Students Of Success

Your Non-Conscious Mind is 98% of your full power. Over the last couple lessons we taught you how to use your conscious mind to actively create the directions for your non-conscious mind to follow.

Your Inner Knowing is about 986,743 times more powerful than your non-conscious mind. The reason being is because this inner knowing has direct access to harness the infinite powers of the universe to produce results. Some people call this your higher self, your God presence within, your inner CEO, your innate wisdom and a host of other things. The main idea here is there is a power in the universe that created you and everything else. And when you get this power on your side in creating what you want, it becomes easy and almost effortless.

The inner knowing is your connection to this power and is like the non-conscious mind in how it just takes orders and does as it is told. Your inner knowing takes all your orders, just like the non-conscious mind, unless you tell it otherwise. What this means is every time you have a thought, see a picture, say something to yourself, etc, etc, your inner knowing is listening and following directions.

Now stop and think for a moment, how many times a day do you have a thought, say something to yourself or out loud or picture something you don’t want? You inner knowing is overwhelmed by all the contradicting messages it is getting. That is why it is so difficult for it to produce results for you. When you are only having thoughts for the same goal or purpose your inner knowing very clearly knows what to act on and in what direction.

This is why when you work at it, train your mind, focus and be conscious you start producing results. Your inner knowing after hours and days of getting told the same thing, with other stuff mixed in, finally gets it. Your inner knowing goes, oh, I guess this is what you really want. Then begins harnessing the powers of the universe to help you fulfill that request.

Now I am about to share with you an amazing tip that will exponentially speed up the results of everything I have shared with you in the previous lessons. You ready?

You can tell your inner knowing what to listen to and what not to listen to. For example: I told my inner knowing that when ever I pause and say “I AM” or “Inner Knowing” – whatever is immediately followed by those words are what I want you to pay attention to. All my other thoughts, ideas, pictures, words, etc you can ignore. In this way I do not have to spend months and years training my thoughts to only be solely focused on what I want before I start seeing results.

Action Step: Create your signal to Your Inner knowing (which can be the same as mine) and tell your inner knowing you only want that which immediately follows that signal to be acted upon. Then use this signal to let your inner knowing know what you want help with.

When You do this, you will skyrocket your results in any area of your life you ask your inner knowing for help with.

Eating healthy fresh and pure food is INCREDIBLY simple. This and this article are Part of a Free e-Course on Dieting and Eating Healthy. Go to http://www.bazuji.com/ecourse to sign up for the free e-course. Do you want to be Sexy, Slim, Slender and Healthy for Life. Dr. Jamie wants to help give you this with his “non-diet.” He is also giving you dozens of valuable free gifts to “ethically bribe” you into helping him make his new book, “The Ultimate Non-Diet” a #1 best seller. For details go to: http://www.TheUltimateNonDiet.com/free

Dear friends,

I would love to share the “HOW TO STAY YOUNG” formula with you.

1.Throw Out Non-essential Numbers. This includes age, weight and
height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay
“them!”

2.Keep Only Cheerful Friends. The grouches pull you down.

3.Keep Learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts,
gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. “An idle mind is
the devil’s workshop.” And the devil’s name is Alzheimer’s.

4.Enjoy the Simple Things.

5.Laugh Often Long and Loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6.The Tears Happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person
who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. BE ALIVE while you
are alive.

7.Surround Yourself With What You Love. Whether it’s … family,
pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. You home is
your refuge.

8.Cherish Your Health. If it is good, preserve it. If it is
unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get
help.

9.Don’t Take Guilt Trips. Take a trip to the mall … even to
the next county, to a foreign country, but not to where the
guilt is.

10.Tell The People You Love That You Love Them At Every
Opportunity. And Always Remember: LIFE IS NOT MEASURED BY THE
NUMBER OF BREATHS WE TAKE, BUT BY THE MOMENTS THAT TAKE OUR
BREATH AWAY.

