Archive for May, 2008
May 12th, 2008 - Help Support World Hepatitis Day
The shocking statistics that one in twelve people are infected with Hepatitis and the disease infects 10 times the amount of people that HIV infects.
World Hepatitis Day has already kicked off in 64 countries and is a worldwide campaign that will hopefully make a difference. To sign up and receive information and advice about the disease and of course to help support the campaign visit www.aminumber12.org.
May 5th, 2008 - 5 Essential Ingredients of a Successful Online Work at Home Business
The internet changes daily as far as what works and what doesn’t when it comes to making money online.
If you are new to work at home online businesses, your head can spin with all the hype, sales pitches , and outright lies as far as the reality of starting up an online home based business.
There are however a few things to look for in your search for a work at home business that can become some nice additional income, or even better, your “job”. Working at home, generating $1000 a day is far from what I call a “job”.
To help ease your frustration, and point you in the right direction for what you should be looking for in today’s online marketplace, the following summarizes the 5 essential ingredients in a winning work at home online business opportunity.
Later in this brief overview, I will offer a “secret” to online success that is rarely mentioned in the many articles written on the subject.
1. SYSTEM- This may be the most crucial item to your success. You need a System that generates prospects, educates them on your business opportunity, sorts and weeds out those that are not interested in your offer, then closes the sale at a conversion rate that ensures profitability. The System must be as automated as possible so you aren’t spending hours cold calling or following up with people that are probably not interested, then trying to use your sales closing skills to make a sale.
Think of the successful off line businesses such as McDonalds, Tim Hortons or Subway. Do you think they could duplicate those businesses all over the country, setting up new franchise owners to run these businesses, without a SYSTEM that works?
2. BIG Profits- This is important as the advertising needed to result in sales can be quite costly. For some $1000 price point business programs, it isn’t unusual to spend $200, $400 or even $600 to make that $1000 sale. Of course, there are ways to also spend $0 in advertising, but the reality is advertising is often on the range where to make $1, you may need to spend $0.40. Your profit is still $0.60. Would you do that over and over if you had a automated system in place to make this happen? Big Profits allows enough profit so your advertising cost is well covered by your selling price. You can’t do much advertising to make a profit on selling a $20 ebook for example.
3. Hot Products- Yes, the product must be tangible and have use and value. There are many new business opportunities that offer $75,000 or more worth of downloadable products that sell for $1000. That’s pretty HOT, and full of value. Having a product that can be downloaded, means NO shipping. Now that is just way too easy.
4. Leads and Traffic- This is probably the most perplexing for most new work at home business owners. An online business will never make any money without a source of leads (prospects). The key to providing leads to an online business is they need to be targeted.
This means you need to advertise to a niche market of people looking for exactly what your offers. Seems so simple a concept, but so may people struggle in building their prospect list.
5. Support and Training- as with any business start up, you need to learn your work at home online business program.Make sure that your business program has ample training and resources so you know exactly what to do to get those prospects to your System. This is not always easy to figure out when doing your due diligence on an offer.
As a suggestion, make sure you ask for examples of where and how you will advertise. Also ask where will you get the wording for the ads,who will write the ad copy and the followup messages, what the conversion rates are for your system. If your sponsor can’t provide good answers, then they may not be that successful themselves.
This is just a brief overview of what today’s online business programs need to cut through the many offers out there and make your business stand out to others.
Earlier I mentioned I’d offer a “secret” to successful online work at home business programs that is rarely mentioned in the various sales pitches. The true secret just might be you.
Most people do not realize they are starting up a real business. There will be ups and downs, profitability may not come overnight, or you may expect riches in the first few days.
I am sure some people have had such success, but most starting out, very likely start with leads, no prior list of prospects, and a small advertising budget. You then need to make good decisions to leverage your sales to grow your business.
The best way to accomplish an online business start up is with the very best automated SYSTEM. Then you can spend most of your time on advertising and growing your prospect list- leaving the rest to the system to close sales which will deliver you paying customers. Then you can train your new customers to do what you know how to do!
For more information on automated systems, please take a look at our main business review website.
To your success!
May 5th, 2008 - Year Two: Adventures in Instant Parenthood
It’s amazing how life’s time can leave you…fast. It was almost one year ago that our daughter came to us. We had found her in foster care and opened our home to her. This, not knowing that our son was already growing inside me… the son that the doctors had, for ten years, told us we couldn’t have.
