Experience (8)

Growing Up #1

Do

Things we are told

and

Experiences we have had

Growing up

Make us who we are?

Every person on earth is a unique person.  No two people are the same.  We all look different, we all think different and we all process the things that happen in our life different.  I believe everyone has some sort of concept that your past helps contribute to the person you become, however I am not sure everyone realizes to what degree that statement is true.  I believe the things we are told and the experiences we have, growing up can make us or break us.  We are all unique creations of God and therefore, it is unfair to judge anyone for who they are. 

 Have you ever thought how two people can grow up in a certain situation and yet grow up to be totally different?  Have you ever noticed that even identical twins are different in many ways?  Two children who grew up in the same home with the same type of love and experiences will grow up and have totally different memories of their childhood.

To think of this is a miracle, however it is also very sad.  I say it is sad because although, we all want to be recognized for the person we are, we tend to judge others for who they are or are not.  We judge without knowing the things there were told or the experiences they had growing up.  Maybe if we took time to realize this, we could be more understanding of other’s situations.  Think about your own life and the things that have affected you.  Some of the words spoken or actions taken you may not even realize had such an impact on the way you think or react to certain situations today.  It may have been a negative word spoken to you as a young child that was reinforced as the years went by.  It may have been a certain action that happened, maybe you didn’t know all the circumstances and therefore saw that action as something other than what it was.  Your mind has processed these words and/or actions and has been reinforced by similar words or actions throughout the years…Now your heart feels the pain when the something triggers that deep rooted emotion that has grown with you as you have grown.  If those emotions were built over time due to something that someone else was responsible for, you may be trying to resolve the emotions you carry without even realizing it.  You may be looking for someone else to help you heal from the hurt you have carried for so long.  Until you can look into yourself to see where the hurt began, you may not ever  be able to resolve it.  Just as it is unfair for others to judge you for the person you have become, it is unfair for us to judge others due to the pain we keep within ourselves.   In most cases it is our pain and we try to make it theirs by holding them accountable for the actions or words that they say that in turn cause us pain.  In reality it is our pain and our decision to hold onto that pain.

Do

We hold onto pain and hurt

In our minds and heart

To make us the people we are now?

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Are You At Risk Of Being Exposed?

This morning I was awakened way before my scheduled interruption. It was about 4 o'clock AM. After tossing and turning, I was unable to go back to sleep. So me being the person that I am filled with such "bright" ideas, I made the decision to go to the gym. A decision that I have not made in a very, very long time, but this morning I persuaded myself.

 

While at the Gym, I was exposed......exposed to the treadmill, exposed to the elliptical machine, the ab machine, weights, etc.... Well you get the picture, right?

 

So my question to you today is; Are you at risk of being exposed?

 

For most of us it is a daunting task to allow ourselves to step outside of our comfort zones. We spend countless hours repeating our same habits and rituals and it doesn't even cross our minds to try something different. Last night after teaching my third class in a three part series, during my Q&A session, several of my students began to share things about themselves and their experiences.

 

Let me first tell you that my classes are always very diverse. I have all races as well as various types of industries that attend the sessions. During an attempt to better explain his point, one of my students, used the analogy of scuba diving. Immediately other students in my class began to cut in and let him know that they could not relate to what he was talking about. I myself, could not relate either because I have never been scuba diving. I have never been "exposed" to it.  My lack of exposure is based solely on my lack of interest in the sport and not in my lack of ways of exposure.  Sure, I have many friends that take part in the sport on a regular basis, but because it does not interest me....I do not participate.

 

For the things in life that truly interest me, I have made it a point and a goal to gain as much exposure to them as possible.  It may be by way of surfing the internet, reading books, taking classes, etc.  By any means necessary, I have decided that I will be exposed to the things that interest me most. Your source exposure depends heavily upon you and your actions.

 

Now for many, they have interests that they have not even begun to act upon even though a way of exposure is directly put into their paths.  It's easy to find an excuse or a way to remain in the same position rather than to step out of the comfort zone and change lanes.  It's time to release yourself of your fears and allow yourself to be exposed.

 

The time for change is now.  Change doesn't happen until you make the decision to change and exhort the energy needed to make it happen.  Stop using the same old habits to try and make a new ending.  It is not going to happen.  You must travel a new route on your path to a new ending. 

 

Here's a few tips; on your way home from work, try another route.  You may discover that it may get you there quicker.  If you are used to wearing a certain color palette, switch to one that you have been afraid to try.  You may discover that those colors accent you alot better than the ones you've been comfortable with in the past.  If you and your family don't all sit down to eat dinner at the same time, try to set a time and a place for everyone to sit down and eat together for a couple of days out of the week.  You may discover some things about each other that you did not know. If you don't go outside of a 10 mile radius of your home for your regular errands and leisure... try going at least past a 20 mile radius... you may find a new restaurant or store that you can now call your favorite.  I'm sure that you get my point.

