a saturated marketplace.
Not to worry! Here's a list of the kinds of subjects I wholeheartedly recommend you base your little business on: 

-Home repair 
-Car maintenance 
-Gardening 
-Electronics 

These are hot markets. But remember that your advice business can be anything you have a special interest in and a special knowledge of that is of interest to enough other people to make a viable business. 

Remember my taxidermy example above: not exactly a mass-appeal area of expertise, but you can bet that the people who do enjoy it form a very loyal and interested niche willing to pay to access your expertise. 

And that's really the key to success in becoming an advice expert: finding your niche, your own corner of expertise where your opinion will carry an enormous amount of respect. 

Finding that sweet spot is a matter of research. Scan the Internet for other websites. See how many books on the subject are on sale on Amazon. Frequent forums dedicated to that niche and ask people what information they’re looking for.
If you get good results in those areas, feel free to proceed. 

Getting Paid for Giving Advice 

The first step in becoming a money-making advice columnist is to establish your credibility. You can do this by starting a free blog and writing a few articles about your niche market. Once you gain a following, you can add a forum where people can ask you questions and you can dispense advice. A few tips for writing and running a successful advice blog: 

-Write regularly 
-Research the tough questions, don't ignore them 
-Promote your blog through social media 
-Use good SEO practices 
-Keep an editorial schedule 
-Solicit questions through email, Twitter, etc. 

That may seem like a lot to keep in mind, but the first bit is the most important: write regularly. Set yourself a schedule of answering, say, five questions a week. Keep up with it. Update regularly. Develop your own voice. Publish a new advice column on a certain day of the week, every week. By doing all these things, your readership will expand by leaps and bounds. 

Which brings me to how you're going to monetize your advice. Here’s the trick: all those articles you’re writing and questions you’re answering? You hold back the best information for your paid products like guides, ebooks, how-to videos, etc. 

Using taxidermy as an example, you could have an ebook called 101 Ways to Stuff a Walrus. If you offer advice on visiting Disney World, your guide could be called Money-Saving Tips in the Land of the Mouse. If you’re a fisherman, How to Catch Bonefish in the Florida Keys would be an option. 

Do you get the idea? 

List those products on your site’s home page prominently with banners and be sure to have a Products page. And also mention these paid products and include a link to the Order page at the end of every blog post and article. 

You can also make incremental income through advertising. If you have a large enough - and dedicated - following, you can contact companies who specialize in your area of advice-giving. If you're not there yet, but would like to put advertising up, look into Google AdWords. It's free and they will actually customize the ads to your website. 

You could also make money by making a members-only section of your website where folks can pay to access certain content. This could be anything from videos, to lengthy and detailed guides, to audio.
Put a little hard work up front, and pretty soon you'll become the guru of your own kingdom. 

Good luck! 

John Hollister 

P.S. I just gave you the rundown on how to start turning a profit by giving out advice. But here are a few more resources to help you succeed beyond your wildest imagination! 

Resources 

Start-Up Tips 

http://hope-wilbanks.hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Start-An-Advice-Column-Online 

http://www.ehow.com/how_2242443_make-money-giving-advice.html 

http://www.blogstash.com/get-paid-to-answer-questions/ 

Advice Sites Doing It Right 

http://observer.com/2011/01/the-internets-9-best-advice-columns/ 

http://www.healthytippingpoint.com/2011/06/my-favorite-advice-columnists.html
http://touringplans.com/ 

Places to Practice, Build a Reputation, and Get Inspiration 

http://www.justanswer.com/ 

http://www.keen.com/ 

http://www.chacha.com/ 

http://www.liveperson.com/ 

http://www.ether.com/

Think about....

Always continue the climb. It is possible for you to do whatever you choose, if you first get to know who you are and are willing to work with a power that is greater than ourselves to do it.


~Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Think about....

Without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value.


~Jim Rohn

Think about....

Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them.


~Lady Bird Johnson

Think about....

Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, “I’ll try again tomorrow.


