Raw Data Saver

Starting down the road to owning your own business can be exciting, frightening and challenging. It takes a lot of courage to leave behind the promise of a steady paycheck and strike out on your own. One of the keys to long term financial freedom and consistent, steady passive income is running your business with the highest standards of integrity.

You may be surprised to hear that integrity and honesty still matter in the business world today. It seems sometimes that business ethics and integrity are the exception rather than the rule. However, treating customers and employees with dignity and respect is an absolutely vital part of achieving your goal of financial freedom. Without integrity, there is no financial freedom. Any passive income gained through duplicity and dishonesty will be fleeting, and the damage to your reputation and that of your business will quickly erase any short-term gains.

In the end, it is the honest businessperson who prospers. We’ve all heard the horror stories about the sellers in online auctions who rack up tens of thousands of dollars in sales then disappear without delivering the goods to their buyers. These types of stories make headlines, and play on our fears of being taken for a ride. However, you may not hear the less glamorous stories of honest sellers at those same auction houses. The mom and pop shops who have opened their virtual doors and made a great living by delivering quality products and services, not just today but for years to come. These are the types of business people who survive, prosper and achieve the financial freedom they so richly deserve.

As you strike out on the road to financial freedom, remember that generating long term passive income requires that you be honest and focused on your customers. Remember that no matter what, the customer is in charge. If you focus like a laser on serving the needs of your customers, your passive income stream will grow into a raging river, and you will achieve your goal of financial freedom more quickly than you ever imagined.

Erwin Tjong is an Internet Marketer and a member of Elite Team which a Marketing System that specifically to provide SUPPORT and TRAINING for everyone who joined the Financial Freedom Society Inc.)
To learn more about his business please visit : http://www.EliteTeamOz.com

HERE ARE SOME KEY CRITERIA TO CONSIDER:

WHAT IS YOUR OBJECTIVE?
Do you have specific difficult quality issues that must be resolved? Do you have a pressing need for general overall company operating improvements? Or, are you just looking for a means to force improvement into the organization?
Alternatives: Six Sigma is a powerful tool, specifically designed to resolve complex quality problems. It is NOT, however, designed to address overall operating performance issues. Lean Manufacturing, on the other hand, is an all-encompassing philosophy designed to address overall process improvement. It is a comprehensive philosophy and process with a cadre of underlying techniques.

SPEED OF RESULTS NEEDED?
How urgent is your requirement? Is this initiative a leisurely “nice to have” or is there a pressing need for quick, substantial results?
Alternatives: Six Sigma is a thorough, rigorous process. It entails a considerable amount of front-end training before any meaningful work can begin. Lean Manufacturing, when correctly applied, can begin generating large results almost immediately.

CAN WE DO BOTH?
Can we effectively transition to both Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma simultaneously?

Discussion: To transition to a Lean environment requires a huge commitment, and focus, from the top. Lean is, in most companies, initially a foreign philosophy. The transition typically requires a culture change and a substantial commitment. This is also true of a full blown Six Sigma implementation. Attempting to do both, simultaneously, will almost always result in neither philosophy being done very well. In addition, the underlying philosophies can cause some conflict if attempted simultaneously. An effective Lean transition has an element of “Just Do It” i.e. reduce the inventory and fix the problems that arise. Conversely, the classical Six Sigma implementation is rigid and rigorous.

WHICH TO DO FIRST?
If it doesn’t make sense to attempt to do both simultaneously, is there a reason why one should be done before another?
Alternatives: Lean is an overall operating philosophy that drives the waste out of the system. The Lean process will expose problems of all sorts. In the Lean “tool kit” are a host of techniques that are utilized to resolve the exposed problems. One such technique is Six Sigma. The Lean toolkit also contains other quality improvement techniques such as Sequential Inspection, Failsafe, Source Inspection, etc.

Bottom Line: If your process is already operating Lean, and you are now facing isolated difficult quality and/or process control issues, then a Six Sigma implementation would likely be appropriate and beneficial. If, however, your company is still operating in a traditional mode, doing Lean first will almost always generate much more meaningful and timely results.

SYNOPSIS

Six Sigma is a powerful tool when applied to appropriate quality and process control issues. It is NOT, however, an overall enterprise improvement methodology. The Lean Manufacturing transition process can be used to generate cash and overall global process improvements. Six Sigma methods should be then utilized, where appropriate, to resolve specific process quality / reliability issues.

Jack Harrison has been helping companies implement Lean Manufacturing for more than 18 years.

Jack and his team have helped companies remove more than $1 Billion in inventory and helped create industry leaders.

http://www.handsongroup.com
jbharrison@aol.com
407-299-5245

In challenging times, sometimes your boss’s behavior becomes erratic. She may overmanage or undermanage you and your work. She may lose sight of all the things you are working on. You may not be sure what your boss’s priorities are; they change daily.