 

Stop being afraid of being exposed to bigger and better things.  Step outside of your comfort zone.  Open yourself up to view the world in a different light.  They say that you don't miss anything that you never had...but I beg to differ.  It is definitely possible to miss out on the finer things in life because you are too afraid to branch out and take advantage of what this world has to offer. 

 

Open yourself up to being exposed....

 

Visit my BLOG for more tips and inspiration.

 

Randa Johnson

"Helping You Brand the Best You"

http://www.randajohnson.com/

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5 Things Your Customer/Clients Want From You

One of the first aspects of business that we as entrepreneurs and business owners learn is that it's easier and cheaper to keep existing customers and clients that it is to get new ones. A lot of time can go into getting leads and landing a sale. However, marketing is only one component of your business strategy.

Excellent customer service should be a top priority in any business, regardless of its size. It's easy to get caught up in the cycle of trying to attract new business that you neglect customer retention, especially in the early stages. But, if you expect your business to grow and thrive, it is essential that you evaluate whether you're providing the best over-all customer service.

Below are five things your customers and clients want and how you can deliver good customer service:

1. They want to know that your product or service will enhance their life--that is, can you solve their specific problem? Be straight-forward and confident in letting them know what you can do for them. Be up front in stating how your products and services make the lives of your customers better so they can make a decision.

2. They don't want to go through a bunch of changes in order to do business with you. Make it easy for your customers and clients to understand your prices, policies, and procedures. Avoid using complicated jargon and "un-user" friendly order systems and applications.

3. They want to feel that you are right for them. Be genuine so that people will know what they are getting when they do business with you. Perhaps you're a firm, no-holds barred CPA; a humorous, high-energy event planner or a naturally conservative realtor. Showing people the real YOU makes it easier for them to decide if you're the right fit for them.

4. They don't want a pushy sales pitch. We all like freebies and taking a test drive before making a final decision on a purchase. Ease skepticism by offering freebies and samples in the form of demos, trial periods, complimentary service or a money-back guarantee.

5. They want to purchase your products and services and trust that they can be easily accommodated. Make it convenient and easy for your customers and clients to pay you, and extend to them an open line of communication, easy exchange and support.

Understanding what your customers and clients want is vital to boosting your revenue and maintaining a loyal customer base. If you give them a pleasant, reliable and value-added experience they will patronize you for the long-term and hopefully become evangelists for your business.

Rebecca McClain

Certified Executive/Business Coach

Visit my website at www.yourunfairadvantage.biz for a FREE Entrepreneur's Advantage Kit

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Rebecca-McClain/1222040113

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WHO WE ARE

Booty Parlor is The Beauty Parlor for Your Love Life!

Founded in 2004 by married couple Charlie and Dane B. Meyers,

Booty Parlor is America’s premier sexy beauty and lifestyle brand.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

We believe that confidence is the sexiest thing

a woman can have and that

Every woman deserves to feel sexy, desirable and satisfied.

OUR PRODUCTS

Booty Parlor’s award-winning products are specifically designed to

Boost a woman’s sexy self confidence and inspire her to create sexier

Experiences, both in and out of the bedroom.

OUR SEXY LIFESTYLE ADVISORS

A Sexy Lifestyle Advisor is a personal shopper for your love life!

She delivers personalized sexy lifestyle

consultations and shopping sessions

To her customers at our fabulous Sexy Shopping Parties.

OUR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

Joining Booty Parlor is an easy-to-operate, flexible and

profitable business opportunity

For today’s entrepreneurial woman.

With Booty Parlor, you sell an irresistible line

of affordable luxurious products, and to discover ways to

boost their satisfaction within their love lives and relationships.

Booty Parlor Parties
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Black Women Adjusting to Job Loss

Magic Power Coffee - You never had coffee like this before!

One can start adjusting to unemployment by using a little psychology. Many studies have been done on how to deal with loss. Psychologists have found that people often have an easier time dealing with loss if they know what feelings they might experience during the "grieving process." Grief doesn't usually overwhelm us all at once; it usually is experienced in stages. The stages of loss or grief may include:


1. Denial - You cannot believe that the loss is true.


2. Anger - You blame those who you think might be responsible -- including yourself.


3. Bargaining - You try to "strike a deal" ( with a Higher Authority): "If you help me get a job, I promise never to be late to work again.


4. Depression - You realize the reality of the loss


5. Acceptance - You come to terms with the loss and get the energy and desire to move beyond it. The "acceptance"stage is the best place to be when starting a job search, but you might not have the luxury of waiting until you get to this point before beginning your search.