So…
I think that receiving two children in the space of five months, as rookie parents (and one a newborn!), was the toughest thing that either of us had ever done. But it was also a sudden open door onto an avenue lined with good things. The avenue was stony and sometimes hard to walk. But the good things became gooder and gooder.
Why haven’t I written down every observation on parenthood; every cute look and lisped phrase; every gurgle, smile, and fart? Because I’ve been reaching for my pen and formulating half-sentences for almost a year. But always, before being able to commit thought to paper, the spaghetti boiled over, the phone rang, the family walked in, or the pen dropped to the floor and my thoughts ended in, “Zzzzzzzz”. Now comes the actual effort of recording our adventures as a new family. And just in time… I forget things quickly, easily, and often forever.
“She”
Our daughter is the daughter of a niece of ours, gone wild. We’re not sure where the niece is, just that she’s not wherever her various children are.
She was 10 months old when we got a phone call from a frantic grandmother, telling us that the child had been abandoned to foster care in Washington state. The grandmother lives in Mexico and could do nothing. Fortunately, God had stayed our hand when we had considered adoption a year or so before so that, though eligible to adopt in Oregon, we hadn’t yet. That smoothed the path for the child that He had for us.
The gears of the state grind slowly, though, and another year had gone by before we got to see She for the first time. In between was the paperwork that means the state is letting you care for this little thing instead of doing it themselves. Finally, though, we got to visit her.
We’ve talked about that moment many times. How frightened we were, waiting for the door to open. How such a small being could make us – grown adults who drive and have jobs– shake in our shoes! And then, there she was. The most adorable 22 month-old girl with braided hair and eyes that seemed big enough to wrap around the sides of her head. She was perfect.
Well, almost perfect… A month later we had her home and two months later she was calling us Mommy and Daddy. We were over the moon and then down into the valley as the terrible two’s began in earnest. But the hills and valleys, thankfully, were interspersed with each other so that life averaged out on the wonderful side.
When she arrived, we could count the number of real words that She could say on a couple of hands. She still took a bottle at night and we couldn’t figure out where to get her hair done. I probably obsessed on this last point more than any other. I wasn’t able to take care of my own hair, let alone the mop she came with.
She cried at night and we had to learn just how to comfort her. She had a drooling problem; thank heavens that’s starting to take care of itself. And she had a habit of biting and hitting when angry. That resolved itself with reasonable discipline. But it’s a work in progress and her progress has been amazing.
She just loved to pat Mommy’s growing tummy and talked endlessly about the baby inside. Her own tummy was shown with pride to all, and she wondered aloud if she would have a baby, too. (When the baby did come, I wonder if it registered. The patting of the tummy and the wondering where the baby is continued for some time…)
We quickly learned that She did not like to be thwarted. She wanted what she wanted. She wanted it now, and she told you so often. When whatever it was was not forthcoming… well, we literally bought ear plugs. But a trip to the park or a ride on a slide and especially the adventure at Zoo Lights in Portland showed us her active, athletic, and curious side. The sponge part of her now is inside her – wondering, asking, learning, and repeating what she’s learned.
When she arrived, She fit into size 6 or 6-1/2 shoes. Now we’re lucky to get her into a size 9. She has grown some inches and we can make out cheekbones where we used to see chub. She no longer eats her crayons and actually enjoys applying them to paper. She loves working with glue and other art supplies… anything sticky. And – we can’t wait – she’s been on the potty a good many times, with reasonable (if not consistent) results.
Now She speaks well, often in full sentences. She has an amazing memory and knows some Korean words that she’s taught at her day care. She talks about her friends and wants me to make her babies and her toy bears talk and move. Then she talks back to them, consoling and chiding them, just like Mommy does.
With us she’s very direct. She has given me a count (“1 – 2 – 3! Time out, Mommy!”) and tells us to go to sleep. She loves “my music”, and bounces and sings to Jesus Loves Me, The Bare Necessities, and The Mickey Mouse Club March, among others. She dances to music and TV theme songs and commercials. Whenever we have company and the dancing starts, we all sit down and watch “The She Show.”
She gives me imaginary presents to open, since Christmas made such a big hit with her. She wonders where the stockings went and why we had to take down the lights. She always wants to go back to the beach, which is where we spent Thanksgiving with my family. And she wonders how big she’ll have to be before she can go see Mickey at Disneyland. After we tell her that she has to get bigger and stronger, she says, “I get my coat.”
