Decisions

I attended T. Harv Eker’s Millionaire Mind Intensive. My girlfriend raved about how amazing this program was and at first I was really excited. This was a three day event and I got first in line. I was disappointed that she wasn’t going to meet me there for the opening session. Still, I kept my chin up and walked into the auditorium.

As soon as the rah rah sessions started I knew I had made a big mistake. I nervously looked around for the door and wondered when an appropriate time would be for me to leave the scene. I like money making and I like marketing but I am not a big fan of rah rah. You know what I am talking about. I mean fist pounding, blood and sweat, soul shaking rah rah sessions.

Tell me what to do to make money and I can learn from it. I take good notes and have good follow through. But don’t ask me to be a cheerleader for prosperity. It makes me feel uneasy.

But as I sat through this tirade it slowly transformed into a soul changing, mind bending, rejuvenating event. It was ground breaking. I can say this because for the first time I realized what money was. Money, or the lack of it, centered around one critical thing for me. All money was at the end of the day was one simple thing.

Service.

This hit me over the head like a ton of bricks. I figured out that all money really was service. If you lacked money or were living in a state of lack then it meant that you were not serving as many people as you should. If you had a steady flow of customers that took your service then money would flow freely to you. Now I realize that many of you out there are pretty smart. I’m just getting this for the first time.

This was absolutely ground breaking to me because I grew up in a steady stream of institutions. I went from Catholic grade school to high school, college and Universities and then got clobbered in the ruthless and humiliating hallways of Corporate America. I was prepped and stuffed for the chopping block under the guise of freewill and freedom of choice.

It never occurred to me to have a free form thought all my own.

Heck, I didn’t even know what money was until I tried living on it. After I got out of the doldrums of society and took the gutsy road of real entrepreneurism I realized how completely naked I was. I really didn’t know what money was or how it functioned. I had people in higher realms of authority to dictate its value to me all of my life.

I place this blame on my college professors who repeatedly brainwashed me to the point of stupidity and uselessness. I had it ingrained upon my thick skull that $40 grand a year was all one really needed in this life or any other life for that matter. Forty grand was enough to keep you fat and happy. I am not making this up. In fact, this was a real number that was being touted around in a number of learning institutions that I attended.

But that’s not the scary part. The scary part to me was that nobody I attended class with at the time ever challenged this paltry amount. That simple fact still disturbs me to this day. It baffles me how so many kids in my age bracket listened to this terrible advice and followed these professors from week to week like blind sheep.

WELCOME TO THE 2000′S – EVERYONE IS A MILLIONAIRE THESE DAYS

I refuse to take guilt for not becoming a millionaire sooner. This recent wave of “millionaire thinking” did not exist when I was involved with institutions. In the 90′s they were still telling kids in college to pursue jobs. The focus was to get a job. That was the function of the University. And to stay more in line and to ensure that you would never have an authentic thought form of your own the University endorsed the mindless Greek fraternity and sorority system.

Thanks guys but no thanks. I avoided that whole scene thank God.
The truth is I never had to pay a dime for any of my friends in college.

Universities were not in the habit or the business of cranking out non-conformist thinking. The job of the University was to create mindless, soulless corporate drones who take mundane jobs and become cogs on the wheel. They were to go out into the world en masse and procreate and create more confused, conforming, in the box thinking individuals to populate “the system”.

So like the mind numbing Nazi soldiers I repeat the infamous words, “I just did what they told me.”

I drank the Universtiy kool aid and got crappy results. This was later reinforced through other forms of institutions including religion and social groups. And would you believe that in just a few years time of leaving the safety of University living that I was beyond miserable, broke and unhappy?

Oh, say it ain’t so.

I am actually embarrassed to say that I partook in formal education in the 90′s. I am embarrassed that I participated in a lot of my institutionalized activities. I would like to erase the time that I spent in those nerve shattering, confusing and ridiculing environments but you only live once. Time does not reverse.

So to take sole blame for my total state of lack makes total sense. But for life to turn out any other way would be nothing short of miraculous. I admit to contributing to my misery but I will tell you that nobody back then ever talked about creating millions of dollars. That did not happen until after 2001. And to be even more accurate nobody really talked about it much until the horrific events of 911.
Now everyone is up my ass about it.