THE CONCLUSION IS: WE ALL NEED TO LIVE LIFE TO ITS FULLEST EACH
DAY!

Beer brewing has become increasingly popular because it produces a large amount of beer for a very little amount of money. There are three things to consider when brewing your own beer from home - equipment, ingredients and procedure.

Equipment Needed: Ingredients

• A 20 quart brew pot ● Water
• Large stirring spoon ● Malted Barley
• A basic tablespoon ● Hops
• Measuring cup ● Yeast
• Glass jar
• Fermenter (plastic bucket)
• Air lock
• Sanitizer
• Thermometer
• Rolling pin

Procedure:

1. Preparing the Ingredients – Crush the malted barley into suitable sizes using your rolling pin. This will break the grain into pieces and will extract the goodness of the grain when it’s inserted into hot water.

2. Boil the Wort – The ingredients for the wort are mixed with the amount stated on the beer recipe. This is called the “mash”. The mash is mixed together in the boiler and hot water is added. The mash is brought to a boil for approximately half an hour. Once it’s finished boiling, you must filter out the grains and add the hops. Boiling the hops will eliminate its bitter flavor. Boil the hops for approximately 10 minutes.

3. Fermentation – This is the most important step to beer brewing. Insert the yeast into the wort and leave it for approximately one week. If you use the correct amount of yeast, you will notice foam throughout the liquid within the first 24 hours. This foam indicates that the beer is fermenting accordingly.

4. Storage – Store your beer in tanks or package it in bottles or kegs until it is ready for consumption.
Bill Kaplan spends most of his free time researching and practicing the art of beer brewing and wine making and serves as a contributing editor for the Beer Brewing and Wine Making website. The site offers information on different types of beer making supplies, supplies for making wine, the history of beer and more.

The European Union (EU) constitution was dealt a double blow, first by a French “no” vote on 29-May and then by a follow on “no” from the Netherlands on 01-Jun. To add insult to injury, one low level Italian diplomat quickly called for a referendum in Italy to decide if a return to the lira was warranted. Additionally, Prime Minister Tony Blair, who took over leadership of the EU on 01-Jul, indefinitely postponed the British referendum on the EU constitution.

This news along with plenty of speculation about the repercussions dominated the international headlines for much of the month of June. Not surprisingly, all the hubbub about the EU had a direct impact on the FX market. The euro fell to a new seven month low following the French referendum, reaching a low of 1.2371 and the “single currency” has been under pressure ever since. Probes below the 1.2000 level were seen ahead of 30-Jun, suggesting additional near term downside potential toward 1.1756 and beyond.

Since the inception of the euro in 1999 central banks, especially those in Asia and the Middle East were seen diversifying out of dollars into the euro. They were not only looking to scale back their substantial dollar holdings in the face of a declining market, but they also sought the higher returns available in the eurozone. However, returns on eurozone deposits slipped below those in the United States in December and the FED’s string of rate hikes bodes well for those differentials to further widen. Combine the better returns in the US and a generally more favorable dollar outlook with the specter of continued political turmoil within the EU and it seems there is little incentive to hold euros at this point.

Truth be told, the EU was facing some rather significant hurdles long before the double “noes” derailed confidence. Many of these hurdles are associated with expansion. Discontent on the part of established club members with the admission of central European countries in May-04 and general hostilities about the proposed admittance of Turkey played significant roles in the recent referendums. In addition, diverging economic performance, productivity growth, inflation and fiscal performance among member nations are all fodder for further turmoil.

Worthy of particular note is the broad based economic malaise in Italy. Italian consumer product manufacturers are losing their battle with Asia and consequently the trade balance is moving into the red. Unemployment is up, as is the budget deficit. Being part of the euro, and therefore having a relatively high exchange rate, essentially thwarts any effort to compete with Asia on price. Without its own currency, Italy is unable to devalue out of its non-competitive position. Hence, the aforementioned comments by Italian Minister Maroni. Countries such as Portugal and Greece are also in rather dismal economic health. The budget deficit of the former has already reached 7% of GDP.