She loves her Daddy’s family, who are all in town. She will look at me and ask after a member of the family…Uncle This or Auntie That. I’ll tell her where they probably are at the moment and then I’ll say, “Who else?” And we’ll talk about every member of the family that we can think of. Of course, she wants to see the cousins every day. And even more of course, though she knows the answer well, “Where’s Daddy?”
She doesn’t do well with change. This is typical of foster and adopted and… well… just kids. She cries often while in bed and it’s sometimes hard to figure out why. Heaven help us, we get angry. Tired people often do… But then came the day (quite recently, really) when she moved across the room into her “big girl bed”, which is furnished with a rail that has her name cut into it by another brother who is a woodworker in his spare and generous time.
Her Daddy bought her a Tinker Bell light and another Princess night light that help her deal with the dark. It’s so comfy and cushy and PINK that I’m envious sometimes. She surrounds herself with plush toys and favorite blankets and settles in for the night – more and more, the entire night. And we have peace… blessed peace… and then the boy wakes up and wants his food.
“He”
I have never been happier than when I was pregnant with our son. At 37 years old, with special health issues, I was considered a high risk in pregnancy and had ultrasounds almost every week. I had a high-risk team of obstetricians following me around with charts, probes, and pee tubes. This last item was always welcome.
I look back at pictures of myself during that time and see this glow and smooth radiance in my face that I remember inside me but never noticed in the mirror. I was never sick or even the slightest bit nauseous. My other symptoms disappeared almost entirely… no more soreness or swelling, no more aching back until the very end.
He wanted us to know immediately that he was a HE. During one of the initial ultrasounds, he flipped himself over and spread his legs as wide as he could. The ultrasound picture of his defining male characteristic is one of my favorites. I’ll never forget the tone in my husband’s voice when I told him he was going to have a son. Just a very, very quiet, “No way.” There was so much awe, hope, and fear in that tone and in that voice. It moved me as few other speeches have.
He grew well and exactly on schedule. He turned over from a breach position to a head-down position in plenty of time. He got the hiccups so often that it became no longer novel. We had several baby showers and are still going through clothes and toys donated to us from friends and family. We have bought very little for the kid; and he has everything he could possibly want and more.
Then we went to the hospital in one of those scheduled and arranged situations. We would be induced here and then the birth would happen there, they said calmly. My obstetrician had a party to go to but would be back in “plenty of time”, since labor would probably take such-and-such hours.
Uh huh…
Hours after being given the pitossin to induce me, I had barely dilated at all. In the meantime, the baby’s heart rate was up then down then up and down. They broke my water manually and OWWWWW… the contractions started, minutes apart and hard as h-e-double-hockey-sticks. Sorry, Grandma. Hours of this, I thought. Are you crazy??
The senior member of my OB’s practice arrived and suggested a Cesarean procedure with an epidural. I have rarely been so grateful to any man still living… or dead for that matter. I love whoever Mr. Cesarean was! The operation began, with my husband gowning himself with shaking hands (he’s not a hospital guy). And minutes later the epidural was in effect and my son was being shown to us.
I will never in my life forget that moment. I burst into tears for so many reasons that it seems silly to recount them. He was safe…he was here…he was ours…he was healthy-looking…we had done it. Thank you, God. Thank you forever.
Four days later I was released. The doctors studied the baby and myself for after-effects and drug levels and we were fine. He developed cradle cap and, in pictures, was downright ugly unless you were his mother and you were holding him at the time. He was skinny and seemed undersized, though I was assured he was exactly average in that regard. He smiled on his second day of life but wailed in a surprisingly piercing way when hungry or tired. I was exhausted and stressed. The doctors were sending me home with a life that I hadn’t had when I came into the hospital. Where was the manual? Who would I call at 2:00 a.m. when we were so stupid with fatigue that we were confused about which end the nipple went into?
I don’t know how we would have gotten through that first month without the love and backup of family and friends. They cooked and cleaned for us. They came and brought us hope and encouragement. When the house was filthy and there was no food in it, one couple went to the store and brought back $300 worth of goods and sent us to bed while they cleaned and cared for our kids. We got sleep. The dishes were done. There was food. We were speechless…we still are.