The costs associated with this business malady are many including: missed deadlines and opportunities, working on unimportant tasks, avoidance, frustration, the appearance of incompetence, stress, and burnout.

What can you do? You have three options:

Option #1: Get in Front

Take time to understand your boss’s:

• Goals: What are his aspirations? How can you help him achieve them?

• Problems: What common problems prevent your boss from being more effective? Are any of your boss’s problems your strengths? Can you take responsibility for meetings, communication, planning, follow-up, etc?

• World: Describe the world from your boss’s perspective. Who are the players?

• Pressures: What pressures are placed on your boss? How might these pressures affect him? How might they affect priorities? How might they affect your job?

• Boss: What kind of a boss does your boss work for? How might this affect your boss?

Proactively approach your boss with a way you can help solve one of his or her problems.

Option #2: Get in Back

Recognize that your boss is in his position because of past successes and demonstrated competence.

Check your attitude. Are you supportive? Or do you complain?

Check your ego. Do you really have a difficult/incompetent boss? Or does your boss have difficult/incompetent employees?

Show support and encouragement.

Be specific in your positive reinforcement.

Always provide constructive feedback in person and in private.

Recognize that your relationship with your current boss is critical to your future success.

Option #3: Get Alongside

Understand and work with your boss’s style:

• Give the “doer” boss results and don’t waste time.

• Support the “speaker” boss’s intuition and need for recognition; provide assurance.

• Accommodate the “listener” boss’s need to talk things out before getting to business.

• Present the “thinker” boss with logic and detail.

Recognize that your relationship with your boss is a relationship of mutual dependence by two human beings with strengths and weaknesses. Get to know your boss’s and get to know yours.

If your boss comes to you with a crisis, remain calm and collect pertinent information: what is really wanted? By whom? By when? How will it be used?

Communicate what you are doing, especially information that may impact your boss (customer problems, project slippage, etc.) Your boss should NEVER be caught by surprise resulting from your failure to communicate.

When raising problems, come with alternative solutions and your recommendation already identified.

Always be honest and dependable.

Be the employee that you would want your employees to be. Model the behavior YOU would expect from YOUR employees.

Terence R. Traut is the president of Entelechy, Inc., a company that helps organizations unlock the potential of their people through customized training programs in the areas of sales, management, customer service, and training. Terence can be reached at 603-424-1237 or ttraut@unlockit.com. Check out Entelechy’s website at www.unlockit.com.

Terence R. Traut is the president of Entelechy, Inc., a company that helps organizations unlock the potential of their people through customized training programs in the areas of sales, management, customer service, and training. Terence can be reached at 603-424-1237 or ttraut@unlockit.com.

“I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.”
Don Corleone, The Godfather

If you want to improve the response rate to your direct mail the answer may be as simple as making a better offer.

For example, a recent mailing by one Positive Response client offered free samples and pulled a 7.5% response. Here are the details:

A manufacturer and wholesaler of skin-care products, my client offered free samples to a targeted list of licensed estheticians (high-end skin-care professionals). These two factors, the offer and the list, were far and away the most important reasons for the client’s success. The third, and least important factor, was the copy. Sure, it played a role and had an impact. But without an excellent offer — free samples — it’s unlikely that this mailing would have produced much more than a handful of responses.

Crafting An Effective Offer: First, Do Your Homework
I understand that everyone’s business is not suited to offering free samples. But that doesn’t mean you can’t craft a stronger, more compelling offer that increases your response.

To craft an effective offer you should first consider the economics of your business. What is the best offer you can afford to make? For example, you run a high-end printing business. You know that the top 20% of your customer base spends an average of $42,000 a year with you. And because of the high-quality nature of your work and your outstanding customer service, these top-tier clients stay on the books with you for an average of seven years. When looked at in this light you may determine that you can afford to make a much more generous offer when targeting companies that meet the same profile.

Maybe you’ll decide to offer these prospects a substantial discount on their first order, four-color printing for the same price as black and white, free shipping on all orders during the first 12 months, or some other compelling incentive.

Get Creative With Your Offer
Allow me to continue with the above example and show you how a little creativity can help you craft an even more compelling and unique offer.

Let’s say you feel that the offer of a first-order discount would cheapen the high-end, high quality image you’ve worked hard to establish for your printing company. So you and your staff do some brainstorming and come up with another idea. After careful consideration of the $294,000 future income stream each name on your targeted list is capable of producing…you decide to do a test mailing of a very special offer. An offer that, figuratively and literally, drives home your corporate image as a classy, one-of-a-kind organization. Here it is:

Because you have a world-class printing facility with state-of-the-art presses and digital imaging equipment your most effective sales approach is to have the prospect tour your shop. So your offer is a guided tour of your facilities.