Many have noted that the EU constitution may be dead, but it’s not buried yet. I’m not so sure that I would agree as approval of all 25 member counties is needed for ratification. The initial thought was that any dissent was likely to come from newer or smaller EU countries and that a little economic arm twisting by the likes of France and the Netherlands might encourage them to reconsider. Unquestionably the long standing skepticism of the Brits was going to be an issue. However, rejection of the constitution by two of the founding members of the EU certainly throws a wrench in the works.

I don’t believe that we need to worry about the European Monetary Union (EMU) breaking up any time soon. In other words, the euro will continue to be actively traded on the global spot market. A Reuters poll early in June suggested there is only a 5% chance of an EMU collapse within the next 15 years. However, around the same time the German weekly magazine Stern reported that the failure of the EMU was discussed at a meeting attended by German Finance Minister Hans Eichel and Bundesbank President Axel Weber. Having said that, I don’t think there is any question that there is a greater risk premium attached to the euro than there was a month ago.

In the months ahead, look for continued political wrangling within the EU. Further bad news is likely to be forthcoming, which should help keep the euro under pressure, creating trading opportunities not only against the dollar, but in the cross rates as well.

Peter Grant is VP of Operations for CFS Capital Management (http://www.cfscap.com), an alternative investment firm in Lakewood, Colorado. This article is an excerpt from our monthly newsletter ‘The Alternative’ which can be read online at http://www.cfscap.com/news.htm. Emails may be sent to pgrant@cfscap.com

(Please have a glass of water within reach before reading this article.)

Your personal financial planning is the topic of discussion here today, but not quite yet. First I would like to bring your attention to the issue of bragging.

The other day I was carrying on about how well our website was doing on the various search engines. If you typed in financial planning Victoria, or financial planner Victoria, or CFP BC, our site ranked very well on the major search engines. But I was not bragging about this to a dummy. Unfortunately not. Because this person, who shall remain nameless, asked me a very simple question:

“Is it working?”

“Huh?” I thought, feeling like I was suddenly part of a butterfly collection.

“Is it working? Are you getting new clients this way?”

The room was beginning the spin.

“Can I have some wa -wa?” I asked woozily as I crumbled to the floor.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the process of doing things, like optimizing websites for search engines, we lose sight of what standard of measurement we should be using to determine how we’re doing. In my case, I was using how well our website ranked for various search terms, instead of whether we were actually gaining any business from the web. Duh!

This often occurs where peoples’ financial planning is concerned. It is very easy to get stuck in the process of saving money, or managing money, but lose sight of whether or not what you’re doing is actually working to help you achieve your goals. So, if you think about your financial goals, and then think about how you are doing, the same question applies…

“Is it working?”

There are three possible answers to this question and they are: “Yes”, “I don’t know”, and “Can I have some wa –wa?”

Realizing that what you are doing is not working, is not pleasant. Nor is it pleasant to realize the giddy pleasure of progress you thought was your lot, is no more. You may look a bit ridiculous to yourself for a bit, but if you’re like me, that’s nothing new.

So, for example, if your primary financial benchmark is retirement, does it look like you will be able to retire when you want, with the kind of income you need?

“Hey! You okay? Wake up. Here. Drink this.”

About The Author

Rick Hoogendoorn is an ‘associate’ and misguided webmaster with Cheri Crause & Associates Inc. Cheri Crause is a certified financial planner in Victoria, BC.

rick.hoogendoorn@shaw.ca

Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)

Japanese barberry is a compact, shrub with sharp spines, that
commonly grows from two to three feet tall. Its roots are
shallow and tough. The smooth-edged leaves range from oval to
spatulate in shape and are clustered in tight bunches close to
the branches of the plant. There are yellow flowers which bloom
in May and are about one third of an inch wide, solitary or in
small clusters of 2-4 blossoms. The bright-red fruits mature in
mid-summer on the bush and remain into autumn and the winter.
The berries are small and found singly or in clusters. We sell
several cultivars of this species as ornamentals. These plants
have good deer resistance. Small thorns act as an invisable
barrier to deer. Once they encounter this plant, they nearly
have to starve to be found eating them.