Day by day, hour by hour, month by month He grew and we came to understand him better. It took a solid month before routine had been re-established and we could eat and sleep with any amount of comfort. I can’t stop looking continuously into his bed, to check for breathing sounds. That will probably end when he’s 12.
Then breast-feeding became bottle-feeding. He suddenly was able to hold his head up and had a magnificent grip. We noticed immediately that he was strong; he was a true son of my husband’s. Much more alert than the average athlete, though. He noticed everything and studied everyone. And they always received a smile. The boy was a smiling fool, from the beginning.
The cradle cap moved back and the fine dark blonde hair began moving forward. The baby acne starting clearing up and I felt like a teenager, limp with relief that it was less visible all the time. He started eating more and more and crying less and less. The blankets with which we had to prop him in his swing became thin blankets, then disappeared. Then we had to strap him in because he was big enough to fall out.
He reached for us, then grabbed onto us. Then he reached for She’s toys. That was a mistake. Then he arched his back and looked behind him, above him, around him. Then he rolled over to get something and light dawned. Motion! Now we have a very active boy on our hands and, in our 40’s, get more exercise within the confines of our home than out of it.
Year Two
I’ve never imagined my life as full as this. Even as a young woman, my visions of motherhood were blurry and distant. I never knew where my life was headed in that regard. Then, after several discouragements, those hopes faded almost completely.
I’m so grateful to God for taking this decision out of our hands. People’s eyes get big and I hear breathed “Wow, you’re busy,” when they hear about us. And for us it is hard to step back and just see who we are. There’s always a load of laundry waiting to be folded, the same spaghetti boiling over, and the two kids competing for our attention.
But we know what we can seldom speak. That life has become mission. That movement now has meaning. And that we are the luckiest two people on earth….
Let Year Two begin!
May 5th, 2008 - How Do I Get Newts In My Pond?
Newts are a type of amphibian that look a lot like salamanders. However, unlike salamanders, newts spend most or all of their life in the water. They are descended from salamanders, but branched off around sixty million years ago. Now, they’re found in many temperate parts of the world, including Asia, Northern Africa, Europe, and North America.
Some types have a terrestrial form (referred to as an eft), that lives on land to find a new home, then come back to the water when mature. Newts are popular among pond owners. They’re charming, cute little creatures in their own right. However, having a population of newts also means that your pond is very healthy, since these creatures have somewhat specific living requirements. If you’re thinking about colonizing your pond with newts, or setting it up to attract these little creatures, here’s some information that might help.
Newts are often food for other creatures. This means that having newts might draw some impressive looking birds to your pond, but it also means you’ll have to pay attention to what’s living in and around it if you want to keep your newt population alive. Carnivorous fish often pick off these little lizard-like creatures, making it hard to keep the population up. As well, if there are any ducks frequenting your pond, they may eat the vegetation your newts are laying their eggs in, giving them no place to breed. This doesn’t mean you have to chase off all predatory birds or remove newt-eating fish from your pond. It does mean that it’s a good idea to try to provide habitat and other conditions that encourage a thriving population that won’t be damaged by predation.
Another danger that can kill stocked or native newts is the pump of a small pond. If you have a smaller pond which requires a pump for circulation, newts can be sucked into the pump and killed. Even if you use wire mesh, these pumps can kill very small newts. You can solve this problem by using an ultra fine mesh, or by placing your pump underneath a weighted upside down pot with a hole cut in it. Remember to use mesh over this hole as well. These methods will cut down on the number of newts you lose, and on unpleasant filter cleaning.
Newts can live in fairly shallow ponds, and prefer slopes with lots of plants. High density weeds will encourage them. A good environment for newts will help you develop a breeding population that will stand up to even predatory fish and birds. While tadpoles and young newts may fall prey, a pond that can support them will encourage their numbers to increase. Expect to see baby newts around April and May, if your animals are breeding. You can either make your pond suitable for the local species of newt that you’d like to attract (specific conditions vary by species) or purchase newts and stock your pond. The second is more expensive, but also gives you a better chance of seeing these animals live and grow in your waters.
May 4th, 2008 - Gender Bias vs Race Bias Still Alive In America?
Afro-Americans are lining up behind Obama and white females over 50 are lining up behind Hillary and both demographics are threatening to walk out of the Denver convention if their candidate is not the nominee. Now if this isn’t an example of gender and race bias, then I don’t know what it is.