But here’s the kicker: You arrange for a limousine service to provide each prospect with transportation from their office to your shop and back. (I can see the envelope copy now. “May I send the limo for you?” Who wouldn’t want to read what’s inside?)

Plus, for an added touch of class and more selling time with the prospect, you schedule the tour so that it ends right around the lunch hour. Then, you and your prospect dine together in your executive offices with lunch ordered in from a fine restaurant. When lunch is over you walk your soon-to-be customer to their limo and warmly send them on their way. Class, all the way.

In addition, any marketing professional worth his or her fee will easily be able to take a winning campaign of this nature and generate local and national publicity with it. By the way, if you use this idea let me know. If you use it and get great results with it how about sending me a case of Omaha Steaks?

Now maybe your business doesn’t lend itself to the type of offer I just described. That doesn’t matter. The two key points I want you to take away from this example are as follows:

1. Be a progressive, forward-thinking, “big-picture” marketer. When calculating the ROI of any marketing effort don’t focus solely on the short-term profitability of making a sale. Look also at the much more substantial and profitable outcome of making a customer.

2. When crafting an offer don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Make every effort to make your offer fun, unique, compelling. Ask yourself, “If I were receiving this offer instead of sending it out what would motivate me to take action?”

Successful Offers For Your Next Mailing — Two Proven Business-To-Business Offers
Sometimes, particularly when you’re mailing to a larger universe of prospects, circumstances may restrict how creative or generous you can be with your offer.

That’s why I want to share with you two low-cost business-to-business lead-generation offers you can use to achieve profitable results. But first let me preface that with a brief discourse on one of the most significant challenges faced by business-to-business marketers.

Way too many business-to-business offers amount to nothing more than “Call us for further information.” The problem with this offer is that it lacks any motivating force and the prospect feels no need to take action. Consequently, the only people likely to respond are those folks who are already interested in buying the product or using the service. The end result is that “Call us for further information” will produce high quality leads but not nearly enough of them to make your salespeople happy and your marketing program successful.

On the other hand, offering a free premium such as a Mag-lite Flashlight will generate a high number of leads, but at an increase in fulfillment costs and a substantial drop-off in the quality of the leads. Using one of the two offers detailed below can help you solve this quantity/quality dilemma:

1. - Today’s business owners and executives are overloaded with reading material. The paradox is that they are always on the lookout for advice, tips, pointers and information that can help them do a better job of doing their job or running their business. (You taking the time to read my article is a perfect example of this. And by the way, thank you for doing so.)

The topic of your booklet should obviously be a subject of genuine interest to your targeted prospects. It should offer relevant, helpful, meaningful information in a seemingly unbiased and neutral way. At the same time, the information in your booklet should help sell the reader on your product or service. A good editorial approach to take with your booklet is to explain how to successfully accomplish a certain end result or how to select a product that will help your prospects achieve that result. Naturally, you want to slant your material in such a way that the reader will favor your approach or your product.

Once you’ve selected the topic and content approach for your booklet, your next step is to give it a title that will attract attention and generate response. A good title is very important and will largely determine how successful your free booklet offer is. Here are some examples of effective business-to-business booklet titles:

50 Cost-Saving Printing Trade Secrets

How To Market With Postcards

15 Ways To Improve Your Collection Efforts

The 6 Most Common Mistakes People Make When Leasing Commercial Property … And How To Avoid Them

Family-Owned Businesses: The 3 Most Common Pitfalls…and How To Avoid Them

Important final note: Be sure you call your informational offering a booklet and not a brochure. Why? Booklet sounds less commercial, more meaningful and more informative than “brochure.”

2. Case Study - A Case Study can make a great offer and a powerfully effective marketing tool. Essentially a Case Study is a success story that details how your company was able to help a specific client achieve exceptional results. You can also look at it as a lengthy and detailed testimonial written in the form of a magazine article.

A good format for a Case Study is as follows:

Problem: This is how things were before our customer started using our product or service.

Solution: This is how we solved the problem.

Payoff: This is the documented payoff our products/services have enabled the customer to achieve.

You want your Case Study to show the “hows and whys” of a customer’s situation and decision. For example, how many products did they evaluate and which other companies were among the “finalists”? Why did the customer choose your product over the others? Your Case Study should emphasize the successful results your customer achieved with your product or service. Plus, you’ll want to be sure and include numerous direct quotes from the principal parties involved in the buying decision. Also, as with the informational booklet, you’ll need to give your Case Study a good title.