It is helpful to monitor you reactions and control any adverse emotions. Although you may well experience the stages of grief outlined above, they may not necessarily be in the order mentioned. If you experience strong negative emotions during these stages, you may need a break from your job search until you reach the acceptance stage. Most people can function in the earlier stages, as long as they remain aware of their feelings and are able to Keep these emotions from affecting their activities. For example, if you're still in your "angry" stage, it's important to understand that expressing your anger during a job interview could be self-defeating. Following are some tips to keep in mind during the job search process to keep yourself emotionally healthy and motivated to look for work.

Clarence Coggins
Crown Prince of Web 2.0
Equal Access To Justice For All
Build Your Business With One Link

Magic Power Coffee - You never had coffee like this before!

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Spring Cleaning and Upgrading

When you get a chance stop by my Website. www.allaboutyouexp.com .
I am looking for recommendations and testamonies for my site. If your are familiar with some of my products and woulld like to share an experience. I would love to post your words anonomously or with you picture.

Contact: janice@allaboutyouexp.com or call directly 267-251-3148
Janice

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Biz Enlightenment: Start a Service Business

Who can sell a service? The answer is simple--anyone and everyone. Everyone is qualified because each of us has skills, knowledge or experience that other people are willing to pay for in the form of a service; or they're willing to pay you to teach them your specific skill or knowledge. Selling services knows no boundaries--anyone with a need or desire to earn extra money, work from home, or start and operate a full-time business can sell a service, regardless of age, business experience, education or current financial resources.What Are the Advantages of Selling Services?There are many advantages associated with starting your own business selling services. Perhaps the biggest advantage is you become your own boss, take control of your future, and in effect become the master of your destiny. I've been self-employed for a number of years, and for me the lure of self-employment is the freedom and independence that calling the shots affords, which can be difficult to achieve when you work for others.Operating your own business also gives you the potential to earn more money, in some instances two, five or even ten times more than you're currently earning. Why? Simple duplication. When you work for someone else, there is only you and only so many hours in the day to work for an hourly wage or a salary. When you operate a business, you can duplicate yourself by hiring employees and salespeople to increase revenues; you can duplicate your customers and find more just like them to purchase your services; and you can duplicate your business model and open in new geographical areas to service more customers and earn more profit. These are all things you can't do when you work for others, and if you do, chances are it will financially benefit the boss a lot more than you.Capitalize on Your SkillsDon' t worry if you lack business skills and experience in areas such as time management, personal-contact selling, negotiating, bookkeeping and the ability to create effective advertisements. There's no question these are all important skills to have, but at the same time they're also skills that with practice can be learned and mastered. More important is the question, "What skill(s) do you have that can be sold as a service?" Any skill(s) you possess can be your best, and by far your most marketable, asset. If you know how to safely walk a dog, that's a skill people are willing to pay you for. If you know how to plan and throw one heck of a party, that's also a skill people are willing to pay you for as their event and party planner. If you know how to play the piano, this is a skill other people will pay you to teach them. If you know how to sell products and services online, once again that's a skill that people are willing to pay you for as an online marketing consultant. All are examples of skills that people pay other people to perform, or teach them how to learn.Every person has one or more skills other people are prepared to pay for in the form of a service provided to them, or to learn. However, with that said, most people have a tendency to underestimate the true value of their skill sets and experiences. You have to remember, what may come naturally to you may not come so naturally to others. Likewise, you might think your particular knowledge or expertise may be of little value, but if someone else needs or wants to learn about that knowledge, it's very valuable to them.Selling Services Part TimeThe first option is to start off selling your services on a part-time basis, which is a good idea because it enables you to eliminate risk by limiting your financial investment. It allows you to test the waters to make sure that being self-employed is something you enjoy and want to pursue. If all goes well, you may decide to transition from your current job, devoting more time to your new enterprise each week, all the while decreasing the time at your current job until you're working at your new business on a full-time basis. There are many advantages to starting off part-time, including keeping income rolling in, taking advantage of any current health and employee benefits, and building your business over a longer period of time, which generally gives it a more stable foundation. If it turns out you're not the type of person who's comfortable being the boss, you've risked little and still have the security of your job.Of course, if your ambitions are only to generate extra money to pay down the mortgage, save for retirement, put yourself through school, or pay off credit cards, selling services part-time is the perfect choice. It's important to do what you want to do and what best suits your individual needs. If selling services part-time works for you, then go for it.Selling Services Full TimeYou can also jump in with both feet and start your new business selling services full-time. This option would appeal to people without a current job or people who are confident about being the boss and operating a business. There's nothing wrong with starting off full-time, especially if you take the time required to research the business, industry and marketplace. You must also develop a business and marketing plan, and have the necessary financial resources to start the business and pay yourself until it becomes profitable.The main downside to starting full time is risk. If you jump ship and leave your job, you risk loss of current employee benefits and have no guarantee of steady income, contributing spouses or partners excluded. The upside to starting off full-time