It seems the Democrats can screw-up a “two car” parade. And of course, Florida is right in the middle of this train wreck again. They are talking about a “do-over” primary, a “mail in” primary or any of a number of ways to resolve Florida – which might even end up in court again. My question is – if Florida Democrats knew their votes would not be counted because they moved up their primary date, why did 1.7 million voters line up to vote? And overwhelmingly for Hillary?
Then there is my home state of Texas where we get to vote twice. Now I have voted in every Texas election in the last 38 years and I never knew that!
Taking this impasse all the way to convention is dangerous for the Democrats. The last two brokered conventions in the recent past have led to Republican victories in the general election. So, the door is wide open for a President McCain whose foreign policy is what we have right now and he has admitted that he knows nothing about economics.
Being the forward thinking person I am I have come up with the solution. Remember Bush v Gore? Florida, 2000, court? The Electoral College trumps the popular vote. So – take all the Electoral College votes for all the states that Obama won and do the same for Hillary and viola – most Electoral College votes is the nominee.
Oh, and did you know that McCain is older than Ronald Reagan was when he became President? Let’s just throw age bias into the pot to really stir things up.
May 4th, 2008 - Choosing a Bowling Ball The Correct Way
The sport of bowling, I used to think that it is an easy game. You just have to aim and then throw the ball towards the pins. It looks very easy to me but when I tried it myself, I fell like being dragged by the ball. It was heavy plus it was not that easy to let go of the ball, if you don not know exactly how to do it. Really, I almost stumbled and rolled with the ball on the floor if it were not for my friend who was just in time to grab my arms before I could make a laughing stock out of myself. It could have been a very embarrassing moment. After the incident, I took time to study the game before I tried another shot.
Bowling is a sport that anyone can do at an early age and enjoy for a lifetime. This is a sport in which a player, called a bowler attempts to knock down as many pins as possible by rolling a ball along the lane. The lane is bordered by gutters on both sides that serve to collect balls that could not go through the pins or simply called gutter balls.
Two things that a bowler needs are bowling shoes and a bowling ball. The bowling ball is heavy and has holes in it. The three holes are for the bowler’s thumb and two other fingers. Choosing the right bowling balls is the first step to successful bowling. This sport is based on timing and coordination, a bowler must select and use a ball that is easy to handle. This bowling ball is made with a weight block, a low density inner core and a polyurethane outer shell. This weight block is added to make up the loss when the holes are made.
The ball should not be heavy or light, and should be comfortable and natural on the bowler’s hand. The ideal weight of the bowling ball is about 1/10 of your weight. Let us say you weigh 150 pounds, you will need a 15 pound-bowling ball. The thumb of your throwing hand (can be right or left), should fit into the hole provided for the thumb and rotate with only slight friction. To measure a proper grip, the bowler’s two middle fingers should then be stretched over the finger holes and not into the holes. When picking up the ball from the rack, place your hands on the sides of the ball, not in between the other bowling balls. This will keep your fingers from getting smashed by the heavy bowling balls. And always carry the ball with your both hands.
Bowling is truly a sport that anyone of any age can enjoy for as long as you can carry the weight of the ball. We have studied how to choose the right ball for you, so go ahead pick the right ball for you and enjoy bowling. Had I known all about these before, I could have enjoyed bowling more.
May 4th, 2008 - Online Dating-The Secret To Finding The Love Of Your Life Online
That is the goal of every online single! We all want to find the love of our life!
Never give up, because it is possible and it is happening every single day!
The secret to finding the love of your life online is knowing exactly what you want. We can’t go into online dating without knowing exactly the type of person the love of our life is. We need to know what they are like inside and outside!
In my case I am 6’ tall. The love of my life must be over 6’ tall. I am full figured and really slim men make me feel larger than I want to feel! I am a very involved with the church, so I wouldn’t get along too well with an atheist. These are things that must be shared from the very beginning! If I have developed feelings for someone, then discovered they were only 5’6”, we’re going to have a problem!
Things that are the most important to me have to be “cleared” from the very beginning. That way I can save myself and others a lot of time.
And the singles that are online to sincerely find the love of their life appreciate when someone clearly says; “thanks for your interest, but I am sure someone else would be better suited for you than me.”
The secret to finding the love of your life is to be completely honest about who you are and who you are looking for!