—Mary Anne Radmacher-Hershey

Think about....

The person who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.


—Chinese proverb

Think about....

You have a clean slate every day you wake up. You have a chance every single morning to make that change and be the person you want to be. You just have to decide to do it. Decide today’s the day. Say it; this is going to be my day.


~Brendon Burchard


Think about....

Action is the antidote to despair.


—Joan Baez

Think about....

You will face many defeats in your life, but never let yourself be defeated.


—Maya Angelou

Think about....

You must have long range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short range failures.


—Charles Noble

Think about...

Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.


~Abraham Lincoln

Think about....

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. 


~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Think about....

It’s not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived.

- Helen Walton

Think about....

Our society is so caught up in winning, we forget that most of the great men and women in history have, at one time or another, failed at something. Often repeatedly, and discouragingly. But each failure is nothing more than a brick in the wall that forms the foundation of our success. We can’t forget that.


—Carlton Young

Think about...

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.


~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy

DESIDERATA

by Max Erhmann

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
And remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of treachery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy. 

What is working smart?

BUSINESS MATTERS(BEYOND THE BOTTOM LINE) By Francis J. Kong (The Philippine Star)

Have you ever heard of managers barking out this cliché?

“Don’t just work harder, work smarter!”

Some, perhaps, think that they are smarter by telling their people to work smarter. Unless the manager trains his or her people by showing how to do it, then this action does not improve the worker’s performance.

Working smart is important. But how exactly do we work smart?

Some people equate working smart as taking short-cuts. They continuously find ways of superseding process, violating regulations, and not delivering requirements. They think that they are being “creative” and as such, smart.

They look at each requirement as a bureaucratic impediment, a legalistic obstacle that only delays results. This is not working smart.

Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

If you look at all of my writings and seminars, you would know that I am a firm believer of hard work. But we can work smarter without compromising our ethical standards. We can still manage to reach the top and enjoy.

Allow me to offer few practical ideas on how to work smart the right way.

1. BUILD PRODUCTIVE HABITS.

Habits are powerful; having a habit is like having a plan. Routines are powerful; having a routine is like having an alarm system that tells us it’s time to work.

I have my own routine. I wake up in the morning, do my quiet time, open the news channel, listen to podcast while dressing and preparing my lessons for the day’s training requirements.

I go home at night and spend time with the kids. When they retire to their own rooms, I work on my new book, write articles and make sure I do my To-Do list for the next day.

Every productive and creative person I know has a routine. A routine can free us from the unneeded and unexpected happenings that can potentially rob us the opportunity to be creative.

2. SEPARATE YOUR TO-DO LIST FROM YOUR TODAY LIST

Productivity expert David Allen says that, “Your mind is for having ideas not holding them.”

You may put those ideas in your To-Do list. However, your Today list contains the MOST (limit these) important things you MUST do today.  And when you go through the massive things contained in your To-Do list, you may spot certain things that you can put in your Some Day list.

Being swamped with many ideas in your To-Do list that do not necessarily add value to your success goals is actually a bad investment.

Check your To-Do list. Limit the items you want to add into the list. The top of the list should contain your most important tasks. Stick to them and do not be distracted. Write the list the night before. And remember, deal with your most important tasks first.

3. CREATE A ROUTINE AND WORK AROUND IT.

Having a routine does not mean everything is carved on stone. You need to determine what makes you waste time. Some of these activities may include choosing clothes too long or doing Facebook or checking out your favorite websites. These activities steal minutes away from your precious time. Try to track and study them; you’ll see how unimportant these activities are and how much they are wasting your time. Try to eliminate them.

4. CREATE HEALTHY HABITS AND STICK TO THEM.

Now that you have determined your most important tasks and have created a routine based on them, stick to this routine and do it first. Do it repetitively and over time, you begin to build healthy and productive habits.

5. EVALUATE YOUR RESULTS AND NOT THE TIME SPENT.

‘Working harder’ means putting more hours to the same activity every day.  ‘Working smarter’ means eliminating low-value activities and concentrating only on high-value work.