BREAKING FREE FROM THE PRISONS AROUND US

The mental trappings of the self are perhaps the most damaging and soul crushing prisons of them all. You can destroy your mind, body and spirit over your own limiting beliefs about success and failure. These can be reinforced with religious convictions, cultural beliefs, corporate identity, social identity and political idealisms. I can proudly say that I have thrown out a lot of these frameworks of limited ideologies. I can also admit that I do not miss them in the least and feel a good 20 pounds lighter in my chest because of it.

As for the ones I had to leave behind – I am quite confident that they do not miss me.

I am luckier than most people when it comes to breaking free from mental prisons and institutionalized living. I never grasped my cultural roots because I was taken away from them years ago by moving from school to school. Being Native American is more or less meaningless to me as I grew up in a homogenous institutionalized society.

I later ended up leaving my church after 911 after receiving some racial slurs from fellow parishioners. It appears that I was mistaken for being of Middle Eastern descent of which I am not. But I got to thank them for opening my eyes to the type of closed minded and simple short sighted viewpoints of my social peers. I left that whole scene immediately and never looked back.

As for corporate America, I had actually left that years ago. Just like the church I found that I did not miss that much either. I did not feel tied into any type of group and for the first time I really felt like I was truly alone in the world.

I liked that.

I liked that a lot. Because for the first time in my life absolutely nobody was watching me. Best of all nobody was eyeballing what I was up to. I could do whatever I wanted to and I could come and go whenever I pleased. It was exhilarating.

T. Harv Eker talks a bit about breaking out of certain mindsets that inhibit wealth. It is amazing to see this in action and to be able to recognize it. I was pretty sure I could break out of the typical negative thought patterns and do amazing things.

But one thing that really needed to get out of my way was how I viewed money. My professors wanted me to believe that trading time for money was A-OKAY. This is great in theory until you actually try doing it for long periods of time. You sacrifice more than your time. You also fling away your physical life, your sanity and pack yourself in a tiny box and live with limits.

My big take away moment centered around the money issue. I realized that I could have as much money and freedom that I wanted. I just had to find a way to create more service for people that I dealt with. That was so liberating to hear. When I reached that moment I was elated.

We have a saying in Michigan which I find rather disturbing. It goes like this…. “We refuse to partake in Michigan’s sagging economy”. Well, la-dee-dah. I’ll tell you what – you had better start participating in this sagging economy because that is where the money is.

All the money you need is not going to drop out of the sky and fall straight into your hands.

You should wake up each and every morning and praise God above for sending you a recession. All a recession really is at the end of the day is a warning sign. It is a constant reminder that we lack serious leadership. It means that companies and business leaders are living with tired norms and need direction. It also serves as a large road sign that people are looking for new ideas and are open to suggestion.

As long as the old ways aren’t working there is room for improvement. Fortunes are made under these kinds of conditions. So in this type of market you must provide things that aren’t there. The market is receptive to something new and exciting. That means that the time can be right for you and your new crop of goods and services.

That could be some very good news for you. Taking your ideas from concept to money in the bank can become a reality. So I am asking you to take the leap of faith and to start thinking of money as levels of service. If you are providing this for people then you can definitely make a difference in your own personal finances.

Money is service and service is everything.

About the Author:
Ted Cantu runs i-Cantu Media LTD which is a Web 2.0 Video studio located in Farmington Hills, Michigan. You can find him at, http://www.1seomichigan.com Download his FREE, “Marketing Kit For Troubling Times.

Keyword tags: Ted Cantu, The Millionaire Mind, marketing, T Harv Eker, MMI, Entrepreneur, making money, self help

Popular culture has an additive personality. The two main addictions being the lives of celebrities and the power of a brand. Sometimes a name or a few words is more than enough to make hordes of people rabid with excitement, Britney Spears, Coca Cola, Ford Focus RS – all have their status as icons of modern society.

If someone has talent I’m all for them earning masses of money, being idolised and I may even listen to them preaching to me about global warming issues that they’ve contributed to with their private jets – Bono you know who you are. What I don’t have any time for are the reality television ‘stars’ who crave any form of attention and limelight without having any discernable talent. Since the advent of Big Brother, we are inundated with reality television programmes covering every conceivable topic: from being stuck on a desert island, being gifted a modelling contract, dancing and now even conducting an orchestra.

Even supposed A-list celebrities get on my wick. If anyone can tell me the talents of LiLo (that’ll be Lindsey Lohan to the uninitiated) or Paris Hilton, please send me a postcard. Combine these two with their ever-changing fashions and you’ve got content for a year’s worth of OK! Magazine.