is potential rewards, including the opportunity to make more money than you can at your current job, and to gain control of your future. Your decision to operate your new business on a full-time basis will largely be determined by your current financial situation, your own risk-reward assessment, and your goals and objectives for the future. Jumping in full-time will appeal to the true entrepreneurial mindset--people who prefer to blaze the trail rather than follow behind in the wagon train.Selling Services SeasonallyAnother option is to start a seasonal business selling services, which can be operated with a full- or part-time effort. But most are run full time to maximize revenues and profits over a normally short time span. Examples of seasonal businesses selling services would include snow removal in winter, yard maintenance in summer in northern climates, income tax preparation service in spring, and serving as a vacation property rental agent. Just about any business can be run seasonally or occasionally, but some are obviously better suited than others.A seasonal venture will appeal to people who want the ability to earn enough money during part of the year in order to do as they please with the remainder of the year--travel, pursue education, or work a job in another season. The potential to earn a very good living operating a business only part of the year is a genuine opportunity, as proven by the thousands of people who are currently doing it. The main downside to a seasonal business, especially one that can be operated year-round, is that you don't want to spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours promoting your business only to shut it down for half the year, sending current and potential customers running to your competitors while your business is closed. It may prove very difficult to lure them back when you reopen for business.Selling Services to Supplement Your RetirementThe fourth option is to sell services to supplement your retirement income or just to have fun and stay active in your golden years. Retirement businesses have become extremely popular in the past decade, mainly because the cost of living has dramatically increased, often outpacing wages and retirement savings. The result is that many people head into retirement needing a little extra income to cover expenses and provide an adequate lifestyle or to maintain their pre-retirement lifestyle.People are living longer and much healthier now than in decades past, and because of this many are seeking new challenges; starting and operating a business is a way to stay active physically and mentally. Older people also have a proverbial ace up their sleeves when it comes to starting a business and selling services: a lifetime of knowledge and experience that can only be acquired by spending lots of time on this planet. Because of the value of these skills, many people are willing to pay big bucks for them. This is why many people who are reaching or have reached retirement age have chosen to start a consulting business selling their experiences, knowledge and skills for the benefit of their clients.Before you decide to get into business for yourself selling services, there are two issues to consider regarding financial compatibility--income and investment money. First, when deciding what type of service to sell, you have to consider how much money you want to earn and how much money you need to earn. If you need to earn $75,000 per year to pay your personal expenses, there is little sense in starting a dog-walking service. Perhaps there are a few dog walkers earning this much, but it's not a realistic expectation. How much money do you want to earn--that is, how ambitious are you? Again, you must be realistic and relatively sure the service you choose to sell has the potential to generate enough income to live on in the short-term, and the potential to match your income goals in the longer term. Income doesn't have to factor into the business startup equation for everyone. If you want and need to earn only a little money from a part-time or retirement business, the income equation will not factor as heavily as other issues.The second big financial compatibility issue affecting your decision about which business to start or purchase is the amount of money needed to start or purchase the business. Not only will you need to have or have access to the investment needed to get rolling, but you'll also need extra money for working capital to cover day-to-day operating expenses until the business achieves positive cash flow. This can take a week, a month or even a year.Ultimately, financial compatibility is important when starting a business and deciding what services to sell. If you cannot afford to start the business and don't have the financial resources to pay operating expenses and your wages until the business can break even, you'll probably have to look at alternative options, such as starting part time, choosing a different business to start, or waiting until you have acquired the money needed to get started.By James Stephenson
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Learning your Business and Industry – Guarantee SuccessBy Rickey Johnson – Owner Juniques Marketing*****Business option -(Get your Free Pre Enrollment Cellular Business Website, Earn money from Cell Phone Billing- www.juniques.net)*******Another benefit of starting a home based business is the knowledge you gain from building the business.A lot of emphasis is placed on making money from starting an online business.Well, for some, that is a result of building the business, for others, not so.Statistics show that for most, making money, especially a livable income, does not happen.Actually, most spend more money on their business endeavor then they earn from it.Here is what can happen for those who focus on learning how to build their business and learning about the industry they promote.You will gain valuable skills in the area of human resources, administrative processing, marketing and promotions, sales, group development, management and so much more.You can be very knowledgeable about your industry. Cosmetics, Electronics, Telecommunication, Nutrition, and the list continue.You may not become “money rich” with your on line business venture. A lot of factors affecting that outcome are out of your control. However, what is in your control is your learning attitude. You can become knowledgeable in business and industry principles and applications. That knowledge can be converted for use in the offline world (the one, which most people spend the majority of time in). You can enhance (and for some create) your professional and personal standing. Experience is Experience.Until our next communiqué. Have an Exceptionally Rewarding Networking Day.*****Business option -(Get your Free Pre Enrollment Cellular Business Website, Earn money from Cell Phone Billing- www.juniques.net)*******Networkingly yoursRickey
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