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May 4th, 2008 - Is God Good?
Why do Christians say, “God is good”? Because He is.
Why do people believe God is a bad God? Due to famines, wars, shootings and violence that take place every day in this world, many assume that God must be bad. They think He is allowing these events as punishment. They believe we anger Him so He sends down tornadoes, hurricanes and every bad thing to strike us.
People have gotten this impression from the Old Testament. There we see God sending a flood to wipe out the evil people of Noah’s time. Though He did save those who He deemed righteous (Genesis 7).
Let’s see why this took place:
In the Garden of Eden, God made a man, Adam, and woman, Eve (Genesis 1-2). He told Adam not to eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The serpent (Satan in disguise) beguiled Eve into eating of the fruit, then she gave it to Adam, who could have refused the fruit but didn’t. That day they sinned. Through that act of disobedience, sin entered into this world (Genesis 3).
God is a God of justice. Just as a judge has to prosecute a criminal act, God has to prosecute sin.. However, He, also being Love, hated to see His creations suffer, so He sent His only Begotten Son, Jesus, to Earth to be born of a virgin. Mary gave birth to Jesus (Genesis 2:1). While on Earth, He grew up and went to the Cross for us(Matthew 27).
Only a sinless person could die for the sins of every human being–past, present and future.
After being beaten and bruised, the Roman soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross. God judged Jesus, who had never sinned, for our transgressions. He put every curse of the law and all the effects of the curse, including poverty, every kind of sickness and disease, infidelity, strife and so much more on Jesus. Jesus paid the price we should have paid. He died for us (Matthew 27).
God didn’t leave Him dead (Matthew 28. No, God raised Jesus from the dead, so that we might enjoy our lives to the full, until they overflow. That is how much God loves us. He did this for you, me and everyone else in this world, yet people still call Him a bad God.
Why is that? People feel that God causes people to starve in Africa, that He causes car crashes that take children’s parents, that He causes tsunamis.
However sin entered this world through the act of disobedience on one man’s part. When Adam sinned, he essentially handed the earth over to Satan and said, “It’s yours now. Do with it as you please.”
At that point, Satan became the ruler of the earth and the air. It wasn’t until Jesus died that Jesus took back that authority and gave it to us (Luke 10:19).
Most of us do not know that we have that authority. We allow Satan to reek havoc on this earth even though he has no legal right to do so.
It’s like a person being left an inheritance of one million dollars and then living poor, struggling in life, because he didn’t know what he had inherited.
Most Christians are like that. We know Jesus died for us, but we think that’s all in which we are entitled. When we accept Christ, we are entitled to so much more than merely being saved from going to hell.
We have authority over this world because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We have authority to do greater works than Jesus (John 14:12), but we don’t. We do the same works as Jesus. Most of the time, we do less.
Jesus raised the dead (John 11:43-44). He healed the sick (Luke 4:40). He opened blind eyes (Matthew 9:27-30) and deaf ears (Mark 9:25-27). Why don’t we? We don’t know that we can speak to the weather patterns, like Jesus did, and command them to stop.
We don’t speak to those mountains in our lives (Mark 11:23), and the lives of others, because we believe those problems will laugh at us.
However we have the authority over them. We need to start acting like who we are–children of the Most High God–endued with the power to cast out demons, speak with new tongues, lay hands on the sick and see them recover and raise the dead (Mark 16:17-18).
We blame God for what we have authority to control. The only thing God is guilty of is giving us the authority on this Earth.
When we read the Bible, we learn what it is that we have authority over and how to take that authority.
The Bible and the Holy Spirit are the only weapons we need against this world and the devil. Even though things look bad, our circumstances are subject to change to the Truth, the Word of God.
Adam and Eve sinned, and God still blessed them with children (Genesis 4:1-2, 25). Abraham slept with a woman besides his wife to make a baby (Genesis 16:11). Still God gave Abraham and his wife, Sarah, their promised son, Isaac (Genesis 17:19). The children of Israel turned away from God so many times by worshipping false gods, yet God delivered them every time.
God is faithful even when we are not. He is good to us when we don’t deserve it. He is preparing a place for us in Heaven (John 14:2-3) when we die, if we accept Jesus.
He is a good God. It’s the humans who He gave authority of this world to that messed it up. We blame God for being a bad God when we are the ones in charge of this earth.