I must admit that despite my rant I’m a sucker for a label on clothing. Despite the fact that a t-shirt from a supermarket will cover my chest as ably as one with a designer label, there’s something comforting about a well known brand, despite the fact it’ll cost ten times more and be 95 percent the same as the supermarket’s version. The problem is that even if you look past the obvious increase in price for a branded product, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s as good quality as you’d hoped – much like finding out the new album from a band you love is rubbish, after you’ve bought it.

Ford find themselves in this quandary as the world waits with baited breath for the return of the iconic RS badge that will adorn the updated Focus early next year. The RS badge has always symbolised a great Ford, regardless of the base model it’s built upon. The RS200, Sierra, Fiesta and previous Focus were all barnstorming cars full of power and every boy racer’s dream once the RS treatment was delivered. There is no doubt however of the one Ford that the new Focus RS must beat – the Escort Cosworth.

The Cossie as it became affectionately known was a perfect example of what a good performance overhaul can do to improve the base model. The Escort in standard trim was quite simply awful. It was built to a cost so low that you’d be lucky if half the car didn’t fall apart on the way to the shops. The styling was woefully bland; the handling distant at best and as for reliability, well you could rely on the fact that it would always break down. However, a 225bhp engine, chassis upgrade, wide body kit and the iconic ‘whale tail’ spoiler transformed the car into a world beater on the rally circuit that you could happily take to the shops and return in one piece. It was a supercar for the working class.

Clearly then the excitement surrounding the new Ford Focus RS is justified based on history. The opportunity for disappointment however is also higher than ever. So how do I rate its chances? Firstly it’s available in a lime green so vivid that my retinas detached themselves. Secondly it has styling that is somehow modern yet harks back to the 90′s look of the Cossie whilst being more aggressive than Joey Barton on a night out. A rear diffuser gives it F1 chic and there are more vents than a supercomputer could count. It all sounds a mess but let me assure you it works.

Performance promises to be blistering, with a 2.5 litre turbo-charged engine developing over 280bhp. Basically on paper the Focus RS will crush every competitor in its class and embarrass a few in the upper echelons too. My only concern would be that 280bhp through the front wheels shouts ‘torque steer’ louder than a billboard in Times Square. Ford have allayed these fears stating that a electronic limited slip differential will solve these problems making the Focus RS not only the most powerful RS ever, but all being well a very drivable one.

2009 promises to be the return of an icon. Let wallets of all sizes rejoice.

About the Author:
Mark Creese writes about the highly anticipated Ford Focus RS soon to be available at http://www.sandicliffe.co.uk/

Keyword tags: Used Ford,Ford,Ford RS,Ford Dealer

Andy Warhol once said that art is “what you can get away with”. Art is one of the areas of our culture that divides opinion more than anything else and finds its way into more and more of our buildings and products. One man’s love of the Gherkin building in London is polarised with those who feel it is a blot on the skyline. Increasingly the car world is producing cars that appear to be a direct copy of a child’s scribble in their school book. One company you cannot level this accusation at is Volvo.

The Swedish firm have always put substance over style and produce bricks on wheels that are super safe, super reliable and super practical. Even the ‘hot’ performance version of their estate – the T5 looked virtually identical to the base model, it just happens to be so fast and usable the police in Britain all use them. It’s ever so boring to look at though. In fact I’d rather have the police version – at least all the high visibility stickers and chequered side panels give it a bit more flair. The blue lights would get me to work far quicker too I’m sure.

Imagine my surprise this week then when the brochure for the new Volvo C30 was waiting for me when I got home. Let’s just say the bruise on my head from when I fainted is healing well, thanks for the concern. You see, all I said above has seemingly been rendered irrelevant. Art for the road and for the masses is here, and it’s a Volvo. The realisation that the world wasn’t flat I’m guessing was a bit of a shock, but it couldn’t have been too dissimilar to the first time I opened the Volvo brochure.

Volvo have played safe with the front end of the C30, giving it the usual executive look of the Swedish manufacturer and then gone bonkers with the rest of it. Describing the C30 is like attempting to describe a Monet painting, but I’ll try my best. It looks a bit hazy with long, broad brush stokes and can only really be appreciated from a distance as up-close shows the flaws in the work. The Monet isn’t bad either.