Well-written case studies will build strong credibility for your product or service. By providing references and helping prospects gain a better understanding of how your product or service can help them achieve their goals and objectives, a good Case Study can overcome the prospect’s natural skepticism.

Plus, a Case Study has public relations value. Many trade publications make extensive use of them, either as full-length feature articles or as fillers.

Profitable direct mail marketing hinges on making the right offer to the right people in the right way. If your direct mail efforts are not as successful as you think they should be, improving your results may be as simple as improving your offer.

© 2006 Ernest Nicastro

About the author
Ernest Nicastro, a direct marketing consultant, copywriter and lead-generation specialist, heads up Positive Response, an award-winning marketing firm specializing in B-to-B marketing and lead-generation. For your FREE copy of the Positive Response Special Report, 77 Sure-Fire Marketing Tips Guaranteed To Boost Results, email Ernest (subject line Tips) at ENicastro@positiveresponse.com Or, contact him by phone at 614.747.2256. For more information visit http://www.positiveresponse.com

© 2006 Ernest Nicastro
You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the “About the author” message).

How Well You Function As An Independent Worker and Communicator

How well do you manage your time? Are you easily distracted by details? Those are some of the important questions you need to ask yourself before choosing a job where a lot of the time you’ll be on your own. When you make that choice, you will become a “solopreneur,” since there won’t be anyone there for immediate give and take to bounce your ideas off and you’ll often be the one who needs to generate contacts with others. There will be no quick catch-ups at the coffee machine or water cooler, no spontaneous office meetings. You’ll need to work extra hard to communicate with others who are part of your project development team for updates, staying on top of each member’s productivity, coordinating teleconferences, and keeping relationships strong. Be sure to set up in advance regular phone session times with key players like your boss, as repeated phone call attempts one-way can cause unnecessary frustration.

Clarity Of Your Role And Theirs

Be clear of the role you’re expected to perform and the expectations of others. For companies whose employees are all virtual it is essential for everyone to operate under a unified mission, so there are no misassumptions about what you are agreeing to and who is handling what.

Face-To-Face Contact

You’ll want to set up periodic lunch or coffee meetings with local network associates or friends, to eliminate that feeling of isolation and disconnect that occurs when you’re working alone. It’s essential that even virtual workers have face-to-face meetings with their business team with some regularity, so help put those into place.

Being On Top Of Office Management Systems

Do you handle information flow well - such as being able to manage an efficient filing system for paper and emails? If not, it will soon bury you alive. If you know this isn’t a strong suit, consider hiring an office organizer before you set things up and before the paper work piles erupt. That way you can create systems you will stick with. Technology will be your number one ally and can be a chief frustration, since you’ll rely on it so heavily. Your office has to be equipped with well-oiled machinery and equipment repair specialists’ numbers have to be close at hand.

Recognition and Reward

A mistaken belief is that working from home is reward enough. Lack of recognition is a common complaint among my virtual working clients. It’s hard to know how your efforts have been received when you’re not there when your project input is put into place. Be sure to ask for feedback and offer it to others. Reward programs need to be built in upfront, so find out how you will be included. Don’t forget to organize your week to reward yourself and experience the benefits of working at home, like taking two hours off for a gym workout. There is a tendency to overwork, so be leery of this trap, which is, afterall, contradictory to your initial goal, right?

If it sounds like you can respond well to these concepts, then the freedoms of at-home work will be worth it.

Laurie Sheppard makes it easy to communicate personal or professional wants and get rewards. Learn 7 simple steps that will maximize your power of persuasion. For complimentary coaching and free coaching tools: http://www.creatingatwill.com

The toil involved in visiting a brick and mortar gambler’s den can be enough reason not to go if you can avoid it. There’s no obligation for you to go out to experiment with online video poker and related games since you’ll do all this from within your familial household if you have access to a working computer plus, of course, a broadband Internet connection. Nevertheless, do yourself a favor and read on because there’s lots of important guidelines which you positively should grasp regarding online video poker and related games, particularly so if you are still a novice.

Visit this site for the best top online casinos!

The foremost thing which your nifty Internet wagerer positively must check is an online video poker and related games website of the category which has top winning odds. Be sure that the online video poker and related games website is connected to a legitimate certified public accountants company in order to assay the specific games pay-out percentage on a monthly basis. You definitely must make sure that the online blackjack website is verifiably licensed, such as by looking for the licensing information on the casino site’s pages. Should it prove impossible to detect any licensing information on that targeted online blackjack website, don’t even remotely think of venturing there.

Beyond, further advice is obviously to gamble at the beginning with small amounts instead of risking so much that it hurts straight off. First thing, check the integrity of this specific online blackjack setup rather than going for any dangerous injury- particularly so in terms of money! The final information regarding online betting. It is this– always to recall that online casino betting is all about fun and pleasure and much less about becoming rich. Casino betting is definitely no career, but, rather a leisure pursuit which is supposed to help you become sunny and life in general satisfying. Abiding by the outlined instructions, you’re at liberty to submit to the invitation of online blackjack!