The devil is defeated, so instead of fighting for the victory, we need to fight from the victory ground. We are not trying to get healed. We are healed by Jesus’ stripes (I Peter 2:24). We are not trying to get rich. We are rich in Christ (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Stand up and take your authority today.
May 4th, 2008 - Alternative Notions of Life, a Different Path (5): Why me or why not me? Your choice
“Prosperity: The eternal flow of all that’s good in life…”
*Below is the fifth installment of a series of articles from the real life experiences of the author. The only deviations from the truth may be the names of people and places. These stories are also incorporated in “My Friend Yu – The Prosperity Mentor: Book II,” Pantejo – Y.N. Vurce Publishing. Release Date: 2008.
You wonder why other people seem to cruise through life while you are struggling.
In this article, we continue looking at “The Scenario” (introduced first in “Alternative Notions of Life, a Different Path [2]” and further examined in “Alternative Notions of Life, a Different Path [3] and [4]”).
- Steps up to now -
In “Alternative Notions of Life, a Different Path (2), (3), and (4)” we discussed The Scenario (below):
You’ve been trying to do something (or have something) for quite sometime, but it’s just not happening. You feel like you’ve done all your homework and “checked all the blocks” required for the task. Whatever it is you want, you feel that it’s really, really important and you want it bad! You begin to envy the other people who already have it. You wonder why, with all the hard work you’ve done, you don’t have it by now too? Sometimes you get angry, depressed, or discouraged because you don’t have it yet. You wonder why other people seem to cruise through life while you are struggling.
Recap of the first six sentences (discussed in the three preceding articles):
We saw negativity attracting negativity and a non-committal attitude (just trying). We talked about the Fear/Manifestation Paradox, due diligence, and envy. We looked at effectiveness, excellence, and efficiency. Lastly, we explored the importance of clarity and certainty.
Actions to Practice:
*Focus on what you desire, not on what you don’t have.
*Don’t complain, instead, be grateful for what you already have (and for what’s on its way).
*Do something everyday that takes you a little closer to your goal.
*Be effective first. Then be excellent – whether you get praise or not. Lastly, be efficient (meaning: do things quickly AND correctly).
*Be absolutely Clear in your intentions.
*Be Certain. If you can’t will yourself to be Certain, fake it until you feel it. Certainty cures doubt and worry.
- Last Sentence of The Scenario -
You wonder why other people seem to cruise through life while you are struggling.
There are two ways you can view this sentence: The Loser’s Way or The Winner’s Way.
- The Loser’s Way -
“Oh, woe is me.”
Almost all losers harbor a victim mentality. (The only exception might be the people who lack the skills to read these words. For example, the mentally challenged, bona fide Psychiatric patients, etc.).
Losers habitually blame everything and everybody else for their personal plights. They revel in their refusal of reality, the reality that they are the First Cause of their own troubles.
They are masters of avoiding anything that might require a little work or a little courage. Personal responsibility is not part of their natures (or even in their vocabularies).
They love to gather with fellow losers (of which, there never is a shortage of) and share in communal commiseration. Consciously or subconsciously, they bask in the attention that their “bad luck or broken wing” gets from onlookers.
Personally, I believe that most losers choose their limited lives because of: 1) Ignorance – maybe they have never been exposed to people and media that espouse a different way of thinking (like this series of articles), 2) Fear – afraid of what might happen if they actually succeed at anything, and 3) Indolence – they are simply to lazy to put forth the time and effort required for success.
You can be a victim or you can be a winner. You can’t be both!
- The Winner’s View -
The winner is the person who, in spite of all odds, keeps on keeping on.
Winners are persistent. Winners know that success is inevitable as long as they don’t give up.
Walt Disney launched Mickey Mouse at the lowest point in his career. Edison had thousands of failed experiments before inventing a long-lasting light bulb. Ford spent years of failure-ridden R&D to come up with the one-block engine.
Oftentimes, the prize does not go to the most skilled, but to the most stubborn!
It’s the boxer who just keeps getting up from a knockdown.
It’s the tennis player who scrambles through a long point just to get the ball over the net one more time.
It’s the marathoner or triathlete who plugs away at the miles and sees all the previous leaders fall from the race.
- There’s no such thing as “Failure” -
Similar to the concept of hot and cold as being just two points on a temperature scale, winners know that failure and success are merely two points on the success continuum.