Seriously though, the C30 is brilliant to look at. The rear end is the perfect ying to the front end’s yang. The lights start where you’d expect them to, halfway up and on the curvaceous bulge that grows as it travels from the bonnet to the back end. The lights then go on an upward journey that goes all the way to the roofline. A spoiler joins the two sets of lights and will probably add down force if you ask Volvo. For me it just adds the touch of perfection on an already stunning view of the car. Forget Kylie Minogue and J-Lo, the C30 has the best rear end I’ve ever seen.

The Volvo C30 sits comfortably in two markets thanks to its styling. It’s a coupe one minute and a funky hatchback the next. The danger with any car that attempts to be two things at once is that it fails to do a good enough job with either. Thankfully the C30 is happy to oblige to whichever need you’re after. Volvo being Volvo, they offer so many engine and trim options that you can transform the C30 into a snarling tarmac eating Coupe or economical family hatchback with a tick or two on the options list.

Obviously one look at the C30 screams ‘practicality not considered’ which is partially true. Other competitors in its class offer more rear legroom and boot space but bland styling so it’s the compromise you’ll have to make one way or the other. The C30 drives very well and has a similar chassis to that of the Ford Focus which by all accounts is sublime. Volvo’s engineers have stiffened the suspension and given the car a wider track than the Ford which is truly rewarded in the corners, with the car maintaining a mature feel throughout.

Artwork doesn’t appear to be affected by the global financial crisis, with Damian Hirst selling some of his work for £111 million in two days. The Volvo C30 starts at £14, 750 rising to £22,995 for the top-of-the-range model. Whichever variant you chose, rest assured you’ll be noticed on the road and have far more life in your purchase than Hirst’s shark in a tank.

I am seriously considering the C30 as my next car. Now all I need to do is find a wall big enough to hang it on.

About the Author:
Mark Creese is currently workign on behalf of http://www.harratts.co.uk/volvo/ a Volvo dealer in the North of England.

Keyword tags: Volvo,cars,autos,automotive,

Almost everybody that has a website is interested in getting traffic to it. This is not only true for those of us that are trying to turn a profit with our website but it is also true for the individuals that are only putting one up as a hobby. The fact of the matter is, if you care enough about a subject in order to put a website up about it, you want to make sure that as many people are viewing it as possible.

Most people spend a lot of time trying to pull new people into their website through a variety of different means. Search engine optimization, video marketing, social bookmarking, forum marketing and even paid advertising are only a few of the many methods that people are now using. For most of us, we see people come and go and many of them never take the time to return to us again. This is really unfortunate because the people that are already visiting our website are the ones who are interested in what we have to say and have taken the time to find us in particular. How can you capitalize on this already existing group of people?

There are actually two different ways that you can capitalize on these people and increase your numbers considerably. First of all, you can give your existing visitors a reason to stick around and to visit on a regular basis. The easiest way for you to do this is to add something to your website that is going to be interactive. For example, you could add a forum to your website and people will gladly join in on the conversation once the ball gets rolling. This is an excellent way to promote repeat visitors but there are several others that you may want to consider as well. Running a blog on your website and allowing comments is another way to pull in repeat visitors. Finally, you should make sure that you are running a newsletter as this is the easiest way for you to invite people back, again and again.

Another thing that you may want to consider is asking your existing visitors to spread the word about you. Although this can be a little bit more difficult to do, there are some rather creative ways that it can be done. If you are writing on the subject that people tend to be very passionate about, you can come up with a printable newsletter in PDF format and ask your visitors to print it out and distribute it. Your website may also lend itself to having a greeting card section which will help people to spread the word while sending ecards to people that they know.

The fact of the matter is, it is easier for you to bring back existing traffic that it is for you to get new traffic to your website on a regular basis. Don’t overlook this source of visitors as those that are already loyal to you can do a lot for your numbers.

About the Author:
Discover The FREE Click Formula 3.0 and learn how to get unlimited free traffic to your websites: http://www.googlesnatched.com/

Keyword tags: more traffic, website traffic, website visitors

There is a lot of temptation on the Internet, especially when it comes to starting your own Internet business. It doesn’t matter which direction you look, there is going to be another moneymaking opportunity that hits you in the face. Although it certainly is possible for you to make a great living on the Internet, you need to make sure that you’re not being distracted by too many of these offers. This is especially the case if you are working with affiliate marketing. This is one of the easiest ways for a beginner to earn money on the Internet but unfortunately, it comes with some pitfalls that are not always spelled out from the start.