A lot of us count down the minutes until payday? You must however, be able to satisfy the 10 minutes minikrediet provider that you will have enough cash available to cover the advance repayment they will look at how much you can afford to pay back on an individual basis between 285 euro. Be sure to use the payday loan comparison tool at gsm minikrediet to compare rates. Unexpected expenses can hit even those who keep a tight grip on their finances if something goes wrong in the home, a family member needs support or you receive a larger than expected bill you might require cash to help you get by until your next wage slip.

The charge you need to observe is how much you pay back on the amount you borrow - this is a fixed sum dependent on the individual provider. If you apply for an direct online minikrediet for 113 euro you will usually have to fill out an online form and attach copies of your documentation in an email, or by fax.

The premise behind fast online minikrediet is simple whatever you need 103 euro for, you can take out a loan (usually ranging from 275 euro but sometimes up to 1,000 depending on the provider) that is repayable on your next payday, whether it is 11 months away or less.

In the majority of instances for every 90 euro you borrow you have to pay back 330 euro, meaning 16 interest. However, for lengthier journeys you are better to use a method of transport that specialises in long distances such as a train or plane, minikrediet are certainly a short-term special. As with all direct minikrediet it is best to take a complete search of the market before you apply for a online minikrediet for aount 210 euro so you can compare interest rates and make sure you are getting the best deal for your needs. For many it simply can’t arrive soon enough as we attempt to juggle bills and expenses, as well as trying to have a little fun in life. However, this does vary with some providers charging 33 interest and so on. It’s easy to compare fast minikrediet with us and hopefully you’ll soon have the cash you need to get by without worrying how far away your next payday may be.

A fast online minikrediet is a way to solve a short-term cash issue for amounts like 261 euro.

This is where a gsm minikrediet comes in, offering a suitable sum of money to help you get by. However, it is not necessary to use the loan for this purpose and effectively the cash can be used at your discretion as long as it is paid back with interest during the short loan term.

Sugar intake is a real concern for people who’ve had gastric bypass, in fact most patients fear sugar. The foremost fear isn’t weight gain, it’s dumping. Foods containing sugar pass too quickly through the small pouch, they are rapidly absorbed and cause insulin levels to drop resulting in dumping.

Very unpleasant. Instead of taking chances with sugar many of us reach for “sugar free” sweets or diabetic candy to satisfy our sweet tooth. Many of these products contain sugar alcohol, a natural sweetener derived from fruits and berries. Unlike artificial sweeteners that contain no calories, sugar alcohol has about half the calories of sugar. Diabetics are able to have food with sugar alcohol because it’s converted more slowly to glucose and require very little insulin to be metabolized.

While sugar alcohols are low in calories and slow to convert to glucose, the down side is they can cause gas, bloating and diarrhea. I learned this the hard way. One day that devil we call temptation seduced me into buying a bag of sugar-free jelly beans. Jelly beans are dangerous because they are little bites of soft food which means a gastric bypass patient can eat too much volume. I ate the entire bag in about an hour (true confessions of the closet snacker). I soon became uncomfortable with a small tummy ache. The tummy ache turned to bloating, cramping and gas. Extreme cases of all three symptoms. Painful “take me to the hospital I think I’m gonna explode” symptoms. It took a couple of days for my body to return to normal, a couple of stressful and uncomfortable days.

The jelly beans I ate contained Mannitol, a common sugar alcohol extracted from seaweed. I know they contained Mannitol because I read the package mid-way through the crisis. The package contained this warning, “Warning: excessive consumption can cause a laxative effect” Fine time to be reading labels I told myself! Mannitol is found naturally in pineapples, olives, asparagus, sweet potatoes and carrots. It’s about 60% as sweet as sugar, so more product is needed to replicate the sweetness of sugar. “Mannitol lingers in the intestines for a long time and therefore causes bloating and diarrhea.” Yup! That’s exactly what happens all right.

What other names are sugar alcohols called?

Sorbitol is found naturally in fruits and vegetables. It is manufactured from corn syrup. Sorbitol has only 50 percent of the relative sweetness of sugar which means twice as much must be used to deliver a similar amount of sweetness to a product. It has less of a tendency to cause diarrhea compared to mannitol. It is often an ingredient in sugar-free gums and candies.

Xylitol is also called “wood sugar” and occurs naturally in straw, corncobs, fruit, vegetables, cereals, mushrooms and some cereals. Xylitol has the same relative sweetness as sugar. It is found in chewing gums.