Some people may not be working as long as others, but they are delivering more results.

By creating productive habits, you are working smart.

How you spend your time is how you spend your life. Be smart.

Think about....

You become like the 5 people you

spend the most time with. 

Choose carefully.

Think about.....

Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps, If you are not willing to move your feet.

~Author Unknown

Think about.....

The ladder of success is best climbed by stepping on the rungs of opportunity.

~Ayn Rand

Think about.....

Knowing is not enough; we must apply.
Willing is not enough; we must do.

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Think about.....

Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.

~Sally Koch 

Think about.....

Your past is not your potential. In any hour you can choose to liberate the future.

~Marilyn Ferguson 

Think about.....

More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren’t so busy denying them.

~Harold J. Smith

Think about.....

Never allow yourself to become one of those people who, when they are old, tell you how they missed their chances.

~Claire Ortega 

Think about.....

A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.

~William Shedd

Think about.....

There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.

~Leonard Cohen 

Think about.....

I AM 

Two of the most powerful words; for what you put after them shapes your reality.

Think about.....

Believe that problems do have answers, that they can be overcome, and that we can solve them.

~Norman Vincent Peale 

Think about.....

I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.

~Rosa Parks 

Think about.....

To believe in the things you can see and touch is no belief at all - but to believe in the unseen is a triumph and a blessing.

~Abraham Lincoln 

Think about.....

Feeling sorry for yourself, and your present condition, is not only a waste of energy but the worst habit you could possibly have.

~Dale Carnegie

Think about.....

Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead, that is where your future lies.

~Esther Lederer - (Better known as Ann Landers) 

Think about.....

I believe that the most important single thing, beyond discipline and creativity is daring to dare. 

~Maya Angelou

Think about.....

The only limits in our life are those we impose on ourselves.

~Bob Proctor

Think about....

Today I will do what others won't, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can't.

~Jerry Rice

Think about....

Your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions.


~Albert Einstein

Think about....

Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, 'I'll try again tomorrow.

~Mary Anne Radmacher 

Think about....

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.

~Dale Carnegie 

Think about....

Your are an unfinished work in progress.  One of the good things about life's challenges:  

You get to find out that you're capable of being far more than you ever thought possible. 

~Karen Salmansohn

Think about....

Remember, the thoughts that you think and the statements you make regarding yourself determine your mental attitude. If you have a worthwhile objective, find the one reason why you can achieve it rather than hundreds of reasons why you can't.

~Napoleon Hill 

Think about....

The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.

~Randy Pausch 

Think about....

Make sure you visualize what you really want, not what someone else wants for you.

~Jerry Gillies

Think about....

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.

~Nelson Mandela

Think about.....

Our attitude toward life determines life's attitude towards us.

~Earl Nightingale

Think about.....

Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.


~Gail Devers

Think about.....

You have a clean slate every day you wake up. You have a chance every single morning to make that change and be the person you want to be. You just have to decide to do it. Decide today’s the day. Say it: this is going to be my day.


~Brendon Burchard


Think about.....

I do not believe a man can ever leave his business. He ought to think of it by day and dream of it by night.


~ Henry Ford

Think about.....

When you forgive, you in no way change the past – but you sure do change the future.


~Bernard Meltzer

Think about.....

Wisdom is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it.


~David Star Jordan

Think about.....

I am only one, but I am one.  I cannot do everything, but I can do something.  And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. 


~Edward Everett Hale

Think about.....

Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.


~George Addair

Think about.....

The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.


~Arthur C. Clarke

Think about....

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.


~Benjamin Franklin

Think about....

You can’t use up creativity.  The more you use, the more you have.


~Maya Angelou

Think about....

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.


~Walt Disney

Think about....

Happiness is not something readymade.  It comes from your own actions.


~Dalai Lama

Think about....

Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others.  Unsuccessful people are always asking, “What’s in it for me?”


~ Brian Tracy

Think about....

Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.