All barberries prefers well-drained soils, although they’re
found in wet soils too. Barberies are typically found in
locations of partial sunlight such as a woodland’s edge.
Barberies can survive well under the shade of an oak tree
canopy. It is also found along roadsides, fences, old fields,
and open woods. These plants can and do escape and are invasive.

Japanese barberry was introduced from Japan. It is commonly
planted for ornamental value (its scarlet fruit and autumnal
foliage make it an attractive hedge), as well as for wildlife
and erosion control. It easily naturalizes because its fruit is
often eaten by birds, which subsequently disperse the seeds. The
plant reproduces by seed and creeping roots. Wildlife is known
to eat the seeds and distribute barberies. Branches can root
freely when they touch the ground or get covered by leaveswhich
allows single plants to become quite large.

If your landscape is dominated by a sea of green plants,
barberries will add striking color options. Besides being tough
and deer resistant, they are easy to transplant. Barberries have
much to offer. Barberries are drought resistant, pest free,and
come in many striking colors. Barberries make excellent barrier
plants. Plant next to windows to keep Peeping Toms away. There
are over 20 varieties.

Plant all barberries in partial shade to full sun. A couple of
inches of compost or well aged bark mulch accompanied by 1-2
pounds of a 5-10-5 fertilizer per 100 square feet of garden area
is recomended. Incorporate it it in the soil deeply.

Since some types of barberries can grow to 6′, allow ample
space for the plants. We suggest 3′ spacings for the plants.
Most barberries grow the same width as height. Make the whole at
least twice the size of the root ball. Tamp the soil lightly and
water well after planting. You may have to refill more dirt to
the plant as it settles. Mulch with no more than 1 inch of
organic mulch.

The first month and the first year are critical to surviving.
Most barberries die because of dehydration on transplanting.
Moisted well on tranplanting to encourage deep rooting. Don’t
allow the plants to dry out durring this year. Moisture is
critical during the first year, especially in years like the
past two. Water deeply when required, training the roots to go
deep. Feed four weeks after transplanting using a slow-released
fertilizer, like an 8-8-8 or 12-6-6 at 1 pound per 100 square
feet of bed space. You can see info and articles about plants at
Bill web site http://www.seedlingsrus.com

Your website exists either to sell products or generate leads that can be later converted into paying customers. In the former case, unless you sell inexpensive commoditized widgets, it takes several interactions with a prospective customer before you can close the sale. Therefore, a top priority of almost every online business is to gather, organize, and convert website leads to sales.

1. Gather leads

Most of website visitors who are interested in your products or services aren’t ready to buy just yet, but they sure have some questions and would like additional information (if it’s not too hard to obtain). Don’t make them search for it — put your contact information right in front of them. Every page of your website must have call for action and contact options that are impossible to miss. Some examples include:

- Ask a question via email
- Call your sales phone number
- Request an instant call-back
- Sign up for special offers
- Contact for a price quote
- Download product brochure
- Submit an inquiry form
- Chat live with a sales representative
- Subscribe for a newsletter

When gathering leads, stick to the KISS principle. Don’t ask for more information than absolutely necessary. For example, if you only need to know your potential customer’s state of residence, don’t ask for a full mailing address. If you do all your sales via email, don’t require a phone number, or at least make it optional.

Be sure to provide a clear, concise statement about how the information you collect will be used. Assure your prospects that their contact data will not be shared with other parties and they can stop receiving communications from you at any time.

2. Organize leads and prospects

Leads are useless unless they are properly organized. First, you must establish the systems and processes for recording all pertinent information for leads collected via different channels, such as website, incoming phone calls, trade shows and so on. Aside from the contact information, each prospective customer record should date and source, products and services of interest, subscription and contact preferences, and any other relevant data.