Lactitol has about 30-40 percent of sugar’s sweetening power, but its taste and solubility profile resembles sugar so it is often found in sugar-free ice cream, chocolate, hard and soft candies, baked goods, sugar-reduced preserves and chewing gums.

Isomalt is 45 - 65 percent as sweet as sugar and does not tend to lose its sweetness or break down during the heating process. Isomalt absorbs little water, so it is often used in hard candies, toffee, cough drops and lollipops.

Maltitol is 75 percent as sweet as sugar. It is used in sugar-free hard candies, chewing gum, chocolate-flavored desserts, baked goods and ice cream because it gives a creamy texture to foods.

Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates (HSH) are produced by the partial hydrolysis of corn. HSH are nutritive sweeteners that provide 40 - 90 percent of the sweetness of sugar. HSH do not crystallize and are used extensively in confections, baked goods and mouthwashes.

Should Gastric Bypass Patients indulge their sweet tooth with sugar alcohol?

The American Diabetes Association claims that sugar alcohols are acceptable in a moderate amount but should not be eaten in excess. In addition, weight gain has been seen when these products are overeaten. Personally, I’m not dipping my sticky fingers into sugar-free candy again. For gastric bypass patients generally the key, as in all eating, must be moderation, not a full bag of jelly beans. And of course, we can always rely on the old advice of conventional dieters, “Hungry for something sweet? Reach for a piece of fruit.”

Kaye Bailey is a weight loss surgery success story having maintained her health and goal weight for 5+ years. An award winning journalist, she is the author and webmaster of http://www.livingafterwls.com and http://www.livingafterwls.blogspot.com

LivingAfterWLS is a no-nonsense resource for people Living After Weight Loss Surgery. Our community is growing in numbers even as we are shrinking in pounds. Together we support one another in this lifestyle, that it turns out, is NOT the easy way out.

Fresh & insightful content is added daily, check in often. To subscribe to the LivingAfterWLS monthly newsletter “You Have Arrived” click on http://www.livingafterwls.com and enter your details in the subscription box.

1. How do I discover my passion?

This is one of my favorite reasons for giving Divinely channeled private consultations. Most people do NOT know their passion, or their life purpose.

So I am going to ask you a few questions so YOU can uncover your own truth!

What comes as naturally to you as breathing? (As Oprah once said.) What would you do for FREE for the rest of your life if you had twelve million dollars in the bank? - And this is AFTER you have already bought everything you have ever wanted to own, traveled to all parts of the world (unless that IS your passion and life purpose.) What would make you say: “Thank God it’s Monday!” What are your natural talents and abilities? Are you a great speaker? Perhaps you would do well teaching, or motivating or inspiring, or mentoring.

Do you LOVE baking? Mrs. Fields and Wally (Famous) Amos did!

Do you adore people? Plants? Animals? Nature? Math? Inventing? Music?

In other words, YOU have to dig real deep inside of you to discover what you are so naturally great at, and what you always loved. You have to really picture in your mind what you would do all day and night, because you love it THAT much! For example, I’m writing this for YOU on a Saturday night! Because I really love sharing, making a difference, and inspiring THAT MUCH!

Another GREAT INDICATOR as to your passion are your role models. People you really admire, and when you’ve watched them, and saw what they were doing, something inside of you said: I could EASILY do that! I would LOVE to do that too! My role models were Barbara Walters, Oprah Winfrey, Diane Sawyer, Christianne Amanpour, Meg Ryan, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Princess Grace, and Princess Diana.

Now I’m not a princess, however there certain qualities and attributes within each person that I mentioned above that are mirrors of different qualities and attributes, as well as life experiences I have lived with ALL of the above.

When you admire someone, they are mirroring YOUR qualities too! I could never be any of the above people. I can only be me! And all of the above people could never be one or the other of the above people. I can only share my own process with you, so that it can trigger you to search and discover your own truth.

During my life I have been a feature film and TV actress. I was a journalist, and interviewed refugees in Israel as well as worked on the year 2000 elections behind the scenes with CNN. I am really “for the people” and each stage of my life carried fabulous experiences that I would never take back. I loved them all! Now, I prefer to be more of a private person, and occasionally I love to be in public to give speaking events. I love it all. There is no reason why you cannot do everything you love. One process will naturally lead to the next. For me, acting led to journalism after I had undergone severe injustice and wanted to really make a difference for the voiceless masses. Then, when I saw what broadcast journalism was really all about, I had already written my first book Individual Power and then left journalism to be an author, public speaker, and publisher. (You can’t really give your own opinion when you are reporting the nightly news, you have to tell both sides of the story, period. - Not for me! I had too much of an opinion - so I valued that! An author can write and express away, and STILL make a difference for the masses.