One of the worst things that you can do whatever you’re first starting out with affiliate marketing is to get involved with too many different products. Although it never hurts to diversify to a certain extent, spreading yourself too thin will be counterproductive. The Internet works differently than things work in the real world. In a real world store, it is possible to offer a variety of different things and still be able to be profitable with the same audience. On the Internet, however, people are looking for something specific and unless you have that specific something to offer them, you’re not going to make the sale.

This is what is known as niche marketing and it is a concept that you must absolutely understand before you get started. You need to market to specific niches and whenever you’re first starting out, you need to limit the amount of niches that you are working in to something which is reasonable. If you try to be everything to everyone, you are simply not going to be able to keep up with everything that needs to be done. There is a lot to learn when it comes to affiliate marketing, although it is relatively simple if you keep it simple. If you make it complicated by offering a lot of different products and services, you’re going to get discouraged and more than likely, quit.

There will come a time after you have tasted success with affiliate marketing in which you will be able to branch out into other areas. It is important for you to make sure that you get your feet wet in one or two specific areas first. This will teach you some of the basic principles that are necessary for you to understand in order to be successful in any area of affiliate marketing where you decide to settle in. Most of the principles that can be used in one of these areas can easily be adapted to another. Just make sure that you are successful with the first before you go for a second.

Eventually, there will come a time when ever you have your hand in many different affiliate marketing pots. Until that time comes, make sure that you are focusing your efforts on one or two areas in order to find the success that you are desiring.

About the Author:
Discover The FREE Click Formula 3.0 and learn how to get unlimited free traffic to your websites: http://www.googlesnatched.com/

Keyword tags: affiliate programs, affiliate marketing, internet marketing

Taking care of our automobiles is a very important and expensive enterprise. One aspect of that care is buying tires when necessary. While it can be easy to ignore this particular maintenance issue, letting tires deteriorate or grow bald to save a dime can be a costly error.

If money is a true concern, the fugal can save by purchasing used tires. Although these tires may not have the longevity of new ones, they are safe and can be found rather easily if you know where to look.

When to Buy

Government regulations stipulate that tires have to be replaced when they have become dangerously worn. What constitutes wear?

Well, if the things are bald or showing rot from non-use, then one wouldn’t have a doubt as to the tires unsuitable nature. Problem is, some wear is not so easily discernible.

Experts in the field advise placing the head of a dime in a crack in the tire. If you can do this, it will indicate the tire needs to be replaced. Another thing to look for is potential rubber degradation. The lowest part of the tire is the place where most tires show wear first. Check this area periodically to look for places that are staring to lose their tread or show steel.

Where to Buy

Many people have begun to buy used tires online which can be a bit foolhardy.

You can of course buy them online if you want to, but one should really look at tire purchase as a hands-on thing, as car tires are too important to leave to chance. If you have to buy used rubber, buy where you can physically inspect what you’re getting.

One can find used tires at local automotive chains, discount and regular local tire shops. Again, this is the safest bet for obtaining quality used tires.

Longevity of Used Tires

The question of how long tires may last, whether used or new, can depend on a number of variables.

Even the best of tires, for example, won’t last long if you are prone to speeding or skidding on pavement, gravel or asphalt. Severe climates and atmospheric conditions can also affect the life of the tire.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration acknowledges that tire maintenance and rotation will increase the longevity of the tires, but the heaviest factors of consideration will always be how often the car is driven.

In many cases, with great care, most may last between 30,000-50,000 miles.

Tire care and maintenance

Used tires can be maintained and kept to government regulation by keeping them inflated, checking them routinely for leaks, and wiping the tires down with soap and water. The latter is very important because you will be able to check for cracks, leaks and wear.

Now, in regards to tire inflation, you should know that it is possible to both over inflate and under inflate your tires. Manufacturers usually have specified instructions for how often their tires should be inflated. If the tires are used, you may have to call the manufacturer or ask the seller about these particular specifications.

The lifespan of a tire decreases when they are not inflated the way they should be. Buy a usable tire gauge and check for leaks as often as you can.

The Value of Transportation

Vehicles are essential to our livelihoods and independence, so we mustn’t take any aspect of auto care for granted.
If you wish to purchase used tires, make sure they are reliable and the right kind for the make and model of your car. Observing these tips alongside other simple tire care rules will keep you and your car safe and on the road for a good long while!

About the Author:
Junk yard with locations in the United States and Canada. http://www.standardautowreckers.com

Keyword tags: used auto parts, car parts, wrecking, car scrap, used tires, transmissions, junk yard