Your lead management system must also be able to record the history of all communications with a lead, such as incoming and outgoing emails, phone calls, voice mails, faxes, and items sent via postal mail. Each lead must be assigned to a sales representative, and categorized by the level of interest, size of opportunity, and sales pipeline status (more on that later). Sales reps should also be able to enter internal notes and comments about the prospect, and set reminders for the future follow ups.

Last, but not least, your lead system must be centralized. Every person involved in a sales process should have the ability to instantly access and update the information, without the need to upload, download, and synchronize the data. This is especially critical if members of your team are geographically dispersed or telecommuting.

3. Convert leads to prospects to customers

This is where the rubber hits the road. There is a number of distinct steps in any sales process. Below is a typical example of a sales process. You can easily adopt its stages and definitions to your situation:

Lead - a contact that has expressed an interest in your product or fits the target profile of a potential customer.

Prospect - a lead that continues to express interest in your product or service after a two-way information exchange.

Qualified prospect - a prospect that has participated in a discussion with a sales representative and confirmed their need.

Confirmed prospect - a qualified prospect who has the info they need to make a decision and budget to go with it.

Committed prospect - a qualified prospect who has reviewed your price quote or proposal and has indicated that she is ready to move forward with you – but haven’t yet.

Customer - ka-ching!

You can use your sales pipeline status report to not only organize and monitor the effectiveness of your overall sales process and individual sales representatives, but to forecast sales as well. To estimate the dollar value of your entire prospect base, multiple the average probability of closing the sale at every stage of the pipeline by the number of prospects currently assigned to that stage.

Establishing and managing your lead conversion process is all but impossible without proper customer relationship management (CRM) tools. You will need a system that captures lead information from your website and other channels, and integrates it with email, contact manager, calendar, and sales force automation software.

The companies that have established the systems and processes for converting leads to sales are already reaping the rewards.

Relenta is a web-based CRM, email marketing, contact manager, calendar, and sales force automation software for small business.

As I’m writing this, Sony is still on top of the video game world. With over 100 million PS2’s sold, we all have one. I play my PS2 daily and I have a PSP. But after the price announcement at E3 I don’t know if I’ll be able to afford to stay with Sony on the next-gen bandwagon. A $499 price tag means that if you ask for that for Christmas 2006 then THAT”S ALL YOU’RE GETTING! No action figures, no clothes, nothing else but the PS3.

And then tack on a game or two to that and you’re looking at asking your mom and dad to shell out almost $700 for your Christmas. i don’t think Sony is looking at who their core market is. The PS3 is now like buying a Lexus. It looks nice on the outside. It has pretty games, but are they going to be that fun out of the gate? And with the new Dual Shake controller which from reports was added two weeks before E3, will it be all that? Or are we buying into a over-priced lemon?

So if you want a PS3 you better start saving ALL your pennies, beg your mom daily, and start eating cheese and crackers for lunch.

Sony’s top guy, Ken Kutaragi, even goes as far to say “”It’s probably too cheap.”

Here are his words of wisdom, as translated by consumer website IGN:

“This is the PS3 price. Expensive, cheap — we don’t want you to think of it in terms of game machines. Because the PS3 is like nothing else.”

“For instance, is it not nonsense to compare the charge for dinner at the company cafeteria with dinner at a fine restaurant? It’s a question of what you can do with that game machine. If you can have an amazing experience, we believe price is not a problem.”

“When we announced the PlayStation price, it was said to be expensive. Same for the PlayStation 2. However, when released, both had sales that were unthinkable for previous game machines. This is because both offered experiences that could not be had on previous game machines.”

“With the PS3, you can have next generation game experiences that could previously not be experienced — things like next generation graphics and various services via the network. And, as with the PS and PS2, we believe people who like games will, without question, purchase it.”

So let us know what you think? Do you think the PS3 is over priced? Will you get one at launch or will you wait until the price has gone down alot?