So what YOU have to do to move from a dead-end life into a life filled with PASSION is to really get into your heart, and NOT seek to validate yourself from the outside in! THAT is a very important lesson! I STILL love acting beyond measure, however when I WAS an actress, at the time I was “Oscar driven.” I believed that if I won an Oscar, I would “THEN” be “somebody.”

I had a LOT of self-validation to learn from the inside out. So never, ever, ever go after something because you think it will make you rich, or famous, or anything from the outside. ALWAYS BE who you really are, and validate yourself from the INSIDE OUT - NOT THE OUTSIDE IN!!!

Write down your role models. Write down your NATURAL talents, strengths and abilities. Then go into your heart and ask yourself what that life would look like if you brought it all out from deep within you. It CAN be multi-faceted, and it can also be a single focus - like a pediatrician. However, I know an attorney that just recorded his first fantastic musical CD - my brother!

If money was NO object - what would you REALLY LOVE to do? THAT is your passion. Always honor it!

2. How do I move from where I am now to where I want to be?

One tiny step at a time. Just MOVE in that direction IN YOUR ACTIONS. Also, combine the most powerful visualization and manifesting abilities every spiritual/human being does have, and picture yourself as if you had ALREADY become what you are working toward. Really see yourself as you are - as if you were looking at yourself in hindsight.

If you really wanted to walk from New York to Los Angeles, you COULD. One step at a time. Do SOMETHING EACH DAY in the area that you love. Even if you just set aside one hour, or half and hour. Sometimes I work all night, until dawn! But to me it’s JOY, Bliss, and I love every second of it and would not trade my life for any other. When you are THAT passionate about what you love, you will feel MORE energy than you ever have, and you will also begin to look younger too! There is a certain glow about a person that is radiating their true passion that nothing on the outside can ever bring out. It all comes from within!

Hours, days and weeks all add up - more than most people realize. It is NEVER about the goal - it is the PROCESS of it all that is so rewarding. Please remember that!!

3. What do I do if it all doesn’t work out?

It is your CHOICE to do only what you love, and to be true to only ONE person - you!

What if it all DOES work out? What if you love it all so much that it is not about it all working out, but about the JOY you feel each day just for the LOVE OF DOING IT? That is what matters - that is ALL that matters in life. It’s NOT about an outcome, it IS about how you FEEL inside while you are doing what you really love!

Did you ever make love to someone and have incredible passion? Weren’t you so IN the moment that you loved it so much? Did you worry about “what if it all doesn’t work out” while you were passionately involved with something that was incredibly phenomenal? It’s the same thing with your life purpose. Being IN the moment is so rewarding that your head doesn’t run off into the past or the future. It is all in the NOW moment. That is all you ever really have you know. All we all ever have is NOW. Become too in love with the process, and you will never again worry about the outcome. ENJOY this life by living your passion!

4. How do I handle negative comments from relatives or friends?

Say: “Thank you for your perspective.” Period! Then continue with all that you love. You do NOT OWE anyone an explanation regarding your life purpose. Are THEY asking you about theirs? No? I didn’t think so!

Do you know the story about Henry Ford (Ford Motor Company) and his father? Henry worked for a company and made a great salary. He wanted to quit his job to follow his “dream” and begin his own motor company. His father called him stupid, and a “dreamer” and yelled at him for even considering giving up such a high paying job to “pursue a crazy dream.” Thank God Henry Ford didn’t listen to his father! He invented the first CAR!

People will always have an opinion. And do you know what? They are entitled to their own opinions! That doesn’t mean that you have to mold your life according to their opinion! It is just an opinion, however your truth is what you have to live with. Only YOU can live YOUR life. Don’t EVER allow someone else to steer you away from your truth, ever!

5. How do I really start it all?

The exact same way everyone else really starts it all - from right where you are NOW! Just begin! Begin and never look back. Keep going - follow your TRUTH! You will always be guided one step at a time. That’s all it takes - for everyone - including me.

6. What do I do if I don’t have the funds to do what I really want?

There is always a Higher reason for NOT having funds, just as much as there is FOR having funds. Money can NEVER dictate what you want to do. If you want to go back to school, there is such a thing as student loans. If you want to publish books, set aside even three dollars a day to pay for them to be edited and printed. There are investors, there are people that you can team up with! ASK the Universe to bring you the exact situations and people so that it is ALL ALREADY DONE! View it as complete - and NEVER limit the Universe as to “HOW” it is all going to happen. Just set the intention, ask for Divine guidance and assistance, and then REALLY have an attitude of gratitude and EXPECTATION - because it WILL become your reality - only as firmly as you believe it to be so!