In other words, as long as one doesn’t quit, there is no such thing as failure, just opportunities to learn (for the next time).
Winners don’t complain. They do.
Never forgetting that “people become the information they seek and the company that they keep”, winners avoid group pity parties. They take full responsibility for everything in their lives – that means everything, the good and the bad.
They celebrate the good and move on. They learn from the bad and move on. They don’t stagnate, worry, or whine. They keep moving!
And the momentum of positive things, people, and places moves them faster and faster toward their goals.
- With Ease -
Ever notice how winning professionals make what they do look so easy?
The answer is simple.
Practice, preparation, and certainty.
I’m sure Tiger Woods couldn’t tell you how many golf balls he hit before winning his first tournament. Michael Jordan probably couldn’t tell you how many hours he spent on the basketball court before turning pro. And Roger Federer couldn’t tell you how many serves, overheads, forehands, and backhands he hit before winning his first Grand Slam event.
Proper preparation leads to professional performance.
Look at successful people in any endeavor. They leave virtually nothing to chance. They do everything possible to ensure success.
While I was in the military, we prepared for any contingency we could think of. We trained, trained, and trained – until everything was second nature.
Many times, when Plan A had to be aborted, Plan B was activated. And since we’d practiced it so many times, we did it almost with no extra effort or conscious thought.
Professionals (winners) prepare and practice until mastery. They keep their magnificent obsessions in the forefront of their minds and do everything imaginable to increase the likelihood of success.
They have that indescribable “it” that drives them on.
It’s the investor who actually reads the quarterly and annual reports of the companies he’s invested in.
It’s the speaker who rehearses his speech until he doesn’t need to look at his notes.
It’s the astronaut who knows all his duties, safety checks, and emergency procedures by heart.
It’s the Parachutist or SCUBA Diver who knows his body and his equipment’s full capabilities and limitations.
- Certainty Revisited -
Did you know that almost all Gold medalists “won their gold medals in their mind” thousands of times before getting their gold medals in reality?
It’s all about Certainty. Winners are Certain. There is never a doubt in their minds about the outcome. They’ve already “seen” it. They’ve already “felt” it. And they’ve already “won” it in their minds. Their whole being becomes saturated with Certainty.
Consequently, all their actions are fluid and deliberate.
And the Universe promptly delivers.
Reality catches up to their inner game and further bolsters the winner’s Certainty. It’s a wonderful cycle!
In other words, everything a winner does supports and builds confidence, mastery, and Certainty.
The end result is a powerful calmness that pushes away all fear and doubt. In the winner’s mind he has done all that’s necessary for success. He has put in his order to the Universe, done his due diligence, and “pre-lived” his success.
Now he can just be thankful, let go and receive.
- Article’s Practice Points -
*Think like a Winner.
*Never complain. Look. Then Do.
*Practice, Prepare, and Be Certain
*Relax, Be Thankful, Let go, and Receive.
This concludes our series of articles about The Scenario.
After all of our analysis, introspection, and discussion, the question you should ask yourself now is not “Why me?” but “Why not me?”
Why not me, indeed!
“Until next time, be brave enough to take a Different Path!”
Your Friend in this Intrepid Journey called Life,
Carl “J.C.” Pantejo
Prosperity, Universe, success, winners, losers, victim mentality, certainty, practice, preparation, mastery, relax, let go.
Note: If you want to read more about Universal Laws, success, unconditional love, exorcizing past personal demons, and the Illusive Secret of Happiness, please read the following articles:
“Alternative Notions of Life, a Different Path: Guardian Angels and Universal Laws.”
“Alternative Notions of Life, a Different Path (2): Trying too hard?”
“Alternative Notions of Life, a Different Path (3): First, Be Effective.”
“Alternative Notions of Life, a Different Path (4): Intend. Be Certain.”
“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ series, articles (1) – (20).” (This is a series of articles about love, romance, Asian/Western relationships, relationship analysis, and more.)
“How Dare She! Out of Desperation I Learned How to Forgive”
“Remember Who You Are!”
“Need to Heal Your Broken Heart? Read on. Overcome Heartbreak and Learn the Illusive Secret of Happiness.”
“Simple (and Priceless) Life Lessons from the Most Influential Prosperity Mentor in My Life – My Father”
And much more!
(By Carl “J.C.” Pantejo and published internet-wide, keyword: [title of article] or “Carl Pantejo”)