~Napoleon Hill

Think about....

You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.

~Christopher Columbus

Think about....

A book is like a garden carried in the pocket.

~Chinese Proverb

Think about....

The best revenge is massive success.

~Frank Sinatra

Think about....

“Occupy your mind with good thoughts or the enemy will fill them with bad ones. Unoccupied, they cannot be.”

~ St. Thomas More

Think about....

The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score.


~Bill Copeland

Think about....

Never let the things you
Don't have, Can't have or
Shouldn't have,
spoil your enjoyment
of all that you Have!
Count your blessings!

Remember, the greatest
gifts are not material things,
but the Love we Give, the
Joy we Share, the Hope we
Inspire in others & the
Prayers we Offer for others!

Think about....

Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresea, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.


~H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Think about....

Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.


~Maya Angelou

Think about....

What I’ve learned is there’s a scientifically proven phenomenon that’s attached to gratitude, and that if you consciously take note of what is good in your life, quantifiable benefits happen.


~Deborah Norville 

Think about....

You can’t reach for anything new if your hands are still full of yesterday’s junk. ~ Louise Smith

Think about....

Sometimes walking away has nothing do with weakness, and everything to do with strength. We walk away not because we want others to realize our worth and value, but because we finally realize our own.


~ Robert Tew

Think about....

You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.


~Sarah Ban Breathnack

Think about....

We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here now with the power to shape your day and your future.


~Steve Maraboli

Think about....

You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.


~Michael Phelps

Think about....

Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, ‘What’s in it for me?’ 


~Brian Tracy

Think about....

One person’s ceiling is another person’s floor.


~ Denis Waitley

Think about.....

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. ~Annie Dillard

Think about....

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.


~Steve Jobs

Think about.....

If you are called to be a sweet sweeper, sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.


~Martin Luther King Jr.

Think about....

You don’t get to choose how you’re going to die. Or when. You can only decide how you’re going to live. Now.


~Joan Baez

Think about....

The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.


~Arthur C. Clarke

FIVE MINUTE MANAGEMENT COURSE

Lesson 1
A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings.
The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs.
When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbour.
Before she says a word, Bob says, 'I'll give you $800 to drop that towel.'
After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob, after a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves.
The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs.
When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, 'Who was that?'
'It was Bob the next door neighbour,' she replies.
'Great,' the husband says, 'did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?'

Moral of the story: If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.

Lesson 2
A priest offered a Nun a lift.
She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg.
The priest nearly had an accident.
After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg.
The nun said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'
The priest removed his hand. But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again.
The nun once again said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'
The priest apologized 'Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.'
Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way.
On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, 'Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.'

Moral of the story: If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.

Lesson 3
A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp.
They rub it and a Genie comes out.
The Genie says, 'I'll give each of you just one wish.'
'Me first! Me first!' says the admin clerk. 'I want to be in the Bahamas , driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.'
Puff! She's gone.
'Me next! Me next!' says the sales rep. 'I want to be in Hawaii , relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.'
Puff! He's gone.
'OK, you're up,' the Genie says to the manager. The manager says, 'I want those two back in the office after lunch.'

Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.

Lesson 4
An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing.
A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, 'Can I also sit like you and do nothing?'
The eagle answered: 'Sure, why not.'
So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Moral of the story: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.

Lesson 5
A turkey was chatting with a bull.
'I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree' sighed the turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy.'
'Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients.'
The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree.
The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch..
Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree.
He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

Moral of the story: Bull Shit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.

Lesson 6
A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field.
While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him.
As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was.
The dung was actually thawing him out!
He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy.
A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate.
Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.

Morals of the story:
(1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.
(2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.
(3) And when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep your mouth shut!

Think about....

The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. ~Marcel Proust

Think about....

It is not the level of prosperity that makes for happiness but the kinship of heart to heart and the way we look at the world. Both attitudes are within our power so that a man is happy so long as he chooses to be happy, and no one can stop him.


~ Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Think about.....

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.


~ Anais Nin