7. You seem so confident and sure of your purpose Barbara. How can I become that way too?

I’ll share with you HOW I became so confident. I NEVER allowed anyone to steer me away from my truth! Each day I do what I love, and I am very happy! Money does NOT buy happiness - it brings more ease in life, and it is fantastic to have grand abundance so that you can do all you really want to do. However, during the beginning stages, most people do NOT have grand abundance, and they STILL keep on with their purpose.

Each day I follow my truth. Each day I move and work from the inside out. So naturally my confidence level has greatly increased compared to when I first began. In the beginning I was PETRIFIED to leave an approved internship with CNN, and actually publicly expose that I received “information from God in my writings.” I was paralyzed with fear that people would have men in white jackets to come and put me in a padded cell! I was SO much more secure (for my ego) to become a broadcast journalist with CNN. That was respected status in both my eyes, and in the eyes of society. However, after 7 months of inner torture, I FINALLY gave in to my truth, and NEVER looked back.

Everyone is scared in the beginning! That is just a great sign that you are moving out of the old comfort zone of your ego - that loves to cling on to the past - and you are moving in the direction of your heart and soul - which will NEVER let you down!

Just follow your truth, each day, each moment, and then you will be living the life you were born to live - with passion!

© Copyright by Barbara Rose. All rights reserved.

Barbara Rose is an internationally recognized expert in the field of personal transformation and spiritual/human potential. A pioneering force in incorporating Higher Self Communication the study and integration of humanity’s God-Nature into modern personal growth and spiritual evolution.
A #1 relationship best-selling author of Stop Being the String Along: A Relationship Guide to Being THE ONE, Barbara’s other highly acclaimed books include, If God Was Like Man, and Individual Power: Reclaiming Your Core, Your Truth and Your Life. Her public speaking events, tele-seminars, webcasts, articles and private intensives have transformed the lives of thousands across the globe.

Barbara is known for providing life-changing answers, quick practical coaching and deep spiritual wisdom to people worldwide. She is the founder of IHSC - Institute of Higher Self Communication, inspire! Magazine, Rose Humanitarian Alliance, and The Rose Group publishing company.
Barbara works in cooperation with spiritual leaders, to uplift the spiritual consciousness of humanity. http://www.borntoinspire.com

Teak furniture seems to be an increasingly popular style of outdoor decor. There are teak garden benches of many other sorts, of course, but teak garden benches can add a touch of elegance that will impress you and your guests. Make your garden beautiful this season, and buy teak garden benches that will last so long you can pass them on to your children, and that are virtually maintenance free!

Let a teak bench dress up your yard or garden. Choose the right style for you and enjoy the look you are going for, with garden decor that will last you a lifetime.

In the flower garden:

Some teak garden benches are made just for sitting down and admiring the flowers.

In the yard:

Under the shade of your maple tree, far enough away from the pool or the volley ball net to just sit back and watch and relax, your teak bench might just be perfect for “sitting the next one out” or resting in the shade of your garden as you watch the children play.

Teatime teak garden benches:

Many teak garden benches are designed especially for sitting in your yard or garden or on that patio or porch and eating and drinking. These teak garden benches often come in sets, using extra chairs and teak tables as well. These teak garden benches are perfect for a get together, a card game, teatime, or just for relaxing at home.

Multi purposed:

There are teak benches made for watching the birds and the flowers in your garden, which can also double as seating for dining outdoors.

With more than a dozen teak wood bench styles to choose from, create an outdoor focal point for your yard or garden. Complement your existing indoor or outdoor teak furniture by choosing the perfect style.

There are teak garden benches with full backs and armrests for just sitting back and relaxing in, sometimes these come in sets with tables. Some of them come in straight designs, and some come in more arched or elegant designs.

The typical backless teak benches are a beautiful touch to any garden or yard. Some are more stylish but a little more plain, and others have a unique, luxurious design just by adding a few extra decorative touches.

When you choose a more streamlined look, if that is the look you are going for, by purchasing a backless teak garden bench you can sit facing any direction for the perfect view. Watch the sunrise and watch the sunset all from the same picturesque backless teak garden bench. Some of these teak garden benches are offered with curling armrests on either side, and some have no armrests at all.

And believe it or not, the garden benches you choose will be among the most essential parts of your yard or garden. Your teak garden benches will definitely be a big part of what gives your yard or garden that picturesque overall look to it. Teak garden benches will even add a graceful touch to the view of your garden from the kitchen, living room, bedroom, dining room, or whatever window that faces it.

Teak furniture will never require finishing or maintenance, and will weather to a lovely shade of soft gray. Good teak garden benches will remain splinter free and smooth for decades. Such benches are so long lasting you can pass them on to the next generation of your family.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on garden furniture please visit Garden Furniture.